Consolidated Kansas

[Ivywoods]

Ivy, the best place to park is along the North side of the parking lot as close to the East as you can get.
I am about to cry. I came in and one of my little turkeys looks like his guts are coming out his naval. He is obviously going to bleed to death and there isn't anything I can do. I tried. I've never seen this happen before, He was a perfectly healthy chick. The forth one that hatched is laying on it's back. I gave it some Vitamin E but he doesn't act like he is doing very well. I have no idea how this guy feeds these things but I am sure upset that they are in bad shape. I thought about trying to push the guts back in but he is so weak I am afraid I will kill him. Any advice please bring it on. I tried to stop the bleeding. I tried to vet wrap him but that made him immobile. I thought about tying it off with dental floss but I don't know what is what. Some of it looks like intestines. I just feel like the most helpless being on earth. I didn't have this problem with any of the other turkeys I hatched.
I am exhausted. I tried to divide my Serama pen so I could sort them but it was so hot and muggy I could just barely chug along. I got the divider built and the wire up but ran out of time to build a door. I guess I'll have to rush home and get that done and sort the birds before this guy gets here.
I got the Polish loaded. Ivy, do you have a cage or something you can transport them in? There are 9 of them. Maybe I can sell a couple of them so there won't be so many.
I have some guineas in a cage and I still have to load ducks and chicks in the morning.
I might have to give up on bringing some of this.

I'm so sorry about the turkeys. It is sad to watch. I wish I knew what to tell you, but I've having trouble even picturing it. Danz, I am bringing several cages with the birds I am bringing. Some of them are already spoken for, so I will have empty cages going home. How many does Bama want?

I had a weird thing happen tonight, too. I was checking the incubator for a few eggs that should have hatched by now. I noticed one had started to hatch. It was 4 days late, so I figured I better check it out. I've never seen one hatch like this. It had both it's wings out, but it's head was still down in the shell. I figured it was stuck and wouldn't hatch unless I helped it. I popped the shell off it's head, and the whole chick popped out! Completely dry, and NOT STUCK OR STICKY! I've never had that happen. I left it in the incubator just because it is still kind of stiff-necked, but it looks like it is going to be okay. I have another batch pipping right now, so this one will have company.

Silkie Chick-Yes, there will be several of us at the swap tomorrow.

 

[cherwill]

I have had a CRAZY morning. I damaged my barn this morning. I woke up at 6am and quickly rushed to get outside because I didn't want to work in the heat. I got my breeze way mucked out and used the tractor to scoop it all out and clear out. Unfortunatley, I was sooo exhausted after all the manual labor of mucking with the pitch fork that by the time I was putting the tractor up and driving it back thru the barn, I ran the front loader into my huge sliding door and pinned it into the side of the barn and put a tear right into the metal!! ARGH!! My DH is going to KILL me!!!!!! Then I backed it up, and THEN, I hit the front loaded into the side of a horse stall and messed up the wood. OMG!!!! I am working on like half a brain this morning, or something. I finally got the tractor put away with no further incident, but the damage is done. I went out and used the weed eater around my garden, and then did a half dozen other chores outside. I'm tired. My DH is at the gym running... he won't be home until later, so I'm not sure if I should show him all the damage now or wait... I have used that tractor since I was a kid, I know how to handle it, I can't believe I was so clumsy! Oh, I also put out a round bale of hay before I ran the tractor into the barn. It was after all the mucking, and untying the bale and positioning it... that's when I killed the barn. OH, and I nearly got myself killed, too.. I am VERY allergic to wasps and bees. So much so that I have an epi pen in the house after having to run to the ER a couple of times and being in serious trouble. Well, I was trying to unlatch my metal round feeder and I had one side unlatched, and i was pulling it apart (so I can put the new bale of hay inside the feeder) and instead, a swarm of hornets flew up and starting buzzing around trying to figure out who messed with them. But by then, I had already run as fast as I could half way across the field! LOL Seriously, I was like 2 acres away before the hornets could figure it out. So I ended up having to put my round bale just out in the middle of the pasture. Which is really wasteful and stupid. Makes me mad. But I can't get near that darned nest, and it looks like there are a LOT of them.

I think you'd better take it easy for a while, before you kill yourself!

Seriously, I hope the barn can be fixed easily. I'm the same way with stuff.

Well I spent an hour this morning taking extra food & water to all of my animals & birds, so I have done about everything I can at this point, now I just have to hope for the best I guess. I know I will be worrying the whole time I'm gone & I swear if my DH argues with me about leaving when I want to I'm going to smack him. I ran all day yesterday doing things to get ready & didn't get to bed until almost 2 last night & I told him that if he would have helped instead of sitting there watching TV I wouldn't have had to stay up so late. He had the nerve to say that I didn't TELL him to do anything, grrrr.

WELL IT WORKED! I spent two hours watering the garden last night. We got a major storm. It was funny. I was watching the weather and the weather man was saying no rain. According to him there was a small cell northeast of Emporia that might drop a little rain. We are Southeast and as he was saying that it was pouring down rain. His radar must have been off or something. I haven't been out to check the garden but at least it finally got a really good soaking. I probably won't be able to get in there for days now.

That used to work for me, but hasn't in a couple of weeks. We got a bit of misty/sprinkly stuff today, but not enough to mean I didn't have to water.

Ivy, the best place to park is along the North side of the parking lot as close to the East as you can get.
I am about to cry. I came in and one of my little turkeys looks like his guts are coming out his naval. He is obviously going to bleed to death and there isn't anything I can do. I tried. I've never seen this happen before, He was a perfectly healthy chick. The forth one that hatched is laying on it's back. I gave it some Vitamin E but he doesn't act like he is doing very well. I have no idea how this guy feeds these things but I am sure upset that they are in bad shape. I thought about trying to push the guts back in but he is so weak I am afraid I will kill him. Any advice please bring it on. I tried to stop the bleeding. I tried to vet wrap him but that made him immobile. I thought about tying it off with dental floss but I don't know what is what. Some of it looks like intestines. I just feel like the most helpless being on earth. I didn't have this problem with any of the other turkeys I hatched.
I am exhausted. I tried to divide my Serama pen so I could sort them but it was so hot and muggy I could just barely chug along. I got the divider built and the wire up but ran out of time to build a door. I guess I'll have to rush home and get that done and sort the birds before this guy gets here.
I got the Polish loaded. Ivy, do you have a cage or something you can transport them in? There are 9 of them. Maybe I can sell a couple of them so there won't be so many.
I have some guineas in a cage and I still have to load ducks and chicks in the morning.
I might have to give up on bringing some of this.

I'm so sorry about the little turkeys.

Now the best thing of all about today is that Chopper finally decided I'm his buddy! I'm just so thrilled and happy. I've not forced myself on him but talk to him everyday. Today, all the big ducks had been at the pond for half the day when Chopper came looking for me all by himself. I had been out weeding and watering all morning. He can't see me from the pond unless he comes up the bank. He came walking across the yard talking to me. I had DS run get the mealworm treats while I sat on the ground and talked to Chopper. Chopper took his time getting to me and by the time he was really close, I had the mealworms waiting. I held out my hand and Chopper just walked right up and enjoyed his treat. Yay!!!! Once he'd had plenty of treat he let me pet him. Then he started chattering and walked back to the pond. I was so happy that he is finally feeling at home with me and then here he came back with all the other big ducks and they were talking amongst themselves. Chopper took them to the fence, which I took to mean they would like to go back in for food and sleep. So the kids opened the fence and they took the long way round but went right in. I think Chopper was trying to tell me they were hungry when he came looking for me. They all had some lunch and then napped in the shade. It was just so cute!

Sweet! I also enjoyed the video. DH says when his mother had ducks, the dogs never had ticks or fleas, and the long haired ones never got mats in their fur. He said they were always shiny and soft.

We harvested a bunch of beets this week, and some peas. I looooove fresh peas. We also got a few eggplants. I'm enjoying the garden so much this year. Last year, so few seeds germinated and the ones that did, didn't ever grow into much of anything. This second year has already been better than last year. And my tomatillos! I took pictures, but I'm too tired to get them on the computer right now.

Yesterday we opened up the fence between our two flocks. The youngsters are big enough to fend for themselves now and they've been neighbors with the older hens for some time now. DH had left the kennel in, so after everyone had roosted, we just took the youngsters out and put them in the regular coop. Today we took the kennel out. The younger ones went in the coop just like the older ones, but the oldsters won't let them get on the roosts. DH put a milk crate inside so they could get up on something and tomorrow we'll see about moving/adding roosts.

 

[cherwill]

Oops. It was Prairie who posted the video. Sorry! See, I DO need to go to bed!

 

[chicken danz]

Trying to sip some coffee and inspire myself to get the birds loaded up. I hate rushing around in the morning. worse yet I hate fumbling around in the dark outside!
Believe it or not my turkeys are still alive. Gave the topsy turvy one a dose of vitamin E this morning and a couple drops of water from a shringe. He has actually made it on his stomach a couple times. Fingers X. I had one more hatch during the night. Now if they will start eating I'll be goon.
Gotta get moving.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Danz, so sorry about your turkeys, but I was amazed to read that they are still alive this morning! I will say a little prayer for them!

Karen, so sweet to describe that story about Chopper, and you processed 20 birds?! WOW! Later, I'll have to ask you your system, because that is a lot of birds. Killing cone or hatchet? My dad always used a hatchet on a block and it was pretty fast and we'd let them drain and then start plucking. Did you pluck?? Danz described something about skinning them, which seems pretty easy.

Cherwill, so glad your garden is doing so well this year! Sounds like a great crop you have going on. Glad the chickens got along when you let them run together. That's really good news!

Sapphire, did you have rooster for dinner yet?

I hope everyone has fun today! Sorry I'll be missing it! I'm not sure how much I'll be on this week, we're going to be pretty busy, but we'll see.

 

[tweetysvoice]

NEED ADVICE ON A SICK CHICK
I went down to check on the silkies and clean out their food bowl, i noticed the water was full of shavings again, so I took out the water to go refresh it. All of them were totally fine as i was doing this, but as i was heading back (not even 2 minutes later) i heard a loud squawk and came back and Amber (the tiny one) was on her back with her feet straight up in the air. I pulled her out and she was completely limp and acting like she was gasping for air. I ran upstairs with her, got a syringe and gave her a couple drops of water. She started perking up a bit and holding up her head. My DH made me some save-a-chick and I got her to drink about a spoon full. It's been about 20 minutes now and she's in a shoe box and lightly chirping, kinda acting normal. I'm not sure what happened. Anyone have an advice? I don't want to put her back with the other two if she is sick. It almost seemed like she was having a seizure or something. This is my first time having any troubles with the birds at all, so I'm hoping I did the right thing by getting some electrolytes in her.

 

[Chickies-duckies-etc]

NEED ADVICE ON A SICK CHICK
I went down to check on the silkies and clean out their food bowl, i noticed the water was full of shavings again, so I took out the water to go refresh it. All of them were totally fine as i was doing this, but as i was heading back (not even 2 minutes later) i heard a loud squawk and came back and Amber (the tiny one) was on her back with her feet straight up in the air. I pulled her out and she was completely limp and acting like she was gasping for air. I ran upstairs with her, got a syringe and gave her a couple drops of water. She started perking up a bit and holding up her head. My DH made me some save-a-chick and I got her to drink about a spoon full. It's been about 20 minutes now and she's in a shoe box and lightly chirping, kinda acting normal. I'm not sure what happened. Anyone have an advice? I don't want to put her back with the other two if she is sick. It almost seemed like she was having a seizure or something. This is my first time having any troubles with the birds at all, so I'm hoping I did the right thing by getting some electrolytes in her.

Just a wild guess here, if she was fine just before and after the incident, could one of the other chicks have managed to jump on her hard enough to knock the wind out of her? I don't know if the silkies do it, but these chicks that I have seem to delight in jumping right on another chick. I have watched them as they take aim, jump, land on another chick and that chick squawks, and they go on about their business, until another one lands on someone.

I hope she is ok and it is not something serious.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

NEED ADVICE ON A SICK CHICK
I went down to check on the silkies and clean out their food bowl, i noticed the water was full of shavings again, so I took out the water to go refresh it. All of them were totally fine as i was doing this, but as i was heading back (not even 2 minutes later) i heard a loud squawk and came back and Amber (the tiny one) was on her back with her feet straight up in the air. I pulled her out and she was completely limp and acting like she was gasping for air. I ran upstairs with her, got a syringe and gave her a couple drops of water. She started perking up a bit and holding up her head. My DH made me some save-a-chick and I got her to drink about a spoon full. It's been about 20 minutes now and she's in a shoe box and lightly chirping, kinda acting normal. I'm not sure what happened. Anyone have an advice? I don't want to put her back with the other two if she is sick. It almost seemed like she was having a seizure or something. This is my first time having any troubles with the birds at all, so I'm hoping I did the right thing by getting some electrolytes in her.

Wow, Tweety, I don't know what to tell you and so many are gone today. I'm just so sorry to hear about Amber. I hope she comes out of it and does just fine. You cannot go wrong with the electrolytes. I would continue giving her some of that now and then and then try mixing it with some feed and see if she'll take that. If it was like a seizure, vitamin E is really good neurologically. You could mix some of that in with the wet feed. Hope she stabilizes. It's so heartbreaking when we don't know what to do for our chickies.

Danz, so sorry about your turkeys, but I was amazed to read that they are still alive this morning! I will say a little prayer for them!

Karen, so sweet to describe that story about Chopper, and you processed 20 birds?! WOW! Later, I'll have to ask you your system, because that is a lot of birds. Killing cone or hatchet? My dad always used a hatchet on a block and it was pretty fast and we'd let them drain and then start plucking. Did you pluck?? Danz described something about skinning them, which seems pretty easy.

I use the cone. We skinned them instead of plucking. We don't eat the skin anyway so better to just do it up front. It was a lot of birds and we have 20 more yet to go, but NOT today! I got this box cutter thing with razor blades I can change out so I don't have to worry about a dull knife. It works better than any of my brother's sharpest knives, so I've decided it's the way to go. The birds don't react to the cut at all, like they can't even feel it and then they go to sleep. That makes me feel as good as possible about it because I would just hate for them to suffer in any way. Two of the kids were "catchers". They caught and brought the bird to me. I did the cone thing and drained them, the catchers took the bird to the skinning table and then got another bird for me. The skinners got the birds skinned and put them in a huge tub of salty ice water. With four skinners I just kept up with them at the cone. After all the birds were skinned and I was finished at the cone, my oldest daughter and I taught the others how to gut the bird and then we all did that till we were finished. With all of these helpers it went really fast for that many birds. Our youngest turned the water hose on and off for us as we needed it to rinse. Once everything was done, we rinsed the birds really well and placed them in salted water over night. I'll change the water this eve and then let them season for 3 days in the frig before freezing. This is what I learned to do from YouTube.

My Mom was going to teach us all this stuff but sadly, she's not with us anymore. Once we were all finished the kids started talking about Grandma. How proud she would be of us and how surprised that they all participated. I think that is the reason they all wanted to participate. It was for her. My Dad remarried barely a year after my Mom passed, but I supported him and her and ran interference with the rest of the family. However, Dad's been remarried for almost 2 years now and their "new" grandma became increasingly critical of me and everything I do and my dad has always been that way with me. My Dad and I did fine until she stepped into the picture and when she shared his views, it became dogpile on me time. My kids got enough of it and tried to talk to them, whereupon they began to mess with the 3 that stood up to them. I can take a lot of stuff when it's me, but my girls don't deserve to be treated that way and they shouldn't be made to feel like they need to defend their mother, and I won't have it. I gave him several opportunities to apologize and reconcile with them and me and he would say that's what he wanted but then a week or two later, he was behaving like a rabid dog again. We don't have contact anymore, my choice. It's a horrible choice to make but I know in my heart I did everything I possibly could to keep it from happening. He is currently in the process of doing the same to my older brother, but not his kids. My brother's kids are biological. It hurts me for my kids, but my kids are strong and we're doing just fine without being biological and without any grandparents, DH's are deceased. In my Dad's eyes I've always been a disposable human being.

My Mom was totally different than my Dad. She connected with the kids in a very real way. While my Dad always bragged about how he loved my kids just as much as his grandkids, in front of them. Do you see anything wrong with that statement? Duh, Dad, my kids are your grandkids too. Anyway, this project was more than just processing the birds and we were all proud of our accomplishment and the kids just chatted away as we worked and talked about what their friends were doing -- NOT THIS! And laughed. The kids can aggravate me like nothing else but they also fill me with pride and joy like nothing else.

So there's my dirty laundry. All of that out of a simple curiosity into how we did it. I know it's more than you needed to know but for some reason, today, I just needed to acknowledge what has happened to us. We've lost a father and grandfather and it's hard. It's been about a month now, so I guess the edge is enough off the pain that I've experienced this huge weight off my shoulders from no longer having to listen to his constant critique of everything I do, say, and am. Still, it's sad to feel that way about your father.

 

[tweetysvoice]

Just a wild guess here, if she was fine just before and after the incident, could one of the other chicks have managed to jump on her hard enough to knock the wind out of her? I don't know if the silkies do it, but these chicks that I have seem to delight in jumping right on another chick. I have watched them as they take aim, jump, land on another chick and that chick squawks, and they go on about their business, until another one lands on someone.

I hope she is ok and it is not something serious.

That was my husband's thought - wondering if she just got ran over in the excitement of me moving stuff around in the brooder. She does seem to be acting normal now, so I went ahead and put her back and she's eating just fine - gonna keep an eye on her. Thanks I knew most everyone would be gone this morning, so I appreciate the responses.

 

[HEChicken]

Awww Karen, I'm so sorry you've had to go through all that. When you said the part about he brags about loving your kids as much as his grandkids, my first thought was "But they ARE his grandkids". Then I kept reading and realized....that was your point. What a sucky attitude to take but all too common, I'm afraid. I think it is hard for some people to think of anyone as family unless there is a biological connection. I have been very fortunate with my in-laws in that regard. My parents-in-law have 12 grandkids: 8 bio, 1 adopted, 3 step. All 12 are cherished as loved grandkids and treated exactly the same, even the steps who sometimes came into the family as older kids. The family never even uses the words "step" or "adopted" - all we have are grandkids, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.

<<hugs>> For what its worth, I do think its better to cut people out of your life who only cause pain and misery. I guess one way to look at it is that if people you have no bio connection to can be your family, having a bio connection doesn't necessarily mean they ARE family. That thought was better in my head - somehow trying to phrase it here its not coming out right but hopefully you know what I mean.