Consolidated Kansas

[tatinatimom]

I hope you get feeling better too! Your recent stress sure doesn't help!! Hopefully your remaining chicklets will bounce back!!

 

[sharol]

Number 1 and three both look pullet. Number two is questionable. Can't see it's overall body shape.
Cheryl, I used to grow sugar snap peas. To eat the pod you need to pick them early. To eat the peas you pick them later and discard the pod. At least that is what I found. I really liked them because the peas were so sweet and you could get two different products from them. I tried to do a little work in my garden yesterday but it was just too muddy.
I haven't noticed any blooms on my beans yet. Seems the plants are plenty big but they're not producing yet. Guess I'm just impatient. I noticed I really need to get some tomato cages made. The storm knocked the plants down bad.
I'm still not feeling very good today. It's weird cause I can't really put my finger on why.
I lost one more chick during the night. He was one that had been injured by the other birds. I still have a couple that aren't acting 100% but they all are now up and eating. I guess I'll be putting them out today. I'm not sure where just yet. I know there is rain in the forecast for tomorrow and I sure don't want a repeat.
I got my order of shade cloth and top netting yesterday so I need to be out working on pens again. Just wish I felt a little better.

The lighting is lousy, but the black chick (2) is theone in the front.

I hope you are right about the Wellie cross.

I like snap pea (shell and all) when they are aboutthe size and shape of your little finger. If you pick them too soon, they aren't sweet.

 

[chicken danz]

Sharol, I'm still undecided on number two. That looks kind of like a boy tail but overall body shape looks girly. I think I could tell in person but a lot is lost in pictures.
The remaining chicks in the house had breakfast and have been relocating themselves so I think they might recover. All but one seems to be doing well. That one is just moving really slow and still sleeping a lot.
I need to get moving and figure out what I'm going to do with birds. Sure wish I had more energy.

 

[sharol]

Sharol, I'm still undecided on number two. That looks kind of like a boy tail but overall body shape looks girly. I think I could tell in person but a lot is lost in pictures.
The remaining chicks in the house had breakfast and have been relocating themselves so I think they might recover. All but one seems to be doing well. That one is just moving really slow and still sleeping a lot.

That was where I was on it, too. Add to that, it seems to have a few iridescent feathers (not on the tail, though). I have a hen with the same sort of iridescence, but I know you don't usually see it on hens. Time will tell. I thought my gray cockerel (at 7 weeks) was a pullet until he started crowing. He looks girly, not much comb, delicate feet -- go figure. When He started crowing, I could have cried. Oh well, I have too many hens for my house anyway, but with 5 that are 4 years old, I'm trying to add a few layers each year.

 

[Trish44]

sharol, I'm kind of in agreement with danz on those chicks, I really think number two is a cockerel with the bigger comb & it's very dark for chicks that age. My BCM pullet about that age has no comb at all. I know yours is a cross, but I'm still thinking cockerel. I hope you get some dark eggs from the Wellie & the BCM cross. I have only one Welsummer hen in my laying flock at present & she lays a nice chocolate egg. I have 3 young ones out in my growout pen to add on as soon as I think they're old enough. I'm getting quite a big laying flock, but I know there are a few older hens that need to go to the stew pot this fall. I try to get some new chicks each year so I have some that start laying when the older ones are in molt & I have some that are getting older now too.

I lost 5 chicks to that same storm that danz was talking about. They didn't get into the building & drowned I guess, some of which were jubilee Orpingtons, so I was really sad about losing those as well as 2 of my Reece BRs I was growing out. I only have one little cockerel left now of the Reece birds I had hatched. so I guess I'll be starting over trying to hatch some more before I sent that big rooster to freezer camp that is so nasty with me.

 

[Ralph Moyer]

One of my broody hens hatched out 9 white guinea chicks. I moved nest and all to a pen I made out of a cattle panel, 1/2 inch hardware cloth and a hog-feeder top. I also took some pictures of my broody pen set-up. I use the same style nests I use for my Muscovy ducks.






I know the pictures are not very clear, but maybe it shows my recycling ideas. Except for some new wire, most of my hutches and pens are all recycled.

 

[chicken danz]

Great job Ralph. I need to do some of that myself. I have broodies every where and my customers are getting upset because I'm so short on eggs. It's not that the broodies need that much protection. It's that the other hens keep laying more eggs in with the broodies.
I had to run to Emporia again today and I bought 75 fence posts. Now I have no excuse not to get my goose pen built. I just need to get out there and lay it out and start pounding in posts. That was a chunk of money. I had already spent a huge amount on wire for it this spring. I hate to think what I spend a year of these birds. I need a cheaper hobby for sure.
My chocolate orpingtons laid their first egg today. I sure wish I could sell these silly birds. They are very pretty but I just don't like bantams. They are big for bantams but still not full sized birds. I like the ones that are half a turkey size.
I also ordered a new clothes dryer. Mine has to be used on one cycle and I am tired of it. DH had ordered the part to fix it but he never got around to doing it. So now I guess I can fix it when I pull it out and install the new one. At least it will match my washer now.

 

[Ralph Moyer]

Danz, I put a new drum in my dryer a few months back. It was easier to re-build it than replace it. I would have had to remove a washer and loaded freezer to get it out. The hardest part of this project was getting the belt back on the motor pulley. My first job after serving in the U.S. Navy was an appliance repairman for Montgomery ward in KC MO.I did get a new washer last year. I had the other one since 1967, when I bought this place. It was just not practical to put a new transmission in that old of a machine.

 

[friendshipstar]

Put eggs on lockdown last night to hatch on Friday. I noticed some chirping as I was moving the out of the turner. Tonight I have two dry chicks and tons of pipping.
Anyone need giant cochin babies?

 

[22qZoo]

RALPH, I really like your nest barrels. What size is that and did you find a source where you could get them pretty cheep?
I did an update for the phone and now I can't post with any pictures, I've been trying for the last couple nights with no luck. Maybe "tech support" ( the 13yr old ) can help me.
DANZ , hope your babies are getting better, we'll have to teach the new kids how to go up the ramp this week so they can get up of the ground and start roosting.