Consolidated Kansas

[cherwill]

Well, if you miss painting, I have some here you can do.....

In a couple of weeks I might think that's funny.

 

[checoukan]

My show bag.

It is black and yellow stanley bag you can buy at Wal-mart. They have two different sizes, so I got the small one. It has two hoop handles, and side pockets and zipper on top.

In my bag---

!. Vetrx
2. Wet ones (mainly for me!)
3.Bottle of Hartz Ultra Guard Pluz flea and tick spray.
4. Mixed up srpay bottle of Tek-Trol.
5. Zinc oxide ointment.
6. Small tube of Vaseline.

Extra wash rags for cleaning feet.
Silk cloth for wiping birds down in case they get crazy with the shavings, so I can dust them off.
Empty zip lock back usually a gallon size.
small sandwich bag, for placing soiled shavings in to help keep pen clean.
small zip ties.

Clippers
Q-tips for applying Vetrx.
cotton balls
Metal nail file.
Extra copies of health papers from state.
Extra copy of NPIP test papers, and flock report.
Small zipper bag of feed, and a gallon of water from home.

 

[checoukan]

I am taking 5 birds. 4 pullets, and 1 cockerel. Everybody else is not is show condition, and can't go. I wanted to take my senior Cock bird, but he is still short some feathers.

Cant go with out sickle feathers...

 

[chicken danz]

Uh oh, I've done that!! I mean, totally lost track of things I did or didn't do or things that were supposed to arrive or didn't and for the life of me, could never figure out what had happened.

Well here's something DH brought up on this subject. And I am wondering if it is what happened. I usually get my eggs ready and load cartons on the kitchen counter. Then I separate them into bags or boxes to go to my customers. DH thought if I had the eggs settling in the carton on the counter I might have accidentally sold them as eating eggs to someone. Just the thought of that makes me feel ill. What if I sold a $20 dozen of eggs to someone for $1.50 to eat them?
In reality it could have happened. I could go check my burn barrel and see what eggs I threw out but if they weren't marked I don't know if I could tell.
I just wish I could remember whether they actually arrived or not.

I didn't have to.

I called the co-op, who sent me to another co-op who finally sent me to a feed salesperson. He told me he'd do it for me.

So, the feed salesperson I talked to from one of the local co-op said that they couldn't mix the feed for me because they couldn't clean their mixer out and be 100% sure there wasn't any cattle medicine left in it (the cattle medicine is lethal for poultry). However, I would only need 200-300 pounds at once (that amount should last me for approximately 3 months). So, he said he could sell it to me, and I could mix it myself. He said that they could put it in buckets, and I could take it from the buckets and pour it into the metal trash can I plan on keeping it in and mix it in that. So, I might have found a better place to get feed. However, they said that they don't have access to crimped milo or the poultry supplement (they only get a couple calls per year asking for custom-mixed poultry food). Instead of the poultry supplement, I was thinking I'd use the soybean meal, which they do have. Should I just leave out the crimped milo? Or should I increase the whole milo to accomodate for the crimped milo's absence? Or something completely different?

Danz - How did you decide to use the above ratio? I don't have any background in nutrition. I could really use suggestions on what to get from the co-op for my birds.

Don't use only soybean meal in place of the supplement. The supplement has multi grains, vitamins, and minerals that your birds need. Like I mentioned before you can use Hog40% because it is the closest thing to it on the market. Even if that particular co-op doesn't have it, the other one might. Or try Orschlens or some place like that. Worst case if you can't find that, buy calf feed or even a dog food with small pieces and high protein. You can use the soybean meal but not by itself. If they can't crimp milo the whole milo will do, just use more whole milo. They just might not eat it as well. Another thing you might do is ask him what other grains and stuff they have available. You might have to buy a 50 pound bag of something and string it out over several batches of feed. I was also told that things like seed wheat is cheaper than just buying the grain. I haven't compared the price yet myself.
Once you start mixing and feeding you will be able to see what they eat and what they leave. Then you can adjust your feed accordingly.
I tried to read all I could on bird nutrition, including reading bag labels to find out what was necessary for the birds. Then I called the co-ops to see what they had available. Then I changed my particular mix and the ratio several times until I found a balance that they would eat, not waste, and do well on. The geese and ducks eat it better than any of the other birds. They just kind of gulp it.
If there is one thing I would really like to add to my feed it would be kelp. But it's just not readily available around here. It's an awesome additive for birds. Even if it was it would be pricey.
I like giving the birds the greenest hay I can during the winter too. Not that they eat it but they dig around through it and find weed seeds and what not to add to their diet. I thought Alfalfa would be perfect but they didn't seem to care for it. Red clover hay was something they enjoyed. Right now I am putting down some straw with lots of wheat left on it and they are not only getting bedding out of it but they are eating the wheat. My ducks have been hanging around under my pear tree and apple tree cleaning up on the fallen fruit and the bugs that hang around it. So if you know any one with fruit trees with fruit that doesn't get eaten that is a great source of free food. I took a wagon out and gathered up a bunch of fruit and just off loaded it in an area they hang out. They cleaned it up in a day or two.

I moved my youngest lavenders from the brooder house to the coop this afternoon. I hope they do alright. They were all cowering in the corner scared to death. If they don't get picked on by the bigger birds and they find the water they should be fine. I'm hoping to clean the slot they were in and move this younger batch of Swedish flower hens out to the brooder. It's a never ending shuffle of birds around here.
I got my one peachick moved out to the peahouse today but he is in a kennel by himself. I was going to try to build a temp pen for him and my white peachick but ran out of time. I got two houses cleaned out and got straw down in them. It was one more thing I had to get done.
DH and I worked on an antique Pullman couch I had in the Sea van. I decided I was going to remove the pullman part even though that takes away from it's original value. The thing just weighed a ton with all that extra metal and springs underneath. He said I should just sell it someone who has lots of money and would restore it completely. I said I bought it for myself and I intended to do my own restoration to suit me. It has beautiful oak wood work. I removed all of the old rotten leather upholstery and padding and once I get the wood refinished it will be a piece of cake to rebuild and reupholster. It is still extremely heavy without all the metal but it's mostly just good old solid wood. Nothing like you could find today.
So since I got sidetracked with that project I got behind on others.

 

[HEChicken]

Well here's something DH brought up on this subject. And I am wondering if it is what happened. I usually get my eggs ready and load cartons on the kitchen counter. Then I separate them into bags or boxes to go to my customers. DH thought if I had the eggs settling in the carton on the counter I might have accidentally sold them as eating eggs to someone. Just the thought of that makes me feel ill. What if I sold a $20 dozen of eggs to someone for $1.50 to eat them?
In reality it could have happened. I could go check my burn barrel and see what eggs I threw out but if they weren't marked I don't know if I could tell.
I just wish I could remember whether they actually arrived or not.

Oh I know just what you mean about the sick feeling - I really hope that is not what happened.

I'm enjoying the discussion on nutrition and mixing your own feed. What number of birds would you say is the time it starts to make sense to mix your own feed economically? Right now I have about 50 birds total. I have 3 feed cans containing chick feed, grower feed and layer feed. I had the turkeys on gamebird feed but since they spend most of their time with the flock now eating the all flock/grower feed, they're barely eating gamebird feed so I won't need to buy another bag of that.

 

[JosieChick]

Speaking of that I pulled out eggs from the incubator today that I can't remember where I got them. They obviously were a nest I found someplace and decided to incubate rather than throw out. There were maybe 18 eggs and every darn one of them is fertile. I had them marked to hatch on the 13th but I have one chick already and one that pipped so a hen must have been sitting on the eggs. I put them in the hatcher because I need the incubator space. I sure hope any later one still hatch. Too bad my shipped egg won't hatch that well.

You need a cup of pencils by your bator! I write the date they were collected, the date they are due to hatch and what they are even if I have to guess. I used to write the date when I set them but then I had to go look at a calender so I just started writing their hatch date. The only time this plan goes awry is when I pick up a staggered hatch from under a broody. Then it is a giant mess.

Well here's something DH brought up on this subject. And I am wondering if it is what happened. I usually get my eggs ready and load cartons on the kitchen counter. Then I separate them into bags or boxes to go to my customers. DH thought if I had the eggs settling in the carton on the counter I might have accidentally sold them as eating eggs to someone. Just the thought of that makes me feel ill. What if I sold a $20 dozen of eggs to someone for $1.50 to eat them?
In reality it could have happened. I could go check my burn barrel and see what eggs I threw out but if they weren't marked I don't know if I could tell.
I just wish I could remember whether they actually arrived or not.
Oh no! That would stink! I was always afraid that DH would use my hatching eggs for cooking or something so I would put them in the upstairs closet.

Don't use only soybean meal in place of the supplement. The supplement has multi grains, vitamins, and minerals that your birds need. Like I mentioned before you can use Hog40% because it is the closest thing to it on the market. Even if that particular co-op doesn't have it, the other one might. Or try Orschlens or some place like that. Worst case if you can't find that, buy calf feed or even a dog food with small pieces and high protein. You can use the soybean meal but not by itself. If they can't crimp milo the whole milo will do, just use more whole milo. They just might not eat it as well. Another thing you might do is ask him what other grains and stuff they have available. You might have to buy a 50 pound bag of something and string it out over several batches of feed. I was also told that things like seed wheat is cheaper than just buying the grain. I haven't compared the price yet myself.
Once you start mixing and feeding you will be able to see what they eat and what they leave. Then you can adjust your feed accordingly.
I tried to read all I could on bird nutrition, including reading bag labels to find out what was necessary for the birds. Then I called the co-ops to see what they had available. Then I changed my particular mix and the ratio several times until I found a balance that they would eat, not waste, and do well on. The geese and ducks eat it better than any of the other birds. They just kind of gulp it.
If there is one thing I would really like to add to my feed it would be kelp. But it's just not readily available around here. It's an awesome additive for birds. Even if it was it would be pricey.
I like giving the birds the greenest hay I can during the winter too. Not that they eat it but they dig around through it and find weed seeds and what not to add to their diet. I thought Alfalfa would be perfect but they didn't seem to care for it. Red clover hay was something they enjoyed. Right now I am putting down some straw with lots of wheat left on it and they are not only getting bedding out of it but they are eating the wheat. My ducks have been hanging around under my pear tree and apple tree cleaning up on the fallen fruit and the bugs that hang around it. So if you know any one with fruit trees with fruit that doesn't get eaten that is a great source of free food. I took a wagon out and gathered up a bunch of fruit and just off loaded it in an area they hang out. They cleaned it up in a day or two.

I moved my youngest lavenders from the brooder house to the coop this afternoon. I hope they do alright. They were all cowering in the corner scared to death. If they don't get picked on by the bigger birds and they find the water they should be fine. I'm hoping to clean the slot they were in and move this younger batch of Swedish flower hens out to the brooder. It's a never ending shuffle of birds around here.
I got my one peachick moved out to the peahouse today but he is in a kennel by himself. I was going to try to build a temp pen for him and my white peachick but ran out of time. I got two houses cleaned out and got straw down in them. It was one more thing I had to get done.
DH and I worked on an antique Pullman couch I had in the Sea van. I decided I was going to remove the pullman part even though that takes away from it's original value. The thing just weighed a ton with all that extra metal and springs underneath. He said I should just sell it someone who has lots of money and would restore it completely. I said I bought it for myself and I intended to do my own restoration to suit me. It has beautiful oak wood work. I removed all of the old rotten leather upholstery and padding and once I get the wood refinished it will be a piece of cake to rebuild and reupholster. It is still extremely heavy without all the metal but it's mostly just good old solid wood. Nothing like you could find today.
So since I got sidetracked with that project I got behind on others.

You have so many projects I don't know how you lose your mind!

Oh I know just what you mean about the sick feeling - I really hope that is not what happened.

I'm enjoying the discussion on nutrition and mixing your own feed. What number of birds would you say is the time it starts to make sense to mix your own feed economically? Right now I have about 50 birds total. I have 3 feed cans containing chick feed, grower feed and layer feed. I had the turkeys on gamebird feed but since they spend most of their time with the flock now eating the all flock/grower feed, they're barely eating gamebird feed so I won't need to buy another bag of that.

I am planning on running to the coop to have feed priced out. Even if I can save a buck or two a bag it will be better. I would rather buy in bulk I think anyway. I hate driving to the feed store every week because I wind up picking up other things I don't really need. So it might save me money in that respect too!


Lucie is doing well. She is out of surgery and getting pain meds every four hours. Her bladder is intact and she has a urinary catheter in place to keep her clean and her bladder empty. She ate well for them tonight so they are going to start her on oral antibiotics and pain meds as well. She will start sling walking tomorrow every four hours to get back on her feet. She has a pin and a plate in each hind leg and they think she will do well and recover well. I am so relieved. Wish I could go see her but have to work tomorrow and she is two hours away. Hoping if they pull the urinary catheter tomorrow and she can urinate on her own she can go home on Thursday. I have a sling ordered to walk her and we are going to crate her in the living room. I am worried about her having to up and down the stairs to go outside but hopefully we will get the hang of it fast. She really can't afford to slip and fall down right after surgery. Sigh. I don't know what I am going to do when we have a child if I am this much of a basket case over the dog.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

JosieChick, the flip side of all that worry over your children is the pure joy of watching them grow up! You will be fine!

 

[chicken danz]

Oh I know just what you mean about the sick feeling - I really hope that is not what happened.

I'm enjoying the discussion on nutrition and mixing your own feed. What number of birds would you say is the time it starts to make sense to mix your own feed economically? Right now I have about 50 birds total. I have 3 feed cans containing chick feed, grower feed and layer feed. I had the turkeys on gamebird feed but since they spend most of their time with the flock now eating the all flock/grower feed, they're barely eating gamebird feed so I won't need to buy another bag of that.

I think you could probably benefit from having your own feed mixed depending on how much you use. Figure it out by the month about how many pounds you go through. Call the co-ops around you and find out how many pounds their minimum order would be. If you can use that much feed in a month you would benefit from it. Or if someone else near you wants custom feed you could do it together.
Feeding your own mix is a lot different than feeding crumbles or pellets. You might need to adjust how and where you feed because you have more fine particles to deal with than a manufactured feed. I put a plastic pan under my hanging feeder in the hen house to catch what they dig out. Also some of the finer stuff left over can be recycled and fed to other birds. The babies will eat the fine stuff or make mash out of it. Or when you add feed mix it with what is left and they will eat it.
I'm sure if I had more options around here I could make an even better feed. The problem being of course that you have to keep costs in mind as well. I am always entertaining new idea of things to feed. The birds are much like us. They like changes now and then.

You need a cup of pencils by your bator! I write the date they were collected, the date they are due to hatch and what they are even if I have to guess. I used to write the date when I set them but then I had to go look at a calender so I just started writing their hatch date. The only time this plan goes awry is when I pick up a staggered hatch from under a broody. Then it is a giant mess.
I have them and mark the dates on the eggs and normally if they are shipped a letter indicating breed. My fear is if I even got these that they never made it that far.
You have so many projects I don't know how you lose your mind!
I have lost my mind... that is exactly why I have so many projects. If I were sane I would never take them on in the first place.
I am planning on running to the coop to have feed priced out. Even if I can save a buck or two a bag it will be better. I would rather buy in bulk I think anyway. I hate driving to the feed store every week because I wind up picking up other things I don't really need. So it might save me money in that respect too!
Let me know how that works out. You could try some of mine and see how they do with it.
Lucie is doing well. She is out of surgery and getting pain meds every four hours. Her bladder is intact and she has a urinary catheter in place to keep her clean and her bladder empty. She ate well for them tonight so they are going to start her on oral antibiotics and pain meds as well. She will start sling walking tomorrow every four hours to get back on her feet. She has a pin and a plate in each hind leg and they think she will do well and recover well. I am so relieved. Wish I could go see her but have to work tomorrow and she is two hours away. Hoping if they pull the urinary catheter tomorrow and she can urinate on her own she can go home on Thursday. I have a sling ordered to walk her and we are going to crate her in the living room. I am worried about her having to up and down the stairs to go outside but hopefully we will get the hang of it fast. She really can't afford to slip and fall down right after surgery. I'm so glad she is doing well. She will be tickled to come home too I am sure! Sigh. I don't know what I am going to do when we have a child if I am this much of a basket case over the dog.
You'll be an excellent Mom. Let's just hope you never have any major tragedies to deal with ..just little Mommy jitter kind of things!.

 

[chicken danz]

Karen you are so smart! How perfect was that comment!
Do any of you have a nice black copper maran rooster you'd like to sell. Good quality please.

 

[Trish44]

Josie, I'm so glad Lucie is doing well, it sounds like you have it all planned out for her recovery. It will be a challenge for awhile I'm sure. I was going to say earlier that I had a 13 year old black lab when I lived in Derby & our road was a busy one where people never slowed down. She had gotten to the point of being almost blind & deaf & she was hard to see after dark since she was black. One evening just about dusk a guy came through in his pickup truck & she had walked into the road & he didn't see her & hit her. He did come up to the house & tell me what he had done & he seemed really sorry. I couldn't be angry with him since he did stop & tell me & he offered help, but I told him I was taking her to the emergency Vet & thanked him for stopping. She had to be put down due to internal injuries & her age, so it was sad.

Hawkeye, my DH has tried all kinds of those gels, beans, all kinds of stuff & they seem to make his stomach worse not better. He decided to just drink the things they offer along the way any more, but he usually can't eat for several hours after due to his stomach upset even though he is hungry from so much exertion. I'm really surprised they will let you on the road where the marathon is taking place. They have changed the route you know from what it used to be.

Well My DH worked a little on the coop today & got the last door cut out on the back of the coop, but didn't get that last piece of OSB screwed on yet. He has the two ends now to put OSB on & then he can start putting siding on. Hawkeye, do you have any ideas about putting the skylight sections in on the roof? Should we just leave that whole piece of OSB out or should we leave a little frame for the skylight panel to sit on? Then I guess there will be no roof under those sections, there will be two to let more light in. I hope it doesn't let too much cold air in there. I don't know what else to do though to use the skylights. I had to pay $48 each for those two skylight panels & they were special order. I actually had to order all the Ondura roofing special because I wanted a different color than what they carry in the store. Then we had to order a minimum of 10 panels in order to get them so I will have some left over. I can use some of them probably for my rabbit hutches or maybe over the hoop coop eventually. It depends on how many we have left over.

I'm still trying to find a CO-OP that will sell me less than a 1000 pounds at once of bulk feed. I just can't store that much & can't afford it all at once. If I could get them to sell me 500 pounds I could probably do that. It's a matter of talking one of them into doing it. I need to get some of those barrels too that some are getting with the screw on lids to store the feed in. I'm checking around to see where I can get some of those.

I went & got a truck load of cattails this afternoon, so tomorrow I will be shoveling those into my coop & pens. I really appreciate being able to get this material to use, it really helps out since even straw doesn't end up being that cheap when you have to use a lot of it for pens & in dog houses. So far just to let you all know about how the experiment is going with them, they seem to be staying dry very well in the coop & I think they will work out fine for litter in there. I do have some pine shavings in there that were there before I started using the cattails, but I'm just mixing them together. Tomorrow I'm also going to go out & put up the plastic I got on the outside of the hoop coop to block the wind. I don't have enough for the whole thing, but should have enough to get started at least. I will have to get more at the store when I go again & a couple more small tarps. I'm working away & trying to get things all winterized before really cold weather gets here.