Poor little Zippy – the tiny chick who was born last on Sunday morning – didn’t make it. Both Fred and I are bummed because the little guy fought so hard to be born, but he was just too weak. Late yesterday he could do nothing but lay on his back and flail around chirping, so Fred made the hard decision. It’s probably good that he was willing to, because I sure did like that little chick.
On the good side, I’m going to recycle the name for Sassy’s baby. I couldn’t come up with a good name – I suggested “Saucy” to Fred, who rolled his eyes – and Zippy’s a pretty damn good name.
Zippy McGee. I think it works well.
And to our utter amazement, one of the biggest, healthiest-looking chicks, a yellow chick that appeared to be a Buff Orpington – up and died overnight, too. This is the part I hate about having baby chickens, frankly – not knowing when one that appears to be perfectly healthy is going to up and die on you.
I was told last night that the guy at the store where we bought the Silkies (oh, hi. I think I didn’t mention that we got a white Silkie a few weeks ago, did I? We did. Shut up.) is going to have fertile eggs for Fred this weekend. These eggs are going to come from Golden-Laced Wyandottes crossed with a Buff Orpington rooster.
Laced Wyandottes are probably the prettiest chickens on earth. The Rock Star looks very much like a Golden-Laced Wyandotte and I love her markings.
So yes, apparently we’re going to be hatching more eggs soon. Don’t roll your eyes at me – it wasn’t MY idea.
Fred’s got a BrooderCam up and running for at least a few days. Sometimes those chicks get right up in the camera, and sometimes they disappear. Ya never know what you’re gonna get.
The other night when we were sitting in the living room, I told Fred the story of how Xeney was in Rite Aid and a jerk told the cashier working there that he’d heard Rite Aid was going under, and kept it going even though the cashier was freaking out. Xeney told the guy he was an asshole, and rightly so.
Fred did a double-take and gave me a face of amazement.
Wow, I thought to myself. That’s kind of an overreaction.
He asked a few questions, and then I came to understand that even though it had APPEARED that he’d been paying attention to what I was saying, he had been off in his own little world, and he’d tuned back in about two-thirds of the way through the story. He was under the impression that I had been in that Rite-Aid line and chimed in when the person in front of me told the guy he was an asshole.
And then I realized that Fred is Joey.
(Except that in Fred’s head, there are show tunes.) (Also, I suspect he’s more a cross between Chandler and Joey.)
Usually, Fred’s Ross and I’m Chandler. Or Joey. Except that I’m kinda ditzy like Phoebe. I am an amalgam of Friends characters!
::sigh:: I miss Friends.
I never did make an appointment for Rumba and Samba to be spayed/ id chipped/ rabies shotted, but I’m going to call and do that today. They’re doing well. The best time to hang out with them is when there’s sun flooding the foster room. Something about the sunshine makes them friendly, and they’ll come over to me to be petted.
After they’ve been spayed, I’ve decided that I’m going to separate them for a couple of days. Separating skittish kittens often changes them into more friendly cats for some reason, so I’m going to put one in the foster room and the other in the guest bedroom and see if it makes any difference. If they’re miserable apart, of course, I’ll reunite them, but hopefully it’ll make them a little more willing to be petted. I’ll report how that goes, of course.
I don’t remember what I was dangling over their heads – some toy or another, I’m sure – but I certainly had their interest!
More kitten pics over at Love & Hisses.
Truly, Kara does not approve of those big loud barking things.
Previously
2008: No entry.
2007: No entry.
2006: Unless maybe it’s a magic leotard and the source of all her powers?
2005: “Life’s too fucking short to read books that suck.”
2004: Damn you, DVR! I WANT to love you, but you’re toying with my emotions!
2003: No entry.
2002: No entry.
2001: No entry.
2000: I’m not sure what effect, if any, it had on her.