Consolidated Kansas

[HEChicken]

It is going to take some adjustment to get used to Deerfield Acres but I really like the name - congrats on the change. Oh - I also meant to say that I am very interested in learning as you go with setting yourself up as a business. I have considered doing that in the past, mainly because I like the idea of being able to save sales tax on all my feed purchases. However with that would come the added responsibility of charging sales tax on egg sales and the reporting that goes along with that, as well as yet another tax return to file each year. I got to the point at one stage of filling out the form to get my tax ID and got stuck at the question of business name and never got back to it. I now know what name I would use but haven't gone back to fill out the form again since.

Thanks also for the tip on the transformer.

Checoukan, your barn is going to be lovely - I bet you are so anxious to get moved in.

Maidenwolf, these guys were raised in a group of hens and I *thought* they would form a mini-flock, leaving the head roo to service the older hens. Unfortunately, the head roo wants the younger pullets for himself as well, so he keeps an eye on these guys and doesn't even let them mate the hens that are supposed to be "theirs". The only way I could assure they have their own flock is to build a new coop and fence off a new area for them and well....processing is easier than doing that. Not by a lot though. If they would only try to flog me, it would so much easier to do but these guys have always been very respectful.

Yesterday morning I went down to do my morning feeding and saw my production red pacing on the outside of the fence on the far side. With a sigh, I walked all the way around - in my pajamas - to "rescue" her. All the way around, I wondered how I was going to achieve that, since she is a "no touch" having been broody raised, so I knew I couldn't just walk up to her and pick her up. By the time I got around to where I had seen her, she was gone. I looked over at the feeder and saw my production red eating alongside the others. Did she fly back in? Oh no - I had been watching the whole time and couldn't have missed that. A few seconds later I heard the egg song - on the other side of the hedge. Peering through the hedge, I saw her - a red hen that isn't mine! Turns out it was my neighbor's hen, who had free-ranged through the hedge to see what my flock was up to!

 

[chicken danz]

Heather I had researched all those parameters for the Sweeter heater and the ecoglow. A lot depends on the size you buy. If you are doing the small one the eco glow is better for sure, at sale prices and energy consumption. But when you get into the larger sizes I can see the Sweeter heater having advantages. I've read on here and other places that once the chicks start growing the eco glow needs to be propped up on something. You can do the same thing with the sweeter heater. Of course I am looking at it from the prospect of brooding as many chicks as I can at a time. I can't see where the 20 chick unit would ever work for me at all. And if you buy the larger unit you pay a lot more for shipping on the ecoglow. Ecoglow is on sale right now which makes it slightly cheaper but normal prices are higher than the Sweeter heater. If you had a sale price and coupons you might be able to make a sweet deal.
I'll probably stick to my bulbs in the interest of saving money. I always wire the fixture in place so I feel pretty safe.
Staying up late and working didn't really have any advantages. I just slept later today. I'm a hurting unit but need to get back to work in a bit.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

HEChicken- Oh wow, my welsummer is pretty docile. He did take head roo position but kind of shares it with my barred/columbian rock roo. He takes charge when need be but would rather sit back and keep everyone in line. If he would just step up my girls' backs wouldnt be so torn up..

My turkeys are standing out in the rain soaked to the bone and just foraging like nothing was going on..

Checoukan- The barn looks great. Those sky light panels put on like that will be amazing.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

It is going to take some adjustment to get used to Deerfield Acres but I really like the name - congrats on the change. Oh - I also meant to say that I am very interested in learning as you go with setting yourself up as a business. I have considered doing that in the past, mainly because I like the idea of being able to save sales tax on all my feed purchases. However with that would come the added responsibility of charging sales tax on egg sales and the reporting that goes along with that, as well as yet another tax return to file each year. I got to the point at one stage of filling out the form to get my tax ID and got stuck at the question of business name and never got back to it. I now know what name I would use but haven't gone back to fill out the form again since.

Thanks also for the tip on the transformer.

Checoukan, your barn is going to be lovely - I bet you are so anxious to get moved in.

Maidenwolf, these guys were raised in a group of hens and I *thought* they would form a mini-flock, leaving the head roo to service the older hens. Unfortunately, the head roo wants the younger pullets for himself as well, so he keeps an eye on these guys and doesn't even let them mate the hens that are supposed to be "theirs". The only way I could assure they have their own flock is to build a new coop and fence off a new area for them and well....processing is easier than doing that. Not by a lot though. If they would only try to flog me, it would so much easier to do but these guys have always been very respectful.

Yesterday morning I went down to do my morning feeding and saw my production red pacing on the outside of the fence on the far side. With a sigh, I walked all the way around - in my pajamas - to "rescue" her. All the way around, I wondered how I was going to achieve that, since she is a "no touch" having been broody raised, so I knew I couldn't just walk up to her and pick her up. By the time I got around to where I had seen her, she was gone. I looked over at the feeder and saw my production red eating alongside the others. Did she fly back in? Oh no - I had been watching the whole time and couldn't have missed that. A few seconds later I heard the egg song - on the other side of the hedge. Peering through the hedge, I saw her - a red hen that isn't mine! Turns out it was my neighbor's hen, who had free-ranged through the hedge to see what my flock was up to!

Funny story about your "nosy neighbor"! She was probably thinking "Oh crap, this eggs coming and she has to show up!"

I'll let you know as I come along with the business stuff.

 

[HEChicken]

I am getting the bigger one so I didn't look at the parameters of the small one. On the bigger EcoGlow, the "50", the dimensions are 16x22 for 352 sq inches. The comparable sweeter heater is the SM1130 which is 11x30, or 330 sq inches. Yet the EcoGlow uses only 60 watts, while the SH uses 100 watts, for slightly less surface area. That is what I meant by the EcoGlow being the better deal.

I was concerned at first about the EcoGlow not being tall enough once they get bigger but I only brood chicks until they are 3-4 weeks old, and the 9" height of the EcoGlow should certainly work at that size.

I never thought I would get either of these types of heaters as it is a big up front expense, and I have several heat lamps. However I may be brooding more and larger numbers of chicks this year, and running a heat lamp 24/7 makes a big difference on the electric bill so I'm hoping if I can get a good enough deal on the heater, it will eventually pay for itself.

 

[HEChicken]

HEChicken- Oh wow, my welsummer is pretty docile. He did take head roo position but kind of shares it with my barred/columbian rock roo. He takes charge when need be but would rather sit back and keep everyone in line. If he would just step up my girls' backs wouldnt be so torn up..

I never thought my Wellie roo would amount to much as Cyrus, my former head roo, was definitely dominant, while the Wellie was only a juvenile. After Cyrus was out of the picture, for awhile there really wasn't a head roo as all I had were juvenile cockerels at that point. The Welsummer is not large - actually its funny as I've noticed he has recently assumed a very upright stance, holding himself almost vertical all the time, and I think it is to make himself look larger. In fact, both of the cockerels he keeps chasing off are noticeably bigger than he is, and I think that's why he's being so aggressive about his role as "head" roo - because he knows they could kick his butt if they ever challenged him, so he has to keep chasing them off to maintain his dominant position over them.

I kind of feel sorry for him because it seems like he has to work so hard to be the head roo, where Cyrus had no competition at all. And, I want him to be the head roo because a) he's beautiful, b) he is respectful of me, c) he is a "purebred" where the cockerels are not and d) he is unrelated genetically to any other bird on my property, whereas the cockerels are half siblings to the pullets and the sons of a couple of the hens.

 

[chicken danz]

Somehow I missed a page of posts. I saw Deerfield Acres and for a second, thought we had another newbie. I have the same problem with creating a name. My business license is under Nature Expressions. I started it when I was doing landscape design. But that has nothing to do with raising chickens and other birds. I too have other adventures I'd like to add to the same site, like my Lemax houses. I decided after the first year of record keeping I was never going to show a profit on the chickens so it wasn't wise to use it as a business. Even filing with my farm income I was showing a loss. You can only do that a couple years before the IRS is down your neck.
I really need you to set up a business plan and let me look at it Karen. Oh crap what do I call you on here now?
I've only gotten my FF feed on my hands so far. Fed the chickies that are inside. It's raining outside so the rest can wait. The only ones really running around outside their buildings right now are the ducks and they are loving it.
I guess I'd better button down the hatches today. Tomorrow is going to be miserable. These younger birds haven't had to deal with really cold temps just yet. I doubt they'll be spending time outside.
HeChicken, My most aggressive roo is a little self blue d'uccle. The other roosters run from him in fear. It's so funny to watch him. I should put him in with the other d'uccles but I am afraid he would terrorize my other little boys. It's pretty peaceful in there right now.

 

[Trish44]

Karen, congrats on the new name, I like it, but as someone else said it will take me some time to remember who it belongs to. You had about as much of an adventure yesterday as we did it sounds like. I think that door lock would be a good idea for you! I hope it all goes well with your business, it sounds like you know what you're doing. I don't think I ever would even make enough money to come out ahead selling the few eggs I sell & a few chicks here & there. You can only show a loss 3 years out of 5 or you're considered a hobby anyway & I'm sure that's what would happen to me. With the cost of feed now, I think you would have to sell quite a lot to even come out even. My feed costs right now are running $1320 a year, that's quite a lot of eggs & chicks you would have to sell in order to cover that. I only sold a paltry few chicks last year, but I hope to sell a few more this year with this new coop, but then again we just spent about $2000 building that coop so far & the pens aren't included in that. By the time you figure in all of that, the cost to run the incubators, feed for the chicks until you sell them & all I'm sure it really adds up. I have spent quite a bit just trying to get housing for all of my birds & Danz you can identify with that.

I meant to say congrats on the turkey egg too Danz! I hope they lay a bunch more.

checoukan, that barn is coming up fast, I can't wait to see it all done!

As far as the Ecoglows go, I'm sure Brinsea will be haivng another coupon really soon, I'm waiting to get another one too for the other brooder. Sunflowerparrot got one on Amazon for a good price & free shipping just recently too. I just think for me & my setups here the Ecoglows will work better.

It has been pouring here today, the first real rain we've had in I can't remember when. I just heard thunder again, so probably at some point I'll have to get off here & shut down the computer again. I don't take chances with lightening, I lost two computers before from surges & don't think your surge protector will keep it from happening either because it won't, I found out the hard way. We do need the rain so very badly. I sure hope what I heard yesterday doesn't come true that we're going to turn into a dessert here, that would be the pits.

Josie, I hope you're taking time to take rest breaks, you don't want to cause yourself problems, it's not worth that. That's exciting that you're going back to Maine for a baby shower!

 

[JosieChick]

Oh, I am anxious to get my outdoor breeding pens built too this Spring! Right now, I just have all of my girls in a pen and all of my boys in a pen. So no one should be fertile right now. Well-- actually, not true... a rooster jumped the fence because he was getting picked on and he's in the girl pen. But he's my new black rooster that I paid a fortune for, so I don't care if he breeds them all! LOL But in all honesty, I'm going to separate him out, make sure no one is fertile, and then pair them up. I have already spent quite a bit of time deciding who will go with who so I can hopefully get better birds. (offset or enhance qualities in each other) Going to work in trios and pairs. I have some really nice boys this year and then I'll probably be getting rid of most of them at the end of the year as new ones come up-- that will hopefully be better. Exciting!!!
This is the part I have a hard time with. I really like my roos and hate to think about getting rid of them to make room for the next generation. Sigh.

Josie, the expensive birds were the blue/gold partridge brahmas. I am also planning to buy a group of month old Breda chicks that should be shipped next week. Just got an email back from her confirming it. Gotcha, that makes sense. I have seen the brahmas go for a pretty penny. Someone on the lavender orp thread said a trio of lavender mottled just sold for like $2000! Yikes.
I was going to buy some breda eggs. I had won an auction for some a while back but then her hens quit laying. She now has eggs again and was supposed to ship me some.
I may just cancel that deal since I can get the chicks.
I don't even like thinking of all the money I have spent this year on eggs and birds. I am really trying to make this thing turn around and start paying for me. I've accepted the fact that I'll probably have to ship birds to make money.
I'm in that spot too where I'm not sure what to title my business. I have my regular business license and company name but want something different for my birds. It seems like most of the big breeders have names like such and such farm, or such and such acres.
I like your logo Hawkeye. I guess if I stuck to one kind of bird I could do something like that.
Most of the birds I want are pretty or good layers. The Breda fowl are just so different than other chickens. I guess I have always liked something out side the normal that makes people say, "What is that?" The pictures of them aren't very flattering. They have very pretty feathering. I like their vulture hocks and big nostrils. They almost look prehistoric.
Trish that was crazy. I'm glad you didn't get hurt.
Karen you're so funny. I did that once myself. I finally got through a window but it sure took a lot of work to do it. Most of those windows has locks on them but I found the one in my youngest son's room wasn't latched. I had to tear the screen up in order to get in.
It's almost midnight and I need to get to bed. I was working in the basement and didn't come upstairs to even eat dinner until about 11:30.

Oh my Karen, it sucks to be locked out of your own house! Our dog did that to us once. At the old house we had a sliding glass door out to the deck, and it locked with an up-down switch on the side of the lock. I had gone out to tend the chickens and the dog jumped up on the door to see where I went, and flipped the switch down into the lock position. Grrrr.....no way to tell her how to reverse it either. Dogs! Hahahaha! That is too funny.

Here's what you need:
http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...gId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

We installed this on our front door at the Wichita house, primarily so that the kids could get in and out without needing a key. When the dog locked me out, it wasn't the end of the world - I just walked around to the front door and let myself in that way. When we moved to our new house, one of the first things we did was to install this type of lock on the house - I don't even carry a key to the house, so I don't have to worry about losing the keys or having them fall into the wrong hands. You can set multiple codes on it too, so if you have guests staying with you, you can give them their own code and just delete it when they're gone. Or, in Wichita we used to have a neighbor come and take care of the animals when we were away. It was great to be able to give her her own access code, and then delete it when we were back.

I had a muscovy yesterday sitting in a nest she had created in the coop. Later I went to check on her, and she had been kicked out of the nest by another muscovy who thought it was cool to sit there. As soon as the intruder vacated the nest, the original duck returned to sit on it, but later when I checked there were no eggs in there. I wasn't expecting any until March so it would have been a bonus to get some this soon anyway, but at least they are thinking about it.

Josie - take it easy with the moving and all the other things you are doing!

I have a couple of cockerels I'm going to have to process - not looking forward to it because they are both nice guys. Unfortunately my head roo, a Welsummer, doesn't want these guys mating "his" hens, so he runs them off every time they try. There are enough hens to go around but he doesn't see it that way and the result is they are all miserable. The Wellie spends all his time making sure they don't mate his hens, and they spend all their time looking for opportunities and then being chased off after they thought they found one. I found a kit on eBay that is really reasonable. It consists of a killing cone, plucker and razor-sharp knife, for $55. I ordered it yesterday and they assured delivery on Feb 1st, so after its delivered, I guess I will just have to do the deed. I've got to the point I don't even enjoy eating chicken any more, I dislike processing so much. But, it has to be done, since I've had no luck with rehoming them.
Not my favorite activity either. But once it is done and peace is restored it is so worth it! I had squabbling roosters.

Thanks! I do try to take it easier now that I am getting bigger. I try to find creative ways to lighten the load of work I do so I don't overdo it. I use the mower and lawn cart to haul stuff around a lot more which helps instead of hauling heavy buckets. I can't believe how much progress they have made on that barn!

Josie, you sound just like me when I was pregnant with my daughter, I was doing everything like there was nothing to it. Hope you have a good trip and visit to Maine, sounds like fun!
I have not greeted at the newbies lately, So welcome to

and consolidated Kansas!!! Many years of experiance here, just pick our brains, when you need to, someone will have an answer for you.

The barn, they are working on putting the tin and sky-light materiel up, but in the wind, it is taking longer. They are also putting the trim on as they go, I hope we don't have any storms today, as I don't think that would be a good thing on the barn. This was taken just a little bit ago. The builders were picking up tin, and were going to take over to the other barns, kinda afraid of the weather, and don't want the tin on the trailer to blow away in a storm. The white above the red is the sky-light material. This is going to be nice. Plenty of natural lighting, I hope.

It is a wild thing to have a little itty bitty person moving around inside of you! We call her the alien sometimes because she drags her arm or leg across my tummy and it is really weird feeling!

Josie, It's really fun hearing about the baby. I never had one but I've always loved hearing about what it feels like. You seem to do amazing things while expecting! It must be because you were in such good shape already, is my guess. I've finally started exercising and taking better care of myself, just like a real grown up. I haven't lost tons of weight but my clothes are looser and I feel really good. I started working with a nutritionist at my Dr's office and she has been very helpful in keeping me on track.

Hawkeye, I love your logo too! I would like to create a logo but don't have any clue where to start. Would you mind educating me a little?

Congrats on the new name!!! I had to scroll down and look at your signature line and go hmmmm 8 kids and aloha chickens, ok its KarenS!!!

I wish I could come up with a cute name for my chicken farm. I have wracked my brain but am feeling quite un creative.

Oh

There's my new name! karenS is now Deerfield Acres.

Well it is just pouring out right now. We need it but I can't believe what a mucky mess it is already. And of course I moved some birds outside yesterday so I need to go make sure they are smart enough to find cover from the rain and aren't standing out in it. My goose pen is going to be nasty. Can't wait to have new pens with screenings and built up so they don't turn to slime every time it rains. I cleaned out the small breeding coops yesterday in prep for the move and I have this BCM pullet that keeps jumping the fence and wandering around the yard. Well I opened the second half of the coop and there was a big pile of dark chocolate eggs in a beautiful nest of white feathers that she had collected to lay in. She has been sneaking out of the pen everyday to lay her egg in a private spot. I am wondering if she was planning on sitting when she had a good stash going!

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I never thought my Wellie roo would amount to much as Cyrus, my former head roo, was definitely dominant, while the Wellie was only a juvenile. After Cyrus was out of the picture, for awhile there really wasn't a head roo as all I had were juvenile cockerels at that point. The Welsummer is not large - actually its funny as I've noticed he has recently assumed a very upright stance, holding himself almost vertical all the time, and I think it is to make himself look larger. In fact, both of the cockerels he keeps chasing off are noticeably bigger than he is, and I think that's why he's being so aggressive about his role as "head" roo - because he knows they could kick his butt if they ever challenged him, so he has to keep chasing them off to maintain his dominant position over them.

I kind of feel sorry for him because it seems like he has to work so hard to be the head roo, where Cyrus had no competition at all. And, I want him to be the head roo because a) he's beautiful, b) he is respectful of me, c) he is a "purebred" where the cockerels are not and d) he is unrelated genetically to any other bird on my property, whereas the cockerels are half siblings to the pullets and the sons of a couple of the hens.

Here is my boy. Once he too head he also started standing more upright but that is also standard for welsummers. They have an upright carriage and usually as they mature you can see that posture come out. I am seperating him and putting him with his 2 girls so I can get some pures out of him. He is just a really sweet roo and is gentle with the girls and tries to help them when a younger boy isnt so gentle