Consolidated Kansas

[sunflowerparrot]

ANyway, SunflowerParrot--- It's not sounding like a 'possum at this point. I would agree it's a hawk or some thing else. A hawk would seem more likely. I had a hawk attack my turkey and she got really bad wounds in her back. Did you notice if there was any tearing/ripping on the back?

Trish and I examined the bird today - she has her entire neck and head sliced and skinned - as well as all the feathers picked off the neck and down the back... it look like something skinned her upper back, neck and the entire top of her head slid off the skull - then the belly eaten. We think a hawk.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Trish and I examined the bird today - she has her entire neck and head sliced and skinned - as well as all the feathers picked off the neck and down the back... it look like something skinned her upper back, neck and the entire top of her head slid off the skull - then the belly eaten. We think a hawk.

I am sorry you are having such issues. The hawks around here have been pressing down hard and threatening from the time I open the coop to the time they go to bed. I am lucky to have 2 turkey and several roos that are excellent hawk watchers.

Danz I think mommahens dh is supposed to meet up and get the birds for me, Hopefully you can get ahold of her and work it all out. I really owe you guys, I will have to find a way to thank you all when I have a little extra time and money.

 

[HEChicken]

Thanks HEChicken, I have been doing some reading on the FF & it sounds like something I would like to try. Do you all use the ACV in it? I will have to get the ACV first before I can do it, but I would like to give it a try. I have birds molting right now, crazy birds, so if that would help them get through that easier & better I would be glad to try it. I read that some people said their birds feathers are really shiny & healthy looking after feeding it. It's worth a try if it would help my birds be healthier. I know fermented foods for people are supposed to be healthy too, so why wouldn't it be healthy for birds & animals too?

Yes, I used ACV to ferment, and Karen gave us a good tip on that. You have to use the ACV with the mother in it and that can be kind of pricey, when you are using it a cup at a time. So what she does (and I now do) is to buy the gallon of the cheap ACV at Walmart, that does not have the mother in. Then you take a cup out of the gallon and set it aside. Now pour a cup of the good ACV and pour it into the gallon bottle. Put it under a sink and wait a couple of weeks - it will grow the Mother from that one cup. Now take the cup of cheap ACV and pour it into the bottle of expensive stuff. The mother will now be able to grow in it too. Now that you have your starter, you can keep buying the cheap ACV and keep turning it into ACV with the mother.

I did not particularly notice a difference in their feathering but it was right as they were all going into molt too. Then I had my feed store special order me some Purina Flock Raiser pellets (normally it is only available in crumbles) and it seemed silly to pay a little more to get pellets and then turn it all into a mash anyway, so I decided to wait until spring, and I may as well buy crumbles, which I don't normally like to use, since at Orschelns the crumbles are usually cheaper than the pellets.

 

[chicken danz]

I Just got home. Those eggs just got very expensive. I was on my way home on the road to Waverly and a deer jumped out of a deep ditch. I didn't even get a chance to put on the brakes. He hit in the middle of my car and came up over the hood and hit the windshield right in front of me. I can't believe that the air bag didn't deploy or the windshield didn't break. (jHe did clean off some dust!) I guess I'll be buying a new car now. I think it will definitely be totaled cause it is really jacked up. I had to dig the park light out from under the bumper to even get my flashers on. The officer said I carried him about 150 feet down the road on my hood. Unfortunately there wasn't enough left of him to even bother bringing it home for dog food. He said his legs were broken and his back was broken and he was torn up. I didn't go up and look up close cause I didn't want to feel like a murderer. Driving 160 miles a day back and forth to work for over 20 years I never hit a deer.
I sure hope this doesn't make my insurance go up. I haven't made an insurance claim for almost 20 years.

 

[HEChicken]

Oh gosh Danz, if it wasn't for bad luck you wouldn't have any luck at all. I am so sorry about the deer. Are the eggs okay?

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I Just got home. Those eggs just got very expensive. I was on my way home on the road to Waverly and a deer jumped out of a deep ditch. I didn't even get a chance to put on the brakes. He hit in the middle of my car and came up over the hood and hit the windshield right in front of me. I can't believe that the air bag didn't deploy or the windshield didn't break. (jHe did clean off some dust!) I guess I'll be buying a new car now. I think it will definitely be totaled cause it is really jacked up. I had to dig the park light out from under the bumper to even get my flashers on. The officer said I carried him about 150 feet down the road on my hood. Unfortunately there wasn't enough left of him to even bother bringing it home for dog food. He said his legs were broken and his back was broken and he was torn up. I didn't go up and look up close cause I didn't want to feel like a murderer. Driving 160 miles a day back and forth to work for over 20 years I never hit a deer.
I sure hope this doesn't make my insurance go up. I haven't made an insurance claim for almost 20 years.

Oh no are you ok? Goodness you need a vacation....

 

[chicken danz]

Yes HeChicken. The eggs might be shook a little but they are intact!
What is funny is I had a feeling before I left and grabbed a pair of ski pants in case I got stuck on the road so I wouldn't freeze. I stood out there shivering and forgot all about them until I got home. Duh!
And I'm fine. Maybe tomorrow I'll figure out if I jerked any muscles or anything.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Danz I am so glad you are ok. Its too bad it was destroyed too bad to salvage. Mommahens dh is coming tomorrow to get the birds from you. They are bringing them to me on thursday and I cant wait to see them. Its like christmas.

 

[JosieChick]

A lot of people keep seramas inside during the winter with heat lamps. They are native to Malaysia and in theory not suited to cold weather but my gang seems to be doing fine. Funny that they just jump up isn't it? Do you still have the mille fleur colored silchin? I would love to see pics of her if you have any!

My mom used to sew all kinds of dresses and our halloween costumes for us as kids. I hope I have time to do that for my kids, it is one of my fondest memories of my mom as a child.

Oh goodness, I didn't know Seramas are delicate. Those two I got from you are just in with my main flock and like the silkies, they are doing great! I've never seen either of them look the slightest bit miserable and love their coping skills for getting along in a LF flock. The gutter feeder I installed is installed at the height of the LF backs. The silchins can reach in by standing on their tippy toes, but the seramas wouldn't have a hope of doing that, so they just hop up and stand right IN the gutter to eat.

Oh how fun! I used to love to sew when my kids were little - haven't done it in years. I even brought my sewing machine over with me when I moved here from Australia but I finally got rid of it when we moved this year. It hadn't worked in awhile and I figured if or when I get back into sewing in the future I can probably get one that does more, for less than they used to be.

Hawkeye, sorry you are feeling bad again today - I hope you get to feeling better soon.

Oh dear, so sorry. Very glad you are ok!

I Just got home. Those eggs just got very expensive. I was on my way home on the road to Waverly and a deer jumped out of a deep ditch. I didn't even get a chance to put on the brakes. He hit in the middle of my car and came up over the hood and hit the windshield right in front of me. I can't believe that the air bag didn't deploy or the windshield didn't break. (jHe did clean off some dust!) I guess I'll be buying a new car now. I think it will definitely be totaled cause it is really jacked up. I had to dig the park light out from under the bumper to even get my flashers on. The officer said I carried him about 150 feet down the road on my hood. Unfortunately there wasn't enough left of him to even bother bringing it home for dog food. He said his legs were broken and his back was broken and he was torn up. I didn't go up and look up close cause I didn't want to feel like a murderer. Driving 160 miles a day back and forth to work for over 20 years I never hit a deer.
I sure hope this doesn't make my insurance go up. I haven't made an insurance claim for almost 20 years.

So we are on plan 3 for chicken coops! DH has spent half the day drawing and designing the whole shebang and pricing it out in a spreadsheet. Phew, he is making me tired and all I have done is make changes to his plans!

 

[HEChicken]

LOL about the chicken coop planning. That is so nice that is so on board with it all though.

Every chick you gave me is still with me - they're too ornery to get sick on me

. The mille fleur is the one that is the sweetest and that reminded me I have no pics of them so I will take some in the next couple of days and post them here for you. I am actually really fond of all of them - ornery is a good trait in my book as I would far rather have pets with personality than pets I barely notice. There are an even split of pullets to cockerels and the boys have been crowing since they were very young. I still can't hear them from the house but in the morning I step outside the backdoor and often hear a tiny, squeaky crow and know they are busy greeting the day.