Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

Woot!

I got my first turkey egg!!!! It was one of the midget whites. I'm so thrilled. So I've been busy out packing straw for turkeys and geese. So much for working inside!!! I left the egg where it was in hopes some more would be laid. One of the hens was rolling it around with her beak so I don't know if she was the one that laid it or thinking about laying one herself. I need lots and lots of turkeys to pay for these other birds.
Josie one of the boys had hold of one of the girls and the other boy had hold of the first boy. It looked like they were playing choo-choo! And of course the others were flagging their wings and running in circles.
Hawkeye this guy is well known (Bruce of Hambrick farms in Georgia) and has a waiting list for most of his birds. He guarantees live delivery. We looked at the forecast and next week it looks like it is going to hoover around 50 degrees all week. IF the weather takes a dive he won't ship. He told me he would be watching the forecast and let me know which day would be the safest. A good picture of what I am getting and will be breeding is on Greenfire Farms under Brahma...blue/ gold partridge brahmas. They are breathtaking.
Any advice on how to make sure they stay healthy would be great. I've had shipped birds before but younger ones. I want to be sure these guys get off on the right foot.
I almost told DH but decided to just keep my mouth shut. I just said I need to decide which other breeds to sell so I could make room for some new ones.
Daren I still think I'd humanize that girl. Other wise how are you ever going to treat her for worms or fleas or anything? She's as dirty as my pups are right now.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Her is my 3 month old GP. I cant get within 50 feet of her . she thinks she is a goat, and thats where she sleeps.......lol
Ms. Tarna already has a huge bark. She will be a great gruad dog for sure.

Hey Daren! Long time, no read from you!

Your new little girl is really cute! I'd be dying to pet her! 50 feet, hu?? That's funny! Looks like she's well on her way to being the perfect guardian for you! Great pic-- love the stacked stones!

Woot!

I got my first turkey egg!!!! It was one of the midget whites. I'm so thrilled. So I've been busy out packing straw for turkeys and geese. So much for working inside!!! I left the egg where it was in hopes some more would be laid. One of the hens was rolling it around with her beak so I don't know if she was the one that laid it or thinking about laying one herself. I need lots and lots of turkeys to pay for these other birds.
Josie one of the boys had hold of one of the girls and the other boy had hold of the first boy. It looked like they were playing choo-choo! And of course the others were flagging their wings and running in circles.
Hawkeye this guy is well known (Bruce of Hambrick farms in Georgia) and has a waiting list for most of his birds. He guarantees live delivery. We looked at the forecast and next week it looks like it is going to hoover around 50 degrees all week. IF the weather takes a dive he won't ship. He told me he would be watching the forecast and let me know which day would be the safest. A good picture of what I am getting and will be breeding is on Greenfire Farms under Brahma...blue/ gold partridge brahmas. They are breathtaking.
Any advice on how to make sure they stay healthy would be great. I've had shipped birds before but younger ones. I want to be sure these guys get off on the right foot.
I almost told DH but decided to just keep my mouth shut. I just said I need to decide which other breeds to sell so I could make room for some new ones.
Daren I still think I'd humanize that girl. Other wise how are you ever going to treat her for worms or fleas or anything? She's as dirty as my pups are right now.

Congrats on the turkey egg! I don't know that I would have left it out there? Hopefully they don't break it open. They are such curious birds!
On the birds I've had shipped in-- I treated them like emergency cases. I give them the electrolyte water, but I put a pinch of sugar in it, too. I give the probiotic powder in the food top dressed. I cage them all together (or pen them). The first day they come out of the box, they always act a little off. After that, I keep checking crops to be sure they are eating. I think you'll be fine if you just keep checking and looking them over and staying ahead of them. It also couldn't hurt if you dab a bit of VetRX on their nose just in case, but I don't think you'd have to. I did on the ones I got in. Good luck!!! I'm glad they have a live delivery guarantee!

 

[chicken danz]

Thanks Hawkeye. That is basically what I do with younger birds. I just hope they start eating. You never know about a change and how it is going to effect the birds. I get so darned worried about them. I guess maybe I should ask him what he feeds. I don't want them rejecting the food I give them.
I figure this first turkey egg isn't fertile yet although those boys are trying to kill each other out there. I need my friend to show up and butcher them for me. I would be smarter to pull all the boys out but one but I don't have a place to put them right now. I had hoped to get the extras in the freezer before the laying started. I am just thrilled anyway. I love these guys and can't wait to start hatching those little devils.

 

[OzawkieKsBantams]

Daren I still think I'd humanize that girl. Other wise how are you ever going to treat her for worms or fleas or anything? She's as dirty as my pups are right now.

I spend about ten minutes a day in the goat pen with her before I let everyone out. She is getting better cause she has too. the pen is only 8' x 4' so she cant go far...lol so she really is getting better.

Thanks Laura Lee,
Its has been a while, I have been on a forum sabbatical. There for a while I was letting the forum life interfere with my home life. I didnt make many freinds during that! lol

 

[Frizzled Pink]

Josie I preferred kicking to ankles and elbows against my skin later on. One of my daughters used to run her heel as hard as she could against my stomach and it really hurt. I always kind of liked the kicking though. I guess it reminded me of the little person growing inside of me.
OH MY GOD! I just did it. I spent $700 on a trio of birds. I never thought that day would come. They'll be shipped next week. I'll just die if anything happens to them. These same birds are listed for $199 each as day old chicks on Greenfire and they haven't had any available for months. I also learned a lot about genetics from this guy. The birds he is sending will give me the best genetics to keep them going and produce the most offspring in the color I want. The original rooster he had, came from Dan Powell and the females were imported from Wales at the price of $700 per bird. I guess I'd better get to work on my taxes so I can pay for these!!! I also think I finalized a deal on the Breda fowl as long as she agrees to hold them long enough for the weather to warm up for a few days.
Hawkeye, the Breda fowl are wicked looked creatures. They have huge vulture hocks. Black or beautiful blue lacing. They have huge caverness nostrils, a tiny tuft on their heads, feathered feet, and absolutely no comb at all. The beauty is the no comb. Less to get damaged and or get frost bit. They are believed to be the basis from which a lot of modern day chickens were bred. Here's a link about them. http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Breda/BRKBreda.html
I am in love with their weird quirky looks. But they are also beautiful other than looked really strange.
I've got to get my act together and create a website so I can start shipping some of these unique birds.
Not that I am ready yet but I know how I postpone things.


Wow Danz--will be keeping fingers and toes crossed that everything works out fabulously for you on these.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Danz- congrats on the turkey egg.

 

[Trish44]

Well we had quite an adventure today with trying to haul a pile of tin sheets that were too long for my truck in the darned wind blowing like crazy. We never could get it tied down very well & made numerous stops on the highway coming back to Sunflowerparrot's place. Nobody, not one person stopped to help us at all. We finally ended up with Sunflowerparrot holding onto a tie down strap inside the truck with all of her might just to keep the darned tin in the truck. We managed to make it to her place where I left the tin for a less windy day. Whew, we told "R" that we were having an adventure today, ha. Then by the time we got back to her place with all of that we were all hungry & gave it up for the day without doing any building at all. So we'll work on the projects Thurs. instead.

I did come back home & get the last piece of hardware cloth over the last window in the front of my coop. Then I put up another piece of chicken wire at the top of the 2nd wall. I have one more to get up & I will have all the room dividers done. Then I just have 4 chicken doors to do & 4 roosts & the inside of the breeder coop will be done. Then I have to figure out how to build the 4 outside pens & get those put together. I had told my DH I need his help getting posts in & he just kind of looked at me like I was kidding. He has been working on day shift & still 10 hour days, so it is hard to find time to help me when there is any daylight. I wish we could have worked on it yesterday, but our granddaughter was there & you just don't get anything done when she is around. It was nice to see her, but I also have to get this coop & pens done, I'm running out of time. I honestly don't know if I can put in posts myself or not. I had rotator cuff surgery on my one shoulder a couple years ago & I sure would hate to hurt that again, that was not fun surgery.

Hawkeye, yeah I do have a GQF cabinet incubator besides my Brinsea, but I'm just not sure unless I just do one hatch for that guy & trade for some chicks I want that I want to do it. I want my incubator available when I want it for my own eggs & I don't even want chicks for a couple more months. I think if the guy wants to hatch so many chicks he's going to have to invest in a bigger incubator or more of them.

 

[chicken danz]

Trish once he starts paying someone to hatch he will probably figure out it wouldn't take long to buy another incubator. Even with 3 of GQFs and a separate hatcher I run out of room and have to use the little Giant styros for a few things. If I had a place to put them I'd be looking for a couple more of them. The only thing better would be one of those gigantic professional kinds that fill a room.
You need to take some more current pictures of the inside of your building. Seems like you've gotten a lot done on it.

I was talking to DH today about more birds to get sold out of here. I held onto my polish cause I have one silver penciled pair and several gold laced. The gold laced rooster is special even though he's old. I really wanted to have a few hatches out of the silver penciled girl but she hasn't laid an egg for a couple months. I don't know if she is done or what. She isn't that old but old enough to slow down. Anyway I think they will be the next ones to go.
I'm starting to get inquiries for 4H birds this year. I sure don't have much to offer right now. I need some of these girls to get a little older and start laying for me.
It is really hard to think about giving up some of these birds. But I have to if I am going to raise the fancy ones.
I just came upstairs to find my water jug. I've been working in the basement trying to make up for what I didn't get done today.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Thanks Hawkeye. That is basically what I do with younger birds. I just hope they start eating. You never know about a change and how it is going to effect the birds. I get so darned worried about them. I guess maybe I should ask him what he feeds. I don't want them rejecting the food I give them.
I figure this first turkey egg isn't fertile yet although those boys are trying to kill each other out there. I need my friend to show up and butcher them for me. I would be smarter to pull all the boys out but one but I don't have a place to put them right now. I had hoped to get the extras in the freezer before the laying started. I am just thrilled anyway. I love these guys and can't wait to start hatching those little devils.

Yep, I figured you had it all worked out. They can go downhill pretty fast. I had those two birds shipped to me last year that arrived fine and the very next day got sick. It was a struggle to get them to eat well and resorted to using a syringe with sugar water and salt to perk them up so they'd eat again. Mmmmm... turkey!! I'm excited for your new eggs! Turkey eggs are great! We ate lots of Seymore eggs, and they pretty much taste the same. We hard boiled nearly all of them and made scrambled eggs out of the rest.

I spend about ten minutes a day in the goat pen with her before I let everyone out. She is getting better cause she has too. the pen is only 8' x 4' so she cant go far...lol so she really is getting better.

Thanks Laura Lee,
Its has been a while, I have been on a forum sabbatical. There for a while I was letting the forum life interfere with my home life. I didnt make many freinds during that! lol

Well, I totally get that!! I probably do more than my fair share of being on here.

Well we had quite an adventure today with trying to haul a pile of tin sheets that were too long for my truck in the darned wind blowing like crazy. We never could get it tied down very well & made numerous stops on the highway coming back to Sunflowerparrot's place. Nobody, not one person stopped to help us at all. We finally ended up with Sunflowerparrot holding onto a tie down strap inside the truck with all of her might just to keep the darned tin in the truck. We managed to make it to her place where I left the tin for a less windy day. Whew, we told "R" that we were having an adventure today, ha. Then by the time we got back to her place with all of that we were all hungry & gave it up for the day without doing any building at all. So we'll work on the projects Thurs. instead.

I did come back home & get the last piece of hardware cloth over the last window in the front of my coop. Then I put up another piece of chicken wire at the top of the 2nd wall. I have one more to get up & I will have all the room dividers done. Then I just have 4 chicken doors to do & 4 roosts & the inside of the breeder coop will be done. Then I have to figure out how to build the 4 outside pens & get those put together. I had told my DH I need his help getting posts in & he just kind of looked at me like I was kidding. He has been working on day shift & still 10 hour days, so it is hard to find time to help me when there is any daylight. I wish we could have worked on it yesterday, but our granddaughter was there & you just don't get anything done when she is around. It was nice to see her, but I also have to get this coop & pens done, I'm running out of time. I honestly don't know if I can put in posts myself or not. I had rotator cuff surgery on my one shoulder a couple years ago & I sure would hate to hurt that again, that was not fun surgery.

Hawkeye, yeah I do have a GQF cabinet incubator besides my Brinsea, but I'm just not sure unless I just do one hatch for that guy & trade for some chicks I want that I want to do it. I want my incubator available when I want it for my own eggs & I don't even want chicks for a couple more months. I think if the guy wants to hatch so many chicks he's going to have to invest in a bigger incubator or more of them.

WHOA! That was a crazy ride this morning!! I'm glad you all made it back in one piece and no one got hurt! Okay, I am now remembering that you got the cabinet! How did I forget that?!?! Anyway, I'm with you, if I bought that thing, I'd be wanting it ALL to myself and would want to use it when my own whims are. I totally agree-- if this guy needs more incubator space on a consistent basis, then it sounds like he needs to buy himself a larger machine or a couple more smaller units.

I have heard of a couple of farms (out on the West coast) that offer incubation rates for people that want to hatch their own chicks, but don't want to incubate them themselves. I just thought of that while I was out at Piano tonight. If I find the link to one of the farms, I'll PM you the link so you can see the price sheet and set up...

 

[Hawkeye95]

Found it! I copied/pasted the page below:



Hatching Services

Got eggs? Let Debbie & Wendy help you hatch your eggs! Deb has three GQF Sportsman 1202 incubators, two GQF Professional 1500 incubators, and a GQF Professional 1500 hatcher. Our neighbor Wendy has a new GQF Sportsman 1202 incubator. All together we can incubate nearly 1800 standard chicken eggs. With over 20 years of experience, we've hatched out thousands of chicks, ducklings, and quail. We are offering our hatching services again this year when we have space available. Here's how it works:

• All eggs must be fresh at drop off and must be initialed with a permanent marker on the pointy end of each egg for positive identification.
• There is a $10 non-refundable hatching fee which includes:
  • Candling to verify egg fertility and progress.
  • Weekly email updates.
  • Un-hatched eggs are saved for verification after which they may be disposed of.
  • $10 toward the cost of chicks.
• Cost is just $1 per chick, due at pick up. Ducks, geese, turkeys, and peafowl are $2 per chick.
• Other services available at hatch by Deb:
  • Toe punching, toe web cutting, and nostril clipping for $0.50 per chick.
  • Marek's Disease vaccine injection for $0.50 per chick ($20 minimum to cover cost of $18 vaccine and $2 syringe).
• Chicks must be picked up within three days of hatch or a fee of $10 per week, per brooder box will apply for extended chick care.