September on the Farm

      SO much has happened since my last post, I was afraid I wasn't going to have any more chickens to blog about.  At the beginning of this month, the weather here was VERY hot and VERY humid.  I don't know what happened, but I was losing one chicken every day for a while.  Out of all of the 25 chickens I had, I only have 9 left.  Granted, five were re homed to a friend's to live the farm life with sheep and all.  The three silkie roosters were re homed and ended back where they were hatched (interestingly enough).  So then, out of the 17 I had left, 8 died...Now I have 2 Mottled Houdans (Half Pint & Domino), the original 3 Columbian Wyandottes (Angel, Elisabeth, and Joan), 1 Blue Maran (Skye), 1 Golden Polish (Labelle), 1 Paint Silkie, and 1 EE (Bandit).

       Half Pint is now full-sized pullet forher age.  Before Clover passed, it took a moment to realize which was which.  Looks like Angel is a roo and will probably be bred with the two pullets.  Bandit is also a cockerel and will be bred to a few pullets close to the same coloring as he, and one that I call a buff head colored white.  Very pretty!  I hope to get some of similar color in the eggs.  One can only hope.  :)  

         In any case, I also want more Maran hens.  I don't really want to breed them, but she lays well.  She just started laying, and she has given me 7 in the last 9 days.  Excellent layer.  I will probably get one or two more Marans, too.  The Marans are a sweet breed that are very social.  The social aspect is why I love them so.  I don't plan on breeding the Polish, but he still makes an excellent lawn ornament, so I doubt I'll be getting rid of him.  

Domino holding strong

One of the RIR mixes that was re homed

Skye

Clover (The last casualty, RIP)

A picture of the gang

Skye's first egg!  And the butt it came from....

I believe this is the third egg she layed.

I think this is Elisabeth.  

Joan and Elisabeth are hard to tell apart now adays.

Domino

Painted Silkie

Domino

Half Pint and Labelle

A Quada-riety (variety of four)

Angel

Angel and 

Bandit.  Not sure what happened to his beautiful tail feathers...  :(

Labelle

Angel

Look at the difference in the tail feathers!
:(

Elisabeth (left) and Joan (right)

Labelle

The makeshift did not pan out.  Not unexpected, so mleh!
The RIR roosters are now living the free range life at a friend's farm.
Yang perished with half of my old flock.  :'-(

The lost are listed as follows:

Mottled Houdans
Yang
Yin
Clover

Feather

Golden Laced Polish

Lady Marmalade

Bantam

Little Henny

Black Copper Marans

Midnight

Twilight