1. This year has been a rough one in the coop. I lost Clara, who was only 2 and a pretty Rhode Island Red  and then I lost Amelia my beautiful Splash Amerucana. I believe she was egg bound, and had lots of secondary symptoms from that. I tried for several days to get everything to work out, but she just was too weak and finally died.

Next year I will start again. I ordered 4 more chicks, a Black Copper Maran, An Olive Egger, a Double-Laced Barnevelder, Blue Andalusian.  I look forward to the new colored eggs.

We’ere going to try a different approach next year, when we rebuild the 2nd coop, make a “yard” area for them, and then they can go in and out freely and pick whatever coop they want to be in. Still a work in progress. I think it will help them get along better.

Finally one of the Black Stars started laying again. It’s been almost a month of no eggs from 8 hens. I told them they were all fired. Several had very bad molts, but now are recovering with shiny new feathers. I love the way the black shines green and blue.

Ginger gave me a couple of bales of hay from the Octoberfest that were up at the Jenckes store, so I will spend the weekend cleaning out the little coop, refreshing their hay, and making it more friendly for the really chilly winter months. The spring babies Emmy Lou and Greta should start laying soon also. Good news. I’ve been saying that since late Sept HA!

Supposed to be almost 60 this weekend. Crazy. But I’ll take it.

Amelia May 2013-Oct-2014