Consolidated Kansas

[Hawkeye95]

Sharol, glad the hawk didn't stick around. They are beautiful, though, aren't they?

Avery, you'll have to check your school schedule! I'm still bummed!!!

We need to think of plan B.

Danz, you are just having the worst luck with your birdies! Poor little serama! She must have just been fried. So terrible. I'm soooo sorry you keep having it happen. I keep saying I'm OVER it. I'm not kidding! If I could have Fall arrive right now, I would. And I hate to say that, because I *used* to love summer so much more. And that is just sad about the guy that came over looking for replacement birds for the ones that died. Wow. I'm sure his kids will be pretty upset when they find out. I hope next time, maybe he'll try to put them under a mister or something. Although, I don't know if that would have helped either... maybe a fan and a mister. And now... skunked dogs!?!? Maybe this winter you will be able to laugh at all of this.... maybe.

Trish, funny about your kittens predicament. I bet they didn't think it was so funny, though. hehe!

I'm cleaning house. My little dogs ran away a bit ago and I had to drive down the road, hunt them down and drag them home. UGH!! This is the second time. I'm ready to buy one of those invisible fences for the yard! Zap their little butts.

 

[pikeman94]

Here is an updated shot of the Cuckoos:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/gallery/album/view/id/6235394/user_id/66378

I am thinking Bird 1, 2 and 3 are boys, on the fence about bird 4 (has a black comb), and bird 5 is most definitely a pullet. She is the smallest of the bunch.

Opinions?

 

[Trish44]

Pikeman, that bird in the 2nd row of pics does look like it could be a roo. It's so hard to tell sometimes at that age, but it does have a pretty big comb.

Hawkeye, too bad we can't turn the calender forward a couple months, huh. I'm all for that at this point, I'm so tired of this unrelenting heat, ugh.

 

[chicken danz]

Pikeman, number 6 and 7 picture looks Roo to me. The last one must be that last chick I gave you out of the brooder. It looks like a cross rather than a purebred as I expected since it wasn't one of the ones I hatched specifically for you. But if it's a pullet she could still lay awesome brown eggs regardless of breed crossing.
Well I finally broke down and cried. This weather finally took it's toll and I feel so awful about it. I caused a disaster without thinking. I put the pet ducklings my grand daughter tamed outside this morning thinking as long as they were in the shade and had water they would be fine. I was so sick of having them in the house. I didn't notice their water had disappeared and found both of them dead. They were too used to house temps I guess, and it didn't take long for the heat to get to them. I just cannot tell my granddaughter I killed her ducks.
I am tearing up now as I write about it because I feel like my own selfishness is what killed them. I just feel awful about it. Even if had they not been special to her I still inadvertently caused their death.
I may deal with dead birds on pretty much a daily basis but I can do so as long as I know I did my best to take care of them. In this case I FAILED.
Josie so sorry. I guess you won't need to come get them. Again I am sorry. If you want some ducks anyway I'd be glad to give you a couple more to make up for what I have done.
Right now I have that Life sucks opinion! Not too often I feel that way. I was a be-atch the rest of the day after that discovery.
DH and I got the chicken netting up for the geese but we don't have it hooked up to power yet. Those darned geese just kept getting out today and I had enjoyed all of it I could stand. I wouldn't care at all if I knew they would be safe. I just worry something would happen to them. They are such awesome birds. I know I enjoy them more than anything else here. Who would have thought a person who thought she hated geese would find them to be her favorite bird??
I discovered today that my blue slate turkeys are all female. So if any of you see any adds or know of any blue slates I would love to find a Tom from this year. Having 4 females isn't going to do me any good nor is it going to provide Thanksgiving dinner. I was kind of hoping I'd have a couple Toms in the four of them. I can do without the dinner if I can just find them a boyfriend. I was really hoping to eat some home grown turkey this year though.
My midgets are far from being large enough. I might be able to have an excess boy for Easter dinner or something.
Supposedly if he shows I have my guineas all sold tomorrow except for some I am saving for a friend. That will be a nice payday. I have right around 50 of them for him. I sure hope he isn't jacking me around.

 

[HEChicken]

Oh Verna, I am *so* sorry about the ducklings - how awful for you. I actually do know the "life sucks" feeling. When I lose one of my favorites it takes me awhile to really get back to the feeling of enjoyment/relaxation. In the meantime I have to just go through the motions until it starts to feel good again. I went through that after the fox. My real favorite was spared, which was my only saving grace, but I lost so many others that were unique and special in their own way, that for a couple of weeks at least, I fed and watered, but didn't spend much extra time with them. It is just this last week I have been going and sitting with them in the evening to read my book and enjoy their company again.

 

[tweetysvoice]

Verna,

I'm so sorry to hear that

I'm shedding a tear with you. I hate hearing about lost birds, but that story just breaks my heart.

 

[medawinks]

Danz, I am so very sorry about your little ducks! Please don't feel that it was your fault! This heat is definitely not something any of us are used to dealing with, so even a bird pro is allowed to be human when dealing with unfamiliar situations! If temps had been normal, I bet they would have been fine.

HEchicken, or anyone who might like some broody silkies cochins???? I have a definite little rooster who has to go! Crowing at 4:45 am!!!! I put him in a kennel tonight and am keeping him in the house. He has only crowed first thing in the am, but that may be due to the heat. Too hot to crow later!

 

[cherwill]

Verna,

I'm so sorry to hear that

I'm shedding a tear with you. I hate hearing about lost birds, but that story just breaks my heart.

Me too. Try not to beat up on yourself any more. You do the best you can and sometimes it just goes wrong.

I'm so sorry.

 

[Trish44]

Awww Danz, so sorry about your baby ducks. I wish I had known a couple days ago that you were looking for a blue state tom turkey. Jason Kramer had been begging people to buy his turkeys because he said he had predators after them, but he just sold the last of them yesterday.

sunflowerparrot, it was nice to meet you in person this evening & see your place. You have a nice spot there & I know you will enjoy it. I do think maybe you should reconsider getting a livestock guardian dog, especially a Great Pyrenees. I wish you would come over & meet mine & then you can see how they are & whether you might like one or not. I think with where you are your chickens are sitting ducks for predators, they just haven't found out they're there yet. You definitely will have encounters with about all of the predators to chickens there. My very worst were raccoons & possums & with the water sources you have & the trees you definitely will have them. Your pen also is not predator proof & they're getting very bold this year with the drought. Your chicks look like they're doing awesome & I would hate for you to lose them all & have to start all over again. I would leave those baby guineas in that hutch for awhile until they do some growing too, just to keep them safe for one thing & for another to teach them where home is. It's just something to think about. Some of us had to learn the hard way after losses already occurred about needing an LGD. I wish I would have had them way before I did & then I wouldn't have lost birds like I did. Oh & I didn't see any of the peacocks you were talking about, they must have been in a pen somewhere maybe eating or somewhere in the shade.

 

[sharol]

I'm going to have to deal with bumblefoot again. I have several girls and my wonderful roo with foot spots. Tomorrow morning I'm going to examine all the birds' feet and decide who gets surgery and who gets tricide-neo soak. I think that 4 or 5 will need at least soaking for several days.

I don't know where they are getting injured, but I suspect the driveway gravel as the guilty party. Since I can't keep them out of the gravel, I'll just have to deal with it. I've been in denial about it for a couple of weeks.

My EE Lily has never been freed of the nasty stuff since last fall. She had surgery twice and soaked a week or so last fall. It has returned and her feet are swollen again. Butch has a spot on one foot that I didn't see until tonight on the roost. His foot looked a little puffy, and I insisted that he let me look at the bottom of it. Dang.

My DH has agreed to help with the surgery when I decide who has to be cut on. Catching everyone for treatment will be a deal, I suspect, at least the first time.

I'll keep you all posted.