Eggs, day 7! - RIP, Gallidia

Last night I checked every single egg, and guess what? I have [b]two[/b] confirmed little fetuses. One, of course, is from Goledenrod/Llena, and the second is from Yellow! There are quite a few I really don't think will make it, and some others who I'm going to let grow for a week more and see how they develop.

In the long run, I think it is just our rooster. He's got curled toes, so mating for him is hard. And, to my experience when frying eggs, I rarely come across one that is fertile. (don't worry, all I end up eating is a tiny white dot of a couple cells.)

The sad news is that this morning, my dear Turken, Gallidia, died last night. I found her in one of the nesting boxes, and really hope this was just something that was gaining on her overtime, and not something that will spread. Again.



I feel really upset only for two reasons - One, I don't have any recent/decent photos of HER either, and the other is that my flock seems to diminish slowly over time. She's always had random troubles and gotten through them (except the fact that the only one who accepted her so well was her mom, me) and I figured she was going to pass at sometime soon, but I just hope it isn't because of something bad. Gallidia was my most "special" of girls. None of the other chickens accepted her, and she often went under different sicknesses or injuries, so her and I had quite a bond. She was an absolute sweetheart, and during her last few weeks she was really maturing, and looking quite beautiful! I just hope that she's in a better place now, not constantly chased around and afraid of whatever living thing that is approaching her or near her.

One thing of question is that she never ever laid any eggs in her nearly 7 months of life, but when I found her, she was right next to an egg. It was small and brown, and slightly round. I do not know of it was just a Wyandotte's egg or her first, but it could, just may, be one of the reasons she died.

Anyway, here's a little photo-story of her life, from chickhood to pullet-hood!









As you can see on her neck in the last photo, she has had some scars before. (one was even of dire emergency, created by a previous rooster who didn't really like younger chickens) But, from the second photo - She always had me. She was very intolerant of the cold, and so I even had to make her little neck-sleeves, which she didn't particularly like but kept her warmer, and she, for a month or so, had a leg weakness that disabled her balance. She got over it all, especially with our record warm winter, and now. . . She's over with life. But she will never be in my mind.

Eggs, day 6 - Babies!!

So I was fed up with the anticipation today. For the past 6 days all I have been seeing are orange eggs with dark spots (the yolk) and hardly an air sac. It has been killing me - There is no veining, no nothing. Soooo I finally got a better, brighter flashlight, and. . .

I'm seeing baby fetuses!!! Goldenrod's first egg is a definite confirmed baby, I can see a little tiny fetus, complete with an eye and a curled up body, and veins that spiderweb out to the rest of a large portion of darkness in the egg. Goldenrod's 2nd egg looks promising, but not fetus. Same with both of Yellow's two eggs. I'll wait a couple days for those. It is also confirmed, though, that Raven's egg is too porous and Tufted's egg is NOT fertile. I figured though, but wanted to try anyway.

Here's a checklist of the eggs, by the way yes I did say "My babies!!" When I first saw the fetus. Oh how I wish I could post photos.

Goldenrod 1 - Confirmed 2 - Possible
Yellow 1 - Possible 2 - Possible
Red 1 - Quite porous looking 2 - Quite porous looking
Cloud Blue - Probably not fertile, but I will check later
Chatta 1 - Probable, will check later 2 - Probable, will check later
Surprise 1 - Not sure, but it has what looks like a crack in the shell 2 - Not sure, will check later
Raven - Too porous and probably is a goner
Moha 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are Probable, will check later. Some are pretty porous, like 1 and 3

Marc Antony, our EE Rooster, was once again let loose to spend time with the girls again. It is the weekend, and weekends are his time. He, again, is mating with Mila, which is a good thing, but sadly I cannot incubate her newly fertilized eggs. . . The incubator is in use. Next time, Mila - Next time.