Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

Danz, I agree, starting to hatch in October does seem kind of late. I did hatch a batch in mid-October last year and they did fine and were feathered out well enough by the cold weather, but I don't want to do it that late again this year. I have already set my last eggs for the year and they are due Oct 1st. Just in time I had a hen go broody yesterday. I have my second to last batch in the hatcher right now, that should hatch later today, and I'm going to raise these myself in a brooder, for the first time since I raised turkeys in May (I've hatched continuously since then but had enough broody hens to raise them all until now). Then, the last batch can go under my latest broody hen, who will be able to keep them warm if we have some unseasonably cold weather in October, and that way I don't have to worry about when to integrate them - they'll be part of the flock from day one.

After that I'm done. My plan had been to try to do a generation of Alohas, as I thought my spring hatched Exchequers would be laying by now and I could hatch a large batch of them to raise over the winter and be ready to do the next generation by spring of next year. But they're not cooperating - not one of them is laying yet!!! So now I'm afraid they won't start laying until its too late to raise any of them this year. Darn.

I'm also still waiting on my Wheaten Ameraucanas to start laying - I want some of those pretty blue eggs! Trish44, I think you said they hatched in February? So it seems like they should be laying by now but so far they're just free-loading. Sigh.

I had the pleasure of meeting Ashncarson yesterday when she and her family came to get some NH chicks from me. We had a nice visit and I hope they had a safe trip home as it started storming not long after they left.

Speaking of storms, it rained hard last night and again this morning and I think we've had about 1.5" so far. We sure did need it, and I hope everyone else who needs it gets some as well. I've left fall planting a little late but the ground was like concrete. Now that we've had this rain, I might try digging it over and planting a little. Who knows? If the first frost is late this year, it might be worth doing. I'm getting tons of tomatoes and peppers at the moment. I had a crop of hornworms but I think I got them all - I haven't found any the last few times I've looked and haven't seen any new damage either.

Well HEChicken I wish I could tell you for certain those wheatens should be laying, but Ameraucanas are notorious for being slow to start laying & they're not regular layers like other breeds either. Yes they were hatched Feb. 20th & 21st this year. They kind of lay when they feel like it. They don't lay when they're molting, they don't like cold weather, so they aren't good winter layers, they're just tempermental. When they do lay they lay very pretty eggs, you just have to enjoy them when you do get them. I have some eggs in the incubator right now that I ordered to get some new blood in those. We'll see how many actually hatch since they were shipped eggs. I sure would have thought your Exchequers would have laid by now, how old are they? The leghorns usually lay really early.

I think we only got about a half an inch of rain. We kept hearing thunder & all but when it rained it was brief & then this morning it just sprinkled on us. It's still cloudy here & cool but that's all. We have big cracks in the ground that developed after it finally dried out from all the rain at once.

 

[tweetybaby2005]

Went to the fair today. DH had to man a booth with a couple of other surveyors, so I wandered pretty much at leisure. It was hot until the sky opened about 3. There was a deluge that drowned out almost everything. Thunder and lightening are scary when you are in a tent. All's well now, though.

When we got back about 8, I thought the babies (Marlena's marans babies) hadn't gotten back in the coop. Then I heard a pathetic little peep, and there was one of them completely behind the hanging feeder. I picked her up and put her on the roost (much complaining and chirping), and saw another one under a ramp that goes over the nest boxes. Put him on the roost with his sister. The third was hanging out on the back of the roost ramp behind a couple of the girls, so I corralled her and put her with her siblings. (more complaining) About that time the coop door closed and they calmed down. They are really cute little babies. That two tone gray feathering is lovely. I will need to rehome the cockerel to a 4H kid for showing, though, since I really can't keep another roo besides Butch's boys. He is really a pretty boy, though. He is starting to develop some copper tints on his chest that show promise of really beauty at maturity. This picture is at 7 1/2 weeks.



This is his sisters at the same time. Actually all 3 of them, the boy is the one on the left at the rear. The other one at the rear is really hard to photograph. She moves REALLY fast and all her photos are blurry.

Sharol - Very pretty birds you got there! Glad all the birds were safe and sound after you rounded them up for the night. I saw some photos of the storm last night on the news and they look quite scary!

Question - 2 hours after telling Danz that amazingly, "I haven't had any birds die yet" I got home and had a dead brahma in the coop. No signs of trauma, egg issues, anything. I admit, it was the first time I was handling a large dead bird, so I didn't give it a real thorough examination. Is that just life with chickens, shrug and move on? All the other birds seem fine. My three buffs are now pushing 22 weeks and haven't started laying, but I'm hopeful that they're just not ready and it's not a health issue.

I have had issues with a couple of the birds having runny poo. They love yogurt and that helps, not sure if it comes and goes or if they never quite get over it.

Also, I'm being asked to replace the dead bird. Not sure how I'll do that. Anyone know of any breeders in the KC area (or within an hour) that have pullets hatched this spring? I know a guy in Nob Noster that might have some, need to check. I can't say I'm excited about trying to figure out a quarantine process again and all...

So sorry you lost a bird. I have had my fair share (losing them to predators and a couple just died for now apparent reason). You might want to try the Kansas Poultry Swap on Facebook. There are always people trying to sell their birds. It is a closed group so you may have to request access.

It rained all around us but we haven't gotten any. We desperately need it. The bushes are wilting since it has been so dry. It looks gloomy out but no rain. I ended up sleeping a good deal yesterday. I should be caught back up on sleep but I still feel tired. It sure doesn't take much to wear this old girl out any more.
Today I need to do some rearranging in the brooder house again and check on the beans to see if there are more ready to pick. The darned squash bugs are taking over everything again. I was reading yesterday to burn the vines at the end of the season or you will be plagued the next year with them. I just figured they flew in from somewhere. They did the first year so I can't see that would make a huge difference. I think they've laid eggs on about everything though. I even found eggs on the tomatillos and pepper plants. I had planned to feed the greens to the birds. Now I'm not sure what to do with them. Has anyone ever used neem oil on them? It seems other than sevin that is the thing to use.
I have a full bin of chicks and more in the incubator I need to find a place for. I've really got to stop hatching soon. I was talking to a few people and they aren't going to start their fall hatching until October. Seems kind of late.
I was also talking about the trailer I want to get converted to a chicken facility and was told that I can't use the central heat because the chick dust will cause an explosion. I wonder why my house hasn't exploded!!! Anyway that is good and bad. I intended to use it to keep the place from freezing in the winter. But removing it will give me more pen space which could be a plus. But then I need to figure out another method to keep it warm. I am putting in a auto water system that can't freeze. I do have a couple of those little oil heaters that I use in the brooder house that might work. I would have to buy at least one more for the brooder though. I think I may use the squirrel cage fan out of the heater to circulate air anyway. At least I would have something of value from it.

Danz - It is hard to catch up on sleep once lost but I'm glad you did get some much needed rest, albeit still feeling tired. May be the weather has something to do with it as well. We had at least 1" of rain so we are grateful. Talking about egg hatching, the ducks have started laying! Just not sure if all 3 are laying or just 1. We have had 1 egg daily except for Saturday! I think I have 2 female Pekings and 1 female Ancona; 1 Peking drake and 2 Ancona drakes. I definitely need more girl ducks!

Danz, I agree, starting to hatch in October does seem kind of late. I did hatch a batch in mid-October last year and they did fine and were feathered out well enough by the cold weather, but I don't want to do it that late again this year. I have already set my last eggs for the year and they are due Oct 1st. Just in time I had a hen go broody yesterday. I have my second to last batch in the hatcher right now, that should hatch later today, and I'm going to raise these myself in a brooder, for the first time since I raised turkeys in May (I've hatched continuously since then but had enough broody hens to raise them all until now). Then, the last batch can go under my latest broody hen, who will be able to keep them warm if we have some unseasonably cold weather in October, and that way I don't have to worry about when to integrate them - they'll be part of the flock from day one.

After that I'm done. My plan had been to try to do a generation of Alohas, as I thought my spring hatched Exchequers would be laying by now and I could hatch a large batch of them to raise over the winter and be ready to do the next generation by spring of next year. But they're not cooperating - not one of them is laying yet!!! So now I'm afraid they won't start laying until its too late to raise any of them this year. Darn.

I'm also still waiting on my Wheaten Ameraucanas to start laying - I want some of those pretty blue eggs! Trish44, I think you said they hatched in February? So it seems like they should be laying by now but so far they're just free-loading. Sigh.

I had the pleasure of meeting Ashncarson yesterday when she and her family came to get some NH chicks from me. We had a nice visit and I hope they had a safe trip home as it started storming not long after they left.

Speaking of storms, it rained hard last night and again this morning and I think we've had about 1.5" so far. We sure did need it, and I hope everyone else who needs it gets some as well. I've left fall planting a little late but the ground was like concrete. Now that we've had this rain, I might try digging it over and planting a little. Who knows? If the first frost is late this year, it might be worth doing. I'm getting tons of tomatoes and peppers at the moment. I had a crop of hornworms but I think I got them all - I haven't found any the last few times I've looked and haven't seen any new damage either.

Hechicken - I think you guys have more rain than us. I saw the radar and it hits East of us more. The neightbors who are 1/8 mile north of us didn't get a drop of rain. Weird.

Well HEChicken I wish I could tell you for certain those wheatens should be laying, but Ameraucanas are notorious for being slow to start laying & they're not regular layers like other breeds either. Yes they were hatched Feb. 20th & 21st this year. They kind of lay when they feel like it. They don't lay when they're molting, they don't like cold weather, so they aren't good winter layers, they're just tempermental. When they do lay they lay very pretty eggs, you just have to enjoy them when you do get them. I have some eggs in the incubator right now that I ordered to get some new blood in those. We'll see how many actually hatch since they were shipped eggs. I sure would have thought your Exchequers would have laid by now, how old are they? The leghorns usually lay really early.

I think we only got about a half an inch of rain. We kept hearing thunder & all but when it rained it was brief & then this morning it just sprinkled on us. It's still cloudy here & cool but that's all. We have big cracks in the ground that developed after it finally dried out from all the rain at once.

It is definitely cloudy here, has been since late yesterday when the rain storm started. I think the birds really appreciate the cooler weather because we have had about 7 or 8 eggs, up from 3 about a week ago. My ducks are starting to lay so I'll be collecting them to make salted duck eggs. It takes about 6 weeks to make them so I need to collect enough before I start a batch.

The old house was finally painted. The painters did a great job at that. DH moved the metal cabinet that's been sitting in the garage to the farm so he can put his tools and stuff in it. Well, it was sitting outside, waiting to be moved into the garage. Then the rain came. So it has been sitting outside being rained on all night long. We may need to put a new coat of paint on it since it is metal and it will start to rust. Just our luck. Also I let a few pairs of shoes out to dry after washing them in the morning and those got wet from the rain as well because I had completely forgotten about them. Oh well... they will be fine with the extra rinse.

I'm getting ready to move the chicks out of our tiny sunroom/mudroom to the barn storage area. They are just itching to fly out of the brooder so I need a bigger space for them with a net on top. This is the first time I have them in the sunroom area since we moved in July.

The 2 GPs are slowly warming up to us. On Sunday, I decided to open the side door to the garage and put 2 wood pallets over at entrance to block it off but they can hear more and see outside of the garage. They were leary at first but soon got over it and were content of the new setting. I bought 2 huge meat bones for soup making and let them have at it afterward. They were very happy gnawing at the bones. Skylette was barking at Rosie, telling her not to even attempt to look at the bone she has. Rosie picked up her own bone and Skylette was livid that Rosie picked a spot so close to her to gnaw on her bone. It was just hilarious to see both of them play, fight, and bark at each other.

Enjoy the cooler day everyone. I think it is supposed to get hot on Wednesday then cool off again.

 

[HEChicken]

Well HEChicken I wish I could tell you for certain those wheatens should be laying, but Ameraucanas are notorious for being slow to start laying & they're not regular layers like other breeds either. Yes they were hatched Feb. 20th & 21st this year. They kind of lay when they feel like it. They don't lay when they're molting, they don't like cold weather, so they aren't good winter layers, they're just tempermental. When they do lay they lay very pretty eggs, you just have to enjoy them when you do get them. I have some eggs in the incubator right now that I ordered to get some new blood in those. We'll see how many actually hatch since they were shipped eggs. I sure would have thought your Exchequers would have laid by now, how old are they? The leghorns usually lay really early.

The Ameraucanas sound like my Suzette, I got from Deerfield. She is an EE but very sporadic at laying. It seems like she lays for a few weeks, then takes a few months off, then comes back and lays for a few more weeks before repeating. Of course with her I know it because she lays green eggs, whereas I get so many brown eggs that if one of them took months off, I wouldn't even know it.

The Exchequers are only just 5 months. They hatched April 10th, so they really are only just old enough and I can forgive them not laying yet but I hope they start soon. Some of them have very red combs and I've even caught one checking out the nest boxes so it probably won't be long. Knowing me I'll be tempted to hatch some if they start up soon, even though I said I wouldn't.

 

[chicken danz]

So Tweety it sounds like my sexing didn't go so well. I am confused though. Did you get pekins and Anconas or pekins and cayugas?
I'm not getting anything done today. I still need to finish feeding.
My favorite peachick I had hatched this year is a purple pied white female. I found her out in the run just laying in a corner. I brought her in and can't find anything wrong with her. She isn't eating and drinking on her own and just sitting there. I gave her some pedialite with a dropper which she swollowed okay but she isn't drinking on her own. I will be so upset if I loose her. She was going to be my top hen in future years.
I got butternut squash and pumpkin cooked up and put in the freezer. I had enough pumpkin for about three nice sized pies. The butternut squash was kind of a mess. So I'll just mash it and make a caramel pie from it. They are to die for.
I guess I'd better drag my lazy butt back outside and finish up with the birds.

 

[SpooncreekJenn]

Danz- Squash bugs

I really dislike....Anyway I do an organic farm and neem only before bloom and not at all once fruit sets(Very strong smell and makes your product yucky). Don't waste your $$$ on stuff you can buy local it has to be 100% cold pressed neem oil but it does help! If you would like the safe route try Safer brand insectisidal soap you can only spray it on the bugs to kill on contact (do not spray on plants)...And Gunieas like to eat them also Speaking of that I need a couple don't you have those? If not do you know who does I think they have several colors?

 

[chicken danz]

Spoon creek I do have some guineas. I sold almost all my breeders when I was doing a downsize but hatched several from eggs I had already started. I could sell a couple of them. I have more than I really should winter over any way. I guess the Neem oil won't work well cause the plants are mature and covered with fruit. My garden is such a tangled mess I would never be able to get it on the plants before bloom. I have no idea why my guineas haven't gone to the garden. I do wish they would. I may have to just put a couple in there and hope they get to work.

 

[SpooncreekJenn]

Well let me know what you have age, kind, price and if you decide you what you want to sell my sister and niece have been to your place and mabey can convince my niece to bring them up for me on chicken transport Omg I forgot you had the speckled sussex hmmmm......

 

[Ralph Moyer]

So Tweety it sounds like my sexing didn't go so well. I am confused though. Did you get pekins and Anconas or pekins and cayugas?
I'm not getting anything done today. I still need to finish feeding.
My favorite peachick I had hatched this year is a purple pied white female. I found her out in the run just laying in a corner. I brought her in and can't find anything wrong with her. She isn't eating and drinking on her own and just sitting there. I gave her some pedialite with a dropper which she swollowed okay but she isn't drinking on her own. I will be so upset if I loose her. She was going to be my top hen in future years.
I got butternut squash and pumpkin cooked up and put in the freezer. I had enough pumpkin for about three nice sized pies. The butternut squash was kind of a mess. So I'll just mash it and make a caramel pie from it. They are to die for.
I guess I'd better drag my lazy butt back outside and finish up with the birds.

Danz, I only raise India Blue peafowl but it could be that your peachick could be grieving. Have you maybe separated it from a pen mate? Over the years of raising peafowl I have known this to happen.

 

[sarajoy]

Hi All - sorry to be missing in action for so long. Our move went "kind of " okay.
Mike's dad died the week we moved, and his mother (who has since been diagnosed with alzheimer's) was unable to live alone, so now lives with us. Its been a rather intense adjustment. With a bunch of other unforeseen problems.

At any rate, I have sixty some hens, the pullets had started laying well till season started to turn. Now the full growns (year olds) are molting, and the youngsters not laying as much. Still getting plenty for our use (we use a lot of eggs), but not to sell as I had hoped. I'm not going to use lights, even though I realize I might likely have eggs to sell that way. Just not what I want to do.

I have a question/favor to ask. I have a bantam light brahma hen, a year old, who has been broody for over a month. Her eggs were not fertile, so after the regular broody period I removed the eggs and replaced them with ping pong balls. But she won't give it up. I'm getting concerned about her health - she hardly leaves the nest at all, just a couple minutes to eat and drink and such, and then back she goes. I'm giving her bits of meat and vitamins. But still I'm concerned. So I'm wondering about the feasability of purchasing a day old chick and doing a switch for the ping pong balls during the night. Letting her have a chance at being "mom". I'm guessing that would end the broody. Has anyone tried this?

If it might work, I need a new hatched chick. Ideally it would be somewhere near me (66736) so it didn't need to be mailed. Especially as its getting cooler now.
So, if anyone in this area has some eggs about to hatch, write me and lets talk.
Thanks so much, Sara

 

[Frizzled Pink]

Thanks for all the responses. I really appreciate the help. I am definitely not going with those Highland Brown birds.

And yes Sharol, I would plan to add two or three birds. I guess that's how chicken math works, you loose one and add two back.

Danz - the CL link didn't post. Thanks for digging up the original link and looking at it.

ZigZag are you looking for specific breed or large fowl at point of lay?