Consolidated Kansas

[sunflowerparrot]

We just changed to the Dish Network version of Hughesnet a few months ago. Our wireless service cost a fortune and was so slow you had to set a stake to see it move. I agree, it is better during the day. We have a technician about 10 miles away in Emporia, so service isn't an issue. I am a long time Dish client of his, so I know and trust him.

"So for now, I'm stuck with HughesNet. I'm seriously hoping that there will be another option by the time our 2 year contract is up with HughesNet.

Edited to add: I should probably mention that HughesNet's service is OK when it is working. The speeds are considerably better during the day when there aren't a lot of people on the internet than they are in the evening after everyone comes home from work/school. I have been able to work within the confines of the download limit and slower internet speeds (compared to high speed internet) for the most part but do wish I had other options available. Thankfully, my employer is very understanding of my internet options and has been very helpful/understanding with this most recent outage."


We had an hour power outage last night, and it sounds like we dodged a bullet with it. There are some other areas that were out lots longer. My DH was getting ready to fire up the little generator when it came back on. The generator will run the dish, internet, and one tv OR the refrigerator and freezer OR my coop heater/timers. My UPS hates the quality of the current, but so far it works in a pinch. Our lower driveway was full of snow and the drive from the gate to the county road had a 2' drift across it. My ex brought over his tractor with a blade and cleaned it out for us. We have an agreement -- he bails us out of snowmergencies and I keep his computer running. Somehow I have to get my daughter and her family to MCI tomorrow morning early. Not looking like a lot of fun at this point.

Sharol

I've had Hughesnet since last spring and have great luck with them - I've only lost my signal once during a real heavy thunderstorm last summer. I don't use the internet for a lot of heavy downloading, so the usage restriction doesn't bother me and I only had to use a free token to restore my download once (someone was using the internet at my house and watching too many youtube videos which used all my usage). We have no other options out here - I had other companies come before decided which provider to use and the 2 other local providers couldn't pick up their signal. Cable isn't an option for me and neither is DSL since I don't have a home phone. So - for me, I've been very lucky and pleased with my Hughesnet. I have a huge wide open south field that has zero obstruction - maybe that is the secret to having good satellite service?

 

[Hawkeye95]

I had one more chick hatch last night, so it has now joined it's friends in the crate. I have two more eggs still in the hatcher that are due tomorrow & Thurs. yet. I'll try to get some chick pics later, they're all starting to get their wing feathers already, they're so darned cute. I cleaned out their crate yesterday & they already have feed all over the bottom they have spread around, they're messy little critters, but cute.

I'm wanting to start hatching in a serious way listening to you all! I'm just wanting to hold for another two more weeks!! LOL And then I hope to get some shipped eggs in from a reputable breeder. Her birds kick booty at the shows, so I sure hope I get something nice out of them. But yeah, they are MESSY!

I just got back in from digging the coop out...again. There is a 3+ foot snow drift all around the coop. I haven't seen this much snow in years! Not complaining as we need the moisture. I managed to get all but the last quarter of the driveway done. I will have to go back out later and do that. I will get a pick posted of the coop later. My phone was out of space and wouldn't take the pick.

Oh ugh... I hate digging out! I did that yesterday-- had more snow to dig out to open coop doors. That was a PITA. The snow caked doors and windows. Post a picture!!

here are some pictures of my baby goats. All the same sire, just different momma's.
This is brownie just before she had her tripletts. She is pure bred nubian, which is a dairy goat. Her udder is bigger than a lot of cows.

Short time later, meet her three doe kids.



This doe, is a kid from Brownie 2012,

And these are her two babies.

some other babies.

Awwwwwwww!! BABIES!!! They are so darned cute!!! I'm not a goat expert.. so bear with me... but what do you do with this goats? Do you have a milk business?

I bought "barn boots" at WalMart, back on a back wall display behind the regular shoes and boots. I bought ours 5 years ago, and they are still holding up well - so well, that when they were on sale I went and bought us each a spare pair. I think I paid about 30 bucks a pair. They are brown/black rubber with a solid heel with traction. Not something you put on over shoes, but instead of shoes. We are on a watershed here, and have clay soil. So really need something to keep my feet dry, and something I can slip off when I get into the house so I don't drag chicken muck, not to mention clay mud into the house. They are NOT the best insulation. So I bought the boots a size larger than needed, and wear 2-3 pairs of socks under them, and stay cozy and clean for a really affordable price. Sara (these boots are a regular feature at our local walmart, not sure they are carried in all wallies, but probably all rural area wallies).

You had better luck than me. And I don't think those are the boots I initially bought anyway. Yeah, I was talking about actual boots-- not slip-ons. The rainboots I bought last year from Walmart had a design on them, cost about $29 and leaked the second I walked outside. It was ridiculous. That's why I said, no more cheap boots for me! ha! BTW-- they make boot warmers-- or "boot liners". If you Google boot liners, there are free sewing patterns to make them or to buy them. I'm going to buy a pair of boot warmers for mine just as soon as I get them and see how I like them. They can take the place of socks. But I figure I'll wear them with socks. I bought these from LL Bean: These are "Wellies"

These also came in other colors at no extra charge-- they had a really cute red plaid pair and cream, green, etc... But I decided to just buy the black and figured it will be easier to match.

Hawkeye, those sound like some nice boots, let me know how you like them. I had gotten just some rain type boots at TSC last year & they do keep my feet dry, but not warm at all. I dug out another pair of boots, but they're really almost too small with heavy socks on. I need to find another better pair too, but may just wait until later on since we're almost to spring now. Maybe I will find a pair on sale somewhere later. My feet just froze in those rain boots, they were like blocks of ice when I came in, really painful.

I will let you know!! They were having a sale on them AND free shipping! I thought I got a great deal! I can't wait to get them and try them out. I hope I got them large enough, I would hate to have to return them and then wait ANOTHER week all over for a replacement. I'm wanting to buy the Boot Liners for them, too... That is what makes them extra warm. They have them there on the site, but some people complained that the seams were uncomfortable. So I found another pair of liners on Amazon that people loved, and once I get these boots and see how tall they are, I can order the correct size/length.

The kids were inspired by msjfrizzle's snow chickens. Here's a snow duck.

Snow recliners!?

And a snow cat!

Thanks for the inspiration!! And now it's time for hot chocolate! Yay for snow days!

So funny! These are great pictures!! I LOVE that duck! That is amazing, and of course, the cat is pretty darned good too! The boys are funny. Why not make some recliners?

I have LL Beans and I love them!

Oh, so glad you like yours! I didn't read ONE bad review about them. So I'm prepared to love mine... I hope! Did you buy the Boot Liners with yours? I'm thinking I'm going to buy a pair of liners...

Ugh, I just lost a whole post! Hate it when that happens! Sorry to everyone, I had a bunch of multi posts but I am too lazy to go back again!

We got about six inches of snow here, it is very wet and heavy. Everyone outside seems to be in good shape. I just came in for a break after shoveling paths to the coops, again. We lost power several times during the night but it came back on. Thank heavens. Hope everyone stays dry and warm today! Hope this melts soon. The call ducks are having a grand time in the snow, makes me nervous because they are so short I am afraid they will fall in but they seem light enough that they can walk across the top.

Whoa, so glad that your power came back on right away. No fun to lose power, I bet that worried you! Glad everyone is okay, be careful out there!

Coming from New England, LLBean is what everybody wears. I am really surprised that the people I talk to here aren't really familiar with their quality and customer service.

They used to have, probably still do, have a life time warranty on their products. I have heard of people returning shoes that were 20 years old because they wore out. Not sure what the warranty is now, I assume still the same.

I remember LL Bean as being a catalog my mom ordered from all the time when I was a kid-- that and Land's End. She loved their stuff. It never occurs to me to check them out, and I didn't even realize they were a New England company. So that is really neat. No idea what the warranty is, I suppose I should check.

We had an hour power outage last night, and it sounds like we dodged a bullet with it. There are some other areas that were out lots longer. My DH was getting ready to fire up the little generator when it came back on. The generator will run the dish, internet, and one tv OR the refrigerator and freezer OR my coop heater/timers. My UPS hates the quality of the current, but so far it works in a pinch. Our lower driveway was full of snow and the drive from the gate to the county road had a 2' drift across it. My ex brought over his tractor with a blade and cleaned it out for us. We have an agreement -- he bails us out of snowmergencies and I keep his computer running. Somehow I have to get my daughter and her family to MCI tomorrow morning early. Not looking like a lot of fun at this point.

Sharol

Yikes! Glad your power came back on! But still, and hour of it being off would be enough to really worry you. Nice that you have a generator. We've talked about getting one, but it's never been a high priority for us. That is a great compromise with your ex! That's cool! Stay safe on the roads! They aren't that bad, but slick in spots, and I think people just drive too darned fast anyway.

Random side note just to tuck into the back of everyone's minds while it is still cold and crummy out. A wonderful lady who has been working on Mille fleur cochins lost all of her breeders in a barn fire this past weekend either caused by a heat lamp or extension cord. Please be careful with your birds and don't use heat lamps unless absolutely necessary. This woman loved her birds and had even built safety cages around her heat lamps in effort to prevent such a tragedy. Please be careful!

Oh that is soooo terribly sad!! Poor birdies! I bet that lady is just distraught over it all. Not only losing your barn, but all your birds too and years of hard work. Thanks for the reminder. My DH is eager for me to build my pens in the barn, but I think I'll be investing in sweeter heaters or EcoGlows!



We probably only got about 4 inches yesterday I think. And it snowed a teeny tiny bit this morning, but then that was it. It was much easier getting out today. We spent yesterday shoveling again and digging out doors to the coops. Mr Meat (LF Cornish rooster) is happy in his horse stall. For one, it's very dry, and pretty well insulated. He now has a cookie tin heater for his water, but he doesn't even seem to notice it's cold out. He has one more week to go in isolation before he can join the girls and get to be social.

I have been crocheting and working on this really cute fox scarf project. I'll have to take a picture of it when I get further along. It's looking pretty cute! I bought the pattern a while back on Etsy (LOVE that place) and just haven't done anything with it since. I was going to try to make it for xmas gifts, and then got busy, got sick for weeks on end and you know how it goes.

 

[HEChicken]

I thought I would stop in and say

to everyone. I was gone for a few days but you know what they say "There's no place like home". I am so glad to be back after a trip where if something could go wrong, it did, but won't try and go back and respond to several pages of posts.

Hawkeye, I bought the cheapest pair of boots I could find at TSC about 5 years ago and they are still going strong. They've never leaked and I can walk through several inches of water and my feet stay dry (surprised me - what I remember most as a kid is leaky "gum boots" as we call Wellies). I wear them daily from November through about April, and they sit in a boot tray by the back door so I can slip them on any time I go outside. Last year I bought DD a pair on the clearance rack at Atwoods. They are a really cute black and white plaid design and I think I paid a whole $8 for them. She doesn't wear them as often as I wear mine but she says she has been happy with them. Before I left last week I decided to get DS a pair since he was caring for the birds for me and his feet have grown too big to slip into mine. I paid another $8 for a pair at Walmart, that look more like snowboarding boots than Wellies. He said they are comfortable and have worked for him the past few days. Time will tell how long they last before they fall apart, but at the price I decided it was worth the risk.

Checoukan, congrats on the kids - that udder is amazing and looks pretty uncomfortable. I'm sure her triplets are willing to help her out with it now though.

Josie, I've heard of several barn fires so far this season and the losses have been so devastating. I don't think I will ever provide heat in my coops for that reason. I brood my chicks up at the house, and my EcoGlows will be here soon so once they arrive I won't even need the heat lamp I've always used in the past. I can't even imagine what it feels like to lose everything all once.

I lost one hen while I was gone. RIP Scramble. She wasn't looking good when I left so I told DS it was a possibility so he wouldn't feel like he did something wrong. I wish I knew what caused her death. She was my oldest hen and the last remaining hen from my first batch of chicks when I got back into this in the summer of '09. She was about a week old when I got her and was a super dependable, calm and quiet Buff Orpington. She earned a forever home with me when as head hen, during the fox attack, she stayed out in the open and sang the egg song to warn me she could see the fox, instead of hiding with the rest of the flock. Her bravery that day will never be forgotten by me. Just before I left she started to look huddled and miserable. I palpated but could not find anything wrong with her - her crop felt good, her abdomen felt good. I suppose it is possible she was egg bound. She was a very dependable layer, and every Fall took about 8 weeks to do a hard molt, but came back looking beautiful and in her third season of laying, laid 3 eggs a week without fail. She molted as usual last Fall and in January did start to lay again but it has been several weeks since I last saw her in the nest box. However when I checked her over, I could find no signs she was actually egg bound, so I dunno. I may try to do a gross necropsy on her.

Aside from her, DS did a great job of keeping them in feed and water during two blizzards and they all look happy and healthy. It looks like a couple of new layers came on board while I was gone too

. I *thought* I had a silkie egg in the egg basket, collected yesterday. It is a very small, cream colored egg, and looks just like Hawkeye described. But, DD told me this morning she found that egg in the upper level of the nest boxes and there is no way a Silkie got up there so now I'm thinking perhaps it was a Silchin.

 

[chicken danz]

I think we got another 8 or so inches of snow yesterday. Of course there were new drifts at least 4-5 feet high but I am guessing by how the snow was piled in general. Thank goodness a lot of it melted. There was easily a foot or more on top my netting but I am sure once it started accumulating there was some drifting there too. If I never have another day outside like that again it will be too soon. There is huge drift down the Sabastopol pen that had it been 2 feet further over they could have walked right outside their fencing. I've been so tired the last couple days I haven't even attempted to gather eggs. I am sure I am going to have some frozen ones out there. I should get them gathered and see if I can get to town today. Not that I want to go anywhere. My shoulders and back are screaming after all that snow removing yesterday. I did do some shoveling as well but just enough to get the doors to the pens open again.
I've gone through double the feed since this stuff began. I am ready for the darned birds to get out and hunt some of their own goodies. I always end up spilling some here and there and it was a real treat to watch the cardinals and little snow birds all over yesterday. I used to feed the wild birds because I loved watching them but had to quit because they were bringing in too many colds and viruses. I think it was the starlings that were the worst. I would find them dead here and there. But I do so love watching the prettier ones especially in the snow.
I am so irritated at my DH. He is the one that suggested a couple of these vehicles to me to look at and seemed all excited about them. So I got on board looking at the vehicles of his choice. Now he is saying I don't need to use a nice vehicle for a farm truck. I reminded him the outback was a very nice vehicle at one point and the purpose of getting another SUV type vehicle is so I would have room to haul feed and cages in it. He just can't see me having an all purpose vehicle. I tried to explain I didn't want to have to use a pickup anytime I wanted to go stock up on a bunch of chicken stuff or deliver a few birds here and there. So he just closes his mind. It is my money and my vehicle we are talking here...not his. But he seems to get ideas in his head then just blocks conversation when I am thinking something different.
If I make it to town I think I'll sit and talk to my Dad about this. I really do like his car other than color. It is a dark red color and I don't care for red vehicles. But at this point color isn't really an issue. I'll bet you are all getting tired of me going on and on about this stuff.
Glad you are back HeChicken. Hope everything is fine and back to normal.

 

[checoukan]

Danz~~~I was looking on Purple Wave auction site out of Manhattan. There is a Ford Explorer, SUV listed on their auction site. I think it was sitting at 3K. Thought I would tell you about it.

 

[HEChicken]

Danz, I don't know what to tell you about vehicles - one thing I really dislike doing is car shopping so I am no help at all. FWIW, I love my PT Cruiser and can haul an amazing amount of stuff in it - probably like you could in your Outback. The back seat is divided into a 1-seat and a 2-seat for easy removal. I love the options that offers me, where I can take both out and carry as much as I could in a pick up truck, or just pull out one or the other so I can haul some stuff but still carry passengers. Right now my car is a 3-seater as I have the double seat from the back removed. Then I have the single seat folded up against the driver's seat so I can still haul almost a full load but when I need to take both kids with me and go somewhere, I just fold the single seat back down and voila.

Personally I don't like having car payments as it always seems by the time you get done paying it off, its not worth much any more. So I usually try to find an older vehicle with preferably lower mileage and well-maintained, and hope it will last me awhile. At least doing it that way, I've never ended up upside down on a vehicle. If your dad's car is low mileage, well-maintained and will do 90% of what you need it to, I would be tempted to go with that. I don't worry about color at all as I figure that is the least high priority. The only car I've ever rejected for color was when my ex-DH tried to talk me into buying a bright orange car with a rear spoiler, and I just couldn't picture rocking up to playgroup and unloading toddlers from that hideous looking vehicle. Hawkeye had a really good name for that type of car but now I can't remember it.

 

[chicken danz]

I'm one of the weirdos that like those bazaar looking vehicles sometimes. I used to have a purple mitsubishi with a spoiler, sunroof, and neon lights underneath. I traded it in on my old dependable contour I am being forced to drive right now. I traded in Topeka but the car ended up back in Council Grove where I lived. Some parents bought it for a high school kids 16th Birthday. My kids were still in school and they had a vote on the coolest car owned by a high school student. My old car won! Guess that shows how bazaar I could be.
My sister and I were talking and she said that I probably need a chicken and chicken product hauling car about 50% of the time. Since I go very little I would think that is pretty much right.
Checoukan I just looked on purple wave. I have a call in for details on one I found there. I might decide to buy my Dad's vehicle if I could buy a cheap older vehicle that I could use for all things chicken. Of course it would have to be really cheap. I'm still not sure what I need to pay for Dad's car. I need to get some more info from him before I know for sure what book value is.

 

[lizzyGSR]

I've had Hughesnet since last spring and have great luck with them - I've only lost my signal once during a real heavy thunderstorm last summer. I don't use the internet for a lot of heavy downloading, so the usage restriction doesn't bother me and I only had to use a free token to restore my download once (someone was using the internet at my house and watching too many youtube videos which used all my usage). We have no other options out here - I had other companies come before decided which provider to use and the 2 other local providers couldn't pick up their signal. Cable isn't an option for me and neither is DSL since I don't have a home phone. So - for me, I've been very lucky and pleased with my Hughesnet. I have a huge wide open south field that has zero obstruction - maybe that is the secret to having good satellite service?

The open field might help, but I don't know that that is the key... We have an established wind break around our house, so we just put the satellite dish on top of the house so it can see the satellite about the trees. I have had HughesNet since November 2011 and have been without internet twice, both times for over a week. The nearest technician is in either Denver or Topeka, so it takes a while to get them out here. That is really my biggest frustration with HughesNet - that and their price, which I think is too high for the service they provide, but they can get away with it because there are so many people like me who don't have a choice.

I had a really good surprise waiting for me this morning when I logged onto the computer... My internet is working again!!!! I've been without internet here at my house for almost two weeks (since early in the morning on 2/15) and my internet is suddenly back on today, without any help from me and without the technician coming out. Don't get me wrong, I'm not cancelling Monday's appointment with the technician. I am just SO THRILLED to have internet back! I am one of those people that turns the computer on first thing in the morning and turns it off just before I go to bed, even on days when I'm not working. I then make trips to the office to check FB, e-mail, etc. throughout the day. During the most recent snow storms, my husband took our 4x4 pickup to town to work, which left me pretty much stranded here at home by myself with no internet. I was so thankful for radio but was also feeling VERY disconnected. I am so thrilled to be back online!!!! Happy day!

 

[checoukan]

Danz~~ That is what I was thinking, something nice to go do town things, and then something to do chores in. That is what I do. We got a toyota pickup to run around in, but when I go somewhere, I take my GMC Crew cab. Course, it has hauled it fair share of chickens in it. I have seen some really nice cars, trucks and vans sell for good cheep prices on Purple Wave, and then some go outa site, but that is the way a lot of things are.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I hope everyone is staying warm and all the birds out there are safe as well. My eggs hatched yesterday, 30 out of 33 those are ot bad odds. I am really pretty excited about that.
I am not happy about all this snow, my hens are slowing down in their laying.. Everyone is stuck inside and getting aggitated and picking on one another,, oh I hope it melts soon and we are all over this for the season..