Danz, First off, you have my most deepest and sincerest sympathy about Cloud and what happened. I just can not even begin to imagine your pain and how rocked your world is right now. What an insanely terrible thing to have been done. I'm just so very, very sorry. I was able to jump on yesterday for a minute to see if there was an update and was just devastated for you. I thought about you and Cloud most of the day and it just brought me and down and left me so sad for you. What complete and utter crap to be dealing with right now. Sending you virtual hugs and lots of comfort. I haven't had a much better month.. or unending set of weeks myself, so I really feel like lately I'm being tested. Just keep plugging along and if the occassion arises where you are able to do anything more, do it. And if not, then it's not going to be a disservice to Cloud that there is nothing more in your power you can do. She knew she was loved by you and well taken care of. Like you said, we just have limits to what we can do/aford to do. For years and years, what you have been doing has been more than enough. You just can't account for evil people. My pastor told me a few weeks back that it's the devil that brings the coyote into our backyards. They come to us when we least expect it, it's not anything you did. It made a lot of sense to me, so I hope that helps.
To have the sick birds on top of this all, that saying is what keeps springing back to mind. It's like things just keep hitting us while we're down. I sure hope the birds heal up fast for you.
Heather/Deerfield, I really appreciate your help and comments about my mutt chicks! Isn't that just bizarre?? I'm okay now and I'll be ready to call Frank and see about getting new ones or exhchanging.. or whatever we come up with. Deerfield, as far as my expectations about the chicks, as you are aware, I am very much apprised with the fact that you can not tell quality of a bird until maturity. Dealing with silkies, I know this probably more than anyone. I also know, that you need to start culling as soon as you can when you see faults, and that is just being a good breeder and part common sense. I know first hand that you get pet, breeder and show quality out of your best birds. Which is why I was ready to do an evaul on them and start getting an idea of what I had. I am under no impression I had been given the best birds at the age they were at, I only bought for a few, and as such, was going to try to cull down to the best two.
"Cull until it hurts" has been my breeding motto and keeps me on track when I'm ify about a bird. Out of a group of chicks or shipped eggs, you will only get ONE or TWO (maybe) good birds-- or maybe none at all. From there you work with your best and improve. I get it, you're preaching to the choir on that one.
I've had shipped eggs where I hatched 10 and got
ZERO birds of any quality I would breed with; yes, I'm picky, but mainly, I'm trying to show/exhibit, not just "breed". Total money loss for me on that one when I spent nearly a hundered dollars on eggs. With that said, my expectations with the chicks were simply that they: A)
be pure bred and I would go from there. I had planned on culling if they were pet quality and trying again. It is just not in me to breed bad birds if I can help it. So, with the offer of driving back to Franks, I am all game and I think we'll have a great time. I think from hearing everyone's remarks and seeing his facility and pens in person, it could only have been a big mistake on his part. He seems pretty careful about what he's trying to do and in the end, he really does have gorgeous and quality birds. But even so, I bought barred rocks and did not get them. I'm allowed my frustration on feeding mutts for the last few weeks! LOL On the up side to all of this, I will get to spend more time with you ladies. I have not called Frank yet and will try to do that soon. I will PM what he says and we'll create a travel plan from there.
FromKansas, I hope you don't leave because of the stuff going on right now. It's tough to offer advice or give feedback when you really don't know a person or their set up or past histories or their lives, etc. End of story. Most of us are natives here and pretty used to the swings in weather. Where are you from? I'm just hoping it won't be an active tornado Spring for us, even though, I've been hearing that the weather patterns predicted for us would suggest otherwise. So we shall see. Typically this thread is upbeat and very supportive of each other.
Oh, DANZ!! I am so sorry. This has opened up terrible wounds for me. I lost my dudley, and tyrone to a stupid neighbor that done the same to me. He shot them both. I have never got over loseing either one of them, I am just sick at my stomach thinking about cloud. It is not right. I hope the B*****D gets what he deserves.
After many hours the techs finally got my computer up. Man what a mess. I HAD norton anti-virus, and thougt I was protected. I did not know that this malware is "smarter than norton" and got thru to my machine. Long story short. I know have a clean machine, learned a whole lot, and now am running a full life time version of malewarebytes. They also cleaned up some junk that was left over stuff and when just did everthing that needed to be done.
Welcome to all the newbies, wow cant believe how our little kansas thread is growing.
Hawkeye, I will get your pictures for you, and tell you about the meeting I went to, I learned SO much!!
DH finally put the pens in the barn, and yes Danz you did see those cages before, Ivy brought them down to me, but if she ever wants them back, I have to give them to her.
Well having the 4H meeting in my barn tommorrow, so better get busy and get some things done.
That is great! I hope you had a great time! Can't wait to see pics of your little sweeties! They are just so stinkin' cute! Glad your computer is all back to norm again. Can't wait to hear back on the report for the meeting! BTW, I am wanting to sign up for the Kansas Classic Spring show-- but I lost my form somewhere!! UGH. I have it around here somehwere, but with all the furniture getting moved around, it's burried under something. I need to get it filled out so we can show off our birds. We're really not ready to show, the girls are now paired up with boys and looking ragged. I needed to have grow-outs ready to roll, but no one has been laying a darned thing for me lately. I'm sure hoping my Fall shows won't be a bust because my grow outs are too young. I need to get hatching in a serious way! Or I'm going to miss the whole darned show season!! ARGH!
Josie-- I'm so sorry I will be missing out on today. I'm totally bummed and had planned on coming. I feel like I'm making a hobby of complaining about everything going wrong for us right now, so we'll just leave it at this: I really wanted to be there, but I'm so glad that all of my stuff will have a second life for it! OH-- and when you get the chance, I want several pics of your breeding pens! I'd love to see how you did the doors, the coops, the pens, etc. I saw the main set up and I can't wait to see it all done. I love that idea!! Just brilliant. Also, glad that your horse was not really out, but do tell your DH to double check before you get out of bed from now on! HA!
Trish, I lost your multi, and have forgotten what what said, but I hope your birds and goats are doing great.
To everyone else, I'm so sorry-- I had lots of multi'd quotes from you all, but the kids got on my computer and messed it up and I had to start all over. So I didn't bother. We're getting rain here, and it's a good thing. I'm glad it's had a chance to dry out a bit from the last go-round. The flowers, trees and plants will just be feeling great!
