Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

I agree with you Frizzled, hatcheries do mis-represent a lot of what they sell. Ameraucanas are one big huge point in case. I am a member of the Ameraucana Breeder's Club & it is so aggravating to see the hatcheries mis-represent what they're selling by saying they have Ameraucanas when they're actually nothing but Easter Eggers because they don't meet the SOP. Yet people will argue with you all day about what their bird is. I usually end up just having to refer them to the ABC web site where it shows the accepted colors & SOP for the breed. If you see a bird that has green legs you can be sure it's an EE, not an Ameraucana because the true Ameraucanas have slate gray legs. While there are a lot of really pretty EEs & they lay pretty eggs, they aren't anything but a mutt sadly. I do like them & I have a couple in my laying flock just for the fun colored eggs, but I would never mis-represent them as anything other than what they are. I also raise a project color of Ameraucanas that presently they are still trying to get recognized so it is in the SOP, but it's a work in progress. It is a very popular color though, so I do think eventually it will be accepted, it just takes work & time.

I presently don't raise any of the breeds you listed ctrymama, other than the Orpingtons, but I'm not sure you can use either of the colors I have & I'm not presently hatching. I know Danz does have some other colors that I don't have & she hatches way more chicks than I do. She also has Speckled Sussex as well from some good lines & she is closer to you. I agree with Frizzled also that looking at the breeder clubs for the breeds you want will often give you member's contact info for people who raise that breed. There are also many good breeders here on BYC. If you check on the Buy, Sell, Trade Forum you will find ads for who is hatching right now & you can find out who might raise what you're looking for. I have found some awesome people on BYC to get eggs or chicks from. Just check out photos of their parent birds & ask about blood lines too & look up some info so you know what lines are good ones for the breed or breeds you're looking for.

 

[ctrymama]

Thanks. I will definitely look into the buy, sale forum; I have been wondering how I was going to locate them. The kids will be the ones that have to look up the show rules, that's their project, I just help with the stuff they can't do; I will share the websites with them for sure. I also just got a copy of the 4-H chicken project handbook, so that will be helpful. I want the RIR because that is what my Granny raised back in the day and I love that connection, but only time will tell if they work out or not. I pick up the wood this weekend, I just have to load and unload it and he will haul it for me for free. I found a few old casement windows on craigslist I think will re-purpose beautifully with some screen and chain.

 

[Trish44]

Thanks. I will definitely look into the buy, sale forum; I have been wondering how I was going to locate them. The kids will be the ones that have to look up the show rules, that's their project, I just help with the stuff they can't do; I will share the websites with them for sure. I also just got a copy of the 4-H chicken project handbook, so that will be helpful. I want the RIR because that is what my Granny raised back in the day and I love that connection, but only time will tell if they work out or not. I pick up the wood this weekend, I just have to load and unload it and he will haul it for me for free. I found a few old casement windows on craigslist I think will re-purpose beautifully with some screen and chain.

If you're really serious about the Rhode Island Reds there is a thread on BYC, here is the link to it & you can see the true heritage Rhode Island Reds there & ask who might be hatching when you're ready that is either close by or can ship: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/407294/the-heritage-rhode-island-red-site

That's funny you mentioned that your grandmother had them & you want them because of that. I just had someone else today looking for a certain breed because her grandmother had them when she was growing up. It's nice to see people going back to the heritage breeds because a lot of them are getting rare & are starting to disappear.

 

[cherwill]

I'm too far behind to try to catch up.

I hope everyone's well.

We got the garden all cleaned out, and reserved an additional 25x25 plot for next year. I sure hope I'm in a canning mood next year! I got the last of the tomatoes turned into a small batch of tomato sauce to freeze yesterday. We scavenged some sweet potatoes out of the plot next to us. It was used by DH's former co-worker and he didn't care if we took anything he left behind. I guess he figured he had enough and didn't worry about picking up every last one. We probably got about a dozen or so.

We've had no more chickens act sick or anything, so it looks like the recent death was one of that same hatch where the other two died early on.

More good news -- we finally have a second hen laying eggs again! I thought it might never happen. I had to buy eggs for the second time last week. I haven't had to do that since our first bunch started laying. Now if the other seven would get with the program ....

My niece is in color guard and their last home game is tonight. Why tonight??? We don't get enough trick or treaters to hand out candy and upset the dogs, but that doesn't mean I want to sit out in the cold and drizzle!

 

[sharol]

I'm too far behind to try to catch up.

I hope everyone's well.

We got the garden all cleaned out, and reserved an additional 25x25 plot for next year. I sure hope I'm in a canning mood next year! I got the last of the tomatoes turned into a small batch of tomato sauce to freeze yesterday. We scavenged some sweet potatoes out of the plot next to us. It was used by DH's former co-worker and he didn't care if we took anything he left behind. I guess he figured he had enough and didn't worry about picking up every last one. We probably got about a dozen or so.

We've had no more chickens act sick or anything, so it looks like the recent death was one of that same hatch where the other two died early on.

More good news -- we finally have a second hen laying eggs again! I thought it might never happen. I had to buy eggs for the second time last week. I haven't had to do that since our first bunch started laying. Now if the other seven would get with the program ....

My niece is in color guard and their last home game is tonight. Why tonight??? We don't get enough trick or treaters to hand out candy and upset the dogs, but that doesn't mean I want to sit out in the cold and drizzle!

 

[chicken danz]

I have apples on one tree for the first time that are edible. They are super sweet so if it ever stops raining I thought I might make either apple butter or apple sauce. Right now I'd need a row boat to get out there. I don't know if anyone else is getting all this rain. I know we've gotten at least 6 inches in the last two days and it's still raining. My yard looks like a lake and because we lost the grass last summer it is nothing but a wet slick. Even the ducks are trying to avoid the water. I have the young males in my PVC pen and they can't get out of the water in there. I guess I'll try to move it later if it ever stops raining.
I'm very afraid to go out and check on birds. I just know I am going to have some losses. It's so wet in all the pens the birds can't get out of it. My housing isn't really efficient especially for the grow out pens so I know some of the birds aren't getting inside full time.
I moved the two bigger of my four youngest peachicks out to the peafowl house yesterday. They were totally freaked out. I hope they did okay. The pen was soaked other than what the roof covered. I was going to move two more out there today but I need to make sure these two are doing okay first. If I put them out and they got down in the mud and died I will just feel sick.
It took me so long to take care of the birds in the rain yesterday I feel like I didn't accomplish a thing.
DH and I went to Ottawa after he got off work last night. We got back really late. I don't know how he can do that and get up early. I hurried him over and over but he just takes forever when he shops. I spent my time just meandering around. I only needed a couple things and they were out of them
TRISH I was at Walmart and they had all the pumpkins for $1 a piece. If I had a place to store them I would have bought about 50 of them. I ended up buying 6 of them. I have lots of sweet pumpkins here but I can't grow nice big pumpkins like that for $1 each. They take too much land and too much water. At least the birds will have a few treats. I haven't carved a jack-o-lantern in years but it wold be fun to do so....in my spare time.

Even so I'm kind of regretting not buying at least 10 more of them.
I had a girl at the checkout say, "It's kind of late to be buying pumpkins isn't it?" I said, "Not really. I feed them to my birds." She said " We do too." Then she said , "Oh I know you. We bought birds from you." I didn't recognize her but she remembered where I live. Made me feel good just to know even though I can't remember all these people they remember me. Better yet that they are happy with the birds they got.
Cherwill, I envy you. My sweet potatoes were pretty much a bust. They were all too small. I wish I could have scored some nice big ones this year. Next summer if it is going to be cool again I may add some black fabric around the plants to keep the soil warmer for them. Year before last I had tons of huge sweet potatoes. My garden is totally empty now. I didn't get it tilled as planned before the rain. Not sure I'll have an opportunity now before the ground freezes. It's going to take a month to dry out. I meant to buy some garlic last night and forgot. I want to plant some now. I may have to go to town and see what I can find in there.

 

[KsKingBee]

I have been drying our golden delicious apples, the only ones better are the gala or fugi. Slice thin with the skins on, dip in a sauce of one honey- one water- one half brown sugar-and cinnamon. put in dehydrator until dried. Makes a nice snack and healthy too!

 

[chicken danz]

Your so ambitious king bee. My dehydrator quit so I tossed it. I didn't really use it much anyway. My brother told me they've been dehydrating and dry canning every thing lately. They buy whatever they can in bulk and then dry it. Got me interested. I am considering buying some sun dried tomatoes. I figure those would be good in stew. I didn't get many tomatoes put in the freezer this year and will probably run out.
I just ordered a pound of garlic for planting. One half is more of a roasting garlic and one half is more of cooking garlic. So it might be a good combo. They are supposed supposed to be here in a couple days. I won't ever use as much garlic as that produces but both of my sons would certainly benefit from having some. I'll just plant the larger heads and use the smaller ones for cooking.
I am getting more and more into gardening as time goes by. I used to garden when I lived in Oklahoma and had a wonderful garden but my Kansas gardens have been a mess. I'm finally getting the soil amended to the point I can actually grow some things now. I would really love to be more self sufficient. I hate going to the grocery store so the more I have here the less I have to go.
Storage room is the hardest thing to come up with.
Sharol we had one of those creepy cellars as well when I was growing up. It was dark and wet and had rock walls.There were shelves down there where the canned goods were stored. The stairs going down were steep and made of rock. I still shiver when I think of how I hated to go to the cellar.

 

[sharol]

I have been drying our golden delicious apples, the only ones better are the gala or fugi. Slice thin with the skins on, dip in a sauce of one honey- one water- one half brown sugar-and cinnamon. put in dehydrator until dried. Makes a nice snack and healthy too!

That sounds yummy. I'll go get some of her apples when I'm home (Saturday). That ought to keep the dehydrator busy for a while.

 

[sharol]

Your so ambitious king bee. My dehydrator quit so I tossed it. I didn't really use it much anyway.

*** snip***

Sharol we had one of those creepy cellars as well when I was growing up. It was dark and wet and had rock walls.There were shelves down there where the canned goods were stored. The stairs going down were steep and made of rock. I still shiver when I think of how I hated to go to the cellar.