The Adams' Family Farm

Phyllie and Finn, Good Friends 1-28-12

2012-01-30T08:06:00.002-05:00

Really, is there anything cuter than this? Phyllie and Finn. Good friends.

(Phyllie almost 6 months old. Finn 2 1/2 years old.)

Susan and Phyllie 1-28-12

2012-01-30T08:03:00.001-05:00

I am turning friend Susan into an animal lover, specifically a chicken lover. Phyllie is THE most adorable chicken ever. Next visit she'll be hugging Phyllie. :)

Phyllie's First Egg 1-27-12

2012-01-30T07:59:00.001-05:00

We got 5 eggs this morning. The smaller white egg on the right is Phyllie's FIRST EGG!!! How cute is that???

Snow 1-21-12

2012-01-24T18:33:00.001-05:00

After shoveling the coop area, I put Phyllie under the coop where she can eat and drink and be protected from the weather.

They have protected areas. Only Phyllie is under the coop. New straw to keep their feet off the snow/ice.

Treats on a Snowy Day 1-21-12

2012-01-24T18:28:00.001-05:00

The four I rescued in November. Treating them to the shell of a spaghetti squash and seeds from a cantaloupe. My five got their special treat in their coop.

Snow 1-21-12

2012-01-24T18:20:00.002-05:00

Shoveled 4" early this morning. Now to get rid of the extra inch or so. Can't have the hens' feet get frostbitten. Phyllie is the only one who has ventured out of the coop. Either she doesn't know any better, or the others are chicken, pun intended.

The five big girls have stayed in the coop. Bunch of chickens. :)

Aunt Ollie and Phyllie 1-20-12

2012-01-24T18:12:00.001-05:00

My Aunt Ollie came to visit. She loved Phyllie, as does Finn.

We have had many chickens, but Phyllie seems to be our favorite. She is incredibly adorable.

After Chicken Program 1-17-12

2012-01-24T18:06:00.002-05:00

Phyllie lives with the five big hens, but she has remained in her own little world, not hanging out with them. Today after the chicken program, she hung out with them in the yard. It was the first time she has done this.

Chicken Program Prep 1-17-12

2012-01-24T17:59:00.002-05:00

Getting ready for the chicken program at the Brethren Home. Finn is keeping watch over Phyllie. Finn sat there for an hour while I got other things together.

It was a rainy day. I brought the five big girls into the bathroom to dry off for an hour or so before leaving.

Chicken Program at Brethren Home 1-17-12

2012-01-24T17:48:00.002-05:00

We took 6 chickens to the Lebanon Valley Home for a program for 80 independent residents. all the hens are unique and enjoyed by the people. But Phyllie was a big hit. First pic is of two women who wanted to hold her.

Second pic - Our friend Betty, who I've known for 40 years, is NOT an animal lover. Never had pets, doesn't care about people's pets. Well, she was fascinated with Phyllie and held her for half an hour. I took pics to show her daughters because they aren't going to believe she was affectionately holding a chicken.

Zippy 1-7-12

2012-01-24T17:43:00.002-05:00

Zippy is always in play mode.

Phyllie at Keystone Candle 1-7-12

2012-01-24T17:35:00.002-05:00

Keystone Candle was having a contest on their website. Take your picture on the huge chair they have in front of the store and post the pic on their facebook. Many people did that. I took little Phyllie to get her pic taken. Then we went in the store to hang out with Katie and her dad. Don't know who won the contest yet. (We have known the owners of Keystone Candle for many years.)

Molting Pearl 1-4-12

2012-01-24T17:27:00.002-05:00

Pearl, our leghorn, has been molting. She lost so many feathers she was bald in spots. The feathers are now coming back in. Pretty interesting looking.

New Chair and Finn 1-3-12

2012-01-24T17:21:00.001-05:00

I got a new chair for me, but Finn thinks it's for him.

Phyllie and Finn 12-22-11

2011-12-22T19:30:00.002-05:00

Parke brought Phyllie in. She loves sitting on my shoulder. Finn is all fascinated. You know you all are so jealous that you can't work like this. I have better co-workers than you do! :)

Phyllie on My Shoulder 12-22-11

2011-12-22T17:40:00.002-05:00

I was working with Phyllie on my lap, but she wanted on my shoulder.

Phyllie Helping Me Work 12-22-11

2011-12-22T17:34:00.002-05:00

While I was working at the computer I had little Phyllie with me. She's so calm. (Sorry the pics loaded in the wrong order. She started out on the desk, then went to my lap.)

Phyllie and Parke and Rocky 12-22-11

2011-12-22T17:28:00.001-05:00

Parke brought Phyllie in for a little this afternoon. Rocky was pretty interested in the visitor.

Ellie 12-22-11

2011-12-22T17:22:00.000-05:00

What a gorgeous hen Ellie is.

Sophia and Phyllie 12-22-11

2011-12-22T17:17:00.001-05:00

Sophia, a silkie, and Phyllie, a polish, are hanging out together today.

Phyllie's First Day in the Yard 12-22-11

2011-12-22T17:06:00.003-05:00

Today is a first. Little Phyllie (4.5 years old) came out in the yard for the first time on her own. She had been staying in the safety of the coop area. Yesterday she was outside the gate a little. When the other girls went in for the night, Phyllie couldn't figure out how to get back in. I put her in on a perch to roost for the night. But today she has ventured out with the others. Left to right: Ellie, Pearl, Phyllie, Harriet, Lacey.

Pearl Molting 12-22-11

2011-12-22T16:44:00.002-05:00

Our beautiful leghorn, Pearl, is a delightful girl, but she is looking pretty sad as she molts. Hope those feathers grow back fast so she isn't cold if it snows, and so she looks beautiful again.

Cat Christmas Toys 12-16-11

2011-12-22T15:56:00.003-05:00

My sister sent the cats new toys for Christmas. Finn loves them. He plays while Zippy watches.

Sewing Helpers 12-14-11

2011-12-22T15:29:00.003-05:00

Finn and Zippy were helpers as I sewed window treatments today. (Don't tell my clients.)

Chicken Parking Sign 12-9-11

2011-12-22T15:21:00.002-05:00

Saw this sign at MyPetChicken.com and had to get it. It is proudly posted along the driveway.

Bad Hair Days 12-7-11

2011-12-22T14:49:00.003-05:00

Phyllie and Sophia are having bad hair days with all the rain and mud. Meanwhile, the rescued hens are protected from the mud in their tarp-covered kennel.

New Hens Roosting 12-6-11

2011-12-22T14:43:00.002-05:00

Three of the four rescued hens have taken to perching on top of their house for the night. So cute. The fourth one is inside.

Finn 12-3-11

2011-12-22T14:16:00.002-05:00

Finn is right beside me while I work at the computer.

December in the Yard 12-3-11

2011-12-22T14:06:00.002-05:00

The other five hens are enjoying a great December day in the yard. Left to Right: Pearl, Lacey, Harriet, Ellie, Sophie.

Phyllie 12-3-11

2011-12-22T13:55:00.002-05:00

Phyllie just turned 4 months old.

Parke and Phyllie 12-3-11

2011-12-22T13:31:00.004-05:00

Parke said today that sometimes he feels like a farmer. I told him sometimes he IS a farmer. He cleaned out the coop and gave the hens new straw, food, water, etc. I'm lucky to have a hubby who likes my hobby.

Then Parke took time to hold our little baby Phyllie.

Phyllie's Water Dish 11-27-11

2011-12-22T13:22:00.003-05:00

Phyllie (almost 4 months old) is now with my older hens. But their big blue water dishes are too big for her. So we got her a small heated water dish.

Zippy's Signature Pose 11-27-11

2011-11-30T22:20:00.001-05:00

Zippy loves to sit with her paws over the edge of something.

Chickens in a Row 11-26-11

2011-11-30T22:14:00.002-05:00

These girls are so cute. many times, they line up along that evergreen tree and groom themselves. this is Lacey, Ellie, and Harriet.

Phyllie Growing Up 11-26-11

2011-11-30T22:05:00.003-05:00

Phyllie, the baby hen hatched Aug 1, had been living in the kennel area till she would be big enough to put in with the big girls. With the addition of the four rescued hens, I had to put her with the big girls a little sooner than I wanted. On Saturday, Nov 26, I put her in the coop area. I kept my eye on her throughout the day. I only saw one little squabble.

Four New Chickens part 2 11-14-11

2011-11-30T21:59:00.003-05:00

It didn't work to add the four new hens with my older five hens. The two alpha chickens fought till they had bloody beaks. The four new hens will live in the kennel area.

Four New Chickens part 1 11-14-11

2011-11-30T21:45:00.004-05:00

While leaving the Hershey Library on Monday, Nov 14, I saw two chickens in a front yard. While concerned about their safety with the road and knowing that it was illiegal to have chickens in Derry Township, I caught them and put them back in their backyard. That night I contacted the owner. She had 4 6-month old chickens that she needed to find a home for because she had been reported to the township. I volunteered to take them.

They were used to getting over their fence and roaming thru the neighbors' yards. That's not allowed at my house. They must stay in the yard. So the first thing on the agenda was to put them in the bathroom and trim their wing feathers.

Chicken Little - Bye Bye 10-15-11

2011-10-15T17:39:00.004-04:00

I took care of the girls this morning, then went away for the day. At 4:00, I left them out of their coop area, only to notice that Chicken Little was lying under the coop. So sad to lose another pet. Here are 3 pics of the pretty buff-laced Polish chicken.

I would have to give Chicken Little haircuts so she could see. She also needed trimmed up in the winter so the feathers wouldn't get wet when she drank and then freeze.

She could get herself so dirty. She would have bad hair days. :)

It's so odd how chickens die. They can seem totally fine, then we just find them dead.

Maggie/Abe Goodbye 10-11-11

2011-10-15T17:32:00.003-04:00

We had a new cat coming to our house in May, 2010. We named her Maggie. It was a year later that a neighbor told us what house he lives at and that his name was Abe. We still called him Maggie because that's what he came to when we called.

Maggie loved being with the chickens. We called him our herding cat because he would herd them together if they got all over the yard.

Today, Parke found him back behind the chicken area. We don't know what happened. We will really miss this guy. He was here almost every day. He was very affectionate and loved hanging out here.

Visitors Like Our Farm 10-8-11

2011-10-15T17:22:00.001-04:00

New friends we met in Alaska came to visit us. Susan is checking out Lacey and Pearl eating a cantelope.

Finn and Phyllie 10-4-11 part 2

2011-10-15T17:19:00.002-04:00

I wasn't getting much work done since Finn was being so cute with Phyllie.

Finn and Phyllie 10-4-11 part 1

2011-10-15T17:15:00.005-04:00

I needed to work at the computer today and thought I'd bring Phyllie in to sit on my lap. Finn was super interested in her. A fluffy cat and a fluffy chicken.

Bye Bye Juneau 10-1-11

2011-10-15T17:11:00.002-04:00

Here is Juneau, named after Juneau Alaska, where we saw a lot of eagles this summer on vacation. We thought the black body and white head was like an eagle.

Today Juneau is 2 months old. This past week we heard the noise and knew he was a rooster. We can't have a rooster where we live, so I sadly took him back to the breeder.

Baby Chckens Night Night 9-12-11

2011-10-15T17:08:00.001-04:00

The babies are learning to go up the ramp at night to roost.

Baby Chickens 9-11-11

2011-10-15T17:04:00.003-04:00

Phyllie and Juneau are getting used to their new home. Sometimes we put them in the grass.

Finn - 2nd Birthday pt 2 9-10-11

2011-09-10T21:18:00.002-04:00

Here is my handsome Finn - 2 years old today. We love him so much!

Finn - 2nd Birthday pt 1 9-10-11

2011-09-10T21:12:00.002-04:00

Today is Finn's second birthday. He is watching a cat dvd. He is fascinated with the crickets.

Sewing with Finn 9-9-11

2011-09-10T20:58:00.002-04:00

Finn was helping me sew pillows today.

Chicks Meet Cats pt 4 9-2-11

2011-09-03T07:36:00.001-04:00

Finn meets a chicken.

Chicks Meet Cats pt 3 9-2-11

2011-09-03T07:30:00.001-04:00

Buttons (black cat) and Doodah (orange cat) wondering what this feathered thing is.

Chicks Meet Cats pt 2 9-2-11

2011-09-03T07:25:00.001-04:00

Here is Zippy seeing what this thing is.

Chicks Meet Cats pt 1 9-2-11

2011-09-03T07:19:00.005-04:00

The white-crested chick is the explorer. The cats don't upset her at all. Here she is checking out Baby. She even landed on Baby, and Baby didn't care.

New Chicks 9-2-11

2011-09-03T07:11:00.003-04:00

This is night 2 with the new girls. I try to hold them a lot to get them tame and used to people so they will be therapy chickens at nursing homes.

The white one is the quiet, introverted chick.

The black one is the noisy, extroverted one.

Very different personalities.

New Baby Polish Chicks 9-1-11

2011-09-03T07:03:00.003-04:00

I got two new chicks today! Pearl, our white Polish chicken, died in June. She was so incredibly fun that I wanted to replace her. A man in our area raises Polish chickens. He wins first place every year at the PA Farm Show. I contacted him to see if I could get a hen from him. He gave me a white chick, and also a white-crested chick. White-crested have black bodies with white heads. I told him how we have the chickens for eggs and also as pets, and how we take them to nursing homes. He would not let me pay for the chicks. He gave them to me since we do chicken programs.

Could they be any cuter?!?!?!

Maggie's Injuries 8-31-11

2011-09-03T06:51:00.003-04:00

We have a neighbor cat who was afraid of people. I have her really tame after feeding her and loving on her. She is here every day for over a year. We never checked well, and named her Maggie. Recently someone told me where Maggie's home is and that his name is Abe! haha Well, he responds to Maggie here, so that's what we still call him.

No lie, he is here most of the day. He herds the chickens. He doesn't like when they are scattered around the yard. He herds them together. We call him our herding cat.

We didn't see him for a week. We were very concerned. We don't know his owner. Then he showed up like this on Aug 31.

That's the bench we feed the outside neighbors' cats on. Maggie couldn't eat with that cone collar on. So I hand fed him. Then I got a dessert dish for water that I held inside the cone for him to drink.

I'm hoping to meet his owner and find out what happened. He is so precious. We love having him around.

Rocky Back to Health 8-23-11

2011-09-03T06:47:00.002-04:00

After a month of seriously declining health and an hour and half from his last vet visit (to be put down), our Rocky rallied and is totally well. He's such a gorgeous cat. Love those big green eyes.

New Cat Toys 8/18/11

2011-09-03T06:38:00.003-04:00

Most of the cats like a laser light. My finger gets tired holding in the button on the light. My sister told me about these toys that shine a light all over. The one that looks sort of like a vase reflects a light by using a mirror inside the top. The other one has the light going around in a circle, but not continuously. It's back and forth and all over. Spoiled cats! :)

Parke and Baby 8/9/11

2011-09-03T06:31:00.002-04:00

Baby is THE lap cat. If someone is sitting, she's on the lap.

Sick Rocky July & Aug 2011

2011-09-03T06:20:00.004-04:00

We went to Alaska the first two weeks of July. When we got home, Rocky ignored us. That's very unusual because he follows Parke around like a dog would. We thought it was just behavior. After 2 weeks home, he stopped eating or moving. He just laid on the computer desk. I brought water and food to him and carried him to the litter box. He had no energy. To the vet - he was very anemic. Testing did not show the cause of anemia. He continued to decline until August 13 when he went in the front-loading washer. We thought that was his way to get away and die. Talked to the vet Monday and made an appt for Tues to have him put down so he wouldn't suffer. At 6 am Tuesday, he was ON me as I slept. That meant out of the washer where he'd been for 3 days. He was purring and kneading on me. We cancelled that vet appt. He steadily improved. In a week he was all better. We don't know what it really was. He was an hour and a half from his last vet visit. So glad he's still with us.

Dogs in NC 8/5/11

2011-09-03T05:57:00.003-04:00

My aunt and I went to NC to see my sister and her EIGHT dogs and FIVE cats!

Chickens Eating Corn on the Cob 8/2/11

2011-09-03T05:49:00.001-04:00

Finn 6-30-11

2011-06-30T21:33:00.000-04:00

Finn, a very gorgeous boy.

Getting Ready for Vacation 6-29-11

2011-06-30T21:32:00.003-04:00

Parke brought luggage inside about a week before our vacation. Baby was on it continually. Every nap was on the suitcase.

Zippy and Doodah 6-20

2011-06-30T21:30:00.000-04:00

Best Friends

Tanya and Her Girls 6-17-11

2011-06-30T21:23:00.005-04:00

A co-worker of Parke brought her three daughters to our petting zoo. They had a blast with the cats and chickens.

2011-06-30T21:20:00.000-04:00

Lost Two Chickens 6-11 & 17

2011-06-30T21:11:00.002-04:00

I am so sorry to report that we lost two chickens in a week. On Saturday June 11, we found Honey in the coop. It was sort of sad losing her, but she was the least friendly of the girls. So it wasn't that big of a loss.

On Friday, June 17, we lost Phyllis. She was such a delightful and entertaining chicken. She was always a hit at the nursing home chicken programs. She was named after Phyllis Diller because of her wild hair. My favorite picture of Phyllis was taking on a rainy, muddy day, and she really was having a bad hair day.

We immediately disinfected the coop and their area, Treated them for inside and outside parasites. We did everything we could think of to stop this, even though we don't know the cause. My hope is to get one or two new hens in mid July.

Snickers' Abscessed Tooth 6-16-11

2011-06-30T21:09:00.002-04:00

Snickers woke up today with a swollen left side of her face and bloody eye. She has an abscessed tooth. She's on antibiotics. Poor baby.

Buttons and Her Fuzzy Toy 6-12-11

2011-06-30T21:06:00.002-04:00

Buttons loves this little pink fuzzy ball. It's her favorite toy. She loses it sometimes under furniture. She will find Parke and show him where it is. He gets a yard stick and retrieves it for her. She has him well trained. :)

Hummingbird 6-12-11

2011-06-30T21:05:00.001-04:00

We love watching the hummingbirds on our patio. We sit about 5 feet from the feeder.

Barney on Lap 6-12-11

2011-06-30T21:04:00.001-04:00

We were out watching the hummingbirds, and Barney jumped right upon my lap. There was a time when this neighborhood cat could not be petted. We tamed him. :)

Zippy and Doodah's Nap 6-12-11

2011-06-30T21:03:00.001-04:00

Zippy and Doodah

Cats Sleeping on the Runner 6-12

2011-06-30T21:01:00.000-04:00

Zippy, Finn and Doodah

Sophia's Bath pt 3 6-3-11

2011-06-03T16:54:00.001-04:00

Put Sophia in the yard to dry on this beautiful day. Amazing how fast her feathers dried. Within 10 minutes of bath she was all dry.
Silkies have black skin. You can see it thru the damp feathers. If you ate her (but who would want to do that?), you'd see the breed has black bones. She's such a pretty show girl, definitely not a meat chicken.

Sophia's Bath pt 2 6-3-11

2011-06-03T16:50:00.002-04:00

My chickens are better in the tub than some dogs and most cats.
Rinse Cycle.
Dry Cycle.
(For some reason, pictures are not uploading in the order I want them.)

Sophia's Bath pt 1 6-3-11

2011-06-03T16:47:00.002-04:00

Sophia somehow had broken egg on her. Pearl kept pecking at her to eat the egg off.

I knocked a bunch off her feet, but still had some egg left.

Bath time to wash off the egg. How cute is that???

Barney and Maggie 6-1-11

2011-06-03T16:40:00.002-04:00

What great cats we have. Well, they don't belong to us. They belong to two different neighbors. But they are at our house most of the time. The food on the back porch and all the love they get here keep them coming back.

Neighbors' Cats Keeping Watch 6-1-11

2011-06-03T16:33:00.002-04:00

We have two neighbors' cats who pretty much live at our house. Barney, the dark cat, and Maggie, the orange cat, keep an eye on the chickens. Amazing how they get along.

Living Room Nap Time 6-1-11

2011-06-03T16:32:00.001-04:00

Finn and Baby napping in the window. Rocky on the ottoman. Buttons is on the floor, not in pic.

Pets on the Square pt 3 5-7-11

2011-05-07T22:07:00.001-04:00

Walking down Main Street in the parade. Lots of excitement over the chickens.

Pets on the Square pt 2 5-7-11

2011-05-07T22:04:00.001-04:00

I'm such a little farm girl! :)

My girls' first ribbon! And $30 in Hummelstown bucks. We can use it in many businesses in Hummelstown. I see lunch out in one of the town restaurants. But Parke wants to use it at some car supply/car wash place.

Pets on the Square pt 1 5-7-11

2011-05-07T21:57:00.005-04:00

Loaded up the girls and stuff to enter the Hummelstown Pets on the Square. There are about 6 categories to dress your pet. I did "Life's a Beach." For a while we had the girls on the square as people walked around. Lots of people were interested. Kids loved petting them. With dozens of dogs there, they were unique.

Getting into categories in a parking lot, preparing for the judging.

I tried various things to dress the girls, but really, it's impossible. I spent the morning just trying out stuff on Lacey. No way would she keep anything on. I gave up, ran to KMart and got girls' hair thingies and put them around their necks. Ellie and Pearl refused to keep them on. I finally gave up on those two.

Doesn't Phyllis look cute with her orange ribbon?

Cabbage and Chicken Planter 5-6

2011-05-06T23:21:00.002-04:00

The girls had a special treat of cabbage this evening. It will be totally gone in two days.

My cousin in SC got me the chicken planter. It will be great when the flowers fill it up. Isn't it cute?

Lacey 5-6

2011-05-06T23:17:00.001-04:00

Lacey has such soft and smooth feathers. Love petting her. She's very friendly. She LOVE stink bugs.

Notice the different feathers from head to toe.

Honey 5-6

2011-05-06T23:12:00.002-04:00

Honey is a very shy. Sadly, she is on the bottom of the pecking order. If she had her head up high, you'd see that most of the feathers are off on one side of her neck. Some of the other birds peck them out. We have to do some preventative things to help her out.
The second pic is of Chicken Little hiding and Honey also staying close to a shelter.

Chicken Little 5-6

2011-05-06T23:05:00.002-04:00

Chicken Little is a buff laced Polish. She is the second to bottom of the pecking order. One of her problems is she can't see with all those head feathers. When left to grow, she can't see. She runs into things. When the other hens peck on her, she can't get away. She is due for another haircut. I trim her bangs.

She has a pretty tail. Not fluffy like some of the other girls.

Sophia 5-6

2011-05-06T23:01:00.004-04:00

Sophia is our precious Silkie. It is a unique breed from China. They have black skin and black bones. They have 5 "toes" instead of the normal 4. She's very gentle and petite.

Just to explain the last pic, she is leaning forward, eating cabbage. That is her black foot sticking out from under her.

Pearl 5-6

2011-05-06T22:58:00.001-04:00

Here is Pearl, our leghorn. She has such smooth feathers. She is a faithful white egg layer. She is the most independent of our girls. She hops any fence. She is very smart.

Phyllis 5-6

2011-05-06T22:56:00.001-04:00

Here's Phyllis, a white Polish. she reminded me of Phyllis Diller with the white head feathers sticking out.

Ellie 5-6

2011-05-06T22:47:00.003-04:00

I have the date wrong on previous post about Harriet. It should be 5-6.
Here is Ellie, our cochin. She is a lot of feathers. She is named Ellie because I thought her legs looked so fat with all those feathers. Like elephant legs. Ellie is a very gentle girl. And just a gorgeous chicken.

Harriet 5-2

2011-05-06T22:05:00.002-04:00

When we got home from the chicken program, the girls went into their area. Except for Harriet, who ran in the other direction. Guess she needed some freedom time.

Then Pearl saw her out. Not to be outdone, Pearl hopped the fence. Her theme song is Don't Fence Me In.

Then there are pics of Harriet's head and tail. Notice the varied types of feathers. Chickens have interesting feathers. The length, color, markings, and texture change from head to tail

Finn on Counter May 6

2011-05-06T22:01:00.002-04:00

When we got home from the nursing home chicken program, Finn was on the counter. I had left my sweatshirt there. Guess he really missed me and had to find something with my scent on it. This is a bad thing for him to do, but you have to admit that he is one handsome cat.

Chicken Program at Bethany Village pt 2 May 6

2011-05-06T21:57:00.002-04:00

I carry each hen around and let the residents pet them. They see how gentle the girls are. And how their feathers have different feel.

People are so amazed at how tame, calm, loving thee chickens are. They aren't afraid of people.

Chicken Program at Bethany Village pt 1 May 6

2011-05-06T21:47:00.002-04:00

We took 6 hens to Bethany Village for a chicken program for the skilled care residents. Here we are waiting for the program to start. The girls are ready for it to start so they can get out.

Ducklings Swimming video 2 weeks old 5-1-11

2011-05-01T22:04:00.001-04:00

Ducklings video 2 weeks old 5-1-11

2011-05-01T21:59:00.002-04:00

Ducklings 2 weeks old 5-1-11 pt 2

2011-05-01T21:04:00.001-04:00

Ducklings 2 weeks old 5-1-11 pt 1

2011-05-01T20:55:00.003-04:00

Today the ducklings at the nursing home are 2 weeks old. They are learning to use the ramps to get in and out of the pool we set up.

Pic #2. Look how all 13 babies and Mama are looking the same direction.

Pic 3. Put some food out on the bricks. Mama always lets the babies eat first. After a little while she will eat.

Pic 4. They are drinking from one of our chicken water containers.

Egg Bound Ellie 4-30-11

2011-05-01T20:45:00.002-04:00

Ellie hasn't be right since Wed afternoon. After researching on backyardchickens.com, I think she was/is egg bound. That means an egg didn't form right and come out.

When we went to a nursing home Wed for a chicken program, I took her out of the nesting box. She had not laid yet. I think I disturbed the process.

On backyardchickens, they recommend sitz baths to relax the muscles, along with massage, to get her to expel the egg. She did expel a yellow glob. I gave her 5 baths over 3 days. Not sure what else to do for her. She's somewhat better, but not totally. She isn't talking, which she usually does constantly. I put her out with the other girls today, after 3 days of being in the bathroom. I am going to try to locate a vet who knows about chickens.

Here she is having a sitz bath. Then a pic of the bathroom. She has medicated water, grilled chicken, yogurt, cooked and dry oatmeal.

Then there's a pic of the her with the baby shampoo I keep on hand for the hens when they need cleaned up.

She is an excellent patient. She trusts me so much. She never fusses at what I'm doing with her.

Chicken Program Twin Oaks pt 3 4-27-11

2011-04-27T19:39:00.002-04:00

Thought I'd wear my straw hat (that I got at the New Mexico State Fair in September) to look like a farm girl. Did I succeed? That's Harriet. She laid green eggs.

I'd bring one hen inside at a time to carry around for residents to pet. Then I'd put them on the floor to walk around among the residents. Here's Harriet. She was talking away the whole time. So adorable.