bye bye birdie.

i am sorry to report that floppy the twisted-neck chick didn't make it. she was doing so good. was up and walking and eating on her own. but it just wasn't in the cards for her. she took a turn for the worse and stopped walking and eating. i kept dosing her with gruel and vitamin water. and i made sure she was peaceful, well-hydrated, and loved in her final hours. mother nature had other plans for her. perhaps she has flown off to be chelsea's sidekick. chelsea loved birds.

chelsea

unempty nest.

so cripple creek moved back outside this past weekend along with patrik. i thought my life would be free of invalid animals. but low and behold, one of our baby chickens came down with a strange neurological disorder. she has a twisted neck which in baby chickens is usually caused by a vitamin deficiency. so i've got her in the baby chicken infirmary (aka back in the incubator since it can maintain a constant regulated temperature). and i've been dosing her with an eyedropper full of vitamin infused water. i'm hoping this will do the trick. she hasn't been able to walk due to the floppy head. but she did manage to stand and eat on her own for a few seconds today. baby steps.

on a brighter note... the first chick to hatch is doing brilliantly. we are calling her blondie because she's quite the outlaw. she's actually a pretty reddish color.

that's blondie in the middle. what a beauty!