Colorado

[uzisuzuki]

I have just been using the regular waterer placed directly under their lamp. Dump it out every night, refill every morning. I have been surprised that it hadn't been freezing up as the lamp doesn't have a heat bulb in it, just a red tinted flood light bulb. I am looking to buy a plastic heated bowl at TSC if the weather is going to continue to be this Canadian all winter. I am worried about Odysseus getting frostbite on his comb even though nothing's happened so far, so I'm hoping I can find a ride into town to get something to cover him & the hens up. I'm super ready to get the all clear from my speech therapist to be well enough to drive myself again.

But, awesomer news: got my paycheck tonight & ordered my Brinsea Mini Advance! I also decide to get their OvaScope as an extra treat for myself so I can see the development of the *hopefully* fertile eggs. I'm super excited! So much so, that I started a whole blog just to track the process! I feel like I'm back in 4H, even though I did horse stuff then.

 

[Latestarter]

Salt hates me lol. Bag Balm on the comb is NOT on her favorite activity list. LOL, Though she doesn't know it, it's good for her!

On my wish list

Black Australorp
Partridge Rock
Giant Cochin (hoping for partridge cochin)
and
Delaware

I have laying BAs and a trio of Delawares (cohabitating with 7 White Wyandotte pullets and a WW roo). The eggs I've cooked have all been fertile. If you wish to hatch your own, I can provide pure BA eggs and a mixed bag of WW over Delaware /pure Delaware (along w poss Del x WW). Let me know as I can meet you to hand deliver them... no shipping/altitude stress

 

[laceykins]

We have the heated dog dish and haven't had a problem with the wattles. Our coop has gone down to 10deg this time, hopefully everyone will be ok when we get home. 
Our friend was using a bucket with nipples on it and an aquarium heater in it. The water froze though because on normal days I have the heater set to a timer with the door so it's not on during the day but comes on at sunset for the night. On cold days I turn the doors to stay closed and that turns the heater on. I told my friend to close the doors but didn't mention the heater, she didn't close the doors so the heater stayed off. That resulted in the water freezing solid and breaking the heater. She said she was going to run and get a heated bowl but I haven't talked to her since then. 

As strange as it sounds, I'd rather be there then here. It's chilly here but I'm worried about our animals there. Our friend told us at the last minute she won't be staying at our house most of the time. One of our pugs has a hard time with the dog door when it's cold. I'm worried she went out and can't get back in. The rest of the animals were ok when we hit subzero before but we had to let that pug into the house multiple times. I'm really annoyed with my friend right now. 

I wish I had setup our other camera so I could check on the dogs in the house. Then I could make sure all 3 dogs are inside. If the dumb one was missing I could yell at the others to go outside and then the stupid one would follow another dog back inside when they went through the door. lol Oh well. I just have to hope another dog goes out with her every time she does. Glad it's going to get warmer tomorrow! This worry is too much for me! Next time we go out of town I know to setup that camera on the dogs and I think I'll get an outdoor one for the goats/horses. Then if I see something I'm worried about I can ask a neighbor to run over for me. 

Is be annoyed with your friend too. I totally understand the little dog having a hard time with the dog door in the cold. I have a 10 LB yorkie mix that does the same thing when his paws get cold. Your dog will make it back inside and stay there. Worst comes to worst, you might come home to pee in the house. Let us know how they are when you get home!

 

[swift081702]

I have laying BAs and a trio of Delawares (cohabitating with 7 White Wyandotte pullets and a WW roo). The eggs I've cooked have all been fertile. If you wish to hatch your own, I can provide pure BA eggs and a mixed bag of WW over Delaware /pure Delaware (along w poss Del x WW). Let me know as I can meet you to hand deliver them... no shipping/altitude stress

We would be interested in your pure BA eggs, probably not until early Spring though. Are your BA from hatchery birds or from a breeder? My son is also looking to show as well?

 

[Latestarter]

I was up @ 4am as I had spent some 8 hours researching bee keeping and sources for materials/supplies. I'm going to set up 2 hives this spring and figure I better get started pretty quick to make this happen. I know some others had said they want to start as well. You might check out these two info sites. They are almost/essentially complete training courses without the hands on: http://basicbeekeeping.blogspot.com/2007/09/lesson-one-in-beekeeping-introduction.html & http://www.ohiostatebeekeepers.org/beekeeping_class/ Right now I feel confident that I could do this without taking the one day class, but will do so anyway just for the hands on and personal training/experience. Fully confident in starting to buy/order the basic equipment now.

I Stopped and talked with the man "in charge" of bee keeping at the Agfinity store yesterday. They're holding a 1 day course in February but from what I've gathered on line, many places run out of (ordered - to be delivered in May) packaged bees by late January. They also sell all the box materials, but un-assembled and about the same price as what I can find online for (local - no shipping) fully assembled and painted/stained boxes. <--They also offer a package w/the boxes and bees, but I have no idea where the bees come from. Hope to contact them later today to find out. I did find one other local bee seller online but his add/info was years old with no comments at all...

Any recommendations from other CO bee keepers on the thread? Has anyone dealt with http://www.bees-bees-bees.com/? They're the one (not Agfinity) I talked about above. I might take a trip over to see their operation later today if they'll be there. Has anyone found a local source of bees to start their colonies with? I mean I could sign up to capture swarms, but that's hardly a reliable source... I am going to make this happen this spring

 

[Latestarter]

We would be interested in your pure BA eggs, probably not until early Spring though. Are your BA from hatchery birds or from a breeder? My son is also looking to show as well?

They are hatchery stock, but good looking birds. You're welcome to come look at them before potentially purchasing eggs for hatching.

 

[swift081702]

They are hatchery stock, but good looking birds. You're welcome to come look at them before potentially purchasing eggs for hatching.

Will you be at the stock show on the 24th?

 

[Latestarter]

No, I have no "show(ing)" interest(s)... I have the birds simply for my own personal pleasure/use for eggs and meat. I sell eggs to neighbors & coworkers, and will possibly sell chicks or hatching eggs later in the spring to those who are interested. I didn't get into this as a business, just a delicious hobby

I do have the breeds separated just in case folks want a specific breed, otherwise, they'd be all mixed as a barnyard flock.

 

[COChix]

Is be annoyed with your friend too. I totally understand the little dog having a hard time with the dog door in the cold. I have a 10 LB yorkie mix that does the same thing when his paws get cold. Your dog will make it back inside and stay there. Worst comes to worst, you might come home to pee in the house. Let us know how they are when you get home!

I agree with Lacey, I would be annoyed if that were my friend. Afterall you have done to help her and her flock. Hope everything goes ok.

I was up @ 4am as I had spent some 8 hours researching bee keeping and sources for materials/supplies. I'm going to set up 2 hives this spring and figure I better get started pretty quick to make this happen. I know some others had said they want to start as well. You might check out these two info sites. They are almost/essentially complete training courses without the hands on: http://basicbeekeeping.blogspot.com/2007/09/lesson-one-in-beekeeping-introduction.html  &  http://www.ohiostatebeekeepers.org/beekeeping_class/  Right now I feel confident that I could do this without taking the one day class, but will do so anyway just for the hands on and personal training/experience. Fully confident in starting to buy/order the basic equipment now.

I Stopped and talked with the man "in charge" of bee keeping at the Agfinity store yesterday. They're holding a 1 day course in February but from what I've gathered on line, many places run out of (ordered - to be delivered in May) packaged bees by late January. They also sell all the box materials, but un-assembled and about the same price as what I can find online for (local - no shipping) fully assembled and painted/stained boxes. <--They also offer a package w/the boxes and bees, but I have no idea where the bees come from. Hope to contact them later today to find out. I did find one other local bee seller online but his add/info was years old with no comments at all...

Any recommendations from other CO bee keepers on the thread? Has anyone dealt with http://www.bees-bees-bees.com/? They're the one (not Agfinity) I talked about above. I might take a trip over to see their operation later today if they'll be there. Has anyone found a local source of bees to start their colonies with? I mean I could sign up to capture swarms, but that's hardly a reliable source... I am going to make this happen this spring

http://nimbusfarm.weebly.com

Here is the website of our bee keeper, he sells full colonies to get started, not sure of pricing. He has been doing this 20+ years and is very knowledgeable always willing to answer questions and such. Anyway can't offer more than that at this time as we bartered with him to have hives on our property and we get some honey. We might be looking to buy or make our own down the road. One thing at a time....

Our gang did fair overnight, happy to say the coop didn't get down below 14 and the humidity didn't get higher than 18% humidity. Our roo's both had frost bite on their wattles this am, so far I have applied bag balm to both wattles and will see how they do. Rocco's wattles are a little swollen as well. Will have to monitor, the waters have both been changed out to the smaller size chick feeders, both sitting in sand in the heated dog bowls. We will see how that works, I notice a couple girls who have gotten their wattles wet even drinking out of those. Not sure what to do from here.

@Late - did you roos stop eating when they had frost bite on their wattles how often did you apply bag balm?

Woke up to frozen pipes

Edited because I forgot the link!

 

[suncatcher]

Wow, was it cold last night!!! I did not get up early enough to check the thermometer, but was minus 10 about 4pm last night.

Cool on the beekeeping! Not sure we could have them at our altitude of 8700" or not, have never been inclined to have them, but very cool that others are!!!!

Sad when you can't find someone reliable to watch your critters as well as you do....... just hope your little dog got back inside, I would think he would keep trying til he made it back in, or one of the others would go out and get him, dogs are smarter than we think. You could always have a back up dog house in the yard, insulated and with a dog heating pad down in case it ever happens when you are not home.

Congrats on the Brinsea being ordered!!!! I see some chickies in your future! lol

I just use fortex bowls in the winter, easier to clear the ice from, and they last FOREVER. I have a heated dog water bowl, but no elec in the coop, so for now this works best for me, I also try and water early in the day so their wattles don;t have water on them later in the day when the temps start to drop.

Well, they predicted a harsh winter for the latter part of winter...... maybe this is the beginning of it???? I hope not, and it holds off til February or March. Going to warm up again next week! Yay!

I am hoping to have some purebreed Barnevelder eggs for sale late spring, or early summer, if anyone is interested in adding Barnies to their flock.