catching up

[Rhonda]

hey everyone. Been a very busy time in our house and haven't had a chance to check in. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. had the whole family here, so was very special. As the girls get older and my parents age not sure how much longer that will happen for.

Had a very sad morning on the 27th. Went out to do my barn chores and found my entire flock of silkies and bantams dead.
The god damned weasel was actually still in the barn (this was 11 am). Stared right at me for the longest time...til I screamed at him them it scooted away. of course my 8 layers, who aren't laying are fine and in another building, it was my pets, that were laying, that are completely wiped out. Traps are set, got triggered last night but empty today...bait was still there so scared it off. Hope that it was a rat and we haven't scared the weasel off temporarily.

The new budgies I got before Christmas are still doing great. having lots of fun with them...had my sister in law fascinated over the holidays. I may have started something...proud to be an enabler.

Found out tonight that one of the ladies we were cruising with in August passed away last night. She was diagnosed with stage 4 bone cancer just after we got home. So glad she made the trip...she was not well when we left and almost did not go. Glad she got to check off some stuff from her bucket list and have a great trip with her sister.

Happy New Year folks! Love having you guys in my life.

[Ontario Chick]

I am sorry about your silkies, nothing worse then coming to a mayhem like that in your barn.
Hope you get the pest before he does any more damage. What a pain.
Hope things improve in the new year, glad you have your Budgies to cheer you up.

[WLLady]

Awww crap!!! I read this before on fb. Reading it again makes me sad and angry again..i am so sorry..i hope you get the bugger(s). And find where its getting in too.

[Killerbunny]

Oh sorry, that's horrid. Glad you're enjoying the budgies though.

[Gone Country Farms]

Oh that sucks sorry for all your losses! Had a mink along time ago come in and wipe all my pheasants out! Was not a good day! Caught him the next morning in a conibear!

[SandyM]

Hi Rhonda,

I also read this on Facebook. I'll gladly offer up some Silkie eggs to get you back up and going, providing you are like everyone else here and have an incubator. I just don't know where Ashton ON is. I only have one Silkie laying, porcelain from Barb Doddington. Eggs appear to be fertile ... But I obviously can't guarantee anything. If you're interested let me know. Good luck catching the !!

[Rhonda]

Thank you Sandy for your very generous offer! Very nice of you. Unfortunately I do not have an incubator! I know, shocking. My background is in dogs so always felt there was no point in a newbie like me breeding for pet quality birds when I have no idea what I am doing and don't have the facilities to keep roos separate from each other. Once I catch the bugger and figure out how to weasel proof my old horse barn I will buy some more. Nothing in the traps two days now so this guy may be trickier than the last. may have moved on now that there is nothing to eat. hope it doesn't find its way in to the hen house, but I think it is predator proof.

Now one of my layers is wheezing like crazy. Hubby did feed and water for me the last two days and said he thought one hen hadn't gotten off the roost at all. Think she may be too far gone to save.

[ross]

How's your ventalation Rhonda ?

[baronrenfrew]

Wheezing.. CRD, a rainy and damp winter till this week.. Chronic respiratory disease.. Buy powder at feed store and add to water.

Bator: from March through May mine'll be running. i'll hatch any eggs you get. I live near Arnprior and Carla works in Richmond and we drive together often so we can take Dwyer Hill Road. Buy me a beer at the Ashton pub and we'll call it square. The Ashton Pub: 15 mins from West Ottawa: listed in best pubs of Ontario; check it out folks.
Send me a PM

[baronrenfrew]

Oh, and if you didn't read the thread yet, I'll be on a road trip or three to southern Ontario this spring.. feb and March so eggs from Sandy would be possible.