Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

Gosh it was cold today, brrrr! I had to break ice out of bowls today, no fun. I'm going to see if I can rig a few more heated bowls.

 

[chicken danz]

I spent four hours out in that miserable cold stringing extension cords across the yard and to various bowls and stuff. All of the water was frozen solid to all those pens. I had to dig out a bunch of heaters I had taken off the bowls and then I never did figure out where all the bowls had been put for summer. Some bowls were used but we have several that don't have removable heaters and I couldn't find those. I still need to run a heater to the goose and duck water pan. I have a heated bucket for the geese but the ducks can't reach it so I have to put one out for them. I figure I might as well set one up for both kinds of birds.
I had a really bad day. I had my final pair of Mandarin ducks slated to be picked up yesterday. I had put them in a cage thing back on the weekend so I wouldn't have to catch them in the cold. The guy never showed up or called. I was going out to put them back in the aviary and somehow the hen had gotten out even though the cage was super tight. I am still baffled as to how she managed to get out. So I lost a huge chunk of money thanks to another dead beat buyer. I was going to offer him a second pair cause he wanted one but now I am done. His lack of consideration and not even calling me to say he was cancelling ended up costing me too much.
Now I have three extra drakes instead of two. I guess I'll just sell them in the spring. I can get more out of them then anyway.

 

[Trish44]

danz that's the pits, people just don't seem to care any more who they inconvenience. I'm having the same kind of issue with getting someone set up to care for my critters when I have to leave. They tell me they're coming over to meet with me & see all of the animals & birds & then they suddenly at the last minute can't come. One had totally stopped communicating now & the other has rescheduled twice already. How can you trust that they're going to do what they say if they can't even keep an appointment?

Where has everybody been? It's been miserable this week caring for birds, it just makes me want to give up at times.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Trish is there not a local teen or neighbor you can trust to take care of them? I hire my nephew (14 now) every year and he loves it, I pay him a bit and then he get so keep any eggs, I also usually hook him up with a big cake or donuts or such, that boy has quite a sweet tooth! We also split up out animal care, the nephew takes care of the birds, the MIL takes care of the house plants and fish and feeds the dog and cat in the mornings, and a freind comes over twice a day to let out the dog and feed him in the evenings. This way no one is overwhelmed and if someone drops the ball the others can take care of it! It can be daunting!!!

 

[Trish44]

TaraBirds my neighbor on one side is a retired widow & she has no desire to take care of my animals & the one on the other side is disabled. Both of them were in a terrible motorcycle accident a few years ago. Their kids don't live with them full time, so I'm not sure that would work. It's just hard to find anyone who wants to do anything that takes work. The one gal who really wanted to do it in the beginning now says her husband doesn't want her to drive the 10 miles here to help a complete stranger. He said to her why in world would you want to help someone you don't even know? The last person who I hired I gave two chances two years in a row to & she blew it. She called her business Critter Sitter & she was supposed to know how to take care of all animals. Pfffttt! She felt like my chickens were just expendable, she lost birds both years & didn't compensate me or feel bad about it at all. She didn't know the difference between hay & straw & I came back to filthy water even though I told her that was number one thing she should take care of was fresh water. It was just a disaster & I told her not to come back again after the 2nd chance. I paid a lot for bad care.

 

[chicken danz]

Must be nice Tara Bella. I can't find anyone who will take on the care or whom I could trust to do this. I guess in time I can have the new building set up to keep the birds fed and watered so I can leave a day or so without worrying about them but that is in the future. I still have all the game birds etc to care for, plus the dogs and cats. I don't know of anyone around here that is willing to put in the time and effort even if I paid them a huge amount. I typically have a surgery now and then and it really worries me now that if my DH can't be off how I would get things done. He did feed for me a couple days last year when I sprained my ankle but by the third day he was back at work and I had to do it myself.
Yeah I'm just fed up with the whole customer thing. If you make an appointment you should keep it. I have had more no shows this year than I ever had before. Also every one of these people waste hours of my time communicating back and forth which I don't have to spare. If they have no intent to buy or show up why do they even bother communicating?
I just had a call from someone who was wanting to buy my Mandarins but made a really low offer. I just don't know if I want to sell that cheap or not. I have to think about it for sure.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

SMH......that is a sad way to look at the world isn't it? You kind of have to feel sorry for her husband, life can be so much better if people would just allow it! I would love to help if I could! Hopefully you will find someone trustworthy soon.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Danz, I guess I am really lucky. I live in a super small town and between family and freinds most of the time we can find someone who is willing to help.
It is a big job, sometimes I hate to ask, but we go out of town every year to the East Coast (family obligations) and everyone usually pitches in. I think it helps that my husband is the town HVAC Guy, plus plumbing and electricity, so if it weren't for him no one would be comfortable LOL!!!

This would be a **** good job for someone in the larger towns 'Poultry and Livestock Sitter'

 

[tatinatimom]

Hi everyone it has been awhile! With the kids back to school and their endless extra-curricular activities I am taxi-ing them to and from plus work it seems I am unable to find much time to unwind and feed my chicken addiction!!

Out of my eleven girls I have 10 laying. The last one holding out is from the same hatch as another and she has been laying for almost a month now. Her first egg came on 10.19.14. They are 29 weeks today.

So I was wondering, with it getting cold outside I need to know if anyone has any tricks of the trade to keep the chickens water from freezing if you don't have electricity in the coop/run? No one is home all day to keep an eye on it so I am concerned. We planned to run electricity this summer but other projects took center stage.We all know how that goes!! However, we did get a solid roof put up over them to better shield some of the elements at least.

 

[chicken danz]

Can you run an extension cord to your coop. That is what I have been forced to do for years. I have heard that Molasses will keep water from freezing but it also give them the runs. I also hear that you can get some 100 proof grain alcohol and add it to their water. I 've never done either.