Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

Yes it was dismal for sellers, we had high hopes that did not pan out.

We took 50+ guineas, 150 chicken chicks, six ducks, six young laying hens, a Royal Palm turkey, two breeding IB hens and a large pen/crate. The guineas we thought to get $10 to $15, the best ones brought $8 and the low ones brought $5.50.

But the peace and quiet here is priceless, I should have given them away a long time ago and saved the feed bill. I like my quiet place hidden out here in the middle of nowhere.

If you are wondering why I did not 'no sale' them, two reasons, I did not want to mix my stock with other stock and bring them home, and we are NPIP testing Thursday and that is a whole bunch of birds we won't have to test.

Wow, things must have been going really cheap this time at Yoder. It just varies from time to time, I guess it's early & people weren't spending much right now. I haven't hatched anything other than one gosling as of yet, I have chicks starting to hatch April 6th on. My incubator is full right now.

My butthead ram just left, yay! I'm so relieved to have that animal gone, whew. It was literally a rodeo because the new owner had to rope the ram to catch him & the guys had to push & pull him all the way up the hill to the trailer they brought. He was not going willingly, but I didn't expect him to. I sure hope the next ram is nicer than this one has been, he really had an attitude. Things should be a lot calmer here now other than the hijinks from the silly goats.

 

[MsDebD]

David and a friend got our freebie chicken house home yesterday. Its old and sturdy (with a few repairs and adaptations needed)but the price was right. It doesn't have the nice laying box built in for easy egg gathering but I think we can eventually add that. David is exhausted from so much going on at his work so I told him to do whatever is easiest to build a run. I think he will want to eventually make it taller than current plan but I'm going to let that slide for now. I was told that the last owner used 5 gallon buckets for nesting. Should they be on the floor or off the floor? And if off, how high up? We'll have 4 hens and a rooster so I got 4 buckets. Also, since we hope to eventually have about a dozen hens, what size feed and water containers should we get? Thanks in advance. It's frustrating the things I realize I still don't know!

 

[Trish44]

...

David and a friend got our freebie chicken house home yesterday. Its old and sturdy (with a few repairs and adaptations needed)but the price was right. It doesn't have the nice laying box built in for easy egg gathering but I think we can eventually add that. David is exhausted from so much going on at his work so I told him to do whatever is easiest to build a run. I think he will want to eventually make it taller than current plan but I'm going to let that slide for now. I was told that the last owner used 5 gallon buckets for nesting. Should they be on the floor or off the floor? And if off, how high up? We'll have 4 hens and a rooster so I got 4 buckets. Also, since we hope to eventually have about a dozen hens, what size feed and water containers should we get? Thanks in advance. It's frustrating the things I realize I still don't know!

You normally need one nest for every 4-5 hens, they share. Nests should be no more than 18-24 inches off the floor. Mine have a board to hop up on to get in. There are a variety of feeders & waterers you can get. It kind of depends if you're planning to feed dry feed or wet on the feeder. I like the hangiing ones for just a small group for dry feed. The 7 pound ones are nice for not having to fill them quite so often. They have a variety of sizes of galvanized waterers & those are nice for being able to put a heated base under in winter. I have made waterers out of 5 gallon buckets but those only work for summer. Choose something easy to change water in. They have some new plastic ones with easy open tops.

 

[MrsProf]

David and a friend got our freebie chicken house home yesterday. Its old and sturdy (with a few repairs and adaptations needed)but the price was right. It doesn't have the nice laying box built in for easy egg gathering but I think we can eventually add that. David is exhausted from so much going on at his work so I told him to do whatever is easiest to build a run. I think he will want to eventually make it taller than current plan but I'm going to let that slide for now. I was told that the last owner used 5 gallon buckets for nesting. Should they be on the floor or off the floor? And if off, how high up? We'll have 4 hens and a rooster so I got 4 buckets. Also, since we hope to eventually have about a dozen hens, what size feed and water containers should we get? Thanks in advance. It's frustrating the things I realize I still don't know!

If you look at my profile picture, we turned some buckets sideways with half a lid to make nesting "boxes" I ended up attaching a 1x4 piece to the front for them to land on when they get in, but it was cheap and does a good job I have two for 8 hens, but they all use the same one

. I hang my feeders and raise my water containers up on cinder blocks, keeps dirt out of them etc.

 

[chicken danz]

It's usually a good idea to give the hens a couple nest boxes to choose from even though they may prefer just one. They are weird that way. And then some of them may want to lay in a corner where it's the most inconvenient. A hen likes to feel she has some privacy to lay. They prefer a little darkness and cover plus some padding like shavings or something.
I was busy all day but got very little done. It seems it takes me so long to do things. I had to cull a young cockerel today who had broken his leg. I was a bit relieved it was a boy instead of a pullet. But he was so sweet and trusting I felt awful killing him. I have no idea what he had done but it was obviously severaly broken and even though he was able to scoot around with his other leg I knew he'd never be able to survive. There was also a good deal of swelling which indicated it would probably go septic and kill him anyway. He wasn't a valuable rooster but I just hate killing an animal. Then while I was gathering eggs I found an old buff orp hen I believe died being egg bound. She was in the same nest box as yesterday but was alive at that time. I have some really old girls and have no idea who is producing and who isn't. I am assuming she was one of the older ones. I'm going to have to raise some more buffs for breeding some time this year and figure out who is producing and who isn't. I'd give them up all together but they sell about better than about anything.
MsDebD one thing to consider when placing nests is the type of chickens you are going to have. Smaller lighter built breeds will most likely prefer to roost higher than a big bodied heavier breed. Some of my big ole English girls just prefer to lay at floor level. Where as some of the lighter weight chickens I have, will choose they highest possible spot to lay.

 

[josey8]

Does anyone have a incubator they want to sell

 

[ChooksChick]

Hello, everyone!

It's been forever and a day, but I just couldn't stay away...it's spring, after all!

I'm down to under 60 birds and have only 8 projects.

I've read back on the last 100 posts or so and caught up a teensy bit- glad to 'hear' some long missed voices!

I'll pop in a little bit now and again

Does anyone withing a couple hours drive of Lawrence plan to have turken chicks for sale? I have no idea why I'm so taken with them. As my mom used to say, "They're so ugly they're cute." I guess sums it up. So I spend some time researching them and asking questions elsewhere. Several people in places colder than KS said they've been successful. I'd really love to give them a try.

There were Turken Chicks at Tractor Supply last week here in Lawrence!

 

[MsDebD]

ChooksChick thats right where I saw them. I had originally planned to get chicks but will be getting 4 hens and a roo that I found from that post, hopefully next weekend! So much good information and great connections here.

 

[thndrdancr]

Hey Chooks!!! It's been forever! Not sure u even got on here anymore! You remember me? You sent me that splash orp rooster when I lived up near Lincoln Ne. I recently lost his son as my flock rooster, he was such a pretty boy. He was the sweetest boy with really sweet huge progeny. He went on to have children all over the Lincoln area though! . I loved his bloodlines because he was so good natured with people, many of those big old orps want to take you on!

Good to see you! We moved to Belleville Kansas now. Here was a pic of him last fall. Pretty boy! Was heartbroken to lose him.

 

[chicken danz]

Good to see you back, Chooks. We sure miss hearing from you. So many people have come and gone. Once in a while one of the older ones drops in but not often. I always hope you and some of the others will just drop in to say hi. Are you still on the road a lot?
It's a typical busy spring around here. I keep thinking my next year things will go smoother but I tend to create more and more work for myself.
Drop in more often.