Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

Well my main flock now is sneezing & wheezing, so I started them on Tylan in their water this morning. Up to this point they hadn't had any problems, but when I went in to collect eggs this morning one of my best layers, my barred rock was wheezing & then later I heard another hen sneezing. Geez, I just can't seem to catch a break lately. This is a terrible time for my birds to get sick. I sure hope this Tylan kicks this stuff fast. I do have some VetRX I will have to treat some of the sickest birds with it later. This just has to be from migratory birds coming through, I don't know where else they would be getting it from. I'm just going to treat the ones that need it right now unless another pen of them start acting sick. I had just gotten the ones in the grow-out pen doing better, even my little pullet in the garage looked better today & she was talking to me when I went in there this morning, now this.

I went out & emptied out my plastic bucket waterers this morning & got out the two heated bases I have & hooked up the one in the main coop to electricity & got out the two heated dog bowls I have. I just figure it's not a bad idea to get things in place because this time of year you don't know when a hard freeze is coming. I got the cord hooked up on the Ameraucana pen & haven't hooked up the other two in the outside pens yet. I think I will just go ahead for now & get one more heated dog bowl for the grow-out pen while I'm in Arkansas City today. That will take care of all of the outside pens for now. I'm figuring I'm not going to get birds moved to the breeder coop now until spring the way my DH is moving along on the coop. I told him yesterday I want the roof on the coop before vacation & he kind of looked at me like Oh really. I just want it covered as much as possible before bad weather gets here. I have some work to do on my windows for the front, but I can start on those this coming week. I need to strip some old paint off of them & prime & paint them & they also need new glazing around the glass. The two side windows are now ready to put up, so they can be put up any time. The siding is going on the outside now, he has only one more window opening to cut out & then I can take a pic of progress on it. Then the back where the doors go is the only side he has siding left to do & then make doors. He has been saving OSB & will save siding pieces cut out to use to make the doors with. I have to buy more hinges yet for those & the windows. We will need to make a run to Lowe's for more wood for supports for the roof & misc. things this coming week. I would like to make a run to the Habitat store too if I have the time.

Oh Danz, those chipmunks are the cutest! It makes me want some, but I sure don't need any more critters. I saw an ad on Craigslist for SE Kansas, I'm not sure if it's Kramer or who but they have chipmunk pairs for $100 including a cage. It doesn't say what kind of cage, but I'm sure it's not as huge as yours.

 

[chicken danz]

My chipmonks didn't come from Kramer. Just the pig did. If you can get a pair for $100 that is a good price. I think SlipperyHill said he paid $100 for just the one male he has. They do need a big cage which is the biggest draw back. Mine came in a tiny cheap bird cage which was too small and the doors had to be kept wired shut because they can open them. They are very good with their little digits-whatever they are called: fingers, toes, claws, paws.... and they use them like little hands.
They are very endearing. I do hope I have some babies next spring. I would try to hand tame them for sure. They are just fun to watch. Daren and Michelle said it is the best pet they have ever had. If you get a chance google Siberian chipmonks and you'll find all kinds of information on them. Most of it is in the UK but the info is still good.
Chickmama and her DH just left. I am out of guineas for the year. One small one escaped the cage. I hope I can catch it later. I have one that had spraddle leg and I kept it. That only leaves the lavenders the mamma lavender brought in. The owl got one I had moved to the garage the other day so I'll just keep the girls and one of the boys next spring and sell the others. They took the guineas and a few young pullets. Looks like I have several young cockerels I'll need to move later. Oh well meat is meat!
I need to get back out and finish feeding and watering. I'm feeling worn out and would love to take a nap instead.
Trish I imagine we'll be fighting colds all winter again unless we get some good hard freezes. I guess there are a few good things about cold winters although in my mind that is hard to accept.

 

[chicken danz]

Ha! Ha! I just realized I was mispelling chipmunk. What a dumb broad I can be!!!

 

[Trish44]

Danz, here is a link to the ad I saw on CL for the chipmunks, it's still there, along with a bunch of other birds & such: http://wichita.craigslist.org/grd/3352009602.html. My DH would kill me if I got something like that. He already thinks I've lost my mind with all of these birds I have here & the rabbits. I showed him the pics of yours today & he just kind of looked at me like don't you dare even think about it. Oh & this has nothing to do with chipmunks, but I saw a pic Candace posted on FB of Xena & Herc together, they're going to make awesome puppies when she breeds them when they're old enough! They have been playing together a lot I guess.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Thanks Danz I will have to wait and see what you have then. A neighbor brought by 4 turkey poults with what looks like a terrible respiratory thing. Their eyes were swollen and goopy and they had off white nasal discharge and were sneezing up and storm and breathing very heavily. He wanted my help so I told him I would come down to help. I feel terrible for the little ones, but not sure if there is much I can do. Besides antibiotics what else is there?
There is a lady in town moving and is giving away here animals and she has one guinea about 5 months, she wants me to take it. I do not have any guineas but it is something I have been wanting to get into, I need advice, wisdome from you guinea people.

 

[chicken danz]

Yeah Candace sent me the picture. I am very proud that Zena is turning out so well. She is pretty like her Mom and Dad!! Ha! Ha! I still need to get a male to breed Cloud to, but don't really want to take on another dog.
I couldn't get that add to come up. I even did a search. If your DH saw them I'll bet he would sucker. I would have never said, "I'm going to buy chipmonks." But I had seen them at the Gardner auction and thought they were adorable but out of my budget. So I read up on them and was pleasantly surprised to find this pair and win the auction in Yates Center. I just wish I had more room for their cage. I really don't like having animals in the dining room.

 

[chicken danz]

Sunflower just posted this: Pretty cute!
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/05/11/egreetings/image/01.swf

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Beautiful day for working outside! That's where I've been most of the day. We moved the little chicks in with the bigger chicks in the bigger brooder to make way for the chicks that will be hatching this week. Next week, if all goes well, I should hatch a few of my own ducklings, too.

So I made the Atwoods run and while there noticed they had 22 ducks priced at buy one, get one free. So I took all of them! They are already about 2 weeks old so all I have to do is feed them for 4 weeks and then sell the ones I don't keep. They look like Khaki Campbells and Pekins, about half and half. I have them all settled in a breeder pen. I don't think they are going to need any heat, unless the temps really take a dive, because there are so many of them. I put the tarp on the pen so it blocks the wind and they are happily messing around in the pen. Tonight I'll make them go in the house and they will be nice and cozy in there with lots of wood chips and each other to keep warm.

Danz, I'm so glad your bird perked up! That's awesome! Oh, while we were getting the ducks settled, Lucy made a big pest of herself. She stayed right under foot the entire time. Once she had been held and loved on by each of us, then she decided to dust bathe while we watched the ducks settling in. She is the sweetest little thing. I like bantams but don't love them, but this little girl I absolutely love!

Tookie is looking a little under the weather today so I started her on antibiotics. Tom is fine and the other birds seem to all be just fine too, so we'll see. I need to lime up the yard so I don't have to worry about blackhead. It needs lime anyway because of all the wood chips.

 

[Kansas Prairie]

Danz,
Cute chipmunks! Did you get them for breeding and selling? They are very cute!

Trish,
I need to finish getting my waterers ready, you have motivated me! I gathered the buckets and then I put them back out the next day when the weather guys were wrong and it didn't freeze.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Danz, OMGosh! That's hilarious!