Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

That makes sense, HEChicken. I hate penning my birds and still have most of my egg layers free ranging all day. It's just when you invest so much to breed expensive birds you can't let them run all over. It was much simpler when I had a mixed flock and didn't worry about them interbreeding.
KSKingBee be sure and let us know what is available for worming. It wouldn't hurt to worm them for tapeworm regardless. I do worm all the birds on a regular basis anyway but nothing I've used kills tapeworm. I just can't imagine having to worm each individual bird one at a time though. That would be a major job.
Just got back from taking our old cat to the vet for a shot. I hope this helps her. She is 17 and in very poor health. Thanks to JosieChick for helping me deal with this problem. It's sometimes a God send to have someone who listens and understands.

Meanwhile I discovered I have another case of the shingles. I wondered why I was feeling so lousy. Every time I get them I run a low grade fever and just generally feel like crap. I'm just got a call back from the doctor's office telling me they've got a prescription called in for me. I need to run to town again in a little bit to pick it up.
It sucks to be old!
Yeah Trish you mentioned March and to me that has always been the time to plant peas and potatoes. I quit planting peas when I decided how much work it was to shell them compared to buying a bag of frozen ones! I would love to grow some potatoes though.

 

[sharol]

Yeah Trish you mentioned March and to me that has always been the time to plant peas and potatoes. I quit planting peas when I decided how much work it was to shell them compared to buying a bag of frozen ones! I would love to grow some potatoes though.

That's why I plant Snap peas. (just the original Sugar Snaps) Everyone picks them too soon. You have to wait til they are fat and about the size of your little finger or even larger. Then the whole pea tastes as sweet as just the seeds in a regular pea. We love them. We get crops about 3 out of 4 years. If it gets really hot really early, or we have a late freeze, they just don't perform. I try to get them in the ground by the end of March. last year I actually covered them up a couple of nights, but we got a bumper crop and I even had enough to freeze. They are the main reason I keep a garden.

yeah, this getting old is not for sissies.

 

[chicken danz]

Sharol I have planted sugar snap peas for close to 40 years...when I plant them. I even like to eat them raw cause they are so sweet. I guess these old arthritic fingers of mine just don't handle that stuff very well any more. Last year I planted Limas cause I love them and they were even worse than peas. When I lived in OKC we planted our sugar snap peas in January and it usually snowed on them then they would come up like gangbusters. We never covered them. Of course our spring runs about 6 weeks later than theirs. So planting early to mid March would be about the same here.
How are you feeling today anyway? Better?
Maybe thinking about a garden will make spring come sooner.

 

[tweetybaby2005]

I've had bad luck lately. I went to the Dr on Tuesday thinking they can fix a minor issue. Turned out to become a major one. I was bleeding out bad and the Dr wasn't able to stop it. The entire office was all of a sudden in a whirlwind pace. They had to wheel me across to the hospital (the Dr's office is just across from Wesley Medical Center) to get emergency surgery. The entire process (from Dr's office to the operating room) only took less than 30 minutes... talking about fast! I was really scared since I didn't expect to have surgery at all and I was in the Dr's office all by myself. I'm home now and recovering. Feeling really exhausted. I'm on a weight restriction of 5 lbs... can't even lift a gallon of milk! I'm on this restriction for at least 6 to 8 weeks. My husband and son are going to China during Spring break so this makes taking care of the chickens difficult. Oh well... I will solicit my nephew's help in this case.

I saw that Hechicken's dogs got skunked. Mine did... twice in the last 2.5 months. Just glad that they are outside dogs. Other than that, they are pretty happy with this crummy cold weather.

Sharol... sorry you are under the weather. I'm sure the cold weather really doesn't help either. Hope you get to feeling better soon.

KKB, happy to see that you found out what's wrong with your turkey. Hope you can give her another dose of the meds and the tapeworms will be gone so your bird can get healthier.

Danz... fire up another incubators? Wow... You and Trish are really "firing up" for Spring chicks. Speaking of chicks... I saw them little chicks in Atwoods. Not sure if I mentioned it here before or not but they do not take good care of their chicks! I get upset every time I see those little fuzzy butts in there, dying or dead. Sigh...

Trish ... glad your shipped eggs arrived safe and sound. Was hoping they won't be frozen out there in this next cold blast that's coming tonight. Now that TSC moved to Augusta, it sure is out of my way to go to that store any more. I need to write down a list of items I need from TSC before I make a special trip out there. I think there is one on West side of town but that's not close to me either.

I am beginning to wonder if Spring will be here soon. The thought of sending the groundhog a hate mail did cross my mind. I really do like cold weather but NOT this cold and NOT this long.... I am so ready for Spring.

Stay warm everyone. I hope this is the last cold blast (I think I've said this twice already) we have and Spring will be upon us before we know it.

 

[sunflowerparrot]

I got a phone call from our local newspaper wanting to do an article on my trip to meet my birthmom/family for the first time in Florida... I was shocked that it would be newsworthy - but she said they love "feel good" stories

I'm debating on buying an automatic hen door for my coop. When I was gone, I just left it open all the time and the dogs did a great job keeping the chickens safe. My breeder says not much will get past 2 GPs. But still...

 

[sharol]

Sharol I have planted sugar snap peas for close to 40 years...when I plant them. I even like to eat them raw cause they are so sweet. I guess these old arthritic fingers of mine just don't handle that stuff very well any more. Last year I planted Limas cause I love them and they were even worse than peas. When I lived in OKC we planted our sugar snap peas in January and it usually snowed on them then they would come up like gangbusters. We never covered them. Of course our spring runs about 6 weeks later than theirs. So planting early to mid March would be about the same here.
How are you feeling today anyway? Better?
Maybe thinking about a garden will make spring come sooner.

I got to thinking about it, and I think the first year I planted them was around '78. My daughter (now 38) was 2 or 3.

I finally broke down and took some Sudafed and Advil, and feel a lot more human. It may be a false sense of well-being though. It is the cough that is driving me nuts. It is following on the heels of asthma problems, so that cough just continues the problem. I tried to nap with no success, so that is an improvement over the 18 hours I slept yesterday.

Let's just hope. When I can get to Bluestem, I'll buy snap pea seeds, and if I can get to the indoor farmer's market tomorrow, I'm going to see if the lady with the organic, heritage tomato seeds is there. I should have gotten them back in October, and I didn't. Give spring a little encouragement.

 

[sharol]

I've had bad luck lately. I went to the Dr on Tuesday thinking they can fix a minor issue. Turned out to become a major one. I was bleeding out bad and the Dr wasn't able to stop it. The entire office was all of a sudden in a whirlwind pace. They had to wheel me across to the hospital (the Dr's office is just across from Wesley Medical Center) to get emergency surgery. The entire process (from Dr's office to the operating room) only took less than 30 minutes... talking about fast! I was really scared since I didn't expect to have surgery at all and I was in the Dr's office all by myself. I'm home now and recovering. Feeling really exhausted. I'm on a weight restriction of 5 lbs... can't even lift a gallon of milk! I'm on this restriction for at least 6 to 8 weeks. My husband and son are going to China during Spring break so this makes taking care of the chickens difficult. Oh well... I will solicit my nephew's help in this case.

It is a good thing you were in the office at the time. I shudder to think what would have happened if you had put it off over the weekend. Glad you are healing. That 5lb restriction will be hard to follow. You will have to buy your milk in half gallons ;-)

 

[chicken danz]

OH Tweety I am glad you are okay. Its so good that you went to the doctor when you did. Please take it easy and get well. I was thinking I had had just a terrible day until I read your post and now mine doesn't seem half as bad. If I was close I'd certainly offer to care for your birds. Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.
I was out feeding after I got home from getting my prescription and my red golden pheasant male was just standing there. I bent over and picked him up. These are pretty tame pheasants but you can't just pick them up. I wasn't even sure what was wrong with him other than he seemed to be almost dead, eyes closed and not fighting at all. I brought him in and flushed his nostrils and it was obvious he was very congested. I put some vet Rx on his beak and gave him a tylan shot. Then I took a mixture of safeguard wormer,tylan, water and sugar and gave him a dose with the syringe down the throat. I hooked up a heat lamp so he could stay warm. When I got done he was up moving around and seemed much better. I think he was just so congested that he couldn't breath. I hadn't noticed him or the other pheasants being sick at all. I hope he pulls through. I got $160 out of one just like him and one female last fall. It's not the value as much as I really enjoy them because they are beautiful. If he dies I doubt that I will keep the girls. He is one I hatched from an egg and raised him. Another one might not be as calm around me.

 

[Trish44]

I've had bad luck lately. I went to the Dr on Tuesday thinking they can fix a minor issue. Turned out to become a major one. I was bleeding out bad and the Dr wasn't able to stop it. The entire office was all of a sudden in a whirlwind pace. They had to wheel me across to the hospital (the Dr's office is just across from Wesley Medical Center) to get emergency surgery. The entire process (from Dr's office to the operating room) only took less than 30 minutes... talking about fast! I was really scared since I didn't expect to have surgery at all and I was in the Dr's office all by myself. I'm home now and recovering. Feeling really exhausted. I'm on a weight restriction of 5 lbs... can't even lift a gallon of milk! I'm on this restriction for at least 6 to 8 weeks. My husband and son are going to China during Spring break so this makes taking care of the chickens difficult. Oh well... I will solicit my nephew's help in this case.

I'm so glad you're OK, wow what a scary day! Yeah following that weight restriction is going to be difficult, I hope you can get some help with the chicken chores. If I lived closer I would come help.

I saw that Hechicken's dogs got skunked. Mine did... twice in the last 2.5 months. Just glad that they are outside dogs. Other than that, they are pretty happy with this crummy cold weather.

It has to be the season for it, a lot of our dogs have gotten sprayed lately. Yeah I'm glad they're outside too! I kept seeing dead skunks on the side of the road coming back this afternoon.

Sharol... sorry you are under the weather. I'm sure the cold weather really doesn't help either. Hope you get to feeling better soon.



KKB, happy to see that you found out what's wrong with your turkey. Hope you can give her another dose of the meds and the tapeworms will be gone so your bird can get healthier.



Danz... fire up another incubators? Wow... You and Trish are really "firing up" for Spring chicks. Speaking of chicks... I saw them little chicks in Atwoods. Not sure if I mentioned it here before or not but they do not take good care of their chicks! I get upset every time I see those little fuzzy butts in there, dying or dead. Sigh...

Yeah I have one more tray of eggs to get into the incubator this evening & then I think my incubator is full for now. I stopped at Atwoods in Derby on the way back today & I did peek at the chicks, ducks, & turkeys they had. They didn't even have anything interesting at all that I was even tempted by. The same was true for TSC yesterday, they just didn't have much. Not that I need any chicks because I sure don't, but I have to look at them anyway.

Trish ... glad your shipped eggs arrived safe and sound. Was hoping they won't be frozen out there in this next cold blast that's coming tonight. Now that TSC moved to Augusta, it sure is out of my way to go to that store any more. I need to write down a list of items I need from TSC before I make a special trip out there. I think there is one on West side of town but that's not close to me either.

I don't have to worry about the eggs now, they're all here & will be safe & sound in my incubator by this evening. I only have one set of 7 week old heritage RIR chicks that are out in a pen in the main run. There are tarps over the top & all around the pen so the wind is blocked off. I went out this evening & put a heat lamp in there just in case they need it with this darned cold coming. I sure would hate to lose them now, they've been doing so well. I sold the two extra cockerels from that group today to the lady I got my peahens from. She just wanted them so she could have fertile eggs to sell.

I am beginning to wonder if Spring will be here soon. The thought of sending the groundhog a hate mail did cross my mind. I really do like cold weather but NOT this cold and NOT this long.... I am so ready for Spring.

I agree, I think everyone is so ready for spring this year. It would just be our luck too if spring finally gets here & then it gets hot too early. I want to enjoy the spring, I love it when everything is just budding out & getting green & it's just nice outside, not too hot, not too cold.

Stay warm everyone. I hope this is the last cold blast (I think I've said this twice already) we have and Spring will be upon us before we know it.

Well I finally made it to Yoder today to pick up my two peahens. They had quite a day today with the 3 hour ride they had to get to Yoder & then another hour & a half plus time for me to stop at Atwoods. I know they were relieved to get out of the boxes they were in & stretch their legs. I didn't stay for the auction because it was still 2 1/2 hours till it started & it would have been past dark by the time I got home & that wouldn't have been fun trying to get two peahens out in the dark. There were people starting to come & line up even at 1:00 in the afternoon for the 4:00 auction. It was kind of chilly out there to stand out there that long too.

 

[Trish44]

I just saw this video, I think it's a cheap way to add nest boxes for places you need more, interesting ideas.