Consolidated Kansas

[ChickieWickies]

My hubby doesn't really like our ladies either (he thinks they should be anywhere BUT here!!), but he had been a GREAT chicken-hubby both last and this week for helping me build another coop for Gma's house. He doesn't really like them there either, but Gma got us into chickens. Thankfully we're ALMOST done. No one wants to work on it in 95-100 temps!

My family just thinks it's hilarious that I've fallen in love with my ladies. I've tried to spread the "chicken love" to anyone who comes over. Little kids like petting them, and they're shocked how soft they are!

 

[22qZoo]

OK, this is gross but I need to ask,.Is there any thing I can or should be doing to help control the flies? It's worse now with chickens than it was before with just dogs, cats and horses.I know they are probably controlling allot of other bugs ,but around the coop they are just thick !

 

[RoosterLew]

Well I really feel for you gals. I'm so lucky my GF considers them OUR birds. We meet at the farm when I get off work. She is always there waiting on me, birds fed and grazing. It is awesome having someone share your hobby. I help her with her interests as well, flowers and gardening , I even learned to enjoy ummm, what's that hobby you go looking at old crap?

 

[sunflowerparrot]

Well I really feel for you gals. I'm so lucky my GF considers them OUR birds. We meet at the farm when I get off work. She is always there waiting on me, birds fed and grazing. It is awesome having someone share your hobby. I help her with her interests as well, flowers and gardening , I even learned to enjoy ummm, what's that hobby you go looking at old crap?

Me too Rooster - my BF is supportive of anything I want to do and is always happy to help in whatever way he can... I'm going to be going on a big long (and way overdue) vacation pretty soon and he has offered to come here and stay so I won't have to worry about any of the animals Having someone to share your passion increases the joy for sure!

 

[sunflowerparrot]

I am still thinking on some guinea, nobody had much to say about them before when I asked so I will ask again.. I have never raised them,, anyone have any info at all for me??

I love my guineas - mine are very tame and come home every night to coop with the chickens. They can be loud at times, but I personally love their noise.. I've gotten to where I can even pick up my guineas and they don't freak out at all.. I think raising them with the chickens has helped to tame them... you'll love them! I have a bunch of their eggs in my incubator due early July.

 

[sharol]

I read on another thread that the vanilla hanging air fresheners repel flies. I didn't believe it, but the first summer I had chickens the flies on the small coop were so bad that I tried it. It works. There is one kind that works better than the others, and I've sort of lost that information. I got some last year at the dollar store, and while they sort of worked, they weren't nearly as good. I think the original ones were the ones from Walgreens. It doesn't kill the flies, just repels them.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/368487/flies-no-more-found-the-perfect-fly-repellent

edited to include the thread link about this.

OK, this is gross but I need to ask,.Is there any thing I can or should be doing to help control the flies? It's worse now with chickens than it was before with just dogs, cats and horses.I know they are probably controlling allot of other bugs ,but around the coop they are just thick !

 

[sharol]

My DH is a saint. He doesn't help with the chickens when I'm home, but when I want to go see my grandchildren in Reno, he is right there taking care of them. He has medicated them while I was gone and looked after ailing chickens. His good care of my little Campine a year ago was integral in her recovery. I thought he didn't ever listen to my chatter about chickens, but he remembered that they need company even when kept separate and made sure that she was in a place that the others could visit and he took treats to the area next to her coop so that the others would stay close. I truly believe she would have died if she hadn't had the interaction with the others during recovery.

He gripes about the poop on the patio, but I've noticed that he gets a real kick out of sharing eggs with some of his work associates. He grumbled about Butch crowing in the middle of the night, but yesterday he said he really misses the rooster sounds and that he hopes we get a rooster out of this test hatch. (so far 2 pips, both on the wrong ends of the eggs.)

I sure can't complain.

 

[22qZoo]

Thanks for the tip SHAROL, I'll have to give it a try.
I'm pretty lucky with my DH , while he isn't very interested he is supportive and he did help me out when the rooster failed rehab and had to go to freezer camp. (Not something I could do) I have to confess tho.. he hasn't seen all the receipts. (Shh...)

 

[ivyrash]

I try really hard to scrounge materials as much as possible to keep costs down and I try really hard to keep things picked up especially when I have brooders on the screened in front porch like now and it seems like there are wood shavings everywhere. I feel like my DH doesn't complain as much that way and life is easier.

He didn't even complain this morning when I told him I couldn't camp for two nights with all the young birds we have. I figure I can do one night but then will have to get home and do chores. It's all a compromise.

 

[Polishpal]

Anybody know how to tell a male guinea from a female?