Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

Lizzy maybe the person had been on a trip and gotten home and was shopping. Found the Euro in their own pocket and didn't know what to do with it so stuck it in the shirt pocket. Maybe they did it for fun imagining the surprise of someone buying a new shirt and finding it. That is so strange.
Okay I'm curious. Anyone hatch Frank's eggs and how did the hatch go? I have some hatching today. I didn't set mine right away so I know yours should be due as well. Of course I have more of my own eggs hatching at the same time and it could become a nightmare keeping them separated now. Who knows what came out of those mixed ones. I need to separate them as soon as they are dry if I can so I don't create mass confusion. I should have put a cover on that tray.
I've got another busy day ahead of me. I am so far behind on projects. And I have my normal Friday running to take care of today.
I changed the design on the door ends of my hoop coop some and I am not happy with it. It doesn't seem nearly as strong and secure. "If it isn't broke, don't fix it!" I was trying to reduce cutting and work and keep it strong. I guess it will just have to be that way because I'm not changing it. After running that tiller the other day I just can't seem to handle any heavy work right now. It kind of took it out of me. It's kind of like juggling a bear. This thing is a monster. It has almost double horse power of a normal tiller and it's huge. It does good work but you have to really strong arm it. Too bad DH has no interest in gardening. It would be a lot nicer if he did it. I still have my big area to get tilled too but I'll do that with the tractor. I need to spray roundup on it and let it kill out the weeds first but it is getting late and I don't have a big jug of roundup. I have a lot I need to get sprayed. It looks like a jungle out there.

Danz, my eggs from Frank are in the hatcher due to hatch tomorrow, so we'll see how it goes. Mine are supposed to be all pure bred BRs. I'll let you know how it turns out, I can't wait to see them myself.

can i just throw some corn/milo scrathc in the evenings in their coop for evening snacks?

I know other people have said they just let their chickens eat what they find, but personally I don't think they get their nutritional needs met that way. My layers free-range all day but still want their feed when evening comes. They don't eat as much during the summer when they can get out to eat bugs & greens, but still want the feed. If you're counting on getting the eggs regularly I would still feed them.

Speaking of snakes, I went to get some hay a week or so for the little goats from under the topper where I have it stored & when I reached in there was a snake laying right on the top of the bale. It was a young one about 18 inches long & I couldn't identify it at the time since it was in the shadows. It turned & slithered further under the topper though. I figure if there was one there were probably more. They were most likely there to eat the bugs that gather under there. I don't like snakes at all & it didn't make me happy to see one where I have to reach to get something all the time. I'm just glad I looked before I reached.

I moved my Speckled Sussex trio back out to the main coop last night & this morning I guess Dexter, the Cream Legbar rooster & Spec, the Speckled Sussex rooster had it out. Poor Dexter lost the battle & boy was he all beat up, poor guy. I'll see if they can work it out now or if I'm going to have to separate Spec. I would rather keep Dexter since he is a nice rooster, so if one has to go it will be Spec. He did produce some really nice chicks for me this year, but I'm done with breeding him now. I have some new chicks coming from a breeder the first part of June, so these will just go back into my general laying flock. I got my little Blue Laced Barnevelders moved out into the breeder coop this morning, so they're exploring that now. They will have a lot more room there to run around.

 

[jhammett]

ok i am looking for some hatching eggs to start another flock. I have lost the number of the guy in garden plian where i got my last batch but remember someone on here used the sam guy. If you have a local source for hatching eggs please throw it out. I would like to start them as soon as possible.

 

[Trish44]

ok i am looking for some hatching eggs to start another flock. I have lost the number of the guy in garden plian where i got my last batch but remember someone on here used the sam guy. If you have a local source for hatching eggs please throw it out. I would like to start them as soon as possible.

What kind of hatching eggs are you looking for, breed wise? I forget where are you located?

 

[Chickies-duckies-etc]

jhammett ~ not all greens are created equal, they have different nutrients in them. A larger variety will give the birds a better level of nutrition. Grass plus several weeds will do better than just grass. I have found that the different birds will eat different weeds and some weeds will not get touched at all. Over time, you can research the different plants and even plant things for the birds and you. Kale is good, purslane, dandelions, and the list goes on.

Corn and milo are low in protein, but can be used (I use both and very little bagged food) especially to encourage them to go in at night. Once they have a routine, most will go in the coop with no problem. Mine will wait at their coop with impaitient utterings if I am slow getting out to put them up.

There are lots of ways of encouraging bugs to collect at feeding points so the birds will have more bug protein. You can also feed protein type kitchen scraps (meat and dairy and grease from cooking.

I am not out for HIGH production from my birds. If you want an egg a day or perfect meat in no time, then follow the recommendations of the feed producers that make the high dollars from the bagged feed.

Free ranging chickens CAN do a lot of damage. Mine are going to be shut up more because they are digging out too many plants and creating holes that are dangerous to this old woman to have to deal with. I cut the grass and weeds and take it to them.

 

[sharol]

My dad used to say that the lottery was a tax on the math impaired.


"He he. No, I learned a long time ago that gambling is a good way to LOSE money.

Kuan"

 

[Chickies-duckies-etc]

izzy ~ Colleges are full of international students. If you have a way to do so, find a student that would be willing to trade USDs for your Euro. I know ESU has an international student office, and I assume most do, you could contact. If England uses Euros, I could probably make a contact for you.

 

[Trish44]

Have you all seen this: http://blog.mcmurrayhatchery.com/20...proposes-increased-shipping-rates-on-poultry/

With the proposed additional fees if they get it passed it's going to make it harder for all of us to order any chicks from the hatcheries or anywhere for that matter. Please everybody go to the link & write your letter, we all need to voice our opinion of this rate hike. I just found out about it today. If they get this through it's going to be much more expensive than it already is to buy any shipped birds.

 

[jhammett]

What kind of hatching eggs are you looking for, breed wise? I forget where are you located?

I am in Valley Center. I have RIR but am open to others not picky I am selling yard eggs at farmers market (or atleast that is the goal when they start laying. Americanas would add diversity but i have no preference

 

[jhammett]

jhammett ~ not all greens are created equal, they have different nutrients in them. A larger variety will give the birds a better level of nutrition. Grass plus several weeds will do better than just grass. I have found that the different birds will eat different weeds and some weeds will not get touched at all. Over time, you can research the different plants and even plant things for the birds and you. Kale is good, purslane, dandelions, and the list goes on.

Corn and milo are low in protein, but can be used (I use both and very little bagged food) especially to encourage them to go in at night. Once they have a routine, most will go in the coop with no problem. Mine will wait at their coop with impaitient utterings if I am slow getting out to put them up.

There are lots of ways of encouraging bugs to collect at feeding points so the birds will have more bug protein. You can also feed protein type kitchen scraps (meat and dairy and grease from cooking.

I am not out for HIGH production from my birds. If you want an egg a day or perfect meat in no time, then follow the recommendations of the feed producers that make the high dollars from the bagged feed.

Free ranging chickens CAN do a lot of damage. Mine are going to be shut up more because they are digging out too many plants and creating holes that are dangerous to this old woman to have to deal with. I cut the grass and weeds and take it to them.

thanks the pasture is fullof dandelions and various weeds. along with a variety of grass and even some alfalfa in patches. I am concerned about them wandering over to my garden area (they havent gone that far yet) I am going to get a barrel of crim corn/ milo today as i have goats and a pony and will be picking up four pigs also. I amy use that like scratch and keep feeder full of grower for a while yet. They just eat SO MUCH the wife is getting a bit annoyed at the bills with no eggs to show yet

 

[checoukan]

Jhammett~~~ what are you looking for? Lots of us on here have hatching eggs, but besides hatching eggs some of us have pure bred chicks for sale. Myself, I have wheaten ameracana, black ameraucana, easter eggs, in large fowl. In bantams, I have partridge wyandottes, black white creasted polish, and rosecombs. I do have hatching eggs, but shipping is so hard on some of them, that you will not get a real good hatch. Post so everybody know what you are looking for and I am sure someone has what you want.