Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[satay]

Turned out to be hardly a breath of wind, thank heaven,  but a bit hotter than forecast.   So the BOM got another one wrong.  They are usually correct though.  Hot and sticky today.

Overall, this summer has been humid but much milder than we are used to.   In fact the past few summers have been more like Queensland humidity without your high temps.  

Had many years where we had 4 and 5 days heat waves - high 30's into the 40's, repeated over and over every summer ...  bad, with northerly winds.  Very scary stuff. Similar to what Sydney has had to put with this summer.  

My guess would be an average temperature over this summer here - mid to high 20's only.   We've had three little  'heat waves' lasting 2 days each.  Also cold enough at times to put the heater on, and wear woollen clothing, especially overnight, except for two nights that remained 20's temps and uncomfortable.

As you said - weather gone mad.    

Cheers ~~       

This should be our first week since early November without a day in the 40's makes for a nice change. Blue marans seems to be still sitting whether she actually hatches anything is another story but at least she is back trying.

 

[Teila]

Howdy folks

Still got nuff’n!

Oh, Blondie is broken from being broody. It took 8 days because I did not use the crate, just locked her out of the coop but it was a fairly uneventful 8 days.

Still busy trying to get all the big stuff sorted before hubby goes.

 

[devinandfeather]

Hi guys I need help I am getting more ducks and wanting to know I am getting the option between khaki Campbell ducks or saxonys can someone help me

 

[satay]

I have never had Saxonys but i had a pair of khaki Campbell's for about 8 years. She was a great layer and he was very good at taking care of her.

 

[devinandfeather]

I have never had Saxonys but i had a pair of khaki Campbell's for about 8 years. She was a great layer and he was very good at taking care of her.

Hi thanks my grandfather had khakis and I thought they were really nice but I haven't seen saxony ducks around so I wasn't sure which to pick by any chance do you happen to know which one goes more broody from your own experiences

 

[Anniebee]

This should be our first week since early November without a day in the 40's makes for a nice change. Blue marans seems to be still sitting whether she actually hatches anything is another story but at least she is back trying.

Thank heavens for that satay ... it must have been a totally horrid torrid summer up there. ... We are set ( Victoria ) for a week of what I call 'high-ish' temps - mid 20's to low 30's with no rain. hmmm. !! ... Means hose for the garden, and watering can for the pot plants, but at least there will be on-shore winds - not the rotten northerlies.. ... Anything over 24°C I do not like. Our air-con is only set to lowest 18 C ... and I don't know how to change that to say, 16 ? The house gets extremely hot - in the early evening ... even though we have insulation etc. Gives me the horrors as I try to prepare dinner, so the air-con goes on. ...

Hope your blue Marans produce something - eventually !! ... getting toward Autumn - is it possible they might not ?

..........

Teila .... many good wishes and thoughts to you as you sort out what goes and what gets chucked out, in the major move up north ...... it's a huge job, moving house - but you have some time up your sleeve. Good luck with all that.

.........

 

[Anniebee]

devinandfeather .... good luck with your choice of new duckies.

Although I love ducks, I have never had any.

Not even sure if they go well with chickens. ( not that I have room for anything else at this time ). .......... So I cannot be of any help.

Have however, wondered why Muscovy ducks are rarely, if ever, mentioned here. I know they can lay well enough ( in clutches ) ... and make beautiful pets. But that's about as much as I know about ducks. !!

Cheers ~~

 

[Anniebee]

News from "Fowlty Towers" .... Mandy Welsummer is still doing her thing - weird as it is. She is now on Meloxicam 0.5 ( cat dosage - Metacam ) .... only for ' just in case'. Took the opportunity to ask for it, when we took Miss Ruby dog, for her annual vaccination yesterday. Mandy has been seen by our normal vet and an avian specialist, before. Our normal vet yesterday, prescribed a fairly hefty dosage to cover all contingencies, so I went googling for more info. ... Have started her on only 1 ml per day instead of the 2 mls he prescribed. According to all I have read on-line, 6 drops per kg is all they should have of the 0.5 dose cat dosage med.

I weighed her - and she sat so quietly on the tiny kitchen scales

( scales washed thoroughly in pure Dettol afterwards ) ...

2.7 kgs. Spot on for a Welsummer hen. ..

Can anyone shed any light on what she really should be getting daily ( for a week to begin with ) ... ???? Seems quite a few differences in on-line information. It is a trial only, to see if it assists her to move more normally, more often. But mostly to cover the possibility ( but not certainty by any means ) of pain at times. .... She is actually one very happy chookie ... still eats like a pig, runs [ sort of ] when new food is coming out the back door, beautiful red comb, bright eyes, good bowel, straight back with elevated tail in sitting and walking position, equal very large feet with no swellings, no bumblefoot, but rather pigeon toed ( trips herself up on occasions ) - "does her thing" and is addicted to lots of cuddles, after which she walks tall and struts like Molly ( until she figures to sit down again !! ).

..............

Today was 'bottom washing day' ... .Mandy was not ultra-pleased with that, but did like the very warm cloth applied while she was washed. Clipped a few feathers, removed all dried woopsies .... and then it was RIR Mollys' turn. Very little to clean there, but she returned to her new 'nest' in the garden and hunkered down. A half hour later, she was on the nest in the coop, throwing bits of straw over herself and I thought - woopeee ... she is going to lay at last. ......... No such luck. No egg - no nuffin. Seems she wants to lay, but cannot. I am thinking the warm bathe to her rear end, stimulated the desire - but I doubt there are any eggs left in her. She has not laid for months. Just hope she is not looming for egg binding.

... I doubt it. but I also worry. even though she has been long egg-less.

Mindy Araucana was delighted with her bottom cleansing, and helped all the while - preening herself continually while I clipped, warm soaked and pulled off dried woops. She nipped me a couple of times, but only because I got in the way of her incessant preening. She was soooo helpful.

3 delighted chookies - costing me a fortune, for 3 good whole eggs a week ( from Mindy ). As Autumn rolls on, that too, will stop - but I don't mind - they are beautiful pets.

If anyone can help with more info about the appropriate dosage of Meloxicam 0.5 mg/ml for Mandy, I would be most appreciative.

Have a good weekend all - -

Cheers ~ ~

 

[sjturner79]

devinandfeather .... good luck with your choice of new duckies.

Although I love ducks, I have never had any.  

Not even sure if they go well with chickens.   ( not that I have room for anything else  at this time ).   .......... So I cannot be of any help.  

Have however, wondered why Muscovy ducks are rarely, if ever, mentioned here.   I know they can lay well enough ( in clutches ) ... and make beautiful pets.   But that's about as much as I know about ducks.  !!

Cheers ~~  

My brother had Muscovy ducks. They were good pets and got on well with the chickens, even sharing nests and hatching each other's eggs, other than that the only ducks I have seen are the ones at the poultry shows, they are mostly khaki Campbell and Indian runner around here.

 

[satay]

Thank heavens for that satay ... it must have been a totally horrid torrid summer up there.  ... We are set ( Victoria ) for a week of what I call 'high-ish' temps - mid 20's to low 30's with no rain.  hmmm. !!  ... Means  hose for the garden, and watering can for the pot plants, but at least there will be on-shore winds - not the rotten northerlies..   ... Anything over 24°C I do not like.   Our air-con is only set to lowest 18 C ... and I don't know how to change that to say, 16 ?    The house gets extremely hot - in the early evening ... even though we have insulation etc.   Gives me the horrors as I try to prepare dinner, so the air-con goes on.  ...

Hope your blue Marans produce something - eventually !! ... getting toward Autumn - is it possible they might not  ?  

..........

Teila .... many good wishes and thoughts to you as you sort out what goes and what gets chucked out, in the major move up north ...... it's a huge job, moving house - but you have some time up your sleeve.   Good luck with all that.  

.........

My marans actually lay much better in winter than summer so fingers crossed ill be able to start hatching again soon if the weather cools.


Lol those temps seem so odd to me. 20c to 25c is our winter day time temps. We do get ruddy cold over night though. You had best never come to qld in summer then anni. Reminds me of a funny story years ago my cousin got married in June in Townsville. It was actually quite nice at that time of year up there. Her brother in law came over for the wedding from N.Z and complained for the entire week that he was never coming back as it was too hot lol. Lucky he never visited in summer .