Consolidated Kansas

[cherwill]

Geez, I've missed a lot!! Not sure I'll be able to catch up with all of the posts lol. Man on man it's cold today! Because of the rain we had yesterday I had to pour hot water on the ramp coming out of the coop this morning so the chickens didn't turn it into a slide

Bought the stuff I need to make a cookie tin water heater last night but unfortunately wasn't able to get it together, can't seem to figure out how to change the bits on the drill

That's funny about the chicken slide!

My husband has something like that he used when he hunted. I notice he's used a couple of times the last week or two when he was doing leaves.

LOL Danz, we are so alike. I think the shopping when depressed about finances thing is the same as stepping on the scale, noticing you've gained weight and then immediately feeling hungry and craving something high in calories

So it's not just me ....

Oh goodness yes, if they allowed subscriptions to chicken feed, I'd be all over that!

I am the ultimate cheapskate so I guess that helps to be patient in order to save the money on shipping. I know what you mean about other websites - that is a pet peeve of mine, to not know what shipping is until check out and then, like you say, I end up canceling the order because the cost of shipping makes the item too expensive. I guess that's why I do stick to Amazon as much as possible, since I know what the shipping won't be, or even if I needed something immediately, they tell you up front what the shipping is, so you don't waste any time on it.

The one thing I won't do is order stuff I don't really want, just to get up to the minimum level for free shipping, as in the end that also makes the things I do want, more expensive.

I'm the same way. I keep a running list of things I need or gifts I want to get for people. That way I'll have enough to qualify for free shipping from amazon. You can also google coupons for whatever online store you want to buy and find deals that way. I've found free shipping for places that weren't advertising it.

If I could buy everything including all my groceries online, I would.

My mom has Prime and I guess she's happy with it. She was able to give out some "gift" memberships and gave me one. It's not a full membership thing; I can only use it for the free shipping. I've used it because I could, but otherwise I'd wait until I had enough of an order not to pay shipping anyway.

 

[JosieChick]

HEchicken- We have Prime on Amazon and I think there are also perks if you read books on a kindle or such. I will check with DH but I think they have a lending library that has thousands of free titles for Prime members. You can also stream TV shows and movies which we like on occasion as well because we have very basic cable and there is rarely anything on we want to watch. We are actually going to cancel the cable and just use Prime for what we want to watch. We watch so little TV as it is with the baby that it doesn't make sense to even have it.

 

[HEChicken]

I didn't sleep well last night, worrying about the newly hatched chick. At bedtime last night it was still only a pip but I figured it would hatch overnight and since Mama was in an upper level nest box, I worried she would try to take it to show it food and water and, not able to get back up to the nest, it would freeze. So I hightailed it down to the coop this morning. Sure enough, it had hatched but was alive and well under Mama. This hen is a proven mama hen whom I knew from past experience, wouldn't tolerate being relocated while sitting, but with the chick hatched, she would be far more amenable, so I set up a nursery pen for her, and then picked her up, being careful to keep the chick tucked into her while carrying her. As soon as we got to the pen, Mama went nuts! She had seen the feeder and waterer all set up and flew out of my arms to get to them. She's such a good broody that I don't think she was off the nest all day yesterday, because the egg was pipped, so by this morning she was starving. She ate and drank as fast as she could. leaving me to babysit the chick. She kept looking around at me to satisfy herself that I was taking good care of the chick and after satisfying her immediate hunger and thirst, snuggled into the hay I set up as a nest for her. I tucked the chick under her and it stopped peepin. I'm relieved that the temperature is already higher today than yesterday so the waterer shouldn't freeze and she can get another drink later. I really didn't get a good look at the chick as it was very newly hatched and still not even fluffed out, so I didn't want it getting cold.

 

[HEChicken]

HEchicken- We have Prime on Amazon and I think there are also perks if you read books on a kindle or such. I will check with DH but I think they have a lending library that has thousands of free titles for Prime members. You can also stream TV shows and movies which we like on occasion as well because we have very basic cable and there is rarely anything on we want to watch. We are actually going to cancel the cable and just use Prime for what we want to watch. We watch so little TV as it is with the baby that it doesn't make sense to even have it.

I think you're right - you can get a free book a month on the Kindle with Prime. I do love my Kindle but after I got it, I found a list on Amazon of free books for the Kindle that is updated hourly. Whenever I need something new to read, I just go and check out the list and I can usually find a half dozen new books to download. I currently have more than 70 unread books! The free list contains good titles too - sometimes they are new releases and they offer them free to try to get some reviews on them before they start selling them, or they will offer the first book of a series, in the hopes you will like it enough to purchase the additional books in the series. So, since I never run out of reading material, the free book a month isn't a big draw for me.

DS would be interested in the streaming. We currently use Netflix and the free Hulu and between the two, have access to almost every tv show or movie out there. Last Christmas he indicated he wanted Amazon Prime for the streaming, so maybe there was something available on it that wasn't available on our other services. I may have to look into that. With Netflix we get 1 DVD at a time and unlimited streaming. We used to watch two DVD's a week but lately the DVD's sit around unwatched for a week or more so I'm starting to think I should cancel the DVD service and just pay the $8/month for streaming. Even at that rate, after 10 months I've paid as much for Netflix as I would for a year of Prime, so maybe I should just switch services for the streaming. I'll have to look into it and see if they have the same TV shows we're used to watching. I'm not much of a movie watcher and like Netflix because I can watch TV shows. If Prime only has movies, that won't work for me.

 

[chicken danz]

Yeah I was thinking there was something like that. I just haven't ever checked it out. I don't have a kindle and I doubt my internet would keep up with streaming movies. I'm sure my son uses that because they have a kindle and they watch movies all the time. They don't watch regular tv at all and don't have cable or anything. I might have to check into streaming movies or something. BUt I have a couple movies I bought nearly 2 years ago and haven't watched them yet.
Cherwill, I too am the ultimate cheapskate unless I want something. Then I spoil myself rotten. Like buying very expensive chickens or something I think is really pretty. Reverts back to the overeating when you've gained weight and shopping when you feel broke thing I think!!! I have million dollar tastes on a poverty budget.
HEChicken that baby chick has it made. It doesn't have to share all that warmth.I think the very cutest thing about broody chicks is when they peak their head out from a wing. I wish I could get a picture when they do that. I never have my camera there though.
Speaking of broodies. I put the mama turkey and her three chicken chicks in the turkey pen the other day. Even in close quarters she is still mothering them. These darn birds are nearly full grown. There are two cockerels and a pullet. I know I need to get the cockerels out of there but I feel so mean taking her babies after she has done such a wonderful job taking care of them.
My birds have pretty much gone on strike laying. Last week was a record week and this week no one is laying.

 

[HEChicken]

Yes, I agree there is nothing better than watching a good mother taking care of her brood. I think this cochin isa 3rd time mother so she's an old hand at it and I trust her to do a good job. I sure would love to see pics of your turkey with her brood!

I looked into Prime and I think I'm going to do it after all. How is that for a 180 degree turn? When I thought about it from the streaming aspect, I realized it would be cheaper than what we're doing now. Our internet is a bit touch and go. We can't watch videos at all - not even a short clip on YouTube - during the day, but in the evenings we can stream a little.

The thermometer says its a little warmer today than yesterday but that north wind is still very cold and biting. My birds are out and about - business as usual - but I wasn't inclined to stay out there for long. Just a quick check that they have everything they need and then I was glad to get back inside. I need to do a feed run sometime today but I'm not looking forward to it.

 

[Trish44]

I think you're right - you can get a free book a month on the Kindle with Prime. I do love my Kindle but after I got it, I found a list on Amazon of free books for the Kindle that is updated hourly. Whenever I need something new to read, I just go and check out the list and I can usually find a half dozen new books to download. I currently have more than 70 unread books! The free list contains good titles too - sometimes they are new releases and they offer them free to try to get some reviews on them before they start selling them, or they will offer the first book of a series, in the hopes you will like it enough to purchase the additional books in the series. So, since I never run out of reading material, the free book a month isn't a big draw for me.

DS would be interested in the streaming. We currently use Netflix and the free Hulu and between the two, have access to almost every tv show or movie out there. Last Christmas he indicated he wanted Amazon Prime for the streaming, so maybe there was something available on it that wasn't available on our other services. I may have to look into that. With Netflix we get 1 DVD at a time and unlimited streaming. We used to watch two DVD's a week but lately the DVD's sit around unwatched for a week or more so I'm starting to think I should cancel the DVD service and just pay the $8/month for streaming. Even at that rate, after 10 months I've paid as much for Netflix as I would for a year of Prime, so maybe I should just switch services for the streaming. I'll have to look into it and see if they have the same TV shows we're used to watching. I'm not much of a movie watcher and like Netflix because I can watch TV shows. If Prime only has movies, that won't work for me.

I love my Kindle, my DH & I both have them. He still has his older one, but I have a Kindle Fire HD now that I really love. I'm on several daily lists for free Kindle books so I have hundreds of books on mine to choose from. I probably have enough to last me for years. Prime does have the lending library, but I haven't used it since I already have so many books. I asked DH last night if he would want a new Kindle for Christmas & he said no the other one works so he would rather spend the money for other things. Darn, I had hoped he would say yes & I could get that for him for Christmas. He's not coming up with anything he wants at all. I did think of two smaller things I know he needs & I have already ordered those, but now I'm at a loss. I was shopping online last night trying to get most of the Christmas shopping done. I really like to have most of it done by Thanksgiving other than stocking stuffers or things on Black Friday sales. I'm trying to get one thing on eBay for Dana so that will decide how much else I can get whether I win that or not.

We can't do any streaming of movies here our internet provider won't allow it. They tell us it slows everybody down too much, so that's kind of the pits because I had bought a wireless adapter for our Blu Ray player to use with Netflix & then found out we couldn't use it. We have Dishnetwork here for TV, so we have plenty of channels & I have Netflix for movies. We watch more movies in the winter than the summer.

That's so cute Danz about the turkey still mothering those chickens when they're so big. I have 3 new lavender Orpington chicks this morning, they were waiting for me in the hatcher when I got up. The little week old Cream Legbar chicks are picking on the new ones so I may have to move them to the bigger brooder so they don't hurt the new babies. I saw one more egg pipping when I took the 3 chicks out, so hopefully the rest will get with it & hatch soon. These are the shipped eggs I got from Georgia, so we'll see how they do with hatching.

 

[HEChicken]

Congratulations on the new chicks, Trish! I sure hope it warms up a little so you can get them moved outside at some point before winter is over. I really don't remember it being THIS cold THIS early most years. When the kids were little I remember trick-or-treating in the snow one year so it does happen but most years Nov/Dec are still reasonably mild and the really cold weather isn't until Jan/Feb, so I really hope this is a passing thing and we still have some warmer weather in the future. Otherwise it is going to be a really looooong winter.

 

[chicken danz]

And a really expensive winter too, HEChicken. Just think of those heat bills if this is the beginning of a long cold winter!!!
I just blew through a couple of hours without intending to. I had someone come bring me eggs she is trading for turkeys, and buy some chicks too. It just took way too long. She also bought some of my feed so that meant getting it bagged up etc. She wanted two 50 pound bags but I limited her to one. The birds are just going through way too much food with this cold weather and I don't want to run out before Monday. Of course she wanted to look at the adults as well.
I had been out earlier looking for a board to put under one of my chick bins for support so between all that activity I feel frozen. I still need to go back out and feed and water the groups.
Sure wish I could just stay in the rest of the day.
HEChicken I think in your case the Prime will be an excellent thing for you. You get your movies, books, and free shipping. They should give me a bonus for recommending it, don't you think??
Congrats on the chicks Trish. If it ever gets warm enough out there I'll try to take a picture of the turkey and her brood as of now. She just worries herself to death about them.
HeChicken I meant to tell you my RP boy is breeding the girls. He hurt one of his feet or legs and is limping but I can't find a thing on him. No swelling, sores or anything. I hope he gets over it. It sure doesn't seem to be slowing him down any. I think he would like to have at least 25 girl friends since he discovered his new fun.

 

[tweetybaby2005]

Speaking of Kindle Fire, I have the 1st gen one and have used it so much that the charger almost needs to be replaced. I see that they have the Kindle Fire HDX now, just not sure if it is worth the $$. I love to read so I always have the KF with me. I did try the prime for free for 1 month when I first got the KF, but I didn't renew it because I can't justify paying that much just for free shipping. I hardly stream any movies online and as you guys said, books are free (with a few exceptions where I paid for the ones I really wanted to read and can't find them for free).

We also have Netflix and pay $8 for it monthly. DS watches the movies most and we think it is worth it. Occassionally, we will go to the Red Box to get a movie but that's rare. We did not do the DVD with Netflix because we don't sit down and watch them enough to justify the cost. When I had my surgery and was on short term disability for 9 weeks, I did watch Netflix daily and that was really nice to be able to catch up on some of the series.

My last batch of chicks are doing well in the barn storage room. I will get them out to the main coop in a couple of weeks. I hope the temperature will be nicer. Like Hechicken said, I don't remember being so cold so soon.

I was dropping DS off for his swimming lesson this morning and then turned around to go pick up some much needed grocery at the store. While I was at the stop light, there was a pickup truck next to me. I turned to look and found a pair of eyes watching me and it was a big white fluffy GP! She looks sooooo cute. I thought she was smiling at me too. That really made my day!

Today's temp is definitely much nicer compare to yesterday's. Lets hope the warming trend continues.