Consolidated Kansas

[Hawkeye95]

Yay! I have internet for the first time in days. It's off and on so apparently 120 different tech folks don't have a clue what they are doing. My SIM card didn't come today as it was supposed to.
I figured out why I was loosing chicks and not sure what I can do about it for a while. I have some d'uccles which keep having recurring sneezing. I was loosing their chicks and could't figure out why. Well after the last chick started going down hill I checked it and it was starting to sneeze and wheeze. I was putting all the new hatches in a bin in the house. I think what happened was some of the d'uccles transferred their cold to their eggs and in turn those chicks infected other chicks. I was afraid to medicate much so I put some chick saver and some vetRX in the water. They seem to be doing fine now.
I am really worried that my little turkey will catch a cold. So that is why I have him and the lavender together away from the other chicks. I sure hope it helps. Just my luck!
I've treated those birds with all kinds of things and cleared them up but the sneezing keeps coming back. I an almost ready to just cull the whole bunch. If they weren't so cute I probably would.
I've got a ton to do so I'd better get going. I feel like my lifeline was severed without having contact with you guys.

I'm soooo sorry about your internet! What a royal PITA! It sounds like you may have figured out the problem to your birds, too, but dont know what to tell you. Some argue that the ones that get sick and recover then go on to be stronger birds-- or produce birds that might be stronger. But if you are saying that sick birds produced unhealthy eggs... which led to sick chicks... then I'm scratching my head. Or are you saying that the sick birds sneezed on otherwise healthy eggs and the hatching chicks came in contact with infected shells?? Birds are just nothing like people. We get sick and our bodies make antibodies for it and we are healthier for it (usually). I am always interested in disease discussions!

All of my chickens are well, I have so many I don't even know for sure how many. The little kids are playing chicken store with the chicks right now. Poor things. My brooder room is filled to the brim, my dh got another pen ready just last night and I can move another group out there whenever I'm ready. It shouldn't be this full all the time, but ordering from the hatchery gave me more chicks of the same age than I've ever had at once. We haven't lost any, but I do see that they behave differently being in bigger groups.
Funny about the kids play! Yay on the new brooder!


Hawkeye, was it you with the sick chicken? Glad she's doing better.

All this talk about the city codes and such, I'm just so glad we don't have to deal with any of that. Sarajoy, you are moving to the Fredonia area? I love to drive to Fredonia, it's just one of the prettiest drives ever. When are you moving?

I have some pics on my camera, but they've been there so long it's time to take new ones. I have more hatching in 2 weeks and I'm just as excited as I always am. I need to go get busy, all I've done all day is read on here to get caught up. I have an excuse to sit that long though, the kids are sick and thye need to snuggle. I took that as an opportunity. My dd just said that she wants a chicken that lays Cadbury eggs, I'm not sure how that would work. Have a great day all.

She's doing better, thank you! Yeah, I'm soooo glad I don't deal with city codes either. You'll need to post some pics!

I'm glad to hear your silkie is doing better - I hope she continues to improve.

I am really liking the hoop coop - it was really very easy to build and it went pretty fast. And its so roomy in there. I'm glad I went with the 10' width as being as short as I am, I can still walk around upright in most of it and it gives them a little more room. My DH can't be comfortable in it though so if you are a taller person, its probably better to go with the 8' wide and make it that bit taller. The shorter height on it also made my lumber for the gate go a little further too. I had budgeted 3 2x2's for each gate - one for each of the verticals and the third to cut for the horizontals. As it turned out, I cut the verticals and realized the bits I had cut off were wide enough for the horizontals. I even had to cut a little piece off each of those and the two pieces I cut off because my triangulating pieces. So I was able to build the whole gate with only two 2x2's and having leftovers is always a good thing in my book.

Sapphireblu, how did they go getting the truck out the rut today?

Yeah, your hoop coop is good looking too. I think you and Danz and Trish have made some fantastic hoop coops. Mustang's is more like a hoop-Palace. I love that style! I am itching to make one, too! I like the idea of making it 10 feet. That would work for me and I'm on the shorter side, anyway.

We stopped by a country store in louisburg today that gets their chicks from cackle and they had 2 tiny white silkie chicks left

I was so excited, I grabbed them up and brought them home. I will post some pics later. I have been looking so long, my daughter was tearful with joy.
What a day, looking forward to a good night sleep and hopefully brighter skies tomorrow.

Congrats on finding them! Hopefully they won't both be roos! That was my luck!

Thank You all so much for the kind comments!
All those duck except for the ring teal are all birds found through out the United States.

HEChicken,
So for those kiddy pools work great have only had one pool fail for picking up and draining. I had a fancy pond for my ducks but that was more of a pain and hell of a lot more work then a cheap kiddy pool.

Eventually I will get a pic of my not so entertaining chickens. To me a chick is well a chicken........ hope everyone drys out soon!

Daren

It's hard to believe that they are all native to the US! They seem so exotic! FUNNY about the chickens being just boring 'ole chickens! haha! You are talking to some die-hard chick lovers here!

Although, I can understand the water fowl love-- they are just adorable and always seem so happy and talkative! We are drying out pretty well here. Which is nice. We need the rain for sure, but a little at a time so it has a chance to soak in!

My turkeys spent their first night in the hoop coop last night and all seems to be well this morning. Madge was NOT happy last night. My turkeys are friendly and follow me around talking but are not handleable in the sense that they make sure to stay an arm's length distant from me at all times. So I had to wait until they were on the roost last night to pick them up and move them. I grabbed Madge first and wow is she strong. She fought me the entire way from the main coop to the hoop coop and I was glad to get there and put her down. Ned, on the other hand was completely calm. He is considerably bigger and therefore could have put up even more of a fight but when I picked him up he didn't even struggle - just allowed me to carry him over and set him down. Madge immediately started pacing the fence looking for a way out, while Ned spied the feeder and went over to stock up. Then he just stood and watched Madge pace. I'm sure he was thinking "What's the matter, Madge? The food's right over here". Men. By this morning they both seem calm and as content as they're going to be in confinement since they are not accustomed to it.

That's great that they are doing well in the coop. Now they can concentrate on getting down to business! And Madge won't become coyote bait running off finding a nice nesting spot in the woods like my turkey did.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Hawkeye- I hope so too, but either way, my daughter has loved them ever since she saw them. We could never find them when I had extra money so she moved on to wanting the duccles and she has babied them and took extra good care of them ever since we got them, so I tried so hard to find her a couple since she is so responsible with them. She was so happy and is still so thrilled and keeps asking if we have to find them new homes if they are both boys and I am trying to reassure her that they will stay no matter what. I am going to build them their own pen so they are comfortable and secure. Can you pass me any tidbits that I may need to know about them that will be different than any other chicken?

 

[Hawkeye95]

All this talk of different breeds and egg colors has me wondering. if you could choose only one breed to raise in Kansas with colorful eggs, which would it be?

Also wondering if anyone knows if Wichita allows free range? I've searched the city code, but I can't find anything.

I love the brown eggs, so I really like my barred rocks. There is no free ranging in Wichita-- which would mean they would be able to run around your front yard and jump on your cars, get on your porch, possibly walk over to the neighbors, (get eaten by the neighbors dog) etc... I'm pretty sure they have to be contained. I would just make sure your back yard is secure and leave it at that.

Well I'm going to pick up my little doeling today & then the other one will be coming when I get back, so pics will be coming tomorrow since it will be too late today by the time I get them here & get them all settled in. I can't wait to get them both here & see what they think of each other. Penny has been so lonely by herself with no other baby goats where she has been, so I'm hoping she will be happier with a friend.

I sure hope the sun comes out soon & it warms up, it's darned chilly out there right now. It looks like it's supposed to be 57 today, but right now it's still 37, brrrr. Tomorrow is supposed to be 70 though, yay! Have a good day everyone!

Good luck with the goats! Can't wait to see them! I'm really counting on a nice warm day today! I hope I'm not disappointed!

Hawkeye- I hope so too, but either way, my daughter has loved them ever since she saw them. We could never find them when I had extra money so she moved on to wanting the duccles and she has babied them and took extra good care of them ever since we got them, so I tried so hard to find her a couple since she is so responsible with them. She was so happy and is still so thrilled and keeps asking if we have to find them new homes if they are both boys and I am trying to reassure her that they will stay no matter what. I am going to build them their own pen so they are comfortable and secure. Can you pass me any tidbits that I may need to know about them that will be different than any other chicken?

Honestly, you don't need any special treatment for the hatchery silkies. They don't have much of a crest and they can see really well. They also seem to be able to flap up to roosts because they don't have as many soft feathers. I started with hatchery silkies-- and mine had almost normal wing feathers on them-- hardly any shredding. So they could roost. I would treat them like any of your other birds. I can't do that with my silkies-- they can't see because their crests are too big and they have no hard feathers which prevents them from flying-- so they refuse to roost and they sleep on the ground in a pile. Yours will be really tough and hardy birds! So you shouldn't have much to worry about!

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Thank you Hawkeye. I have read that the hatchery lines have smaller crests. I think starting out with them and being for my daughter that is what I wanted anyway. I think that is what she wants to get into so later on we will look into better quality.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Thank you Hawkeye. I have read that the hatchery lines have smaller crests. I think starting out with them and being for my daughter that is what I wanted anyway. I think that is what she wants to get into so later on we will look into better quality.

if you ever decide to upgrade, let me know! I will always have lots of culls to get rid of. Most of my culls are breeding quality, and I do wind up with a few pet quality. But talk to me depending on what you are wanting to do with them, we'd get you hooked up right. OR... I can point you in the right direction to ship from other breeders to get in eggs/birds! I have a list of really reputable people that I trust. Don't shop eBay! At least, not until you learn who is who and what their purpose for breeding is-- you want someone who is showing. If you eventually go that route, they will need their own coop and set up and then all the extra care comes in play. But for now-- the birds you have will be really cute and I'm sure it will make her very happy! Nothing wrong with them!

My hatchery silkies were just adorable and sweet.

 

[chris0110]

Lol I meant free range in back yard. I have 6' privacy fence all around. Just didn't want to have to section them off in one area, or build a tractor that I have to constantly move. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[ChooksChick]

Hi all! I'm brand spanking new here. Just joined the site about an hour ago. Lol I currently don't own any chickens, but my husband and I are considering it. Probably won't be until next year, but I'm researching what we need to have and know now so we can be ready for them. Any advice you have for a city girl would be very welcome! thanks!

HI to you and all of the new folks!! It's great to see such a wonderful community getting together here, and I'm delighted to see so many new people interested in having chickens! It makes me feel like less of an addict...

Renee, I joined the hatch too. I have a LOT in the incubator. I joined the Easter swap and sent off 24 eggs to 2 swap partners and received 26. So excited to see what hatches!!

Hooray! I'm trying really hard to keep on the thread... I'm giving a hint every morning for the new-to-incubating peeps. I'm also hosting a Flapper photo contest and giving away 3 sets of hatching eggs as prizes. The hatchalong and most contests are open to anyone, even though one contest required eggs to be set at a specific time. Come join us if you currently have eggs set or are setting soon!

Quote:
Thank you, all for the kudos. Regarding a Wichita meet-up, I'm happy to come Mon-Thurs. I have to stay overnight and I'll stay over whichever night suits the largest number of you guys- so the dates possible for dinner together should be April 8-11, 15-18, or 22-25th. Perhaps a poll to determine what works best for everyone is in order...hold on, let me set that up...

Okay, here's the form link, so go take the survey, and it will draw a graph to show us the right day to set up the giggle-fest!!

*Can't figure out how to delete posts!!*

Nobody can but the admin & moderators...we are all subject to editing instead

Ok I have a question!

I am getting my chickens this week

eek!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
However I'm wondering if the guy is giving them to me for a reasonable price. Just thought I'd ask since I've never raised chickens before. He wants $15 per Barnevelder 7-8 month old and $10 per White Rock 6 month old.

Any other tips on buying hens from people would be appreciated!

I'd snatch those up- I charge $15-20 for a point-of-lay mutt. It takes that much to feed them up to that age, and feed costs are really the major outlay. If I'm selling a well-bred bird, it has to be higher to account for the investment I've made in the parents, multiple generations of care and culling to refine the bird, my time, and multiple generations of feeding, building, hauling water in the snow, hauling ice in the summer, etc.

It's not chicken feed to bring up chickens anymore!!

Ozawkie, you have some stunning birds. I love the icicles hanging off the wading pool - don't the pools crack if you let the water freeze in them?

Well, I finally got a chance to download pics from my camera so here is the finished hoop coop. The tarp on it runs the full length and is the kind with the reflective silver side. There should always be somewhere in the coop that is in shade.


And here is the gate on it:



Now I just need to plan the interior.

Lovely hoop-house. I"m starting to like these more and more. I'd probably roof mine with thatch and try to plant things in it, though...it's impossible for me to use those tarps, because around here they start to stink like burnt plastic in the heat of the sun. It's a horrible bunch of fumes and makes me sick to my stomach. Thatch would be pretty, too!

Yay! I have internet for the first time in days. It's off and on so apparently 120 different tech folks don't have a clue what they are doing. My SIM card didn't come today as it was supposed to. I called the post office first thing this morning. I was supposed to hear from some tech people within 24-48 hours and it's been more like 86 hours...still no call. I have got plenty to tell these folks when this is all resolved. I lost pup sales and am days behind on projects cause I couldn't get to information I need.
Welcome to the new people. I skimmed. Shell55, I'm glad you got to help with the hatch.
My big news is I hatched my first turkey poult from the midget whites. I had put the first three eggs in the incubator and one of them was fertile. YAY! It is with a lavender chick and seems to be healthy.
My young olandsk pullets I got for Christmas both laid their first egg yesterday!
I figured out why I was loosing chicks and not sure what I can do about it for a while. I have some d'uccles which keep having recurring sneezing. I was loosing their chicks and could't figure out why. Well after the last chick started going down hill I checked it and it was starting to sneeze and wheeze. I was putting all the new hatches in a bin in the house. I think what happened was some of the d'uccles transferred their cold to their eggs and in turn those chicks infected other chicks. I was afraid to medicate much so I put some chick saver and some vetRX in the water. They seem to be doing fine now.
I am really worried that my little turkey will catch a cold. So that is why I have him and the lavender together away from the other chicks. I sure hope it helps. Just my luck!
I've treated those birds with all kinds of things and cleared them up but the sneezing keeps coming back. I an almost ready to just cull the whole bunch. If they weren't so cute I probably would.
I've got a ton to do so I'd better get going. I feel like my lifeline was severed without having contact with you guys.

Sorry you're having trouble, Verna- is it a T-Mobile hotspot?

What a PITA!!

I got my new Cream Legbars put in the pen a little while ago. The rooster still has some growing & maturing to do before he's usable for breeding, but he will get there. I can't wait to see how he grows out. I'm replacing my one that had the crooked comb, he was a nice sized rooster, but just has a crazy crooked comb, so I can't use him. I decided to let him free-range with my layer flock & maybe I'll get some olive eggers out of him. I brought home two little blue barred rock chicks too, I'm excited to see what color eggs they lay, whether it will be blue, brown, or green eggs.

I'm so thrilled the weather is warmer today, it was just nasty up in KC Sunday & Monday, cold & windy as everything & it snowed a little bit Monday morning. I'm glad to get back here where it's warmer now. I'm looking forward to this week, I'm bringing my little goat doelings home, I can't wait to get them here & get them settled in.

a. Are you looking for a new home for your 'old' roo, and
b. Next time you come through, buzz me and let me know! I'm on the way and we could have a coffee & chat for a few. I always have a few odds & ends I could share in eggs, too.

had several ameracauna banty,s last year. I sold said bantys in the fall and put 30 eggs in incubator..That group hatched Oct. 31 and they are now starting to lay. They are extrmely young I realize,but they seem much smaller than the parent stock. It could be my memory as the older I get the better I was. I will know this fall whrn these pullets are older

Those sound lovely. Pics??

Thank You all so much for the kind comments!
All those duck except for the ring teal are all birds found through out the United States.

HEChicken,
So for those kiddy pools work great have only had one pool fail for picking up and draining. I had a fancy pond for my ducks but that was more of a pain and hell of a lot more work then a cheap kiddy pool.

Eventually I will get a pic of my not so entertaining chickens. To me a chick is well a chicken........ hope everyone drys out soon!

Daren

Well this thing is still up and down. I am not done with them yet. I did get the SIM card from Fed Ex and installed it and the internet dropped again. Obviously they were wrong again. I have to be gone tomorrow so Thursday they are going to get their ears full again. Plus they wanted me to send them the old Sim card back but didn't include a package to do it and expect me to go on line to print postage. What part do they not understand about having no internet!!!!!

Needless to say this whole thing is bringing out the side of me that I try very hard never to let out of it's cage!!!
Thanks Jeanniec. Those girls are really cranking out eggs now.
Hechicken only my midgets are laying now. None of the other turkeys haven't begun yet. I even got an egg from my albino midget hen yesterday. Of course it isn't fertile since she lives with the lemon cuckoos. I thought I might eat it since it is a good egg but I just feel wrong about it. I love the turkeys so much!!
I got some boards on front of their shelters today and loaded them up with straw. I was trying to encourage some nesting. I need to get some nests constructed for the midgets and the peafowl too. I just ran out of time.
I went and got my new tire installed today and stopped by a shop in town to get a couple buttons. I ended up finding some awesome stuff to finish my granddaughters princess dress that I liked better than stuff I had on hand. Maybe it's a good thing I am making it a bit large because I don't know when I'll ever get it finished. I just don't have much patience to sew any more.
Trish I have a huge bunch of the blue barred rocks and that is what I've been trying to breed for. I got mine from Eileen as well. I am starting to get eggs but they are just light brown...nothing pretty yet. I didn't realize that is what she had crossed. I wonder if mine are crossed with legbars as well. I'll have to ask her. I have a bunch of them. A few with great barring and some with more like lacing. They are pretty though and I am counting on them laying me lots of eggs. So far they are doing a good job for pullets.
Mammahen good to see you on here as well. Miss hearing from you.

I've been working on Blue Barred Rocks for some time with SparkyCrows. I've got some Heritage Barred Rock in there and will be adding more. Working on Chocolate Bars, as well!! I do love Rocks.

... my understanding is that an olive egger is a dark egg layer over a green egg layer. Since a green egg layer carries the blue egg gene, perhaps it works just as well using a blue egg layer? I dunno.

I tried to create an olive egger, hatching eggs from my Marans hen out of Cyrus, who carried the green egg gene. I only wound up with one hen out of that pairing and she lays a dark brown egg - not as dark as her Marans mother but darker than most brown eggs. I currently have a Welsummer rooster and am considering incubating some of my green eggs fertilized by him to take another stab at getting an OE.

Here's another question for input from the genetics gurus. Last Fall somebody on here, I think Danz?, mentioned that if you put a green egg layer over a white egg layer you have a change at getting a hen that lays blue eggs. Since I do not currently have any blue egg layers in my flock, I decided to give it a go. I had Cyrus (green egg) and a Sultan who lays white eggs so I incubated the last 3 of her eggs before she quit laying for winter and wound up with one hen. She laid her first egg yesterday and.....it is green. I was so surprised to find that in the nest box - I was expecting either blue or brown, but not green. (For reference: Cyrus other offspring have laid either brown or green eggs). Any thoughts?

Heather, this is likely because Cyrus passed along not only the Blue gene, but also the Brown gene. Furthermore, the Blue 'gene' is actual several different components, so there are many different shades, depths, etc. and these are combined to create the ideal 'Blue' by selection. Some of the shades are more greenish without any brown outer layer influence. The inside of the egg will tell you more if you remove the membrane. This is playing into my lavender egg project, because some 'brown' eggs are inherently pink within. Fun, huh?? This stuff is just addictive to me.

http://scratchcradle.wordpress.com/tag/chicken-egg-color/

I did not read that so I don't know if is any good or not.

It is my understanding that BLUE is the pure color and GREEN is a mix of blue and brown. I may be wrong on that. (should read the article). Other colors are mixes in different proportions of WHITE, BLUE, and/or BROWN. So, if that is correct, blue and dark brown should get the olive green which is a darker version of the lighter green usually found.

I do not know if it makes a difference which chicken carries which color - the hen or the rooster. I had a rooster that carried the blue egg gene and the white egg hens he was with created pullets that layed blue eggs. That is all I know.

I had a BC marans (obviously not pure) that layed a beautiful mauve egg.

I'll need to go look at that article when I get a chance...I may have just repeated it...

Anyway, I've only just grazed the top of all the post from you guys. I'm going to go put up more fencing for another two pens, and then get going on work stuff. I'm falling farther and farther behind on everything. I probably need to cull some activities, but I'm having issues deciding what to drop. I mean really? Why can't we upgrade the length of the day!!?? Sleep is such a waste of time...

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Thank you Hawkeye I will let you know when we are ready for some higher quality birds. I have been wanting some for a long time myself.

 

[tackleberry]

anyone here

 

[tackleberry]

oh, i found the new posts, ha ha ha, hi every body
I just started with chickens last fall, meat birds. Oh god they were a trip. Now I am raising lots of layers and heritage breeds. I live by dexter Kansas.