Well, I never uploaded a video before, so I'm giving it a try today. This morning, when I went down to the brooder, all my chicks were sleeping so quietly. I took the feeder and water founts for a refill, and when I came back, they were cheeping and peeping and very ready for breakfast. I hope this video will give you an idea of the joy of watching 87 chicks have a feeding frenzy.
There are lots of different types of chicks in there - some buff orpingtons, Rhode Island Reds, barred rocks, frizzled cochins, silkies, along with a healthy helping of barnyard mixes. We hatched these to replace many of the birds we lost over the holiday. Some of the roosters will probably become stewing birds (a difficult choice, but we know they have been well cared for and had plenty to eat, and they won't be full of unknown quality feed, plus they will have run around in the barnyard and enjoyed their share of worms).
Stuffin has been doing a LOT of stretching in the last day or so. Her udder is a little bigger yet, and she was rubbing her sides on the cattle panel enclosure yesterday, which I understand can be a sign of her trying to position the baby. I continue to feel for ligaments and wonder if I am doing it right. I think I still feel them.
Here's the obligatory udder picture for Diane.
And here's Stuffin saying "Would ya quit buggin' me Mom? I'll have my baby when I'm good and ready, so stop poking my udder and be patient! And you tell that cow in Wisconsin that I'm always fashionably late."
16 comments:
Stuffin is an adorable lil thing!
What part of Iowa does she live in? We are in s.e. corner..
Hi Lindanuts! She's just outside of Van Meter, not too far from Adel. I guess that makes us kind of central. She came home with us from a trip to Missouri.
I think I have video setting on my camera but never tried it. Your chicks certainly appear healthy. You actually hatched 'em? You must have had a great hatch rate.
87 chicks???? Good grief, thats quite a lot!! Stuffin is looking ready to go, esp. from that side view. She looks more hollowed out in the back....watch for that rush of milk and then she should be ready to go within 24 hours:) I am thinking mid-week? How about Valentine's Day kids?
What beautiful little peeps! Our person is thinking really hard about getting peeps. I wonder if they would poop on goats - blah. Say Hi to that cute little goat and my favorite Tulip goat! Isobelle in New York!
I am sticking with my guess that Stuffin is going to have her kid toward the end of February. Maybe two more weeks of waiting for you to endure.
Oh my gosh...87 chicks! You are going to have eggs out your ears! Every time I check in there are new additions to your family. The video was awesome! I had to share it with Mical.
Look at all those cute chicks! I bet 87 of them can be a bit noisy. Are you going to keep all of them or sell some? You should have lots and lots of eggs in the future! Stuffin looks to me like her udder is bigger than it was in the last pics. I checked my does today and they are just starting to udder up now. They have about 8 weeks to go yet.
Your video brought me a morning smile.
I think you need more chicken feeders!!
Stuffin IS adorable!
I loved the sound of all those peeping chicks! And I know Diane will appreciate the udder shot. I'm sure Stuffin is as unhappy with the wait as the rest of us!
Nancy
The chick video was very fun!
Stuffin is looking closer. Her vulva looks pinker than in the last pictures. Some of my sheep get BRIGHT pink shortly before lambing.
That poor goat! Although, maybe the wait isn't as difficult for her as it is for you - and us! - since she hasn't been looking at a calendar.
Are you planning to keep all the chicks or are some, umm, destined for uses other than egg laying?
And, finally, I can't figure out how to get the icon for wonderful blog award you gave me last week into my blog... I'm kind of technologically impaired!
Oops, I see you do have other plans for the roosters.
Thanks for all the great comments all!
Regarding the number of chicks - I bought a LOT of eggs on eggbid.com, because I thought due to the cold weather, shipped eggs would have a terrible hatch rate. Um...I was wrong. We will not need the roughly 40 roosters who will come from these hatches, so we will probably freeze some of them and give some away.
Kristi - Valentines Day kid(s) would be wonderful! She certainly is looking close, and her udder seems to grow every day.
Isobelle - my chickens love to ride on the goats backs, as well as the sheep. I have not seen them ever poop on a sheep or a goat. They get off to do that. They don't like to poop in the same place they like to sit.
Carol - thanks for the prediction. You keep me grounded!
Yellow Jacket Ridge - would you like some roosters?!
Shiloh Prairie - her udder IS bigger! Every time I think it can't get bigger, it does!
Alpaca Granny - so glad to make you smile!
Nancy - Stuffin is very huggable!
Kenleighacres - I've got my pink observation glasses on, watching for color changes. Her opening has gotten longer (vertically).
Karen - no worries, I couldn't figure it out at first either. Just right click on the image, save it to your desktop, and then it's a jpeg image, which you can add to your post in the way you would add any other photo. Let me know if that doesn't work for you.
Aaahhh!! Chickens!! I would love to have a small flock, but between city regulations and Miss Chef's chicken phobias, I'm birdless. Thanks for the vicarious experience! Good luck to all the little ones, and you're right--running around after worms will make up for the roosters' sacrifice.
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