Consolidated Kansas

[maidenwolfx80]

I ran it for 7 days this fall when i needed it just to be safe.

Thank you. and it is a 14 day hold on eggs? I want to find a way to use them, I hate to haev them go to waste. My family uses so many eggs we have been tearing thru the eggs that my girls have been laying. They started in oct and have been giving my 5-7 eggs daily and not all are laying yet some should start any day now.

Here is the polish mix. I dont know if it is a boy or girl there is no comb what so ever. It is so stinking cute. Its name Mohawk



This little one looks like a hen to me and looks like a cochin or cochin cross?The little gold one is in 2 pics it looked exactly like the sussex crosses when they were the same size but is more golden now so posible has more of the brahma in her( I think it is a hen)
And finally, the 3 month old cochin who is a total hunk, ( I dont see hackle or saddle feathers not sure if they develope differently for cochins)

 

[mstng67]

Thank you. and it is a 14 day hold on eggs? I want to find a way to use them, I hate to haev them go to waste. My family uses so many eggs we have been tearing thru the eggs that my girls have been laying. They started in oct and have been giving my 5-7 eggs daily and not all are laying yet some should start any day now.

.

Yes. 14 days. I know it seems such a waste. Is there any other animal you could feed the eggs too?

 

[chicken danz]

I don't think I'd worry much about infectious coryza. It is a disease more likely to occur in tropical areas and warm areas. It could happen here but it would be more likely to happen in the spring when birds are migrating north, not south. Just the same the wild birds are the major transporters of most of the chicken colds and flues unless you bring in sick birds from elsewhere. I think having a few early freezes will help this year with colds and such. Lat year was awful!!
I would also use duramycin for 7 days. If you aren't seeing some improvement though in 4-5 it may not work at all.
My new little chicks are messy and pigs. It's amazing how they managed to ruin their bedding all ready and how much food and water they have gone through.
Well it took most of the afternoon but I got the new netting on the peacock pen. DH came up with a great idea to bend rebar from one end to the other over the top of the center post I installed at an angle that helps support the netting I put up. I had always had to bend over to walk through that pen cause it was made from cattle panels. Now I can actually stand up. I got the new boy and the white older peahen moved in there so they are getting to know each other. I had sun shade material along the bottom of the pen to give the pheasants I had in there some privacy. I am sure glad I left it cause the peacock I have in the next pen and the new guy were not happy being next to each other.
Then DH installed a pole in between and on top the two sets of kennels I had set up for the wild turkeys. I joined netting of the two pens together by cable tying it to the pole.
I changed direction of the second set of netting so I had enough to hang down on the front side.
Then we loosened one end and moved the center panel to the front where I had previously had a gate panel. It doubled their pen size from a 10' X10' to a 10' by 20'. Then all I had to do was secure the netting on the front of the panel we moved. It worked like a charm. Those wild turkeys are crazy and I was scared they'd freak and get out.
They will thank me later. They moved to the new section and just stood there looking around. I think they thought, "Oh crap! We are out of our pen....now what do we do???" They were checking it out later and kept walking back and forth across where the divider panel had been like they were seeing if it was real or not. I love turkeys...even these crazy ones.
So tomorrow I have to get up early and we are moving my Dad. I honestly hope it doesn't take all that long. I need to get back home and get more work done. I've got to figure out where to put my youngest guineas and my blue slate turkeys for long enough to move one more panel, then take the netting off those two kennels and put it on top of a new double pen for the blue slates. I need to set up another kennel for those guineas. I wish I could just put them in with the others but the silly guineas are too territorial and would beat up the younger ones. I want to eventually build another pen just for guineas and use the pen they are in for the pheasants.
It's bird migration from one part of the yard to another. But when I get it done I will have to feed and water in fewer places. It will still be as many pens but they will be closer together.
Meanwhile while I was doing the pen building I got the duck pond drained, vacuumed and refilled. It was getting pretty nasty!!! I decided it wasn't going to be any warmer when I could get it done.
Josie I am sure I will have an extra white orp roo if I can hatch some more chicks. The four chicks I have are doing well for now anyway. There is such a high demand for good quality white orpingtons.
They are super rare. I am on a waiting list for a pair of English imports. This guy is the only person I can find in the U.S. that has imported English white orpingtons. He imported them himself two years ago. I am expecting to pay a couple hundred dollar a bird for that pair. I still have a few months to decide if I really want to go that broke for them or not. By that time I will see how my Hinksjc birds turn out. I am buying my daughter 5 chicks from some SQ birds in Texas as well. So hopefully between these and the ones in Texas we can trade eggs and I can breed for even better traits. But you know there is always an abundance of roos!!!

 

[Trish44]

Wow Danz, you're just going all the time, I don't know how you do it. It sounds like you're getting lots done on your pens though. I'm going to try to put up my dog run tomorrow if I can get my DH to help me move my little pen out there that is in the way. I had moved my little temporary pen with the shelter box on it out there just to get it out of his way for winter to get to the wood shed & now it's in MY way, go figure. I got all the wire put on the bottom of the fence to the panels that I wanted to, so now I should be ready to re-construct the thing. I sure hope all the brackets are there when I start putting it together. We were so aggravated when we took off the rusted poles on the bottom & put the new ones on because the darned bolts they used to hold the brackets on were barely & I mean barely long enough to hold the nut on each one. On the ends we had to really stretch to get the thing back together it was just so frustrating to deal with that. Here we were holding things that were under tension & then dealing at the same time with a short bolt, grrrr. Danz do you hold your netting on the top of the pens with cable ties? That's what I'm planning to do with mine. I love those things, I use them for everything. Oh & good luck with the moving, I hope it goes smoothly & quickly.

Today I had let my turkeys out to free-range for awhile & they were standing out in front of their pen when one of my Speckled Sussex hens walked up & started scratching around. I guess the one turkey hen didn't want her close to her pen because she walked over & pecked that hen really hard on the head. I had never seen one of them do anything to the chickens, so it kind of surprised me. The hen ran off of course & then the turkeys went over towards where the hen went, but nothing else happened thankfully. They usually just walk around grazing & not bothering anyone at all.

I have my black Ameraucana rooster that is an extra sold thanks to Josie. We're going to do some trading birds on Monday & she offered to transport my rooster for me to the gal that wants him. Thanks so much Josie, I wasn't looking forward to feeding him all winter! Now if I can find a home for the lavender Orpington rooster I think I will be good for awhile. I will just keep the Swedish Flower Hen roos until I can decide which ones for sure I want to keep & which I want to sell. The crested ones are still developing feathers, so I want to see how they grow out. There were two different groups of them so one was a tiny bit younger than the other. They older ones are starting to crow & they have been having contests to see who can crow the loudest I think. Those croaky attempts at crowing are so comical to hear.

 

[Trish44]

maidenwolf, those two in front in your photo do look kind of like roos, it's kind of hard until they start getting their rooster feathers, but if they get big combs & others don't, have bigger legs, are taller, etc. you can usually bet they're roosters. I have had a hard time with my Swedish Flower Hens because they seem to mature slower than other breeds. The two I would have bet were pullets have turned out later to be roos. It's especially hard with them because they have crests. I love your one with the mohawk, that's adorable! You have some cute chicks!

 

[cherwill]

So I got all excited yesterday when DH got the last of the yards cleaned up. Then he was looking at one of the car lots and the owner is gone and the guy filling in is a friend of DH's dad and he wants his yard cleaned up for fall. Since the big mower/leaf sucker seems to be working now, I guess he'd better take the job. I'm ready for it to be all done for the season, but what's one more lawn?!

I'm being so annoying about this car search. I know I am, but I don't seem to be able to stop myself. I really just want another SUV like my Montero even though I know it's probably not going to happen. I'm nitpicking the crud out of everything DH brings me to drive, but I just don't like any of them near as much as I like the Montero, or even the car I had before that. They're too big, or the windows are too small, or .... there's always something! Anything I do like, HE nitpicks to death. We don't appear to be happy with the same thing. I'm the one who'll be driving it so I think my opinion should count for more, but he's actually being more practical about things like the kind of mileage these vehicles get. I have this vision of us still doing this a year from now.

My mom started buying gingerbread house kits to do with my niece every year, but the last two years she's decided I have to be part of it and we need to do it at my house. My niece likes it because she can get me to do some of the outlining. They came over tonight and the only kit she could find was a small house and train engine instead of a bigger house like they usually do. My niece thought the train was neat, though, and she did a great job decorating. It's the cutest gingerbread project she's done, I think.







Sorry about that; I guess you have to stand sideways for that picture!

Lizzy, we didn't get a deer. Isn't it nice how much meat they provide? We really need one, or a few. We have exclusive permission to hunt on the land directly behind our property, the land owner said he doesn't let anyone else out there because our house is out there, of course we are more motivated to only shoot certain directions. I appreciate that. So my ds was out there, he's 15, and in his blind. The neighbor to the other side, he's a bit, ummmm, not so nice. He drove his truck back on his own property to the fence line where my ds was and just sat there and stared at him. Ds's blind is clearly marked out and obvious. This neighbor also had on his orange like he was out hunting or going to or something. So after my ds left, because he was a bit intimidated, he came home. He went out to take some practice/target shots and the same neighbor came and kept driving by and slowing way down and staring at him. DS at one point waived to him just to let him know he wasn't scared even though he is. I don't know what's up with him. Maybe he didn't recognize him, the last time he saw him my ds would have been quite little and now he's huge. We went down to some other property to avoid any conflict, but tomorrow we plan to go back out there but I will go with him. Last night and this evening we went out to another property, owned by our nice neighbor. Last night we saw places where the deer lay and prints, and we found an antler. Out further back we found a bigger area with lots of spots where they have been laying. Tonight, we sat where the smaller area is and waited for them to go to bed but they didn't come and it got too dark. We did see a doe when we first got there but it was too far off to get a clear shot. Of course, I'm not shooting anything, just spending time with my ds. I think tonight the wind wasn't in our favor in the position we were. I'm new to this hunting thing, this is the first year I've gone along.

I'm sorry the neighbor is being such a jerk. I don't know why it should matter to him if your DS hunts on property where he has permission to hunt. Some people are just not happy if they're not causing trouble for someone else.

Lizzy, do you soak your deer for a few days? I found that makes the taste much better and more mild. I thought I didn't like deer for years.

HEChicken, that is just it about this !@$#@$ iPad! Nobody quote me, I'm gonna delete this later. I didn't want it, I've been saying I don't want one. I like to type with 2 hands, I use designing type of software and need my computer. If I just want to check the weather, it's more efficient. If I want to come here or design, or sell on eBay I need my computer. I can do a quick check on my ebay or just read on here on the iPad but it's not what I go to. So my dh LOVEs his iPad, but he's playing poker on it or looking at facebook and he doesn't really type. He was constantly asking if I wanted one and I would say, oh, that's neat but no I don't want one. I like to type with 2 hands. He got me one, bought it in September and was saving it for our anniversary in December. That was so sweet. Thanksgiving came and for months now he asks if I want one, and I say no. We didn't have everything we needed for Thanksgiving so he gave it to me so I could take it back and get what we needed. NOT, they wouldn't take it back because it had been too long. 15 day return policy. I said thanks, I suppose my kids just got a new toy. It hadn't even been out of the store sack, I didn't even take it out and look at it. I've had it for like a week. It's nice to keep them busy when I need to do something but mostly it's a PITyou know what because the kids all want to be on it and they're not getting their work done, then these charges and I think this thing is a curse. I guess you can make calls on them now, although I don't have that set up. I had an iPod touch, my dh got it for me when my youngest was a tiny baby. He was an extrememly needy baby, required constant attention, my early baby but as he got older he had severe anemia and was just hard. He wanted to play but didn't have the energy to but we didn't know what was going on. The iPod was awesome for my sanity then, it gave me something to do besides peek-a-boo 24/7, I could hold him and still be in touch with the outside world. That was 4 years ago, it's sat on my dresser for 2 years now. I could check email, or get on a forum but it was small enough it was just like texting, I did think a little bit bigger would be nice but just another inch or two. I didn't have any music on it at all, the only movie on it was a Barney movie. That was worth it, but at the time and under the circumstances. I don't need it, don't want it, don't want the iPad either, it's not me. I may grab it to check the weather or peek at my auctions, or maybe to wait at a dr. appt, but seriously don't need this thing. I don't mind the touch screen if it's sensitive, I always use my real keypad on my phone though and it has both touch and buttons. I could text accurately on the ipod but not on the touchscreen on my phone but the iPad is too big to hold like that to type.

I've thought about getting an iPad, but I don't think I'd do anything with it that I can't already do on my iPod Touch or my phone. I got my Touch a couple of years ago, pooled together birthday and Christmas money. I use it all the time. I use it when I'm mowing to block the sound of the mower, so it gets many hours of use just from that during mowing season. I also installed the Kindle app and downloaded some free books. When I was done mowing and waiting for DH to finish edging, I would read. I have an adaptor to use it in my car and an iHome for when I'm in the kitchen. I listen to music a lot! I also use it to see what my nieces and nephews are up to because Facebook is about the only way I can find out anything for some of them. I check the Weather Channel app regularly. Anything else, I think I'd still prefer to do on my desktop computer.


Cherwill, we have boxes of just keepsakes. You can't put out everything and I would think they would understand too.

That's what I ended up doing, just putting them in a box in the basement. I have a box of things my nieces and nephews have made for me, too. Sometimes it really bugs me to store useless things, but at the same time, it's hard to think about just getting rid of them.

My class is hatching eggs for mommahen10. We candled yesterday on day 16. I'm new at candling and the kids took the pics so neither of us did the best job in the world, but it was pretty amazing. We removed the unfertlized eggs so they won't explode. One class was lucky enough to see a baby splay his toes out and open and close it's beak! We're all excited. We started late afternoon on a Tuesday, so next Tues and Wed we should have chickies! We have 34 viable eggs, so we are hopeful that we will have a great hatch for mommahen and her family. We are honored to be able to share this experience and learning. Many of my kiddos are from big cities and only know food comes from McDonald's. It's a whole new world for them.

Thank you for the pictures. I'm not in a position to hatch eggs right now (and may never be), so I've never seen this.

I have 50 noisy, hungry and thirsty chicks. I couldn't believe every one of them arrived in perfect condition in this weather.

That's amazing, and wonderful that they all arrived alive and well.

I had just one package of chick saver on hand. I went to the cabinet to pull out my bin of chick meds and knocked a bottle of betadine on the floor. Plastic bottle but the cap broke and the entire bathroom floor was covered. I had on a new pair of jeans for a change so those and my shoes are in the washer. I sure hope that stuff comes out. I will be really upset if I ruined a pair of jeans. I cleaned the floor with bleach but I fear that the grout will be permanently stained. I have the fan going but the bleach smell is burning my eyes.
I also got another dozen eggs that were shipped on Monday. Nothing like late priority mail. I suppose with the holidays I should expect that. I haven't opened the box yet. Almost afraid to. These are some more white Orp eggs. I won't be ordering any more eggs for a while now. No sense pressing my luck. I should about have all I need other than some cream legbar eggs I'll get later for some replacements. I should be sitting pretty good unless I have some great losses.
I have ton to do today. I need to get that pen finished for the new peafowl and then build more pens for the turkeys. I have to line the sides where the wild turkeys will be or they will tear themselves up. Hopefully it will warm up soon. I need to do some more cleaning in the brooder as well.
This is going to be a busy weekend. Somehow I lost a day this week so now I feel behind. No wonder I was feeling good about my progress. I have to run eggs to town again today as well.
Kansas Prairie, I ordered them from Welp hatchery. I am supposed to be a retailer for them but the owner has never sent me back the go-ahead. It's almost like he doesn't believe I am going to resale the ones I order for other people. It wasn't much of a savings anyway. Maybe 20-30 cents per bird. I have been impressed so far with the birds I have gotten from them though. But these are for me so I guess that wouldn't count any way. They don't have Austrolop but Ideal poultry does and they should be available. You won't get show quality birds from these but that doesn't mean they are all junk birds either. Both of these hatcheries and most others for that matter contract out to breeders to hatch birds for them. The only lousy birds I have gotten from them have been from overstock that didn't sell. You get a cheaper price for a reason. The nice thing about these two hatcheries is the low amount you can buy at one time.
These I got today and going to be my egg layers and my future egg layer breeders....God willing...so I don't care about quality much.
ImaFarmerNow, I love seeing projects like that go on in school. That's awesome.
Woot! just got an email that my washer is in Topeka ready to be picked up.

I'm tired just from thinking about how busy you are!

Oh yuck, I hate the DMV. Bleah. We'll be spending some time at the Tag Office next week because we got me another vehicle. Finally. But we don't get it until Tuesday. I already added it to my insurance this morning, though. I'm soooo ready.

I can imagine how ready you are; it's been a while. I never used to hate the DMV because I'd always be the only one there. Now, though, people from Wichita are coming to our DMV. Apparently it's actually less time consuming for them to spend two hours on the road for the round trip AND wait in line than to go to a local DMV and wait in their lines. Unfortunately, it's created an hour long wait at our DMV unless you get there before 9 or so. I don't even want to know what it must be like at the Wichita DMVs. It wasn't that bad when I lived there.

Got all of my outdoor chores done. Now i need to start some more laundry and get my shower and set my hair. It is GORGEOUS outside, ya'll!!! OMGosh, I loved being out there!

Here is my pretty Marans egg I got today, it's really darker than the photo shows because the flash lightened it up, but this is the nicest one I have gotten since before they molted. The eggs lately have been paler & not as shiny, but this one is back to what they were before. When they lay they do lay nice eggs & I like adding them to my eggs I sell because people haven't seen them before & always comment on them.




It's really nice out today, I have to get out & do some more to my dog run. Everybody enjoy the weather!

That is a pretty egg. I still get a kick out of seeing all the different types of eggs my hens give me.

 

[chicken danz]

Maidenwolf your cochin is definitely boy but I was sure of that in the beginning. Cochins are slow growers and the easiest way to sex them is by build and their comb early. They have more fluff than hackle feathers until they get much older.
The two sussex mix do look like boys but sussex develop big combs fairly early. With the feathered feet they almost look like a jubilee cochin. The polish could go either way but I do believe it is a girl. She should have some wattles by now if it was a boy.
Trish it seems like I work my rear off but never get much done. Yesterday made me feel better cause it was projects I had worked on on a couple of days earlier and finally got finished. I really needed DHs help to move those panels in place and it went smooth that way. I don't know if I could have pulled it off by myself.
Yes Trish I use plastic ties on the netting. My one word of caution with them though is to be sure you buy UV resistant ones. In time they need to be replaced any way. When I took the netting off the old pheasant pen to raise the top and replace the netting I couldn't believe how easily they broke. I didn't have to use cutters. I would just gently pull and they would snap. Made me nervous after the fact because those melanistic pheasants were always jumping up and hitting the netting. I put a whole lot more ties on this time just because of that. Those were maybe 2 and a half years old and it was frightening how weak they were. I had 2 inch netting on that pen and replaced it with 1 inch. I like it much better cause the wild birds can't get in through it like they can the two inch. It does cost substantially more and tends to hold heavy snow more though. I am going to have to order some more netting too. I'm down to just scraps now. More expense but worth it.
I guess I'd better go get in the shower so I can get to town soon.

 

[mommahen10]

Kansas Prairie, that is so funny. I'm glad he got an A.

Cherwill, the ginger bread houses are adorable. We've done them before but I've never bought a kit. I have to admit yours are much cuter.
ImaFarmerNow, your Pics came out amazing!!! I love seeing them but it's even more amazing to think that these little babies are coming home with me just next week. Thank you so much for hatching for us. I will have their spot all ready and cozy warm for them.

Danz, if you keep bleaching the grout I think it'll keep fading over time. I wouldn't use it full strength though, it's not worth breathing that all the time. I hope it comes out. How were your jeans? *cringe* I'm sure you've opened your eggs by now, are they okay? If you're a retailer for the hatchery, can I buy white rocks from you? I'm assuming that the chicks you got are all pullets? I am leaning towards just doing white rock and not trying to breed for red stars at all. I think the white feathers seem kinda handy when it comes time to process them. If you end up with a roo you don't need, I may need one. My dh said I can get a barred rock roo. I have one barred rock hen, she's old but still laying. How old are your barred rock roos?

Trish, your egg is sooo beautiful.

Then hunting thing, I've found that I really enjoy going out with my ds. I never would have imagined that I could like something like that. Now, I've never actually seen the deer go down and I'm betting I'll close my eyes at times. It's just so neat to sit there with him, and see all of the cool things we find, and then the deer getting so close. WOW! I totally see this as an opportunity to spend time with him and I know that is a super good thing. I've been letting things go around here to go with him. I promised the other kids we would go on a hike after the season is over, it's just not worth having them out there with all the guns firing around. This morning, he went out with my dh. Last night as he was making plans I could tell he was so torn, he didn't want me to be disappointed and he wanted to go with me yet he wanted to go with his dad too. I think my dh was even a bit jealous over that one. It was funny, and sweet. They're out now, and if they get that buck that keeps coming through there they'll call us to come out with the trailer. My ds has a doe tag, my dh has a buck tag so that works. Later today they're leaving to go pick up some lumber and I'm going to have some time to clean up around here.

Have a great day all.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Trish and Danz- Thanks. Well the polish does not have any wattles at all. The sussex have tiny wattles coming in andof course there is that comb, they have huge feet and are bigger than the others. They constantly spar and are pretty dominant, they are not afraid to tell my hatchery chicks to back off. They are very speckled and some of the feathers on their backs looks like a messy hair day because they go in all different directions. The one in front has always had a larger comb and the second one is slowly growing, maybe it is a girl? The orange one, what is it anyway? The little black cochin in the pic, is that a cross? The big cochin I did happen to notice the way his feathers are growing down and rather pointed.

 

[Trish44]

Danz, the netting I got is UV resistant, I was going to use it before, but I think it will be better for this pen. I'm going to have a tarp over it too. I know that sounds weird to put a tarp over netting, but I like to put some kind of top on the pen & then the tarp to keep some rain out. I have one of the metal bars I had left that I didn't need to replace on the panels, so I think I'll use it to put in the middle of the pen to give it some support & keep the netting from sagging there. I'm still debating about whether to put the turkeys in there since it's bigger & put the Ameraucanas in where the turkeys are. I'll decide for sure when I get it put together. I think the turkeys would like to have more room & they don't use the dog house I have in their pen, so it would probably be better for the chickens anyway.

It must have sprinkled a bit this morning before we got up because the sidewalks & bricks were wet. It couldn't have been much because the ground isn't that wet. We sure could use some rain, I saw one day coming up next week some time where there is a fair chance of it, but who knows if we'll get any.

Well I have lots to do today, so I hope you all have a good day.