Consolidated Kansas

[JosieChick]

Yikes! Chippys are super, duper fast. Like sonic speed when they run. I am amazed you caught it. It definitely pays to buy started birds over eggs. Eggs are such a gamble and shipping just increases the risk. I don't know how much money I have dumped into eggs to have little or nothing hatch.

I am sweating like a pig!!! I decided to quit postponing and drove to the lake and got some pine straw to put in the bins for the chipmonks. Well when I was putting the bin back in one of the little devils snuck out. They have never even tried before. Do you have any idea how fast they can run and disappear. I was all over this house chasing it and afraid if I just grabbed it I would hurt it. So I ran out and got a net but the chippy kept running in these little places I couldn't get the net in. I finally stuck some bluberries in the cage and she ran out the outside and I got her pinned. The cats were asleep thank heavens or this could have been really bad. I sure hope they appreciate the pine straw and the pine cones.
And Hawkeye while I was getting the pine straw I found a catawba tree. Most of the pods had the seeds eaten by bugs or rodents but I found a couple hanging on lower branches that hadn't blown off. Now I need a tutorial on how to start them. I think I may have bookmarked a sight once but I'm not sure.
Yeah Josie, I am crazier all the time. I guess this means I am going to have to do some more downsizing. I don't have much left that I want to get rid of other than thinning out ones I don't want to breed.
The bredas actually won't be any more than I paid for lousy eggs so I think that will be a fair deal.

Love the logo! I really want to come up with a farm name and make a website for my birds. I just can't come up with a name, or every name I do come up with that I think is cute is a pretty common name. Sigh.

Okay, I'm toying around with this logo for me, but I'm getting annoyed FAST because my program keeps glitching and freezing up. I can't hardly make a move without waiting 2 minutes in between. I need to reload the program I think or buy the newer version. Anyway, There is more to go on it, but this is it for now until I fix my program. This is not how it will look finished, but it's coming along. Sigh.

Cute! Hope you get her tamed up a bit. Can't imagine a wild full grown pyr!!! I love our older pyr, she is very friendly with me but super wary of strangers so she acts ferocious when people pull in the drive.

Her is my 3 month old GP. I cant get within 50 feet of her . she thinks she is a goat, and thats where she sleeps.......lol
Ms. Tarna already has a huge bark. She will be a great gruad dog for sure.

Yeah!!!! Turkey eggs are really pretty. Flo always laid pretty speckled eggs. I assume you are talking about the geese doing the choo choo train? Mine have been doing that for the last few days. I keep thinking one of them is a goose but the "goose" mounted a gander in the pool!!!! I don't know what they are doing out there. Hope it takes them a few more weeks to figure it out so we can get them moved!

Did you buy brahmas or bredas?

Woot!

I got my first turkey egg!!!! It was one of the midget whites. I'm so thrilled. So I've been busy out packing straw for turkeys and geese. So much for working inside!!! I left the egg where it was in hopes some more would be laid. One of the hens was rolling it around with her beak so I don't know if she was the one that laid it or thinking about laying one herself. I need lots and lots of turkeys to pay for these other birds.
Josie one of the boys had hold of one of the girls and the other boy had hold of the first boy. It looked like they were playing choo-choo! And of course the others were flagging their wings and running in circles.
Hawkeye this guy is well known (Bruce of Hambrick farms in Georgia) and has a waiting list for most of his birds. He guarantees live delivery. We looked at the forecast and next week it looks like it is going to hoover around 50 degrees all week. IF the weather takes a dive he won't ship. He told me he would be watching the forecast and let me know which day would be the safest. A good picture of what I am getting and will be breeding is on Greenfire Farms under Brahma...blue/ gold partridge brahmas. They are breathtaking.
Any advice on how to make sure they stay healthy would be great. I've had shipped birds before but younger ones. I want to be sure these guys get off on the right foot.
I almost told DH but decided to just keep my mouth shut. I just said I need to decide which other breeds to sell so I could make room for some new ones.
Daren I still think I'd humanize that girl. Other wise how are you ever going to treat her for worms or fleas or anything? She's as dirty as my pups are right now.

Wow! Glad you made it home safe!! I bet that was scary for sure! Don't hurt yourself digging posts, you are right, it isn't worth it. You still have time and can get it done.

Well we had quite an adventure today with trying to haul a pile of tin sheets that were too long for my truck in the darned wind blowing like crazy. We never could get it tied down very well & made numerous stops on the highway coming back to Sunflowerparrot's place. Nobody, not one person stopped to help us at all. We finally ended up with Sunflowerparrot holding onto a tie down strap inside the truck with all of her might just to keep the darned tin in the truck. We managed to make it to her place where I left the tin for a less windy day. Whew, we told "R" that we were having an adventure today, ha. Then by the time we got back to her place with all of that we were all hungry & gave it up for the day without doing any building at all. So we'll work on the projects Thurs. instead.

I did come back home & get the last piece of hardware cloth over the last window in the front of my coop. Then I put up another piece of chicken wire at the top of the 2nd wall. I have one more to get up & I will have all the room dividers done. Then I just have 4 chicken doors to do & 4 roosts & the inside of the breeder coop will be done. Then I have to figure out how to build the 4 outside pens & get those put together. I had told my DH I need his help getting posts in & he just kind of looked at me like I was kidding. He has been working on day shift & still 10 hour days, so it is hard to find time to help me when there is any daylight. I wish we could have worked on it yesterday, but our granddaughter was there & you just don't get anything done when she is around. It was nice to see her, but I also have to get this coop & pens done, I'm running out of time. I honestly don't know if I can put in posts myself or not. I had rotator cuff surgery on my one shoulder a couple years ago & I sure would hate to hurt that again, that was not fun surgery.

Hawkeye, yeah I do have a GQF cabinet incubator besides my Brinsea, but I'm just not sure unless I just do one hatch for that guy & trade for some chicks I want that I want to do it. I want my incubator available when I want it for my own eggs & I don't even want chicks for a couple more months. I think if the guy wants to hatch so many chicks he's going to have to invest in a bigger incubator or more of them.

Oh my aching back! Got a lot done outside today, was so nice out. Even got a round bale drug out to the horses all by myself! Cleaned chicken coops out and moved the birds from the brooder out to a pen with the call ducks. I need to sell a few more birds but am thinking I may wait until we move. I haven't had much luck selling birds from up here because we are so far from everywhere. I wish I had more exciting things to chat about but am just kind of in cleaning and packing mode right now. I am going to Maine this weekend for my baby shower! Super excited about that and can't wait to see family and friends for a short visit! DH is going to hold down the fort here so wish him luck!

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Hawkeye, thanks for posting the Hatching Services information. That's good to know. Those ladies have some serious hatching power!

Danz & maidenwolf, It's so exciting to think of hatching! Good luck with your new birds! I haven't looked up the Breda's yet, Danz, but I'm going to. They sound very different!

Trish44, OMGosh! You weren't kidding R about the adventure part! It is pretty incredible what true chicken ladies will do for their birds.

I had a little adventure myself today. My FF feed was all ready to go this morning so the kids were excited to take it out to the birds before school, so out they trooped. When they came back in they were so excited to tell me about how the birds go after the stuff, they were almost late to the bus. After the bus left, I decided to take some extra to the grow-out pen because I wasn't certain I had given them enough to start with. So out I trooped with my feed and they had enough but didn't mind extra, so then I made the rounds visiting and chatting with all my birds and the ducks. I had a great time until I got back to the house.

I had locked myself out of the house. My front door will open from the inside even if it's locked, so I went out the front because my boots were on the front porch, forgetting about the silly door. Oh brother. I checked every door and window with absolutely no luck. Then, I happened to think about my craft room door -- I come and go during the day so I thought I may be in luck. I got in and then went to DH's shop area and got a crowbar and a hammer. I marched purposefully to the small back door and broke into my own house! Sadly it didn't take long, but then, I'm stronger than I look. Unfortunately, I don't have very good aim with a hammer. I get plenty of force. The two combined ended up splitting the skin between my index finger and thumb on my left hand. Oh well. At least I got back in the house. Then I fixed up the mess I'd made of the door and got it back in proper working order and replaced the window screen. Next, I am going to be replacing a front door knob and carrying my house keys with me every time I leave the house. Umm. I think I've said that before. Last time I broke into the door between the house and the garage.

Other than that, I got the EE's and Ameraucanas penned and penned my rowdy little Swedish cockerels. That settled things down quite a bit but I still have a couple little Wellie cockerels, a couple German New Hamp cockerels, Big Spotty and the Lav Orp running at large. The Lav Orp has to go tomorrow. He's causing way too much havoc in the yard and is too hard on his favorite hens. He's also dancing up sideways to me making aggressive roostery noises that I don't like, so it's time for chicken soup. I don't enjoy having to put an end to a bad rooster but it's such a relief once they're gone. So it's OWHH -- Off With His Head! (Sorry if I hurt anyone's sensibilities -- just my twisted sense of humor.)

 

[chicken danz]

Josie, the expensive birds were the blue/gold partridge brahmas. I am also planning to buy a group of month old Breda chicks that should be shipped next week. Just got an email back from her confirming it.
I was going to buy some breda eggs. I had won an auction for some a while back but then her hens quit laying. She now has eggs again and was supposed to ship me some.
I may just cancel that deal since I can get the chicks.
I don't even like thinking of all the money I have spent this year on eggs and birds. I am really trying to make this thing turn around and start paying for me. I've accepted the fact that I'll probably have to ship birds to make money.
I'm in that spot too where I'm not sure what to title my business. I have my regular business license and company name but want something different for my birds. It seems like most of the big breeders have names like such and such farm, or such and such acres.
I like your logo Hawkeye. I guess if I stuck to one kind of bird I could do something like that.
Most of the birds I want are pretty or good layers. The Breda fowl are just so different than other chickens. I guess I have always liked something out side the normal that makes people say, "What is that?" The pictures of them aren't very flattering. They have very pretty feathering. I like their vulture hocks and big nostrils. They almost look prehistoric.
Trish that was crazy. I'm glad you didn't get hurt.
Karen you're so funny. I did that once myself. I finally got through a window but it sure took a lot of work to do it. Most of those windows has locks on them but I found the one in my youngest son's room wasn't latched. I had to tear the screen up in order to get in.
It's almost midnight and I need to get to bed. I was working in the basement and didn't come upstairs to even eat dinner until about 11:30.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

It is raining here and a tornado watch is out

We are supposed to get rain all day and then turn to snow tonight. Geesh!! Crazy midwest weather. I hope everyone is safe today and dry. My eggs go into lockdown today so its time to go take them out of the turner and adjust humidity which shouldnt be hard becuase I didnt even have to add any water so far. Humdity has stayed at 35-40% I am going to add a small amount of water at a time and go from there. I hope they hatch tomorrow becuase I have a dr appt at 1130 am on thursday and I hate being away from them while they are hatching.

 

[HEChicken]

Oh my Karen, it sucks to be locked out of your own house! Our dog did that to us once. At the old house we had a sliding glass door out to the deck, and it locked with an up-down switch on the side of the lock. I had gone out to tend the chickens and the dog jumped up on the door to see where I went, and flipped the switch down into the lock position. Grrrr.....no way to tell her how to reverse it either.

Here's what you need:
http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...gId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

We installed this on our front door at the Wichita house, primarily so that the kids could get in and out without needing a key. When the dog locked me out, it wasn't the end of the world - I just walked around to the front door and let myself in that way. When we moved to our new house, one of the first things we did was to install this type of lock on the house - I don't even carry a key to the house, so I don't have to worry about losing the keys or having them fall into the wrong hands. You can set multiple codes on it too, so if you have guests staying with you, you can give them their own code and just delete it when they're gone. Or, in Wichita we used to have a neighbor come and take care of the animals when we were away. It was great to be able to give her her own access code, and then delete it when we were back.

I was glad to see a little rain this morning - boy, do we need it.

WichitaKidd, I still owe you photos of Betty. The light today might actually work in my favor to get some good pics of her to post for you. I saw that you are looking at getting an EcoGlow. I'm considering that myself so have been researching the options. Someone mentioned the Sweeter Heater, so I checked that out too, but felt the EcoGlow is the better deal. What I looked at is the surface area they provide for the chicks to get under, along with the wattage they use to heat that area. I am looking at getting the bigger of the two EcoGlows and it runs 60W, whereas the Sweeter Heater uses 100W for the same surface area (they are different shapes but I used the dimensions to figure the surface area). Also, I like that the EcoGlow stands on its own and can be adjusted up and down as necessary, whereas the Sweeter Heater has to be hung. They are about the same price, but Hawkeye mentioned Brinsea will likely have a coupon around Valentines Day which isn't far away so I am waiting for that and then I'll place an order. With the coupon, the EcoGlow will also be cheaper than the Sweeter Heater, so that makes it an even easier choice.

I had a muscovy yesterday sitting in a nest she had created in the coop. Later I went to check on her, and she had been kicked out of the nest by another muscovy who thought it was cool to sit there. As soon as the intruder vacated the nest, the original duck returned to sit on it, but later when I checked there were no eggs in there. I wasn't expecting any until March so it would have been a bonus to get some this soon anyway, but at least they are thinking about it.

Josie - take it easy with the moving and all the other things you are doing!

I have a couple of cockerels I'm going to have to process - not looking forward to it because they are both nice guys. Unfortunately my head roo, a Welsummer, doesn't want these guys mating "his" hens, so he runs them off every time they try. There are enough hens to go around but he doesn't see it that way and the result is they are all miserable. The Wellie spends all his time making sure they don't mate his hens, and they spend all their time looking for opportunities and then being chased off after they thought they found one. I found a kit on eBay that is really reasonable. It consists of a killing cone, plucker and razor-sharp knife, for $55. I ordered it yesterday and they assured delivery on Feb 1st, so after its delivered, I guess I will just have to do the deed. I've got to the point I don't even enjoy eating chicken any more, I dislike processing so much. But, it has to be done, since I've had no luck with rehoming them.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Oh my Karen, it sucks to be locked out of your own house! Our dog did that to us once. At the old house we had a sliding glass door out to the deck, and it locked with an up-down switch on the side of the lock. I had gone out to tend the chickens and the dog jumped up on the door to see where I went, and flipped the switch down into the lock position. Grrrr.....no way to tell her how to reverse it either.

Here's what you need:
http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...gId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

We installed this on our front door at the Wichita house, primarily so that the kids could get in and out without needing a key. When the dog locked me out, it wasn't the end of the world - I just walked around to the front door and let myself in that way. When we moved to our new house, one of the first things we did was to install this type of lock on the house - I don't even carry a key to the house, so I don't have to worry about losing the keys or having them fall into the wrong hands. You can set multiple codes on it too, so if you have guests staying with you, you can give them their own code and just delete it when they're gone. Or, in Wichita we used to have a neighbor come and take care of the animals when we were away. It was great to be able to give her her own access code, and then delete it when we were back.

I was glad to see a little rain this morning - boy, do we need it.

WichitaKidd, I still owe you photos of Betty. The light today might actually work in my favor to get some good pics of her to post for you. I saw that you are looking at getting an EcoGlow. I'm considering that myself so have been researching the options. Someone mentioned the Sweeter Heater, so I checked that out too, but felt the EcoGlow is the better deal. What I looked at is the surface area they provide for the chicks to get under, along with the wattage they use to heat that area. I am looking at getting the bigger of the two EcoGlows and it runs 60W, whereas the Sweeter Heater uses 100W for the same surface area (they are different shapes but I used the dimensions to figure the surface area). Also, I like that the EcoGlow stands on its own and can be adjusted up and down as necessary, whereas the Sweeter Heater has to be hung. They are about the same price, but Hawkeye mentioned Brinsea will likely have a coupon around Valentines Day which isn't far away so I am waiting for that and then I'll place an order. With the coupon, the EcoGlow will also be cheaper than the Sweeter Heater, so that makes it an even easier choice.

I had a muscovy yesterday sitting in a nest she had created in the coop. Later I went to check on her, and she had been kicked out of the nest by another muscovy who thought it was cool to sit there. As soon as the intruder vacated the nest, the original duck returned to sit on it, but later when I checked there were no eggs in there. I wasn't expecting any until March so it would have been a bonus to get some this soon anyway, but at least they are thinking about it.

Josie - take it easy with the moving and all the other things you are doing!

I have a couple of cockerels I'm going to have to process - not looking forward to it because they are both nice guys. Unfortunately my head roo, a Welsummer, doesn't want these guys mating "his" hens, so he runs them off every time they try. There are enough hens to go around but he doesn't see it that way and the result is they are all miserable. The Wellie spends all his time making sure they don't mate his hens, and they spend all their time looking for opportunities and then being chased off after they thought they found one. I found a kit on eBay that is really reasonable. It consists of a killing cone, plucker and razor-sharp knife, for $55. I ordered it yesterday and they assured delivery on Feb 1st, so after its delivered, I guess I will just have to do the deed. I've got to the point I don't even enjoy eating chicken any more, I dislike processing so much. But, it has to be done, since I've had no luck with rehoming them.

Its so hard to find homes for roos even if they are free. I know the feeling of having to think about processing a roo that you like. Any of the nice gentle boys I just cant do it. I help them make their own flock and that seems to work quite well.

 

[checoukan]

I hope everyone has a good day today, and the weather just rains and not storm to bad.

Hawkeye, I like the logo. Its cute.

Karen, OUCH!! How I hate doing something like that. Takes for ever for it to heal sometimes. I carry my keys on a Hook, that snaps on my belt loop. I think it cost like 2$. It works great, then the keys, I place them in my front pocket, so they don't swing around. I never go anywhere with out it.

Trish, oh my I am so glad nobody got hurt with that tin, or you guys did not get air-born with that tin.

Josie, you sound just like me when I was pregnant with my daughter, I was doing everything like there was nothing to it. Hope you have a good trip and visit to Maine, sounds like fun!
I have not greeted at the newbies lately, So welcome to

and consolidated Kansas!!! Many years of experiance here, just pick our brains, when you need to, someone will have an answer for you.

The barn, they are working on putting the tin and sky-light materiel up, but in the wind, it is taking longer. They are also putting the trim on as they go, I hope we don't have any storms today, as I don't think that would be a good thing on the barn. This was taken just a little bit ago. The builders were picking up tin, and were going to take over to the other barns, kinda afraid of the weather, and don't want the tin on the trailer to blow away in a storm. The white above the red is the sky-light material. This is going to be nice. Plenty of natural lighting, I hope.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Oh my Karen, it sucks to be locked out of your own house! Our dog did that to us once. At the old house we had a sliding glass door out to the deck, and it locked with an up-down switch on the side of the lock. I had gone out to tend the chickens and the dog jumped up on the door to see where I went, and flipped the switch down into the lock position. Grrrr.....no way to tell her how to reverse it either.

Here's what you need:
http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...gId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

We installed this on our front door at the Wichita house, primarily so that the kids could get in and out without needing a key. When the dog locked me out, it wasn't the end of the world - I just walked around to the front door and let myself in that way. When we moved to our new house, one of the first things we did was to install this type of lock on the house - I don't even carry a key to the house, so I don't have to worry about losing the keys or having them fall into the wrong hands. You can set multiple codes on it too, so if you have guests staying with you, you can give them their own code and just delete it when they're gone. Or, in Wichita we used to have a neighbor come and take care of the animals when we were away. It was great to be able to give her her own access code, and then delete it when we were back.

I was glad to see a little rain this morning - boy, do we need it.


I have a couple of cockerels I'm going to have to process - not looking forward to it because they are both nice guys. Unfortunately my head roo, a Welsummer, doesn't want these guys mating "his" hens, so he runs them off every time they try. There are enough hens to go around but he doesn't see it that way and the result is they are all miserable. The Wellie spends all his time making sure they don't mate his hens, and they spend all their time looking for opportunities and then being chased off after they thought they found one. I found a kit on eBay that is really reasonable. It consists of a killing cone, plucker and razor-sharp knife, for $55. I ordered it yesterday and they assured delivery on Feb 1st, so after its delivered, I guess I will just have to do the deed. I've got to the point I don't even enjoy eating chicken any more, I dislike processing so much. But, it has to be done, since I've had no luck with rehoming them.

HEChicken, Thanks so much for the link -- it looks like just the thing! It would save a few door jambs and window screens around here!

I know what you mean about processing. It's very hard to do. I've processed tons of them and I still don't find it a ho-hum exercise. I never eat chicken on the same day I process -- that helps a little.

I have the EcoGlow 50 and am very pleased with it. The adjustable legs work fine so it kind of grows with the chicks -- manually, of course. I think you'll be very pleased with it. The transformer thing that comes with it gets really warm so just be careful it's not lying about on gunpowder or gasoline -- hee hee. Okay, more likely hay or straw. I lay mine on its small side so the absolute most surface area is exposed to the air, but that's because I'm neurotic. Please do chime in, if anyone leaves theirs lying about in the straw with no ill effects and then I can relax a little.

Okay, just so you guys still know me, I've requested a name change to Deerfield Acres. I've decided to use that name since it is a nicely broad term and will cover most things I can come up with that I may want to sell, such as homemade soap or such, in addition to the birds. There were no Admins online so it may take a bit. Some of you know that Deerfield Trail is the dandy little dirt road I live on. I've had my FF bath this a.m. and the birds are full and happy. It's wonderful when you go outside and then can get right back in the house!

checoukan, just spotted your post before I clicked submit. Now there's another great solution! If I could clip it onto my person, I would have a very difficult time just lying them down when my mind was elsewhere. I also wanted to say how excited I am for you with your new barn and setup. That is going to be fantastic. I am planning to move my birds into the unfinished side of DH's shop and will have auto water and everything in one area. The planning is lots of fun!

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Josie, It's really fun hearing about the baby. I never had one but I've always loved hearing about what it feels like. You seem to do amazing things while expecting! It must be because you were in such good shape already, is my guess. I've finally started exercising and taking better care of myself, just like a real grown up. I haven't lost tons of weight but my clothes are looser and I feel really good. I started working with a nutritionist at my Dr's office and she has been very helpful in keeping me on track.

Hawkeye, I love your logo too! I would like to create a logo but don't have any clue where to start. Would you mind educating me a little?

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Oh

There's my new name! karenS is now Deerfield Acres.