Consolidated Kansas

[Hawkeye95]

RvRoman, my turkey eats about anything. Last year, a rhinestone fell off my jeans (it was a LARGE one!!) and I rushed to grab it before she did, and she was faster. Ate it right down. I was worried too, but she's fine.

Cherwill, I've seen your herb spiral before, but I still thinks it looks amazing. Yesterday when my DH was off, we he talked about helping me put in a new rose garden! I have kind of a big thing for roses. I have some rose shrubs I planted several years ago on the north side of the house and I love them, but I've always wanted some right in the back yard. So DH told me to price out the stacking pavers and stone and we agreed to put in a 3 X 8 ft rose bed. I'm pretty excited! Funny that your bird was there the whole time and all that wasted time spent looking for her! I'm glad she was safe and hadn't run off.

Tweety, I remember when my birds first put themselves to bed and I was SO excited!!! So I know how amazing a feeling that is! Now I don't even think about it-- they just put themselves to bed right before it gets dark. Which is perfect since I don't want to be donig my chores in the dark. As soon as they go in the coop, I put the door down and then go feed horses and then do the rest of my outside chores. It doesn't take me long, but I don't like to leave it when it's dark out. I was worried that the birds would push me into being out there in the dark, but they don't.

Well, both dogs go to the groomers this morning, I need to pick up gas for my tractor, and then I'm going to mow the lawn, and work on the coop. Should be a really nice day today and I'm really excited to get started.

 

[Ivywoods]

No further word from Danz yet.

As far as nurseries in Salina, for selection I like Earthcare on north Ohio. They are more expensive, but get a lot of stuff you can't get anywhere else. If you want less expensive, there's the old Gibsons on the old Broadway, catty cornered from K-Mart. They don't have as good of a selection but it's hard to beat their prices. I think they are a "True Value" store now.

Of course if you go to south Broadway, there's Lowes, Menards (One of my new favorites) Walmart, and maybe some others I can't remember.

There is a Stutsmans that sets up seasonally at the corner of 9th and Cloud. They have a great selection of annuals, some perrenials, but their stuff is like "instant green." It's usually potted so it's ready to display... no growing necessary. Very pretty stuff, almost all of it blooming like crazy.

 

[Ivywoods]

I got it put together, installed, they are drinking and I love it!

My new auto water system, that is. They took to it right away. I was SO glad to get rid of those nasty buckets that they poop in as soon as I get 'em in the pen.

Now, since I don't have chlorinated water, I'm trying to decide what I want to use in the water. I think there should be something in a system like that to prevent any bacterial growth. Clorox would probably be the cheapest, but I don't know how much would be recommended to use in a fairly closed system, then there is oxine which I do not have available right now, or vinegar. I know apple cider vinegar is best when it has the "mother" in it, but I have looked and looked and never been able to locate any in my area. Guess I better break down and order the oxine.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Cherwill -- that sounds like something that would happen to me. Searching frantically for the missing chicken only to find she'd put herself to bed! That is such a funny story -- sorry for the frustration of it all, but so funny! I'll have to remember that once the birds are older and outside!

Hawkeye -- congrats on the new rose bed! I love roses too but only have a couple bushes. Sounds like you're going to be busy today! I'm back out in the garden today. Need to till, weed and plant! Yay! Love being outside.

I was checking out Craigs List this a.m. and found a couple calf hutches in Inman advertised for $225 ea. SOLD! I decided those would make great chicken hutches, whether breeder pens or tractors, don't know yet. I'm working on getting those picked up today. They're made of plastic stuff and about 4' tall like a dog house on steroids! The bottom is completely open so that is perfect. Really excited about this find.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

OMGosh guys! I just candled all the duck and turkey eggs in the incubator and only one duck egg looks a little "iffy". I'm so excited, especially since I'm doing this for someone else and I would hate to do a poor job. There's just nothing like it -- I'm totally hooked.

The Cayuga eggs are interesting because they are colored charcoalish all the way to off white. Cool! Oddly enough, turkey eggs fit well in the standard chicken egg plastice trays. The duck eggs are in there but are far rounder at both ends than the turkey eggs so aren't quite as secure but still work okay in the plastic trays.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Congrats Ivy on the new watering system!

Praying for Danz and family while going through the day.

 

[HEChicken]

Cherwill -- that sounds like something that would happen to me. Searching frantically for the missing chicken only to find she'd put herself to bed! That is such a funny story -- sorry for the frustration of it all, but so funny! I'll have to remember that once the birds are older and outside!

I actually have a funny story about searching for lost chooks too. Back in the last week of December, I had a roo who was young enough he hadn't yet started crowing, although he was already a BIG boy. Anyway, one morning I went out to feed, did a head count and all was well. I refilled the feeder, checked water and went back inside. Later that day I went out to check on them and noticed that the roo was nowhere to be seen. I looked in all the usual spots (I have a regular backyard so there aren't that many places they can hide) but nada. While looking for him, I noticed that one of my hens was missing too. Fearing the worst, I continued looking, expecting any minute to find a pile of feathers or worse. There was no sign of fowl play [pun intended] but also no sign of the missing birds. After everyone roosted for the night I went out with a flashlight to check on them, hoping they had come out of hiding and gone to bed with the others. Nope.

All of the next day I constantly looked out, hoping to see them with the others but they never were. I got really mad and decided that my predator must be of the 2-legged variety and that my two missing birds had already been eaten. So I put padlocks on both gates to my backyard, thinking they'd probably be back for more now they know they are there. Grrrr.

So the NEXT day - by now they've been missing 48 hours - I was in the coop collecting eggs when I heard something on the roof of the coop. My coop is built into the space beneath my deck and theoretically the small space between the coop roof and the deck is blocked off so no chicken can get up there. I stopped to listen and heard it again. I found a keyhole gap to peer through and lo and behold, there was my missing hen! I was so happy to see her but baffled as to how to get her down. I needed something to stand on, and looking around, saw the rubbermaid bin I use to keep my feed dry and rodent free. So I dragged it over to where I needed it to stand on. Boy was it heavy. As I was dragging it, the lid snapped off and there IN the feed container was the rooster! LOL - I think after I refilled the feeder 2 days before, I didn't snap the lid of the rubbermaid container down tight, and he peeked in, curious what was in there, saw feed, squirmed the rest of the way in, and then the lid came down on top of him. Although it wasn't sealed shut, he didn't know he could just push up on it and get out, so he hunkered down and waited to be rescued. The funny thing is, it was dark enough in there he didn't know he was sitting on feed for 2 days and immediately I took the lid off, started eating like he was starving.

I couldn't believe I had 2 missing birds at the same time and found them within minutes of one another even though they were in different spots! I got my hen down and lifted the roo out of the feed container and they both headed for the waterer. Poor things were so dehydrated they drank for 10-15 minutes without stopping.

 

[Trish44]

Hechicken & tweety, funny stories about missing chickens! Oh what we go through for our birds, huh.

Hawkeye, congrats on getting the rose garden! You will have to post some pics when you get it done.

Well I'm off to Derby & Wichita today, lots to do, so I won't be around much today at all. Have a great day everyone, it's supposed to be beautiful!

 

[Deerfield Acres]

HEChicken, what a situation! Crazy birds -- sense of smell must not be too good.

Got the weeds out of the onion bed, found some wretched pill bugs and ants. Hate those things, so I grabbed my trusty Sevin (I'm thinking about buying stock in the company

) and gave them a bit of dust. Then I feed them, mulched and am feeling quite accomplished.

My cockerels are getting fiestier, picked on one of the bantams this morning. Good grief! Pick on someone your own size.

 

[Trish44]

KarenS, I sent you a PM.

Oh guess what, I just got to order a brand new GQF incubator, I'm so excited I can't stand it! I pitched my story to my DH about needing more incubating space & asked to borrow the other half of the money & he went for it! GQF has the wood model marked down right now because they have replaced that model with a plastic outside, so they have a few wood ones left. I told my DH it was a great deal, so I needed to get in on it while they still had them. I can't wait until it gets here because I already have eggs lined up to go in there, yay!