Sep16
Finally…
Category Archives: Pet Posse
Sep10
Meet Minka
As a few of you might remember, we try to help with our local chapter of IGCA Rescue, out of love for our two Italian Greyhounds, Bonnie and Stevie. A while back, we had our blind foster, Selena. We had her for about 6 months before she just didn’t have any potential adopter interest, and we worried about who would adopt her in our area. I felt so sad to see her go to another town without being successfully adopted, but we needed to make the change. (As a side note, there are two potential adopters for Selena right now, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that they pull through for her this time!)
I was super excited earlier last week when IGCA rescue contacted me about a dog that had known (positive) experience with small children. Of course, I was ecstatic at a chance to foster again. We have to be careful with our little human baby, so the rescue group won’t let us foster unless they are sure the dog will be safe around small kids (and you know, the small kid being safe around the dog, too).
Anyways, the Minkster arrived Saturday. She’s a tiny 8 pound bullet that has been bouncing around our house with no fear. I can’t keep her still enough long enough to get a great picture, but here’s the best few I’ve managed.
We suspected she might have been bred in a home with that also bred chiuauas, but her papers are authentic saying she’s a full blood Iggy, so she gets to stay in IGCA rescue. Her head and ears have a bit of the chi look to them, but her body has the long twiggy legs, deep chest, and trim waist of the IG, so it’s hard to tell.
Anyways, it’s our luck that she has certified IG papers, since she’s a sweetie pie for sure. Minka is almost puppy playful at 6.5 years, loves playing tug-of-war, and isn’t afraid to snuggle. Jared has mentioned several times how much more he’s been enjoying Minka, even though we’ve only had her around for a few days. (I suspect it has something to do with the fact that she has no qualms about running up to him and burrowing between the blanket and his lap to cuddle!)
I’ll be surprised if she lasts two months with us because she is such a doll. And I hope she gets snatched up pretty quickly, because she’s too cute for her own good and I really don’t need a permanent third dog! 🙂
Sep1
First two-egg day!
Sometimes you need to celebrate the small stuff.
Like how our lovely Fliza Minnelli has been laying much more regularly (like 4-5 eggs in this past week!).
Or when we finally got our first BROWN egg from one of our lovely Plymouth Barred Rock ladies this evening.
And even better, our first brown egg coincided with a green egg day, meaning we had our very first TWO-EGG day.
And with a teething toddler, today is all about celebrating the small stuff. 🙂
Aug22
Chickens: We be chillin’, right here.
Well, it’s time for an update for our fine-feathered friends from the backyard.
Since the last time we talked about those featherbrained birds, we have gotten the grand total of ONE egg. Yes. Today, I am somewhat happy to announce that we received Egg #2.
(From the same bird, it appears. just slightly larger than the last.)
I have a theory on why it took so long for her to produce again. To make a very long story short, I haven’t been letting them free-range for a while. They love being able to spend at least short amounts of time in the yard, so they were none to pleased with that arrangement. (It was for their own safety, but try telling a chicken that!)
Starting Tuesday this week, I let them out for very short amounts of time every day, and after returning from a lunching event, I was rewarded with that lovely little egg. All things considered, that was very encouraging.
As an extra reward, I let them out for extra time this afternoon. They were thrilled. As in, so thrilled that the most uptight of them all, the Warrior Princess, sprawled out the dirt and let me stroke her during her dust baths. I even got a little video of the cuteness!
Click here to watch the cuteness.
(And please excuse my voice in the video… I guess that’s my sweet-talking-the-chickens voice. Let’s just pretend I don’t normally sound like that.)
Aug6
Eggs-ellent Discovery!
Sorry for the pun, but anyone who knows my father also knows that it is implanted in my DNA to toss in the occasional pun. Just trying to make you proud, Dad.
ANYWAYS, we finally got our first egg from our girls today, and even better, it was from one of our Easter Eggers, whom apparently usually take longer to lay.
How can I tell?
Our Barred Plymouth Rocks will (eventually?) lay medium-large brown eggs. The Easter Eggers will lay smaller-to medium slate blue and/or green eggs! And as you can tell, we have a lovely green egg! AHHH! So excited, can’t ya tell?
Oh, and we moved the ladies outside about twoish months ago, too. Here’s their outside diggs (with the dogs checking it out, too):
We keep them inside the coop for the majority of the time, but they do get some roaming time in the back. We limit it because Bonnie is a born killer (she brought down a full-sized healthy dove a month ago… yikes!) and Stevie thinks he could go for some fresh chicken, so we don’t want to forget that they are out and then let the doggies go out there. 
Also, we have that neighbor dog that has in the past dug under our fence, and while it’s been several months, I wouldn’t put it past her to try and break out again!
Oh, and they look a lot less awkward now. Here’s them enjoying the backyard at the end of May:
Emily Bronte, the Barred Rock that I was expecting to lay first because her comb and whatnot had been deepening to a nice shade of red (you can see the difference from May!):
And then Fliza Minnelli, Charlotte Bronte, and Xena Warrior Princess (today’s egg is from Fliza or Xena- not 100% who yet!)
Just had to share the good news because it’s been a lot of work getting to the point where these little ladies finally are producing eggs, and this was an eggs-ellent early birthday present from the chickens.