Oh man, now I'm like running down the stairs every 3 minutes to see if anything changed. Nothing is changing. The pip is the same. Sometimes I hear cheeping, sometimes not. I could do this all night and then how will I help with building the goat barn tomorrow?
Red Rosie, the Rescued Chicken
OK, I'm going to try to sleep for a while. The temptation to "help" is overwhelming and I know that would be disastrous. I need to help with the barn tomorrow and thus need some rest. I don't begin to know how I will actually fall asleep, but it is best for me, best for the pipper, and probably the "sensible" thing to do since it really could be hours. I will probably be up every hour, but will post pics as soon as anything worthwhile happens. Stay tuned whenever you're awake...
CMoxon, Get some sleep. The Goat Fairy cometh! Your first pip will not be your first chick. And Red Rosie is doing the Chicken Fairy dance, I taught her myself!
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CF
Ohhhh Mercy....I thought the CF had gone to bed.. I forgot about the time difference in Mali....LOL
I b'leve thats called the * Chicken Stomp * isn't it CF?? ^_^
Sleep well Claire....If you hear really LOUD Cheeeeping you may well have Rosies first Foster daughter!!
cool, Rosie will be a great mommy!
Here is Rosies new thread for her new adoptive babies...
We need to let Rosies thread be for Her!! ^_^
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/897983/
This message was edited Aug 31, 2008 1:55 AM
Here's another new thread for updated pics of Rosie herself.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/898023/
the Chicken Fairy NEVER SLEEPS...
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CF
Just let her nap until my friend gets the tractor built!
Hi Claire and all:
I'm new to DG and this is my first post! Eeek! But I had to speak up and say hello because you folks are so nice. I'm new to Iowa and just started volunteering at the Animal Rescue League here a couple months ago. Most of the volunteers there are cat and dog people so I make sure that the rabbits get attention too. I saw Rosie when she was looking weak and homeless among the rabbit cages she sure broke my heart! I'm so glad she got such a wonderful home! I used to wonder where the rescue chickens ended up and now I know.
Anyway, nice to meet you all. *wave* My name is Deirdre and I'm from Denver, Colorado. I'm living in an apartment currently but thinking of trying my hand at some container gardening to keep me going thru the cold midwestern winter. I'm so glad I found DG. You all seem like a great bunch.
TL
Hey neighbor! SO happy that you are joining us!! I can't believe you saw Rosie (she was called Chic at the ARL) when she was there. I had to rename her... What a sweetheart she is. That is cool that you got to see her when she was down and out, because I hope you can see how she has improved. I used to volunteer at the ARL before I started school again part time - now with full time work also, I don't have any more time... BUT, I am always checking out the ARL page, especially barnyard buddies. :-) Anyhow, when I volunteered there, my primary interest was with the bunnies. I used to work with Angie Anderson who was the most amazing bunny lady, but she passed away a couple of years ago - so sad. She was the best bunny person the ARL could ever dream of having because she knew so much and was so dedicated to the bunnies.
Maybe we could grab a coffee sometime and have a chat - especially where you are new to town and maybe don't know a lot of people yet.
WELCOME!!
Claire
Anyone interested in more Iris? tee hee! http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/900799/
Hi again Deirdre. Just wanted you to notice that the thread called "Red Rosie's New Babies" is NOT because I bred Rosie, which of course would be against ARL policy. The thought was that I could use her as a foster mom for some babies that hatched out of eggs I got when I adopted some chickens from someone moving to Colorado. Rosie wasn't so interested in being a foster mom, so that's fine, and the babies are in the brooder now.
Have you seen those maran roosters that the ARL has on its site now? I would love to have one but since I know I can't use it for breeding, I would have to keep it constantly confined, and that wouldn't be much fun for the roo.
The Animal Rescue League is a shelter. They spay and neuter all the animals they take in and adopt out, in order to control pet populations. Of course, there are way too many animals that are abandoned and end up being euthanized every year because people are not careful with their pets. One of the ARL's main focuses is on reducing pet overpopulation, and therefore reducing numbers of homeless pets. Anyway, they do not spay or neuter chickens because it's very different from the regular dog/cat spay and neuter situation. They do spay and neuter their rabbits. They have no issues with people using hens for eggs, but they don't want you to breed chickens because that would go against their policy of reducing unwanted pets. If I personally was breeding them, it wouldn't be unwanted pets because I would love to have the chicks, but you sign an agreement when you adopt that you will not breed, and I abide by that. And really, if I got too many maran-cross roo babies, I would not have a place for them and would have to either eat them (also against ARL policy) or sell them (again, against policy). So, that is why I am not getting their maran roos.
I respect their policy, especially as it applies to cats, dogs, rabbits, and other pets. For chickens, it's a little bit different, but still, we don't need more chickens than can be adopted.
When you adopt from an animal rescue organization you have to sign a form saying you will not use them to breed. Trying to limit the number of unwanted animals.
sigh--I am redundant.
This message was edited Sep 7, 2008 9:10 PM
But you were short and sweet, and I was verbose and over-analytical.
I need to learn your techniques!
Claire--I am almost never short and sweet. Ask anyone here.
OK, what the heck is this about? Red Rosie has a weird new habit. I watched her do this for about 20 minutes today. She was preparing to lay an egg (it came out about half an hour after this behavior). She was in her night-time kennel - she free ranges in the day but goes back to the kennel to sleep and to lay her eggs. She is so well trained.
Anyway, I was watching her in there, and she was all squatty and preparing to lay, and then she began picking up bits of wood shavings in her beak, and turning her head around and dumping them on her back. She would do this repeatedly for about 5 minutes, then get up, turn a different direction (the shavings would fall off) and then start up again. She would pick up shavings, turn, put them on her back, pick up more, etc, without stopping to take a break or anything.
Here is a pic of her (her head is to the left) with a bunch of shavings on her back that she dumped there. Does anyone else have a hen that does this? What is that for? Decoration? Boredom waiting for the egg to come out? New hairdo (featherdo?)
She's adorable, but sometimes she's a little nutty.
Thanks so much for the kind welcome! I did see that thread about Rosie's babies but I read enough to know she is a caring *foster* mom. :) I'm just so amazed that I bumped into you here! I'm working with another volunteer at the ARL named Ann who is becoming the main rabbit person. They are in good hands.
What's even stranger is that my husband grew up off 8 Mile Road that divides Lodi from Stockton, CA. The world is such a small place!
TL
Well, Rosie is NOT nutty. She is slightly 'OCD', as you would say. Hens normally could get the shavings BEHIND them, but she is too distracted to pay attention to what she is attempting to accomplish.
No Worries
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CF
Welcome to DG, Deirdre!
Claire, you tell Miss Rosie she has earned the right to be OCD and ADHD and bipolar and anything else she wants to be! I wonder if her "aim" would have been better if some horrible person had not done that to her beak? Bless her little heart.
good point!
Yes, Dierdre -Welcomewelcome!!
Maybe she realizes that when she is in that crate, she can't really reach fully behind her because she sits sideways and takes up all the space. She is welcome to be OCD or ADHD or anything else as long as she's with me! She just has some amusing and terribly endearing habits. As Brigidlily says, it could also be her beak issues. I'm glad she can even pick up the shavings!
This morning it was raining pretty hard when I was leaving for work. I put her back in the crate when I go to work - she free ranges on the weekends and weekday evenings. When I walk up to her, wherever she is in the yard, she comes running towards me, and then she kind of squats down in front of me (no, she is not pooping) as if she knows that she's going to be picked up and she's just getting ready for it. I don't know - maybe I am imagining things. Anyway, today before she did the squatty pose, she did a big shake off, like she didn't want to be all wet when she was being picked up. What a little honey she is. In any case, I am hopeful that I can soon integrate her with some other chix. I will have to be careful who I choose, and see if she gets picked on or anything. She is not out of quarantine period yet. I worry about the small crate a bit but she willingly goes into it to lay her eggs and to roost in the evenings, without my encouragement, so I feel like she thinks it is home.
I think she sees the wings on you, Claire. You ARE her angel.