Consolidated Kansas

[JosieChick]

I'm of the same thought-- which is why I don't want the guard dogs. More mouths to feed when I already have horses killing the monthly bill. Secure pens and coops can take the place of dogs.
I probably wouldn't have dogs if I didn't have the geese. They really don't tolerate being penned all the time and need grazing time. Although, I really like having Molly out there when I am out doing chores at night in the dark and she is a fabulous watch dog out front too. People are terrified of her. They won't get out of their truck until I come out and call her off!! So she is useful in many ways here.


Looks like i'm behind again. I'm going to fluff around today a bit. I need to do a lot of laundry, but otherwise, I'm going to get my grain put out for the horses and do all of my cleaning/refilling for the chickens and call it a day. I have a GNO (girls night out) tonight and I want to get my hair set up so it has plenty of time to dry. I guess it won't be much of a fluff day with all the laundry I plan on doing. But at least i'm not running errands or going anywhere.
You are so lucky, have fun on GNO!! I haven't had one of those in forever. I was just talking to a really good friend back east and she said she was dying to go too. I miss her a lot, we spent a lot of time together.

Very pretty! I have one BCM but she isn't laying yet. I am excited to see her egg.
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!

Hahahaha! Love this! Read it out loud to DH and it cracked him up too!

JOSIE,
This one is for your DH!

COLLEGE EXAM

Bob from Youngstown,Ohio was in an advanced Biology class at Y.S.U.(YOUNGSTOWN STATE UNIVERSITY) and was taking his mid-term exam. The last question was, 'Name seven advantages of Mother's Milk.' The question was worth 70 points or none at all. Bob, in particular found it difficult to think of six, much less seven advantages. However,Bob thinking what he would like to write instead wrote: 1) It is the perfect formula for the child.2) It provides immunity against several diseases.3) It is always the right temperature.4) It is inexpensive.5) It bonds the child to mother, and vice versa.6) It is always available as needed. And then Bob was stuck. Finally, in desperation, just before the bell rang indicating the end of the test, he wrote: 7) It comes in two very attractive containers of various sizes and it's high enough off the ground where the cat can't get it. Bob got an A.

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. Silly turkeys!
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. Keep me posted! I would love a boy if you wind up with an extra.
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!!!
There is! I bought a bunch of lavender orps this summer and I have so many boys. I hate to butcher them but nobody wants them so they are going to freezer camp tomorrow.

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. My turkeys were getting so rotten with my hens that I had to move them out of the pen. The tom kept picking chickens up by the back of their neck!

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. I know, it is such a pain to find roos good homes. I really like the lady he is going to, she is super nice and she only lives 15 mins from me!

Cute gingerbread houses!! I always want to do one every year but never find the time. I am hoping having a child will give me an excuse to make time to have fun doing stuff like this!

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!

Well we are packing and organizing today. DH has been organizing the pod with all our boxes of stuff. We have donated a lot of stuff too which is good because we needed to get rid of some stuff!
Had our doctors appt yesterday and everything looks good! I have only gained 5 pounds which surprised me but the nurse said enjoy it while it lasts and I am lucky. We have to wait 2 MORE WEEKS for our sonogram!! I am so bummed. DH's schedule is all messed up because he is leaving next weekend for NY for his conference so we have to wait until the 14th to find out. I have been dying to get in for this sonogram for so long and now I have to wait. It's like being a little kid at Christmas!

Well we need to get back out and finish packing up stuff. Then we need to get stuff set up to butcher tomorrow. I hate butchering but I think I mostly hate getting everything set up and once we have done that I don't mind the actual processing.

 

[Trish44]

Josie, how exciting that you're packing, ugh I hate moving it's so much work so I don't envy you that. I'm sure you will be glad once you get moved though that you're closer to everyone & your DH won't have so far to drive either. That's a bummer you have to wait for your sonogram, but on a positive note the baby will have a bit more time to grow too. I never got to find out the sex when I was pregnant way back when, they couldn't see well enough & they wouldn't even let me watch the sonogram at that time. The ones now are so much better too, clearer & you can see so much more. I'm excited for you!

Well I got the little pen moved out of my way this morning, my DH helped me move it & then he helped me move dog run panels over to where I wanted the pen. We got it all set up as much as we could. I'm missing two corner brackets, so two corners only have one bracket. I'm going to have to see if I can find some somewhere. Does anybody know who might sell those bolt on brackets for dog runs or even just chain link? The gate was really screwed up so we had to work at getting it straightened up, I can't imagine how they got it the screwy way it was, all off kilter. We noticed that the top of the panel in the back looks like a tree branch fell on it & bent it in some, but it will be OK. I did decide after getting it all set up that I want to put the turkeys in there, they will just have do much more room in there to move around than where they are & the Ameraucanas can go where the turkeys are now. I'm sure the turkeys will appreciate the extra room, they seem to be pacing at the door now that I have let them out quite a bit wanting to come out & get some exercise. I just hope they don't continue to pick on my hens or they will be staying in their pen. I'm going to get the netting on the top of the pen in the morning & then put the tarps on.

Well gotta go again & run some errands, today has been busy & tomorrow will be too.

 

[chicken danz]

Just got home after a long day of moving my Dad and trying to put things away for him where he could find them. I stayed in town to finish and DH came back home mid afternoon. Someone had opened the gate to the wild turkey pen. It had been opened toward the inside and two of the four turkeys were out. DH managed to catch one of the girls but my Tom is gone. He said it flew over the South barn and he hasn't seen it since. So now I have 3 hens and no Tom's cause I just sold the other Tom in October. What worries me worse is this turkey was hatched by me and is 18 months old and has never been in the wild before. He has no idea how to hunt for himself or be self preserving. He could easily be coyote bait.
Someone had to come in and open that gate cause if the turkeys could have possibly jarred the latch open it would have swung to the outside, not the inside. I was out there this morning before I left to let the chickens out and it was in tact then.
There's a lot of hunters around right now and there is also one person who I have feared would do something like this if they ever knew I wasn't home. I don't know if those who have been around a while, remember when I had some guineas and some laying hens stolen from their pens last spring. I am pretty upset. I really don't want to have to have chains and padlocks on every thing around here. I just really want my Tom back, not as much for his actual value but because I know he wouldn't survive in the wild. He would probably walk up close to someone if they had a feed bucket. It would make him a perfect target for a hunter. I guess I will have to sell my girls if I don't get him back cause I will never find another wild Tom that is somewhat domesticated.
Bummer!!!!
Maidenwolf I think the small cochin appears to be purebred. It could also be a girl. It doesn't have that predominant red comb. The little red one I think is half orpington, half sussex unless it has feathers on it's feet, then it would be half sussex and half brahma. When those were bred in that pen there was just the sussex roo with the sussex and orpington hens. But occasionally the big brahma roo would fly in for a visit. If it weren't for his visits back then I would be sure she was sussex orp. I have some now that just look like a darker orpington except they have some black spotty feathers here and there.

 

[sharol]

Well I got the little pen moved out of my way this morning, my DH helped me move it & then he helped me move dog run panels over to where I wanted the pen. We got it all set up as much as we could. I'm missing two corner brackets, so two corners only have one bracket. I'm going to have to see if I can find some somewhere. Does anybody know who might sell those bolt on brackets for dog runs or even just chain link? T

They have fence parts at Orschleins in Topeka. I would think any place that sold fence and gates would have it.

 

[sunflowerparrot]

Getting ready for LOCKDOWN....

I have 2 hygrometers in my incubator.

Many questions:
1) What humidity range do I need during the lockdown?
2) How do I keep the humidity up during the lockdown without opening the incubator? (Brinsea 20)
3) What do I do if the humidity drops during lockdown? Can I open quickly to put in more water?
4) I assume that once chicks start hatching, their moisture will help to keep humidity levels high?
5) Can humidity get too high? What is the max level?
6) I stop turning once lockdown starts - right? And what position do I put the incubator in for lockdown - straight up?
7) Thursday is day 21 - I start lockdown on Monday evening, right?
8) How late after 21 days could unhatched chicks still hatch?

Sorry for all the questions - I just want to make sure I give my chicks the best chance for survival.

 

[chicken danz]

I don't own a brinsea but I can give you a few tips. Humidity for hatching should be between 55 and 70% ideally. I doubt that you could get the humidity too high unless you filled the incubator with water. Put a wet rag or sponge in there to raise the humidity. Yes stop turning. I think you need to have the incubator sitting flat so the the tops of the eggs are up. Depending on what you are hatching I don't like to stop turning too early. I wouldn't stop turning over 3 days before day 21. I like to stop on day 19 myself, unless I am hatching bantams which often hatch early. Temperatures and humidity during incubation make a huge difference in when eggs hatch. I would allow at least 3 days to hatch and it can go up to 5. If this is your first hatch give it some extra time.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Just got home after a long day of moving my Dad and trying to put things away for him where he could find them. I stayed in town to finish and DH came back home mid afternoon. Someone had opened the gate to the wild turkey pen. It had been opened toward the inside and two of the four turkeys were out. DH managed to catch one of the girls but my Tom is gone. He said it flew over the South barn and he hasn't seen it since. So now I have 3 hens and no Tom's cause I just sold the other Tom in October. What worries me worse is this turkey was hatched by me and is 18 months old and has never been in the wild before. He has no idea how to hunt for himself or be self preserving. He could easily be coyote bait.
Someone had to come in and open that gate cause if the turkeys could have possibly jarred the latch open it would have swung to the outside, not the inside. I was out there this morning before I left to let the chickens out and it was in tact then.
There's a lot of hunters around right now and there is also one person who I have feared would do something like this if they ever knew I wasn't home. I don't know if those who have been around a while, remember when I had some guineas and some laying hens stolen from their pens last spring. I am pretty upset. I really don't want to have to have chains and padlocks on every thing around here. I just really want my Tom back, not as much for his actual value but because I know he wouldn't survive in the wild. He would probably walk up close to someone if they had a feed bucket. It would make him a perfect target for a hunter. I guess I will have to sell my girls if I don't get him back cause I will never find another wild Tom that is somewhat domesticated.
Bummer!!!!
Maidenwolf I think the small cochin appears to be purebred. It could also be a girl. It doesn't have that predominant red comb. The little red one I think is half orpington, half sussex unless it has feathers on it's feet, then it would be half sussex and half brahma. When those were bred in that pen there was just the sussex roo with the sussex and orpington hens. But occasionally the big brahma roo would fly in for a visit. If it weren't for his visits back then I would be sure she was sussex orp. I have some now that just look like a darker orpington except they have some black spotty feathers here and there.

I am sorry about your tom escaping. Hopefully he survives or gets hungry and comes home. I would buy a hen or 2 but I am sure those are quiet expensive. I miss my turkey hens.
The little cochin is looking very much like a hen and the 2 sussex just have quiet red combs and are really dominant,, darn it!! They are pretty and was hoping there was a hen. The little lighter colored one has feathered feet. No evidence of sussex since it has grown feathers. When she was fluff she looked like the other 2. She looks more dark buff. Could that be since she is a hen and the other 2 are roosters, I know the genes carry over according to sex. I am going to have to set the boys aside to be grown for food.

 

[PrairieChickens]

I missed several pages and I'm not going to be able to catch up, so if anyone said anything I need to know about, let me know what page it's on and I'll go read it.

My husband is anxious to get more chicks again, which amuses me to no end. It's not that he was opposed to the idea of getting chickens to start with, but he is a city boy originally, and it tickles me that he's so into the chickens.

He was telling me last night that he was doing searches online for places he could buy chicks and was disappointed to find that they were all sold out. In particular, I know he's wanting some Jersey Giants, and we do have the room for them--it just may have to wait until spring.

 

[chicken danz]

My turkey is around this morning but he is no way getting close to the pen. I went out and dropped some netting between halves of the pen in my jammies this morning in hope he would walk in the gate to get food. So far no good. I can't leave it like that long. There is too much danger of the girls getting out.
I need to go out later and finish building the pen for the blue slate turkeys. If I had a place to keep them in the meantime I would just leave that gate open and put food and water in there. There just isn't a place to do it though. I still have to figure out where to put my turkeys and my guineas while I am finishing the pen. I need the netting and one of the panels from the pens they are in to do it.
Did you get you package Maidenwolf? You wouldn't want these turkeys cause although they were hatched and raised in captivity they are still wild turkeys not domestic. I just hope I can somehow coax this boy into his old pen. I wish I had a turkey call. It would be nice to be able to play on his hormones. If I can't get him back I have a buyer I know would take them. I just have so much time and money invested in this group I hate to give them up.

 

[sunflowerparrot]

I don't own a brinsea but I can give you a few tips. Humidity for hatching should be between 55 and 70% ideally. I doubt that you could get the humidity too high unless you filled the incubator with water. Put a wet rag or sponge in there to raise the humidity. Yes stop turning. I think you need to have the incubator sitting flat so the the tops of the eggs are up. Depending on what you are hatching I don't like to stop turning too early. I wouldn't stop turning over 3 days before day 21. I like to stop on day 19 myself, unless I am hatching bantams which often hatch early. Temperatures and humidity during incubation make a huge difference in when eggs hatch. I would allow at least 3 days to hatch and it can go up to 5. If this is your first hatch give it some extra time.

Thanks Danz... I also read that the potting cups are great to soak and put in the incubator - they hold moisture well. Do I keep the temp at the 99.5/100? It has maintained that temp the entire time so far.