Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

ZigZag I sure hope it warms up a bunch before Gardner. I don't know if I'll be selling anything or not. I'm actually trying to sell all I can before hand so I can just go and enjoy myself. It's a lot of work getting birds ready and getting them up there so early the day before.
I need to put some more feelers out I guess to see what I can move. I have way too many roosters here and I won't bring a rooster to the sale. I don't think I'd make enough to pay my fees. The only thing I know of to improve their attraction to eating veggies is to cook them and serve them warm on cold days.
It's not been a good day at all here for the Danz birds....or for me.
First I found one of my about 3 month old lavender orpingtons dead in the grow out pen. Not sure why. Then I found one of two barred rock pullets I had held back for myself in terrible shape. I am sure she has a cold but she isn't responding to treatment and won't eat or drink so she is probably a goner.
Then I go out to treat my pheasant cock with tylan and he is dead. It breaks my heart. He was so gorgeous. So now I have two hens ready to lay and no cock to breed them. I am trying to decide whether to sell the girls and be done with pheasant for ever or to try to find a boy.
Then I went to feed my sussex and my SQ rooster who just got put with the hens a week or so ago is really sick. He apparently has a cold and is not doing well at all. I have pending orders based on his blood lines and now I doubt I can fill them. His comb was bluish so I have my doubts he'll pull through. I could just cry! I haven't sold my old rooster yet, although I have a buyer. I may have to back out and keep him until I can come up with another one from better lines.
And then the final blow was to go out and find three peafowl eggs that were cracked and frozen. Peafowl tend to lay late evening so as long as this weather continues its just a bust.
It's one of those days I just feel like giving up.

 

[KsKingBee]

Maybe I can cheer you up Danz

~~A blonde woman was speeding down the road in her little red sports car and was pulled over by a woman police officer (also a blonde). (Perhaps they were in Oklahoma. I hear they have blonde cops there )The cop asked to see the blonde's driver's license. She dug through her purse and was getting progressively more agitated. "What does it look like?" she finally asked. The policewoman replied, "It's square and it has your picture on it." The driver finally found a square mirror, looked at it, and handed it to the policewoman. "Here it is," she said. The blonde officer looked at the mirror, then handed it back saying, "Okay, you can go. I didn't realize you were a cop.

 

[Frizzled Pink]

I had to look up the Romonov's, I have them in another browser window to read about. My family is German via Russia, so Russian anything intrigues me.

Volga area?

How does that old saying go? Is it-- If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb?

I sure hope so , i dont want repeat snow in May this year

Dana hoping your feeling better
Dh is home from hospital he has cellulitis of the foot and he started to break out in blisters up his leg so they admitted him thinking mrsa but test came back neg. So he's on the mend. His tremous in his left hand in foot are getting worse. He's not able to hold very much in that hand.
He off sterile now and losing weight I'm not sure what's next for us. He has an MRI on the 11 pray that its good news.

I'm wanting to add some more hens to my flock but not sure what. I hate how cold it is. Please bring spring soon

Thoughts and prayers that you receive the good news that you are hoping for.

 

[chicken danz]

OH MIchelleMl I am so sorry. Somehow I missed your post. I do hope you get good news and things get better for your DH. I admire you for all you have been through and you still haven't given up. Hang in there!

 

[OkieQueenBee]

Ralph you are right - March in like a lion and out like a lamb. I'm gonna think all positive thoughts about that. That's a neat tool you came up with to collect the hidden eggs. How easy is it to find the hidden nests? I'm worried about finding the guinea nests. One of the guineas was in a nest box the other day but I think it was just hiding.
Danz so sorry you had such a terrible day. This stupid weather is just getting to be too much for everything. And I don't think it matters how many birds you have losing them is still tough. And it gets old having to treat them everyday. The hen turkey is not really doing any better. I think maybe she is missing her flock mates but it is just too cold to have her out there. The hen with the prolapse is still hanging out. I've pushed it back in but a little while later it will be back out. Any magic tips?
Looking forward to the sunshine tomorrow. I need to do some pen cleaning but cleaning the honey house is priority number one. The inspector is coming Wednesday to check us out for our licensed facility. Having that we will be able to sell our honey wholesale. If we ever get the honey extracted. This cold weather is hard on the bees especially after having those warm days where they were out gathering grain dust out of the chicken feed. They use that as pollen to feed the young bees. Have any of you noticed bees in your chicken feed? They will be going thru their stored honey really fast now.
Trish, I like the idea of the tubs for nest boxes, I think I will give it a try.

 

[lizzyGSR]

Danz, I am so sorry to hear about your rough day! I hope things get better for you!

I went out to do chores this morning, and it was an absolutely beautiful day! The forecasted high for today is 63*F. There's a pretty good chance for snow/ice tonight, so I guess I'd better enjoy the beautiful weather while it lasts. I felt guilty about keeping my birds locked up on such a beautiful day, so I let the out and am sincerely hoping I don't regret it. You should've seen their excitement when they realized the gate was open! They ran to/through the gate with wings spread, chattering and screaming the whole way. We had a small amount of snow that has been melting. They havehad a blast going from one snow puddle to the next. They already found the downspout by the house and had to play in that puddle as well. I admit that I've missed watching the birds' antics since they've been locked up. I'm glad that the birds tend to hang out where I can see them outside my office window. I've got a gun handy, just in case that pesky coyote decides to pay a visit. I almost wish I could fill the pool for those silly birds. I bet they'd thoroughly love that, but it isn't worth it to fill it up for such a short period of time.

 

[chicken danz]

I havent seen bees in the chicken feed. There's a hive across the road from my property and I am wondering if they died cause I use to see bees all the time. When I had a swimming pool set up they would come to drink water from it. Often ended up drowning however.
I'm almost afraid to go out today and see who else is sick or died.
Last night I got DH to help and we tried to drain fluid off my big orps belly. Three tries and we got nothing. I guess I will just continue to treat her with herbs and hope for the best. I know she has fluid build up but there was no way we were getting any. I trimmed her rear end feathers so her skirt wouldn't be dirty all the time. Poor thing. She is such a pretty girl. I honestly think she is just too big for what her heart can handle.
OQB I really wish that girl would get well. You'd think with all the treatment she would be picking back up. Have you tried giving her fish? Like tuna or better yet salmon? Those Omegas will help strengthen her liver and heart functions... Or so I've read. You don't want to give her a lot to begin with or it will cause diarrhea. Also Milk thistle is supposed to help liver function.
Lizzy you posted while I was writing. I know what you mean about the geese running and playing. I have mine all penned right now and I miss watching them in the yard. I can't believe it's supposed to be that warm. We're only forecast to reach 35 today. The warmest day this week is Friday at 50 degrees then it's supposed to get colder again and snow again on Saturday. We've got lots of ice that needs to melt and I am sure that's going to hold the temps down.

 

[michelleml]

...

Danz, I am so sorry to hear about your rough day!  I hope things get better for you!

I went out to do chores this morning, and it was an absolutely beautiful day!  The forecasted high for today is 63*F.  There's a pretty good chance for snow/ice tonight, so I guess I'd better enjoy the beautiful weather while it lasts.  I felt guilty about keeping my birds locked up on such a beautiful day, so I let the out and am sincerely hoping I don't regret it. You should've seen their excitement when they realized the gate was open!  They ran to/through the gate with wings spread, chattering and screaming the whole way.  We had a small amount of snow that has been melting.  They havehad a blast going from one snow puddle to the next.  They already found the downspout by the house and had to play in that puddle as well.  I admit that I've missed watching the birds' antics since they've been locked up.  I'm glad that the birds tend to hang out where I can see them outside my office window.  I've got a gun handy, just in case that pesky coyote decides to pay a visit.   I almost wish I could fill the pool for those silly birds.  I bet they'd thoroughly love that, but it isn't worth it to fill it up for such a short period of time.  
[/quoget.

Please send that lovely 63° my way please. Its only going to get in the mid 30s. I'm going to put some welsummer eggs in my bator this week and see what we can get. I have broodie hen now but I'm not sure if I want to let her hatch any right now

 

[Trish44]

It's only supposed to be 35 here today, but that's an improvement from what it's been. It was 9 degrees when I got up this morning & it's 32 now. It looks like the weather is supposed to go back & forth this week with colder then warmer & back again & some more snow. Then the extended forecast says warmer next week. I sure hope this is the last nasty week. Everybody I think is just sick & tired of this winter.

I sent all of my Salmon Faverolles to their new home today, I hated to see them go, but on to other breeds & colors. I will have to totally clean out that pen & coop partition to get it ready for the new ones, but I have awhile to wait out the weather & the chicks won't be old enough for awhile anyway.

I tried out my new Yaktrax today out in the snow & I felt like they really helped me get more traction. I don't know how well they would do on sheer ice because they seemed to slip on the slick floor inside. I'm wondering if they would help in mud too, I guess I'll find out after the snow melts.

 

[sharol]

I tried out my new Yaktrax today out in the snow & I felt like they really helped me get more traction. I don't know how well they would do on sheer ice because they seemed to slip on the slick floor inside. I'm wondering if they would help in mud too, I guess I'll find out after the snow melts.

I use these:

http://www.amazon.com/Due-North-All...61990&sr=8-4&keywords=due+north+traction+aids

They have tiny graphite studs in the soles and are sturdy enough to last. Due North makes some others, but this is the version I have. They grip ice really well. I have back problems, so I can't afford a fall. I haven't had much luck with the yak trax because the little springs seem to roll on ice, but these don't. I've used them for 10 years since I got the first pair from QVC, and I haven't fallen EVER when using them, even on glare black ice when walking my dog on the sidewalk.