Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

Hey all I've just recently joined the group and the world of urban chickening (is that a word?). I live within the city limits of McPherson and so have pullets which is fine since our desire for his project has been for eggs and experiences for the kids. I have 6 red-sexed pullets, 1 barred rock pullet, and one mystery bird.

I posted in the "What Breed Is It?" forum to get help in identifying the mystery bird. So far it seems to be an Easter Egger or an Ameraucuna. Now the gender is a big question that will be obviously resolved in a few weeks.

Anyways nice to 'meet' you and see ya around the backyard.

Martin

Welcome Martin! Glad you could join us. You have another one of our members in town with you. Jump in and talk or ask questions or just go on about anything. We love pictures here and we love talking about other things as well.

Quote:

Yes Ma'am! We're hittin the rural route! LOL

22 Acres of no more City Rules!

You will never look back!!! Country living can't be beat. I wish I had moved back out years ago. (I lived in the country a few times in past years.) My greatest fear is getting to the age and physical condition some day I would have to move to town. I think they should just shoot me at that point. As long as I can make it to my front porch to watch nature I won't be going anywhere near town.

Did you all know that crows will take chicken eggs. My mom has a flock that free ranges and her hens lay anywhere she has given them next boxes but the girls will not use them. So anyway she saw two crows take keeps over the weekend. I didn't know they would do that

just wanted to share

I had never heard that before. We have quite a few of them around here. But they have never bothered anything. The chickens and ducks run when they see them but I don't think they even land in the yard. (I think they fear the dogs.)
Enjoyed the video Mr. Winning is always fair. I didn't realize there was such a sport. I do the same thing here just for fun. Mine won't go that fast but it goes fast enough for me!!

 

[JosieChick]

Howdy everyone!

I am so very far behind yet again. I just can't keep up with everyone on here!

Trish-Those barnevelder chicks sure are cute!

Welcome to new folks and sorry I didn't do any multi posts! I should have because now I can't remember anything!

Finally have the nursery really underway. Set up most of the furniture and have now been washing cloth diapers and baby clothes so it can get put away and organized! I can't believe how much "stuff" we have!!! Guess that is a good thing though, nice to have extras of things.

I have lots of housekeeping to get caught up on and really need to start unpacking too. I would really like to have stuff put away before the baby gets here because I am sure I won't be up to it for a bit after she does.

Everyone stay warm, this weather! I am over the cold, raw spring we are having.

 

[cubbysan]

Howdy everyone!

I am so very far behind yet again. I just can't keep up with everyone on here!

Trish-Those barnevelder chicks sure are cute!

Welcome to new folks and sorry I didn't do any multi posts! I should have because now I can't remember anything!

Finally have the nursery really underway. Set up most of the furniture and have now been washing cloth diapers and baby clothes so it can get put away and organized! I can't believe how much "stuff" we have!!! Guess that is a good thing though, nice to have extras of things.

I have lots of housekeeping to get caught up on and really need to start unpacking too. I would really like to have stuff put away before the baby gets here because I am sure I won't be up to it for a bit after she does.

Everyone stay warm, this weather! I am over the cold, raw spring we are having.

JosieChick,

I know you must have posted it before, but when are you due? One thing I want you to remember when the baby is born, is to try to just enjoy the moments you have with her. I remember after my first was born, I felt like the whole day was spent "cleaning" everything up all the time. I drove myself crazy. It wasn't until the second one was born when I realized things do not have to be so perfect and clean. Also, use your instinct, do not listen to others on how the right or wrong way to do things is ( best advice from my pediatrician! )

 

[chicken danz]

cubbysan X2. I actually was a perfectionist with my first two kids. Everything was spotless, including them and I didn't take time to enjoy the kids at all.
Then years later I had 3 more. I became a total slob (and still am in the worst way) but I had so much fun with my little dirt magnets. Strangely enough they were much healthier than my first two whom I tried to keep from all earthly things.
Josie I would so love to see your nursery and your house and your pens. I had to laugh about unpacking. When I moved back to Kansas from OKC I had really downsized and gotten rid of tons of things. (Lots of it I really regret now...had I seen their future value) Anyway 20+ years later I moved again and this time I finally got rid of a few boxes that had been moved from OKC 20 years earlier. I never did get totally unpacked. I have a bunch of stuff in a storage unit now that has been there for 5 years. Its all in boxes from moving and I've missed only a tiny bit of it. Don't worry about getting the unpacking done. You can always do that later.
It's great to have lots of baby stuff. The less often you have to do laundry the better!!! And then with baby # 2 you have a better idea of what you need or don't.

 

[Trish44]

Planning a web site already; "Rooster & Babs build a Farm" lol

Shannon AAKA "Babs" - The GF, wants a green house. Planning on a little "Country MArket" out front where she can sell fresh Veggies, fruits, flowers,eggs & Home made goodies. Just going to start small, me with Chickens and her with plants and trees and see where we grow from there? Planning a small orchard , some ducks on the pond.
I'm going to have a few goats also, I want to raised San Clemente Island Goats, a rare breed.
I race Lawn Mowers and collect/restore antique garden tractors, so I'll have room to play with them as well!

Congrats on moving to the country, you will love it there. I moved out of the city in 1976 & haven't looked back. I have heard of that breed of goats, but really don't know anything about the breed. I just got goats for the 2nd time about a month or so ago, I got 2 Boer baby does, one of which was bottle fed, the other one was already weaned when I got her. I hadn't had goats for a lot of years & hadn't had this breed before, so I am learning about them. So far it's been pretty fun to have them around & they're entertaining to watch as they play. We got them for brush control on the part of our land we don't mow or maintain, so as soon as they get a bit older I will be putting them out there to browse. It sounds like you have some fun plans for your place.

Well the weather isn't really cooperating today with my plans to work much on the hoop coop, it's really windy & chilly out there. We may go out & work on at least getting the supports on in a bit though.

 

[sunflowerparrot]

Anybody's dogs or cats act strangely last night?


I have two golden retrievers who can sense earthquakes. One of them started about 9 last night jumping on me, like she wanted me to pick her up. Very unusual for her. Then she hid in the basement in the dark by herself, also very unusual for a golden who always wants to be with their people. I had to pull her upstairs, she was just very needy all night.

Then this morning, my Maine Coon Cat who is afraid to leave the second floor was hiding in my closet on the first floor. When I came near the closet, she started crying.

Found out their were six earthquakes in Oklahoma last night. We are at least 4 hours from there, but last year when they had them, both dogs woke me up at the time they occurred. They have also reacted to another one. I should have known, I thought maybe she was in pain or something.

My first jolt was my parrot, Buddy, freaking out in his cage (I have an African Gray) - Seems OK has been having earthquakes more than we can even feel; my parrot feels them. He freaked out about 2am and my GP was barking his head off too - Had the bird not caused so much noise and had I not waken up, I'd not have felt my bed shaking a little. There must have been some small aftershocks too because Buddy got upset about 2 more times after the initial 2am quake. It scares me when he does this as I am afraid he will hurt himself. He will calm down if I start to whisper to him - lol, it is like he knows he needs to be very quiet so he can hear!

 

[HEChicken]

cubbysan X2. I actually was a perfectionist with my first two kids. Everything was spotless, including them and I didn't take time to enjoy the kids at all.
Then years later I had 3 more. I became a total slob (and still am in the worst way) but I had so much fun with my little dirt magnets. Strangely enough they were much healthier than my first two whom I tried to keep from all earthly things.

Not really so strange, I don't think. In my opinion, babies need exposure to all the little nasties out there in order to build up an immune response. When my DD was a baby, she would crawl around all over our house, through cat hair and dander, and whatever had been tracked in on the bottom of our shoes. Then she'd stop and pick up something and put it in her mouth. This freaked out my neat-freak friend who had a baby the same age and literally, "sanitized" all of her daughter's toys in bleach EVERY night after she went to bed. Well, my DD had never had so much as a cold by her second birthday. And whenever I saw my friend's daughter she had a runny nose and my friend would complain that she was sick again.

That's one anecdote and it would take thorough laboratory testing with control subjects and all to prove it. But it was enough for me.

 

[cubbysan]

Not really so strange, I don't think. In my opinion, babies need exposure to all the little nasties out there in order to build up an immune response. When my DD was a baby, she would crawl around all over our house, through cat hair and dander, and whatever had been tracked in on the bottom of our shoes. Then she'd stop and pick up something and put it in her mouth. This freaked out my neat-freak friend who had a baby the same age and literally, "sanitized" all of her daughter's toys in bleach EVERY night after she went to bed. Well, my DD had never had so much as a cold by her second birthday. And whenever I saw my friend's daughter she had a runny nose and my friend would complain that she was sick again.

That's one anecdote and it would take thorough laboratory testing with control subjects and all to prove it. But it was enough for me.

They say that children under four that have pets are healthier than those that don't. I believe this too.

 

[JosieChick]

Due May 1st. Oh I will enjoy her, that is why I am trying to get all this stuff done now so when she gets here I can just be a mommy! I don't think our house will ever be clean!!! I would just like to know where the turn plate for the microwave is.....

JosieChick,

I know you must have posted it before, but when are you due? One thing I want you to remember when the baby is born, is to try to just enjoy the moments you have with her. I remember after my first was born, I felt like the whole day was spent "cleaning" everything up all the time. I drove myself crazy. It wasn't until the second one was born when I realized things do not have to be so perfect and clean. Also, use your instinct, do not listen to others on how the right or wrong way to do things is ( best advice from my pediatrician! )

It is funny you guys are chatting about this because we were listening to a radio show and they were talking about how people who freak out about germs always get the sickest and that kids actually do a lot better if you don't sanitize everything to death. They were talking about how our immune systems need to be challenged externally and if they aren't they find other ways to keep busy with things like food allergies and auto immune problems. DH and I turned to each other and laughed and I said that shouldn't be a problem for our daughter!!! I wish our house was clean but it is hopeless with all the critters and us destroying it on a daily basis. I shudder at the amount of pet hair she will probably ingest during childhood!!!!

I can't imagine having time to disinfect toys every night...how do folks have that much free time or ambition? I am trying to start out fairly clean and organized but I am sure that will only last a little while!!!

Not really so strange, I don't think. In my opinion, babies need exposure to all the little nasties out there in order to build up an immune response. When my DD was a baby, she would crawl around all over our house, through cat hair and dander, and whatever had been tracked in on the bottom of our shoes. Then she'd stop and pick up something and put it in her mouth. This freaked out my neat-freak friend who had a baby the same age and literally, "sanitized" all of her daughter's toys in bleach EVERY night after she went to bed. Well, my DD had never had so much as a cold by her second birthday. And whenever I saw my friend's daughter she had a runny nose and my friend would complain that she was sick again.

That's one anecdote and it would take thorough laboratory testing with control subjects and all to prove it. But it was enough for me.

Well that is fabulous news!!! I always wonder about people who have a baby and get rid of all their pets....must also be of some detriment to the child's ability to be challenged by pet dander etc and increase their risk of animal allergies.

They say that children under four that have pets are healthier than those that don't. I believe this too.

 

[HEChicken]

Well that is fabulous news!!! I always wonder about people who have a baby and get rid of all their pets....must also be of some detriment to the child's ability to be challenged by pet dander etc and increase their risk of animal allergies.

My mother always had a thing about cats and babies (newborns young enough to be in a bassinet). She said the cat would snuggle up to the baby and suffocate it. She is not the kind of person who freaks out about little things, so I can only think this really happened somewhere in the world one time and she heard about it and it stuck with her. We had cats when my kids were little, with no problems.

But I have a similar phobia of my own, based on a real-life experience. Our next door neighbors when I was a kid, had 5 daughters, and apparently, in an attempt to get a son, had one more. They finally had their little boy but when he was 7 months old and crawling, he found an open safety pin, swallowed it, and died. It must have perforated somewhere and they may not have even known what it was until they did an x-ray, either before or after his death (I was very young so don't know the details). Anyway, this made a huge impression on me at only 4-5 and that was my one phobia when my own kids were small. So in the end we are all shaped by our own experiences.