Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

Karen, I hope your "daughter" doesn't loose all her things. I can't imagine how devastating a flood would be. I just had a basement flood in 93 and the destruction was awful. The after effects were even worse.
Karen what are you doing on your little breeding pens for winter? Are you going to run extension cords to heat water or what? I am seriously considering building some separate facilities for some of these birds. I want to finish the trailer but even if I do DH still has to get the foundation part done. He has made no attempts whatsoever. Nothing much has gotten done around here. He spends so much time rethinking it all that the action gets delayed forever.
Kansas Prairie, LF cochins are big birds. I would assume they would be a good meat bird but then I'm not sure anyone would want to butcher one. I've sold some half breeds for butchering. The hens are not supposed to be great layers but mine have turned out pretty darned good. I have one white cochin who always laid by the back porch. She is in molt right now. She would lay 5 of 7 days without a hitch. I personally believe they are pretty average layers but not like a production hen or a leghorn. They are great incubators for sure.
I've got to do some major bird moving today. I have 2 large bins of chicks in here and a ton of chicks in the hatcher that have to come out. I need to make some more room in the brooder house, but to do that I have to move some birds out. I need to shuffle pens. I still have to complete dividing one house and pen as well. Never ends around here. I 'd sure be more up for it if it were warmer outside.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Yay for making diapers Hawkeye, I have the big snap press but I haven't used it for diapers. Maybe I will have a good reason to since my oldest dd is going to have a baby. Is PUL and laminate the same thing? I've never thought about the elastics, I ususally use braided because it's softer but swimsuit elastic is soft too. I've never seen it before though. I want to sew sooooo bad. I have a table covered with clothes I'm sorting right in front of my sewing area that I need to get cleaned up. Thank God those darned clothes are moving out of here quickly. It's one of my most dreaded jobs, I dislike it so much but I have to do it twice per year. Now I keep telling myself that every time I do I have 2 less tubs becuase I don't have to keep the clothes the youngest girl and boy grow out of .

PUL is polyurethane laminate, and the company applies it to a fabric (polyester fabrics work BEST!) with a huge press that heats the film and melds it to the fabric as it runs through a heavy press that uses weight to laminate with. I've seen people laminate cotton... heck, I've done it! But have regretted it over and over. Don't ever buy cotton laminate, it's not worth it. It delaminates fast and the cotton shrinks after washing, so then it becomes a big mess. Not only that, but for some reason, the cotton becomes really hard and does not stay soft and flexible. I use Lastin-- that is the brand of elastic I use. It is specifically made to stand up to multiple washings, chlorine, etc, etc. You just can't kill Lastin. It's a clear elastic, and I buy it online in quantities of about 50 yards at a time. It goes FAST. Every time I think I have bought enough, I come up empty handed again. You do have to learn how to work with it. NEVER stitch a straight line thru it-- it will rip apart. I use a wide zigzag and stretch it at the same time that I sew it. Takes a bit of practice, but once you get it, you'll never go back to polybraid again. I also buy the wider Lastin-- the narrow kind doesn't seem to hold up like the wider stuff does. If you ever do buy some and have trouble with it, I can help pin point what might be going wrong and get it working for you. It has a lot more stretch to it than polybraid, so the other thing is to be careful how far you are pulling it out while you stitch it-- you might be making it too tight. Done that too... LOL!


Danz-- I've been asking my DH to get those holes dug ALL summer long for my new pens! So annoying when they work at the speed of snail. I get it.

 

[Kansas Prairie]

I finally found some info. on Oxine, it says when used in HVAC (Heating Venting Air Conditioning) applications, to clean duct work in homes,

Cover all air vents with filter media and use drop cloths around work areas as​

this product may fade some fabrics.

TOXICITY AND SAFETY
One of Oxine’s trademark qualities is its low toxicity and safety rating by the
EPA. Rated as a category III, Oxine does not leave an active chemical residue
and quickly degrades to simple table salt.
Oxine does not use any propellant or flammable ingredients, enhancing its
safety qualities.
And, it is a NO-RINSE product, making it very easy to apply. Once applied,
Oxine dries leaving the system virtually residue-free.
APPLICATION METHODS
Although it is not required, it is recommended that Oxine be applied by the
applicator wearing a NIOSH/ MSHA approved respirator with an Organic​

Vapor/ Acid Gas Cartridge.

 

[Hawkeye95]

I finally found some info. on Oxine, it says when used in HVAC (Heating Venting Air Conditioning) applications, to clean duct work in homes,

Cover all air vents with filter media and use drop cloths around work areas as​

this product may fade some fabrics.

TOXICITY AND SAFETY
One of Oxine’s trademark qualities is its low toxicity and safety rating by the
EPA. Rated as a category III, Oxine does not leave an active chemical residue
and quickly degrades to simple table salt.
Oxine does not use any propellant or flammable ingredients, enhancing its
safety qualities.
And, it is a NO-RINSE product, making it very easy to apply. Once applied,
Oxine dries leaving the system virtually residue-free.
APPLICATION METHODS
Although it is not required, it is recommended that Oxine be applied by the
applicator wearing a NIOSH/ MSHA approved respirator with an Organic​

Vapor/ Acid Gas Cartridge.

This is if you use it with the activator. You don't have to use it that way. You can just mix it up and put it in a spray bottle and avoid the whole fogging, etc. People bring Oxne to shows in a bottle and spray down the coops before and after they put birds in. It can be directly sprayed onto most anything safely. It's pretty easy and safe to use.

 

[chicken danz]

Hawkeye I have to laugh thinking about your cobbling. Yeah, been there and done that....like on a regular basis. I can't imagine getting by without netting though. When I think of the money I have invested in birds it makes me feel overly grateful for the netting. I've even used it as quick fencing cause with a handful of cable ties you can have a barrier up in a matter of minutes.

Kansas Prairie, I'm not sure about the oxine. I could do a test. I would think it might be safe because it is used to purify public water systems.
Aw.... I see you just did some research. The respirator is only "necessary" if you are fogging an indoor area. It is recommended you don't breath the fumes for 10 minutes after mixing in the activator.
Hawkeye I could auger my own holes but he doesn't think I can hit the right spot. And of course I just can't go out and do it because I can't lift the auger to get it installed on the tractor. I have these great implements but can't handle their weight to use them by myself. I think I need one of those quick attachment things, but I have no idea how they work or if they would help.

I forgot to mention that I cleaned out my garden a couple days ago and left the gate open so the birds could go in and scratch around at the stuff that was left. It's awesome. If they keep their interest up I won't have to till it! Okay, so maybe that is an exaggeration, but they are doing a remarkable job of digging in plant matter and loosening the dirt.

 

[mommahen10]

Hawkeye, do you have a link for the Lastin?

Kansas Prairie, that sounded quite safe until I read that last part. I haven't ever used it but everything I hear I think it sounds similar to using bleach, even down to fading fabrics. I hope you didn't get it on something important.

 

[mommahen10]

We let our chickens out thinking they would finish off the garden. HA! They went stright for the wheat we planted. I don't even know how they knew it was there. Naughty chickens. We were thinking of fencing it to let the pigs have at it though, now that would be some serious tilling.

 

[chicken danz]

Oxine is nothing like bleach. Bleach is a toxic substance and Oxine is really safe and remarkable stuff. I would never use bleach for the things I use oxine for. You have to rinse bleach to get rid of it's effects and it leaves a film. Oxine doesn't do that.
Believe me if I could do with bleach what I do with Oxine I would save my self $20-$30 a gallon!

I put a fence around my garden just to keep the birds out. My plans were to make chicken tunnels and let them do the weeding and bug eliminating for me. I didn't get the tunnels built but I love the concept. Maybe next year.

 

[Kansas Prairie]

This is if you use it with the activator. You don't have to use it that way. You can just mix it up and put it in a spray bottle and avoid the whole fogging, etc. People bring Oxne to shows in a bottle and spray down the coops before and after they put birds in. It can be directly sprayed onto most anything safely. It's pretty easy and safe to use.

Thanks Hawkeye,
Is it still pretty effective without the activator? Is the mix ratio the same without the activator?

 

[chicken danz]

Not Hawkeye but I use the unactivated stuff full strength for some things and mixed for other, depending on what I am doing with it. The average mix is 2/3rd cup per gallon of water. That makes it go a long ways. For the brooder in a spray bottle I have a mix of about half and half unactivated and water. I use it that strong so I can spray the wood floor so I can kill any mold or germs.
On the rare occasions when I do a total clean of the brooder house. I remove all the birds, shavings and every thing else. I mix the oxine with the activator as prescribed per gallon and then actually mop it down. I let it air dry before I put new bedding and the chicks back in.
I use activated oxine to wash eggs with for selling. I just pour some into the kitchen sink half full of water. I also use activated oxine in a bucket of water to wash down the incubators, feeders, waterers etc. A cup full in a bucket does a great job. I've used the same thing to clean floors and sinks and stuff.