Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

My Wyandottes and Barred Rocks have always layed really well. My neighbors had Buff Orpingtons, and I swear they laid better than anything I had. ZigZag-- you mentioned you haven't heard anyone mention a breed that doesn't lay well. I call tell you quite honestly that Silkies are horrible layers. An egg every three days. And they often go on strike because they go broody at the drop of a hat. Which is why I hatch all year long, I have to gather and hatch everything I can collect! ha! So there you go! A really bad layer to add to your list.

Trish-- I sure wish they would eat mice as well as frogs. I am mouse-ridden in the barn. It's ridiculous. I have set traps and am now moving to the enclosed bait (where they have to walk inside of the bait house). I hope I can start to thin them down. The chickens just watch the mice eat right out of their feeders and do nothing about it. Sheesh!

MIlomac, why do you think the Silkie roo makes the flock more flighty? Is he predator watching and making calls for them to hide? Or is he just really rowdy? Depending on how well he can see, he might be pretty active. My Silkies boys really can't see worth a darn, so they are less active/reactive and would make horrible predator patrol.

Mine do eat mice if they find one. I have so many cats up here by the house that mice don't have a chance around here. I even have a garage cat again so if there are any in there he'll get them. I have seen my chickens take a mouse away from a cat that was playing with one & run off with it. You may have to break down & get a barn cat Hawkeye, they are the best for controlling mice. Mine have never bothered my chickens but then I don't have chicks running free either.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Getting outdoor cats was a good decision for us. I just wish mine weren't so tame that they think they should be house cats! My 14 year old calico says there is only room for ONE of those.
We got three males so we didn't have to worry about kittens, or spend a ton on spaying.
I started a thread a while back about Coop-Cats!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/903148/opinions-and-experiences-with-keeping-cats-in-coop

I guess it would only be effective if you liked having cats around!

 

[sharol]

We have 2 house cats that go out through the dog doors at will. We also have a semi-feral black and white cat that has been around for several years. (S)he won't let us catch her (we think it is female and the mother of our 1 year old rescue cat because they share a leg deformity), but she has started coming in the dog door at night, eating the cat food in the laundry room, and sleeping on the washer. We set up a game cam, and on really cold nights, she will be there for several hours alternately eating and sleeping. It's a hoot watching the dogs rush out the dog door looking for her while she watches them from the washer. I REALLY want to get shots for her, but I don't know how to manage that without scaring her off completely. She is trap wary and won't go in the cat trap we borrowed (and I'm not sure that is the right thing to do anyway). At one point she was a pet because she doesn't exactly run from us. I'll give her some time and patience -- I just worry about rabies shots and the like.

The three of them and our dachshund keep the mouse population in the garage and house under control, but that doesn't help in the coop. I know there are mice in the walls because I can hear them in there when it is quiet. I set traps, but they only work on the stupid ones.

 

[Trish44]

Most of my outdoor cats are a bit wild, they don't like to be touched for the most part. I have one little male that is the one who got his shoulder broken last year when the tube gate fell on him & he is very tame & is a big baby. After spending weeks in the garage in a crate he now thinks he should be able to live in there & will run in the door every chance he gets. He is a sweet cat & one of my favorites. My GPs really like the cats, they snuggle together when it's really cold out. The cats think they're just a big furry bed for them so you will see them laying on top of them in the winter. We have some males that come & go but the females stay around better. We lose some now & then I think to coyotes & we have had a few get run over by cars & one shot by some idiot. She was my favorite calico that someone shot, I was so upset about that. My other favorite got hit by a car. I try any more not to get too attached to them if I can help it, at least the ones outside.

 

[chicken danz]

Well today was a great day for working outside. It warmed up to about 40 degrees which isn't a heat wave but there wasn't any wind so I was pretty comfortable outside working.
Sharol, I caught that sussex boy and confined him in a cage in the hen house. I'll let him out tomorrow. I have a big buff rooster that sleeps in there and they may butt heads but other than that its just some old hens. I shut the gate tonight which I never do and I'll leave him penned there for a few days. At least I know he'll be sleeping inside.
I let Winston out of the pen today without a leash. I was kind of worried cause he took off and was running here and there. In fact I had no idea where he was, and it was starting to get late. The other two Pyrs took off after some coyotes and Winston joined in. They all came back happy and hungry together. He went to his pen looking for food. I was so proud of him doing so well. Maybe tomorrow I can finally get him to the vet and get shots and stuff.
I was pulling eggs out of the black brahma pen where I have 5 girls who went broody. I figured we would have a bunch of rotten eggs and I thought I'd just take the eggs. I took all the eggs from under 4 of the birds. The last one who had been sitting the longest had a huge pile under her. I lifted her up and lo and behold there was a chick under her. So left all her eggs and took the others. I probably have around 18 developing chicks in those eggs. I did have one egg explode though! I put all the developing chicks in the incubator . I was going to go out and move the remaining eggs under the hen who hatched a chick, to the other girls in hopes they could break being broody. But when I went out I saw one of the other hens scooting an egg under neath her. I guess they decided to take matters in their own hands.
The weather isn't great for a broody chick. So I fixed an old cookie tin heater and put a quart waterer out there for the chick. Maybe those girls will hatch a few more for me. DH doesn't think they'll survive in this weather. I think as long as I can keep some water for them they will be fine.

 

[MsDebD]

This little burst of pre-spring is awesome! Maybe I'll get to spend some time with my goats this weekend. I wish it was the perfect time to start on a coop but hubby has too many other things going on. I hate it when life keeps interfering with my chicken plans. Meanwhile..does anyone know of anyone reliable and somewhat close to the Lawrence who has unregistered dairy goats? My does won't be ready to breed until fall and I don't want to wait another year to start milking. I'm not prepared to start milking tomorrow either but I'd like to find a pregnant ND or mini.

 

[Trish44]

This little burst of pre-spring is awesome! Maybe I'll get to spend some time with my goats this weekend. I wish it was the perfect time to start on a coop but hubby has too many other things going on. I hate it when life keeps interfering with my chicken plans. Meanwhile..does anyone know of anyone reliable and somewhat close to the Lawrence who has unregistered dairy goats? My does won't be ready to breed until fall and I don't want to wait another year to start milking. I'm not prepared to start milking tomorrow either but I'd like to find a pregnant ND or mini.

Sending you a PM. I hope to go out tomorrow & enjoy the weather & do some things if my knee with allow me to.

 

[chicken danz]

This little burst of pre-spring is awesome! Maybe I'll get to spend some time with my goats this weekend. I wish it was the perfect time to start on a coop but hubby has too many other things going on. I hate it when life keeps interfering with my chicken plans. Meanwhile..does anyone know of anyone reliable and somewhat close to the Lawrence who has unregistered dairy goats? My does won't be ready to breed until fall and I don't want to wait another year to start milking. I'm not prepared to start milking tomorrow either but I'd like to find a pregnant ND or mini.

If you don't find any before, the first weekend of March the pre spring auction at Yates Center is happening. There are no guarantees what will be there but I don't remember any auctions where there weren't at least a couple pregnant goats. They also have a goat auction on a Tuesday night every month. I have no idea what Tuesday it is. Perhaps if you did some research for the Woodson County fair grounds or Woodson County sale barn you could find it.
Just getting outside and not freezing yesterday did wonders for my attitude. I few more warmer days would be wonderful.

 

[Trish44]

Wow that sun today was glorious & it was warm enough to not even need a jacket till the evening. It just made me have spring fever bad! We had to go for my Dr. appt & shopping today so I didn't get to just be outside & do anything at home, hopefully tomorrow.

 

[MsDebD]

Thanks for the goat info. I'll do some looking around. I'd just rather have some recommendations from someone than buying from a total stranger. Goats or chickens for that matter. I don't know enough yet to know what I'm getting so I just have to take people's word for it.