This is what did. The wife picked up two more Serama hens to go with the last single rooster she had left. Seven hens and three roosters should complete the breeding stock for these little mini chickens and in the spring she will start incubating the eggs.
I ended up having a daddy daughter day with the oldest and the youngest and went to the little farm auction we visited a couple of months ago. The kids had a blast and the oldest
being 18 and all was able to get her own card and bid on her own stuff. I ended up getting a grain and meat grinder. I have been wanting a grain grinder for a long time but they are always way over my budget when I find them. I picked them both up for $30.00
We had some more babies last night but the outcome is not good. One was still born and the other is just barley hanging in there. We ended up bringing it into the house this afternoon but I doubt if it will make it through the night.I tell you what the problem is. All these nannies were already pregnant when we brought them here. If you will remember, the bucks that came with them were all kin some way or another and some were even badly stiff legged from all the inbreeding. That is why we got rid of the bucks right off the bat and brought in a new bloodline. These babies that are being born now are the kids from those inbred bucks.
It is sad to see them suffer and it just goes to show that some people have no business raising animals and that's all I have to say about that.
Glad you had a good day and what a great deal on the grinder!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about irresponsible breeding. Whether you're talking about livestock or house pets, the unscrupulous profiteers outnumber the RESPONSIBLE participants by a long shot. The frail and deformed offspring suffer for what short time they are on this earth but I have to think the mothers of these poor offspring suffer too. They're NOT just dumb animals. Their emotional ties to their young may be more instinct than intellect but they still have them. They still suffer the emotional loss of NOT having their young to raise as God intended. That's all I better say about that or this will turn into a rant!
Rant away WWRWH. I agree the mothers of the animals do have an emotional tie to the young. The mother of two newest babies that did not make it just stands at the fence and hollers. I brought Lucy out to her today but being that she was not hers it did no good.
ReplyDeleteGreat finds!
ReplyDeleteI agree most people have no business raising or breeding animals. People think we're far to careful, and are currently looking for a bull for our Dexter heifer who will be 3 yrs old in May 2011, but I'd rather make sure of the bloodlines then to breed her haphazardly and then loose one or possibly both. Dexters are a breed that needs to be highly protected( their gene pool) and we take it very seriously. We'll get our heifer bred and have a bull to breed her for many years, since we'll never breed her offspring, the heifers will be sold and the bull made into steers for beef.
Sorry for you struggles, it's never fun to have to deal with fixing someone elses messes. Sorry for the losses, what a disappointment for you all, mamas included!
HUGS and Blessings for all of you,
Kelle
Thanks Kelle. We kinda figured this was going to happen with this first round. We did not know it was going to be this bad though. We had some promised out already but I think they will understand and I know the people will be happier with a normal healthy pygmy.
ReplyDelete