Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

Hello! I am new to the chicken world as of May. I just found this thread! I live outside Wichita. My girls and boys free range all day. We just started getting eggs! Not all the girls are ready to start laying but can't wait till they do! I did end up with 2 more roosters than I need. If anyone needs one or knows of a good home for 6.5 month old cockrels, please let me know!!

Welcome to the wonderful world of chickens. Please join in the discussion and tell us more about yourself. There's several people on this thread that live near Wichita However this time of year is pretty busy for them all so many don't post all the time. Most of them do read now and then though.

 

[sharol]

completely off topic:

Update on my washing machine. The repair man came out yesterday and ran a battery of tests that were pretty inconclusive. Apparently I have a couple of solonoids (I think? whatever they are) on the water valves that are registering "out of spec" whatever that means. Replacements are around $100 each, and he doesn't think that has anything to do with the draining error code. If it doesn't a new motor "board" is around $200 (plus shipping and install of course) bringing the potential to around $500. He says the next thing to go will be the transmission (washing machines have transmissions, who knew) and that is another $400. The long and short of it is that he doesn't recommend fixing it. He says that model with that transmission is going to fail.

Darn. (and stronger words)

The upside is that he fixed my non-functioning electric stove while he was here. A breaker had partially gotten thrown disabling the 220. I thought I reset the breaker, but I was resetting the one for the dryer. Oops.

Another upside is that every since I got the machine I have had to select the extra rinse cycle every time I did a load of clothes. It was supposed to remember it, I guess, but it didn't. Now the extra rinse light is on when I turn on the machine if that was the way it was on the last load. I also ran two loads of clothes this morning with no problems. He thinks maybe something had come loose and during his testing he got it plugged back in firmly. Whatever. (and we all know what that means).

I guess I'll just use it until it fails and go buy a new one (not a Maytag---never buying Maytag anything ever again no matter how much I like their commercials.) I think the next one will be a top loading Speed Queen.

 

[Ralph Moyer]

completely off topic:

Update on my washing machine. The repair man came out yesterday and ran a battery of tests that were pretty inconclusive. Apparently I have a couple of solonoids (I think? whatever they are) on the water valves that are registering "out of spec" whatever that means. Replacements are around $100 each, and he doesn't think that has anything to do with the draining error code. If it doesn't a new motor "board" is around $200 (plus shipping and install of course) bringing the potential to around $500. He says the next thing to go will be the transmission (washing machines have transmissions, who knew) and that is another $400. The long and short of it is that he doesn't recommend fixing it. He says that model with that transmission is going to fail.

Darn. (and stronger words)

The upside is that he fixed my non-functioning electric stove while he was here. A breaker had partially gotten thrown disabling the 220. I thought I reset the breaker, but I was resetting the one for the dryer. Oops.

Another upside is that every since I got the machine I have had to select the extra rinse cycle every time I did a load of clothes. It was supposed to remember it, I guess, but it didn't. Now the extra rinse light is on when I turn on the machine if that was the way it was on the last load. I also ran two loads of clothes this morning with no problems. He thinks maybe something had come loose and during his testing he got it plugged back in firmly. Whatever. (and we all know what that means).

I guess I'll just use it until it fails and go buy a new one (not a Maytag---never buying Maytag anything ever again no matter how much I like their commercials.) I think the next one will be a top loading Speed Queen.

It sounds like there was a loose connection, and it got corrected when he was checking it out. If your water choices( hot, warm, cold) are working, you don't need new solonoids.

 

[chicken danz]

completely off topic:

Update on my washing machine. The repair man came out yesterday and ran a battery of tests that were pretty inconclusive. Apparently I have a couple of solonoids (I think? whatever they are) on the water valves that are registering "out of spec" whatever that means. Replacements are around $100 each, and he doesn't think that has anything to do with the draining error code. If it doesn't a new motor "board" is around $200 (plus shipping and install of course) bringing the potential to around $500. He says the next thing to go will be the transmission (washing machines have transmissions, who knew) and that is another $400. The long and short of it is that he doesn't recommend fixing it. He says that model with that transmission is going to fail.

Darn. (and stronger words)

The upside is that he fixed my non-functioning electric stove while he was here. A breaker had partially gotten thrown disabling the 220. I thought I reset the breaker, but I was resetting the one for the dryer. Oops.

Another upside is that every since I got the machine I have had to select the extra rinse cycle every time I did a load of clothes. It was supposed to remember it, I guess, but it didn't. Now the extra rinse light is on when I turn on the machine if that was the way it was on the last load. I also ran two loads of clothes this morning with no problems. He thinks maybe something had come loose and during his testing he got it plugged back in firmly. Whatever. (and we all know what that means).

I guess I'll just use it until it fails and go buy a new one (not a Maytag---never buying Maytag anything ever again no matter how much I like their commercials.) I think the next one will be a top loading Speed Queen.

@Ralph Moyer great to have you around. I'll know who to ask next time I have a problem with a washing machine. (I hope that is a long time from now.) That is what it sounded like to me. The repairmen these days don't seem to check the obvious. They all work from a protocol and it stops there. I am making a note to self if I have a problem with my washer to check all parts that can be plugged in to the board first.
I bought a top loading EE machine when I bought mine due to having a lousy back. I'm not totally convinced they are quite as efficient as a front loading machine. Or maybe I just get things too dirty for them. We have such hard water it's very difficult to get things clean any way. My next major appliance, unless something breaks is a water softener.
I still have two new toilets to install that have been here a couple months though. If I could lift them they'd be installed. I guess DH feels that isn't a necessity unless one of these quit. I wanted them because the ones we have are awful. Plus these have totally smooth sides. No exposed trap to clean around. I figured they'd work much better to clean since it's hard for me to get down and up to do things like that.

 

[sharol]

Quote:
Bad back is the reason I got a top loader. The clothes are really dry coming out -- and they get clean. My repairman says they are all weak in the transmission (it is plastic and apparently gets beaten up during the extreme spin cycles.) He doesn't think any of them are particularly well built. He is the one that recommended the Speed Queen (even if it is an HE machine). Metal transmission. Good luck with the toliets. Those things are heavy. You won't regret them once they are in, though. I'm liking the enclosed part. Good luck with the surgery next week.

 

[sharol]

Quote:
That was basically what Todd said. The diagnostic codes didn't fit the behavior of the machine. I'll be doing more laundry tomorrow, so we shall see.

 

[chicken danz]

Bad back is the reason I got a top loader. The clothes are really dry coming out -- and they get clean. My repairman says they are all weak in the transmission (it is plastic and apparently gets beaten up during the extreme spin cycles.) He doesn't think any of them are particularly well built. He is the one that recommended the Speed Queen (even if it is an HE machine). Metal transmission.

Good luck with the toliets. Those things are heavy. You won't regret them once they are in, though. I'm liking the enclosed part.

Good luck with the surgery next week.

I do love the fact that the clothes are so dry. I had my washer about a year and then bought the HE dryer to go with it. A big load of towels or heavy stuff is usually dry in 20 minutes. Plus both of these machines are very large capacity. Over double than what I had before. I can do heavy comforters and stuff that would have never fit in my old units.
I had a very busy day. Spent a couple hours playing chicken vet. Gotta take time for my friends. I got some pens taken down some more put up etc etc. That project took a long time. I went out and cut down all the huge weeds that grew in the garden this summer. Then when I finally figured out how to get the tiller going on the tractor I got the garden tilled. I guess I'll get garlic planted tomorrow if nothing goes wrong.

 

[chicken danz]

Very quiet here right now. The notifications are doing weird things as well. Either that or someone is sending some spoof to this site.
Did some building moving yesterday and I'm really happy to be getting it done. Hopefully today I'll get some cleaning and moving panels around done.
I have all the birds penned, so a couple roosters can go be someone's dinner. I need to butcher several myself. Not suse I have time.

 

[sharol]

It has been really quiet. I suppose everyone is busy getting ready for cooler weather.

I spent yesterday putting wire reinforcement to the lower 18" of the chain link fencing around the new chicken run. It is bent at ground level and extends 6" or so out into the yard area. If it works like it did on the other run, the grass will grow up next summer and further reinforce the ground staples holding it down. I about killed myself doing it. Too much sitting and crawling around on the ground, but I had a beautiful day for it.

The bigger babies (20 weeks old Orps) are loving the new coop and hang out INSIDE sometimes. I'm planning to move the little orps (6 weeks old) and their moms into the new coop/run tomorrow after we get the netting up. I hope they adapt quickly since I'm planning to go to my daughter's on Wednesday. They all hang out together in the yard, though, so I think it will work out OK.

 

[cackler]

Is there a market at all for roos? I have 5 approx. 6 month old fellas that I think are 'easter eggers' that I really do not need. Last I heard there was a ban on selling chickens at swap meets. Is that ban lifted yet in Kansas?