Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

Downy chick Hope you are feeling better now. Unless the orps are crowing don't decide too early on sexes. They can fool even the best. I had one over a year old before I realized it was the opposite sex.
Ashley that is an awesome picture. The next time you hear of a photo contest, BYC, McMurray hatchery, and community chickens from Mother Earth news have contests now and then, you should enter that picture.
I went to the storage building today and got my pressure canner. I didn't find boxes with jars or lids so I will have to buy some lids and rings. I got some jars from KNHKluckers yesterday so I am set for them. After taking some meds and a nap I went out and picked lima beans and green beans. I am so looking forward to having canned green beans. Of course I've still got to get them all snapped and stuff yet. I even got DH to help me pick beans but he sure wasn't happy about it. I was trying to get him to take an interest in gardening. He just doesn't seem to want to put effort into learning these things. I think when he gets spoiled to the taste of home canned produce he will see why I put out the work to do it. If we could get a rain this week we'd have another full picking in another week or so. The limas did amazingly well for just two 3 cent packages of seed I bought on clearance. And the green beans are some of the nicest I've ever grown. No holes or spots in them. Too bad my tomatoes and stuff aren't like that. At least the birds are enjoying all the ones that have faults. I let one of my sussex hens come in with me. She was all about the garden as long as I was giving her tomatoes and stuff but when the handouts stopped she just stood at the end of the row and pouted. I was hoping she'd have some bugs with her snack. When I left she walked out the gate for me jumping up at the bucket. She has figured out that garden treats come from a bucket.

 

[TheDownyChick]

Thanks, Danz, I am getting there!
Only one of the three orps have crowed. It took a year to tell? Wow! That is much longer than I expected! I don't feel so bad about my uncertainty now! I am ok with keeping any who don't cause trouble, regardless of sex, although I prefer hens for their eggs!

 

[lizzyGSR]

Hello all! I'm only about a dozen pages behind, so I'm not going to bother trying to catch up right now. I just wanted to check in and say that I'm back from my trip! My DH did a wonderful job of nursing all of the sick animals for me. My goose is looking noticeably better today than a week ago when I left and is walking a lot better as well. Hopefully, he will continue to improve. Both the duck and the goose will be on antibiotics for roughly another week, just to be sure that the infection really is gone. From what my hubby has said, the duck seems to be feeling a lot better, as she has apparently been running from him a lot more and has even bit him a couple of times... The duck definitely has her spunk back!

I'll have to post more later. I'm exhausted now and am going to go to bed. Good night all!

 

[cherwill]

I have been ill an not on for a while, so I am kind of behind, but slowly catching up! I think two of my three lavender orpingtons are roosters, which means I may need to put one up for adoption. I also have 4 or 5 pretty Silver Laced Wyandotte boys who will need new homes. They are all about 13 weeks old, and able to be handled. Does anyone have room for a few boys? I hate for them to meet the stew pot, for they are all very sweet and friendly. I would be willing to trade for pullets. I am especially interested in Swedish Flowers, Aracauna, Orpingtons, Basques, and Marans.Feel free to message me.

I hope this means you're feeling much better.

Hello all! I'm only about a dozen pages behind, so I'm not going to bother trying to catch up right now. I just wanted to check in and say that I'm back from my trip! My DH did a wonderful job of nursing all of the sick animals for me. My goose is looking noticeably better today than a week ago when I left and is walking a lot better as well. Hopefully, he will continue to improve. Both the duck and the goose will be on antibiotics for roughly another week, just to be sure that the infection really is gone. From what my hubby has said, the duck seems to be feeling a lot better, as she has apparently been running from him a lot more and has even bit him a couple of times... The duck definitely has her spunk back!

I'll have to post more later. I'm exhausted now and am going to go to bed. Good night all!

Yay for your DH and his nursing skills!

 

[chicken danz]

Hello all! I'm only about a dozen pages behind, so I'm not going to bother trying to catch up right now. I just wanted to check in and say that I'm back from my trip! My DH did a wonderful job of nursing all of the sick animals for me. My goose is looking noticeably better today than a week ago when I left and is walking a lot better as well. Hopefully, he will continue to improve. Both the duck and the goose will be on antibiotics for roughly another week, just to be sure that the infection really is gone. From what my hubby has said, the duck seems to be feeling a lot better, as she has apparently been running from him a lot more and has even bit him a couple of times... The duck definitely has her spunk back!

I'll have to post more later. I'm exhausted now and am going to go to bed. Good night all!

Glad to have you back. I was just thinking of you yesterday wondering how your trip went and the birds did. I think your DH is proving what a great supportive father he will be.

Thanks, Danz, I am getting there!
Only one of the three orps have crowed. It took a year to tell? Wow! That is much longer than I expected! I don't feel so bad about my uncertainty now! I am ok with keeping any who don't cause trouble, regardless of sex, although I prefer hens for their eggs!

Orps seem to develop and grow really slowly compared to many other birds. The exhibition orps grow for at least a year and half before they reach full size. This particular bird had hardly any comb and no wattles. I had several so even after they started laying I couldn't tell he was male because he never crowed and I never saw him breed one of them. I also had pullets which got bigger combs and looked like roosters for some time. I normally look at feathers and body shape to sex birds but those can be iffy as well. The bigger and fluffier orps are; the harder it is to tell the difference. If you have one crowing I think you can pretty well assume that will be a boy. Although I keep hearing of hens that crow.
I am so doubting myself these days. I thought I was really good at picking out cockerels and pullets but my average has been way off lately.

I hope this means you're feeling much better.


Yay for your DH and his nursing skills!

Cheryl you always say the right things!
I shelled lima beans last night and decided it sure was a lot of work for such a small amount of beans. I threw the shells out hoping the geese would eat them last night. Made my arthritis really act up in my hands. Maybe I'll let the remainder go to dry beans because they're a lot easier to open. I do like those young tender green ones though.
I still have all the green beans to snap. I might work on those during the heat of the afternoon. DH was talking about going shopping somewhere which I really need to do, so they might not get done today. I'm about out of chick starter and I need the lids and rings for canning.

 

[zigzag45]

Hello,
Been gone for 10 days and wow, trying to catch up will take hours.

I'm thinking of trying to make the Gardner HOAGBA sale this Saturday. I'm telling myself it's just to look and not buy, we'll see how well that part goes.

Suggestions on what time I should arrive? Do I just walk around when I get there, or is there a central place where they auction birds off? Never done something like this.

 

[lizzyGSR]

Glad to have you back. I was just thinking of you yesterday wondering how your trip went and the birds did. I think your DH is proving what a great supportive father he will be.

I hadn't thought of it that way, but it makes complete sense! I'll have to relay your thoughts on to him!

 

[chicken danz]

The first place you need to go is to the office and pay your entry fee. You'll get a number and a sticker that will let you through the gate to go to the auction. After doing that walk down the paved driveway to the west. There'll be someone manning the gate there. Continue west and you will see a large sales arena. Or you will hear it first probably with all the clucking, honking,crowing etc going on. Stake a claim on a spot on the bleachers. The first several hours this is vital unless you want to stand. NOT Good! If you aren't interested in equipment you can get a good look around at the birds etc by being there by 8:00. The auction for those will start about 8:30. About 9:30 they will start a second auction up in the building where you signed in. It will be caged birds and chicks and ducklings. The main auction continues while that is going on.
Prepare to spend the day and dress in layers. There is always a concession stand but I always bring my water jug to get me by so I don't spend a fortune.
Birds will be in cages that go with them. As a seller it is a ton of work. I prepare for literally weeks and still end up last minute rushing. All the birds have to be there before 7:00 am the day before. And as usual here it is days before and I don't have a single cage made. All birds are NPIP tested that require it. It takes hours and hours to offload them. This spring I was there two full days and left before the auction was over. I sure hope the fall auction isn't that crazy.
Be sure your bank account is plentiful! It is a good time and I always go not intending to buy. I actually didn't buy any thing the last two auctions other than wire. But that takes real self control!!!

 

[OkieQueenBee]

Thanks for asking that question ZigZag45, DH and I are planning on going, so ChickenDanz's answer is very helpful. Would love to see what birds you bring ChickenDanz but it sounds like a crazy, crowded affair. We are going mainly to just experience it but you never know what might catch our eye.
It sure is back to being hot and this wind really doesn't help. The wind and dust are what gets my head to hurting. I guess this hot weather is good for honey harvesting, we always seem to wait until it gets good and hot to suit up and mess with stinging insects. At least this year with our new place we won't have to be in a hurry to get it all done at once. We've extracted 36 boxes the past two nights, about 1/4 done, looks to be a good harvest year.
Hope everyone and their birds are staying cool.

 

[HEChicken]

Hello all - been busy as can be the past few days. Our hay was cut and baled and then we had to stack our portion of it so the goats and sheep can use it this winter. It was a lot of hot, heavy work on days with high temps and humidity but now that its done, its very satisfying to know we are all set for the winter.

In the meantime, a couple of nights ago I was asked to take 7 hens by an acquaintance. I went to pick them up and then had to go to our barn to feed. He had loaded them in a large dog crate which we had put in the back of my car and since we were going to be at the barn for an hour or more, I decided to open the back of the car to give them some air. Then I took pity on them panting and gave them a little feed and water. I couldn't get the gate of the crate latched again (old and rusty), so I wedged it closed and went off to feed horses. I was horrified to come back and find six of the seven wandering around catching bugs. I hoped they were tame enough to be picked up easily but of course that wasn't the case. There wasn't anywhere easy to herd them into so I could corner and catch them, so I had to wait until nightfall. As the light grew dimmer, I heard their contented murmuring start to sound more anxious as it occurred to them they weren't sure where they were supposed to go to roost. At that point I was able to herd them into a small dog run and capture and take them home.

Once here they've been put in quarantine but have already laid 3 eggs between them. Since they are 2 1/2 year old hens, and just had the stress of moving, I'm pretty impressed with that effort already. They consist of 2 BO's, 2 Production Reds, a Barred Rock, a Wheaten something and a little black hen of indeterminate origin. All hatchery birds, of course (you can see the hatchery leghorn influence in the BR who has a huge floppy comb. Compared to my Reece BR's, she barely resembles a BR). They are all pretty ratty looking so I'm dosing with Ivermectin to start with, since I'm sure they haven't been wormed in a long time, if ever. It will be fun to watch them turn into healthy looking birds after they've had a chance to be here for awhile and get some good food, greens, bugs etc. Where they were they had nothing but dirt in their run and the former owners had run out of feed so were giving them bread until I could get there and pick them up - and I don't know how long they were doing that.