Consolidated Kansas

[Grain Gypsy]

Turns out last night's flood waters in the silo coop helped wash up some treasure. My husband found 6 beautiful, blue eggs that came from Cheeky, our Blue Ameraucana while we were mucking out the silo. She had hidden them really well by tucking them in behind the bottom step, behind the egg buckets. We wondered when she would start laying! We're gonna restrict her access so she can't get to her secret spot anymore.

 

[sharol]

Quote:
As Ma Ingalls would say, "there is never any great loss without some small gain"

 

[Ralph Moyer]

Like most of you, the southeast corner of Kansas is well saturated with rainwater. And I do mean well, as I water out of an old well, I noticed that it is brim full. It is about 8 feet or more in diameter and about 40 feet deep. It normally is about 12 feet down to the water. It is ground fed ( no roof drains near it.). I use it to water all my poultry and garden (if I ever get more planted). I had a Mottled Java hen, that was setting on 13 Salmon Favorites eggs. Her 21st day would have been tomorrow, as I marked the calendar when I put the eggs under her. She hatched out sometime yesterday, because she was out of her nest and was out in the open with her chicks. 4 were ok, but the other 8 were laying flat in water.( one egg didn't hatch). Two of the chicks were able to gasp for breath, but the others were lifeless. I picked them all up, and took them in where I had a spare Styrofoam incubator already warm. I finished my morning chores, and when I came into the house, my wife informed me that I had an unhappy chick in the utility room. It wasn't one chick, but all 8 had dried out and jumping out of the incubator when I removed the lid. They are now back with the hen. Java hens are good mothers. The ones I have would take on a tiger, if it was after her chicks. Anyway it is not easy to feed and water if any of the chicks are close by the feeders. I also had a turkey hatch out 14 pullets yesterday, but I had moved them to a sheltered pen, and she kept them all dry.

 

[chicken danz]

I'm really amazed that some of the birds made it that did through that storm. And it really did help to have high winds today. The geese and ducks are certainly enjoying our huge cesspool of a yard.
I did nearly have a mishap though. I went out to feed some more while ago and smelled wood smoke. I couldn't imagine any one being able to burn anything. Well I discovered the heat lamp I hung last night to try to dry some chicks in the hoop coop had gotten knocked over a few inches and sat on a roost. The roost was burned in half and the coals were igniting the straw and stuff that was on the ground. All was well except I also found that the cord to it had been knocked over to where it was laying on the metal housing and had melted on to it. Just another mm or so it would have conducted electricity and we would have had a really big problem. I'm not sure how they got it knocked over where they did but I'm glad I caught it.
I let all my baby goslings out to run today so I have to go try to gather them all up soon and put them up for the night. It's the first day the younger ones have been out.
Prairie I so understand how you are feeling. I had a goat we called Cookie because I taught her to beg for cookies like a dog would sit and bed for treats. She died trying to give birth to her first kid. It was so heartbreaking.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Wow Danz. What a close call, thank goodness you caught it in time. Small Blessings!

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Danz, Oh no!

I'm so thankful you caught it when you did. That was a close one.

Prairie, Elf was precious. Thank you for the pictures.

 

[sharol]

I'm really amazed that some of the birds made it that did through that storm. And it really did help to have high winds today. The geese and ducks are certainly enjoying our huge cesspool of a yard.
I did nearly have a mishap though. I went out to feed some more while ago and smelled wood smoke. I couldn't imagine any one being able to burn anything. Well I discovered the heat lamp I hung last night to try to dry some chicks in the hoop coop had gotten knocked over a few inches and sat on a roost. The roost was burned in half and the coals were igniting the straw and stuff that was on the ground. All was well except I also found that the cord to it had been knocked over to where it was laying on the metal housing and had melted on to it. Just another mm or so it would have conducted electricity and we would have had a really big problem. I'm not sure how they got it knocked over where they did but I'm glad I caught it.
I let all my baby goslings out to run today so I have to go try to gather them all up soon and put them up for the night. It's the first day the younger ones have been out.
Prairie I so understand how you are feeling. I had a goat we called Cookie because I taught her to beg for cookies like a dog would sit and bed for treats. She died trying to give birth to her first kid. It was so heartbreaking.

I'm glad it wasn't as bad as you thought it might be. Thank goodness you caught the fire before it got going.

I went out to take some scrambled egg to my "sitting tight" broodies, and the baby was standing in their food dish next to the nest box. It took one look at me and dived under the nearest hen. Oops, not mom. Copper just welcomed it in and tucked it under her wing. Fingers crossed for co-parenting.



OK, so it is fuzzy. You can see a couple of eggs and her mother's plucked breast behind her (hopefully).

 

[Anderson Lowe]

Ok everyone I need some help in identifying this good looking Rooster.

A friend of mine has a pasture with horses in it and this boy showed up last week and is just hanging around.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Looks like a Rhode Island Red to me.

 

[spree56]

Prairie Fleur, thank you for the pictures of your sweet Elf. Such a cutie & I'm so sad for you. She clearly loved you back!