Sadness :(

Last time I posted I mentioned that one of the baby bunnies had died. Well three days ago I found another one, not dead, but partially paralyzed!! I had noticed that they were jumping up onto the door that separated the two sections to sit with their mother. I think they both fell off! I found the first dead baby right under the door, but at that time I didn't know they could get up there!

So the other day I removed the door, and today I wired the hole up, so now Cher and her remaining 4 babies are locked into the larger side of the cage. Today I also ended the little paralyzed ones suffering. I was hoping that the paralysis was caused by inflammation and would go away, but it didn't, and I couldn't bear to see him suffer.

So, we're down to four out of six. Sigh... all I can say is live and learn. Hopefully someone will read this before building a cage and not try to get fancy like I did.

Don't Do This!!

Bunnies at 3 Weeks Old

I weighed the whole litter today and can you believe they are 5lbs? Not each, don't get too excited... but that's almost a pound each! Not bad!

After I finished my torture session (handling, weighing, checking them out) I put them back in their hutch and walked over to the chickens... I glanced back and saw this...

Three of them are very brave and are hopping all around, pestering their mother, EATING FOOD and DRINKING WATER. I can't believe how fast they mature!

Dad, Mom and Baby

The chickens are enjoying new heights now that the netting is off... Now they can reach all those nice tasty leaves they couldn't get to before!

On a sad note, today (Sunday) I found one of the baby bunnies dead in the hutch. His little bum was all pasted up, it looked like he had some diareah (despite not getting any greens or other strange food)... Maybe he couldn't handle the diet change. I had noticed the other day, when I weighed them, that one of them looked a little smaller and his eyes were a little squinty. I bet it was that one. Poor little guy.

SNOW!

We had our first big snow last night and I found a really good reason NOT to use bird netting over the top of the run...

I went to check on the roosters in their little house (it was about 10:00AM) and they were still in there! I threw them some cracked corn and checked on them a few more times. They didn't come out all day!The hens were all locked up until I was able to get all of that heavy wet netting removed... Then I opened the pop-hole expecting them to charge out like they always do. There was a massive rush to the door (per usual) but then a big traffic jam. They would NOT go out! They did eat a little of the snow though... after an hour of looking at it.

Our hens are really starting to lay! This one settled in to 4 different nest boxes before she left a HUGE egg... I mean it was MASSIVE. I picked it up and it reminded me of a duck egg. Not bad for her first! (Oh, and if you're wondering about the wall art... its a recycled doll house! They LOVE IT!)

I cheated a little here... this is her egg compared with a silkie egg (which are small) But seriously, this egg had some WEIGHT!

One last funny note. I was wondering why Blueberry hadn't laid any more eggs... Well I found out this morning. Underneath one of the banks of nest boxes there is a "floorboard" I put in to keep them from laying under there. This morning I heard someone in there rustling around. At first I thought it was a big mouse, then I heard a cluck. I pried the board away and there was Blueberry... sitting on 3 eggs and ready to lay another one!! Good thing I caught her! I REALLY don't want chicks in December!

Our First Egg (From our chicks) and Bunnies at 2 Weeks!

Yesterday one of our black sex link pullets (who we call Blueberry) was clucking up a storm in the coop, digging around in one of the nest boxes and tucking the fake eggs underneath her. We KNEW she was getting ready to lay an egg, she just was taking her own sweet time... I checked on her all day until it was dark... nothing! But this morning, on the floor, was this nice little pale brown egg! HOORAY! This is the first egg from a hen we've raised from a chick.

The bunnies are 2 weeks old today. Their eyes are open and they are getting HUGE! They are so adorable. Because they've grown so much I had a much easier time counting them. There are 6. They should be coming out of the nest box soon. Cher has been an EXCELLENT mom!

My MIL and I went out to the hutch and she wanted to hold one. She was trying to see if it was a girl or a boy.. I said "Don't aim that end at your face!" and POW the little guy peed on her. She hurried up and put him back in the box. I said "You should have held on to that one... he's empty!"

Just a Quick Update!

I just HAD to tell you all that I checked on the baby bunnies today and their eyes are open! They are SO CUTE! I'll take pictures when they are 2 weeks old... I can't BELIEVE how fast they're growing! We are planning on getting a Californian buck soon.. we're going to name him "The Big Kahuna"

Oh, and our little Clara has laid a tiny egg for us every day since we brought her home. She goes in the little love shack and cackles up a storm. She's so PROUD of herself! Too cute!

Anyway... I'll post pictures on Friday of the bunnies.

The Bunnies are One Week Old Today!

The bunnies are getting HUGE! I had a little scare yesterday... I noticed that the mother rabbit was sitting up on the open partition door and using it as a toilet (YUCK!) so I decided to close it and shut her into the side where her babies are. Well, she was NOT happy! While I was elsewhere, she dug and dug at the bottom of the door and was able to rip the bottom mesh away from the wood. When I came back to check on her she was hopping around the yard! I caught her and closed her into the secure section of the cage until I fixed the bottom. I got my hammer and fence staples and started fixing it (by climbing under the hutch). While I was under there I saw one of the babies lying in the grass! He was still alive (but very cold and a little blue!). I stuck him right back in the nest box - he's still in there and is doing fine! I think he latched on to her while he was nursing and was dragged out of the nest-box - then he fell out of the hole she had ripped in the floor. *SIGH!* Needless to say I've reinforced the floor and have decided to let her have her elevated bathroom - for now. Once the babies are gone she's in for a shock though!! If all goes well with this litter I think we'll be getting another female, so I'll have to close that door. I'll need the space!

Anyway! They are just a week old today and have doubled in size! It's amazing! They are SO wiggly now I had a really hard time getting a picture!

In other news, I've let the bachelors out to roam the yard. They are having a BLAST destroying our gardens and eating the grass. They are sticking around and seem to be REALLY enjoying themselves!!

This was a nicely mulched flower bed...

We got a new hen today!

Yesterday my MIL and I stopped at a house in town that had a "Fresh Eggs" sign in their yard. When we pulled in we saw a big flock of Rhode Island Reds and in the back there was another flock of silkies with about 10 babies! We got to talking to the woman and she said that they had bought 3 silkies from a local Amish woman and they had bred like CRAZY. She asked if we wanted one for FREE and OF COURSE we said yes! So, this morning I came home with Clara, one of the original Amish hens who is named after the Amish woman who used to own her. She is also the mom of all of the chicks... so she'll be very useful next year if we want to hatch any of our own eggs. Right now Clara is living with Pani, Fluffernutter (who might also be a girl) and Capone, the little black bantam cochin roo. Oh, we also bought a dozen eggs from the woman (who was really nice)... for $1.50!!! Here are some pics!

Clara

Fluffernutter and Clara

A really cute pic of SplashEver see a green chicken??