Consolidated Kansas

[tntblake]

Our babies came today!!! They are so cute! I forgot how tiny new chicks are. The kids are in love! I'm sure I will be back with questions about things I have forgotten since we have had chicks last. They put in four extras that I'm not sure what they are yet. Pretty sure a couple are GLW but not sure on the other 2. Here are a few pics from this afternoon!

 

[bbsnooks]

I went to the Ketchum website yesterday after seeing you mention the place you ordered from on another thread. What I would have liked to see is some short videos showing how they go on, as that is still sort of unclear to me. I like the idea of leg bands better than wing bands because I just prefer to be less invasive than more. One thing that concerns me is how to figure out WHEN to band.

Welcome! Jump in and we'll give you opinions and comments whether you want them or not!

Quote: Please feel welcome.

mee too.. welcome..

 

[ChooksChick]

Quote:

Hey everyone been awhile. I have 8 buckling kids about 40lbs to sell and a young boar kiko Nubian cross 16 month old buck to sell if anyone is interested? Just contact me in message and will talk shop! Will be happy to send pics of all I also have pics of the bucks father and Mother, and the kids that were sired by him last fall. Currently using him again to breed back but keeping his daughters so cant keep him. He is a pet and I guarantee extremely easy to handle loads with treats lol!

If only...but they won't let me have them in town!

Hello all! I've been away on an impromptu trip. The neighbors took care of my birds (all waterfowl) and horses for me (they have poultry and horses as well). When I got home, my birds were completely out of water - bone dry! I asked the neighbors and they said that they had watered the birds according to the schedule I outlined before I left (and the one that I usually use). The only difference I can see is that the birds were locked up while I was gone whereas they are usually allowed to free range. My best guess is that the birds got bored and played in their water. Then, when they wanted a drink, there was nothing left. I am now looking for ways to prevent the birds from playing in the water bowls that are for drinking water. I have 9 ducks and 3 geese. Any suggestions on what I could do to keep the birds from physically climbing into their water bowls? Their water bowls are the 2 gallon heated water bowls from Orschelns.

You can cut several holes about the size of an apple in a 5-gallon bucket about 2/3 from the bottom (or about shoulder height for your birds, and then you can give them the bucket with a lid. They will be able to put their head in to get water and still be kept from tipping it all out.

 

[Trish44]

Well the multi-thing is acting up. tntblake, cute chicks, looks like you have a variety there. Did you get your shed up?

I took my two little goats out for an adventure this afternoon. I put their leashes on & took them into an old pen the my DH's ex left there that is close to their pen & let them browse awhile. They seemed to enjoy it, but I decided I'm not taking them too far until they grow into their halters. Penny broke her collar & Patches was just a mess, she's like a mule trying to get her to walk on the leash. I think it would be a lot easier to lead them if the halters fit. They have a bit of growing to do yet. Penny is doing fine without her bottle, she still looks for it, but then she decides she's not getting it & goes right on to something else. I give them a snack at bedtime to hold them over & some hay in their shelter for the night to chew on. They aren't hard to get in there any more, they're used to it. I thought the one GP was going to come after me when I was trying to get Penny's collar back on her when we started out, she was bleating & the dog was trying to come through the gate. She thought I was hurting her I guess.

 

[tntblake]

Well the multi-thing is acting up. tntblake, cute chicks, looks like you have a variety there. Did you get your shed up?

I took my two little goats out for an adventure this afternoon. I put their leashes on & took them into an old pen the my DH's ex left there that is close to their pen & let them browse awhile. They seemed to enjoy it, but I decided I'm not taking them too far until they grow into their halters. Penny broke her collar & Patches was just a mess, she's like a mule trying to get her to walk on the leash. I think it would be a lot easier to lead them if the halters fit. They have a bit of growing to do yet. Penny is doing fine without her bottle, she still looks for it, but then she decides she's not getting it & goes right on to something else. I give them a snack at bedtime to hold them over & some hay in their shelter for the night to chew on. They aren't hard to get in there any more, they're used to it. I thought the one GP was going to come after me when I was trying to get Penny's collar back on her when we started out, she was bleating & the dog was trying to come through the gate. She thought I was hurting her I guess.

Yep, the shed is up. I just need to finish cutting more ventilation and make a pop door. I don't plan on letting them out for another month at least so I have time to get that done before then. The babies are in the house for tonight and I will get them moved out to the coop tomorrow after work. I wanted them where I could keep an eye on them for tonight. They all seem to be doing good so far. There is one who had a little pasty butt so I just pulled that off and so far so good. From what I can tell I got all the breeds I ordered and 3 Gold Laced Wyandottes that I didn't order. Hopefully, they are pullets but I doubt it!

 

[HEChicken]

Hello all! I've been away on an impromptu trip. The neighbors took care of my birds (all waterfowl) and horses for me (they have poultry and horses as well). When I got home, my birds were completely out of water - bone dry! I asked the neighbors and they said that they had watered the birds according to the schedule I outlined before I left (and the one that I usually use). The only difference I can see is that the birds were locked up while I was gone whereas they are usually allowed to free range. My best guess is that the birds got bored and played in their water. Then, when they wanted a drink, there was nothing left. I am now looking for ways to prevent the birds from playing in the water bowls that are for drinking water. I have 9 ducks and 3 geese. Any suggestions on what I could do to keep the birds from physically climbing into their water bowls? Their water bowls are the 2 gallon heated water bowls from Orschelns.

I had this same concern prior to my last trip. I knew I could leave out enough food for all of them and enough water for the chickens but I also knew the ducks would get in the water bowls and splash it out and then none of them would have anything to drink. I solved the problem with a piece of hog panel. I laid out all the water bowls I have and filled them with water, then laid the hog panel over the top. The large holes (4x6, I think) of the panel allowed the birds to reach through and drink but did not allow the ducks to get into the bowl. When I returned, there was a little water left at the bottom of most of the bowls.

Well I don't have any sad stories for today, thank goodness. However, I did do a crazy thing-- I woke up so tired and exhausted from another sleepless night and I couldn't work out in my mind thru the fog what time the kids go to school. I ended up driving them to school 20 minutes late because my brain would not cooperate with me this morning. I just feel deal tired. I realize at some point I'm going to get sick or...?? I don't know. I need some real sleep and rest.

Girl, you are on the verge of burn out and you need to get some R&R. Seriously. If you can find a sitter for a few hours, why don't you come over and ride your horse with me?

I have a friend that is wanting me to hatch a couple different kinds of quail & chukar for her & I have not hatched those before. If you have any tips for me I would be glad to get them.

What kind of quail? I have hatched Coturnix and they have the same incubating temp/humidity as chicks, but go into lockdown on day 14 and hatch (like popcorn) on day 16. I believe Bob Whites actually take a little longer than chicks - 24-26 days if I'm remembering correctly. But I think all quail have the same basic conditions as chicks.

Our babies came today!!! They are so cute! I forgot how tiny new chicks are. The kids are in love! I'm sure I will be back with questions about things I have forgotten since we have had chicks last. They put in four extras that I'm not sure what they are yet. Pretty sure a couple are GLW but not sure on the other 2. Here are a few pics from this afternoon!

Chicks are so much fun! I can't wait until mine arrive next week.

If only...but they won't let me have them in town!

I don't recall that stopping you in the past.....

 

[chicken danz]

When I went down to the coop, I found that Madge was sitting in the broody nest to lay her egg. I wish I'd had my camera - seeing a nest shared by a turkey, duck and silkie at the same time was a little bit of "awwww".
That's so funny! You really should have gone back and grabbed your camera
I think I have a musk rat living in my lagoon. I noticed ripples in the top and as I watched, something brown that was floating on the surface (and which I had assumed was a small log), dove. I saw it again moments later, before it dove again. I've noticed a burrow leading from the edge of the lagoon back into the ground but certainly wasn't going to stick my hand in there to find out what made it. So I came back to the house, pondering what it was I just saw. Too small to be a beaver, didn't look like a fish or turtle. If we were in Australia I would have said it was a platypus. Then the thought of a rat hit me and I looked up musk rats and it fits for size and environment, including the burrow and the availability of food in the lagoon. They don't seem to be a risk to poultry so I guess I'll leave it be.

You need to call a trapper. They will bore through the sides of your lagoon and ruin it. This is pretty serious stuff. I have heard if you have cattails you will get muskrats. So if that is the case you might want to use some roundup as well. There is a season for muskrats and I have no idea when it is. You may have to SSS. Muskrats can be very mean as well.

Hello all! I've been away on an impromptu trip. The neighbors took care of my birds (all waterfowl) and horses for me (they have poultry and horses as well). When I got home, my birds were completely out of water - bone dry! I asked the neighbors and they said that they had watered the birds according to the schedule I outlined before I left (and the one that I usually use). The only difference I can see is that the birds were locked up while I was gone whereas they are usually allowed to free range. My best guess is that the birds got bored and played in their water. Then, when they wanted a drink, there was nothing left. I am now looking for ways to prevent the birds from playing in the water bowls that are for drinking water. I have 9 ducks and 3 geese. Any suggestions on what I could do to keep the birds from physically climbing into their water bowls? Their water bowls are the 2 gallon heated water bowls from Orschelns.

I loved HeChickens idea of using the panels. I was going to suggest hanging a bucket on the fence that they can't tip over or get into.
ickvoed

i live in eastern rush county and live about 45 mins to an hour from Hays.

right now all i have are 59 button quail eggs in my incubator that are due to hatch the 13th and 14th. i would love some mille fleur d'Uccle pullets but all the places i've checked only sell straight run and i cant have any roosters.

really glad to see such a big thread of kansas people

I have hatched a lot of button quail. You could always buy straight run then sell or give the boys away when the get old enough to sex.
Quote:

I just moved my little Cream Legbar chicks & Wheaten Ameraucana chicks to a crate for now. I have another batch of eggs going into the hatcher Sunday that will go with the Wheatens in there for an order I have, so I had to get the hatcher cleaned out so I can get ready for the next hatch. Have any of you hatched quail before? I have a friend that is wanting me to hatch a couple different kinds of quail & chukar for her & I have not hatched those before. If you have any tips for me I would be glad to get them.

They need some humidity when you are incubating and more when they are ready to hatch. I'd say about the same as chickens but everyone hatches differently. I got the best results by turning them until hatching day.

TNTBlake congrats on the new chicks!

I had this same concern prior to my last trip. I knew I could leave out enough food for all of them and enough water for the chickens but I also knew the ducks would get in the water bowls and splash it out and then none of them would have anything to drink. I solved the problem with a piece of hog panel. I laid out all the water bowls I have and filled them with water, then laid the hog panel over the top. The large holes (4x6, I think) of the panel allowed the birds to reach through and drink but did not allow the ducks to get into the bowl. When I returned, there was a little water left at the bottom of most of the bowls.

Girl, you are on the verge of burn out and you need to get some R&R. Seriously. If you can find a sitter for a few hours, why don't you come over and ride your horse with me?

Hawkeye you need to take it easy for a day or so. You are getting too stressed. Not good for your health!

 

[chicken danz]

Well the darn site messed me up and wouldn't let me post with most of the multis. I went out and worked on the hoop coop today. In the middle of the afternoon I came back in and found two little Sebbies in my kitchen. Obviously they had been all through the house judging from the little presents they left behind. They had jumped out of their bin. So I had to rig up a cage and light for them that they can't get out of. I still haven't gotten all of their messes cleaned up.
So I built my doors for the hoop coop. I built a chicken door inside of a man door so I can go in if I want to gather eggs or whatever but they still have a chicken door. I got the entry door to the whole thing built but it isn't hung and I don't have the wire on it.
Since when is 16 feet not 16 feet? I bought a tarp to use that was 12' X 16'. However there is no way it is 16' because it is lacking at least 2 feet on one side. And then it is also longer than 12'. It's more like 14 feet long. So instead of getting the tarp over the top like I planned I had to stop and decide if I want to buy a different tarp or leave a gap on one side at the bottom. Why is it that nothing ever works like it should?
So I took some pictures the other day and some more today. Here is the progress so far. These are not in order.


Today. Built the inside door to the coop part with the chicken door in the man door.








Taken a couple days ago. This is the hoop coop and the door opening to the house part


.
This shows the outside door I built today ...no hinges or chicken wire on it yet. You can see the hardware cloth I ran down each side for added security.


This shows the floor and the front of the coop part before I built the door today.



Another angle of the same.



This looks crooked but it really isn't. I was just trying to show the floor I built inside the house part. I put netting over the entire outside so even if the tarp blows off it will still be secure.

 

[Trish44]

Wow Danz, good job on the hoop coop, you really get fancy. Mine is not nearly that fancy & the next one won't be either. Birds are a lot tougher than they seem. My guineas & peafowl have been in that hoop coop all winter with just tarp & plastic over it. I have taken the back end plastic off now, the birds really like the morning sun that comes in & to be able to see out & now they can look at the chickens in the breeder pens behind them. I haven't taken all of the plastic off the sides yet or all of the tarps off the sides of my pens yet. I want to make sure this stupid weather is done first. I sure hope it is, but after it snowed in April, who knows.

 

[ChooksChick]

Quote: I missed a few of the questions. I band so that I can have concise records of the lineage of each of my birds for breeding, plus the bands have a unique serial number on them, my name and phone number. I keep a record of each bird and it has their corresponding number. I can tell at-a-glance the year a bird was hatched, as well, as it's recorded on each band.

I wait until they are large enough to keep the band on their leg at the size I know they'll need it to be when they are grown. Most of the cockerels will need it to be at its largest, hens on the middle one, and clean-legged banties on the smallest. If I need to remove one, it can be snipped off with short scissors, and I'll simply reapply the appropriate year from my leftover bands, then change the number for the bird in my books.

I couldn't wing-band...I'm a big softie. This works well for me.

Heather, I'll make you a video if I can get someone to old a camera for me!!