Consolidated Kansas

[sharol]

This is Associate (AKA Butch) my EE rooster. He has been with the flock since just after Easter. He is a wonderful protector of his flock, and he takes his roosterly (is that a word) duties VERY seriously. My DH took the picture last week.

 

[sharol]

A little bit like trying to clean out one drawer in the kitchen, huh?

I had quite another adventure this morning when I decided I had to get the other last momma rabbit & her babies out of the garage. I took her out & got the one rabbit moved out of her hutch only to find out the door wasn't wide enough to get the nest box with the babies in. Then I had to move yet another rabbit & finally got the momma rabbit & babies put in a hutch where they would fit. By this point the momma rabbit was pretty freaked out with all of the moving around & wondering where her babies were. Hopefully she will get settled down & be OK. I got her finally in one of the hutches that has an attached box on the back where the babies are out of sight & protected. I then was one hutch short for a rabbit out there, so I had to go in the garage & carry out two cages that are hooked together to put the displaced rabbit in & then put a cover over it for shelter. By the time this all was about done my DH came out to see what had happened to me, I had gone out to do regular morning chores & then just didn't come back so he got to wondering what was going on. He did help me get the cages moved where I wanted them at least. I know it's supposed to rain so I hope the one in the open cage will have enough shelter. At least they're not hot now though, that was a real concern because rabbits will die from the heat faster than anything.

 

[prairie]

Sharol, He is gorgeous! or should I say handsome! Love the little cock of his head -- kinda like 'who's taking a photo of me now!'

Great photo,
Kare

 

[Hawkeye95]

This is Associate (AKA Butch) my EE rooster. He has been with the flock since just after Easter. He is a wonderful protector of his flock, and he takes his roosterly (is that a word) duties VERY seriously. My DH took the picture last week.

He is gorgeous!!! Beautiful roo!

 

[Hawkeye95]

Okay, my DH is home with the kids and the camera. I took a picture of what I did. It's too bad I don't have a before shot-- I probably do somewhere around here. But it was awful, and the old run was only half that size. Now the run is 10 feet long. The old run was really a make shift thing I put together for Seymore (turkey) when she was a baby and I just quickly wrapped chicken wire around the legs of the deck and the kids were always squeezing in there and crunching the chicken wire down. Plus the neighbor dog had come over at one point and tried to paw a spot... anyway, THIS is so exciting for me, because this is how I have wanted it to be for a while. And now there is a door, which makes my day. I just don't know why I didn't do it sooner. Ah well. (ignore the deck, we are planning on staining it again this summer)

 

[HEChicken]

Great job Loralee! Does the door open inwards? It looks like it would hit the concrete if it opened out.

We also use our under-deck as chicken space, except ours is a different setup as it comes straight out from the house. We built it with straw bales to make up three walls and the house is the fourth wall. Installed a proper door, and a ceiling/roof under the deck (since the deck slats let in too much water) out of the clear corrugated panels. It has worked great for over a year - draft free because the straw bales provide a good wind block.

 

[cherwill]

Trish, with the frustrations you've been having with dealing with customer service over your GQF, you might appreciate this story. DH's laptop died yesterday and since he needs it for work, I volunteered to go and find him a replacement. I was at OfficeMax and found one that looked like it met all the specs he needs for his work, so I told the sales guy "I'll take this one". He headed off to the back storage area, came out empty-handed, checked the label on the shelf, went back, came out, checked something on the computer, went back. This went on for 10-15 minutes. Finally he came out and started unplugging the floor model. All of this is without saying another word to me. So he took the floor model over to the cash register and plugged it in. I went to stand by him to see if he'd explain what he was up to, and he turned around to say he was deleting all the OfficeMax adware they had installed on it. Ooookkkaaayyy buddy, at what point are you going to ask me if I even WANT the floor model?

The cashier tried to strike up a conversation with me, so I asked her what discount they give you for buying the floor model. She said "I don't know". I asked "Can you find out?" I mean, sheesh. So off she goes to ask him and comes back and mumbles something about "He said he'll think about it". Really? I wandered off to pass the waiting time looking at other things, and after another 10 minutes or so he came over and said it was ready for me. Then he went on to say that they really can't offer a discount BUT, because it is a floor model, they highly recommend buying the extended warranty because they have no idea how much life is left on the LCD display. The warranty will be an extra $150 but if I get the warranty, he's willing to offer me 10% off my entire purchase. I'm a little dumbfounded at this point, so to clarify I ask, "Let me make sure I understand this. You don't have any in stock so you want me to get the floor model but because it is the floor model, and who knows who has been pounding on it or how much life is left in it, you want me to buy the extended warranty, and overall the floor model is going to cost me MORE than an untouched, unboxed model? Hmmmm.....I'm going to have to think about that".

I hightailed it out of there, went down the road to Office Depot and got the exact same computer, brand new, in box for the same price it was at OfficeMax before the warranty. What a way to do business, huh?

Oh. My. Dog! I can't believe he was stupid enough to even try that. I would have laughed in his face, but your "I'm going to have to think about that" is way better!

My shipped eggs are pipping! YAY! They are due to hatch tomorrow. So we'll see how long it takes them to get out.

I also finished building a new run under my deck! I'll post pictures as soon as my DH brings my camera home. I'm going to go get lattice to put up on the west side of it, because the sun just beats down in the late afternoon and they will need some shade. I had been using a piece of fabric tied to the wire for shade, but it looked really creepy and the chicken wire I had up was all beat up. I built a door and put on hardware cloth. I'm sure it's really hard to imagine what I've been up to until I post a picture to show.

Trish, congrats on the pips! Hope they all make it out. Sounds like you have been every bit as busy as I have been this morning. Except my DH didn't go looking for me. When he hears me cutting and hammering out there-- he leaves me alone!

He did come out for a bit to see what I was up to. He had NO clue I had torn out the old chicken run under there and was starting a new one. He looked pretty surprised. I hope your mama rabbit settles down with her babies. Having NEVER raised or had a bunny, I have no idea how they handle things. I know mice and rats will eat their babies if they are moved and things upset them. I hope rabbits aren't like that. Crazy about that tablet business! I hope you get it!

Danz, sounds like you're busy as usual! I can't believe the amount of eggs you are getting! With my 9 layers, I am swamped in eggs as it is! I took over a dozen to my neighbors yesterday evening. I'm back to getting 6 or so eggs a day again. I guess my egg eating worries were not founded, thank goodness! Like I need another problem!

Okay, going to go get my lattice, and then my silkie pen will be DONE!!!

Congratulations on the pipping eggs; you too, Trish!

How are you people getting all those eggs??? I have 6 layers and I'm lucky to get more than one egg a day. On a good day, I get three. That's why (well, I tell DH that's why) we added the 4 new girls this year, to teach those slackers how to do it!

Sharol, He is gorgeous! or should I say handsome! Love the little cock of his head -- kinda like 'who's taking a photo of me now!'

Great photo,
Kare

He is really handsome. It just makes me frustrated all over again that I can't have roos.

Quote:

Okay, my DH is home with the kids and the camera. I took a picture of what I did. It's too bad I don't have a before shot-- I probably do somewhere around here. But it was awful, and the old run was only half that size. Now the run is 10 feet long. The old run was really a make shift thing I put together for Seymore (turkey) when she was a baby and I just quickly wrapped chicken wire around the legs of the deck and the kids were always squeezing in there and crunching the chicken wire down. Plus the neighbor dog had come over at one point and tried to paw a spot... anyway, THIS is so exciting for me, because this is how I have wanted it to be for a while. And now there is a door, which makes my day. I just don't know why I didn't do it sooner. Ah well. (ignore the deck, we are planning on staining it again this summer)

That's really nice.

Karen, sorry about your turkey. I've been telling DH about all the turkey stuff going on here and how different they are from chickens. Now we both wish we had room for some turkeys. About your new chicks, of course you're crazy. Good crazy, like the rest of us!

I don't know how she managed it, but my niece has convinced her dad to let her have a couple of ducks. What does she need to know right away about raising ducks, that's different than raising chickens? She works for a vet so you'd think she would be able to find out, but last time I had a bird question, no vet in town could answer it. Anyway, I seem to remember something about not letting them have access to water for a certain period of time, or I might have dreamed it?

 

[Ivywoods]

Sharol-That is a nice looking rooster.Looks like a cross between a silver ameraucana and a blue orp or something along those lines.

Hawkeye-Nice job on the run.

Cherwill-Hopefully someone will come along that knows something about ducks. I've never raised any.

I just had a friend drop off 78 coturnix quail eggs, and another friend drop off 36 bantam partridge wyandotte eggs. Out of my first bach of BPW's I got one pullet and the rest are cockerells.

Hopefully I will get more pullets out of this batch.

 

[Ivywoods]

Hawkeye- Here's a tip if you haven't already done this. I notice you are using a rabbit feeder in the new run. Generally, the chickens will scratch in those and waste a lot of feed. To prevent this, take the feeder and the lid from a plastic bucket, such as what comes on a gallon of ice cream. Cut a piece of plastic the size of the front of the feeder with the plastic extending down into the front of the feeder to totally close the bin part from the pan part. Then cut a little bit out of the middle of the bottom of the plastic so that it is just big enough to let a little bit of food through. Glue the plastic to the front of the feeder. They will peck enough to let some food down, but not enough comes down to fill the pan or that they can scratch it out and waste it.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Great job Loralee! Does the door open inwards? It looks like it would hit the concrete if it opened out.

We also use our under-deck as chicken space, except ours is a different setup as it comes straight out from the house. We built it with straw bales to make up three walls and the house is the fourth wall. Installed a proper door, and a ceiling/roof under the deck (since the deck slats let in too much water) out of the clear corrugated panels. It has worked great for over a year - draft free because the straw bales provide a good wind block.

Thanks! The door does swing out! But there is plenty of clearance. The door is up off the ground higher than you think and it has nearly two inches of space over the cement. I know it doesn't look like it in that picture! So you have a similar set up under your deck, hu? Well for years, our under deck space has just been wasted space. I've tried to grow things under there and they always die. I have done various things under there, so really this is a lot nicer than anything I have attempted in the past and a much better use for dead space. I'll have to check out the plastic roofing! I never even thought about that in the rain. I don't put them out in the rain. I stick them in a horse stall or put them in pens in the garage. But it's getting too hot for the garage right now. Great idea!

How are you people getting all those eggs??? I have 6 layers and I'm lucky to get more than one egg a day. On a good day, I get three. That's why (well, I tell DH that's why) we added the 4 new girls this year, to teach those slackers how to do it!

I don't know how she managed it, but my niece has convinced her dad to let her have a couple of ducks. What does she need to know right away about raising ducks, that's different than raising chickens? She works for a vet so you'd think she would be able to find out, but last time I had a bird question, no vet in town could answer it. Anyway, I seem to remember something about not letting them have access to water for a certain period of time, or I might have dreamed it?

I only have 9 layers and get about 4-6 eggs on average a day.

My barred rocks lay every single day, while the Wyandottes and Polish are about every other day, sometimes every day. Depends. Maybe it's the breed of chicken you have? About ducks-- I'm sure someone else will pipe up. My dad used to raise them, I don't recall there being a reason not to have them in water right away. I know they dive for the water and make a mess from day 1. Why does your niece want ducks and not chickens?? This baffles me! LOL!! I'm not a fan of duck eggs, and ducks are super messy. REALLY messy. Chickens are so much cleaner. On the other hand, ducks are really happy and very friendly.