Wisconsin "Cheeseheads" - Page 1958

Wow, you've been chatty around here! Been crazy busy with the beautiful weather down here the past 2 days, so I've been outside pretty much all day long. Quite chilly this evening, though!

  Mugs, Vicki & all the newbies! I hope you like it here. You're not too far from me, Mugs.

Sorry to hear about your lav, Kris.    Congrats on the rest of your hatch! Had to chuckle at your water-on-the-brain silkie story, especially how he/she talks to the wall.  

Congrats to Ron & the aussies, Terri! One of these times I would love to get a few aussie eggs/chicks from you if you ever have a surplus. Doesn't have to be this year, though.  

Cind, you made my mouth water hearing about your perfect turkey on the grill.     I hope Storkey's eggs are ok. Glad your guinea returned too.

I feed my shells back to my girls too. I only had an egg eating problem once when I switched my feed to Layena & their shells started getting real soft. Once they were back to their old brand of feed, I had no more problems will soft shells or egg eating. I do break my shells up really small, though.

I didn't know your parents lived in New Berlin, TO. That's not far from here at all! You could have made a pit stop & taken a roo or 2 home with ya. 

Mugs, Terri had super advice about the lice, Sevin & dirtbaths. Your hen might just be molting. They do lose their feathers when they molt, and they can get pretty sad looking sometimes. Did you get your chickens as adults, or have you had them since chicks?

Wow, Bf4, I can't believe you didn't buckle and spill the beans for FT! Are you finally getting some willpower?       Wait until the bash. Who knows what kind of critters you will find to fill your van up with. 

Lots of chicken drama around here the past 2 days. It was so beautiful out yesterday, I decided to move the little lav orps out of their brooder and into the chicken carport outside. But first, I had to move all of Moose's babies out of their area with Jack and into the big girls area. That wasn't too difficult considering they have been running around out there during the daytime for the past week or so anyway. Then I brought the new little ones out & put them in with Jack, who was not at all thrilled with his new charges. The drama didn't start until evening was approaching and the teenie boppers (moose's kids) realized that they weren't getting to go roost up with Jack. They wanted nothing to do with the coop and those nasty old biddies who kept tossing them down off the roost. Luckily, DH took the evening shift and referreed (sp?) until things settled down in the coop. Then he had to go catch all the lavs and put them up on their roost for their first night out of the house. Everyone survived their ordeals and were bright-eyed and bushy tailed this morning.    Jack was still being sassy to the lavs today so I chased him out to be with the rest of the flock since Moose is still not fully recovered. At first, he went to hide in the coop, but I went & got him & brought him outside to watch everyone play in the sunshine. After he calmed down, he was suddenly big little man on campus and was crowing up a storm, giving the ladies his full attention. There was more drama tonight with the biddies not wanting to share the top roost, but finally some of the bigger ones stood up to them & wouldn't be bullied down, making way for the rest of the teens to get up on the high roost. (It pays to have cameras in the coop).    It also helped that Jack finally got between them. Whew! So all is finally quiet inside the coop. For tonight anyway, I hope............

That's all I got. Sweet dreams, all!  

Maggie!  I'm a newbie too!  And right?  After years of wishing this is our year too!  We're building our chicken tractor and then finding the residents for it!  Hope you see this and hope you share your experiences!

Hey BabyLady!  I'm glad you're coming through the yuck.  I only heard about the s from you... not another source.  Is the attempted person still with us?  How traumatic. 

Different subject: I've always liked steel cut oats too!  They seem more substantial!  Putting a ribbon of fruit preserves through there is awesome too!  Only very recently found out you're supposed to refrigerate the oats after opening the package   What an awesome idea to toast them!  Throw them on a cookie sheet at what temp and for how long?

No hail in my spot near Madison!

I LOVE hearing coyotes at night.  -they're not around here anymore.  Only get to hear them while camping in Governor Dodge.  And no I've never had one carry off a beloved pet or an income animal so maybe I'd change my tune then but for now... I wish the rural neighbors didn't extinguish them.  It was so cool hearing them around here. 

Vicki!  Sorry, I'm not in your area!  But I am a fellow newbie also building a coop/chicken tractor. 

Thanks CindLady!  Hugsband is looking forward to noodling with racheting wheels.  Wheels on all 4 corners of the ark... can I call this thing an ark?  Bottom line is: It remains to be seen how this thing will move!  Ah newbs and their lack of real world chicken experiences...  stay tuned

Kristi!  Post pix!!!!

Aw How awesome, FT & BigFam!!!! 

Well, I'm off to go check out the Jung catalog. Tomorrow is going to be another long day.  BUT I get to put the eggs in the bator when I get home. They are resting on the recliner now !!!! LOL They've go a big job to do so rest up little eggies !!!

BL4 the 4 little calls are doing great. One managed to get out of the pen I have them in and boy oh boy, you are right they are loud for their size. Cute little buggers though !!  I'm in love with them already.

Oh and my baby mallards or Rouens (TSC didn't know what kind they are) are so GD cute too !!!! Messy, holy cow !!!

And the muscovies are doing great too. I can't believe how calm of a duck they are. Remember I have runners, which speaks for itself.

I put the nest that came with the muscovies in the bottom half of a dog house. I counted 25 plus eggs. I'm going to let them set on the eggs. No room in the Inn pluse I heard they are good mothers.  The three hens I picked out that were hanging with the drake are all setting on the eggs. The Gray and white girl that wasn't hanging with them isn't setting.

Oh and I gave my Chinese Geese a small wading pool. Holy Cow, They both bathed up and got to it !!! It was by no means a 2 minute drill.

It was more like a 10 minute drill but the worse part of it was............. HE HELD HER HEAD UNDER WATER THE WHOLE TIME !!! Geez !!!!

As I shake my head...... what next.......never a dull moment around here that is for sure.

Well, I have to be at the neighbors at 8am. Better get to looking at that catalog !!

Sweet dreams everyone !!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigfamily4me 

I don't know what you are talking about. It wasnt me. But your mystery egg pusher sounds very thoughtful indeed! So you're setting thise eggs at 3:31 pm tomorrow?!

Oh sure, now you tell me !!!! Is this an April Fools joke that is going to go on for 6 months ??? LOL

Or is the big suprise gonna be what REALLY hatches out of those eggs???? LOL

Here is a quick pic of Moose's teenie boppers. Aren't they huge????

The big kids meeting the little kids:

And the jury is still out on the gender of this one: any guesses?

Wow Robin,

Just when I was about to make a guess I changed my mind. I'd say they are all either male or female !!!

Seriously now, I think the one in the last picture might be a roo. At first I thought hen, but the comb seems to be reddening up and if you look close you can see the start of wattles. But then I am speaking from a silkie point of view where the females rarely have wattles that are visible.

Ok, fading fast here. To much excitement the last few days !!! 

Night all.

Oh  PS, Bigz do you still feed oyster shell alone with this food?

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrenchToast 

Wow Robin,

 

Just when I was about to make a guess I changed my mind. I'd say they are all either male or female !!!

 

Seriously now, I think the one in the last picture might be a roo. At first I thought hen, but the comb seems to be reddening up and if you look close you can see the start of wattles. But then I am speaking from a silkie point of view where the females rarely have wattles that are visible. 

See what I mean? The chicks with the rose combs were easier. Their combs started pinking up right away on the boys. Now that they're older, they all seem to be getting little wattles, one in particular. I'll have to see if I have a close up of him. But this chick is keeping me guessing.

Here, see the one at the top? Look at the wattles on him!

They get that stink eye from their father, BTW.

Well, Glad you got your lavs FT!

I still have to cut some wood but I'm too tired to do much. Hope I make it to town tomorrow.

Guess I'll chat tomorrow.... night all!