Journee's Critters

12/22/2010 | Author:

Happy Birthday Dad! :):):)

I love you soo much; and thank you for everything you do for us! <3

12/21/2010 | Author:

I'm having such indecision on the matter of what birds to order.

I know for sure I'm getting some blue silkie bantams, black frizzled cochin bantams, and some mottled cochin bantams. I was planning on getting some white-crested black polish bantams, but I'm not sure now. I also like the mille fleur bantams, and the silver sebright bantams.

Or, I reckon, I could just stick with the birds I'm sure I'm going to get. I may end up doing that, actually, and getting a few partridge cochin bantams on the way. ;)

I would just get a few of each, but since the bantams are St, Rn, I can't really do that; because I might get just a few roosters, or lose some during shipment. I would prefer to get more of fewer breeds, and know that I have enough to do something about them. Like breed them, or sell them all if needed.... I think I'll try and place a order today, or within the next few. I'm sort of waiting until I decide, and another reason.

It seems we might be getting a bird for a friend of mine, David, and so, I'm kind of waiting to see if he can actually get the chicken before ordering---because on Murray McMurray Hatchery you have to have a minimum of 25 birds---which isn't a problem, because my mom's buying 25 brown egg-layers.

David kindly likes the white-crested black polish birds---and he'd get a standard size one, so he could purposefully order a pullet. But first he has to get permission to get a bird, lol. So we'll see. If he ends up being able to get one, then I'll order two hens of that breed---just in case something happens to his during shipment.

It's really funny---he's my squadron's cadet commander, and so he's used to knowing more of what to do then the rest of us. Me, for example. Lol. But on the matter of chickens he's a total rookie. ^^ I'm enjoying my knowledge.

In other news, I was stunned to find that today Pirate's left eye is open! Back to normal, then, because his right eye has been sealed for quite some time, even before his other eye was injured. And so, this morning, I moved him back into his pen. His face is a little swollen, and I still have him on antibiotics, but unless it gets worse---then he'll be fine, and will stay out there. His period in my bedroom is over. Lol.

Quinn was thrilled---the crowing was getting rather bad, and Pirate was a big fan of early mornings. Lol.

But it seems that he's on the rocky road to recovery. :) And for that, I am happy.
~

Stepping off-trail from the chickens, tonight is my CAP meeting; and tomorrow is my dad's birthday!

I have only three words to say about it:

"Birth-Day-Spank'ins." Lol.

New Blog Header

12/20/2010 | Author:

I made that myself--anyone like it? :)

Pictures!

12/18/2010 | Author:

Just a few pictures I took just a few moments ago of our tree, and some of its decor. :)

Our tree; (not a very good picture, I'm afraid.) We had to move Cortana's cage down to the basement in order to fit the tree. That's Duke, sleeping by it. We find Cricket and Smokey under the tree all the time, sleeping. It's very warm, because of the bubble-lights.

I picked out that ornament, you know. Lol. I thought it was great.

It's true, this will be Fletch's first-ever Christmas. He's very excited, I can tell.

I think of Winnie the Pooh every time I see this fish ornament. A mackerel in a tree. Finally, Pooh was right.

So far, we haven't had much snow this year--not enough to play in, anyways. I don't know how this little guy managed to trap so much inside that little bulb....

Bunch of Squiggles

12/18/2010 | Author:

I've been trying to learn a little more about genetics--besides what I learned in this year's biology. I'm mostly using chickens as a example, and focusing more or less on color genetics.

I've learned some so far, but it will be a proud day when I learn what all of this means:

white : eb/eb s+/s+ * s+/- or S/S * S/- ml+/ml+ mh+/mh+ c/c
Black : E/E s+/s+ * s+/- or S/S * S/- Ml/Ml mh+/mh+
Blue : E/E s+/s+ * s+/- or S/S * S/- Ml/Ml or ml+/ml+ mh+/mh+ Bl/bl+
lavender : E/E s+/s+ * s/- or S/S * S/- Ml/Ml or ml+/ml+ mh+/mh+ lav/lav
Red : eb/eb Co/Co s+/s+ * s+/- ml+/ml+ Mh/Mh (gray under fluff)
Red : eWh/eWh Co/Co s+/s+ * s+/- ml+/ml+ Mh/Mh (red under fluff)
Buff : eWh/eWh Co/Co s+/s+ * s+/- ml+/ml+ Mh/Mh Di/Di
gold Asiatic partridge : eb/eb s+/s+ * s+/- Pg/Pg ml+/ml+ mh+/mh+
Silver Asiatic partridge : eb/eb S/S * S/- Pg/Pg ml+/ml+ mh+/mh+
Cuckoo : E/E S/S * S/- ml+/ml+ mh+/mh+ B/B or B/b+ * B/-

It looks a awful like a color, and then a whole bunch of squiggles.

And letters of various, uneven sizes. It all means something about the genetic make-up of the chicken; but so far what it means has totally escaped me.

I'll get there.

Someday.

Journee

Back For Another Update....

12/18/2010 | Author:

Yeah; so, it's been a while since I did a proper blog-post, lol.

So, not long ago our Civil Air Patrol squadron participated in the program called Wreaths Across America. Anybody remember that?

They recently completed a very nice little video about it, which I will post right...now....

It all went very well, and we had a good turn-up, along with a good amount of wreaths to place on the graves of the cemetery.

Our squadron also performed Color Guard for the ceremony. I was one of the rifle bearers, and the other was our squad's firth sergeant, Robert. The two flag bearers were our cadet commander, David, and also Andrew, who, like me, is a flight sergeant.

Besides that, I now have a rooster in my room.

One of my frizzle-mix bantams, named Pirate. He was one of my special-needs chickens, having gotten into a fight with the menacing smooth-feathered frizzle-mix bantam Obi-wan. Pirate had taken a injury to his left (I think) eye, and the skin grew over it; blinding him in that eye.

Quite sometime after his last fight, I started letting Pirate out of his pen to roam around. He was doing fine, until one day he disappeared for a few hours in the woods.

He came back, his face bloody, and purple. Both eyes sealed completely shut. Apparently he'd been fighting with Obi again, and I just hadn't known it.

So now I've got this blind rooster biding his time in my bedroom in a small dog kennel. He's doing great, and is taking antibiotics in his water to keep him healthy.

I don't think he will be able to see again, and he'll probably end up staying in a separate cage, and getting out in a pen in the mornings through the evening until bedtime. But for now, he gets to sleep in my room, and get pampered. He eats if you show him where the food is by tapping it, or letting the scratch/pellets fall and making that clacking noise. He'll drink if you touch the back of his neck, and encourage him to lower his head. Once you show him, he'll keep eating or drinking until he's full.

Lately, the past two mornings, he's started crowing. And keep in mind that his kennel is right next to my bed.

It woke me up right away the first morning, and Quinn too, who promptly yelled, "KFC!"

She threatened him repeatedly.

This morning he wouldn't stop crowing, so I put a towel on my bed and put him under the covers with me. I rolled over, and put my arm over him, which made him very happy. He snuggled up next to me and laid his neck across my and put his beak in my hair.

Then he clucked for a bit and fell asleep. You see, he likes to cuddle, and be petted when I'm sitting on my bed reading.

Surprisingly enough, my room doesn't smell like chicken poo. Which is a plus, because that would have really mixed with the smell of my two buck-rats, my lizard, and my dog. And Quinn's doe-rat, for that matter. Lol.

I've been keeping my room very clean, and Pirate's bedding, so, long as nothing weird happens. I can probably keep him inside until the spring, when it's warmer, and I won't be freezing my butt off outside trying to feed and water him. Lol.

Also, on the subject of chickens, I'm planning to get some more bantam chickens in February. Crossing my fingers over here, hoping I can!
~

All the best,

Journee.

Psych-Apple Express

12/04/2010 | Author:

Psych.

Yeah--I'm a nerd.