Consolidated Kansas

[PrairieChickens]

Bubbles is a sweetheart. She's so quiet you forget she's there, but then she'll come up to you and lean against your leg to get pets.

I meant "hardcore crochet" sounds silly. xD But yeah, any repetitive motion can make your muscles and joints sore, no matter how light it is. Just look at how many people get carpal tunnel from typing wrong.

 

[pikeman94]

As always I am behind in reading posts.....sigh....

I made it through Thanksgiving with most of my sanity intact and with an additional chicken.

A friend of my alerted me to a rescue chicken. Here she is:



Her name is Curry and she is a Buff Bhrama Bantam. Apparently, the flock she came from was fully of RiRs and Leghorns. The Leghorns wouldn't leave this poor girl alone so the owner wanted to find her a new home.....I am a sucker. Now she is in the garage in quarantine. The only think I wonder is how long do I keep her there, 1 week or 2 weeks? So far she is absolutely fine. Thoughts appreciated on this question.

 

[Hawkeye95]

I read thru about 10 pages-- sheesh! I read them all, but didn't multi because I figured I'd have a post two pages long.

Lindsey, I like the second open coop better than the first. Less wind drafts and more protection from rain, snow, etc... but still nice and open! I hated the Boppy pillow-- have you been able to put one around you? I'm a pretty small person and it didn't fit right. I liked the Nuby pillow-- it's just more like a wedge with a bit of the U shape to it. Enough to tuck up close to you, but not enough to try to wrap around you. If you do end up with the Boppy, it's great to sit the baby up in. Just hated it for nursing. I co-slept with all my babies and nursed them nearly a year (except for my middle child). Anyway, I nursed in bed at night and just went back to sleep while they nursed. I'm really excited about the new roof you get on the house!! That is GREAT news!!!! That will set you up for the next 20-30 years, hopefully. Depending on weather and which composite they bought. Either way, it's one less worry for now.

Lizzy, your horses are beautiful!!! Love the paint. I'm a big fan! hehehe! And yeah, it's not ideal to leave the gate open, but it will happen. I've done it a few times on accident. That or I left the lock off and I have a very smart gelding who can open about anything he can get his lips around. Anyway, it was just this summer I was out at 2:30 in the morning (in the DARK!) chasing down horses to bring them back home. The trick is to NOT chase them. But call them and shake your feed bucket so they come running to the feed. If they are super skittish, then I will pour out a bit onto the ground and back up away from them so they can get to the grain to eat. Then when they finish that, I shake my bucket again and usually they are so ready for more, they come right up. I always do a slow walk when I'm "chasing" them down and act like I don't really care. They are soooo sensitive to your cues and actions, they will only be interested in coming if they think there is something in it for them. Like Lindsey said-- I would work on ocassionally getting them to come running to you out in their pasture with the feed bucket. Let them know when you walk out there and shake it-- that you have food and will let them have it. Pet them and talk to them and leave them be. Do this often enough they know what you are doing when you walk out there with the bucket. THEN... when they will escape (and I say WHEN... not if) they will be that much more eager to come to you! Train them before the wreck.

Update on my foster mother. She sleeps on the roost with the chick under her wing. I think this is really odd but nice. I am not sure the chick would have made it without a foster mother.
Second; has anyone here ever marked a bird with paint. I have 6 RIR and they all look the same. Want to mark them so the non laying ones can go to dinner. Same with my sex links. Thinking cheep spray paint and just a little sprits while they are in the nest box. Any suggestions?

That is great that she is being a good mama! I have seen people paint their birds as chicks. On my silkie group-- a lot of people will run a colored marker down the back to color code which pen they came from. (I've seen them use blue, black, red, etc) The marker only lasts as long as the chick fluff stays in. I think for a long term solution, I would get some zipties and put those on their legs. Especially with RIR, they have clean legs, so it should be easy to see. I put my zipties on fairly loose, so they can run up and down the leg easily, but not too loose to catch on things. All of my birds have a zip tie on to tell me who their parents are, and then they are also wearing numbered bands. So they wear both. Oh and for the zip ties-- when you run out of colors, you can put multiples on and keep your records straight. I have some birds in the double zip ties and the color combinations all mean something to me.

I got a call tonight of someone who lost a couple ducks I had sold them last spring. They were very upset. Not sure what happened but they got their necks broken (not by a predator- he said it was his fault.) He was very upset cause he had them tamed to pick up and play with. He is down to one duck and it's lonely. I told him I had some hatching today and another group a few days old and he is coming tomorrow to buy a couple of new babies.
I think my buyer will be here this weekend so it was good timing. I wasn't planning to hatch any more until the first of the year. I hate to short my buyer but I can get more out of selling them to an individual. It's all money for future feed.
I spent my afternoon with my Dad and he had ordered me a pretty little glass rooster. It totally surprised me. I need to find a special place of honer for it. My Dad isn't one to just buy gifts for now reason.
I even spent a little time with him teaching him how to use the computer. It hasn't been used since Mom passed away but it is still hooked up to the internet. He actually said he might be able to master it if he gets some glasses he can see better with. He has rejected the idea of learning the computer since I bought the first one for him and Mom maybe 15 years ago and taught her how to use it to email. I really think he would enjoy using the computer in the assisted living home he is moving to this weekend. It would be better than wasting his day watching tv and taking naps.

Sad about the guy that broke the necks. I wonder how he did that? Makes me curious to know what he did. If it was something we could accidentally do, let us know so we can avoid it! So sweet that your dad ordered you a glass rooster. I would find a place of honor for it too. That would mean an awful lot to me, too! I'm sorry he is going into assisted living, though. But hopefully, he will still be able to do everything he wants to do, but yet have help nearby or even get to know some people and make new friends.



I know there were so many posts and I didn't respond to you all. I hope I can keep caught up! Been trying to stay on top of things and keep finding myself sinking here. I am going to make today as my "catch up" day for bill paying, cleaning, etc. I'm not used to bill paying, but I'm taking over my Dad's farm and now suddenly find myself with lots of bills from various fields where our Tennant bought fertilizer or seed and now wants me to pay up. I need to sit down and get it all paid out and sent in the mail. I wish I had some kind of direct deposit for this straight to the CoOp down there! Sheesh! I rarely use checkbooks! I'd much rather click something that pays them. LOL!! Okay-- off to be responsible. Sigh.

 

[Hawkeye95]

As always I am behind in reading posts.....sigh....

I made it through Thanksgiving with most of my sanity intact and with an additional chicken.

A friend of my alerted me to a rescue chicken. Here she is:



Her name is Curry and she is a Buff Bhrama Bantam. Apparently, the flock she came from was fully of RiRs and Leghorns. The Leghorns wouldn't leave this poor girl alone so the owner wanted to find her a new home.....I am a sucker. Now she is in the garage in quarantine. The only think I wonder is how long do I keep her there, 1 week or 2 weeks? So far she is absolutely fine. Thoughts appreciated on this question.

Did they dye her with Easter coloring? She is GREEN!! hehehe! Cute! Keep her there for 3 weeks. I've done nothing but quarantine birds here recently. I made it past the 4 week mark and threw them all in together. But I think 3 weeks is fine. Two weeks just isn't quite enough in my opinion. You will NOT regret going an extra week. Watch for head shaking (mites) and anything else. I'd give her Probiotics in her food or water, too. Just to boost her system and make her healthier. I use the powder probiotics for Goats at TSC. But you can find it anywhere-- they even have it at Walmart, but it's more pricey.

 

[chicken danz]

My Dad is going to the assisted living place by his choice. If I had my way I'd want him to stay home. But it will be good for him. It is like an apartment other than they provide meals, check on them regularly, change their bedding once a week and that sort of thing. He is keeping his house for now but may have to sell it later to pay his bills. I think he is lonely and this way he will be near a few people he knows and can talk to.
If I can get him to actually use the computer it will open up a whole new perspective for him.
He even has a little outside patio thing. He can come and go as he pleases as well. He is a lot like me in that he isn't a social butterfly so it will be nice for him to be around other people for dinner and stuff.
He is moving Saturday so it will be a rough day for me. I cry when I think about it. One of the first things I want to do is buy him a little Christmas tree and set it up for him. He and my Mom had a nice large one but I am sure he won't want something big.
Good to see you on here again Rob. I think a couple weeks quarantine would work as long as she shows no signs of illness in the meantime. I would be sure to worm her just to be sure she isn't bringing in any parasites. Some people say 3 weeks but I would think problems would surface by 2 weeks. I've not taken on any new stock other than chicks and a few juveniles that I knew had been treated for everything, so I'm certainly no pro on the subject. You will love the brahma.
Mike's farmer I don't think I would use spray paint on the chickens. It could be toxic. I think permanent marker like a sharpie would be a lot safer. I know for long term you could tattoo them but I don't know that you'd want to go to that expense of trouble. I would just use small plastic ties myself. That is how I mark all my birds that aren't banded yet.

 

[lizzyGSR]

Lizzy, your horses are beautiful!!! Love the paint. I'm a big fan! hehehe! And yeah, it's not ideal to leave the gate open, but it will happen. I've done it a few times on accident. That or I left the lock off and I have a very smart gelding who can open about anything he can get his lips around. Anyway, it was just this summer I was out at 2:30 in the morning (in the DARK!) chasing down horses to bring them back home. The trick is to NOT chase them. But call them and shake your feed bucket so they come running to the feed. If they are super skittish, then I will pour out a bit onto the ground and back up away from them so they can get to the grain to eat. Then when they finish that, I shake my bucket again and usually they are so ready for more, they come right up. I always do a slow walk when I'm "chasing" them down and act like I don't really care. They are soooo sensitive to your cues and actions, they will only be interested in coming if they think there is something in it for them. Like Lindsey said-- I would work on ocassionally getting them to come running to you out in their pasture with the feed bucket. Let them know when you walk out there and shake it-- that you have food and will let them have it. Pet them and talk to them and leave them be. Do this often enough they know what you are doing when you walk out there with the bucket. THEN... when they will escape (and I say WHEN... not if) they will be that much more eager to come to you! Train them before the wreck.

he he! I know what you mean about a horse that is an escape artist. My mom (she's where I got my "project" horse - the bay gelding) said that Montana (the bay gelding) could untie himself if you used a quick-release knot on him. They have one of those gates that you push the lever, and the gate opens. Well, they had to put a chain on the gate to keep him from letting himself out!

I am quickly discovering that he is a somewhat playful horse. Yesterday evening, I went out to feed them their grain. The only grain I have now is that which I bought from my parents when we took the horses from their property. It is in a small dog food bag. I have been carrying the bag to the horse pen twice a day to feed the horses their grain. I keep the bag tied with a string. When I stepped inside the gate, I set the bag down and turned around to close the gate behind me. Montana grabbed the bag and picked it up and then dropped it. Then, when I opened it, he tried to stick his nose inside it. Sneaky horse! I think I'm gonna have my hands full with him. I took Gabby (my paint mare) out for a short ride yesterday. Montana was a mess! He was running back and forth across the barn yard, rolling, getting up and doing it all over again! I took Gabby for a short run to get the mail (about 1/2 mile away) and back. When I got back, Montana was way sweatier than Gabby was! I call him my project horse because he is an ex-barrel horse and has a bucking issue. He's a sweetheart on the ground, though he can be ornery/playful/mischevious.

I agree with you about Gabby. She is beautiful! I have to say, I am definitely partial to paints! When she was at my parents' house, they had someone stop by and offer to buy her, simply because she was such a good looker out in the pasture. Her movements are amazing as well. Her lope is like a rocking chair - I could ride it all day! When I started doing the rodeo thing with her years ago, a friend took her for a short time (half an hour or so) in the arena and taught her to do a controlled lope on command. It looks fantastic and is SO pleasant to ride. Her downfall, though, is that she is spooky as all get-out!

As for catching horses in the pasture, I've been carrying treats with me and calling the horses when I'm out in the pasture. I then give them each a treat, love on them, and walk away. It's my way of trying to teach them to come when I call. Plus, I have recently ordered some training materials from Pat Parelli (a very popular horse trainer). Parelli teaches you how to become a good leader so your horse will WANT to be with you, which is how I eventually want to make it easy for THEM to catch ME in the pasture! I'm a long way from that now, though, thus why I'm trying to bribe them with treats. Both horses are treat monsters.

 

[Trish44]

Wow, it took me awhile to get caught up with reading too, sometimes only a day without reading & there are several pages to read. I went out & got everyone's water refilled this morning since it's warmer. It was just too cold the last two days to stand out there & fill a bucket or get wet at the faucet. I had to take my big hoses into the garage for the winter, so now I have to carry water through the winter in a bucket. It's kind of a pain, but that's the way it is. I don't have water very close to where my coop is, it's up by the front of the house. I have a hydrant close to my new coop though, so that's nice. I got a bunch of eggs this morning, my hens were busy girls before I got out there today. I slept kind of late today, so it was after 11 before I got out there.

My Speckled Sussex roo just loves to aggravate the roos who are in pens for breeding purposes. He spent months terrorizing my big black Ameraucana roo in the pen next to the main coop. Now he has found a new victim, the new black Ameraucana roo I got who is in the small pen in the run. I had wondered why he was hanging around in the coop so much, now I know. I caught him trying to start something with the other roo this morning, he is a mess. He gets his comb all bloody from jumping at the other rooster through the wire, it's crazy. I will be glad when he is in his own pen, things will be peaceful again.

Well everybody enjoy the weather for the next few days! Isn't it crazy for the first part of December for it to get so warm. We're supposed to have 70s for this weekend!

 

[Hawkeye95]

My Dad is going to the assisted living place by his choice. If I had my way I'd want him to stay home. But it will be good for him. It is like an apartment other than they provide meals, check on them regularly, change their bedding once a week and that sort of thing. He is keeping his house for now but may have to sell it later to pay his bills. I think he is lonely and this way he will be near a few people he knows and can talk to.
If I can get him to actually use the computer it will open up a whole new perspective for him.
He even has a little outside patio thing. He can come and go as he pleases as well. He is a lot like me in that he isn't a social butterfly so it will be nice for him to be around other people for dinner and stuff.
He is moving Saturday so it will be a rough day for me. I cry when I think about it. One of the first things I want to do is buy him a little Christmas tree and set it up for him. He and my Mom had a nice large one but I am sure he won't want something big.

I'm glad it was his idea. I LOVE the idea of getting him a small xmas tree for his apartment! That's a great idea! And I'm sure -- even though he is not super social, he will just enjoy having people nearby.

he he! I know what you mean about a horse that is an escape artist. My mom (she's where I got my "project" horse - the bay gelding) said that Montana (the bay gelding) could untie himself if you used a quick-release knot on him. They have one of those gates that you push the lever, and the gate opens. Well, they had to put a chain on the gate to keep him from letting himself out!

I am quickly discovering that he is a somewhat playful horse. Yesterday evening, I went out to feed them their grain. The only grain I have now is that which I bought from my parents when we took the horses from their property. It is in a small dog food bag. I have been carrying the bag to the horse pen twice a day to feed the horses their grain. I keep the bag tied with a string. When I stepped inside the gate, I set the bag down and turned around to close the gate behind me. Montana grabbed the bag and picked it up and then dropped it. Then, when I opened it, he tried to stick his nose inside it. Sneaky horse! I think I'm gonna have my hands full with him. I took Gabby (my paint mare) out for a short ride yesterday. Montana was a mess! He was running back and forth across the barn yard, rolling, getting up and doing it all over again! I took Gabby for a short run to get the mail (about 1/2 mile away) and back. When I got back, Montana was way sweatier than Gabby was! I call him my project horse because he is an ex-barrel horse and has a bucking issue. He's a sweetheart on the ground, though he can be ornery/playful/mischevious.

I agree with you about Gabby. She is beautiful! I have to say, I am definitely partial to paints! When she was at my parents' house, they had someone stop by and offer to buy her, simply because she was such a good looker out in the pasture. Her movements are amazing as well. Her lope is like a rocking chair - I could ride it all day! When I started doing the rodeo thing with her years ago, a friend took her for a short time (half an hour or so) in the arena and taught her to do a controlled lope on command. It looks fantastic and is SO pleasant to ride. Her downfall, though, is that she is spooky as all get-out!

As for catching horses in the pasture, I've been carrying treats with me and calling the horses when I'm out in the pasture. I then give them each a treat, love on them, and walk away. It's my way of trying to teach them to come when I call. Plus, I have recently ordered some training materials from Pat Parelli (a very popular horse trainer). Parelli teaches you how to become a good leader so your horse will WANT to be with you, which is how I eventually want to make it easy for THEM to catch ME in the pasture! I'm a long way from that now, though, thus why I'm trying to bribe them with treats. Both horses are treat monsters.

Oh yeah, I know Parelli! I've met him in person! I've taken a 2 day riding clinic with him! I have a lot of his stuff-- the carrot stick, halters, etc.. When I was a kid, he was just becoming popular-- so that was about 20 years ago and it was then that he used to come down and do clinics here in Wichita. I never missed them! So I've been around his way of thinking for at least that long, then. I broke out two horses using his techniques -- except that I combine them with a lot of John Lyons thinking too-- he is another AWESOME trainer. He is not entirely natural, but he is on that track as well. I took a horse that another person had given up on-- he was 3yrs old and they started him when he was a baby and they just could not train him. He was a stinker. But after having him for nearly a year, I had him riding perfectly and no spooking and none of the other nonsense. It just takes time. Seriously-- MOST of it is ground work. By the time you do loads of ground work, then ride in the saddle and back on the ground... that horse is so good. I sold my "project" horse for triple what I bought him for. I was going to do another one, but that's about the time I got pregnant and gave up on training because I have no time for it! But I do still have my gelding that I broke myself. He's still a stinker, but he's super broke. He's completely safe for anyone-- even new kids. BUT... he will grab anything you have, or he will try to run off with things and he's an escape artist. He will lean on the farrier too if he decides he feels like it. He's easy to correct, but he keeps trying.

Wow, it took me awhile to get caught up with reading too, sometimes only a day without reading & there are several pages to read. I went out & got everyone's water refilled this morning since it's warmer. It was just too cold the last two days to stand out there & fill a bucket or get wet at the faucet. I had to take my big hoses into the garage for the winter, so now I have to carry water through the winter in a bucket. It's kind of a pain, but that's the way it is. I don't have water very close to where my coop is, it's up by the front of the house. I have a hydrant close to my new coop though, so that's nice. I got a bunch of eggs this morning, my hens were busy girls before I got out there today. I slept kind of late today, so it was after 11 before I got out there.
My Speckled Sussex roo just loves to aggravate the roos who are in pens for breeding purposes. He spent months terrorizing my big black Ameraucana roo in the pen next to the main coop. Now he has found a new victim, the new black Ameraucana roo I got who is in the small pen in the run. I had wondered why he was hanging around in the coop so much, now I know. I caught him trying to start something with the other roo this morning, he is a mess. He gets his comb all bloody from jumping at the other rooster through the wire, it's crazy. I will be glad when he is in his own pen, things will be peaceful again.
Well everybody enjoy the weather for the next few days! Isn't it crazy for the first part of December for it to get so warm. We're supposed to have 70s for this weekend!

OH, I'm so glad it's going to be nice this weekend!!! YAY! I was going to put up my plastic today, but it's going so fast and I'm only half way thru my chores. I'm carrying water too. It's not fun, I agree. But running hoses in the winter isn't doable.

Well, I'm sitting here waiting for my water to boil for lunch-- hear it going right now. Just got back from making a quick run into town to finish some business and then stop by the recycling to dump off plastic. Back now and still have a full day ahead. Sigh. Plus the boys have choir tonight, so I don't get to stop until about 9pm tonight when we get back.

 

[Kansas Prairie]

I should be old enough to know better. I picked up a big bag of chick starter/grower carried it from the grow shed to the barn, just grabbed it and hugged it and carried, about the time I got to the barn I felt something and remembered that I'd put a few eggs in the chest pocket of my husband's warm camo jacket. I know better than to put eggs in pockets.

duh!

 

[Kansas Prairie]

I tried to join the FB Kansas Farm Animal Swap to post this but was rejected.

There is man in our area posting this on our local trader.

"Free to a good home. She is great pyrenees x Anatolian shepherd she is a med to short hair dog
She is three or four she was born with goats and I got her and put her with goats. And she would stay with and my roping cattle then i got rid of the cattle and the goats and she got to roaming looking for some thing to guard so i had to pen her up i just hate to see her go to waste.
She has never been around chickens that wasnt in a pen. She has not been fixed.
Shes a real loving dog and likes females and kids better than men."

His FB account says he lives near Hooker, Oklahoma....and I know it's a weird name for a town.