Consolidated Kansas

[tweetybaby2005]

Hoot... so cold outside and dreary. I had to leave work to go to the Dr because of my sinus issue. As expected, I need antibiotics to clear the infection and steroid nasal spray. I think I've waited too long and had been fighting a losing battle. Oh well... I'll go pick up the meds on my way home.

Danz... no antiobiotics at all all his life? Wow! That's awesome! I never had much antiobiotics when I was a kid. Mom told us we couldn't afford to go to the doctor unless we were dying... (I'm sure she was joking but we were quite poor). We did run around with green noses and what not but eventually our bodies won the battle and got over the infection. I agree with you that doctors here really prescribe too much antibiotics at times. I don't take my kids in to see the doctors with every sneeze or cough they had either, only on a as-needed basis. Their pediatrician commented last year on their well child checks that they are as healthy as a bison! I laughed...

Trish, the Atwoods around here had the heated dog bowls on sale too... well... I think it was on sale because they had them all piled up high on the shelves with a huge sign on it. I got one as a spare. Just never know when 1 of mine will quit working.

Hechicken - where do you get your all flocks pellets? I'm interested to see if I can get them cheaper even if I've to drive a bit further to load up the truck. The weather outside is just coldddddd....brrrr...and the wind just keeps on blowing...

Josie - Only 1 dog came back. The neighbor up the street has 2 pups and they decide to hang out in our yard more than they are at home. The neighbor didn't even try to come look for them any more. I was just telling Hechicken that they are welcome to stay on my property as long as they don't bother my birds. One of the pups is more rowdy than the other though so I need to keep an eye on that one. One of these days I will need to phone that neighbor and see if they still want the pups or not. If not, I'll take them and get them to the vet for a thorough check up. Dh thinks they just don't want them any more since they bark a lot. LOL..

ashncarson, hope your bird gets better soon. I'm sure this cold weather doesn't help either.

*********************
It was interesting driving in to work this morning. I've to drive pass Jabara airport twice daily and this morning, there was this huge giant cargo plane sitting on the runway. I think that's the Dreamlifter that landed in the wrong airport. Of course this idiot in front of me (in a BMW) decided to stop in the middle of traffic and whipped out his phone to snap a picture. I almost ran into him because of the abrupt stop! Just plain stupid if you ask me. Then when we both rolled to a stop at the stop light, he was just texting away, sending the Dreamlifter picture he had just snapped on his phone. Grrr... people...

Time to get back to work. My lunch break is over. Stay warm everyone. I think the wintry mix will be here before long.

 

[chicken danz]

Danz-I feel like you asked about the depth on the open air coops a while back...anyways, I read a short book that was written in the 1920s I believe on open air coops and that was their recommended depth for a three sided shelter. Evidently it used to be how everyone kept their birds and then people started building box type coops. So far it has worked great and the birds seem very happy with their living quarters.
You know those old guys seemed to know a lot that got forgotten over the years. I do like the open coop concept and use it for the turkeys,geese, and the peafowl. I keep thinking about doing the same for the chickens but I really would like to have a place where the water doesn't automatically freeze. My healthiest birds stay in that old lean to on the old garage. It only has a north wall. They could go in the garage but they all prefer to stay outside. thinkiot m Anyway your post got to thinking and I am considering at least putting up some plastic or a tarp to make sure the wind is cut.
I am very far behind so sorry I just multied a few, I have read but not posted for a bit! Miss Amelia is getting her first tooth! It is the sharpest little thing I have ever felt, overall she seems to be in good spirits despite the possible discomfort, except at night when she has been waking up a lot more but I am sure it will be short lived.
Aw Poor little baby! When I see a baby cutting teeth I think how sore my own mouth gets with some thing small. Nothing is worth than mouth pain. I really miss that little cherub.

I want to see Lizzy's little Ethan as well. I wish she were closer. I think if I didn't have chickens I could just spend my life driving here and there playing pretend Grandma.
Tweety, nope my nephew has never had antibiotics. The only vaccinations he has had are those necessary to travel to the U.S. to and from Germany. He has dual citizenship although he has spent all but the first few years in the U.S. Any sickness he ever got was treated with an herbal tincture. They also have always eaten very healthy. Fresh fruits and veggies and lots of chicken and fish. He is in college right now so I am sure he isn't eating as healthy as he always did.
I haven't been outside yet today. We are down to 40 now with the rain continuing. Even though it isn't freezing yet I see a snow flake now and then. Spent the morning sorting out clothes and putting them away for DH. It will last until he gets dressed the next time.

 

[Trish44]

Hoot... so cold outside and dreary. I had to leave work to go to the Dr because of my sinus issue. As expected, I need antibiotics to clear the infection and steroid nasal spray. I think I've waited too long and had been fighting a losing battle. Oh well... I'll go pick up the meds on my way home.

Danz... no antiobiotics at all all his life? Wow! That's awesome! I never had much antiobiotics when I was a kid. Mom told us we couldn't afford to go to the doctor unless we were dying... (I'm sure she was joking but we were quite poor). We did run around with green noses and what not but eventually our bodies won the battle and got over the infection. I agree with you that doctors here really prescribe too much antibiotics at times. I don't take my kids in to see the doctors with every sneeze or cough they had either, only on a as-needed basis. Their pediatrician commented last year on their well child checks that they are as healthy as a bison! I laughed...

Trish, the Atwoods around here had the heated dog bowls on sale too... well... I think it was on sale because they had them all piled up high on the shelves with a huge sign on it. I got one as a spare. Just never know when 1 of mine will quit working.

Hechicken - where do you get your all flocks pellets? I'm interested to see if I can get them cheaper even if I've to drive a bit further to load up the truck. The weather outside is just coldddddd....brrrr...and the wind just keeps on blowing...

Josie - Only 1 dog came back. The neighbor up the street has 2 pups and they decide to hang out in our yard more than they are at home. The neighbor didn't even try to come look for them any more. I was just telling Hechicken that they are welcome to stay on my property as long as they don't bother my birds. One of the pups is more rowdy than the other though so I need to keep an eye on that one. One of these days I will need to phone that neighbor and see if they still want the pups or not. If not, I'll take them and get them to the vet for a thorough check up. Dh thinks they just don't want them any more since they bark a lot. LOL..

ashncarson, hope your bird gets better soon. I'm sure this cold weather doesn't help either.

*********************
It was interesting driving in to work this morning. I've to drive pass Jabara airport twice daily and this morning, there was this huge giant cargo plane sitting on the runway. I think that's the Dreamlifter that landed in the wrong airport. Of course this idiot in front of me (in a BMW) decided to stop in the middle of traffic and whipped out his phone to snap a picture. I almost ran into him because of the abrupt stop! Just plain stupid if you ask me. Then when we both rolled to a stop at the stop light, he was just texting away, sending the Dreamlifter picture he had just snapped on his phone. Grrr... people...

Time to get back to work. My lunch break is over. Stay warm everyone. I think the wintry mix will be here before long.

tweety, you were lucky you could even get near Jabara airport because after awhile when people heard about the stupid plane landing at the wrong place they all tried to rush there to see it so the police blocked off road so nobody else could get there. We were close by at Sam's Club & were listening to it all on the car radio on the way there. They lifted off & went to McConnel just as we were leaving Sam's to go eat lunch. How crazy is that to make that kind of mistake with that big of a plane, I'll be those guys are in big, big trouble. On the newspaper I read online they said they had to offload some of the fuel to be able to take off on such a short runway for that big of a plane. Jabara isn't set up for that size of monster plane for sure.

We just got back a bit ago from spending the day in Wichita & I dread going out there to take care of the birds, it was 30 when I came in, brrrrr! I've got to get out there before it gets any worse out. Stay warm everybody!

 

[chicken danz]

I just got back in the house. It sure takes me a long time to care for those birds. While I was out there I got DH to help me put a sheet of plywood up between the second and third peafowl pen. Some of the babies don't always get to stay inside so I figured it would help block the wind from the west. It's amazing how much difference that made. I plan to maybe put some more tin up later when I have time and am able to get some more. I need to put some along the bottom anyway to keep the males from bickering during breeding season. Not that any of those in the last pen will be old enough to breed next spring.
It just kept getting colder and colder out there.
I will need to go back out after while and put every one in their pens for the night. Most of the birds have gone to bed early anyway. They aren't happy about the weather at all.
We got the dog house moved back to the front yard from the RP turkey pen. We built them an A frame shelter like we did for the Bourbon Reds The dogs are already using it so that's a good sign. They like to sleep out front where they can watch what goes on better.

 

[ashncarson]

It just kept getting colder and colder out there.
I will need to go back out after while and put every one in their pens for the night. Most of the birds have gone to bed early anyway. They aren't happy about the weather at all.

Do chickens stay warmer if they are on a roost? The bedding is pine shaving. I want to put another roost lower, they have enough room, some of them just don't get up there!

 

[HEChicken]

Do chickens stay warmer if they are on a roost? The bedding is pine shaving. I want to put another roost lower, they have enough room, some of them just don't get up there!

If there is enough room for them on the higher roost, I wouldn't worry about adding a lower one, as they probably won't use it. They typically like to roost as high as they can get, so if roosts are at multiple levels, they'll all vie to be on the top one anyway. They are able to stay plenty warm on a roost but I think some just have a personal preference for sleeping on the floor. I have several sleeping on the floor at the moment even though there is tons of roost space for them. Some are juveniles who haven't migrated up to the roosts yet, but one is an older hen who used to always roost and just recently decided to start sleeping on the floor. Who knows!

 

[chicken danz]

If they are young they may prefer to stay on the ground. I wouldn't worry about it. They will do what makes them the most comfortable.

 

[Trish44]

BRRRRR! I really bundled up to go out to do chores this evening, I had my down overalls on that were given to me last winter with a pair of Tom's wool socks & my down coat & then some wool gloves. I need to get some more of those gloves like you got Danz, what kind were they? My hands get so cold & I'm not supposed to have them overly cold due to having Raynaud's & they hurt really bad anyway with arthritis. Anyway, I was fairly cozy out there other than my face. I managed to get all the birds fed & took two last loads of trash to the pile that is going to the dump. I have most everything picked up now in the garage other than a tub I need to go through & a few things I need to bring in the house that I plan to try to sell. Tomorrow I should have it all cleaned out enough for my DH to get his car in there, that will make him extremely happy. He took the old truck to work tonight because of the ice we were supposed to get, which so far I have not seen. That's OK if we don't get it, I would much rather have snow than freezing rain any day. Well I just looked at the weather & it's supposed to get here after midnight & then tomorrow with rain & snow mixed later in the day, yuck! I really hate this kind of weather, I would love to be somewhere where I don't have to wear a heavy coat ever.

 

[HEChicken]

Coveralls. That's what I need! I've never had any but this year I may get some - for the first time I really feel like I need them.

Trish, you're lucky you haven't had freezing rain yet. We already had some this afternoon and I almost couldn't get into the feed room end of my coop when I went to do evening chores this evening. In fact, I'm so worried I won't be able to get in there in the morning that I pulled the goat/sheep ration of grain and brought it up to the house. I fill the chicken feeder in the evening anyway so by having the goat and sheep feed already pulled, I won't need to get in tomorrow morning so it won't matter if I'm frozen out.

Everyone was in the coop way early this evening and I had completed evening chores about 45 minutes earlier than usual. I guess it felt good to them to get in out of that cold north wind, too.

 

[22qZoo]

Hmm... We have ice on everything . Oh joy. Birds are cozy tho, got all of the outside yard stuff done yesterday and today. Having company come for Thanksgiving is making us get a lot done, like- today was trash day, so while the rest of the family was gone I made a pretty good haul to the end of the driveway. (What they don't know won't hurt them).DH's family would hate to think we were going out of our way for them but it truly is a good motivator .
One of the diva weather guys made his winter weather "forecast ". He seems to think that it will be wetter than normal with a couple of arctic blasts, maybe even an ice storm. Apparently he needed his own half hour show to share that info.