Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

Danz, I wish we lived closer. We go through about a gallon a week so I have the empty containers coming out my ears! I use them for a lot of things - hauling water, but also as door stops (filled), and cutting pieces out to turn them into temporary feeders or scoops as well. We have a good recycling program here in town so the ones I don't need I load up periodically and take there to drop off, but it would be just as easy to save them up for you. Let me know next time you plan to be out this way, and I'll get a bunch ready for you. Or here's another idea: do you have a recycling center anywhere you usually go? You might be able to pull the containers out of the recycling bins. I've seen people scrounging through ours looking for specific items and the way I look at it is that they are being just as recycled if consumers take them to use them for something, as if they are churned up and turned into some other product. And of course, they don't have to be milk containers to use them for water. Any container would work as long as what was in it originally is not toxic.

Trish, I'm glad to hear you also have had success with the survival of the fittest method. If it had been any other time of year, I probably would have treated since medicating in water is pretty easy. But this time of year I can't use my galvanized gravity waterer, and instead have to use open bowls like the rubber bowls or heated waterers, and the ducks make such a mess of those, splashing the water out while bathing, so it would waste a lot of the antibiotic. So I decided to go with not treating and I'm pretty happy that for most of them it seemed to work out okay.

Danz, I do remember hearing about OQB injecting directly into the sinuses but that sound so painful! I've only had one sinus infection in my life but my memory of it is that the sinuses were incredibly painful and sensitive and I think a doctor would have had to strap me to a gurney to get me to submit to an injection directly into them. I will keep it in mind though so if the systemic injections don't make a difference, I may give that a try.

LOL! You're so funny! I have an ongoing chronic sinus infection. The only time I let it get the best of me is when I start running a fever. I don't handle fever well at all. It doesn't take much fever before I kind of loose touch with reality. Yeah I know I'm weird. Anyway I take meds both over the counter and prescription to keep it in check or I'd be totally miserable all the time. I also syringe my nose with salt water to keep infection down.
Actually what they have for recycling, is a truck that comes by on certain days and picks up the recycling in town. Every one has their own private bins that they set out on the curb with their week's worth of items. Different areas have different days. I think they take them to a place at the local land fill where you can't enter. My oldest sister takes hers to town when she goes to work,and I suspect that they just put it in with the recycling for the business. She is retiring in March so I'm not sure if they'll keep taking it to town or not.
I am so glad I went out to feed and water when I did. It was warmish and there was no wind. About half way through the cold front reared it's ugly head. The wind is now blowing VERY hard out of the North and the temperature is steadily dropping.. It's dropped 14 degrees so far and is now below freezing out. The birds are all retreating to their houses as well. I had a little more to do out there but got really cold really fast so I came back in. At least they're all fed and watered.
Thanks HEChicken I'll let you know if I'm headed that way.

 

[Trish44]

~~I am fairly new to BYC. I live in South Central KS. This is my first post! I just wanted to introduce myself. I have 5 mixed hens, 1 sultan pullet, 1 leghorn pullet, 3 SLW pullets, 1 bantam cochin pullet that didn't frizzle and 1 black cochin frizzle cockerel, Valentino. (He had a heart on his beak as a chick!) I started my coop in July. It was the first thing we did when we bought our land! Best thing I have done! I lost several mixed pullets to snakes that first month. It was a shock for me because I thought I had fortified the coop. I think I have that problem fixed with "Snake Away" and a lot of "gap filler" from the hardware store. I then installed an automatic coop door so they could get out of the run to free range on their own and three days later (against my better judgment of not checking on them that night b/c they were all nestled in their coop the night before) I lost 5 more to what we think was a coyote or fox attack. I am assuming they didn't get back in the run that night or it happened first thing in the morning. Needless to say, I am not using the automatic door to the outside from the run anymore. Saving it for a future guinea coop. I do love my automatic door from coop to run though! It has been a wonderful addition to the coop! I just ordered 17 more day old chicks of different varieties that will be here at the end of March! I can't wait! Thanks for letting me introduce myself! I have learned so much on here already!

Welcome KSChickieMomma! There are several of us in the South Central KS area. There are just too many predators in the area to leave chickens out to roam at will. It sounds like you have tried to fortify your coop though. Foxes & coyotes are sneaky characters & especially the fox can attack even during the day as HEChicken can attest. I was having attacks from possums & raccoons on my birds before I got my two Great Pyrenees & we also have fox, coyotes, skunks, bobcats, mountain lions, & owls in the area. Did I miss anything, oh yeah hawks. We don't have that much of a problem with the hawks usually because we have lots of cover for the chickens to run under, but we sure have problems with the rest & if I didn't have these dogs here I wouldn't be able to keep one bird, I'm sure of it.

HEChicken you might save me a few gallon containers as well. We don't drink milk or buy juices in containers like that, so I have to scramble to find containers to use to mix meds in or for making my liquid laundry soap in now. I only had enough this batch to do 3 gallons, but I would really like to make more. I also want to try some other things too.

 

[chicken danz]

KSChickieMomma, welcome to our little group and thanks for telling us about yourself. We're kind of an informal group here and talk about everything whether it has to do with chickens or not. Many of us have gotten to know each other personally and that makes for a really special bond between us. There's some really great people here and many more who drop in now and then as time allows them.
Predators are a problem but I'm glad you are still excited and still hanging in there. We'll be glad to help you with any problems you have or we'll be glad to just chit chat with you. We all love pictures. So load em up if you have them.

 

[Frizzled Pink]

Hi

Kschickiemomma.

Trish-i like that chicken woodstove steamer. Maybe you will get lucky and find one in a hardware or antiques store--i would imagine trying to ship cast iron be pretty expensive.eeks

With the talk of sinus infections (human not chicken) does anyone else here do much of the essential oils as remedies? i asked for, and received some for the holidays since i am up for trying anything that means i dont have to go to the doctors office, just wondering if anyone has much experience with that?

Hope everyone was able to "batten down the hatches" this morning.

 

[chicken danz]

I've tried essential oils for several things. I guess it would depend on what exactly you are using and how you are using it. I am increasing my stock and using them here and there for different things. As far as sinuses go, I have used a similar mix to VetRx but just rubbed a little oil on my nostrils or used a steam type vaporizer with oil in the port.

 

[tweetybaby2005]

Yikes! I was out running errands since I didn't have a chance to get much done for the last 2 weeks. The temp went down quick! The wind was howling, once again. I'm finally home but just like what Danz said, the temp is now below freezing.

Trish... you are right about the dogs being happy. They sure enjoyed munching on the parts.

Danz... hope you can get the birds all watered and fed without frost bite tomorrow and Monday.

KSchickiemomma... welcome to our group. Sounds like you love chickens just like the rest of us! Danz is right, we love pictures, especially little fuzzy butts. Predators are bad around here. I lost quite a few to foxes and possums. Hopefully my GPs will now keep them at bay.

I really need to take a nap this afternoon. I'm working the grave yard shift tonight.

Stay warm, everyone!

 

[HEChicken]

Welcome KSChickieMama. I love my auto door too - it makes life SO much easier! As others have said, predators sure are a concern around here. I had ⅓ of my flock wiped out in a 24-hour period 3 weeks after moving them to our new property, and this fall had another fox pick off some ducks that wanted to sleep outdoors on our pond at night. Foxes can climb fences very well so if something got into your run, I'd suspect either a fox or a raccoon. To my knowledge, coyotes don't climb well but would certainly be a threat to a free-ranging chicken.

Trish - I'll be happy to save you some. What I might do is pull all the milk containers out of the recycling in the next few days and keep them in a separate bag so next time someone who wants them is nearby, it will be easy to hand them over.

So I just had my excitement for the day. I went to town to get feed and on the way back saw lots of brake lights and cars stopped in the middle of the road. It is a 4-lane road and quite busy so it is unusual to see cars stopped. As I got closer, I saw a little flash of white going between cars and realized there was an animal out there. People were getting out of cars and ultimately I realized there was a little dog on the loose that they were trying to catch. My lane started inching along, and then the dog came right alongside my car so I opened my car door and called to him and he jumped right in my car like he'd been waiting for me to come along and get him. No hesitation whatsoever. So I pulled into the nearest driveway and waited, thinking one of the many people I'd seen running around must be the owner and they'd be glad he was secured. However when they joined me it turned out they were all just good samaritans trying to rescue him and they were glad he was safe in my car. They said he'd been snappy and bitey any time they got close and one of them is a dog rescue worker so she asked if she could get in my car and read his tags. I said yes so she sat in the driver's seat and called to him, sitting on the passenger seat but he studiously ignored her, and because he had been trying to bite earlier, she was apparently afraid to reach out to him because eventually she got back out, suggesting I take him to the vet clinic down the road to see if he is chipped. One of the other people said they'd called the police and the rescue worker got very passionate about that idea telling me under no circumstances should I take the dog to the police because all they have is an outdoor kennel and they'll charge the owners to bail him out. But when I got to the clinic, they aren't open on Saturdays so I didn't feel I had any option but to go back to the police. All the time the dog is sitting on the passenger seat, looking around with interest, as though traveling alongside me is how he has spent his whole life. He was a cute little thing, mostly Corgi. Anyway, so on the way back to the station, I saw a police car in a parking lot so I pulled in behind him and told him the situation and he suggested I follow him to the station and said we'd drive in their garage and close the door. Once we were in, he went to the passenger door to grab the dog but as soon as the door opened, the dog climbed into my lap, wedged between me and the steering wheel and leaned into me as well as he could. I have no idea why he decided I was suddenly his best friend when all those people were there to help. The only thing I can think is they were getting out of their cars and trying to grab him, whereas he was able to jump into my car of his own free will and he may have felt he was "escaping" from predators. Plus, once he was in my car, I let him sniff my hand but didn't try to grab him so he trusted me. Anyway, I told the officer I'd carry him out and he got a chip reader and fortunately the dog is chipped. Then we got him settled in a huge crate - inside (so the rescue worker's info was wrong), and he said he'd call the owners. I felt really bad leaving him there and almost feel like calling them and saying if the owners don't show up to get him, to let me know, but when I got home and told DH that, he didn't look thrilled so its probably better I leave well enough alone.

It sure has turned cold here too. Yesterday the wind was from the south but today it is all north wind and the temperature has dropped dramatically from a high that was in the mid-forties around lunch time. I can see a lot of my birds out working through a load of horse manure I brought home for them yesterday - I'm surprised more of them haven't retreated to the coop yet but I'm glad they're staying busy outside.

 

[KSChickieMomma]

Thank you all for the warm welcome! I have my husband's deer cam set up outside the coop now. I had no idea an opossum would go after the chickens. I thought they just went after eggs. So far, just an opossum and a very large cat on the cam. In the past I have seen some raccoons when he had it set up across the creek. I have also found raccoon tracks around the coop (before the camera). I know there is a badger and some beavers down by the creek but am not sure if they will go after the chickens? Luckily, I think the run is very secure! I put MILLIONS of staples and nails in the wood/wire to keep those lil boogers out!

It is also covered. I plan to enlarge it this spring so they are able to get a little more direct sun when I am not out to watch them.
I will definitely post some pics soon! My coop walls are painted a light shabby chic pink. The run has some pretty shelves and a rod iron bar to hang fresh sage on when it is growing in the hay field. I am looking for a neat old chandelier or light fixture to paint and hang as well! I live with my husband and our two boys, so I get to have a girly pink coop! When I need a testosterone break I go see my girls! So, I hang out with them many times a day!!

 

[KSChickieMomma]

I should say..."when I need a break from all of the testosterone..."

 

[Trish44]

Thank you all for the warm welcome! I have my husband's deer cam set up outside the coop now. I had no idea an opossum would go after the chickens. I thought they just went after eggs. So far, just an opossum and a very large cat on the cam. In the past I have seen some raccoons when he had it set up across the creek. I have also found raccoon tracks around the coop (before the camera). I know there is a badger and some beavers down by the creek but am not sure if they will go after the chickens? Luckily, I think the run is very secure! I put MILLIONS of staples and nails in the wood/wire to keep those lil boogers out!

It is also covered. I plan to enlarge it this spring so they are able to get a little more direct sun when I am not out to watch them.
I will definitely post some pics soon! My coop walls are painted a light shabby chic pink. The run has some pretty shelves and a rod iron bar to hang fresh sage on when it is growing in the hay field. I am looking for a neat old chandelier or light fixture to paint and hang as well! I live with my husband and our two boys, so I get to have a girly pink coop! When I need a testosterone break I go see my girls! So, I hang out with them many times a day!!

Your coop sounds adorable, we would love to see some pics of it. Yeah possums will eat your chickens & any other birds you might have. They eat out the innards & leave the rest, it's disgusting to find them like that. The raccoons will eat the head off & leave the rest of the bird. They use their paws to grab a leg & pull the chicken up to the fence or catch them close by & pull the head through & then eat it off. I have had both things happen before I got my GPs. It's not a pretty sight to see. Since you have a creek nearby I would be on the watch especially for the raccoons, but possums also usually hang out in the same places. I know nothing about badgers if they would eat a chicken or not. Anyway, your coop sounds wonderful & it sounds like you're getting a good start.