Sweaty – our chicken cat

Our first born chick hatched 36 hours too early desperate for his mother. It would chirp incessantly unless I was there.  I didn’t know what to do.  I was at a loss because I could not be at its side all the time but when I wasn’t there it would just chirp looking for me. 

So I hired a babysitter in a form of a [drum roll…] cat who seemed only too anxious to baby sit the newly hatched chick, and no, not for the reason you’re thinking.  You see he had been abandoned as a very young kitten when his then pregnant mother was dropped off at the side of the road and shortly after he was born, the mother was killed by a coyote.  

He (Sweaty) was alone but we had chickens in the backyard and within a short time he was sleeping with the chickens.  I think he grew to think of them as his parents.  As a matter of fact, he became so used to being around chickens that my husband caught him pecking at the ground with his head bobbing up and down as you would see a chicken. Although Sweaty to this day will eat mice and frogs and all sorts of bugs, he still considers chickens his brothers and sisters.  The chicks love his big bushy tail!

Enjoy the videos below.

Cute chicks and one that needs physical therapy

The chicks that hatched last weekend are growing fast. Each one has its own personality already.  Here’s just a few pics of them. These were taken when they were just one day old.

One side of its nose is black and the other side isn’t.

Unfortunately, in every hatch there’s always a weak one.  This particular chick has a splayed leg.  Luckily it’s not severe.  I noticed it when it was around 3 days old.  Its left leg does not have the strength to support itself upright that it sways slightly sideways.  Untreated it may cause more discomfort and will become permanently unable to walk.  So I went search online to find ways to treat this.

At first I tried using a straw with rubber band inserted through it just like this video I took.  But I noticed it prevents the chick from moving its legs closer together because the straw is stiff.

So I tried using a band-aid which is much better because it allows more freedom in the leg movement.  So far he/she is progressing well and is able to walk and run in the brooder.  I just hope that the recovery will go smoothly.

Now I’m becoming a PPT (Poultry Physical Therapist) haha.

On another note here’s a video of my flock while I was feeding them some scrambled eggs and tofu (yes you heard that right). They're always expecting some treats!

Training Louie to put away trash....

Training Louie to put away trash....enjoy!

My dogs playing frisbee on a lazy Sunday

Here's the video of my dogs Baloo and Louie playing Frisbee.

 

 

Rub-a-dub-dub 4 ducks in a tub

Ducks enjoying the water.

Spring-like February

All the snow had melted and I’m not complaining.  Baloo who doesn’t like the cold actually slept outside today after watching the trio of hens escape again.

 

The chickens are happier they can free-range again.  They don’t like to step on snow.

 

Ducks are also very happy due to the warm weather.

 

My oldest rooster who used to be aggressive to me has been unusually nice to me recently.  He had gone through 2 winters already.  I almost sent him to the butcher shop last September.

 

I have 5 roosters and 60 hens right now.  Used to be 64 hens but 4 drowned in the duck's stock tank (aka pond) this past month and they were my Barred Rocks who were prolific layers. 

And this rooster is my husband’s favourite.

 

And this is my favourite rooster.

 

And of course my hens are the best. When they look me in the eye, it seems like they can sense how I feel.  Only me can relate (haha).