Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

I don't really have a place to keep him outside where he would be comfortable. I so lack buildings for that sort of thing. DH suggested I put him in the brooder house but I wouldn't want to chance any air born virus the chicks could catch. I don't want to be out in this stuff either. Like I said I could put these guys in the dog kennel but that would mean I'd have to do a major scrubbing before we have pups. I don't have a roof over the pen itself and I think these guys could fly right over the top. We have a nice sized house there that would give them plenty of room though.
DH finished my guinea house last night. He had stained it so I couldn't move it yet. When we move it over to their pen, I can take the house I made them and put it in with the ornamental pheasants. They have so little shelter. Of course I would just do it myself but I'm still not supposed to be lifting anything over 5 pounds. I am sure my feed buckets and waterers exceed that, but the buildings are heavy.
I swear at some point if I ever come up with the money I will build a big poultry barn and eliminate all these little buildings. I keep telling DH I could build a really big building and put him on one side and chickens on the other.
Our barn actually used to be a poultry barn at one point. I would build a shop for him and use it for poultry but it sits wrong. I would want it so the run would run on the south and the only way to put on runs is to add them to the north. I just don't think it would be very functional. Besides it only has a dirt floor and I think I'd like to have concrete. I so envy these people who have wonderful big metal buildings. I'm never going to be well to do so I guess I'll keep dreaming.

 

[chicken danz]

I'm getting very impatient waiting for my new incubators to get shipped. I emailed the gal again today. Sure hope she isn't scamming me or the other guy who bought one. I would so file criminal charges! He is pretty stoked as well at this point.
Once they get here I will put up whatever I decide to move for sale. Probably will wait until after the first of the year to decide what I want to keep.
Renee, how is your button with splayed legs doing? They are pretty resilient when it comes to getting around even with those injuries. Are the others doing ok? The eggs I put in are due to hatch in two days. Not sure what I will do with them. I just want to see if I've produced some new colors. Let me know if you want more eggs in the future.

 

[Ivywoods]

I started saving some fertile eggs yesterday, so it will be a few days before I feel like I have enough to start hatching. Sure wish I had a smaller incubator to go along with my two GQF's. I don't really like the styrofoam ones. They are hard to clean and I've not had good luck with them. I'm hoping to get one someday, but it will definitely have to be one with cirulated air. That refrigerator thing I got was a piece of junk. I thought I could use it for storing my fertile eggs, but I tried it yesterday. Neither the heater or the cooler part of the thing works. I'm going to throw it in the trash.

I think those Brinsea octagon ones look nice, but holy cow they are expensive. Too pricey for me. I can't justify that when I only gave $150 for my GQFs.

My little rosecomb hen that I thought was going to lay and egg did not. She sure was acting like it, so maybe she will before too long. I'm eager to hatch some of my bantams this year. I think I'm going to have to put some more lights in the barn for them, though, because I sure am not getting very many eggs yet.

We still haven't fixed the dog kennel where our dachshund got through. Darn dog has tore the whole back side of the kennel loose. We are going to cut some heavy hog panel and put it in there to fix it. Sure hope it quits raining before long so we don't have to do it in the rain. The dog is in the house and he very much wants to be outside. I can walk him on a leash or stay right with him, but I sure can't turn him loose outside like I can the other dogs.

 

[Hawkeye95]

A big poultry barn would be so fun! I would settle for a decent shed that could be divided up into breeding coops/pens with runs to the outside. If we stay here, I'll have to do some sweet talking to my DH to see if I could work on something like that. If not, maybe our new home will have lots of outbuildings.

Myabcs, I'm glad your hen finally came around and pulled through. How long did you have to keep her inside? I'm moving my turkey out to the barn for GOOD and I'm going to use her kennel (clean it up) and use it inside for my new house chickie. Seymore likes to sleep in her kennel, but I'm sure she'll be just as happy sleeping in the rafters of the barn.

My Polish drank on her own a while ago. But then she turned around and fluffed herself up and is sleeping in the corner of the box again. Hopefully she'll wake up more tomorrow.

 

[Trish44]

Hawkeye, well at least your little hen is eating & drinking, that's good. She's had a pretty big trauma & shock so it may take her awhile to perk up. I don't think it's unusual for her to be sleeping a lot after that, give her some time.

 

[chicken danz]

Yay! If she is eating and drinking she should make it. Keep treating her to prevent infection and make sure she is getting electrolites and she should pull through. You're a really good chicken doctor.
Forgive Seymore. She really is just being a bird. I know you love her, you are just mad at her right now.
I haven't done a thing yet today. I'm cold: I don't want to go out in the rain. I'm just feeling depressed and lazy.
I just did a little more Christmas shopping on line. Small gift stuff with free shipping so it wasn't unreasonable.
Susie, I've had really good luck with my styrofoam incubators once I made some changes to them. I have fans in them. One of them I just used a computer fan that runs on 110 and it works as good as the kit fan and cost under $10. I used a glue gun and plugged the holes in the bottom of them. Dumb place to have air holes anyway if you have them sitting on anything solid. I put more water in the bottoms than those little grooves allow by plugging the bottom. When I get ready to hatch I simply remove the turner and put wet sponges on the screen for added humidity. I used those cheap digital temp and humidity monitors that you can get at Walmart for $7 or so and make sure it all stays within limits. They've worked great for me, but just don't have enough room for all the hatching I do. They make plastic liners for them which are also an expense but they make clean up easier. I just fill mine with bleach water and use a little scotch brite pad to do a light scrub.

 

[Ivywoods]

I do have a little styrofoam one... Little Giant, I think. As I said, I don't like the clean up and the fact that it is not circulated air. Maybe I can scrounge up a computer fan somewhere Lord knows we have a few old ones sitting around.

It's my hubby's thing... 3 computers are not enough to tinker with!

I'll see about the plastic liners, too. If I don't do that, maybe I can just line it with some aluminum foil or something. I've got several good temp and humidity monitors, so that's not a problem. Maybe I should give mine another chance. I had it all boxed up in it's original box, ready to sell.

When you plugged the holes on the bottom, did you add vent holes somewhere else?

 

[Hawkeye95]

Quote:
I got the Brinsea octagon for $99. But that was without the turner. The turner is another $50. I'm going to wait to get the turner when it goes back on sale for $40, but I didn't get the "Advanced" octagon with the digital top. I got the regular one-- it still had a digital top on it, just not near as fancy as the "Advanced" one. That is where I saved my money since everyone said that the more fancy top wasn't necessary and they both worked the same. I hope you figure something out that will work for you! I guess whenever I start hatching, I'll let you know how 'idiot proof' my Brinsea turns out to be.

Thanks Danz! The Polish just stood up a while ago and spent quite a bit of time grooming herself. But she laid back down and fell asleep. I'll be syringing her more of the sugar water, since i haven't seen her drink in a while. It is a MESS outside!! Our entire backyard is flooded!!! I haven't seen it like that in.... maybe ever??! I need water boots!! I don't have any. I used my cowboy boots out there like usual and came back in with wet feet. Ick. I think rubber boots are going on my list! Yeah, I agree, Seymore was being a bird, but it sure was maddening to see her nearly kill a chick. She is out in the barn now, pretty happy clucking around. I haven't done anything today either! I'm so tired and the rain really depresses me. There is nothing I can do outside, and I'm an outside person. Even in the winter I feel better after I've done chores and spend some time talking to everyone in the barn. Two of my horses love the water and the muck. My other horse is out there gingerly tip toeing around trying to stay out of the mud. (impossible!!) ANd she looks miserable.

 

[Ivywoods]

Hawkeye-Where did you get your Brinsea? I don't think I would need the digital fancy top, either, but I sure like having a turner in mine. I don't have a turner for my little styrofoam one, either, but I think I've got something that will work that was out of my little refrigerator style incubator that shot craps.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Quote:
here it is for $99 http://www.brinsea.com/products/octagon20eco.htm The one with the turner is $149 Or you can buy it all separately. Right now, it's all %20 percent off. I really should buy it now, but I simply can't afford to right now. We've bought enough for x-mas and will need to recover next month.