Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

Thank you for the compliments. You are so sweet. I wish I knew everything. but it means so much to be validated. It doesn't go unnoticed.
Quote:

Remember my last hatch? One of 48 hatched due to the excessively fluffy bums of my birdies? WELL -- I have a pip!!!!!

It's a bit early -- due to hatch on Wednesday, but don't even care. I'm so happy to see some action in that incubator.

Yay!!! Babies! Lots of babies.

Quote: Oh Prairie I am so sorry. That breaks my heart. We will get you more. I am still so far behind I haven't trimmed rear ends yet. I haven't incubated PB eggs for a couple weeks now. I keep telling myself it can wait until I get them trimmed. I did hatch a couple of them yesterday though.
It is so so hard to keep from incubating all these eggs. My egg customers are happy with my unlimited supply. My bank account is NOT.

I did a necropsy on an acquaintance's bird yesterday. It was the first case ever I had ever seen of ruptured yolk peritonitis I had ever seen. Pretty interesting stuff. Some of the egg yolk almost looked like meat with the fibers in it. I wish I had taken a camera.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

I have one Buff Sussex chick this morning , one zipping, and 7 pips! Hatching day isn't even till tomorrow so I think my temp was a bit high. I'll adjust that next time.

My Silver Appleyard ducklings from Holderread's are supposed to be here today, so I certainly hope they make it. Their brooder is all ready to go. I've waited a long time for these guys and am excited they are finally arriving!

I will take pics later once they've arrived and are settled.

Have any of you ever ordered White Rocks? I got two separate batches, one from Cackle Hatchery and one from Murray McMurray. Those birds are absolutely the flightiest birds I've ever owned. They are just downright mean. When I am watching them, inevitably one or two of the males will fly at my face with both feet! They are only 5 weeks old and I can't even imagine what they will be like as adults. I won't ever own White Rocks again. Just way too wild.


ashncarson, Thanks so much for the pics. I love pics! I especially like the one with the chick sitting on the mama's shoulder! So cute!

prairie fleur, Your daughter is so amazingly beautiful I could hardly take my eyes off her to look at the bird! The bird is pretty too but your daughter is gorgeous. I have 5 daughters, the youngest is 10 and the other 4 are teens and I just wonder where on earth the time went. Seems like yesterday...

I wish she was mine! she's Grain Gypsys tho. I thought the same thing! I just kept going, Wow! What a cutie!!! I'm not hardly old enough to have a child that old either. we don't have any kids yet. I've been very ill the last several years and it just hasn't been an option. I'm getting on top of it tho it seems like so hopefully we'll have the chance to consider it in the not Too distant future!
Lucky you on the Silver Appleyards! I really want some Black East Indies and some Calls but I don't have a place for them. :/

 

[Trish44]

I have one Buff Sussex chick this morning

, one zipping, and 7 pips! Hatching day isn't even till tomorrow so I think my temp was a bit high. I'll adjust that next time.

My Silver Appleyard ducklings from Holderread's are supposed to be here today, so I certainly hope they make it. Their brooder is all ready to go. I've waited a long time for these guys and am excited they are finally arriving!

I will take pics later once they've arrived and are settled.

Have any of you ever ordered White Rocks? I got two separate batches, one from Cackle Hatchery and one from Murray McMurray. Those birds are absolutely the flightiest birds I've ever owned. They are just downright mean. When I am watching them, inevitably one or two of the males will fly at my face with both feet! They are only 5 weeks old and I can't even imagine what they will be like as adults. I won't ever own White Rocks again. Just way too wild.


ashncarson, Thanks so much for the pics. I love pics! I especially like the one with the chick sitting on the mama's shoulder! So cute!

prairie fleur, Your daughter is so amazingly beautiful I could hardly take my eyes off her to look at the bird! The bird is pretty too but your daughter is gorgeous. I have 5 daughters, the youngest is 10 and the other 4 are teens and I just wonder where on earth the time went. Seems like yesterday...

Congrats on the chicks Deerfield. I would be interested in pics of the Appleyard ducklings & after they feather out too. I have the Anconas just because they're endangered & I want to keep them going. They're such calm ducks & easy to keep. I have some colored eggs coming from OK this week to add some interest to my duck flock. I can't wait to get them hatched.

I have not had White Rocks for years, but that's what I grew out back in the 80s when we did meat chicks. They didn't have Cornish Cross then but those were so much better to raise than what they call meat chickens now. I wonder if they have crossed them at the hatchery with Leghorns or something to make them that flighty. You just never know what the hatcheries have crossed with to get the birds they sell. I don't trust that they have really much of anything pure bred. I have heard bad things about Cackle this year. I heard that TSC changed to them this year to get chicks & they were just not healthy at all, they lost a lot. I noticed the TSC in Augusta quit selling chicks early this year, maybe for that reason. I have had several other colors of the Rocks & they have been fine, not flighty at all. I have Silver Penciled Rock chicks in my brooder right now because I think they're so pretty.

ashncarson you will find a lot of opinions in the chicken world like Deerfield said because most people raising chickens have had to learn as they go. There aren't a lot of "experts" out there as far as Veterinarians or anyone like that to rely on because most Vets don't treat chickens. It's trial & error mostly & you try something & if that doesn't work you try something else. Sometimes something that worked before doesn't work the next time. We all make mistakes, it's human so don't beat yourself up about it if you do.


If you all haven't read the news today there are 3 states that have declared a state of emergency with the AI virus in chickens, Minnesota, Iowa, & Wisconsin. There are 3 viruses that they have identified now H5N8, H5N2, & H5N1. That last one is the newest one so it appears to be mutating. It's a warning to everyone to close your farm & not allow people to come around your pens. Yeah it's nice to show off your chickens but not worth it if you have something transmitted to your birds from someone's shoes. The reverse is true if you visit someone else's farm to not wear those shoes to your pens. I don't know how this all is going to affect poultry shows in the future. It seems really risky to take your prized birds to a show where people from all over come in bringing birds. I don't personally show so it doesn't affect me, but I know others who do.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

Thank you for the compliments. You are so sweet. I wish I knew everything. but it means so much to be validated. It doesn't go unnoticed.
Quote:
Yay!!! Babies! Lots of babies.

Oh Prairie I am so sorry. That breaks my heart. We will get you more. I am still so far behind I haven't trimmed rear ends yet. I haven't incubated PB eggs for a couple weeks now. I keep telling myself it can wait until I get them trimmed. I did hatch a couple of them yesterday though.
It is so so hard to keep from incubating all these eggs. My egg customers are happy with my unlimited supply. My bank account is NOT.

I did a necropsy on an acquaintance's bird yesterday. It was the first case ever I had ever seen of ruptured yolk peritonitis I had ever seen. Pretty interesting stuff. Some of the egg yolk almost looked like meat with the fibers in it.  I wish I had taken a camera.

Aww thanks!! I was so pleased that 2 had hatched out of the eggs I got from you and it tore me up to lose one. The other one seems to be doing great and growing like a weed! I have him in with my Chicken Hill Wyandottes and 2 Brahmas I got from there and I am having a Very hard time figuring out who is who! I watched and watched them last night and I couldn't figure it out! DH built me a wonderful big brooder and I moved my Ameraucanas out there a day or so ago. They're having a ball cruising around and it seems to suit them wonderfully. I'm crossing fingers that I won't loose any more now. I lost 3 wheaten/blue wheatens and 1 lav. The rest seem to be doing fine now tho. I was worried about Cruiser because neither DH or I had ever seen him eat; he was always running around or sleeping. Last night I saw him eat so I quit worrying quite so much about him.
We got about half inch of rain last night!! I'm very thankful. Im hoping it's enough that it will help the yard out but not enough that the weeds go insane and everyone starts spraying willy nilly. I get sick whenever they do and it's very depressing.

 

[chicken danz]

If you have the chicks in a brooder and not with the broody hen you can raise Cruiser with the chicks for a while. I had some more hatch today. I don't have tons of them but enough I am going to have to rig up a brooder just for pheasants soon. I love these little guys. They are so cute.

 

[sharol]

Yeah. Didn't realize how I relied on the notifications until they were gone. Thanks to the moderators.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Grain Gypsy, There I go with the speed reading again -- comments still stand, but apologies for not getting it right.

I was born dingy so I can't blame it on old age, or my kids, or anything. Just the nature of this beast! Your daughter is just adorable.

Prairie Fleur, If it's one thing I understand, it is health problems. I am doing my best to get mine under control also. Chickens are very therapeutic for me. I was 41 years old when we adopted our first two children, a 4 yr old son and a 10 mo. old daughter. Eight years later, we had adopted 8 kids. Now that 10 month old is 17 and the 4 year old is in college. It just seems so weird that I thought I would never have children and I went from that to today where they are beginning to leave home already.

Danz, You're welcome!

Well deserved. You are always there to help even though you have a very full plate.

Trish, I still have 3 Anconas myself, and really like them. I thought I would try the Appleyards because they are also seriously endangered and are a bit bigger than the Anconas, so for meat they might stretch a little farther for this big family. The Anconas and Chopper are my hubs favs. He loves to see them on the pond when he comes home from work but until I get more fencing up, I don't allow them on the pond unless I'm right there working. We had a fox take two of my Ancona girls last year and I don't intend for him to get anymore of my ducks. They loved having their freedom, so it's a shame.

We're suppose to get some rain over the next several days, beginning tomorrow. I hope we get enough to fill my pond. Right now it is bone dry and the ducks have to content themselves with the wading pool even when I am outside. I am having the family reunion at my house this year so I would love for that thing to fill up on it's own without my having to use the well. DH is arranging for some sky-diving buddies to "drop in" at the reunion. Should be a fun surprise for everyone.

CHICK REPORT 4 chicks out, a ton of pips and a couple zips!!!!! Yay!

Okay, I better get my buns outside and get back to weeding and planting. The weeds love our new watering system.

 

[chicken danz]

Yeah. Didn't realize how I relied on the notifications until they were gone. Thanks to the moderators.

Ditto! Me too!
We just had a major storm come through. I was down for the count but need to go check on birds. I moved a ton of birds today to new pens and new environments. I am sure some of them have no idea where the coop is or even to use it. I could have some really cold wet birds out there.
I had some people stop to buy a rooster and a hen and they also bought 6 guinea keets and 6 eggs. Made it worth my while.
I got super tired all of a sudden and just felt I couldn't go any more, but that was about when the storm hit. Now like it or not I have to go back out and check the birds.

 

[ashncarson]

Quote: Deerfield Acres 8 kids at one time? Either way that is AMAZING! My husbands great aunt adopted 4 sibilings a few years back. The younger 2 has shaken baby issues, but they are all the best kids! I admire people like that!

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

@TaraBellaBirds , whereabouts in SW Kansas do you live? I was born and raised in Ulysses, and I also lived in Hugoton for about 3 years as an adult.

Cheeky, Our Blue Ameraucana

@Grain Gypsy Nice to meet you. We are South of Dodge City. Nice looking Am, cute kiddos too, love her hair!




@Prairie Fleur I sent you a PM, not sure if you got it with the site issues.

I am trying hard not to candle the eggs until lockdown tomorrow.

That I get all 7 Lav Am into lockdown!