Consolidated Kansas

[ctrymama]

Well they all made it through the night, and the dog is on guard about them. I am not sure about that yet, so far she is just keeping the cat ran off but not letting my guard down. We also have 4 named Racer, Chripy, Elsa, and Ana.
My oldest who picked the silkies is asking when she will be able to know if she has boys or girls and how she will know, so we are researching that this morning.

 

[lizzyGSR]

Lizzy I'd really rather the geese weren't broody yet. I'd like to collect eggs for a while longer. I've got two broody turkeys right now too and it's way too early for that.
How is Ethan doing? Is he growing?

Ethan is doing well. Growing like a weed! He had a rough weekend last weekend when I took him with me to the Future Of Horsemanship tour in Park City, KS. I really should've had some hearing protecting for him so he could sleep through the applause. Lesson learned. As it was, he didn't get his naps like he should've and was overall a really tired baby. However, I still got compliments saying how good he was.

This was taken a couple of weeks ago. The bear was a gift from my husband's boss.


This was taken this past weekend. We went to visit my cousin and his wife while we were in the area. This is Ethan helping my cousin read the paper.

Can you believe it... Ethan is FIVE MONTHS old already!?!

 

[Trish44]

lizzy he's a cutie! Those are some nice photos. Yes they do grow fast & time goes faster & faster. Our new little grandson is going to be 2 months old next week, it doesn't seem like that could be possible either because it seems like just yesterday when he was born.

 

[chicken danz]

Lizzy, Ethan looks like a little boy already!!! Wah! That baby is growing way too fast.
My multis didn't work so I am trying to remember what I read earlier.
ctrymama, I hope the chicks do well for you. If your kids get along with them well and want to get serious about showing in 4H, next year I can fix you up with some exhibition chicks if you like.
Sharol your birds are beautiful.
I haven't mentioned my Araucanas in a while. They are kind of a slow growing bird but they are so funky looking. I really like the unusual birds. Some have very pronounced double tufts and some have no tufts at all. Now those are flying but not flighty birds. They aren't nervous jumpy birds but they can fly like the wind. I'll definitely be keeping them in a covered pen.
I got a shipment of 10 black brahma chicks today. They weren't anything I really coveted but I got them at a good price from a well known breeder. All arrived nice and healthy.
Much better than my shipment last week of 10 birds which included 8 dead ones and two alive.
I have chicks due to hatch today too but haven't heard much activity yet.

 

[michelleml]

We lost a chick last night he was born with both feet crooked and couldn't walk very good. I tried but I think it was better this way he constantly cried. The other chick with wry neck is still doing good. We have 6 marans due next week Thursday so hoping that goes good I have a broody girl on them. The kids and I made seed tape(toilet paper and flour glue) last night we put carrot and beets on them. Will plant soon and hope they take we've never done this let alone try and grow carrots or beets. But the kids love to eat them so I think it will be fun to watch them grow.

 

[Trish44]

You all talking about gardens makes me miss mine, but I just can't keep up with a big garden any more, especially with all of the birds & animals I have to care for. I can't pull weeds either due to my arthiritis. I see these raised gardens in planters that look interesting to me, I would love to have a little salad garden in something like that. Keeping birds & goats out of it though would be the challenge.

 

[22qZoo]

LIZZY- your little one is so cute,he IS growing like a weed, boy time flies.

SHAROLL- your hens are beautiful,I like Diva the best. I think it's fun to find a bin of EE pullets at the farm store you can get a lot of variety and great eye candy for the yard.

It's funny I guess, my thoughts about keeping chickens have changed quite a bit since this whole poultry thing started and it's only been a couple of years. At first DD and I got them and were going to do the 4-H show thing and signed up to late to be able to show at the county fair, and now I don't think we're going to do the show thing. (I have a hard time picturing any of our chickies being very happy about being in a little cage at the hottest time of the year in a noisy building with tons of other birds they don't know and a bunch of people looking at them with nowhere to hide)
I can appreciate other folks that do show 4-h ,just don't think it's our thing. Now I sort of look at them like the flowers or herbs that I have planted in beds and containers ,they are visually very rewarding and going out to get eggs is always a treat,and even tho we have about 30ish taking care of them isn't a lot of work. So, I guess in a rambling round about way I'm fine with the hatchery chicks from the farm store, and maybe there are people on FB that breed and sell chicks but I sure don't see very many on CL up here in KC. If I lived some where between DANZ and TRISH44 I could see myself having a whole different kind of habit.

 

[Trish44]

LIZZY- your little one is so cute,he IS growing like a weed, boy time flies.

SHAROLL- your hens are beautiful,I like Diva the best. I think it's fun to find a bin of EE pullets at the farm store you can get a lot of variety and great eye candy for the yard.

It's funny I guess, my thoughts about keeping chickens have changed quite a bit since this whole poultry thing started and it's only been a couple of years. At first DD and I got them and were going to do the 4-H show thing and signed up to late to be able to show at the county fair, and now I don't think we're going to do the show thing. (I have a hard time picturing any of our chickies being very happy about being in a little cage at the hottest time of the year in a noisy building with tons of other birds they don't know and a bunch of people looking at them with nowhere to hide)
I can appreciate other folks that do show 4-h ,just don't think it's our thing. Now I sort of look at them like the flowers or herbs that I have planted in beds and containers ,they are visually very rewarding and going out to get eggs is always a treat,and even tho we have about 30ish taking care of them isn't a lot of work. So, I guess in a rambling round about way I'm fine with the hatchery chicks from the farm store, and maybe there are people on FB that breed and sell chicks but I sure don't see very many on CL up here in KC. If I lived some where between DANZ and TRISH44 I could see myself having a whole different kind of habit.

 

[sharol]

At first DD and I got them and were going to do the 4-H show thing and signed up to late to be able to show at the county fair, and now I don't think we're going to do the show thing. (I have a hard time picturing any of our chickies being very happy about being in a little cage at the hottest time of the year in a noisy building with tons of other birds they don't know and a bunch of people looking at them with nowhere to hide)

 

[chicken danz]

You all talking about gardens makes me miss mine, but I just can't keep up with a big garden any more, especially with all of the birds & animals I have to care for. I can't pull weeds either due to my arthiritis. I see these raised gardens in planters that look interesting to me, I would love to have a little salad garden in something like that. Keeping birds & goats out of it though would be the challenge.

Trish I can't bend over to pull weeds either due to my back or the arthritis in my hands...at least not for long or I pay for it for the following week. Last year I tried a new concept which worked really well. I laid large pieces of cardboard between the rows. It kept the weeds at bay and also help maintain a little moisture. The beauty of it is that it broke down over the summer and we tilled it back in the dirt in the fall. It's a shame it wouldn't look as nice in a flower bed cause I still haven't gotten that figured out yet. Gardening was always my passion. Particularly flower gardening. Even if I had the time though I don't think I could maintain the beds like I need to. I have perennials and just kind of let them fend for themselves now. I did start putting shavings from the brooder house on them and the chickens get out and scratch them down for me. I haven't lost any or few plants to the chickens as long as they are up and established.
Originally Posted by 22qZoo

I refuse to show my birds. I do sell to other people who do show but they raise them for that purpose so maybe in that respect they are used to being in small cages and being handled. I don't know. My main thing is I don't like caging birds unless they are ill and I would totally be worried they'd bring some illness home. I've had to make a lot of changes to try to keep my birds well that I don't necessarily like, so why would I subject them to a show where they would be miserable and possibly exposed to heaven knows what?
But if it weren't for those that do show I would be missing tons of customers.
I've got chickens that are just chickens and then I've got chicken pets that I love like family. I can probably say I've shed as many tears as any one has over the loss of some of these birds.
Speaking of that I have a new house guest. One of my Breda hens hurt her leg somehow and the boys were riding her non-stop. So she is staying with the Big Girl (as we call the big blue English orp girl) She was pretty hyper at first but seems to have settle in next to the Big Girl and appears to be enjoying the perks of being spoiled. I'm hoping her leg heals quickly and she can get back out with the group.
I hatched my first Sabastopol. I had 2 others due the same day but they didn't hatch. They can be a bit difficult to hatch sometimes. The humidity has to be higher and at the same time since I don't have an incubator exclusively used for Sebbie eggs I have to be careful not to drown the other chicks in the eggs. I guess I'll see what the broodie girls hatch even though it will shorten the laying season for them.
I've got to get some birds moved if I can today. It's crazy crowded in here. So much for not having chicks in the house. I can't seem to escape it.
I'm still not feeling good and still have swelling and tenderness in my face. I finished my antibiotics yesterday but am a long ways from being well.