Consolidated Kansas

[sharol]

The advantage is that Orpingtons are really big chickens. The Marans look big but sure don't dress out that way. Copper is a great mix of both for sure.
Yep that pen takes quite a bit of space but the chickens can sit on top of it so you really didn't loose all that much. I always look at upper space as well as floor space. That's one problem with my building. I don't have any type of roosts in there yet and haven't quite figured out what will work just yet. Using chain link was quick although expensive but it does come with a whole new set of problems. I really wish I had time to get back in there and do some more work. The days just aren't long enough. I also need to figure out how to hang my feeders. I have another modification to make before they are ready to use anyway. I'm much more anxious to get some dry soil around here and do the dirt moving that it's going to require to build the pens outside.

True. Copper is a nice combination. She is also easy going most of the time. Of course she was the last of the brooder chicks raised indoors. Broodies are so much easier than all that dust in the house.

 

[chicken danz]

Dust in the house? Who has chick dust in their house???

 

[sharol]

Quote:
Well certainly no one I know. ;-)

 

[Trish44]

Dust in the house? Who has chick dust in their house???

LOL Danz, you & I know about that don't we?

Deerfield I'll be interested to see the different chicks as they grow out, I'm intrigued by your project but have too many of my own to join in on it. It's interesting to me that you all are coming at the problem from different angles & to see the end result will be fascinating. I love the Sussex myself too but wish there was a way to get the speckleds to be a more hardy bird. It's so hard to get them started sometimes. It seems like once they reach adult stage they do fine but getting them there at times is frustrating. If you come up with a beautiful speckled bird that is more hardy I sure will be interested in having some. I love the coloring & personality of the Sussex. I know it's hard when you're working on a project like you are & have so many setbacks. I have been working on the Crested Cream Legbar project for 2 years now & finally this year have gotten much closer to the birds I would like them to be & closer as well to the proposed SOP. We all had major setbacks because we had to all rely on one importer & the first two generations of birds weren't even close to the English standard they were shooting for. With line C we have gotten closer & then crossing line C to the Rees line we're getting there. Even the Rees birds aren't perfect, but much closer to where we're going. I'm seeing chicks this year so far that look better than before, especially the roosters but so far they have not been hardy. I don't know at this point if it's because my parent birds are so young at this point, I'm suspecting that may be part of the issue. What we also have dealt with on this project is that the English birds aren't used to our bacteria here & are very susceptible to illness.

 

[chicken danz]

Our zero chance of rain sure seems awfully wet! Really??? This is insane. Deerfield and her son just left. I'm sure they are glad to get out of the muddy messy rainy stuff around here. Then I walked back in and had a call from a guy that was coming next weekend. He decided he wanted to come today. I need to pull out a bunch of birds for him but I need to rest a little. The moisture in the air sure messes with my lungs.
I don't know how long it will take to get things dry enough I can move more birds outside. This is just insane!!!

 

[Deerfield Acres]

It was raining! What the heck! Danz, our reservation was for sunny skies, you need to do something about that rain up there.

By the time we got home, the sky had begun to clear. Sure enjoyed the visit and the birdies are all doing well. I absolutely adore those turkeys. They make the cutest little turkey sounds and they were so funny trying to figure out where the food was. The Speckleds were diving right into the food but the turkeys seemed puzzled and would pick the excess off the Speckleds beaks. Finally they figured out it was coming from the feeder. So silly. And they kept discussing the situation among themselves, "boop? boop. boop? boop? Too cute.

I'll have to catch up on everything later. Hope everyone gets their sunny skies tomorrow!

 

[chicken danz]

The forecast for this week was no rain before Friday. Last night they had changed it to rain every day but one. I can't believe this stuff! I guess I'm going to have to get a Jon boat to do my chores.
Turkeys aren't the smartest birds in the world but they sure are sweet. The pet turkey had quite a day yesterday cause he got to socialize a lot. He even went to bed without having to be carried back to the building. Most of the time he wants to stay out and play with the geese.
I'm up early and trying to get my act together for the day. Got the babies in the house fed anyway.

 

[spree56]

Oh good grief Danz, us too here in Manhattan. We have gotten lots of rain, but not as much as you. But it was looking clear for this week. Ugh!

 

[Trish44]

Boy I'm keeping my fingers crossed here that it stays dry for a week. I need my pens to dry out & it can't if it keeps raining. There is still water seeping out of places & it's not going to dry if it doesn't warm up. I opened the window this morning in the kitchen & told my DH that it felt more like early spring out there than June, it's crazy. It's cloudy here today, I sure hope it clears up later with some sun. Yesterday my birds were so happy to see some sun, they were laying all over just sunning in the yard along with the ducks.

 

[chicken danz]

We had no sun yesterday and it's clouding up again now. I went outside but it's chilly out there. I just wasn't ready to face the cool damp weather this morning. I guess the birds can wait a bit to get fed and watered today. I would normally be extremely tan from all the time outdoors by this time of year but I've had to wear long pants and sleeves most of the time so far. I'm so afraid it's going to go from early spring chilly to 105 with no rain at all. Of course it has to stop raining for awhile before it gets to that.