Consolidated Kansas

[Hawkeye95]

I agree with Hawkeye, those barred rocks are just egg laying machines, through heat & cold or whatever. I also think the hybrids like the red stars, golden comets, or there are several that are sex links are really good layers too. My one red star I have left has been molting & still laying through that. The RIR & crosses of those I have also are good layers. If you want white eggs, the leghorns are really good layers & I'm pretty impressed with the one ancona I have left too. I'm still upset that my other one got killed while I was on vacation, they're harder to find than other white egg layers. I'm surprised Hawkeye that your Wyandottes aren't laying, mine have been, I have the gold laced, but they're just a different color. I will be getting the silver laced in a couple of months.

It's colder out so far today than I thought it was going to be, it's supposed to be warming up. The water was still frozen in my two pens I don't have heated waterers in. I'm going to have to figure out something for the new pens when I get them built. I hate having frozen water to replace all the time. My rabbit bowls were all frozen still this morning too.

maidenwolf, congrats on the new chicks, I'm sure you will have a lot of fun with them & with your mom building. That's great that you're re-connecting.

Well you all have a good day!

OH Trish-- DUH! I totally forgot to post to you, I'm so sorry! You've been talking about the coop and the plywood, etc. I was following along, just spaced it. I like HEChicken's idea of the OSB. I think I paid like $6 a piece and they are 8ft X 4ft pieces. I used that on the outside of my coop before I put the siding up. It really is doing well and I have no drafts with it, it was easy to cut, and seemed sturdy. Since it's covered with siding, I don't think it'll warp or rot like a lot of people have said. But those people also used it as a stand alone-- no siding over the top of it, and just painted it. In which case, it won't hold up like plywood does. I consider it more of an interior type of wood. Yeah, I have the SL Wyandottes and they are pretty, I like them. But they haven't laid in a good couple of months even though they look like they are over their molt now. I don't know what the deal is. My barred rocks laid all thru their molt and have kept up. The rocks lay a bit of a darker egg, so I know who's is who. The Wyandottes lay a brown egg, but it's just a bit lighter than the rocks. Easy to see who is laying that way.

Hawkeye, I had to laugh that you played down Sevin Dust this time as it seems like in the past you were a huge fan. Is it for something other than mites?

A couple of months ago I noticed I had a couple of birds with bare butts. I examined them and could find no evidence of mites and, as it was also the time of year birds were molting, I didn't know if it was just molt or something else. I actually went out and got Sevin Dust based on your recommendation, and I used it on the birds with the bare butts, as well as sprinkling it liberally on the roosts. I just realized the other day that the bare butt girls are no longer bare but still don't know if they were just molting or if it was a parasite and the Sevin Dust helped.

Regarding the discussion on SOP and standards, I can second that Hawkeye produces awesome birds. The two I have that she bred are really beautiful in my mind - far better than what you get from a hatchery. And, as I only wanted them as pets/broodies, I didn't care at all about the faults that eliminated them as SQ or breeder birds.

Yeah, I played down the Sevin dust because I don't think you'll be able to find it in the middle of winter. I know the Frontline and Ivermectin are easy to find all year long. Actually, I am still a big fan of the Sevin Dust-- I had bare bottomed layers in the Fall and I used only Sevin dust on them and it took care of it. The active ingredient in Sevin is Carbaryl which is a sort of neurotoxin for insects. It is also used in lice shampoos for people-- so it must be good stuff. I have a big stock of Sevin dust on hand. I bought 4 adult birds and brought them home from Nationals a couple months ago and rather than take the chance on what they might have on them, I used the Frontline drops on them instead. I have since dusted them down along with everyone else to keep everyone in the clear. I don't wait for mites to show up on the silkies, I try to just dust them about once a month. Sometimes I fail at that time line, but it's a goal.

Thank you so much for the props on my silkie culls! The ones you got still have big beautiful crests and fairly good type, just had faults that out weighed those positives. I'm glad you like them and enjoy them.

 

[checoukan]

Oh, Josie, that brings back the memories!! My DD used to get her feet on top of my ribs. It didn't hurt, but is sure looked funny when she did it!!


Hawykeye, I think the Dr. found a medicine that is going to knock this stuff out, but I am still coughing, and that is a bummer, but at least i believe it is starting to break up some.

maidenwolf, glad your DM is helping you out hope you get the brooder done before all you babies get here.

Oh my, I know others have posted, but hmm don't want to go back further to catch up.

Just a thought on birds. I have a few birds that are on the ALBC list. Some of the birds are critically endangered species know, sultans, golden campines, white faced black spanish and several others.
If you are ordering birds just cause you want some new breeds. Please consider ordering a few of the endangered breeds. Lots of these birds and going to disappear. Its just a fact.
For what ever reason, they just arnt popular with people. Each breed is unique, and for those who just want chickens, why not?
If I was where I could, I would do it. In fact, I have been thinking about getting some White faced black spanish, and move out a couple of colors of ameraucana to make room for them. Just not ready yet, hurry guys!!

 

[chicken danz]

She was just expressing how much she liked those cookies, Josie!!

My problem with the exhibition birds is that I don't want to price myself out of the market. I want to keep a few nice quality although not necessarily SQ birds around because I have a lot of customers that just want eggs layers and a few pretties to run around the yard. At any rate most will be hopefully better quality than what you can get from a hatchery or Orchlens.
My other projects aren't as much about showing as they are about preserving heritage and rare birds. And I have to keep a large egg supply coming in for eating eggs.
I'll cull out obvious faults or sell or give them away as pets only. But l just can't kill a bird simply because it doesn't meet the SOP. If someone wants eggs or meat the bird has a purpose. I've sold thousands of the barnyard mixes and people keep coming back for more because they are good layers and they are hearty...not to mention some are beautiful. I won't intentionally hatch any more of those however, because they are a lot of work and I don't really make any money on them.
The problems I see with SQ breeding is that there is a lot of inbreeding that goes on. This is where we see lots of problems creep up. I've learned from a couple of people who actually show their birds and sell them for a profitable living that some breeds get a bad trait and it will take 12-15 years of corrective breeding to get rid of the fault. But other breeds can be bred back to eliminate the fault in just a generation or two. It all depends on the birds.
I plan to breed my exhibition orps but when I have a spare roo I will put him with my domestics to increase the size of the offspring. No, they won't be show birds but they will be larger better quality layers.
Maidenwolf I think they'll be fine without it. I'd take it now before the next cold front moves in.

 

[checoukan]

Well, I forgot to up load the new photo's on the progress on the barn.
First photo, is of the south side again. This barn in gong to have 4 overhead doors for summer ventalation. Also so I can back in and unload feed, or what ever I need to do.

you can see the door opening on the left down the side of the barn. As you can see DH would not put up the last 5 rafters. He wants them to go ahead and pour the concrete for my office/hatchery room. Leaving the last 5 rafters off will make it easier to get a cement truck backed in.
This picture show the placement of the west overhead door and the wideth and the rafters. You can see where the north overhead door is going to be. I will also have a walk in door to the left of the north overhead door.



ignore the third photo, could not delete it. The bottem picture show the north side of the barn. They have been putting on the side boards for the insulation and siding today. I am hoping by the end of the month to start putting some stuff in the barn. I don't know if the electric will in but I can start getting ready!!

 

[checoukan]

danz, with show birds, you don't have to price your self out of a sale of a good bird. I don't know how big 4H is around there, but once you start selling some "show" birds, usually kids wanting birds to show will come a calling. I have on occasion, sold birds for 5 bucks, just because a kid was going to show and wanted a good bird. EVERYONE of those birds have won GRAND every time anywhere they went with them. What is 5$ to a kids smile?


We may end up going over to the Interstate fair at Coffeeville soon. They have heard what a show we put on, and want us to come over with our birds. It will have to go up for a vote and they will have to let us in. They usually only have 3 local counties show 4H. We will see what happens.

Hey look at the movement going on down in Houston, I hope they go ahead and make the changes down there so more people can have more chickens in Houstan.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I turn the light off every morning. They get out of the dog house before I am even out there and do not set foot back in until roositng time. Now when I dont turn it on they huddle out front of the dog house looking at me. I think its too dark in there and they cant see to find their roosts. Maybe if I use a flashlight to show them the way. As long as you think they will be fine I dont feel guilty taking it away. I should have done it a very long time ago,,,oooppsss.

 

[HEChicken]

Checoukan....wow....that is all I can say - just wow! I guess when you dream, dream big right?

 

[Hawkeye95]

Hawkeye- I think those black silkies you have you got for a steal! They are gorgeous birds, never mind not being split to anything else colorwise.
I hear you on wings, in a lot of breeds it is impossible to fix. In seramas the scissor wing is a product of creating the truly vertical wing set and can be bred out over time. It takes some work though. It is kind of the nature of the beast when you work towards have such an up and down wing carriage the feathers slide over each other. It will often be overlooked on an otherwise awesome bird when being judged tabletop. I would love to take a few of these guys and show them tabletop but they need some work and training.
A random side note because I don't use Sevin dust and don't have any experience with it but there is a species of mites that only feeds at night time. Yuck! I had it with my cochins and kept checking them during the day and couldn't figure out why they were scratching and one night I was out there with a flashlight checking on everyone and picked on up and they were crawling. Ewwwww!!!! I hate mites!!!
Chickies-duckies- I thought I multied the puppy pic but congrats on your new baby! Very sweet little face!


Ugh, I feel like its just starting to finally warm up and now I have to go to town to get my car's oil changed and sit inside! Bugger, why does that happen. Lucie is driving me bonkers, she keeps barking early in the morning because she wants breakfast earlier because we have been getting up to do stuff on the weekends and now she thinks we get up super early every day. Dogs!

Well I learned an important lesson last night. Don't eat chocolate chip cookies right before bed! Baby must have been on a crazy suger rush because she kicked for 45 minutes while I laid there and tried to go to sleep!

It is next to impossible to find clean blacks with no gold leakage in the males. The females will show up clean... but the trick is to have the males show up clean, too. Which my new ones do. I can breed them this year, but will need to find another nice black so I don't in breed my line. Oh the scissor wing! We call it a slipped wing-- it just means exactly what you said-- that the feathers don't stack right. I bet they have different terms for different breeds. Slips aren't as bad as a split or twist-- those are just impossible.
SO CUTE hearing about how the baby got really active over the sugar rush! Gosh, I remember that too. Aww, cherish it, it will be such a wonderful memory later.

Oh, Josie, that brings back the memories!! My DD used to get her feet on top of my ribs. It didn't hurt, but is sure looked funny when she did it!!


Hawykeye, I think the Dr. found a medicine that is going to knock this stuff out, but I am still coughing, and that is a bummer, but at least i believe it is starting to break up some.

maidenwolf, glad your DM is helping you out hope you get the brooder done before all you babies get here.

Oh my, I know others have posted, but hmm don't want to go back further to catch up.

Just a thought on birds. I have a few birds that are on the ALBC list. Some of the birds are critically endangered species know, sultans, golden campines, white faced black spanish and several others.
If you are ordering birds just cause you want some new breeds. Please consider ordering a few of the endangered breeds. Lots of these birds and going to disappear. Its just a fact.
For what ever reason, they just arnt popular with people. Each breed is unique, and for those who just want chickens, why not?
If I was where I could, I would do it. In fact, I have been thinking about getting some White faced black spanish, and move out a couple of colors of ameraucana to make room for them. Just not ready yet, hurry guys!!

I don't know if I said, but I saw my Dr yesterday, I gave up. He put me on another antibiotic too. I hope yours works! I'm hoping mine works, I'm so tired of being sick. I now have an infection that went into my inner ear and is causing me to be dizzy and nauseated all day long. I woke up this morning around 5am in a panic and thought I was going to throw up. I got out of bed and instead realized I was going to pass out. My DH freaked, he was just getting out of the shower and I think my heart was acting wonky, because I had one of those heart seizures that scares everyone. It looks like a seizure, but it's not. I've done it before, and my cardiologist ran all kinds of tests even though he pretty much knew that is what it was. I've been having arrythmias and I think it's due to the bacterial infection I have in my inner ear. It just keeps getting worse. Which is why I've been on the internet most of the day-- I've been trying to lay down or sit down so I don't fall down. Watching TV makes me dizzy. But this isn't so bad.
I think that's really neat that your plans are to work with the endangered birds. I know that Revolution Mama Ranch does the same thing. Your barn is coming along quickly!! I can't wait to see it all done! You'll have to give us a virtual tour.

danz, with show birds, you don't have to price your self out of a sale of a good bird. I don't know how big 4H is around there, but once you start selling some "show" birds, usually kids wanting birds to show will come a calling. I have on occasion, sold birds for 5 bucks, just because a kid was going to show and wanted a good bird. EVERYONE of those birds have won GRAND every time anywhere they went with them. What is 5$ to a kids smile?


We may end up going over to the Interstate fair at Coffeeville soon. They have heard what a show we put on, and want us to come over with our birds. It will have to go up for a vote and they will have to let us in. They usually only have 3 local counties show 4H. We will see what happens.

Hey look at the movement going on down in Houston, I hope they go ahead and make the changes down there so more people can have more chickens in Houstan.

Oh agreed about practically giving away birds for a low price. I actually did that at a show recently. I had 3 cockerels (breeding quality) I had put up for sale and there was a little 4-H girl there who really, really wanted my boy and all she had on her was $20. So I did it. I still think that was too low, but at least I helped her get a start she might not have been able to afford other wise. And I have a special place in my heart for 4-H'ers! This Interstate fair in Coffeeville sounds really cool! Is this a 4-H event?

Checoukan....wow....that is all I can say - just wow! I guess when you dream, dream big right?

X2!

 

[prairieblue]

Hello Consolidated Kansas! Have been on BYC off and on the last couple years, but just found this thread (actually just spent the last several hours reading the posts on here) and wanted to say Hi! I must admit I mostly use BYC as an outlet for window shopping the coop pictures... lots of really awesome coop designs and ideas out there!! I'm an "under the radar" Overland Park backyard hen owner that lucked out in the got great neighbors that don't mind department!

So, again hello fellow kansas chicken lovers.

 

[Trish44]

praireblue! We're always glad to see new people on here, we chat a lot about all kinds of things, so feel free to jump in any time. There are a few other people on this thread up your direction.

I got really lucky this evening & got several pieces of free guttering, so I'm going to pick up some end pieces tomorrow when I'm in Wichita & make myself some feeders out of them. The lady was planning to take them to the dump, so I got them just in the nick of time. These should work great for that fermented feed I'm cooking right now that should be ready to feed tomorrow. We'll see how my chickens like the FF, I'm guessing after they get used to it they probably will like it fine, especially if that's all they get to eat. HEChicken, how did you attach your feeder to the wall? How long is your feeder? I plan to put mine outside in the run so it won't be so messy inside since it's wet feed. I will have to attach it to the fence in my outside pens. I'm hoping my turkeys will like it too because they have been getting kind of picky lately about what they want to eat. They don't want to eat the gamebird feed even if I wet it & make a mush out of it. I'll be glad when spring gets here & they can go out more to free-range. There just isn't much right now out here for anything to eat. The guineas come out for awhile & want back in.

Hawkeye & checoukan I hope you both feel better soon, that's the pits having to be sick for so long. Has anyone heard from KarenS to see how she is doing?