Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

KSKINGBEE is being an enabler!!! I'm right there with him. It's never too early to start. No one says it has to be done in the spring either.
Well when I was out getting myself buried in the mud today I found a nest of 8 goose eggs. I had looked over and over cause a gander was being really protective of that area but I hadn't found the nest until today. The eggs were okay but when cleaning them I saw two of them had cracks. It was obvious from the mess that several eggs had been broken over time. I doubt they will hatch cause they were anything but clean and new looking. I did find one new one right before that. Anyway the others went in the incubator and I can only hope that some of these hatch. Can't wait until I can gather eggs without worrying about them being frozen. I went ahead and set eggs today. Maybe I can get on a Thursday/Friday schedule for hatching now.
Feeding and watering went way beyond exhausting today. The clay mud just clung to my feet so I could barely lift them. And I couldn't push the wheel barrel cause the wheel would sink in the mud.
I moved some roosters to the rooster pen and put three single hens in another pen together. i'm just going to have to remember to let the right rooster spend time with the right hen every couple of weeks. Those girls were getting so beaten down by a 1:1 hen:rooster ratio I was afraid they would end up getting killed. I have one more single pair but they haven't been together that long so I'll give them a while longer. I really should AI these guys but I really don't want to. One of the girls I put in the ladies house is a barred rock that is so broken down she is having trouble walking. I am hoping she'll get back on her feet after being away from the rooster for awhile. He's got several girls but I guess she was his favorite.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

Well....maybe this year....?

I wish!! If really hoped to hatch out some of my own for a friend who just wants some pretty layers but I don't know if I can swing getting and incubator right at the moment and I dont know if any of my girls would go broody and take care of the eggs properly.

 

[KsKingBee]

We set 24 dozen chicken eggs Tuesday. Between the cold and not enough roosters we will be lucky to get half of them to hatch. Also got a bucket auto filler for the GQF, nice feeling to be able to walk by and see that it has water in the inc without having to open it up. Have some boughten BCM egg due on the 13th but after candling them I don't have much hope for very many of them to hatch, they look pretty scrambled and have saddle-shaped air cells.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Tarabellabirds, my Buff Sussex were originally from Greenfire but came to me via Walt'z Ark in Colorado. Danz is right, the imports are big, beautiful birds, but then Danz's Plymouth Rocks are too -- haven't seen her Sussex so I can't say but would imagine so.

Danz, I put some rocks in my jar of water to help keep things warm in the bator. Works great and stabilized the temp a bit better, also. Thanks! The cold temps worried me about collecting my eggs for hatching also. I did it anyway but we gathered the eggs 5 times each day so I hope that gave them a better chance. I don't gather beyond the 7th day either. I've tried it before and it didn't go well and I ended up with a big mess. It's odd but I always start the eggs in the bator on Mondays too. I don't know why, just did. My DD has a friend from school who spends a lot of time with us and he is excited about seeing the chicks hatch. It will be fun to share that with him.

So I am wearing a holter monitor for the next 2 weeks, hopefully they will find something they can treat. The electrophysiologist didn't want to change my meds until afterward. If I am eligible for a procedure, I will take it in a heartbeat -- pun intended!

Well, Trish, it sounds like that baby, cute as it may be, had best go outside for sure. Kicking up the heels just doesn't work so well indoors but it sure sounds adorable. You don't want the little rascal tripping you either, that's the last thing you need.

Prairie Fleur, hatching can be very habit forming! There's just nothing better than seeing those chicks pop out of the shells.

KsKingBee, 24 dozen? Whoa. Did you mean 24 dozen for real? Just trying to wrap my mind around that many eggs at one time!

milomac, I knew someone else who tried taking eggs out of the frig just to see if it would work and it worked just fine for them too. HEChicken brought eggs through the airport with no ill effects, so there ya go. It's interesting what the eggs can really tolerate.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

So what does everyone feed their birds? I am feeding Nutrena All Flock from TSC but am, once again, wondering if I could get it cheaper from a co-op. Trish44, where do you get your feed and what kind do you buy? Anyone else. Danz, I know you have yours mixed but I don't have enough birds for that.

 

[strue08]

yup, i'm about an hour east of ya...in manhattan

EMAW

 

[thndrdancr]

Hey all,
I guess auction in Gardner coming up? Man all these auctions and they are too far! It's almost 4 hour drive. Phooey

 

[Prairie Fleur]

So what does everyone feed their birds? I am feeding Nutrena All Flock from TSC but am, once again, wondering if I could get it cheaper from a co-op. Trish44, where do you get your feed and what kind do you buy? Anyone else. Danz, I know you have yours mixed but I don't have enough birds for that.

I feed Scratch & Peck organic chicken feed that I get thru Azure Standard. A little pricey yes but since my current flock is basically just layers for us it's worth it for me, and I only have 9 chickens currently. My peas get Neutrena from TSC or Orschelns.

 

[MrsProf]

I'm going to help some 3rd graders hatch chicks next month. Since I'll be the one taking home the chicks I want to be particular about what breeds we set. I'd like to find someone in Kansas to purchase eggs from, just to avoid shipping scramble (nothing worse than having a student get attached to an egg that never hatches).
In particular I would love to set some Copper Marans and some Araucanas or Ameraucanas. My own children will end up using them as part of their 4-H Poultry project.

I think it would be really cool to show the kiddos that not all eggs are the perfect extra large bright white things that come from Dillon's.

Can any one help me out? We're in central/western KS but I have no problem driving if necessary. The plan is to start them April 1st.

 

[zigzag45]

This thread is full of enablers. I got chicks from @chicken danz a week or two ago, and now we have plans for me to get a couple more from her. Plus, there's a possibility of picking up a few from KSKingBee as well. It's sad when you get straight run birds hoping you have a good quantity of males to "downsize." If not, oh well - just adjust and enjoy them.

Danz - if you see me looking with interest at any birds at Gardner, drag me out of the area....

I've gone the fermented feed route - but I love buying my feed from a feed mill. My favorite place sources all their grains within a 100 mile radius. They are hoping to get a GMO free product sometime in the next few years. Coops are fair pricing as compared with TSC/Feldmans (haven't priced Orschelns). But at least in this area, the feed mills beat them by $3-5 a bag. My group of girls is so small it's not a huge deal, but last time I bought 6 bags and that savings did add up.