The recent litters have me musing about how brokens and solids work together again. I'm probably repeating some of what I've said in a previous blog, but I can't remember exactly. It was long enough ago that it might be new to some readers.
One theory suggests that solids out of broken affect pattern. Supposedly, a solid out of broken will carry the broken parent's pattern. Dreamer's litter supports this. She had all brokens with her rather messy pattern. The sire is the black on loan, and I know his history. He came from a line of messy pattern.
Messy is what I call the kind of pattern often DQ'd for scattered white. It's not really scattered white, it's a freckled blanket that feathers when the guard hairs grow. Judges see it as scattered white. It's a frustrating double standard. I'm told that 6 or more white hairs in one place is considered a foreign spot on a solid rabbit. But the broken standard says that white spots in a colored area are allowed. These feathered freckles are spots and they are quite a bit more than 6 hairs. The spots are white to the skin.
I should mention that my over-50% brokens have a large solid area of color on the body. There are no white hairs to be found there. The messiness begins around the edges of the blanket where the freckles appear. It is NOT scattered white.
Back to the theory. I'm now wondering if solid out of broken has the ability to pull more brokens. It's pretty unusual to get all brokens in a solid x broken litter which happened in Dreamer's. On the other hand, I also wonder if pattern is a 50/50 thing. Rayven is solid out of broken x solid. She has never thrown a broken in 3 litters. Her full sis Rana, also solid, has (none alive). Did Rana get the pattern but not Rayven?
Which brings me to my theory that solids with no brokens in the background also affect pattern. But now I wonder how that is. I used to think (read it somewhere) that all solids carry a broken pattern as part of the genetic color code. It might even be related (strictly my speculation here) to the insidious spotting gene. I've had solids that gave great pattern almost every time, and some that never gave a broken keeper. Is it maybe that they actually don't carry a pattern at all? If this is true, it might explain why my little black buck usually pulls the pattern of his broken mate, and it was actually herself that threw the good pattern. Maybe other solids were just paired with mates that didn't throw pattern consistently?
In conclusion. Breeding broken dwarfs is still a crap shoot! I'm getting better type on the messy patterns (of course I am), and the cleaner spot or streaked patterns leave a lot to be desired. I plod along. I'm bound and determined to produce better brokens.
Nestbox News:
A few more babies.
Foxy Lady x Lil' Bit Farms LB92 - 1 broken otter. Nice pattern. Foxy and LB both have pretty clean pattern so I hope this kit will be a breakthrough. She also had a dilute broken. It was alive at birth but it got pretty cold that night. I barely got to the other in time to save it. Fostered to Infinite Detail so I can repeat this breeding right away.
Infinite Detail x Lil' Bit Farms LB92 - 1 blue, 1 charlie. Normally I'd cull the charlie but I decided to grow it to see what I've got. I. Detail is a broody-lookin true dwarf. I thought she was a BUD but she always throws peanuts. She and LB share a Darkside ancestor and I'm hoping they will mesh. That's the main reason for growing the charlie. I've yet to come across a true charlie. I've grown a couple to breeding age, but they proved to not be true charlies, just charlie-marked, so I quit trying. Maybe this time I'll get lucky. Of course, if the type isn't there, I won't bother. Oh yeah....there were also 2 peanuts. You know they had pattern! Grrr.
A couple others were misses. I was getting a bit worried that Camaro was shooting blanks. This is the first time I've used him. Both his does missed, and the one was proven. Yesterday, I tried rebreeding some, and I got mixed up. I put Anaba with him and when she fussed, I looked at her card. Yeah, I had already put her to him. Duh. I hope her vocal refusal means that she took this time.
Speaking of vocal rabbits. Don't often come across chatty bucks. Other than the squeak or moan of a successful mating, bucks don't have much to say. LB is an exception. He's pretty loud when he "gits her done", but then he goes on to talk to his doe some more. Wonder what he's whispering in her ear.
In other news:
Got the Fairview show this weekend. Even though I don't have much to show, I'm looking forward to it. From what I've seen in the grapevine, looks like a lot of people are planning to attend, so I'll see friends. Ugh, I have to tat a jr I plan to enter. Dislike having to drag out the tattooer for just one ear. I suppose I could tat a couple others I'm not showing or at this point planning to keep.
Last thought for the day:
I've seen a trend lately and don't know what to make of it. Actually not all that lately, but it struck me again so I'll mention it. Facebook. I'm not a big Facebooker. I check in, comment sometimes, but not a real user. I've seen a lot of breeders post their sale lists on FB instead of their website or forums. Is that really all that effective? You have your friends list, but aren't many potential buyers excluded? Do you only sell to "friends"? FB doesn't come up in a rabbitry search because most FBers use their real names. So all others would only find you via a breeder list or google for rabbit sites, and if you don't post your sales on your site, you just might lose a buyer. I don't email someone to see if they have something not listed on their site. I just assume they don't, and I bet there are others like me. I also don't accept or request friends just to have access to their FB. Some people seem to collect all the friends they can. If you have rabbits for sale and a website, post them on it and give everyone who is not a "friend" the opportunity to find you. A website are still a valid and important way to put yourself out there, ya know.
tnt
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
October
Chilly! The calendar and weather are matched for sure. Fall color hasn't really started yet, but there's bit of yellow and red here and there. It's also been very rainy. Almost steady rain for the last 5 days. I need to get out in the garden and start cleanup. The soaking will make pulling weeds so much easier.
But first I have to finish the project in the barn. I got one brood unit done in time for some litters that were due. The does are in the Summer House until their due dates, and I've been rotating them in and out as those dates come. If they give me a litter, they stay in.
Here's a pic of the 1st finished brood unit.
There were a few flaws in the original design. It wasn't that easy to clean the wavy panels, and it wasn't leak-proof. That's a needful thing with a wood floor. I laid flat vinyl flashing over the panels which solved the leaks. It can now be raked out much faster with a squeegy, and I can do light wet cleaning as well. The urine guards are attached to the frame instead of the cages which is part of the leak-proofing. Everything is directed onto the chute. The cage strips were attached directly to the legs, and the units couldn't be moved outside for heavy cleaning very easily. I added some support rails and the cage strips now slide out of the units.
I'll update the Barn page when it's all finished. Since I'll be maintaining a smaller herd, I eliminated the unit that stood in the middle. It was mostly in the way, anyways. I have the parts if I need to put it back together. This cut the barn back to 36 holes. In a pinch, I can use the Summer House for overflow during winter, but it's my plan to not need it.
Nestbox News:
Yes, I have some babies! Considering the does have been idle for most of the summer because of the heat, they've done remarkably well. Currently 2 does on litters and 5 babies. I'll take it! A few more due next week.
Rayven x Lil' Bit Farms LB92 - 1 black. It's a tiny thing and yay...not an otter. Also 2 DOA solids. Have yet to get broken out of this little doe.
Dreamer x Smith's DA - 1 broken black with her pattern. She had 2 DOAs and they were well-marked brokens, too. I love getting an entire litter of brokens out of a broken x solid pair. Fostered to Rayven.
Lady Blaque x Lil' Bit Farms LB92 - 1 broken black, 1 broken black otter, 1 blue. I'm very pleased with this litter! Only one otter and it's not the solid blue...yay. Oh and no charlies which would be expected from broken x broken. The brokens have plenty of pattern.
Do you get the feeling I don't like otters? Well, there's a lot behind my resistance to otter peer pressure, but I won't go into it. I can live with broken otters, but I'll cull all solid otters. LB92 is broken black otter so I'll get them. He's here as a parts rabbit for type and pattern, and the added bonus that he carries self and dilute. So far he throws more selfs than otters, and that works for me.
Guinea News:
Some came up MIA, and there's only 9 of the original 14 now. All the flocks (remember, there were 3) have joined into one. I can still spot the 2 original adults, but it won't be much longer and they'll all be identical. Yeah, those supposed-to-be pieds I bought from NC are not. Oh well, at least there's more genetic diversity. Next year, I'll see about bringing in more color variety.
Show News:
Next show is Fairview, NC. Don't have much to show, but it's so close I have to go. I'm down to 1 sr buck and a couple jrs. That's bad. Sr does that were doing well on the tables are now retired to breeding. Not breeding all summer meant few fall jrs. Sr bucks are off the show string for this reason or that. I'll get some litters out of them and then decide what to do with them.
Sadly, in the last couple months, 3 local dwarf breeders were forced to sell out due to personal circumstances. Seems to be a lot of that going around. We'll miss them and their lovely bunnies at shows.
Oh and one last thing. Dark Moon Graphix is now open. Offering custom web art design and a few freebies.
tnt
But first I have to finish the project in the barn. I got one brood unit done in time for some litters that were due. The does are in the Summer House until their due dates, and I've been rotating them in and out as those dates come. If they give me a litter, they stay in.
Here's a pic of the 1st finished brood unit.
There were a few flaws in the original design. It wasn't that easy to clean the wavy panels, and it wasn't leak-proof. That's a needful thing with a wood floor. I laid flat vinyl flashing over the panels which solved the leaks. It can now be raked out much faster with a squeegy, and I can do light wet cleaning as well. The urine guards are attached to the frame instead of the cages which is part of the leak-proofing. Everything is directed onto the chute. The cage strips were attached directly to the legs, and the units couldn't be moved outside for heavy cleaning very easily. I added some support rails and the cage strips now slide out of the units.
I'll update the Barn page when it's all finished. Since I'll be maintaining a smaller herd, I eliminated the unit that stood in the middle. It was mostly in the way, anyways. I have the parts if I need to put it back together. This cut the barn back to 36 holes. In a pinch, I can use the Summer House for overflow during winter, but it's my plan to not need it.
Nestbox News:
Yes, I have some babies! Considering the does have been idle for most of the summer because of the heat, they've done remarkably well. Currently 2 does on litters and 5 babies. I'll take it! A few more due next week.
Rayven x Lil' Bit Farms LB92 - 1 black. It's a tiny thing and yay...not an otter. Also 2 DOA solids. Have yet to get broken out of this little doe.
Dreamer x Smith's DA - 1 broken black with her pattern. She had 2 DOAs and they were well-marked brokens, too. I love getting an entire litter of brokens out of a broken x solid pair. Fostered to Rayven.
Lady Blaque x Lil' Bit Farms LB92 - 1 broken black, 1 broken black otter, 1 blue. I'm very pleased with this litter! Only one otter and it's not the solid blue...yay. Oh and no charlies which would be expected from broken x broken. The brokens have plenty of pattern.
Do you get the feeling I don't like otters? Well, there's a lot behind my resistance to otter peer pressure, but I won't go into it. I can live with broken otters, but I'll cull all solid otters. LB92 is broken black otter so I'll get them. He's here as a parts rabbit for type and pattern, and the added bonus that he carries self and dilute. So far he throws more selfs than otters, and that works for me.
Guinea News:
Some came up MIA, and there's only 9 of the original 14 now. All the flocks (remember, there were 3) have joined into one. I can still spot the 2 original adults, but it won't be much longer and they'll all be identical. Yeah, those supposed-to-be pieds I bought from NC are not. Oh well, at least there's more genetic diversity. Next year, I'll see about bringing in more color variety.
Show News:
Next show is Fairview, NC. Don't have much to show, but it's so close I have to go. I'm down to 1 sr buck and a couple jrs. That's bad. Sr does that were doing well on the tables are now retired to breeding. Not breeding all summer meant few fall jrs. Sr bucks are off the show string for this reason or that. I'll get some litters out of them and then decide what to do with them.
Sadly, in the last couple months, 3 local dwarf breeders were forced to sell out due to personal circumstances. Seems to be a lot of that going around. We'll miss them and their lovely bunnies at shows.
Oh and one last thing. Dark Moon Graphix is now open. Offering custom web art design and a few freebies.
tnt
Sunday, September 5, 2010
September
It really cooled off a lot! It was a chilly 43 this morning. I can finally turn off the AC in the house and open windows again.
The Murfreesboro show yesterday was a real nice day. Also quite cool. It was almost too cool in the showroom. Stepping outside into the sun felt good. I don't have a lot to show for it. RR Messenger earned another BOG leg for a total of 6. Other than that, I was almost embarrassed by my entries. I have next to nothing to show these days. At least I enjoyed visiting with friends.
I did get rid of some stuff, including the old computer. I'm sure ticket buyers were excited to see something like that on the raffle table. Works for me if it's of use to someone else. No one is interested in buying an old computer, but they'd take it for free. I'd rather it benefit a rabbit club than post it in classifieds.
As I said, I have little to show lately. It has not been a great year. Spring litters didn't yield much, and later breedings were unsuccessful. The extreme summer heat wave forced a hiatus on breeding, and I don't have very many jrs for fall shows. Current srs are very limited due to molt or condition. Some of the does that showed well as jrs have matured into broody does. I'll be attending very few shows for the rest of the year, and distance will have a lot to do with it.
Sales Policies. I've always viewed long, elaborate, riddled with legalize sales policies as rather pompous. I tried to keep mine as short and simple as possible. I now know how those policies become so convoluted. Issues are always coming up that create the need for new clauses and clarification. If all buyers were upfront, and respectful of the seller's position, sales policies wouldn't be needed at all. Unfortunately, that's not the case.
Enjoy the coolth.
tnt
The Murfreesboro show yesterday was a real nice day. Also quite cool. It was almost too cool in the showroom. Stepping outside into the sun felt good. I don't have a lot to show for it. RR Messenger earned another BOG leg for a total of 6. Other than that, I was almost embarrassed by my entries. I have next to nothing to show these days. At least I enjoyed visiting with friends.
I did get rid of some stuff, including the old computer. I'm sure ticket buyers were excited to see something like that on the raffle table. Works for me if it's of use to someone else. No one is interested in buying an old computer, but they'd take it for free. I'd rather it benefit a rabbit club than post it in classifieds.
As I said, I have little to show lately. It has not been a great year. Spring litters didn't yield much, and later breedings were unsuccessful. The extreme summer heat wave forced a hiatus on breeding, and I don't have very many jrs for fall shows. Current srs are very limited due to molt or condition. Some of the does that showed well as jrs have matured into broody does. I'll be attending very few shows for the rest of the year, and distance will have a lot to do with it.
Sales Policies. I've always viewed long, elaborate, riddled with legalize sales policies as rather pompous. I tried to keep mine as short and simple as possible. I now know how those policies become so convoluted. Issues are always coming up that create the need for new clauses and clarification. If all buyers were upfront, and respectful of the seller's position, sales policies wouldn't be needed at all. Unfortunately, that's not the case.
Enjoy the coolth.
tnt
Monday, August 30, 2010
End of Summer
Can't say I hate to see the end. It's been too hot for the last 2-3 months and not much has been done outside. I'm looking forward to some coolth.
A remodel in the barn has been hanging over my head, and it needs doing now. Been too hot to work out there, but it should start being cooler soon. Nothing major, just an adjustment in the design of the Brush-Clean System. Even though the units are light enough to be moved around in the barn easily, moving them outside is another story. This is necessary for hard cleaning of the cage wire. I've got a plan to make the cage strips detachable from the supports. I also want to make the poop shelf removable but haven't figured that out yet. They are tied on with zip ties and I suppose it's not a big deal to just cut them off and replace the ties a couple times a year. A bit wasteful but it's probably what will happen.
I bred some does this week and last. This is another reason I need to get that job done now. I'll start with the brood holes so the does can be moved in when it gets close to their dates. I'll do the buck/jr holes in time for freezing weather.
Instead of my usual routine of breeding every open doe at once, I'm spreading it out a little. A few this week, some more next week. Most of the gals have been up for it. It will probably be hit or miss. It's always iffy to get does back in production after a summer hiatus.
My management plan is to keep the head count where it is now at around 30. I'm culling harder than ever and it might go even lower than that. I'm liking the smaller feed bill and less work. I'm down to 8 sr bucks and one of those is the loaner who will go back to his owner eventually. I'll sell some older does after I've exhausted all buck options for them. Of the current batch of jrs, I'm only keeping 2 does and I might change my mind about one of those. They're himis and I don't really need both of them.
Decided to do the Murfreesboro show this weekend. I was debating because it's one of those long drives and I have so little to enter. I need to sell a few so that made up my mind. And seeing friends I don't see as often. I don't have another show on my calendar until October.
tnt
A remodel in the barn has been hanging over my head, and it needs doing now. Been too hot to work out there, but it should start being cooler soon. Nothing major, just an adjustment in the design of the Brush-Clean System. Even though the units are light enough to be moved around in the barn easily, moving them outside is another story. This is necessary for hard cleaning of the cage wire. I've got a plan to make the cage strips detachable from the supports. I also want to make the poop shelf removable but haven't figured that out yet. They are tied on with zip ties and I suppose it's not a big deal to just cut them off and replace the ties a couple times a year. A bit wasteful but it's probably what will happen.
I bred some does this week and last. This is another reason I need to get that job done now. I'll start with the brood holes so the does can be moved in when it gets close to their dates. I'll do the buck/jr holes in time for freezing weather.
Instead of my usual routine of breeding every open doe at once, I'm spreading it out a little. A few this week, some more next week. Most of the gals have been up for it. It will probably be hit or miss. It's always iffy to get does back in production after a summer hiatus.
My management plan is to keep the head count where it is now at around 30. I'm culling harder than ever and it might go even lower than that. I'm liking the smaller feed bill and less work. I'm down to 8 sr bucks and one of those is the loaner who will go back to his owner eventually. I'll sell some older does after I've exhausted all buck options for them. Of the current batch of jrs, I'm only keeping 2 does and I might change my mind about one of those. They're himis and I don't really need both of them.
Decided to do the Murfreesboro show this weekend. I was debating because it's one of those long drives and I have so little to enter. I need to sell a few so that made up my mind. And seeing friends I don't see as often. I don't have another show on my calendar until October.
tnt
Friday, August 13, 2010
Nuthin much new
Not a lot going on in the rabbitry. Still hot. Still just the 1 litter. Still no does bred. Still waiting for it to cool off. The boys could all be heat sterile.
I'll be getting pix of Foxy's 2 babies soon. They are about 4 weeks old now and so very promising. I think the Smith's buck was just what I needed. They're both bucks and the blue has good deep color. My dilutes haven't been that impressive lately. One buck was so light, 2 judges questioned whether he was blue or lilac.
So I'll talk about guineas again. Just got the latest issue of Backyard Poultry and there's a fun article about guinea fowl. The author talks about what she's learned from her guineas. Kind of like "What I learned in kindergarten". I'll talk about my observations of my flocks.
Yes, I referred to the flock in the plural. There are 3 separate flocks.
Flock #1: The adult pair and their 1 keet that survived hatching in the "wild". These 3 stick tightly together and the only ones that leave the fence for most of the day. Such a cute little family! In the morning, they head for the front yard and proceed to scarf up all the Japanese beetles they find. My gardens thank them! Jap beetles aren't super fast, but it's still pretty amusing to watch the birds take off like a shot and snap them out of the air. Guineas are such funny looking birds when they run.
Flock #2: The 7 from NC that were supposed to be pied. So much for that idea. They are showing some adult plumage now, and it's not there. This flock includes Rooster Cogburn. This is also the flock that forced me to change the dog and cat feeding routine. Cogburn roosts on the porch at night, and even though it's nearly dark when I take the food out, he hops down to grab a bite. I'm ok with that. I just don't want the guineas doing it, and they've gone to roost for the night. Since I changed the routine, they aren't coming up on the porch as much. BTW, I made a "rattle" to spook them off the porch. It's a plastic gallon water jug with some stones inside. I throw it at them and tied a string to it so I could reel it back in. After a few spooks, I can now just shake it at them and they take off. There is at least 1 hen in this flock.
As I write this, Flock #1 just went out front. No, I didn't see it. I heard them on the house roof. I still don't get why they don't fly over the fence which would be much easier. Who knows what lurks in the minds of guineas.
Flock #3: The 4 from the hen's last clutch. Same clutch the wild baby came from. For some reason, they aren't roosting high at night. They settle in under the shrubs around the rabbit shed. Maybe it's too crowded with all the others on the "guinea rack". Might have to throw another one together. I've only heard 1 hen in this one so far.
The only time the 3 flocks come together is in the morning when I go out to tend to the rabbits. After I'm done, I toss out the cracked corn mix for the birds. During that time, they are chasing around as I move around in the Summer House. I mess with them. Heheh. Every time I go to the side where I usually throw out the corn, they bombard the fence and even go up on the metal roof. Which then has the rabbits on alert. It's noisy. I open the corn container but don't give it to them. The next time I walk over there, I get it ready to toss. Then do something else with the rabbits. When I'm ready to leave, I wait until they are at another side and then toss the corn. Mad dash to the feed station ensues!
I find it very interesting that these flocks are so segregated. I don't know how they know, but the adult pair recognize the baby they raised. They chase their other 4 identical keets away.
Update: Found one of #3 dead the same morning I wrote this blog entry. I think what might have happened is that it was seriously injured by an adult. I assume that based on where I found it. There is a narrow space between the shed and Summer House. More than once, I've caught an adult beating up these smallest keets as they move through there. There isn't room for them to move out of the way fast enough. I now have the space blocked. I'm pretty sure it was the 3 week older singleton that was also a hen. That's an unfortunate loss because there's not a lot of hens.
I'm thinking the hen won't lay another clutch this year. Apparently, if they raise a clutch, they don't lay again until it's grown. By then, it will be fall, and too late for any more.
I've seen some ads for color guineas. Notably Royal Purple and Lavender. I believe this is what my first pair was. I definitely want to bring some in. Hopefully next year. I have all the guineas I need right now.
In other news:
I have a new computer! Yay! I took advantage of TN's Tax Holiday last weekend and upgraded from my old XP to Win 7. I'm loving it! XP was getting clunkier by the day. The new one is so much faster and Win 7 is a very slick interface. Almost every operation has been simplified. Bout time, MicroSoft! Not only that, but the eMachine I settled on (great price) is so tiny. My desk has a space on the one lower side for the CPU and the old puter took up most of it. The new one is so small, I can put it on top of the desk which gives me easier access to its functions, like the DVD drive and USB ports. This also means I don't have to pull the desk out to change connections in the back. I'm going to install some shelves in the old CPU space for more storage. Oh yeah and another thing. The eMachine is nearly silent. I read 1 review that said "you can hear it thinking". The only time I've heard a peep out of it is during boot up.
I got a new toy, too. A Netbook that was covered by the tax free weekend. I've been thinking about it since I got mobile broadband. Didn't really need it, but there are times it will come in handy. The occasional overnight rabbit show. When the power goes out for any length of time. I usually end up reading a book by candlelight or the clip-on book light (not very comfortable), but now I can go online or play games when that happens. It's nowhere near as powerful or fast as the desktop, but good enough for the price and size.
Oh wait, one more new thing. I guess the title of this entry isn't accurate. I bought a new domain name. I've owned 2 for a long time, and didn't see myself needing another. As I was backing up and weeding out my bookmarks in anticipation of the new puter, I discovered a site I've always liked was closed and the domain name had gone up for sale. It was originally a decal store with really unique graphics. It can cost a small fortune to acquire a domain name 2nd hand, but the price was very reasonable. So I snapped it up! For now, it's forwarded to my other domain and host. I'll eventually move it over so the URL matches the site. DarkMoonGraphix.com. Stay tuned.
tnt
I'll be getting pix of Foxy's 2 babies soon. They are about 4 weeks old now and so very promising. I think the Smith's buck was just what I needed. They're both bucks and the blue has good deep color. My dilutes haven't been that impressive lately. One buck was so light, 2 judges questioned whether he was blue or lilac.
So I'll talk about guineas again. Just got the latest issue of Backyard Poultry and there's a fun article about guinea fowl. The author talks about what she's learned from her guineas. Kind of like "What I learned in kindergarten". I'll talk about my observations of my flocks.
Yes, I referred to the flock in the plural. There are 3 separate flocks.
Flock #1: The adult pair and their 1 keet that survived hatching in the "wild". These 3 stick tightly together and the only ones that leave the fence for most of the day. Such a cute little family! In the morning, they head for the front yard and proceed to scarf up all the Japanese beetles they find. My gardens thank them! Jap beetles aren't super fast, but it's still pretty amusing to watch the birds take off like a shot and snap them out of the air. Guineas are such funny looking birds when they run.
Flock #2: The 7 from NC that were supposed to be pied. So much for that idea. They are showing some adult plumage now, and it's not there. This flock includes Rooster Cogburn. This is also the flock that forced me to change the dog and cat feeding routine. Cogburn roosts on the porch at night, and even though it's nearly dark when I take the food out, he hops down to grab a bite. I'm ok with that. I just don't want the guineas doing it, and they've gone to roost for the night. Since I changed the routine, they aren't coming up on the porch as much. BTW, I made a "rattle" to spook them off the porch. It's a plastic gallon water jug with some stones inside. I throw it at them and tied a string to it so I could reel it back in. After a few spooks, I can now just shake it at them and they take off. There is at least 1 hen in this flock.
As I write this, Flock #1 just went out front. No, I didn't see it. I heard them on the house roof. I still don't get why they don't fly over the fence which would be much easier. Who knows what lurks in the minds of guineas.
Flock #3: The 4 from the hen's last clutch. Same clutch the wild baby came from. For some reason, they aren't roosting high at night. They settle in under the shrubs around the rabbit shed. Maybe it's too crowded with all the others on the "guinea rack". Might have to throw another one together. I've only heard 1 hen in this one so far.
The only time the 3 flocks come together is in the morning when I go out to tend to the rabbits. After I'm done, I toss out the cracked corn mix for the birds. During that time, they are chasing around as I move around in the Summer House. I mess with them. Heheh. Every time I go to the side where I usually throw out the corn, they bombard the fence and even go up on the metal roof. Which then has the rabbits on alert. It's noisy. I open the corn container but don't give it to them. The next time I walk over there, I get it ready to toss. Then do something else with the rabbits. When I'm ready to leave, I wait until they are at another side and then toss the corn. Mad dash to the feed station ensues!
I find it very interesting that these flocks are so segregated. I don't know how they know, but the adult pair recognize the baby they raised. They chase their other 4 identical keets away.
Update: Found one of #3 dead the same morning I wrote this blog entry. I think what might have happened is that it was seriously injured by an adult. I assume that based on where I found it. There is a narrow space between the shed and Summer House. More than once, I've caught an adult beating up these smallest keets as they move through there. There isn't room for them to move out of the way fast enough. I now have the space blocked. I'm pretty sure it was the 3 week older singleton that was also a hen. That's an unfortunate loss because there's not a lot of hens.
I'm thinking the hen won't lay another clutch this year. Apparently, if they raise a clutch, they don't lay again until it's grown. By then, it will be fall, and too late for any more.
I've seen some ads for color guineas. Notably Royal Purple and Lavender. I believe this is what my first pair was. I definitely want to bring some in. Hopefully next year. I have all the guineas I need right now.
In other news:
I have a new computer! Yay! I took advantage of TN's Tax Holiday last weekend and upgraded from my old XP to Win 7. I'm loving it! XP was getting clunkier by the day. The new one is so much faster and Win 7 is a very slick interface. Almost every operation has been simplified. Bout time, MicroSoft! Not only that, but the eMachine I settled on (great price) is so tiny. My desk has a space on the one lower side for the CPU and the old puter took up most of it. The new one is so small, I can put it on top of the desk which gives me easier access to its functions, like the DVD drive and USB ports. This also means I don't have to pull the desk out to change connections in the back. I'm going to install some shelves in the old CPU space for more storage. Oh yeah and another thing. The eMachine is nearly silent. I read 1 review that said "you can hear it thinking". The only time I've heard a peep out of it is during boot up.
I got a new toy, too. A Netbook that was covered by the tax free weekend. I've been thinking about it since I got mobile broadband. Didn't really need it, but there are times it will come in handy. The occasional overnight rabbit show. When the power goes out for any length of time. I usually end up reading a book by candlelight or the clip-on book light (not very comfortable), but now I can go online or play games when that happens. It's nowhere near as powerful or fast as the desktop, but good enough for the price and size.
Oh wait, one more new thing. I guess the title of this entry isn't accurate. I bought a new domain name. I've owned 2 for a long time, and didn't see myself needing another. As I was backing up and weeding out my bookmarks in anticipation of the new puter, I discovered a site I've always liked was closed and the domain name had gone up for sale. It was originally a decal store with really unique graphics. It can cost a small fortune to acquire a domain name 2nd hand, but the price was very reasonable. So I snapped it up! For now, it's forwarded to my other domain and host. I'll eventually move it over so the URL matches the site. DarkMoonGraphix.com. Stay tuned.
tnt
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