Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

Congrats on all your chicks. Good job!
Josie I love the FF even regardless of the work. I am convinced once the weather warms I will use less. I probably feed mine too much but they love it. The geese are eating so much better than they did before. They worried me that they didn't eat enough. No worries now. I just feel it is healthier for all of them. And after butchering those turkeys I am convinced it does a great job of keeping their digestive systems in good shape. I have never seen fat on a turkey like that before. That means more flavor. So I figure the same goes for the chickens. I know there is a lot less waste. It's just that they are eating more of their feed rather than wasting it.
I have reduced the amount of feed as far as what chicks are eating by a lot. It seems to fill them up better. The big birds just make pigs of themselves though.

 

[JosieChick]

I think Hawkeye was asking about them eating more??

Congrats on all your chicks. Good job!
Josie I love the FF even regardless of the work. I am convinced once the weather warms I will use less. I probably feed mine too much but they love it. The geese are eating so much better than they did before. They worried me that they didn't eat enough. No worries now. I just feel it is healthier for all of them. And after butchering those turkeys I am convinced it does a great job of keeping their digestive systems in good shape. I have never seen fat on a turkey like that before. That means more flavor. So I figure the same goes for the chickens. I know there is a lot less waste. It's just that they are eating more of their feed rather than wasting it.
I have reduced the amount of feed as far as what chicks are eating by a lot. It seems to fill them up better. The big birds just make pigs of themselves though.

TO ANYONE WHO WAS COMING OUT TO HELP ON SATURDAY: We are planning on working on Sunday instead. It should be a tad bit warmer and I am hoping melted more! DH has to work on Saturday and I can only come down for 2 days at a time at most because the horses are out of round bales so they need hay put out on a regular basis.

If anyone wants to come out on Sunday let me know or if you are willing to loan tools let me know that as well and I can arrange a time to pick them up! Thanks!!

 

[Ralph Moyer]

I have bought four cars and pick-up and motor home , over the last 30 years, from Loughmiller motors, Pittsburg,KS. He has all his vehicles listed on the Internet. They are cheap because most have come thru insurance claims and been repaired. But he does not finance. You can look at what he has and his Email address is listed if you want more information.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

The darned coyotes are back! I figured once they got hungry enough they'd come around. I was worried with the snow load the electric fence charge may not be strong enough to deter them, so I stormed out the back door hollering at them while I tried to get my boots on -- they were making so much noise they didn't even hear me! I was afraid they were going to break through before I could get to them so I rang the bell on the back of the house we use to call the kids in. Still they were hooping and hollering and not paying attention. Finally I got the boots on and flashed the back light off and on disco-like while I looked around for my flashlight. That did it. They went completely silent. I stormed out the door with my flashlight and never caught a glimpse of even one. I walked the perimeter of the fence and found there were only 2 or 3 (sounded like 10 or so) and one of them crept up to the fence -- probably got his nose lit up. I haven't heard a thing out of them since. I think if they got hungry enough they may just go through that fence. I'm glad they're not at all stealthy and I'm really glad I got that wide impedance charger for weather like this. Hopefully, between the fence and I, we will hold them off until they can get something to eat elsewhere! I hate those things.

 

[sunflowerparrot]

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!

I wish my internet would go down for a day or two so I could get OFF it and be more productive at times I wonder what I would get done if my internet went down for a week... I can picture a very clean and organized house....

 

[sunflowerparrot]

I'm not sold on this FF yet, when are they supposed to eat less? I've been considering it for the silkies, but I think I'll stick with what I typically do.

Hawkeye, my birds have not eaten any less, in fact they seem like they want to eat more. I had to laugh at someone saying that they think it's chicken crack because of the way the chickens act. Mine just act like crazy idiots, they jump in the feeder trough, on my arm, in the bucket with the food, even one day on my back, it's just bizarre. I also feed them sunflower seeds, but they just act like they're starving when I know they can't be with the amount of food I'm feeding them every day. The reason I have continued it is that mine are all getting new feathers & they're a lot shinier & nicer looking than the old feathers. You can definitely see the line where the new feathers stop & the old ones are underneath, the newer ones are just much more sleek.

Today I got nothing at all done except make a run to Wellington to the Dr. I finally got in & got some antibiotics. This was really the first day I had been able to get my car out since the first snow we had. There is still snow on the north side of the hill where the sun doesn't melt it off well. I sure hope we get some warmer days soon so the rest of this stuff will go away & I can get back out there & finish my pens so I can move the rest of the birds around.

I have my chicks out in the brooder in the barn that are getting 2 decent-sized servings of the FF each day - they were hatched Jan. 11th and they are HUGE - In fact, they are big enough to be moved out to the coop next week. I think the FF has made a big difference with their growth rate and hardiness! They love the FF - but my main chickens in the coop still seem unsure of it even after several months. I'm sprinkling scratch over it and that does encourage them to go peck and eat more than if I don't sprinkle the scratch over it. I'd like to see pictures of what everyone elses FF looks like in their bucket - I'm not sure if mine is too watery or not..

 

[Hawkeye95]

I'm not sold on this FF yet, when are they supposed to eat less? I've been considering it for the silkies, but I think I'll stick with what I typically do.

Hawkeye, my birds have not eaten any less, in fact they seem like they want to eat more. I had to laugh at someone saying that they think it's chicken crack because of the way the chickens act. Mine just act like crazy idiots, they jump in the feeder trough, on my arm, in the bucket with the food, even one day on my back, it's just bizarre. I also feed them sunflower seeds, but they just act like they're starving when I know they can't be with the amount of food I'm feeding them every day. The reason I have continued it is that mine are all getting new feathers & they're a lot shinier & nicer looking than the old feathers. You can definitely see the line where the new feathers stop & the old ones are underneath, the newer ones are just much more sleek.

Today I got nothing at all done except make a run to Wellington to the Dr. I finally got in & got some antibiotics. This was really the first day I had been able to get my car out since the first snow we had. There is still snow on the north side of the hill where the sun doesn't melt it off well. I sure hope we get some warmer days soon so the rest of this stuff will go away & I can get back out there & finish my pens so I can move the rest of the birds around.

Yeah... so far I've heard NO ONE say... wow, my birds are eating a lot less now! So I'm thinking just hearing everyone's experience here, that this isn't the deal for me. I just can't afford to feed MORE than I'm feeding now! I have a senior horse killing me on feed and supplement bills! OH yes, I know what you are talking about being able to see the new feathers vs old! I have some silkies molting right now (yes... STILL!) and the old feathers are so dull! And the new ones are so bright and shiny! But I'm not feeding FF and I can still see the difference...? They do get BOSS, but I don't know how much that effects them. Glad you got to the Dr and got antibiotics. Sorry you aren't feeling well. Yeah, I'm with you. I'm ready for warmer weather!!

I think my boots should come in today! I hope so!! I just hope they are the right size. I HATE ordeing foot wear, it's really a crap-shoot on whether it's going to fit or not. The sizes are just not the same with every company. Depending on what I'm buying, I can be a size 8, 9 or 10! That is a huge difference. I split the difference and bought a 9. The sneakers I'm wearing now are a sz 10-- but typically I'm a nine in sneakers.

I wonder if the sizes are going like clothes-- I just bought some very small sizes in pants a couple weeks ago. Like size 2. I'm not a size 2. But I think they are putting numbers on pants willy-nilly to make Americans feel better! I came home and showed my DH the pants and asked him to guess what size they are. He guessed my REAL size... and I showed him the label and he looked pretty confused until I told him they FIT like my regular size. Honestly, we're not stupid, why do that? That just means there's no way to order clothes online if they are going to pull that kind of crap. What happened to universal sizing? This was at Khols by the way, so it's not some trendy little store in the mall or whatever.

Really? I didn't think you could use grocery store brands of detergent. We already use Tide cold water detergent. I used cheaper stuff for a while but our clothes didn't smell clean and I felt like I had to use a lot more than I did when we used Tide so we switched back. I will scope out natural detergent for now just so I don't add diaper rash or irritation to our first few weeks of diapering and maybe try the tide when I am getting low. I definitely don't want to ruin my cloth diapers!!

Do you ration out a certain amount per day or twice a day? I need to start doing that with the geese again once we get them moved. They are probably too chubby right now because they have been being free fed.

This is the chart everyone uses: http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoices.htm This is the other chart that sort of completes the first one: http://www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html Anyway, yes, you can get away with using grocery store detergent, but you need to be careful and read the labels! And don't be afraid to test them out. These charts let you know which ones have optical brighteners and enzymes even if it's not clear on the labeling... so these charts are AWESOME!! I probably should have started out giving you these charts to begin with! I had them listed on my website, but of course, took the site down. I just sell on Etsy now. Much cheaper since the recession. You'd think that cloth diapering would go up, and I think for the most part it did... but not NEW diapers. Everyone did what you are doing-- buying used. There are so many resources for getting quality used diapers that I wasn't selling much new. Back in the early 2000's I was selling so many diapers I could not keep up! We were thinking about hiring a textile company to do the sewing for me, I was at the push it or leave it small. I decided to leave it at that point for some reason, and demand was great and all, but man did it drop when we hit that first recession (and never came out of it as far as I'm concerned!) I don't care what the President says, I can SEE where we are. Anyway... use those detergent charts as your bible! ha!

I think Hawkeye was asking about them eating more??
TO ANYONE WHO WAS COMING OUT TO HELP ON SATURDAY: We are planning on working on Sunday instead. It should be a tad bit warmer and I am hoping melted more! DH has to work on Saturday and I can only come down for 2 days at a time at most because the horses are out of round bales so they need hay put out on a regular basis.

If anyone wants to come out on Sunday let me know or if you are willing to loan tools let me know that as well and I can arrange a time to pick them up! Thanks!!

Are we talking about THIS Sunday?? I think I missed that info. Sunday, we wouldn't even be able to get out there until late-- around 3 or 4pm.. I am on the Praise Team at church and we are preparing for the Holy Week and there is sooooo much to do! Last Sunday I didn't even get home from church until 2pm because of the planning session I was in gearing up. It's fun, so I'm not complaining.

The darned coyotes are back! I figured once they got hungry enough they'd come around. I was worried with the snow load the electric fence charge may not be strong enough to deter them, so I stormed out the back door hollering at them while I tried to get my boots on -- they were making so much noise they didn't even hear me! I was afraid they were going to break through before I could get to them so I rang the bell on the back of the house we use to call the kids in. Still they were hooping and hollering and not paying attention. Finally I got the boots on and flashed the back light off and on disco-like while I looked around for my flashlight. That did it. They went completely silent. I stormed out the door with my flashlight and never caught a glimpse of even one. I walked the perimeter of the fence and found there were only 2 or 3 (sounded like 10 or so) and one of them crept up to the fence -- probably got his nose lit up. I haven't heard a thing out of them since. I think if they got hungry enough they may just go through that fence. I'm glad they're not at all stealthy and I'm really glad I got that wide impedance charger for weather like this. Hopefully, between the fence and I, we will hold them off until they can get something to eat elsewhere! I hate those things.

Glad you got them chased off. That is crazy they didn't hear you. I bet they would have heard a shotgun! LOL From now on.. I'm not going out "alone". I got a nice one for xmas that I'm excited to use! hahaha

I wish my internet would go down for a day or two so I could get OFF it and be more productive at times I wonder what I would get done if my internet went down for a week... I can picture a very clean and organized house....

LOL!!! If mine went out, I'd be the domestic Goddess of this house for sure! Everything would be washed, put up and clean!

I have my chicks out in the brooder in the barn that are getting 2 decent-sized servings of the FF each day - they were hatched Jan. 11th and they are HUGE - In fact, they are big enough to be moved out to the coop next week. I think the FF has made a big difference with their growth rate and hardiness! They love the FF - but my main chickens in the coop still seem unsure of it even after several months. I'm sprinkling scratch over it and that does encourage them to go peck and eat more than if I don't sprinkle the scratch over it. I'd like to see pictures of what everyone elses FF looks like in their bucket - I'm not sure if mine is too watery or not..

That is good to know-- that they seem bigger. I wonder if this would be perfect for meaties that you'd be butchering. I wouldn't want my silkies growing too large-- I would be in big trouble with keeping them in the correct size! They can't be over a certain weight! ha!

 

[HEChicken]

The darned coyotes are back! I figured once they got hungry enough they'd come around. I was worried with the snow load the electric fence charge may not be strong enough to deter them, so I stormed out the back door hollering at them while I tried to get my boots on -- they were making so much noise they didn't even hear me! I was afraid they were going to break through before I could get to them so I rang the bell on the back of the house we use to call the kids in. Still they were hooping and hollering and not paying attention. Finally I got the boots on and flashed the back light off and on disco-like while I looked around for my flashlight. That did it. They went completely silent. I stormed out the door with my flashlight and never caught a glimpse of even one. I walked the perimeter of the fence and found there were only 2 or 3 (sounded like 10 or so) and one of them crept up to the fence -- probably got his nose lit up. I haven't heard a thing out of them since. I think if they got hungry enough they may just go through that fence. I'm glad they're not at all stealthy and I'm really glad I got that wide impedance charger for weather like this. Hopefully, between the fence and I, we will hold them off until they can get something to eat elsewhere! I hate those things.

Wow - they are really bold at your place. We hear them at night a lot and DS and I had that close encounter a couple of weeks ago but that coyote seemed more interested in the geese on my pond and didn't show any sign he even knew my coop was there (for which I was very thankful). I'm glad you got them scared away. I am wondering if something like a flare gun would work for you. I bet if you stood on your back porch and shot a flare gun in their direction they would disappear for awhile.

Yeah... so far I've heard NO ONE say... wow, my birds are eating a lot less now! So I'm thinking just hearing everyone's experience here, that this isn't the deal for me. I just can't afford to feed MORE than I'm feeding now! I have a senior horse killing me on feed and supplement bills! OH yes, I know what you are talking about being able to see the new feathers vs old! I have some silkies molting right now (yes... STILL!) and the old feathers are so dull! And the new ones are so bright and shiny! But I'm not feeding FF and I can still see the difference...? They do get BOSS, but I don't know how much that effects them. Glad you got to the Dr and got antibiotics. Sorry you aren't feeling well. Yeah, I'm with you. I'm ready for warmer weather!!

I think my boots should come in today! I hope so!! I just hope they are the right size. I HATE ordeing foot wear, it's really a crap-shoot on whether it's going to fit or not. The sizes are just not the same with every company. Depending on what I'm buying, I can be a size 8, 9 or 10! That is a huge difference. I split the difference and bought a 9. The sneakers I'm wearing now are a sz 10-- but typically I'm a nine in sneakers.

I wonder if the sizes are going like clothes-- I just bought some very small sizes in pants a couple weeks ago. Like size 2. I'm not a size 2. But I think they are putting numbers on pants willy-nilly to make Americans feel better! I came home and showed my DH the pants and asked him to guess what size they are. He guessed my REAL size... and I showed him the label and he looked pretty confused until I told him they FIT like my regular size. Honestly, we're not stupid, why do that? That just means there's no way to order clothes online if they are going to pull that kind of crap. What happened to universal sizing? This was at Khols by the way, so it's not some trendy little store in the mall or whatever.

Yay for getting your boots today! You sound like me - whenever I order something I can't wait for it to get here! I was so surprised when I ordered that incubator last week and then got the shipping and found it was going to arrive the very next day. I looked at the return address when I got it and it was a PO Box in Wichita, so I wasn't crazy. Did anyone else know that GQF has a distributor right in Wichita? I wish it had provided a physical address instead of a PO Box.

I know what you mean about the sizing. I have never ordered clothes or shoes online because I'm always afraid they won't fit right. And its crazy how they have resized everything to have smaller numbers on it. I guess it makes people feel better to think they're an 8 instead of an 18 but it would certainly be easier if they would just put the real sizes on things and then you could order with confidence. Even when I can try things on, I have clothes in my closet in about 10 different sizes - its nuts! And then Australian sizes are totally different again since they measure it in centimetres, so for example a shirt is sold by your bust size in centimetres. I don't order from there but family members will send gifts so that sizing is added to my collection as well.

I can't wait for this blasted snow to melt so I can get going on finishing up my hoop coop. Right now the lumber I was going to use to build the gate is still buried under several inches of white stuff. Danz, did you ever get yours finished?

 

[chicken danz]

Hawkeye I don't think the birds would actually grow bigger than they normally would. They would just grow faster than normal. I still think that general overall health is better which of course has something to do with the higher protein level of FF. But the other benefits like lack of chicken poop smell etc is a huge benefit. I am anxious to see if they do cut down on food consumption once it warms up and they can get out and find things to eat. I have always used more feed in the winter so I honestly can't judge how well we are doing.

 

[chicken danz]

HEchicken I haven't had any way to work on mine at all. It still has a foot of snow around it. I really need to get it done. I keep changing my mind about what I am going to put in there too. I just really need more pens and houses. I wish I could design a side by side hoop coop using the side of one for the side of another. I could make a whole row of them if I could. The expensive part is the actual house part. I can't see not building a house area so the thing will be all weather and useful. And then DH set it backwards so I am trying to decide how to make the house part so the north wind doesn't blow in. I really really don't want to try to move it and do all that dirt work again. I want to build maybe 2 10 foot units as well as this 20 foot long one. I think they would make good little breeding coops for different breeds. I could make the house parts smaller and leave more pen space for them. I am trying to figure out if I want to build two more separate units or build one big one and divide it into two units. I haven't figured out design just yet to see if I could save money that way. My mind never stops working and planning.
I have a peacock that keeps breaking feathers and I am afraid he is going to bleed to death. I want to get him moved to a different pen. Unfortunately I have the turkeys in the pen I need to use so I could use another hoop house for just them. I thought of moving him in with my whites but he is old enough to breed so I'm afraid he would attack my younger boys. I guess that would be a way to find out who is what sex! Not the way I prefer to do it for sure.
It drives me nuts not being able to get out and get work done.