Consolidated Kansas

[tweetybaby2005]

Hope, you guys/gals enjoyed the weekend. It sure was warm and windy. Glad to see some of you sold some chicks. If the PO decided to increase the delivery fees, I'll be buying from you guys, that's for sure.

Well, my kids decided it was time to drag out the swimming pool yesterday so we did. I curse every yr when it's time to set it up. It was just the pits to do so. We never got the ground leveled just the way it was supposed to so one side is always higher. But seeing the kids' eyes lit up was enough for us to keep dragging it out yr after yr. 1 day, we will save enough money to do an inground pool. One day...

I took out most of the sand in my duck area. It was wet and stunk to high heaven!!! It caked up and compacted down as well. I replaced it with some hays. The ducklings were happy laying down on it. I also took the heater away since the weather is so warm now. They are growing so fast!!

I moved my broody inside the barn storage since she was taking up precious nest box space. Then I saw another hen sitting on a couple of eggs yesterday. I'll have to go see if she truly is broody. If she is, then I'll have 2 broody hens. Production will go down more. Talking about production, Some of the hens are laying some where. I have not seen 1 single white egg for days and I looked every where!! Well, there are acres of land with tons of bushes. I just don't know they could be.

Trish - glad you got to see your grand daughter. Kids do grow up fast.

Enjoy the day.

 

[lizzyGSR]

I sure hope tomorrow is more pleasant. I usually enjoy mowing but today was one of those days that wasn't fun at all.

Oh, Danz! I'm so sorry to hear about the eggs and especially the hen! Snakes - bleh! So far, we've seen fewer snakes this year than last, and I am counting that as a major blessing. Moreso, we've seen a lot more non-rattlesnakes than rattlesnakes, which is really good as far as I'm concerned!

Our grass is finally getting tall enough to warrant being mowed. I tried to get the riding mower out to mow it on Saturday. The battery on the mower is dead, dead, dead, so I had to have my DH help me jump the mower. The mower is built for someone larger than me (I'm 5'4" and ~120 pounds), and I'm not heavy enough to keep the thing running, even with a pile of bricks on the seat. I managed to go once around the front yard (a small portion of what needed to be mowed) and then I killed the mower when I leaned a bit to adjust the speed (hydrostat mower). Then, my DH helped me jump it again, and I went once more around the yard, only to have the mower die on its own. My DH was getting somewhat frustrated by then (he wasn't getting anything done 'cuz he kept having to come help me jump the mower), and then the mower refused to start. It would barely even turn over. By then, it was getting too hot to mess with it. Saturday evening, we had some storms go past that cooled things off, so I asked my Dh to start to the push mower for me. That didn't work either. Apparently, the pull cord on the push mower broke right where it goes into the engine, so we can't use the push mower either until we can get that replaced. So, for now, I guess I've got to deal with the tall grass and hope to not have any slithery things hiding in it.

 

[chicken danz]

Lizzy we have one rider that is like that. I couldn't keep it going. Apparently they gauge these things for a man's weight..not a woman. My DH disconnected the cable or whatever determined someone sitting in the seat. I had the seat all the way forward but the clutch is stiff and to push in the clutch I had to kind of lean forward and it would die, or if I hit a bump it would die. It was a total pain.
My Dixon has something similar but if I disengage the blade it will keep running. That makes a lot more sense to me and it isn't so darned sensitive. Of course it has no clutch either so that is another problem gone. I like mowing with it so much better.
Last year I only mowed two times and it was way early in the spring. This was the second time here this year but I never got done the first time. We had no green grass at all last year and lost a lot of grass altogether. We have green this year but it's lots and lots of weeds. They grow taller faster than grass.
It's super windy and cloudy out today. I really hate the wind but I am in the wrong state to complain.
Kuan, I think I am going to have to save some Ancona for myself this year. I can see my numbers are down quite a bit. I never count ducks. In fact I need to save some females of all my breeds. I should just keep one kind of duck but each breed has it's unique characteristics.
I've got to get this place cleaned up so I can keep better track of them. I really love my ducks. They are such easy keepers. They just kind of do thier own thing and I just leave them food and water. They know where to come to eat. It is funny though, because if their food bowl is empty and they decide they are hungry they'll run to the food barrels near the back door and yell at me until I give them something to eat.

 

[Trish44]

Danz, that's funny about your ducks coming to the door & yelling at you. It's so comical to me that my chickens come up & all group around my front door at feeding time waiting for me to come out & feed them. I have even had them peck on the screen door bottom like they were knocking if I don't come out when they think I should. I should take a picture some time of my whole flock standing on my front porch when I open the door. We all walk out to the coop together with me trying not to step on chickens as I go. They are quite a the characters.

We're having a short rain right now, I don't think it's going to last long at all, but it sure did cool things off fast. We weren't predicted to have rain today, just cloudy, but this little rainstorm just came up pretty fast.

 

[chicken danz]

My chickens crack me up too. They don't necessarily come to the door, but when they see me outside with the wheel barrow they all come running. I swear I don't know how they keep from falling over sometimes the way they lean forward. Of course that gets the turkeys, guineas, and peafowl yelling because they don't want to be forgotten. And how can you eat non-stop all day long and still think you are starving when you see food coming your way?
I really need to get some work done on that coop today but I hurt all over. I need a few days to take it easy....like that will ever happen.

 

[HEChicken]

Lizzy, I am in almost the exact same boat as you, mower-wise. I am about the same height and weight but have never had trouble keeping my mower running - I guess it must be set to a different tolerance. But right now I can't even get it started. I've known for awhile that the starter is going out on it as I usually have to try multiple times to get it started. The last few times I mowed I couldn't get it started and DH came and was somehow able to start it. Then one time he was on it, got it started, and then we had quite a job transferring to me. He had to stay in the seat and weight it down until I was enough in the seat that he could slide out from under me before it died. Anyway, we tried yesterday to get it started and neither of us could get it going at all. He thinks it is the starter solenoid so I guess we need to get someone out here to service it. Grrr. In the meantime, the grass hasn't been mowed in two weeks and is getting really thick and high. I pulled out my smaller push mower to do the chicken yard this weekend and it was SO much work to get through the long grass with that but at least I can look at one area of the yard and it looks good. But in the middle of that, it died too. Only because it was out of gas but of course I had emptied the jerry can into the non-running big mower so had to run to town to refill it just so I could finish mowing with the small mower. A trip to town meant I had to run other errands too, since I can't justify the trip only to refill a jerry can so it was hours later before I got back to the mowing. You know how that goes.

So Danz - it may not have been a fun day mowing but thank goodness at least you could! Sorry about your hen but glad you found the missing duck eggs.

Kuan - I do not understand pools. Seriously. I've never liked to swim, really. As a kid my mother used to take us to the local pool in summer and I enjoyed that but by the time I was teen I would rather be hot than get in water and I still feel the same way today. The last thing I ever want to have to do is maintain a pool. When we were house-shopping last year we found the absolute perfect house. It was beautiful, in a great location and had everything on our want list and then some. Five bedrooms, each with a walk-in closet and separate bathroom, a walk-in pantry, huge, fully finished, walk-out basement, beautifully appointed in every way. The one downside to it was it had an in-ground pool. Honestly, for weeks after we looked at it we just kept putting off making an offer because of that darned pool. We even talked to contractors about having it filled in, but that was going to be so expensive it wasn't doable. The pool was surrounded on all sides by concrete and around that was a rod iron fence so by the time we pulled out the fence, the concrete and filled in the pool, it was going to cost more than it would have originally cost to put in the pool - and really add to what we were paying for the house itself. So we wound up not making an offer on the house. I know of a lot of other people who feel the same way so do be careful about putting one in, that it is in your permanent home - because despite what real estate agents tell you, an in-ground pool often lowers the value of a house, rather than raising it.

Trish, glad you had a good afternoon with your granddaughter. They really do grow up so fast, don't they? How is she doing with the health issues?

This morning I went out on our front porch with my coffee, not paying much attention, and was startled by movement a little ways away from me. It was two wild turkey hens! They stopped running after only a short distance and for the next 30 minutes, moseyed around my front yard while I watched, pecking here and there, and stopping to preen for awhile. I think they heard Ned gobbling and he drew them in. It was so fun to watch them.

On the subject of house-cleaning, I realized when my kids were little that they are only small once and I would rather have memories of all the fun times we had together, than have them remember me cleaning while they stayed out of the way. So, despite what Danz thinks about me being a "neat freak" - I laughed so hard about that afterward - it is probably the one and only time someone will accuse me of THAT - I would most times be embarrassed if someone stopped in unexpectedly. I do like my kitchen counters to be cleaned off and wiped down but I frequently let the rest of the house go, only doing a really thorough job of picking up when I know company is coming over. Most of the time I'd rather be outdoors anyway.

I have several more broody hens. Forget everything I ever said about welcoming broodies - now its just getting old. Although my latest broody is a first in a way, as she is my first "proven" broody. She is my sultan, who brooded and successfully hatched a couple of chicks around this time last year. Actually, its almost a year to the date since the last time she went broody. So I gave her a couple of eggs from the Reese birds and I'll let her go ahead and raise those up for me, since I figure she's likely to do a good job if she's already been down that road before. I did discover when I gave her the Reese eggs, that she has been stealing duck eggs. I figured she stole them from the broody duck, since she started sitting with her, so I decided to leave them under her and if the ducklings hatch, give them to the duck to raise. But this morning the broody duck was off her nest so I decided to check on it and she is only missing one egg. The sultan is sitting on quite a few eggs so only one of them was stolen from the broody duck, and the others must have been stolen from the only duck who is laying. I guess tonight after dark I will try to candle and figure out which one is the one she is allowed to sit on and which are under a week old.

 

[Trish44]

My chickens crack me up too. They don't necessarily come to the door, but when they see me outside with the wheel barrow they all come running. I swear I don't know how they keep from falling over sometimes the way they lean forward. Of course that gets the turkeys, guineas, and peafowl yelling because they don't want to be forgotten. And how can you eat non-stop all day long and still think you are starving when you see food coming your way?
I really need to get some work done on that coop today but I hurt all over. I need a few days to take it easy....like that will ever happen.

Yep, that's exactly what I'm thinking too when my chickens have been out all day eating bugs & greens & whatever they find & then attack me for the feed in the evening. They have been scratching around a lot in the orchard lately under the trees. I've been finding some just huge grub worms as I have planted some bushes & plants lately & thrown them to the chickens, they really are a juicy treat for them.

Yeah I agree HEChicken, I think I would love having a pool, but then I would have to do all the maintenance myself & that would be no fun. We have so many trees here around the house too that drop huge leaves. Besides the fact that we live on a rock ridge & they would have to blast through rock to even put one in! When my son was digging my water garden pond a few years ago he ended up having some of his friends come over to help him & they had to break through rock just to dig that deep enough to get past the frost line. It was a lot more work than he bargained for. My granddaughter is doing all right, she doesn't seem to be as bothered by the heart problem as she was, but I think having to deal with that monitor just kept it at the forefront all the time & caused her more anxiety about it. I don't really think they have that many answers still at this point. Her mother didn't mention that they have been back to the Dr. as of yet. She pretty much acts & plays like any other kid her age. I know it was all pretty frightening to her at the time, but she really doesn't bring it up much any more.

 

[tweetybaby2005]

Just went to let the ducks out in the fenced in area for the first time. They ran to the big 1/2 wine barrel liner filled with water. I had to put some bricks in so they can get out of it. They seemed content being outside. I was worried that the chickens will peck on them but that didn't seem to happen so now I feel better leaving them out. I left the coop door open so if they decide to go back in, they can always do that. I also left the metal shallow water pan out for the littlest duckling since it was having problem getting into the big wine barrel liner.

For the first time I'm having problem with the bigger chicks picking on the 4-5 weekers. They are so mean. I had no choice but to lock up the little chicks till they are bigger and able to fend for themselves.

Danz - wish I got more ducklings from you. They are just the sweetest and my son loves to watch them splash in the water.

I have gotten 2 rooms done in the bsmt. I will be moving to the main floor next. My arms and back ache and throb from all the painting I did the last 2 days. But I am seeing progress so that's good. I go back to work tomorrow so the next painting marathon will be in the weekend.

 

[tweetybaby2005]

Oh, forgot to mention that one of the big bird houses fell. The post fell (how? I don't know because it is metal and didn't look too rusted out to me) and DH said it got blown down by the wind. I'm just glad that it is far away enough from the house that it didn't crash down on the house.

As for the pool, I doubt that we will have enough money to get an inground pool. We are water people and love to swim so having an inground pool will be nice. I'm the one who cleans the kids' pool now as well as the koi pond so it will not change if we have an inground pool.

I just went and check the adenium seeds I started 3 days ago. Only 2 germinated. Not good. I started with at least 15 seeds and those were the seeds I bought from Taiwan! Argh... just frustrating. I lost 8 adenium plants over the winter since DH drowned them. Guess I'll start more seeds and see how that goes.

It is cloudy but quite windy so my clothes will dry nicely. Of course now I see the leaves floating on the koi pond... never ending chores.

 

[lizzyGSR]

Lizzy we have one rider that is like that. I couldn't keep it going. Apparently they gauge these things for a man's weight..not a woman. My DH disconnected the cable or whatever determined someone sitting in the seat. I had the seat all the way forward but the clutch is stiff and to push in the clutch I had to kind of lean forward and it would die, or if I hit a bump it would die. It was a total pain.

I really love my ducks. They are such easy keepers. They just kind of do thier own thing and I just leave them food and water. They know where to come to eat. It is funny though, because if their food bowl is empty and they decide they are hungry they'll run to the food barrels near the back door and yell at me until I give them something to eat.

I don't understand why they don't gauge it for a child's weight. I mean, how many families have young boys (like 10 or 12) whose chore it is to go out and mow the lawn? My DH and I both get so frustrated with that feature on the mower. I shouldn't complain though. The riding mower is one that the neighbors are "indefinitely loaning" to us - their words, not mine. It takes a REALLY long time to push mow our yard (about 3 acres, plus mowing around the garden and such) so we are quite happy to have their riding mower, even if it gives us fits and is frustrating. It is still way better than push mowing.

Ducks and geese are both such fun creatures! It seems like my birds are always doing something funny/entertaining! My ducks REALLY like dog food, but it is a treat I very rarely give them. They like it so much that they will go so far as to try to steal the dog food from the dog (a 100+ pound chocolate lab who is rather solidly built). The birds and the dog seem to have made a game out of this. The dog doesn't always eat his food right away, so the birds go after it. The gander always gives the ducks' intentions away, so the dog comes running and the birds scatter. The dog will either eat his food or guard it for a while. When he wanders away, the birds will go back for it again, and the cycle continues. I was really worried when they started this, for fear that the dog (a bird dog) would do something to harm my birds, especially after he ran over my gander, essentially tackling him. However, he has never done anything to harm the birds and I no longer worry about it. It is quite comical to see a 2 or 3 pound Khaki Campbell duck trying to steal food from a 100+ pound dog.