A Journey Through a Different Way - Funny Story Pg. 69

[Buster]

I thought this would be a good place for this tidbit:

A friend of mine told me that she puts chicks outside when their wings extend past their butts as long as it's above freezing. She lives in a mountainous northern climate like mine. I did this all year and did not lose one chick to cold.

By the way, I've only lost 2 birds that were old enough to go outside since I started keeping chickens almost a year ago and mine free range and I have had over 80 birds. One cause of death was suffocation due to all the chicks jumping in the feeder and the other was unknown.

Nice thread you have here Ruth. I like the advice here.

 

[EasTurdHill]

Quote:
hcammack,
How old are your chicks in this picture? They look very healthy.
While temps are still mild here I'd like to put mine out in the grass for a few hours.

 

[hcammack]

mine were two or three weeks here I think they are about a month now. It has been warm here for a while and mine go out for a while. What type of chicks do you have? It nice to see another MD person around.

Henry

 

[austinhart123]

thats alot of chicks uve hatched this year

 

[ruth]

I've started separate threads on some of the latest events but thought I would recap here.

First we've been losing a chicken every other day and lost a big barred rock rooster the other day. Something was coming right into yard and getting them while still daylight - about an hour before dusk. DH has sat out with gun a few nights but haven't seen anything. The dogs take off after something a dozen times a day but it just keeps coming back. Well this morning DH walked right up on a bobcat in the barn. Of course he didn't have his gun with him and it ran away but now we know what got a few of our birds and we are officially on Bobcat Patrol. I have had to curtail the freeranging till we catch the bobcat.

This morning I discovered that one of the birds must have stepped on the power strip in the coop and the heat lamps and heater were out. I have 60 chicks in a bin and one was seemingly dead. I put it in my pocket and brought it inside. It wasn't stiff but was cold and lifeless. After 45 minutes of holding it in front of blowers on pellet stove, rubbing it and moving it, it finally started twittering and moving and finally opened it's eyes and sat up. It is doing great now - back from the dead.

Prissy and Scarlett are still best of friends. Prissy really loves to play ball and is almost as fanatical as Rex is. She seems to have learned not to chase the chickens and she and Scarlett are out there with them unsupervised all day long so I know they have learned not to bother them.

So far I've sold 15 chicks and a few dozen hatching duck eggs. The other day I had someone order 10 dozen chicken eggs "for eating" so my egg customers are picking up. My little chicken business is starting to take shape little by little. Who knew what buying 4 little chicks a couple of years ago would start.

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Hey lady you be carefull with that bobcat around they will attack you. I will pray ya get it with nobody hurt.

Love that little dippity doo that ya saved, that hair on top of it's head is to died for LOL

Dogs are doing so good, glad that they can be left with the chickens now.

Take care I will look for you other threads.

 

[ruth]

Quote:
It's a cute little Houdan with five toes.

Also, just caught the cutest picture of the two "puppies". Scarlett carefully curled up on sofa next to her little buddy who was sleeping in front of pellet stove. Scarlett normally sleeps in the coldest room she can find with that double coat of hers. But she wanted to curl up with Prissy so now she's in front of the fire.

 

[Zookeeper9000]

What a great pic. Boy you sure can't help but see the little partners in crime are close hey.

 

[speckledhen]

Aw, what a sweet picture! I adore Scarlett and Rex. What awesome dogs!

 

[ruth]

Quote:
Thanks Cyn - yes, to be big "scary" Shepherds, they are really gentle giants. They both play ever so gently with the cats and with Prissy. And, of course, Rex is our livestock guard dog and will sleep with a box of baby chicks.

However, it is Prissy that is emerging as the true guard dog. She at least barks when a stranger arrives or someone walks in the house. The other three dogs, Rex, Scarlett and Lucy just greet everyone with tails awaggin - Rex, always with a ball or stick in his mouth wanting to play. Of course just the fact that a German Shepherd is approaching them usually scares the delivery people but it is Prissy that barks and carrys on and alerts us. She has also started rooting out mice and vermin she finds in the hedges and around the house and in the woods.

It's funny, one of Rex's favorite moves is to come up from behind someone and shove his head between their legs, with his ball or stick in his mouth. You should see the look on some of the delivery/repair people/strangers - it's priceless. They look down and find themselves riding a German Shepherd. We're not sure why he started that manuver but I think it was because if we saw him approaching we would tell him "no" or "sit" so he just started coming up from behind people and shoving himself right between their legs.