Not done decorating yet...
Sometimes when you need a pat on the back you just have to reach waaay around and give yourself one. Especially around here.
After getting up at 5:15 (we got to sleep in this morning) and taking the dogs out, making the coffee, packing a lunch, and getting Poppy out the door, I went to work.
The sun was shinning and little Jewel's orphaned children needed to be moved from that small pen to the big chicken's lot. This took a lot of thought. I took a quick look on line at how to clip a chicken's wings, got my good sewing scissors and bucket of feed and went outside. Now, I never wanted to clip our chickens wings, but chickens can fly and mind you, these are Jewel's chicks. Jewel, the feisty little red hen who was an escape artist and pro at flying. If clipping these chick's wings will save their lives then that's what needed to be done.
I caught each chick, one at a time, held it close and talked to it until it was calm, then clipped the ends off the flight feathers, on one wing only. They didn't feel a thing and it is hardly noticeable. When I finished and had all the sweet young chicks in a cage in the wheelbarrow, I rolled them up hill to the chicken lot. They have been fine today. There may be a ruckus at bedtime though, trying to get them into the hen house.
Here they are inside the big lot...
with the old hens. Why Annie, the dark colored speckled hen must be every bit of ten years old. Her little old head looks grey.
I'm back! Had to stop and fix supper, wash the dishes and check on all the animals. Of course, at the edge of dark when all the hens began wandering in and finding their places on the roost inside the hen house, the young chicks panicked, not knowing what to do or where to go. Once again, I caught each one and sat them just inside the hen house and shut the door. They will huddle together in a corner and be safe tonight. They miss their mama.
Better finish this up as it is about bedtime. The bed will feel mighty good tonight. I must have raked and hauled away a ton of leaves today!
I surely meant to reply to your nice comments about our little Jewel but once again ran out of time. Thank you all so much.
Love,
Henny
After getting up at 5:15 (we got to sleep in this morning) and taking the dogs out, making the coffee, packing a lunch, and getting Poppy out the door, I went to work.
The sun was shinning and little Jewel's orphaned children needed to be moved from that small pen to the big chicken's lot. This took a lot of thought. I took a quick look on line at how to clip a chicken's wings, got my good sewing scissors and bucket of feed and went outside. Now, I never wanted to clip our chickens wings, but chickens can fly and mind you, these are Jewel's chicks. Jewel, the feisty little red hen who was an escape artist and pro at flying. If clipping these chick's wings will save their lives then that's what needed to be done.
I caught each chick, one at a time, held it close and talked to it until it was calm, then clipped the ends off the flight feathers, on one wing only. They didn't feel a thing and it is hardly noticeable. When I finished and had all the sweet young chicks in a cage in the wheelbarrow, I rolled them up hill to the chicken lot. They have been fine today. There may be a ruckus at bedtime though, trying to get them into the hen house.
with the old hens. Why Annie, the dark colored speckled hen must be every bit of ten years old. Her little old head looks grey.
I'm back! Had to stop and fix supper, wash the dishes and check on all the animals. Of course, at the edge of dark when all the hens began wandering in and finding their places on the roost inside the hen house, the young chicks panicked, not knowing what to do or where to go. Once again, I caught each one and sat them just inside the hen house and shut the door. They will huddle together in a corner and be safe tonight. They miss their mama.
Better finish this up as it is about bedtime. The bed will feel mighty good tonight. I must have raked and hauled away a ton of leaves today!
I surely meant to reply to your nice comments about our little Jewel but once again ran out of time. Thank you all so much.
Love,
Henny
They sound like they are a lot of work and worry but you do take such good care of them. :)
ReplyDeleteI am sure the chickies will adjust but we have feelings for them just like our children it seems! Nancy
ReplyDeleteOh, good! Let's hope that keeps them safe!
ReplyDeleteYou sure are a worker! You take care of everyone else. Who takes care of you?
Well, I was hoping this post would tell me you found jewel. One good thing about fall coming early here is that we don't have to rake leaves at Christmas time!!!
ReplyDeleteI hope the chicks don't have too much trouble with the older hens. You sure did a neat thing, trimming their flight feathers so they couldn't take off. You just never know what you'll be coping with from one day to another!!
ReplyDeleteI hope the chicks will be fine.
ReplyDeletei hope Mama Jewels' chicks wake up thinking they've always slept in the hen house. I love speckled Annie's freckles and she looks great for a 10 year old hen. Hope you and all your sweet critters have a fine Friday!
ReplyDeleteI hope it works to save the chicks. I hope you have a good day today. It is a busy time of year:)
ReplyDeleteI am praying that they will all stay safe, you have worked so hard for them. Look after yourself.
ReplyDeleteYou are a great hen-mom. I admire your courage in cutting those flight feathers. I would have been a nervous nellie.
ReplyDeleteAnd Annie -- what a bee-u-ti-ful girl.
My little flock of 4 are a piece of cake in comparison.
Sweet chickens! We just lost our best layer. An owl got her.... makes me mad! Ours roam free on our property and it happens. You slept in getting up at 5:15...... wow!
ReplyDeleteSweet chickens! We just lost our best layer. An owl got her.... makes me mad! Ours roam free on our property and it happens. You slept in getting up at 5:15...... wow!
ReplyDeleteMy goodness Henny you can do anything! Love your chicken Annie. Very pretty!
ReplyDeleteSounds like they will settled down there in the pen with the other chickens.
ReplyDeleteHow patient you are to make sure all the chicks are calm. They may miss their mama but they have you. : )
I'm sorry to hear about your chicken predator..I hope you can run it off! You are a good chicken mama! Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteAw, I can hear those confused chick cheepings from here!:) I think you did the best thing, I've had to clip the odd flight feathers too. The abuse we give our best sewing scissors....;-)
ReplyDeleteDear me, you have so many tasks with the goats, chickens, dogs, cats, etc. taht I guess you have to get up at the crack of dawn to manage it all. I am so sorry for Jewel and her chick, tough times when predators abound. Your holly is magnificent and so large! I will start getting my decorating going in the next couple of days, but don't think my husband would be able to find holly in the neighborhood. Your cabin is so cozy and perfect for such natural trimmings.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Annie and the other veteran hens will go all maternal and adopt the orphans.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed talking to you on the phone! I love you so much! I would love to spend a day or two with you and help you out! I hope you are feeling better. Glad you got all of Jewels baby's wings clipped and put up. Maybe you will not lose anymore chickens for a while!
ReplyDeleteLove you so much!
Yes Miss Annie is about that old.Because when we gave our chickens to Miss Henny, she was one of the bunch. I have got to admit she loves it there more than when we had her.I guess she had more playmates at her new home.LOL
ReplyDelete