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We lost Kate at about sunset last night, the last of my Barred Rocks. She went off of food entirely a couple days ago and would not be convinced to eat no matter what I did, so I kind of saw it coming. She would have been ten years old if she made it just another month with us.
Kate was always the worrier, never sure of following the other birds or exploring new places. During building projects, she'd hang out nearby and talk to us the whole time, as if scrutinizing our work and worrying that it was up to par. Toward the end, she'd lost a lot of her balance and would trip easily, and that was the main reason why the flock rejected her. She spent most of her last year of life inside in a hospital pen, with people for company. This is her almost two years ago, looking the best she ever did.
It's... odd not having any Barred Rocks anymore. It was sort of odd after Freema left us because Kate had been in a hospital pen for months with her weakness preventing her from integrating back into the flock, but now that Kate is gone, too, it just feels like a key part of the flock has gone missing. Barred Rocks were the first breed that I picked out on my own for the flock, and that we ordered specifically rather than going to the feed store and hoping what we wanted was there. The breed holds a lot of sentiment for me.
A few years back, while coming to accept that Kate and Freema would not live forever, I had planned to seek out Barred Hollands as a sort of Barred Rock replacement once they'd gone, but now that it has happened, I'm not so sure that's what I want to do. I'm quite happy with my Dorkings as the white eggers of the flock, so white eggs are no longer the benefit of the breed that it once was, and as much as I'd like to get my hands on some Hollands some day, I feel like it wouldn't be the same to have them instead.
Perhaps I'm just wishy-washy on the idea because of the recent loss... However, I'd already ordered some Barred Plymouth Rock bantams earlier this year to arrive at the beginning of July, so I suppose they will fill the role of the stripy birds of the flock for the time being. I hope their personalities live up to those of the large fowl birds.
Kate was always the worrier, never sure of following the other birds or exploring new places. During building projects, she'd hang out nearby and talk to us the whole time, as if scrutinizing our work and worrying that it was up to par. Toward the end, she'd lost a lot of her balance and would trip easily, and that was the main reason why the flock rejected her. She spent most of her last year of life inside in a hospital pen, with people for company. This is her almost two years ago, looking the best she ever did.
It's... odd not having any Barred Rocks anymore. It was sort of odd after Freema left us because Kate had been in a hospital pen for months with her weakness preventing her from integrating back into the flock, but now that Kate is gone, too, it just feels like a key part of the flock has gone missing. Barred Rocks were the first breed that I picked out on my own for the flock, and that we ordered specifically rather than going to the feed store and hoping what we wanted was there. The breed holds a lot of sentiment for me.
A few years back, while coming to accept that Kate and Freema would not live forever, I had planned to seek out Barred Hollands as a sort of Barred Rock replacement once they'd gone, but now that it has happened, I'm not so sure that's what I want to do. I'm quite happy with my Dorkings as the white eggers of the flock, so white eggs are no longer the benefit of the breed that it once was, and as much as I'd like to get my hands on some Hollands some day, I feel like it wouldn't be the same to have them instead.
Perhaps I'm just wishy-washy on the idea because of the recent loss... However, I'd already ordered some Barred Plymouth Rock bantams earlier this year to arrive at the beginning of July, so I suppose they will fill the role of the stripy birds of the flock for the time being. I hope their personalities live up to those of the large fowl birds.
A Barred pullet would be nice for making sexlinked chicks, too, but I'm not as interested in the Barreds as with the Blues, honestly. Love me some Blues! 
But mostly, I'm just hoping to get a good hatch out of these regardless of color!!
I did put up a little pen with scrap fencing and some orange plastic netting to put the OEGBs out in during the day, so that they're protected from aerial predators. I don't want to risk losing another one of these precious girls like that. Here's Vega and Sumi on the perch I put up in it; Vega is not pleased by the lack of cuddles. 
Their first 'real' check is Wednesday night, so I'll take a closer look at the maybes then. Here's hoping for lots of babies come the end of the month!! 
I'm just going to have to put an ad up or something for these boys. I can't keep them, and I have nowhere to put them, especially with no affordable fencing available for me to put something up and move them outside full time. Makes me sad, but it's a consequence that I accepted when I decided to start hatching. There will always be too many roosters. 
The Dorkings are adorable! What new building projects do you have in mind?
