Consolidated Kansas

[tweetysvoice]

All of the softshelled eggs I got this year (about 4) were right under the roost, almost like they popped out while they were sleeping, and like Sharol (I think that's who said it) I was lucky if I got one that hadn't been squished!

My birds have completely stopped laying for the winter and my delewares are most definitely in a molt. They are sad looking. LOL There are so many feathers around the coop that if I didn't know better, I'd think someone had been attacked recently!

Last night I gave my dogs a huge rawhide bone I had bought at the feed store. It wasn't cheap but I thought it would keep them busy for awhile on a day that I am too busy to spend much time with them. We have a bunch of neighborhood dogs that I spot regularly in our yard so when I gave it to them, I looked around to be sure we didn't have any visitors and also made a mental note to put it up for the night so it didn't disappear overnight. A few minutes after giving it to them, I heard Sammie barking (she almost never does) and went out to find her searching frantically for the bone. I didn't actually see the thief but there was a little cloud of dust right where our fence meets the road, and heading down towards the a house where two of the regular visitors live. I called that neighbor and caught him at work. He left the office and drove home to find his dog on the front porch chewing on it, so he brought it back to me, very apologetic. What is amazing is that the dog knew it was there! He was nowhere around, but only minutes after my dogs started working on it, he had run up here, stolen it and run home again. I know dogs have a good sense of smell but we're talking quite a distance away as this is our neighbor two doors down, and these properties are all 10 acres.

I am actually SHOCKED that your neighbor left work to get the bone back for you! What a great person!! Dogs can be so darn sneaky! Both of our dogs will "steal" food and bones from each other. I sware they trade sometimes, it's always "You have the better one" - "I want yours, not mine"...

So I have a cochin roo with what I believe is an impacted crop. He is kind of sitting so his front end is up and stiff and his bum is down on the ground like he is really uncomfortable and keeps opening his mouth. He has no sign of upper respiratory problems or wheezing. I brought him in and gave him some mineral oil and vitamins and massaged his crop and he is just sitting there looking miserable. If anyone has any bright ideas let me know.

awwww.. I'm sorry. The mineral oil/ olive oil is what i've heard on other forums as the best to work it out. I hope all goes well and you don't have to try to perform any type of surgery!!

 

[pikeman94]

All of the softshelled eggs I got this year (about 4) were right under the roost, almost like they popped out while they were sleeping, and like Sharol (I think that's who said it) I was lucky if I got one that hadn't been squished!

My birds have completely stopped laying for the winter and my delewares are most definitely in a molt. They are sad looking. LOL There are so many feathers around the coop that if I didn't know better, I'd think someone had been attacked recently!

Mine girls laying slowed down two months ago and most of the adult birds were in the molt. Since then, everyone is back to laying quasi-normally. I think all my new birds are laying as well.

Danz- Are Cuckoos slow or normal when it comes to egg laying maturity? I can't tell if that Cuckoo is laying or not. I have yet to see a dark colored egg in the mix.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

So I have a cochin roo with what I believe is an impacted crop. He is kind of sitting so his front end is up and stiff and his bum is down on the ground like he is really uncomfortable and keeps opening his mouth. He has no sign of upper respiratory problems or wheezing. I brought him in and gave him some mineral oil and vitamins and massaged his crop and he is just sitting there looking miserable. If anyone has any bright ideas let me know.

I had a bantam ee roo with impacted crop. Does the crop feel hard or squishy? Is he pooping?

 

[Hawkeye95]

Yes! I am a dummy!

I think Maidenwolf wanted something under $150? I know my brinsea with the turner ran about $270ish. I was thinking if she got a new hovabator and hand turned she might be in good shape. Plus I believe she is home a lot so she would have the time to "babysit" the bator. I LOVE my brinsea, but it only holds 24 large fowl eggs if you are lucky and that is a pretty small hatch to me. I really like it because I mostly hatch bantams so it works well for me but as far as hatching from the geese, I can only fit about 6 goose eggs in there which is nothing. I have a Leahy Favorite redwood cabinet bator that DH is supposed to get up and running for me. It still runs but could use some wiring repair and a new water pan. I am hoping to have it by spring for sebbie eggs. They are honking eggs, no pun intended!!


So I have a cochin roo with what I believe is an impacted crop. He is kind of sitting so his front end is up and stiff and his bum is down on the ground like he is really uncomfortable and keeps opening his mouth. He has no sign of upper respiratory problems or wheezing. I brought him in and gave him some mineral oil and vitamins and massaged his crop and he is just sitting there looking miserable. If anyone has any bright ideas let me know.

Yeah, I'm seeing the R-Com listed for $435. So not exactly cheap! But everyone raves over them. It would be something I'd pick up if I could find it second hand for a good price. I bought my Brinsea without the turner for right about $200. I still don't have a turner on mine. I'd love to buy one, especially if I go back to work, I'll have to! I'm sorry about your roo, and I have no idea what to do other than what you are already doing. I hope he'll be okay! Is his crop really large and distended?

The Brinsea mini advance looks to be up my alley and would be useful at school also. I remember reading about a coupon etc... To get it cheaper. Did I read that here?
Sorry to read little kids have been sick. This stomach bug seems to go though our schools so rampantly and I too have heard of whooping cough here. I also heard that it is possible for kids to get it even if they were vaccinated. I know my youngest gets hit hard with any type of cough and I hope we can stay clear of it. I hope your granddaughter is doing better, Danz! For 4, your little one, Hawkeye, is a trooper!! No fun for mom though! I hope you don't have the bug now.
We haven't had a soft shelled egg yet, but that huge egg was from our polish. A double yolker. Not a smudge of blood on it either. It just baffles me! The Marans eggs are as big as or bigger than the grocery store extra large eggs, and this one dwarfed them. My Marans are pretty hefty big girls, so it makes sense. They eat like horses too! But the polish really isn't very big in comparison. She is not really a bantam, but definitely not as big as even the ameracauna. I hope the polish with the torn beak is doing OK.
Now that we have fresh eggs here, I really can't imagine eating store eggs again. We eat lots of them I even have a few to share at times and they are definitely hits.
I love our red chick Danz gave my son. I think she is a sussex, but doesnt have any speckles yet. She is so super friendly. Jumps to be held and chases you if you don't! Silly bird!! Did Feather ever get more spots Danz? Did she lay any eggs you could hatch? I hope so.
My youngest is wanting me to make cookie dough, so I had best get to it I hope you get some holiday energy Danz! I too have struggled finding it, but kids do tend to push for it
Oh, BTW, I know several of you do graphic designs on the computer. What tablet do you recommend? I keep seeing a Bamboo tablet, and considering it as a gift for my oldest daughter, but I really am clueless if it would be what she would need.... Ideas?
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Brinsea runs coupon codes on their Facebook from time to time. And then if you sign up for their newsletter on their Facebook page, they will give you an additional 20% off for that too. Use both codes together. That is what I did, and I think I paid like $195 for my Brinsea Octagon Eco 20.
I don't have the bug yet, but I've been running low. I mean, I've not been able to really eat, or it sticks and stays in my throat and I'm feeling a bit queasy. So maybe I have it a bit??? I just know I'm not feeling like usual. I hope that clears up. That is crazy that the egg was from your Polish! Wow! But awesome, that she's laying! I know, I'm supposed to be cleaning again today and making gingerbread. Buuuuut, I took a long nap this afternoon since my MIL has my youngest and the boys are in school. It was that or fall asleep standing up. I have a headache, slightly achy and still sort of queasy, so I really do think I'm fighting something. I hope that is as far as it goes!

I'm a Graphic Designer, that is my degree. I would not use a tablet. The reason being that the graphic programs can't be fully accessed or run on anything but something like a laptop or table top computer. I'm sure you can get graphic software for a tablet, but it would be a mini version of the real thing. I'b be bummed, if it were me.... but then, I'm used to running on a fast laptop with lots of memory and capability to run my programs. I use Corel Draw and it's a suck on the space and memory on my laptop. But I can run Corel AND Adobe Photoshop at the same time, plus a couple of other programs without crashing and still have the speed and full capability the program was designed to be used for. If she's wanting to get anything CAD (any type of CAD program) you have to have a "real" computer.

Mine girls laying slowed down two months ago and most of the adult birds were in the molt. Since then, everyone is back to laying quasi-normally. I think all my new birds are laying as well.

Danz- Are Cuckoos slow or normal when it comes to egg laying maturity? I can't tell if that Cuckoo is laying or not. I have yet to see a dark colored egg in the mix.

glad your girls are laying like usual. They need to send that memo to MY girls!!! Sheesh. My Polish have been on strike since they molted.

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Ordinarily I wouldn't post something like this, since it's just a photo of ME, but this morning I was doing some video for my church and one of the guys snapped a photo of me while I was working and posted it to his Facebook page. I haven't had a really great photo taken of me in a while, and thought his camera phone did a great job! Too bad I can't photoshop all the kids in and my DH and send it out as Christmas Cards! LOL (well, I could, but it would look crazy!)

 

[chicken danz]

So Hawkeye, did Jen find a new place to move. I was considering buying some of her breeders and then she didn't answer so I figured she must have found a place she could go with her birds.
Josie, I'll send you a PM if I happen to have some extra eggs this weekend. Keep me in mind for later if you still have people wanting them. I'm getting more every day, I just picked up about 3 dozen that were laid since last night.
Medawinks, no Feather doesn't have a single spot. She isn't quite Columbian either. But I figure maybe if she is bred to my boys she will have some decent spotted offspring. I've not hatched any fertile chicks yet. I do have some eggs due to go into the hatcher in two days. I haven't candled them yet. I think I might have a few olandsk eggs in that group as well. I'm just hatching for fertility checks right now. I need more housing to divide everyone further. I've got a group of Mille Fleur and Porcelain d'uccles that need to be out with the older kids but it would make it so crowded out there. BTW I have Sam and Duke both sleeping in the old garage with the other chickens now. Sam is finally starting to act like a rooster. Duke of course is still Duke and thinks he rules the world!
I have a black cochin hen with a sore foot. He runs to her pen all the time and she just lays flat for him. She knows she can't run fast enough to get away so he just terrorizes her. I think they would make awesome funny looking babies but I don't know what eggs are hers. I'm trying to keep from hatching any more for right now. I'm really concentrating on getting things divided up so I can actually make some money this spring.
Speaking of that however, I took two groups of eggs and donated them to the broody Marans that has no eggs. Now she probably has about 20 eggs to sit on. She's spread out like a pancake. Might as well let her hatch what she wants. As long as I can donate them I don't care. They would have just gotten fed back any way cause I wasn't sure how old they were.

 

[JosieChick]

Well S***!!!! He just died. UGH. I really liked this roo, he was a gorgeous and super sweet boy. It is so heartbreaking when they get sick like this. I assume this was more than an impacted crop, but it appeared that was part of the issue. Grrrr...I hate losing birds, hate it!!!

 

[Hawkeye95]

So Hawkeye, did Jen find a new place to move. I was considering buying some of her breeders and then she didn't answer so I figured she must have found a place she could go with her birds.

I have a black cochin hen with a sore foot. He runs to her pen all the time and she just lays flat for him. She knows she can't run fast enough to get away so he just terrorizes her. I think they would make awesome funny looking babies but I don't know what eggs are hers. I'm trying to keep from hatching any more for right now. I'm really concentrating on getting things divided up so I can actually make some money this spring.
Speaking of that however, I took two groups of eggs and donated them to the broody Marans that has no eggs. Now she probably has about 20 eggs to sit on. She's spread out like a pancake. Might as well let her hatch what she wants. As long as I can donate them I don't care. They would have just gotten fed back any way cause I wasn't sure how old they were.

I don't think she moved. Last I heard (and who knows if this is right) is that there were a couple of people offering to take her birds for her until she could get somewhere where she could have them. So possibly, she took them up on that? If so, then she didn't have to sell everything. I about fell over when you said your hen is sitting on 20 eggs!? She must be a big girl, I just can't imagine. I'm so used to my silkies, I think 5 eggs would be about right for them. ha! Where are those chicks going?

Well S***!!!! He just died. UGH. I really liked this roo, he was a gorgeous and super sweet boy. It is so heartbreaking when they get sick like this. I assume this was more than an impacted crop, but it appeared that was part of the issue. Grrrr...I hate losing birds, hate it!!!

Oh no! I'm so sorry!! Was he a breeder for you? I wonder what happened to him? You're right it must have been something much more than an impacted crop-- that went really fast. So sorry.

 

[Chickies-duckies-etc]

INCUBATORS ~ I noticed this one on Ebay and wondered about it, It has a plastic shell, styro inside, a fan and other goodies. Looks like a Little Giant, but has a diffferent name. Hard to tell how good it is.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FARM-INNOVA...598?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20ce1668d6

There are a couple of sellers that have all plastic bators that are clear. Can't use a turner in them though. A little over a hundred dollars. There seem to be more options now, but again, I have no idea how good they are.

 

[chicken danz]

Wow Mike that is an awesome buy. And inexpensive too. I would certainly consider that if I were you Maidenwolf. Farm Innovators makes some other products that I've seen so it isn't some fly by night company either.
Josie I'm so sorry about your roo. It sounds to me like more than an impacted crop. I have one hen that almost constantly is impacted and always had been. She shakes her head a lot kind of like they do when they are congested. Was he doing that? Nothing I've done will help her but she seems like she gets along fine. I wonder if he got something stuck in his throat. Your advice cured my duck that did and I am really sorry it didn't work for your roo.
Hawkeye I will probably just donate the chicks to Maidenwolf or someone who wants more birds and doesn't care what they are. I used to sell all these mutts but I really don't want to mess with them when I am trying to breed for quality and purebreds. The last bunch of chicks I had a hen sitting on was 18. And it was a tiny little pheonix hen. Maidenwolf got those chicks except the last 4 which I hatched because she left the nest to take care of the babies. Those will be her chicks as well. I am just letting her raise them for the time being.
The second batch of eggs I gave the hen came from the sussex and orpington house so there might be some salable birds in that mix.
Marans are big birds. With that many eggs some will get pushed to the side and may not make it, but they do a pretty good job of covering them. I just felt really sorry for her sitting there for weeks without a single egg under her.
So a little after new year we might see a few chicks.
I sure hope you don't get the flu but it sounds like you are on your way. I hope you shake it off.

 

[Trish44]

Yeah, I'm seeing the R-Com listed for $435. So not exactly cheap! But everyone raves over them. It would be something I'd pick up if I could find it second hand for a good price. I bought my Brinsea without the turner for right about $200. I still don't have a turner on mine. I'd love to buy one, especially if I go back to work, I'll have to! I'm sorry about your roo, and I have no idea what to do other than what you are already doing. I hope he'll be okay! Is his crop really large and distended?


Brinsea runs coupon codes on their Facebook from time to time. And then if you sign up for their newsletter on their Facebook page, they will give you an additional 20% off for that too. Use both codes together. That is what I did, and I think I paid like $195 for my Brinsea Octagon Eco 20.
I don't have the bug yet, but I've been running low. I mean, I've not been able to really eat, or it sticks and stays in my throat and I'm feeling a bit queasy. So maybe I have it a bit??? I just know I'm not feeling like usual. I hope that clears up. That is crazy that the egg was from your Polish! Wow! But awesome, that she's laying! I know, I'm supposed to be cleaning again today and making gingerbread. Buuuuut, I took a long nap this afternoon since my MIL has my youngest and the boys are in school. It was that or fall asleep standing up. I have a headache, slightly achy and still sort of queasy, so I really do think I'm fighting something. I hope that is as far as it goes!

I'm a Graphic Designer, that is my degree. I would not use a tablet. The reason being that the graphic programs can't be fully accessed or run on anything but something like a laptop or table top computer. I'm sure you can get graphic software for a tablet, but it would be a mini version of the real thing. I'b be bummed, if it were me.... but then, I'm used to running on a fast laptop with lots of memory and capability to run my programs. I use Corel Draw and it's a suck on the space and memory on my laptop. But I can run Corel AND Adobe Photoshop at the same time, plus a couple of other programs without crashing and still have the speed and full capability the program was designed to be used for. If she's wanting to get anything CAD (any type of CAD program) you have to have a "real" computer.


glad your girls are laying like usual. They need to send that memo to MY girls!!! Sheesh. My Polish have been on strike since they molted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ordinarily I wouldn't post something like this, since it's just a photo of ME, but this morning I was doing some video for my church and one of the guys snapped a photo of me while I was working and posted it to his Facebook page. I haven't had a really great photo taken of me in a while, and thought his camera phone did a great job! Too bad I can't photoshop all the kids in and my DH and send it out as Christmas Cards! LOL (well, I could, but it would look crazy!)

I saw that pic on FB, it's a nice one of you!

Well S***!!!! He just died. UGH. I really liked this roo, he was a gorgeous and super sweet boy. It is so heartbreaking when they get sick like this. I assume this was more than an impacted crop, but it appeared that was part of the issue. Grrrr...I hate losing birds, hate it!!!

Josie, I'm so sorry about your roo, I know how heartbreaking it is to lose one you really like. I'm sending you a PM about what Danz was talking about.

I just have not had a great time with my hovabator 1588 incubating in it. I think it does have a hard time regulating heat. It seems like the humidity can get too high really easily, I can keep it up for hatching really well. I check water levels often when I'm hatching & add it as needed. That is one thing on those that is different than the Brinsea, if you open the lid on the Brinseas it stabilizes pretty quickly like Hawkeye said. But on the hovabator it does take awhile to get things back to where they were before you opened the lid. I do like it for hatching a lot due to the big clear window since you can see everything going on in there. I think if you're going to hatch very much or very many eggs you probably would be better off spending the extra money & getting something better. However, if you don't care how many eggs actually hatch or just can't afford the extra $ then go with what you can get.

I delivered another extra roo to Mulvane today on my way to Wichita. It was the extra lavender Orp roo that I hatched out in the spring & I kept one of them & found a new home for this one. He was going to a farm with 29 hens, so he should be happy. He is going to be a huge rooster, I picked him up to put him in the crate & he was already getting heavy & is not full grown yet. He has big legs & feet already, I can't imagine what he'll look like when he's done growing. I kept his brother, but I don't think he will be quite as big.

I have one more rooster right now I need to re-home since I'm getting a new one from Danz & then I think I'm done shuffling roosters around until I decide on which two I want out of the Swedish Flower Hen roos. I have two too many of those also, but I want to see exactly how these two crested ones feather out first. I already know which one of the non-crested ones I want to keep.

I've been running all this week, I have some things I need to catch up on, I just need to be able to be here to do them. I heard my Black Copper Marans roo sneezing today, I think I'm going to just try the VetRx on him since he didn't seem too bad yet. Gosh I hate it that birds are already having these issues & we haven't even really gotten into winter yet.

I just looked at that incubator, that honestly does seem like a nice incubator for a great price, I know nothing about that brand though. Well I just did a search & came up with two different references on BYC talking about this incubator & they weren't good comments. They said they couldn't control the temp & would never buy one again.