And Life Goes On

Well, in case you have been wondering, I took the three remaining chickens to the poultry lab. I got the results yesterday. They had signs of Marecks and apparently had little cartiledge in their joints, or something like that. And they were all boys!! I can't keep crowing roosters, so not having to find a home for them is somewhat of a relief.

I was really sad after dropping them off. Mourning my three chicken babies. I got home and planned on a quiet evening with more of that chocolate cake and wine. Then I heard that a friend couldn't care for his chickens anymore and needed them to be house immediately. I put on my overalls, grabbed a brooder and headed out the door.

When I got to his house the pigs had been loaded and most of the chickens. I wrangled some babies out of the front yard and then loaded some hens in. I had no clue how many chickens I had in my car. Turned out there were also two rabbits that needed a home, so I loaded them into the car as well.

I dropped the bunnies off at my sister's house. They are so cute! They are white with black spots. They gave them baths and loved on them. They are so happy in their new home.

Second stop, my uncle's. He has had a lonely rooster, Rudy, for a while now. I thought he could use some company. I dropped six hens off at his house. They are so happy there! Rudy protected them right away and introduced them to the goats. Now they are a happy little farm flock.

I got to our house about dark and started unloading the rest of the chickens. I brought our rooster, Ponce, into the coop first. He knew exactly where he was!!! He walked right downstairs in the coop and got some water. Including Ponce, I added nine to our flock. One pretty red girl went to live at a friend's house. She is now named Annie.

So, we have 18 chickens now of varying ages. Everyone stopped laying eggs due to the heat and stress of blending a flock. I am waiting the eggs! Come one girls! So far everyone gets along for the most part. I might end up having to give more away, but I want to know how many roosters I have before I start getting rid of chickens. I want the girls around for their egg laying abilities.

It was a trying day. All in one day we went from 13 chickens, down to ten, then to 19!!! Of course, now we have 18, since Annie went to her new home. I mean, I had 15 chickens in my car at one time!! I think that God gave me peace to let the three sick ones go because He knew there were other chickens that needed a happy home. Here is hoping that most of the young ones are girls and good egg layers!!!

Writing Will Help, Right?

I am sittting down to write tonight, because writing will help, right? I am anxious. I am worried. About what? Silly little feathered things- our chickens!! We have had four of the young ones fall ill lately and I am trying to decide what to do about them. The runt passed away last week. I think one of them, Iris ( named after a bearded Iris because she has a beard), has Marecks. That is what Pickle died from a year ago. It got me thinking how much
I miss that Chicken who thought she was a dog. She was an awesome chicken.

Part of me wants to take the chickens to the Georgia Poultry lab for a necropsy( chicken autopsy). They peacefully put them down and then figure out what made them sick. This could help save the rest of the flock if there is a contagion.

The other part of me wants to do everything I can to save them. I started them on a homeopathic remedy to see if there is any change. I bought them some hypericum and me some gluten free chocolate cake. Chicken Momma needs some medicine too! We'll see if there is a change. It could take days or weeks.

And yet, another part of me wants to crawl into bed with my chocolate cake and glass of wine and watch stupid teenage dramas on Netflix and forget that I have any chickens that need me to take care of them. I mean, I could do that right? They have food and water. They are good.

I don't know what I will do. I have had my cake. I have had my wine. I find myself remembering the One who is in control of it all. He knows my heart. He knows my little chickens. He knows that I am trying my best to care for them. That I love them. But more than that He knows that I love Him. He takes care of me. That is really what I am worried and anxious about, isn't it? If I made the right decision to be a Doula. To quit my job and head out into the great unknown. Wondering if we will make it. If I will have the amount of clients that I would like to have to make what I would like to make. Wondering if I can't get my chickens better, how can I care for a family with a new baby? But I can. They are different. They are separate. And yet, I have to trust God with both of them. Give both of these things over to the One who knows.

It's called surrender isn't it? Yeah. That word is hard to live. But I am trying, I am willing, willing to give my all and when there is nothing left in my all to surrender. I wish I could learn to surrender before my all is all gone. But that is how we are, isn't it? Wanting to spill ourselves out until we are empty. Thinking we can do it on our own. I can't do it on my own. I need God. I need Jesus. I need the Holy Spirit. I need grace and mercy. I need the friends that He has put in my life to uplift and encourage me, to challenge me and love me. Yeah, I am working toward surrender.

And writing does help.......

Update on Sick Chick

Atta Girl has done really well being in the house. She is a bit restless, and who wouldn't be when you are used to being outside all day. She likes to listen to Cocteau Twins with me and watches T.V. She likes big moving things on T.V. or lots of action. Not surprisingly she is not a Jeopardy fan. She can't answer the questions. For your viewing pleasure a few photos.

Sisters...... sisters...... the sisters have been checking each other out a lot.

Here, they meet eye to eye.

And my poor Lleulu looks a little ashamed that there is a chicken in the house. I can't say that I blame her. It is a bit unusual.

Don't worry Lleulu, the house will be all yours again soon. Have patience!

The Adventures of a Sick Chick

Caution: this is about a sick chicken. It may contain graphic descriptions that may not be pleasant.

A few days ago I discovered that we had a sick chicken. I could tell that Atta Girl had a yucky poop covered behind, but didn't think much of it. That is until I saw that flies were following her around and seemed to be swarming her. Flies do not normally follow the chickens around. So, I caught her to get a good look at her. I could tell that her backside was not well, but being only me as Dave was at work, I couldn't get a good look at her.

Friday night two of my friends from college came over and I forced Hunter to help me get a good look at her. I caught her, he held her and I hosed her down and saw that her rear side was covered in maggots. My poor girl!!!  Rebecca got a photo of us in this process that is probably somewhere on the internet. I coated her rear in diotemaceous eath- it helps prevent larvae from hatching, but I now know doesn't do much once they are present. I called my friend Laura who is an avian biologist and waited to hear what she had to say. She said that we did well and to keep an eye on her.

Saturday morning came around and we were getting ready to go to Dave's cousin's wedding in Boone NC. When I went out to check on my girl she wouldn't leave the roost and her backside was absolutely covered in maggots. (Note that when I say backside, I don't mean her vent-where she poops from. I mean the area below her vent.) We went into action to try to do something for her. A fellow chicken owner said that flea and tick spray would kill the maggots. He also had a prescription for antibiotics for his chickens that he called a refill in for near me. He figured that she had an infection that drew the flies to her in the first place. Off I went to the store while Dave packed. When I returned, we got to work.

Dave and I hosed her off again then sprayed down her rear side with flea and tick spray. As the maggots fell off we could see just how many there were. My poor baby! Of course, I got no photos of this process, but it is probably for the better. After a couple of dousings she seemed pretty maggot free. I used a hair dryer to get her feathers nice and dry. We didn't want her body temperature to drop. We then poured hydrogen peroxide all over her backside to kill whatever we could. And then I dried her off again. Most of her feathers were missing from her backside. I felt like a really bad mom that should have done something sooner. But, I didn't know!! And I keep thinking if she wasn't a pet she would have been killed. We gave her antibiotics and Dave drove her over to my mom and dad's while I got ready to go out of town.

I think that I worried the whole time that we were gone. My mom assured me that she was resting and even a little bit feisty. We picked her up on Sunday afternoon. She seemed happy to see us. Ok, not happy, but we were familiar to her.

Dave fashioned her a cage in the dining room. She can't go outside for awhile. She needs to be in a clean environment while she is healing. Here she is getting adjusted to her new surroundings.

She has a roost, room for food and water and enough room to walk around a bit. She mostly sleeps on the roost. I know that she misses her sisters. You might also be wondering why put her in your kitchen/dining room? Chickens get lonely if they are isolated. Sure we could put her away in a room, but she wouldn't see us very much. Many times when they are isolated that is when they give up. Not Atta Girl!! She will be seeing a lot of us. And Lleulu.

Lleulu still thinks that it is all about her. Can't you tell? Look at the look that she is giving me! I got out the camera and she wanted her picture to be taken. Silly kitty. She isn't quite sure what to think about a chicken in the house. She knows them from when they were little and looks at them from the back door all of the time. This is a little different though!

What cute sisters!! I'll be keeping you posted on Atta Girls progress. And if you want to see a chicken in the kitchen that isn't in the freezer or a pan come on over!! We love company!

Happy Easter!!

Happy Easter!!!! We made it. Well almost. We are off to today NC to celebrate our nephew's first birthday and celebrate one of my favorite holidays! Hallelujah! He is risen. He is risen indeed!

A week ago I wasn't sure if one of my girls was going to make it to Easter. Do you realize we are getting close to their first birthday? We might have to have a big chicken celebration. Anyway, Jemima had been moving slow for a few days. Last sunday we noticed that she had an unusual amount of poo on her hind side. On closer inspection Dave pulled out something unusual from her vent. We kind of freaked out. 

We gave her a quick bath to get the poo off her and then I wrapped her up and held her tight.

Who could resist this face? I was scared. She hadn't been walking around much and I wasn't sure if she had been eating. I hatched Jemima from a little egg!!! She had to stick around.

I held her for awhile, hoping that she was drying off, giving her a chance to rest and know that she was cared for. Not going to lie- I prayed for her too. She started snuggling. I about lost it. Tears were about to fall. My chickens are my pets. They make darn good ones too. 

She kept sticking her beak up my shirt sleeve. Her eye kept closing cause she was so comfy. She kept making sweet little chicken sounds. We finally took her back outside. I talked to a friend who specializes in birds and we determined that she should be ok. She probably had a shell-less egg that was hard to pass or burst inside and made it difficult for her. (~more chicken biology lessons to come~) She moved around slowly for a couple of days, sitting down a lot and not very interested in anyone else. Now she is back to her perky bossy self!! Thank you God! I don't know how I would have handled losing one of my precious girls.

And now for your viewing pleasure, some of the other girls eating yogurt:

From left to right-Pickle with yogurt on her beak, Edith and Daisy digging in.

I love this one of Edith!!! She has no idea that she has a white beak and yogurt sprinkled all over her feathers.

And Edith and Daisy showing off their yogurt covered beaks. 

Happy Easter everyone! I hope that you have a great weekend. And I just have to add~ Welcome spring break. I have been waiting for you for a long time!!