Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

tweety, I'm sorry to hear about your co-workers, that's hard, hugs coming your way. Rainy weather affects my sinuses too, I always feel stuffy & headachy. It's so dark & dreary here today that we both overslept because the room was so dark. It was a good morning to sleep in anyway. I'm not looking forward to having to deal with all of the mud getting to the birds today. I know we need the rain, but it seems like when we do get it it's all at once instead of spreading it out.

I spent all afternoon till time to feed yesterday afternoon changing two panels around on my BR pen, putting boards on top for support of the shade cloth, moving things around in there, & putting up a new roost for them. I'm sure glad I got that done. Now I can put up my other pen that has been sitting there to go up next to it. I'm telling myself it's the last pen I'm putting up, we'll see. I have Jubilee Orpington chicks growing out so when they get big enough they will go out into the growout pen & then transition into their own pen. I only have one big rooster by himself right now to go with them. I hope I have mostly girls in the brooder. I also have Mottled Orps growing out as well.

tarabella, I'm glad your broody hen accepted the chicks, that had to be a relief.

Prairie Fleur, you may have to segregate your GP pup from your birds when you can't watch him. Maybe only let him out with them when you're watching & put him in a pen when you can't. Some have used shock collars, but the problem with that is they have such thick fur it's sometimes not effective for them. I know JosieChick uses underground fence with hers & she is going through the teenage faze with hers at the moment. It can be frustrating to get them through puppy & teenage stages, believe me I know, I had two at once. But once you get them through that & mature they are wonderful dogs & do a great job. It just seems like a long time to have to deal with things, but it's an investment in time & money to get them where you want them. You have to be very firm with them because they were bred to go out into the mountains & watch over animals pretty much alone. However, they are very sensitive dogs & don't like to be scolded & they do want to please you. Hang in there because in the end it will be worth it. Those of us who have these dogs know how valuable they are to the safety of our birds & livestock.

 

[HEChicken]

Tweety, so sorry to hear about your co-workers - what awful news for both of them.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Sounds as if lots of people are having it rough right now. Hugs for everyone who needs one

.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

Thanks for all the info and advice everyone. I noticed that he started killing chickens after I moved on of my ND does and her kid to the back of our place after having them by the chickens. He'd been spending a lot of time with them and then I moved them. Today I took him out to where all the goats were and left him there. He's spent several hours out there now. I'm hoping he'll get the idea that he can go hang out with the goats if he wants to and that he doesn't have to just stay by the shop/barn. I walked around the back of our place hopefully showing him that he can go back there and I'm ok with that. I've left my chicks penned up for the day but my hens are out.

 

[chicken danz]

Well HEChicken the soap plugs the openings in a bug where water does not. If we could kill bugs with water I am sure that is what every one would use. The openings are actually on the insects abdomen so soaking what they are walking on would work better than just lightly spraying it on their backs.
I honestly think that some people over think training their GPs. Simple exposure and discipline works the best in my books. There are many schools of thought on this. But in this picture one of the dogs is only about 7 months old. I expose my dogs to chickens from day one.



As you can see there's no fear in these birds of the dogs. In fact I have often seen one or two sleeping on the dogs' backs when it's been chilly out. (this is an old picture. This is Cloud when she was young. She is actually a sister to your dog's mother, PrairieFleur. Unfortunately she was shot and killed by a creep doing it just for sport.
I had to get up early today for an appointment in Topeka. It has rained all day without stopping. It's pretty bad when even the ducks and geese are trying to find a dry spot.

 

[HEChicken]

Well HEChicken the soap plugs the openings in a bug where water does not. If we could kill bugs with water I am sure that is what every one would use.

Oh no, I wasn't suggesting to use water. My point on the water was that because insects can hold their breath for far longer than a human - or any other mammal - it takes a LONG time for a flea to drown even when totally submerged. So carrying that thought forward, even if their openings are plugged by soap, they shouldn't be dropping dead after 10 seconds due to suffocation because they can hold their breath for far longer than that.

 

[chicken danz]

Okay HEChicken you are kind of missing the point. A bug can restrict the air flow by closing muscles on those openings to prevent excess oxygen from entering. They can take in a great deal of oxygen at one time and hold it for days. But they have to be able to continually release carbon dioxide which must be kept at a balance with the amount of oxygen they are using. Their systems can control the oxygen they use, but it's a different set of spiracles that release the Carbon dioxide and they can't control that themselves. In order for a bug to survive he must have a load of oxygen taken in so he can go for a long time without opening up the right openings and he must have his carbon dioxide openings free to operate. A soap or soap and oil concoction would plug all his spiracles so therefore he would die.
It is a total myth to say they can close them and keep insecticides from entering by the way.
Bad news. I just got a reply from the company that made my TV and they said they discontinued making the screen for it. Guess that leaves me with no option but to buy a new one. I am sure that is another one of those things to get consumers to buy more new products.

 

[cherwill]

Good morning peeps. It is dreary and cool outside. Been raining all night and still raining out there as I type. I didn't sleep well at all last night because of some sinus issue. Guess the weather really affects it.

I could tell that the ducks were really happy this morning. They were making all kinds of happy noise flapping their wings enjoying the rain. But I'm tired of the mud. It was wet and muddy so I slipped and slided towards them and back. Phew... what a mess. It will be a while before it dries out since the forecast said it will rain till this afternoon.

Sad news from my office. A co-worker was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. She sits next to me and we were close. Then got news first thing morning about my other coworker's son died in a car wreck. I think he is either in his late 20s or early 30s. Such devastating news. I saw a blip of this info on the local news site. I will keep them in my thoughts and prayers.

It is going to be a long day because I've to attend an online security training class. Actually, I've to take 14 hrs of online training course before 12/6 as part of my continuing education. Just don't have enough time to do everything...

Have a great day.

Tweety, I'm so sorry for your co-workers.

Brrr! We have to have our garden cleaned out by this weekend. Good thing it's supposed to warm up and dry out a little.

HEChicken, I read an interesting thing about neem somewhere recently. It said neem does not kill bugs, it stops them from reproducing. I think I'd rather have something (nontoxic to me) that will kill squash bugs, because anything else is just a losing battle!

 

[chicken danz]

Tweety. I was in a hurry posting last night and apologize for not giving you my condolences on your coworkers. I am so sorry.
I never got the birds fed yesterday. It rained so hard all day and there was no point in even trying to put food out in the rain and mud. I need to get out there fairly early today and do a good job of caring for them. I did wade out to check on the grow out pen and found one of the half grown chicks dead in the mud. I don't know if there are more of them out there or not.
I'll be so glad to get the building ready. The game birds might not be doing any better but at least I can rest assured the chickens are doing okay. I wish I had room for a grow out pen too, but unless I put pens on the north and the west I won't have room. It kind of defeats the purpose of having a nice warm building if you have cold air blowing in.
I'm still waiting for the county to come out and inspect the building. They sure take their sweet time. We do have power to the building now and have just one outlet installed but it's a beginning.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

TaraBella, I agree that each hen is different and all you can do is try. I've done it with success and I would say the most successful are the proven mothers - the ones who've raised broods for me in the past. With them I know their degree of maternal instinct and can better gauge how likely they are to adopt new chicks. My last choice would be a first-time mother simply because I don't yet know how well she parents. However if that is your only choice….all you can do is try.

I would wait until it is really night time - like 10pm or so. At that point she is so sleepy she is unlikely to even notice you slip the chicks under her, and they will, at least, survive until morning. Morning will be the test, as they emerge from under her. If she doesn't recognize them, she might reject them, but if they act just like the chicks she already had, she might decide they can stay. In your shoes, I would try to be out there at first light to observe and see how things are going.

Tarabella, you just have to try it. Every hen is different. I think if you wait until evening your chances might be better. It's best to try to slip the chick underneath her. If she is busy picking at your hand she might no notice the new addition. However be prepared for her to also pick at the chicks and reject them entirely.

Thanks for the advice. I put the last three under her last night and this morning all 6 were tucked under her happily chirping away. I hooked up the heat lamp to give her a bit of help in keeping them warm and she was under it this morning. I think she is going to be a good Mama to them, I will giver her a week or so in the brooding room before allowing her to rejoin the flock. My flock is crazy right now with the meat birds getting bigger.