The NFC B-Day Chat Thread

[sunflour]

Great news! FIL is OK and it looks like it could just be muscle issues. His high blood pressure has the ER peeps getting him to see his Doc on Tuesday [long weekend .. yep, another one!] and hubby is keeping a very close eye on him. Like most of us, FIL was very happy that they let him go home

Glad it was muscle issues - from personal experience it can be quite severe. Hope the BP was up due to pain and not a problem.

Sounds like you need a real break - relax and hope there's no more emergencies.

Sour, Princess has the best lines, she really cracks me up. Are you writing jokes for her???

Maybe the Princess writes the jokes for Sour??

Good morning!

Weird things happening with the computer this morning, hope it all clears up soon. My cursor seems to have gone missing and it's taking multiple clicks to do anything, weird.

Hey! I'm going to have some help soon in the kitchen! My high school girl from last year is coming back and she's going to be my baking assistant. She'll be a tremendous help and is such a sweetheart. She should be ready to help out at least on weekends in a couple weeks then full time once her school is out for the year. I'm now responsible for burger buns, pizza dough, corn bread, Cole slaw, smokehouse beans, and 6 sauces so the extra pair of hands will be, well, handy, lol. And somewhere in there, I have to start baking deserts too.

Cold, cold, cold here...it snowed off/on yesterday and last night got down into the 20's. Today should get up to 40* which won't be too bad if this wind would give us a break.

Sunflour, your new babies are adorable! So glad you were able to get them.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

If the missing cursor is from a wireless mouse - low batteries can cause that. If it's not a mouse, shut down and restart and likely that will resolve this?

So glad you will get help, OMG you have your hands overfilled until she can come daily.

Too cold for golf, but cold makes those folks hungry, hope your weekend goes well.

 

[Blooie]

Teila, I think that's just about enough complications for April. Now you can go into May with minimal disruptions and plans intact, right?

Here we have this thing called the Medical Portal, and the sub-heading is "My Chart". Our local hospital/clinic and the big hospital up in Billings participate. You get a user name and a password. With that you can go to the "portal" and all of your test results are there, your medical reports from your visits, and if you have an upcoming appointment or something they need to contact you for you get an email instructing you to go to the Portal, check for "messages" and then follow the link provided in the message to see exactly what they are contacting you to do. You can request prescription refills, (and it tells you if you have to see the doctor first or can just order, as in maintenance drugs) make appointments, cancel appointments, and ask questions. If I have an appointment in Billings, and I've seen my local doctor for anything in the meantime, both facilities can check my portal to see the other doctor's notes and findings.

I was hesitant at first - who wants that kind of information out on the interweb? - but it has come in so doggone handy! Ken has my log-in information and I have his, but we had to sign a consent form to check each other's information. One precaution that they have taken for privacy is that you'd best not lose that user name and password.....the only way to get a new one is to go to the main hospital in Billings and get the new one in person. No clicking on "forgot my user name or password".

Sunflour, I'm glad that MHP is working out for you! I won't ever go back to the old heat lamp routine.....mine are out in the run, doing great, and integration starts today. At first I'll just let the chicks out of the portals (there's that word again!) under supervision, so they learn how to duck back into the brooder if the Bigs get out of hand. Once they can all do that, the portals will be left open for them to come and go as they please. I figure by the end of the next week I can take the brooder completely out and they'l be fine. This routine usually works perfectly but there hasn't been anything "usual" about this batch of chicks since they arrived. <sigh>

Weather not giving you a break, huh Debby? Now, I don't wanna say "I told you so" but I do seem to remember - when we were getting hammered with cold and snow up here and you weren't - kinda letting you know that your turn was coming, and it would be in March and April. But then, I'm not the kind to say "I told you so".........

 

[Teila]

Good morning folks

Thank you everyone for your best wishes and kind words. Hubby says that FIL is still in pain but controllable with over the counter pain meds .. we will know more when he sees his GP on Tuesday.

N F C great news about your getting some assistance!

Blooie Good to hear that you littlies are doing great .. any chance of some updated pics?

My GP has something similar to your Medical Portal except that it is more like an automated ‘we need to see you’ thing than a helpful thing. I guess it really just irks me that it is so impersonal and while some doctors do not have a good bedside manner, automation has made it that they do not really need one at all. Automation is great with some things but when you are dealing with someone’s health concerns, I believe the personal touch is more comforting.

The fact that I got the automated messages that he wanted to see me and when I got there he had no idea what was going on is cold!

The conversation at the visit ..

Him: So, what is going on with you?
Me: You wanted to see me.
Him: I did? Oh, let me look at your records. Ah yes, we have some letters from the hospital [which I will open and read now on your dollar]. Hhhhm, just follow up, summary letters from your Heart Coach. So, do they want me to do anything?

Repeat prescriptions are not handed out without a visit .. that will be $80 thank you.

Have you got the idea that I am not a fan? Anyways, down off my soap box I will climb .. move on, bridge building, end of subject [for now] etc

I popped the coop on Gumtree [Craiglist equivalent] yesterday advising available on the 13th in the hopes that it can be gone as soon after the girls as possible so that I can get the garden looking spic n’ span. I have one person who seems keen

Today is grocery shopping and coop clean, potter in the garden and sunshine, quality time with the gals.

 

[sunflour]

Sunflour, I'm glad that MHP is working out for you! I won't ever go back to the old heat lamp routine.....mine are out in the run, doing great, and integration starts today. At first I'll just let the chicks out of the portals (there's that word again!) under supervision, so they learn how to duck back into the brooder if the Bigs get out of hand. Once they can all do that, the portals will be left open for them to come and go as they please. I figure by the end of the next week I can take the brooder completely out and they'l be fine. This routine usually works perfectly but there hasn't been anything "usual" about this batch of chicks since they arrived. <sigh>

Sorry but you misunderstood me, I wish I had gotten MHP ready but am using the traditional light . I actually wasn't sure we would get newbies with the disappointment earlier this month and personal respiratory illness for almost a month - knew they were to arrive the 28th and decided to get them only if I was over my malaise....and eureka I felt well and did get my chicks.
But for sure if I ever again brood babies I will plan ahead and use your MHP idea.

The biggest problem is watching the temp ( I know best to watch the chicks and they are happy) but they keep playing with the thermometer and I keep raising and lowering that stupid light

.

How old are your babies now? Please do post pics, we want to see them.

Good morning folks

Thank you everyone for your best wishes and kind words. Hubby says that FIL is still in pain but controllable with over the counter pain meds .. we will know more when he sees his GP on Tuesday.


I popped the coop on Gumtree [Craiglist equivalent] yesterday advising available on the 13th in the hopes that it can be gone as soon after the girls as possible so that I can get the garden looking spic n’ span. I have one person who seems keen

Today is grocery shopping and coop clean, potter in the garden and sunshine, quality time with the gals.

Hopefully your GP can get your FIL a confirmed diagnosis and relief.

Good luck with the coop sale - I don't know about your area, but on those close to us there are never any really great coop buys on the list.

And hope you had a fun day today.

 

[Blooie]

Sorry but you misunderstood me, I wish I had gotten MHP ready but am using the traditional light . I actually wasn't sure we would get newbies with the disappointment earlier this month and personal respiratory illness for almost a month - knew they were to arrive the 28th and decided to get them only if I was over my malaise....and eureka I felt well and did get my chicks.
But for sure if I ever again brood babies I will plan ahead and use your MHP idea.

The biggest problem is watching the temp ( I know best to watch the chicks and they are happy) but they keep playing with the thermometer and I keep raising and lowering that stupid light

.

How old are your babies now? Please do post pics, we want to see them.

Hopefully your GP can get your FIL a confirmed diagnosis and relief.

Good luck with the coop sale - I don't know about your area, but on those close to us there are never any really great coop buys on the list.

And hope you had a fun day today.

Yep, I did misunderstand. That's what happens when you skim posts...you miss little words like the word "not". Duh, Diane!

I echo the wish for luck on selling the coop, Teila.

I started integration today with the chicks. The older ones will be 4 weeks on Monday so I'm getting a later start than usual. But since the little add-ons are about a week and half younger, I'll just spit the difference! I generally start them at almost 3 weeks and have full integration and the brooder pulled out by the time they are 4 weeks old. But all in all it went pretty well. Most of the older ones came out through the portals, even though one little dummy got herself caught between the brooder and the side of the run. I always block that off when I open the portals, but didn't this time for some stupid reason. Hate it when they go back there, so I learned with the first batch I raised out there to stick a roll of chicken wire in that gap. Not enough room to got in and get her out, either. Finally had to go in the brooder and put a bamboo plant stake through the bars, nudge her a little, re-position the stake down a couple of bars, repeat, repeat, repeat. At long last she hit the open portal and went back in. I leave that gap open when the chicks are secure in the brooder. The Bigs can walk all around the brooder pen on 3 sides that way.

Anyway, some pics of today's great adventure. Tank, our Light Brahma, seems to have adopted them. She was wonderful, showing the first little guy to come out where there was some missed scratch and standing guard when the other Bigs would come in and out. One by one, all of the older chicks did a little exploring. Gladys was terrific too. But I didn't have any aggression issues with any of them, so tomorrow we'll open the portals and give them more time.




















See the little Dummy stuck back there? She was going crazy because the others were right there and she couldn't get to them.

 

[sunflour]

Yep, I did misunderstand. That's what happens when you skim posts...you miss little words like the word "not". Duh, Diane!

I echo the wish for luck on selling the coop, Teila.

I started integration today with the chicks. The older ones will be 4 weeks on Monday so I'm getting a later start than usual. But since the little add-ons are about a week and half younger, I'll just spit the difference! I generally start them at almost 3 weeks and have full integration and the brooder pulled out by the time they are 4 weeks old. But all in all it went pretty well. Most of the older ones came out through the portals, even though one little dummy got herself caught between the brooder and the side of the run. I always block that off when I open the portals, but didn't this time for some stupid reason. Hate it when they go back there, so I learned with the first batch I raised out there to stick a roll of chicken wire in that gap. Not enough room to got in and get her out, either. Finally had to go in the brooder and put a bamboo plant stake through the bars, nudge her a little, re-position the stake down a couple of bars, repeat, repeat, repeat. At long last she hit the open portal and went back in. I leave that gap open when the chicks are secure in the brooder. The Bigs can walk all around the brooder pen on 3 sides that way.

Anyway, some pics of today's great adventure. Tank, our Light Brahma, seems to have adopted them. She was wonderful, showing the first little guy to come out where there was some missed scratch and standing guard when the other Bigs would come in and out. One by one, all of the older chicks did a little exploring. Gladys was terrific too. But I didn't have any aggression issues with any of them, so tomorrow we'll open the portals and give them more time.




















See the little Dummy stuck back there? She was going crazy because the others were right there and she couldn't get to them.

Wow, you are so good at this integration thingy...

Tank is beautiful, could I borrow her in a few weeks?

.

I don't have the guts to integrate my newbies so young - and neither of my 2 elders are likely to try to protect them.

But DH did rescue a baby mocking bird who found it's way inside my run this past week - neither of my hens showed aggression, but boy did mom and pop attack him once DH grabbed the little bird and took him outside

.

I am planning separate housing inside my run with the traditional look but don't touch method, once the newbies are at least 5 weeks old. And then see what happens before I let them have any direct contact. I'm nervous but confident the elders will accept the new ones easier than Penny in the past re-integration.

 

[Blooie]

Thanks, Sunflour. I'm off all schedule this go-round, but it'll all balance out. The only ones I'm a little worried about.are the two Ohio Buckeyes. They're kinda flighty and I'm not sure I trust them 100% but we'll see. If they get nasty, I'll give 'em a peck upside the head with the bamboo plant stake (which is why it was out there in the first place) just like a protective Mama Hen would do. Had to do that a couple of times with Agatha when I started integrating my first outdoor raised batch, but she learned quickly and is now totally fine around every batch of chicks. If reminding them a couple of times doesn't do it, I have no problem putting them in the stew pot. They are 2 of last year's chicks Now I have no idea why I got them! About the only thing I can say for them is that they are indeed winter hardy. I've already had a couple of feather pecking issues with them....can't seem to leave the other girls alone. <sigh>

The portal doors that @azygous shared are totally genius for doing this integration stuff. The chicks have a safe place to hightail it back to and the Bigs can't fit in to follow them. I also have a big half-log out there. It's hollow and the cut side is down. It's on the opposite side of the run in case trouble breaks out and they can't get to the portals. Again, they fit under, but the Bigs don't. I guess this whole thing is the "see but don't touch" method. The chicks have been out in full view of the Bigs for sometime now.

When the chicks are in the brooder pen, I run a line of scratch on both sides...on the adult side and on the chick side. They learn to feed head to head, and since the Bigs can't reach between the bars of the brooder to peck at the Littles because of the hardware cloth, they are eating peacefully together long before I open the portals. That virtually eliminates any bullying problems at the feeders, but of course I still watch.

And NO, you can't have our Tank!

She's the undisputed flock leader out there and she's friendly and calm all of the time. I think she just "dirty looks" the others into behaving!

One glare from her and they are all acting like they have done nothing! That's why I was so glad when she took charge of the chicks today. That should help integration too. Tomorrow I'll open up the portals and close up the run and the coop so that the chicks can fully explore for a while without looking over their shoulders. Let's hope it keeps going smoothly.

 

[Teila]

…. and coop sold!!

They came, they saw, they bought and are coming around on the Monday after the furry and feathered kiddies fly out to dismantle and move it. They were very excited which I am pleased about.

Blooie they are the most adorable pictures!!!

 

[Blooie]

Yaayyyy for fast buyers!! Oh, and thanks, Teila.

 

[sunflour]

…. and coop sold!!

They came, they saw, they bought and are coming around on the Monday after the furry and feathered kiddies fly out to dismantle and move it. They were very excited which I am pleased about.

Wow, that was really fast. So that's one less worry for you to deal with.



Blooie, I understand about not letting me have Tank - she is a jewel.