This Week at Custer Cottage's Urban Farm

These two are turning out beautiful with unique coloring on them.  They will probably be roosters and have to go to Larry's rural farm, with my luck.  We have an urban farm and we can only have hens.

 We had a pretty little visitor this afternoon.

 I moved the brooder outside.  It is time for them to be out in the fresh air and have some fun!

The little dark one on the left is who we call Mini Me.  It does not grow more than a mini amount.  The one next to it was in the same clutch and she is much larger.  There were 5 we purchased from a lady that hatched them.  I do not know where she got them.  They are the oddest chickens I have ever seen. 
One of them is tiny and one turned out to be a Silkie, but she does not have many feathers.

This is Lacy.  She is a Golden Laced Wyandotte.  You know the old saying that you always want what is on the other side of the fence.  Yes the grass is greener, but she actually she wants to join her friend.  One of the hens jumps over or flies out of the six foot fence and plays in the outer yard.  She is the only hen that can jump that high, so far.  Lacy is probably jealous. 

We had a respiratory infection with our hens this last 2 weeks.  We have not raised chickens for very long, so it was something new for us to experience.  I placed all of them on antibiotics and they are looking pretty good.   Some of the hens had no sign or obvious symptom of being ill.  Others were sneezing or had eye matting.  I threw out all of the food we had, just in case it caused any of the illness.  We did not have any problems with the girls until around the time we purchased the last batch of food.  We are not eating any of the eggs since the girls got ill.  I am just taking extra precaution.  I did try some natural remedies, but they did not help the girls.  I also cleaned the coop very well and disinfected it.  Obviously I prefer natural remedies and cleaners. 

I crocheted another shawl.  Most of them I knit, so I finally crocheted one.  It matches this shirt very well.  I wanted to crochet lace around the edge, but I ran out of yarn.  The lace is on hold at this time.