Consolidated Kansas

[HEChicken]

Sharol - thank you so much! That energy vibe you sent me worked and I got a ton done outside. I got my water barrel emptied and put away for the winter. I couldn't do it before that last cold snap because it was too full, so I had to hope that the freeze didn't hurt it and it seems to have done okay but this time the level was low enough I was able to get it emptied and put away. Then I emptied the sheep's water tank. It was almost empty before we left and I left instructions for the critter sitter to just keep the heated water bucket full but instead I came back to a full water tank. Grrr. Even with 8 animals drinking from it, the level takes a LONG time to go down so I had to empty it one bucket at a time until the level was low enough to dump the rest. I didn't want that many gallons of water making a muddy, icy mess so I hauled each bucket to the lagoon to throw it in, which increased the workload. Then I got a hose put away that I only use in the warm months to fill the duck wading pool and the water barrel. So I feel pretty good about getting all of that done, and although I'm not looking forward to the cold weather, I feel much better prepared for it now.

 

[lizzyGSR]

Today has been a really good day to stay inside. I am so happy that my DH was off today! He did chores this morning and again this evening so Ethan and I wouldn't have to go outside. It is downright frigid out there! We barely got to 20*F today and didn't stay there very long. We are in a wind chill advisory for tonight, with wind chills forecasted to get down to 15 to 25 degrees below zero. Yuck! This is one of those times that I wish I could bring ALL of the animals inside. Needless to say, that isn't going to happen. The birds and the horses both have buildings that they can go in to get out of the wind. My husband lets his dog inside when it gets insanely cold out.

A couple months ago, my husband finished working on the duck run. He got the chicken wire put on the top, the tin put on around the outside along the bottom, and some welded wire put on the bottom 3 feet of the sides. This weather makes me thankful that we decided to put the tin on the run as it offers that much more protection from the wind.

 

[chicken danz]

I stayed busy all day but the birds got cheated. I only fed the ones in the brooder. I know it will be colder tomorrow. But maybe they'll clean up some of the extra food out there. I'll just make it a point to go out earlier tomorrow morning and get them all fed and watered and checked on again. I was trying to do some things around the house and of course I took 100 times longer than I planned. I managed to break one of my favorite lamps just moved it wrong and it was history. It was a stained glass one that had tall legs on it so it stood high on the table. So now I have another one in there and the colors are all wrong for my room but it will have to do. I don't use the lamps often but they make things look a little nicer.
I had the fireplace going in there too which made it nice and warm. It's a gas one so it's not very cost effective but that room is on the north and it sure warms it up in there. I was trying to get some cleaning done so I could set up the Christmas tree. I still didn't get it in the house.
I did get about 3 dozen eggs set today. Some of them were getting kind of old so they may not develop. It's all birds I have people potentially wanting. They of course are due on Christmas day.

 

[HEChicken]

I've decided to promote some of my birds to weather forecasters. There are some determined birds that like to roost outside and each evening I have to go and round them up and make them go into the coop for their own safety. Tonight I went down to do the lock up and every one of them was in the coop. It isn't as cold - yet - as we've had this year, but apparently they know it is going to get VERY cold and they all decided to go in. I really wish I could let them do their own thing every night, but I really worry about turkeys roosting outside, knowing there is a fox out and about. It would devastate me to lose one that way, so every night I have to lift them down and force them to go in.

I got our Christmas tree brought up and discovered we were rather brilliant last year and left the lights on it, so I was able to put it in position, plug it in, and it already looks pretty, even though we haven't decorated yet.

 

[chicken danz]

That's why I've had a prelit tree for several years. Sometimes I would like to change the light colors but I get by as is. I do have some rainfall lights I wanted to try on it this year. I think they are awesome. If they don't work I may hang them in the window cause I spent a ton on them last year.
I'm kind of anxious to get the tree up this year although it's usually about the 23rd or the 24th before it gets done. Last year I just didn't bother. I wish it didn't take so much floor space. But those skinny trees look pretty lame.

 

[22qZoo]

I put our tree up today too! HeChicken - I did the same thing, I must have been really over it last year when I put it away, cuz apperantly I just set it in a clean trash can, put a big trash bag over the top, taped it shut and put it out in the loft. Went up just about as easy as the Grinch could take it down. A little fluffing, some re-arranging of a few lights and ta-da! My daughter can put the ornaments on , as long as visually the shape and lights are balanced the rest of it can be kind-of willy nilly.

 

[Trish44]

You all talking about Christmas trees & I haven't even thought of getting mine out yet. I don't have room in my sunroom for the big tree with a brooder in there & two incubators, so I guess I'm just going to put up my little tree maybe on top of the incubators. If I push them right together & put a shirt over them maybe that will make a good stand for them for now. That is until I decide to incubate eggs again. Oh the life of a chicken farmer! I know no way I can get these chicks out of here any time soon, they're too young & it's too cold out there now, so I think we're stuck with them in here till they get too big for the brooder. At least I only have one brooder in here now instead of two, the other one made it back to the garage.

HEChicken, it sounds like you really got some major things accomplished today. All I got done was to do my regular chores & brought up one more wheelbarrow load of leaves to put in a makeshift shelter I threw together in case the cats or dogs wanted to get under it in really bad weather. They have the truck toppers to get under with the hay & the cats do get in there, but I can't leave it open enough for the dogs really without the goats getting in there & having a feast on the hay, which would be a bad thing. I just made something out of some old pallets we had around here that didn't get used for other things. They have been sitting out by the garage for years, so today I thought I would just make a little thing next to one of the toppers & put the leftover pieces of tin on top for a roof. The dogs rarely get in anything at all, in fact they usually lay out in the snow & play in it. There has only been one or two times in the two years I've had them that I've seen them get in anywhere.

sharol, send me some of that energy too, I need some to get my house cleaned up, I'm having trouble getting motivated.

 

[ashncarson]

I have a local friend who wrapped her tree in saran wrap, oranaments and all! http://4littlefergusons.wordpress.com/tag/can-you-saran-wrap-your-christmas-tree/ It works great for her! We have to have a fake one since we figured out that a real tree was causing my husband to get sick each holiday season!

I finally got the Tylan in the mail today and gave the chicken some with a piece of bread, hope it works, she looks good, acts fine but still has a runny nose. Since she has been in for a week now, will she have trouble adjusting to going back outside with the temps as low as they are?

Also, anyone here do Christmas lights? My husband is into those animated light shows and our house blinks to music!

 

[Trish44]

I used to put up lights at my other house, but here nobody can see them anyway with how our house is situated. When I first moved here I put them up just for me, but it's just too much work when I'm the only one that sees them. I haven't gotten into the spirit of decorating for Christmas for several years, maybe I will try to do some this year. My DH who never cares whether we have a tree up or not actually asked me if we were putting up one this year. He never does help with it, so I was surprised he even asked me that.

 

[OkieQueenBee]

Just one more day like yesterday, and then one more, one more and then winter could be over. Wish.....
We got another load of honey pulled, but KKB is feeling under the weather so we didn't get as much pulled as we should have. But, I did get the brooder pen cleaned and added some leaves to the tweener and chicken pens. Thought about getting the Christmas tree out of the barn, but it was buried beneath all the other Christmas stuff. KKB has a lot of decorations, if I can just get myself back in the Christmas spirit.
Today was just cold. When I woke up this morning I noticed that we had left the shop door open and that is where the chicken feed is stored. I have them on medicated feed now (because of the foamy eye, runny nose), so they aren't happy and I was afraid that they would be having a free for all. So I ran out at 7:30, just knew the whole flock would be in there, but no, they were still in the coop where it was warm. I went ahead and fed and watered while I was out there, and then hurried back to bed.
But then things got worse...my friend in OK went out to my place to check on my hives and discovered that my trailer had been broken into. Whoever couldn't get the door opened so they broke out a window. Nothing in there worth stealing but they took the new oil heater that I had. So now I gotta figure out how to get the window replaced and hopefully they didn't mess the door up. Just always, one more thing.
Hopefully tomorrow won't bring any bad news and I will have some of that energy and get my house clean enough to be in the Christmas spirit.