It's been 3 years

First off, I do apologize for not blogging more.  I think just about everyone will understand that life gets in the way sometimes and while it's not a good excuse, it's the only excuse I have.

October was a big month.  Coco and Ginger turned three years old.  I can't believe it's been three years already since I got my cute little balls of fluff.  That means that Honey Bear is nearly two years old and Poppy turned one in August.

To celebrate, the ladies got a new coop.

It's really just the next size up from their previous coop but somehow it seems SOOOO much larger.  There are two four foot long roosts and four cozy nest boxes.  And as there is so much more space under the roosts, I've switched over to the deep litter method.  So instead of cleaning out the coop weekly or monthly, I'll keep adding leaves, pine shavings, etc. under the roosts and stirring up the mix until spring time when it will all go into the garden.  Stay tuned for a blog on how that goes.

On a happy note, I decided to participate in my vet's office Halloween contest this year.  Dressing up Ginger as a Bucket of Chicken.  And she WON for most creative costume!  I have no idea how I'll top that next year but I have eleven months to come up with something.

And on a very sad note, we had the vet put Ginger down last Friday.  She has something wrong with her.  That I knew months ago.  Xrays showed a mass inside of her and blood work indicated some sort of tumor or cancer.  She was clearly slowing down throughout the fall but was still eating and drinking so we let her be.  But when I came home from work on Friday, the other hens were cuddled up around her.  And would not leave her side even when I opened up the gate for them to come out.  That is not normal.  Usually they rush to come out once I open the gate.  When I went in, the big hens stood up and when Ginger tried to stand up, she toppled over.  And I knew that it was time.

I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Ginger.  She could be an enormous pain in the "you-know-what".  But she taught me so much about chickens.  My only regret is that she never got to be a mama hen.  She did play the role of auntie to the three Andalusians.  And my gut told me that if I bought home babies, that she would mother them with out going broody.  But it was never a good time for me to chance that knowing in the back of my mind that if she rejected them, I'd have to raise them.

And I did give away Lulu and Sprinkles about two months ago.  They were always on the wild side and I think they sensed that Ginger was not well and were challenging her for her number two position in the pecking order.  And like I said above, I have a very soft spot in my heart for Ginger.  So I found someone who lives on acreage with other hens and a rooster which I think is just what those two wild childs needed.  Last I heard, they were integrating just fine.