Consolidated Kansas

[KsKingBee]

Quote:
What was even funnier is that once I got dressed and the Gator out to go find the coyote, I had barely gotten out of the garage and all the guineas came running up to me and in their excited squawking they were telling me the whole story. "We were scared!, We were scared!, He was big! He was big! We're safe! We're safe!, Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Even though the coyote looked small he was a chunk. He was probably 30 pounds, had been eating well, and a beautiful coat. I am hoping that we have not contributed too much to its well being before its final demise. Now, to continue our ever vigilant quest.

The other night around 2 am the guineas woke us up. I got out the night scoped rifle but the only thing I could see was a skunk about a hundred yards away and a few deer out even farther. Those little guys are good watchdogs! My main concern is badgers which is why I buried the wire around the pen almost a foot deep.

 

[HEChicken]

We candled some eggs last night and we could see veins growing in the majority of them. These are eggs from our hens so most will be mutts. The eggs were laid while they were drinking medicated water. About 1/3 of the eggs (from the same hen?) had this speckled look that is only noticeable with the candling light.

What you are seeing is porosity (i.e., the egg is too porous). Generally these eggs don't hatch well. They will start to develop but the fetus will die before it hatches. I'm not sure what contributes to porosity - I've had a few and it seems like they are generally from the older hens but I don't think its a hard a fast rule.

Even though the coyote looked small he was a chunk. He was probably 30 pounds, had been eating well, and a beautiful coat. I am hoping that we have not contributed too much to its well being before its final demise. Now, to continue our ever vigilant quest.

It seems like maybe word gets around when one is eliminated and the rest don't dare to come around - at least for awhile. I hope that is the case for you.

Chewill - so funny but I am the same - have always preferred the larger dogs. That's why this is so strange for me that for the first time in my life I'm considering a small one. But with all the considerations raised, I think I'm going to put this on the back burner for awhile....if, in a couple of months, I still feel like its a good choice, then I'll start looking more seriously.

 

[chicken danz]

We candled some eggs last night and we could see veins growing in the majority of them. These are eggs from our hens so most will be mutts. The eggs were laid while they were drinking medicated water. About 1/3 of the eggs (from the same hen?) had this speckled look that is only noticeable with the candling light.

Our major accomplishment yesterday was getting the brooder portion of the new house functionable. We moved the 5 week old chicks that we got from Heartland hatchery in last night.

In this mix is Blue laced red wyandottes, Buff Orps, Welsummers, and Easter Eggers.

Today DH will make the other doors and we will put wire on, since we are still waiting on the tin to come in. Plan on moving the larger peafowl in there to get them off the ground. And hopefully, I will be able to cobble together a duck house before the rain. Hoop coop, yeah it's still on my list....
Oh, and I've got more babies to move around in the nursery. How did we get so many chickens?

You guys have been busy!!!

What was even funnier is that once I got dressed and the Gator out to go find the coyote, I had barely gotten out of the garage and all the guineas came running up to me and in their excited squawking they were telling me the whole story. "We were scared!, We were scared!, He was big! He was big! We're safe! We're safe!, Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Even though the coyote looked small he was a chunk. He was probably 30 pounds, had been eating well, and a beautiful coat. I am hoping that we have not contributed too much to its well being before its final demise. Now, to continue our ever vigilant quest.

The other night around 2 am the guineas woke us up. I got out the night scoped rifle but the only thing I could see was a skunk about a hundred yards away and a few deer out even farther. Those little guys are good watchdogs! My main concern is badgers which is why I buried the wire around the pen almost a foot deep.

Hope you shot that skunk. They will eat chicks and eggs.
Yeah those guineas are quite the conversationalist! When I put those in the garden the other day they kept saying, "Get me out! Get me out! "
I was over looking at a friend's new house they are building last night and they had added a nice little A frame coop for their ducks. All it was was a simple little framework with plywood on both side and a piece on the back. Just enough to give them some shelter from the elements. I have floors in my two larger duck houses but there is no floor in the one I use to raise ducklings outside. It just has a heat lamp suspended for colder weather. Speaking of which I need to move the pen and that shelter once again and get some of these ducklings out of here. I have a handful of recent hatchlings in the basement in a stock tank and I am so over it.
I am torn between working outside and trying to clean house today. I should probably clean since DH will be off the next couple days and I just can't clean with him around. Sure hate to though. I have turned into a royal slob. I would just die if anyone saw my mess.
Of course the yard is equally as bad. Stuff is just thrown every where. I'm feeling the effects of the incoming cool front already. My joints and muscles are throbbing. I'd just rather sit and tinker today.
I am definitely a big dog person. I want a dog that can work and serve a purpose. And even though they are monsters they can be too cuddly! Nothing like having a 103 pound baby sit in your lap!!!

 

[lizzyGSR]

OH, MY. GOSH. You guys blow me away! My hubby just got back from getting the mail, and he came bringing me a big box. I was surprised to see such a big box and was trying to figure out who it was from. I opened it up and, there on top, is a card from you guys! I am sitting here completely surprised and blinking back tears! Thank you guys so much!!!

 

[sharol]

I thought I'd post current pictures of my broody BO, Marlena and her 3 (not so little) chicks. These guys are 10 weeks + old.

Marlena and all 3 babies (an ee in the background). She is a fair bit closer to the camera, so the sizes aren't as obvious.


This is the assumed pullet with the pink comb.


The chick to the rear is the largest of the 3 and I'm assuming he is a cockerel.


This is the presumed pullet with the dark gray comb.

 

[HEChicken]

Sharol, they are looking really good. Marlena looks beautiful too, and very content with motherhood.

I turned off my incubator last night and moved the last hatched chicks of the year under a hen. She got her chick on Saturday but thankfully was willing to adopt these last chicks so I don't have to raise them myself. Then just now I went out to the coop to discover that a duck has decided to go broody again. In October. What on earth is she thinking? She has already brooded twice this year and raised ducklings on both occasions so I know she's a good sitter and mother. I have 9 eggs here that I've collected as she has laid them the past 9 days. No doubt she is sitting on one but since I've had such terrible contamination issues with the ducks brooding, I may have to turn my incubator back on and hatch out these 9 eggs of hers to ensure she gets something to raise. Muscovies take 5 weeks to incubate though, so that takes us well into November - far later than I really wanted to be having babies hatching. Sigh. I have my incubators upstairs doing a thorough clean out of them too, in preparation for putting them away in storage for the winter.....

 

[lizzyGSR]

This isn't exactly chicken related, but I thought you guys might know the answer. My DH and I have been finding these little "worm" type things in random places around the house. We would like to know what they are. Can anyone help us out by identifying these little things? I know the picture isn't the clearest, but hopefully you can identify it any way.

 

[sharol]

This isn't exactly chicken related, but I thought you guys might know the answer. My DH and I have been finding these little "worm" type things in random places around the house. We would like to know what they are. Can anyone help us out by identifying these little things? I know the picture isn't the clearest, but hopefully you can identify it any way.

 

[lizzyGSR]

This isn't exactly chicken related, but I thought you guys might know the answer. My DH and I have been finding these little "worm" type things in random places around the house. We would like to know what they are. Can anyone help us out by identifying these little things? I know the picture isn't the clearest, but hopefully you can identify it any way.

These "worms" are only about 1/4" in length. A friend suggested that they could be Meal Moth Larvae. That would make sense because we've been seeing LOTS of little tiny moths around the house. I guess it is time to go looking for whatever it is that they are feeding off of.... Time to go check the flour, oatmeal, sugar, etc.


The wind has picked up quite a bit here today. We are in a high wind warning for today with sustained winds forecasted to be 40+ mph and gusts forecasted to be 60+ mph. The high is only supposed to be 55, but we are at 51* and the temps have started falling already. There is a possibility of the first frost of the season tonight. Definitely feels like winter! Hope my birds don't blow away!

 

[chicken danz]

Yes that makes sense, Lizzy. I freeze any kind of meal or flour or mixes I get for three days before I put them in the cabinet because of those things. They often have eggs in the flour and then hatch when they sit in the bag or box for a while. The same moths will eat holes in clothing. They are disgusting. I recently found an old box of crackers full of them that I hadn't frozen. Somewhere you may have some cereal or flour or a cake mix where they have hatched. I got invaded by them when I had some wild bird feed stored inside.
That reminds me I really need to spray my house. I noticed yesterday I have little cobwebs and tiny spiders here and there. Where do these things come from??
Sharol I think you are spot on with sexes. Those birds are turning out really pretty. They are really big for their age.
Heather my spring ducks are now starting to lay. I am trying to gather all the eggs for eating. I am so done with hatching ducks for a while. I have some babies I need to get moved to an outside pen and several more juveniles I need to sell. I should butcher some more boys but I really don't have a day to set aside for that.
The wind is blowing crazy here as well. Lizzy I saw you might even get some freezing temps tonight according to our local weather. We are supposed to get down to the 30's tomorrow evening. I hate that because I want to move some young birds out of the brooder. Talk about a temperature shock.
Yesterday I got a big storage locker put together and set outside the gate for packages. I had a truck box out there but my mailman suggested it might not be big enough for some things. Sure hope the wind doesn't take off with it!! I want to paint a sign on it but I can't paint in this wind.