Consolidated Kansas

[maidenwolfx80]

My coop stayed wonderfully dry but their run is soaked

I am glad I let them out during the day. So I need advice from some of the more veteran chicken keepers. I am wanting to order a few pullets, since I found to have more roos than I wanted, and am going to pay for sexing etc. I have never done them this late in the year, if I got my babies next week my concern is that once they are 6 wks and can go in the coop it will be too cold out.. Can I get some advice on this.. Thanks guys

 

[Hawkeye95]

so, It's confirmed. I have two silkie roosters I had a barium test done yesterday and have been very sick since. Didn't go in yesterday and DH brought me back home from work today cuz I couldn't stop throwing up, but when I let the dogs outside to go potty before I headed back to bed (haven't made it that far yet...) I heard not one, but two crows They were going at it full blast, so they might have been crowing for a while, just didn't hear it because I was at work. I'm very sad, but I have to put them on craigs list to sell. I don't want the city coming down on me, especially since chickens have been in the news around here lately.

http://lawrence.craigslist.org/grd/3294969069.html


I hope everyone is doing good. I have to head back to bed and see if I can get my tummy to settle down. This zofran isn't working apparently.

Oh no!! Sorry about your girls that turned boys! I sold my silkie roosters for $5 a piece-- but I did sell another "cull" for $10 because he was perfect in all ways except for the split wing (making him unsable). He went to a pet home that isn't going to breed him. Or so she said...

I now have some really wry birds that need to be culled-- as in killed. But I don't have the heart do it and I don't know what to do with them, I don't think I can sell them.

After yesterday, we actually had some visible progress!

Yay for progress!! Looks great so far! Thanks for posting the picture! Beautiful trees and land you have out there.

Well we got home about 1:30 last night. When we drove up I witnessed an owl INSIDE of the garage who just ripped the head off one of my salmon faverolle hens. This owl actually was inside the building with only a narrow door opening to get in.

So here is the deal with my trip yesterday. There is a bird seed maker that is in Lawton Oklahoma. Jones Seed company.

Oh no!! I wouldn't know what to do about the owl either! Especially with it being illegal and all to kill them or trap them. I hope your seed run works out really well for you! Sounds like a long haul to get there and back. I'm sitting about 30 mins from the OK border-- it would be a pretty quick trip for me. Not that I need that much!

Thanks for the ACV link -- that's something I'm going to try.

We both had "Incubators of Death" at the time.

I was very frustrated with something that had happened with my bator but your comment made me laugh. Yes, it's so much cheaper to buy the eggs but I am a bit short on patience and when I saw those chicks advertised I just wanted them NOW. I can't imagine that any of your birds aren't quite right because they are just so darned cute! I hope you find the right roo. I know what you mean about the fun part. I have eggs in the bator from my Big Spotty Speckled Sussex and I'm excited to see how the chicks come out. I have one pip, so far, but they aren't due to hatch until tomorrow. Can't wait! The hens were EE, New Hamp, Buff Orp, SSX and one Aloha. Fun! My Alohas aren't laying very consistently, yet, still too young.


Autosexing would sure make things a lot easier.

Today is my DH's birthday. He loves to mull over what he wants for his birthday, so I still haven't gotten him anything because he's still mulling. He can't even decide what he wants for his birthday supper or which kind of chocolate cake he wants. In his world, there is no such thing as a birthday cake that doesn't have chocolate/fudge in either the cake or the frosting, but what you put with that is key. Deciding what he wants is most of the fun for him, so I don't gripe about it, just wait till he's good and ready. I never have any trouble deciding what I want for mine. I always have it well planned out in advance. Mulling is not my forte. If I can't get the whole thing wrapped up in advance, that is a real buzz kill. DH doesn't actually like to start deliberating until it is his birthday and he would feel very cheated if he had to do anything in advance. Interesting how people can be so different and how important that difference can be to them both.

Enough philosophizing and time to get back to it!

Yeah, I want to try making my own ACV with the Mother, too!! I think it would be a really fun project for me and the kids! It's sooo healthy, too! Good luck with your hatch! Or was that yesterday? I've been gone a couple of days. Insanely busy here, sheesh! Happy Birthday to your DH! I would have just made him up a cake and called it good. We have traditional b-days-- cake, candles, the song, the wish, etc. My favorite cake is from Cheri's Bakery in Wichita-- the chocolate ganache! It is the BEST cake ever! NO one else in Wichita makes it better. It is like a chocolate ding-dong with the cream layers and then frosted in chocolate frosting and THEN drizzled chocolate over the top of that! I'm not kidding, if you haven't had it-- go get it. I will get one just for the heck of it. That is my favorite bakery, too. It's out on the West side-- right in front of the Warren Theatre on 21st street in that little shopping strip across the street. They make the BEST cookies, too. They are also reasonable-- not too expensive! Especially when you think of all the work that goes into their cakes. Here is the link to the cake: Look for "Chocolate Ganache Dessert Cake" http://cheris-bakery.com/gallery/dessert-cakes-2/

I need some advice. I have a 2 mo. old, she was walking kinda weird yesterday and seems not so steady so I just moved her by herself to give her some time to rest. I thought maybe just because I moved them she was having a hard time adjustiing. Today when I checked she seems to have more energy, but I inspected closer and she has a wound on her belly. It's stinky and has some gross drainage. My first reaction is to wash it and put some neosporin on it. I haven't done it yet, any input is appreciated. She's not a fancy chicken or anything, I just want to do what I can to help her.

If there is a smell, she has a bacterial infection as well. I bought a bottle (it was in the fridge up front) at my farm store of Penicillin and have been dosing a bird that has bumblefoot (staph)-- which is also bacterial. It helps. I've not had any bad reactions to it. So I think it's better than letting your bird die. The bottle ran me about $11.

I looked online earlier today & you can buy parts for these windows I got for my coop, so if the guy doesn't come through for me with another window maybe I can find the parts & just fix the one I have.

Hawkeye, yeah the Isbars are the other breed I want to get next year, but as you say they're pretty pricey, so I was going to try to get eggs. There is someone on BYC that sells them & I was going to get some from her, but I don't want to incubate any more this year at all, I will wait till spring. I have enough on my plate for this year.

I'm glad you can get parts for the window. It might be worth it if he can't find another window. I'm with you-- I'm done incubating right now. I'm waiting until all of my new grow-out pullets are laying, and I have some ideas of who I want to pair with who. I'm going to work in trios and pairs this coming late winter/early spring. Trying to work with the best of their attributes and offset any faults. Deciding who to offset or accentuate who is driving me up the wall. I keep switching them around. Right now, I'm just working it out on paper. I hope I have it all finalized so they can go into their pens late winter together. Even so, I'll probably just do AI so that I can dive right into the Spring shows and not have anyone out of condition! How crazy am I???

oh--- but I need to look on Craigslist, I need a couple more kennels to get them sorted out when I do start breeding them. Sigh.

I got a very exciting call this afternoon. I'd been scheduled an appointment for a gastroparesis specialist at KU Med center for Dec 26th, but they called and said that they had a cancellation and have an appointment tomorrow afternoon! Hell yea, I want it! I so happy that I'll see someone that knows something about this disease and can start a plan of action - AND I don't have to wait till after christmas for it!

Yeah, I was really upset to hear them both going at it. I walked right up to them and one went then the other. Like they were holding a contest. I just hope I can get rid of them soon. If no-one bites on selling them for $10 each, i might have to offer them for free. My other chicken friend has someone that buys her silkie roos for food, but unless I don't have to go that route, I'd rather not. I have nothing against people eating them, just would rather them be pets.

That is GREAT about your appt!!! I hope they get you sorted out quick so you'll be feeling great for the upcoming holidays and family gatherings. It wouldn't be any fun if you had to miss out on reunions, etc. Good luck at your appt! So sorry about your silkies turning out to be boys. My silkie roos sure do like to crow. They can keep it up all day long. They are like the dueling banjos-- except that I have around 5 boys out there going at it! LOL (I think I have another 3 more boys-- but they aren't crowing yet!) So potentially I could have 8 roosters crowing all through out the day. Sure am glad I don't live in town! hehehe!

Andy wants to help me check it's toes to see if they are doing better. I am guessing they will need to be splinted for a while?

You'll need to keep him splinted for a week or more. Maybe quite a while since s/he is an older bird. Good luck, I sure hope it helps!

Just candled the eggs for the second and last time before hatch

All looked well, (i think) because i could hardly see anything in alot of them due to the bodies inside but i could tell they had all Hugely progressed from last time. except for that one australorp egg. im thinkin that that breed just has naturally thick shells because i couldn't see squat inside, but i'm very confident its still developing and hasn't died... I have to say this is the coolest self setup experience i've ever undertaken. It's really neat to think about how these 5 precious lives that god has blessed me with are growing and developing all under the control of such a meager little hand such as mine... hehe

I LOVE candeling and hatching! Totally addicting, for sure! I have had to sit on my hands lately. I have now been getting rid of birds with faults.

Well I looked all over & can't find the Wazine I know I had, so I just ordered some more. I hope it gets here fast because I wanted to get that chore done right away while not that many hens are laying. I've just got to get my chicken pharmacy more organized so I can actually find something when I need it. Sunflowerparrot made a good suggestion to me this evening that I might just do, to get one of those little plastic 3 drawer things & put all my chicken meds in there. That actually isn't a bad idea, at least it all would be in the same place.

From there I went to check on the wounded chicken in a cage in the barn, and there on the path was a dead kitten. It makes me so sad, I know that's why I'm still awake. I don't know what happened, it probably drowned too, poor baby. The kids are going to be devastated. The wounded chicken was safe and warm.

oh yikes, sorry about the deaths related to the rain. Was it your kitten, or a neighbors on the path? I'm not a fan of cats, but I don't want to see them come to harm, either.

DH had pulled the trailer with the feed into the barn so I hope it is all still dry. I didn't feel good enough yesterday to get the area ready to store it. I hate being old. It amazes me how a simple road trip can totally wipe me out for days. He's working nights now so I guess I should have it ready just in case he happens to get up and has time to help me off load it all. I can't believe it is Wednesday already and I have nothing done I intended to do this week. I swear I get slower all the time! Maybe it's cause I spend to much time sitting here.

Hope your feed will be okay in the barn. This week is going FAST! Wow.


I need some ideas--- I have about 3 or 4 silkies to get rid of. Honestly, they need to be culled the old fashioned way. They have wry backs/tails. They should never be bred. AND I'm thinking all of them are boys. I don't know that for a fact. Maybe one or two could be a girl, but they look like boys to me. I don't feel right about trying to sell them... they are cute, and they are extra tiny. I'm calling them "micro silkies" because they are much smaller than the rest of my crew. These were out of eggs I had shipped in. I hate to just kill them... but I can't use them, and I don't know what to do with them! Think it would be wrong to offer them free on CraigsList? They are pretty twisted. It's obvious. It doesn't effect their health or how they eat. But they do look "off". Sigh. I wish I knew someone that would want to eat them, because then at least they wouldn't go to waste. And *I* do not want to kill them.

 

[Hawkeye95]

My coop stayed wonderfully dry but their run is soaked

I am glad I let them out during the day. So I need advice from some of the more veteran chicken keepers. I am wanting to order a few pullets, since I found to have more roos than I wanted, and am going to pay for sexing etc. I have never done them this late in the year, if I got my babies next week my concern is that once they are 6 wks and can go in the coop it will be too cold out.. Can I get some advice on this.. Thanks guys

Nope, they'd be fine with a heat lamp. I had newly hatched chicks shipped to me last year middle of October. I brooded them in the garage with the heat lamp for the first 6-8 weeks and then I put them out in the coop. They were fine. If it gets REALLY cold and they are huddling after 8 weeks of age, then put the heat lamp back on. But if they are in a coop with no drafts directly on them, they should be okay.

 

[lizzyGSR]

We really got a lot of heavy heavy rain during the night. It woke me up several times. Of course I was worried about my birds after that last storm we had when my quail drowned. I haven't been out yet, but looking out everyone seems fine. DH had pulled the trailer with the feed into the barn so I hope it is all still dry. I didn't feel good enough yesterday to get the area ready to store it. I hate being old. It amazes me how a simple road trip can totally wipe me out for days. He's working nights now so I guess I should have it ready just in case he happens to get up and has time to help me off load it all. I can't believe it is Wednesday already and I have nothing done I intended to do this week. I swear I get slower all the time! Maybe it's cause I spend to much time sitting here.

Heavy rain?!? Sigh. We only got 11/100", which is about average for rainfalls this year. So far this summer, we're getting close to half an inch total for the whole summer! I have to admit, though. It was REALLY nice to wake up to rain last night, AND it lasted long enough for me to get up, close the windows, go back to bed, AND fall asleep to the sound of rain! That was nice. It's been a really long time since that has happened!

 

[chicken danz]

When you have fall chicks and the weather has cooled, once they get old enough let them out on a sunny day without excessive wind. You may have to put some type of heat in the coop temporarily or occasionally so they have a place to get warm if it gets too chilly. You wouldn't have to run it all the time. Up until 8-10 weeks depending on the breed and their feathering, they can still easily crowd and suffocate each other if they get too cold. I have a couple of thermostatic plug in controls that were pretty pricy but I set those to control heat. You can set the temp of the room to turn it off and on at a certain temperature. Here is a link so you know what I am talking about:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000E7NYY8...&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&ref=asc_df_B000E7NYY8
Anyway you can use them to control a heat lamp or a heater or whatever you choose to use. They can be set for cooling or heating. I use one in my brooder house to turn on an oil filled radiator to keep the room temp up in the winter. The heater uses enough electricity I don't want it to run all the time.
Thermocubes are great for freezing temps but sometimes that just isn't warm enough for the young chicks. Or you can just go plug in or unplug heat depending on the forecast but I'm not very good at remembering to do those things myself.
The biggest concern with the young birds would be drafts, particularly floor drafts. Even adding extra shavings can help compensate some on that.
I really like raising fall chicks myself. It seems like fall produces some really sturdy birds.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

When you have fall chicks and the weather has cooled, once they get old enough let them out on a sunny day without excessive wind. You may have to put some type of heat in the coop temporarily or occasionally so they have a place to get warm if it gets too chilly. You wouldn't have to run it all the time. Up until 8-10 weeks depending on the breed and their feathering, they can still easily crowd and suffocate each other if they get too cold. I have a couple of thermostatic plug in controls that were pretty pricy but I set those to control heat. You can set the temp of the room to turn it off and on at a certain temperature. Here is a link so you know what I am talking about:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000E7NYY8...&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&ref=asc_df_B000E7NYY8
Anyway you can use them to control a heat lamp or a heater or whatever you choose to use. They can be set for cooling or heating. I use one in my brooder house to turn on an oil filled radiator to keep the room temp up in the winter. The heater uses enough electricity I don't want it to run all the time.
Thermocubes are great for freezing temps but sometimes that just isn't warm enough for the young chicks. Or you can just go plug in or unplug heat depending on the forecast but I'm not very good at remembering to do those things myself.
The biggest concern with the young birds would be drafts, particularly floor drafts. Even adding extra shavings can help compensate some on that.
I really like raising fall chicks myself. It seems like fall produces some really sturdy birds.

Great info thank you. I also have heard that fall hatches make hardy birds. I am ordering today should get them next week I am super excited, got some breeds I do not have currently. What do you all think of austrolorp, brahma, RIR, and silver laced wyandotts?

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Nope, they'd be fine with a heat lamp. I had newly hatched chicks shipped to me last year middle of October. I brooded them in the garage with the heat lamp for the first 6-8 weeks and then I put them out in the coop. They were fine. If it gets REALLY cold and they are huddling after 8 weeks of age, then put the heat lamp back on. But if they are in a coop with no drafts directly on them, they should be okay.

Thank you I am super excited to get my new chicks. I am going to hang a thermomator in the coop anyway to monistor temp, I am sure I will be asking more questions as things happen

 

[sunflowerparrot]

A few things...

1) Since we've had some discussions about shock collars, I'd like to throw in my 2-cents experience. Fern's collar has vibrating mode, low shock and high shock. I've only ever used the vibrate mode and it works 100% of the time so far. I use it mostly now to keep her away from the back of the front steps - she loves to lie back there. But, if she is back there, she doesn't have any view of the field where the chickens are or even the coop. She now lies more in the open and has a much better open view of the fields. (Today is day 2 - so far, she hasn't even gone to lie in her old spot!) I also have used it when she eats from the chickens' dish - this is a little more difficult challenge as I cannot monitor and press the V button each and every time like I can when she was lying behind the front steps where I could clearly see her while in the house. I'm afraid to use the shock - if I do, it will only be for serious crimes - such as chasing chickens. I guess I would just start right off with the high shock right off the bat so she never wants that again. Who else has used shock collars - and for what crimes do you zap!?

2) I am excited about going to Hutch tomorrow and picking up 5 little blue marans from Saffire Looking forward to meeting her and having a fun little road trip with Trish too.

3) Ducks smell terribly.

4) Any tips for when I let the guineas out of the pen? Basically, they are in a small grow-out coop. The coop has a human door and a hen door. The hen door opens into a little fenced area - the fences area is not covered and there are numerous gaps throughout the bottom of the fence where the ground isn't even. My guineas (10 total) range from about 16 weeks old to about 6 weeks old. My plan is just to open the hen door this weekend and let them out into the penned area and see what happens. I will keep their food/water in the coop and keep the hen door opened during the day. But - if they don't come back (fly over the fence, etc) and it is getting dark - then I think I need to keep both the human and hen door open over night. I would hate for them to come back later after dark and go into the coop and then get trapped in there should a predator get into the hen door and their only exit is trapped - make sense? I'm kind of stressing over their welfare once I let them out. They are getting so big and I do believe 7 out of the 10 are most definitely big enough to be left out and the other 3 should be fine with the larger 7.

5) BF is coming over today - I think this will be his first visit in awhile that I don't have something for him to do! He's going to work on his tractor (needed a new wheel or something like that) and I think I am going to open up the camper and lie in there and read! Being in the camper is almost like I'm not home

 

[JosieChick]

The older ones don't seem that affected, it's mainly the imported birds that are younger that are the sickest. I have one Cream Legbar pullet in the garage in a cage & she seems to be getting stronger by the day, she is eating & drinking, but still clearly sick. I'm trying the new Sulfa drug I got to see if it kicks the stuff. It seems like I have to hit on the right drug eventually with this. I think if it was a virus it would have cleared up before now, I just don't think viruses stick around that long.

Just a note to let you know, when I looked up the recommended dosing period for the particular bacteria I had it recommended treating for six days instead of the usual three. So it may take longer for the drug to work depending on what you have going on.

Grr! BAD owl!!! So sorry to hear. I hope you can get something figured out to keep it out or protect the chickies.
LOL! Mine do that, too!!!

So I was out feeding today, doing head count and thought I was missing a bird. I counted that group 5 times before I remembered I sent one home with Rob >< It's been DAYS since then, and I've counted them several times since then and just did not remember. Does this mean I'm getting old?

Nope! I "miss" birds I have sold weeks later sometimes. I go "Now where is that bird?" scratching my head and then I go Oh yeah! I sold it..... hehehehehe.

I must have sounded pretty ratty in my reply about the chicks. Sorry! I meant to explain that poor quality chicks were just not something you would expect from where I got Medawinks birds. And it had me curious so I did contact her. Since she is in school, she explained her parents don't always do a good job of knowing one kind of chick from another. She immediately knew what the problem was. She said she actually was surprised that there were still any of those chicks left, thinking they had been culled. Josie, on the traps I forgot to mention that I just drop the trap in the bottom of a bin, grab the hose and fill it up above the top of the trap and walk away. If you come back in a few minutes they are all dead. I suppose there would be other ways but that works for me. I have no desire to save their lives. I despise rodents and associate them with filth and disease. So I have no heart when it comes to them. Raccoons and opossums fall in that same category for me. It's starting to look like owls and hawks could be joining those ranks, however I have always loved owls. I just wish they'd go eat mice and leave my birds alone. I sure hope they never take one of my ducks. The war would be on. The poor ducks couldn't run fast enough to get away

If there is a smell, she has a bacterial infection as well. I bought a bottle (it was in the fridge up front) at my farm store of Penicillin and have been dosing a bird that has bumblefoot (staph)-- which is also bacterial. It helps. I've not had any bad reactions to it. So I think it's better than letting your bird die. The bottle ran me about $11.
You know, I wonder how much trouble the procaine in penicillin really causes? I have not used it in a while but maybe it takes a higher dosage to cause damage? I used to use it fairly often until DH scared me with the paralysis thing.

I need some ideas--- I have about 3 or 4 silkies to get rid of. Honestly, they need to be culled the old fashioned way. They have wry backs/tails. They should never be bred. AND I'm thinking all of them are boys. I don't know that for a fact. Maybe one or two could be a girl, but they look like boys to me. I don't feel right about trying to sell them... they are cute, and they are extra tiny. I'm calling them "micro silkies" because they are much smaller than the rest of my crew. These were out of eggs I had shipped in. I hate to just kill them... but I can't use them, and I don't know what to do with them! Think it would be wrong to offer them free on CraigsList? They are pretty twisted. It's obvious. It doesn't effect their health or how they eat. But they do look "off". Sigh. I wish I knew someone that would want to eat them, because then at least they wouldn't go to waste. And *I* do not want to kill them.

I hear you on this. I think if you list them for free you will get a lot of folks looking for dinner which it sounds like that is where they need to go. I used to get really upset about selling cull birds for dinner but now I would actually rather they not be put into circulation as breeding birds because I don't want them to pass on their bad genes. Plus, being dinner is a noble end I think for a chicken. I have one blue cockerel that I can't get rid of up here, even for free! I may list him down there and see if someone wants him. I have a friend who takes her extra boys to her nail salon and the lady that does her nails has them for dinner that night!! What a deal right? Maybe I need to start getting my nails done.

Heavy rain?!? Sigh. We only got 11/100", which is about average for rainfalls this year. So far this summer, we're getting close to half an inch total for the whole summer! I have to admit, though. It was REALLY nice to wake up to rain last night, AND it lasted long enough for me to get up, close the windows, go back to bed, AND fall asleep to the sound of rain! That was nice. It's been a really long time since that has happened!

Woohoo, it poured here last night! I put Molly in the garage for an hour it was raining so hard and that fool dog just lays out there in it! I can't stand it when its raining that hard. And it was thundering and lightening like crazy. We even lost power for a few minutes. Seems like last Fall we didn't get any rain up here so we have been really lucky so far. Our pastures are even making a rebound which is awesome.

Well, I have got to get the jeep cleaned out today so we can list it for sale. It really needs to be vacuumed and wiped down inside. It is long over due for that! And I have to finish putting netting up over the birds runs. I think the sun is finally starting to break through the clouds, it was still sprinkling when I went out last.

 

[Trish44]

Quote: Hawkeye, I'm with Josie, I'll bet if you put an ad on Craigslist for free chickens you will have some takers. At the Mulvane Swap meet when I went there were a lot of Vietnamese people there looking for birds for eating & they were looking at the Silkies too.

We got rain twice during the night here with thunder & lightening & all. My yard is actually greened up & there is a little bit of grass growing back, even some new grass in spots coming up, it's strange. After the last two summers we just don't have much grass in some places, the heat & drought did it in. We don't have a well here, so whatever happens does & we lost about all the grass in the backyard, it's just weeds now. We need to re-seed, but it's just not a priority right now with working on the coop & all & trying to get things done before winter hits.

We went this morning to see our attorney to update our wills, we hadn't done anything with it for 10 years & there were some changes we needed to make, so we got that done today. He told us we need to think about having a medical power of attorney & I told my DH we are getting the age where we probably need to think about doing that. I'm glad to get it all taken care of, it's something we have put off & now we just had to bite the bullet & go do it. Not to be gruesome of anything, but it's just a good thing to do for your family to have things in order.