Consolidated Kansas

[Ralph Moyer]

I learned a lot from an old farmer when I was a small boy. He was our neighbor and long past his working years as he had several sons and grandsons to do the work. This was in the late 1940's and he was over 90 years old. He farmed according to the signs of the moon. anyway one of the many things he talked about was the weather. I remember him saying that every day in August that it was 100 degrees, that there would be the same number that would be zero degrees the following winter. It was a little warm last August.

 

[sharol]

When 5 degrees seems warm, there is something wrong.. Of course that IS 20 degrees warmer than it was yesterday at this time.

I have another new layer in the game:




The white one is a campine egg (58 g.), the darker one is from a Blue C Marans pullet (her 4th egg -45g - I think unless both of them are laying), and the third one, I believe is from the Marans/BO cross in the picture (39g). It is the same shade as my BO eggs, but a little darker. the color in the picture is fairly accurate. It is a matte finish like the BO eggs. She is a pretty little thing, and a bit flighty for a brooder chick. I found her on the beam over the door a couple of nights ago. It is really cold up there because there are roof vents, so I insisted she come down. She was not amused. Then last night she was up there again, and when I turned around to look up at her she hopped down to the roost without any problem. I think she was keeping away from the boys. They think she is VERY attractive.


This is my blue copper Marans roo. He really doesn't like his picture taken. He has feathered feet, too. I haven't had any takers for 4H, so if anyone is interested, he needs a new home. He is a gentle boy, but like all teenaged roos, hormones on feet. At this point my EE roo (4 weeks older) is keeping him in line, but I'm not sure how long that will last.


This is a family picture --- Marlena (in the background) and her 3 hatchlings. There is a white feather on the sunflower stalk that is hiding her head.

I actually got 4 eggs yesterday, a white, a light brown, a green, and the little brown egg in the picture. Love those chickies.

My big puppies are going to KC to be neutered today. I was a little concerned about the temps, but they have a cut-off for travel, and I guess their experience is that this isn't too cold, and heaven knows, these guys are in need of neutering.

Keep warm.

 

[HEChicken]

I learned a lot from an old farmer when I was a small boy. He was our neighbor and long past his working years as he had several sons and grandsons to do the work. This was in the late 1940's and he was over 90 years old. He farmed according to the signs of the moon. anyway one of the many things he talked about was the weather. I remember him saying that every day in August that it was 100 degrees, that there would be the same number that would be zero degrees the following winter. It was a little warm last August.

My memory of August was it was pretty cool in 2013 compared with previous years. In fact, the whole weather cycle seemed to be way off last year. We had all that snow in March/April, two cold snaps AFTER what should have been the last frost day for the year, a really hot June and then a cool July/August. I can remember eating at a restaurant in mid-July where we had elected to sit in their outside seating and I sat there with goosebumps all evening - it was only 65! I think we may have had a handful of triple digit days in the whole of July/August but other than that, it was pretty mild.

Oh Ralph - I meant to comment on your using the gallon jugs as feeders and waterers. Are you able to get some photos of those?

Sharol, you are so funny!

It was 4 when I went to bed last night but 11 when I woke up. The overnight hourly had said it wasn't going to get lower than 9 so I figured if it was 4 at 9pm, it would dip below zero, but perhaps the warm front moved in and it just got warmer from there.

 

[chicken danz]

I learned a lot from an old farmer when I was a small boy. He was our neighbor and long past his working years as he had several sons and grandsons to do the work. This was in the late 1940's and he was over 90 years old. He farmed according to the signs of the moon. anyway one of the many things he talked about was the weather. I remember him saying that every day in August that it was 100 degrees, that there would be the same number that would be zero degrees the following winter. It was a little warm last August.

Ralph I think it must have been the temperatures from the year before. I think we've probably already passed our number of hot days this year. I used to do that farmer's almanac thing with the signs of the moon, but it didn't work at all for me. They did predict it would be a much colder winter this year though. But then so did the National Weather service.

When 5 degrees seems warm, there is something wrong.. Of course that IS 20 degrees warmer than it was yesterday at this time. I totally agree!

I have another new layer in the game: Congrats again!


I have to say that is a beautiful hen. Sounds like she got more of the Marans' personality than the orps if she is flighty.
The white one is a campine egg (58 g.), the darker one is from a Blue C Marans pullet (her 4th egg -45g - I think unless both of them are laying), and the third one, I believe is from the Marans/BO cross in the picture (39g). It is the same shade as my BO eggs, but a little darker. the color in the picture is fairly accurate. It is a matte finish like the BO eggs. She is a pretty little thing, and a bit flighty for a brooder chick. I found her on the beam over the door a couple of nights ago. It is really cold up there because there are roof vents, so I insisted she come down. She was not amused. Then last night she was up there again, and when I turned around to look up at her she hopped down to the roost without any problem. I think she was keeping away from the boys. They think she is VERY attractive.


This is my blue copper Marans roo. He really doesn't like his picture taken. He has feathered feet, too. I haven't had any takers for 4H, so if anyone is interested, he needs a new home. He is a gentle boy, but like all teenaged roos, hormones on feet. At this point my EE roo (4 weeks older) is keeping him in line, but I'm not sure how long that will last. Sharol I think I mentioned a person to you who bought my blue coppers. I am sending you a PM with her phone number.

This is a family picture --- Marlena (in the background) and her 3 hatchlings. There is a white feather on the sunflower stalk that is hiding her head.

I actually got 4 eggs yesterday, a white, a light brown, a green, and the little brown egg in the picture. Love those chickies.

My big puppies are going to KC to be neutered today. I was a little concerned about the temps, but they have a cut-off for travel, and I guess their experience is that this isn't too cold, and heaven knows, these guys are in need of neutering.

Keep warm.

If it were warmer out I would show you some pictures of the jugs I use. You probably saw them when you were here but thought they were trash or something. I just take a gallon jug and go up a few inches and cut a square hole out of the side. I cut it so the top is still covered all the way around by the top of the jug. Depending on what size the birds are you are using it for you can make the hole higher or lower and bigger or smaller. I used these exclusively for my pheasant. I just sat theirs on the ground but you can hang them from the fence or along a building wall. I always try to face them away from any incoming weather. If you are using them for water, however, I recommend using a heavier jug like a bleach bottle, Oxine bottle or something like that. The problem with using them for water is they get tipped over easily when the water gets low,and if you secure them then it's hard to clean them.
Trish it must be much warmer there than here. Yesterday I noticed you were nearly 20 degrees warmer than we were. The highest I saw the temp here was 6 degrees all day. We are supposed to get up to 32 today. Still freezing but nearly above it. The wind is really kicking out there though so I suspect it's going to feel really cold again.

 

[Ralph Moyer]

On the Milk Jugs, I make a cut about 1/2 way up the bottom opposite side of the handle. I cut out an opening large enough for a chicken can get to the food or water easily without getting their head stuck. I'll try to take some pictures when it warms up a little. As for the summer verses winter temps; I hope it does not work in reverse. I saw where it was breaking high temps in Argentina and 130+ in Australia last week.

 

[KsKingBee]

Gramps used to say, 'It'll be just as cold as it was hot, and just as dry as it was wet.' Didn't make him accurate, it's just what he used to say.

Hey! It's +32!!! Woo Hoo!!

 

[Trish44]

It's 33 here now & depending on which weather forecast you look at it's supposed to be either 37 or 43 today. The sun is shining & that sure is a big improvement. My laying flock is out roaming around digging in the snow right now, an improvement over the last two days when they didn't care to come out. Maybe I can actually put water out & have it stay liquid today, at least till later tonight. It's supposed to be warmer the next few days with the warmest ones Friday & Saturday. Yeah I think it was warmer here Danz, but even at 14 degrees with the windchill below zero it was still miserable. Maybe the rest of the FF I put out will thaw out now & the birds out there in the pens can have an extra snack today.

I have little Heritage Rhode Island Red chicks hatching today, so far I have 3 in the brooder & 4 more are pipping, so I'll have some more soon hopefully. The other 3 eggs haven't shown signs of doing anything as of yet. They're right on time, they were due today. They're a lot darker even as chicks than the production red chicks I've seen, they're pretty little things. I'll try to take some pics when a few more get hatched & they get fluffed up good. I'm hoping for mostly pullets because I won't keep RIR roosters. My experience with that breed of rooster has not been good, they're usually very aggressive.

Sharol that is a good looking Blue Copper Marans rooster, I'm sure you can find him a good home. I have Black Copper Marans eggs on the way here that were shipped today as well as Welsummer eggs on the way that are supposed to be here tomorrow. I sure hope those two dozen make it in less than a week. The other eggs that arrived yesterday were out there wandering around for a week. None were broken or had broken air cells, but we'll see what happens, I'm not holding my breath, but the shipper did tell me she would make things right.

 

[chicken danz]

Well it made it to 32 here but my hair is wet right now. I decided to take a shower. DH gets so disgusted with me because I shower before I go out to do chores. I just don't feel good if I'm not clean, so sometimes I end up having to take a second shower. I can't find my stud finder and I want to hang a shelf. I just measured out the wall I want to put it on and hope I found the studs. They either ran from the inside wall to the outside wall or visa versa. I guess if I am wrong on the direction I'll have holes to patch. I'm hoping this will encourage DH to hang his coats but I'm not holding my breath. There is a closet right there for his coats and he still throws them on the floor. I thought the hooks below the shelf might encourage him to hang them. Well it's wishful thinking but worth a try.
I only have one chick hatched so far that was due today. It's actually about half way out of the shell but cheeping up a storm. I think I set the eggs at night so that doesn't surprise me.

 

[Trish44]

I have 8 chicks out now with 3 eggs left. I did hear peeping coming from one of the remaining 3, but no pips yet. It just never gets tiring looking at those little fluffy butts, they're so cute when they're little like that. It's 41 here now, so the first weather forecast I looked at now had to update their high because we surpassed it, yay.

 

[chicken danz]

I spent a long time outside feeding and watering and getting caught up this afternoon. It was quite a work out. I did manage to herd the 2013 geese into the geese pen where the older geese are. There's a bit of grumbling going out there and some discussion because the old ganders don't want the new ganders in there. Maybe I'll for sure figure out which ones are geese and which are ganders now. I was going to move a shelter over there but didn't know if that would just be a disaster with the snow on the ground. Maybe I can get DH to move it tomorrow. I want to build a really big pen for all of them but really need someone with more strength than me to put the posts in.
It was nice to see the birds out wandering around and picking at the snow today rather than all staying inside.
I need to go back out and do a little more work but I had to come in and rest for just a little while.