Consolidated Kansas

[Ralph Moyer]

I'm glad you got your cataract taken care of. A total knee replacement is much different though than a cataract surgery & they are very picky about things being just perfect when you go in to have it done. You are very susceptible to infections in the joint & once it gets in there it's hard to get rid of so they're very careful.

Well we'll see how it goes, hopefully I will be pretty much over it by the time I have to see the PA the day before surgery. The wood we burn is hedge & we have always burned the same wood. We have a very efficient stove that we just bought in the last few years. We do have a humidifier on top of it that has water all the time.

Oh wow, the geese are getting ready to breed already? I'm not ready for that for sure. This will be my first breeding season with them. I'm sure my ducks will also start breeding & laying soon as well. I think they started in Feb. last year. I still have one drake I need to get rid of, I don't need 3 of them. I have to feel well enough to go out & take care of him though, hopefully soon

I just got back from my regular doctors appointment, and found out I have bronchial infection, an ear infection, and sinus infection. I think the local druggist had a good day. I guess after I get my chores done, I'll follow the doctor's orders, and go to bed.

 

[chicken danz]

Ralph I hope you get to feeling better. That really stinks.
Trish I hope you get well soon so you can get this surgery out of the way.
It's been a long and busy day. It has rained all night and all day and it's still coming down. There is nothing out there but water and mud. I'm so discouraged with the forecast cause I know my fencing won't get done in this weather.

 

[sharol]

The next few days look pretty nasty. My runs are mud holes. The younger Orps are doing fine, though. They don't seem to mind the mud and the rain. They go in the coop to chat when they get tired of it. The girls in the original coop aren't so adventurous. Most of them hang out inside when it is this wet. I'm not looking forward to the lower temps coming either.

I don't know how those of you with lots of birds manage. Hang in there.

 

[chicken danz]

I used a sharp shooter shovel to try to get some water running a different direction. It worked for awhile until there was too much water for my little trench. I keep thinking Ill find the time to use the Bobcat and do a little more dirt work. But the dirt has been frozen hard or is a mud pit. Hard to get much done.
I'm so discouraged right now. I kind of look at winter as a time to take it easy and spend some time doing needle work or something. There is no time right now. And I keep thinking about how I can reduce some more pens.
I have someone interested in some roos so that might empty one pen. And a buyer that I am waiting for will take a bunch more of the birds I am holding for her. I sure can't keep feeding them forever. When she comes, that will reduce the numbers too. I should only have some backup breeders left in that pen.
I also need to butcher some turkey boys before too long and move the girls to the turkey pen. Speaking of that I still have that one turkey hen laying and she is now sitting on the eggs. That's so crazy. She sure has her seasons messed up.

 

[Trish44]

I used a sharp shooter shovel to try to get some water running a different direction. It worked for awhile until there was too much water for my little trench. I keep thinking Ill find the time to use the Bobcat and do a little more dirt work. But the dirt has been frozen hard or is a mud pit. Hard to get much done.
I'm so discouraged right now. I kind of look at winter as a time to take it easy and spend some time doing needle work or something. There is no time right now. And I keep thinking about how I can reduce some more pens.
I have someone interested in some roos so that might empty one pen. And a buyer that I am waiting for will take a bunch more of the birds I am holding for her. I sure can't keep feeding them forever. When she comes, that will reduce the numbers too. I should only have some backup breeders left in that pen.
I also need to butcher some turkey boys before too long and move the girls to the turkey pen. Speaking of that I still have that one turkey hen laying and she is now sitting on the eggs. That's so crazy. She sure has her seasons messed up.

Yeah it would help for sure if people would come get their birds like they said they would. That's crazy about the turkey hen sitting this time of year, she must really be confused.

My layers finally have started picking up on laying, I was about to give up on them. I have finally started selling eggs again & I have raised my price as well the first of the year to catch up with the local pricing. It's still well below the prices in the store though. My one customer said he was so glad to be able to get fresh eggs again because they were fed up with the puny eggs from the store. I wonder if prices will go down since the AI flu scare is pretty much over with. They raised the ban in Kansas for swaps, auctions, & shows earlier on so everyone is back to running swaps again. I would still be carefull what you buy if you buy at them.

Ralph I hope you get better soon, that's the pits & right after surgery too. You do need to go to bed & rest. I've been doing that for most of the last two days other than getting up & going out to do chores because my DH doesn't want to do them till he absolutely has to. I started coughing yesterday hard enough that I now have sore muscles from it. I woke up in the night coughing & had to get up & take some cough medicine. That kept it at bay for a few hours. I seem to be drying up today so I hope that continues & I keep getting better. I would hate to have to postpone this surgery after all I have had to go through to get approved for it.

 

[chicken danz]

Yeah well today I'm waiting for someone to come get cats and they haven't shown twice now. Grrr! I have the cats shut up and that isn't good for them. Why are people that way?
Trish I just lowered my price back down cause eggs are getting much cheaper in the store here. (Walmart). I sold some yesterday to a now and then customer and I went ahead and charged him the old price. I need steady customers so I don't end up with eggs sitting around. Spring is a different matter. I need to find ways to preserve them or use them.
It's getting cold out there. I sure wish I had a load of straw to put out for the birds.
Hope you can get that cold cleared up enough you don't have to postpone your surgery.
Maybe when DH gets back from Florida I can convince him to go get me some. He does have to work again on Monday though so he probably won't have time for a week or so. I have no vehicle to haul it in right now.

 

[SilverPenny]

@chicken danz -- I would love to take a trio off your hands! I really really want whites or pieds. I don't care what other colors, but there is something so special to me about the white patches. I just need to get the pen built. I did have some reservations about getting the day olds, so thank you for the input!

 

[sharol]

Grumble, grumble, gripe, whine.

2 of my 3 Araucana pullets are BROODY. In January. In single digit overnights. They are IDIOTS.

Now I have to decide what to do about it. I have some fertile Breda Fowl eggs, and I think they may be pure since the Breda cockerel has been really busy with his girls, but they could be crossed with Araucana (that would be interesting, no? I also have some pure English orp eggs (Jubilee cockerel over white or lavendar pullets) that I think are fertile. I can give them a few eggs each and then move them to the floor of the coop in an isolation pen when they start hatching (if the girls stick with it). But that will have new chicks the first of February -- bummer of a time for babies outside. The little portable hoop coop isn't suitable for winter use at all. They have completely stopped laying and are cursing at me every time I go near them. Trust me Araucana pullets can curse really fluently for as young as they are.

I don't want chicks in the house, so they would have to stay in the coop. It is sort of heated, but only over the roosts. I suppose I could move a sweeter heater down closer to them later if I needed to.

Just thinking on paper (so's to speak).

Anyone with any ideas here? Anyone want some chicks after they hatch and the mamas get tired of them?

 

[chicken danz]

@chicken danz -- I would love to take a trio off your hands! I really really want whites or pieds. I don't care what other colors, but there is something so special to me about the white patches. I just need to get the pen built. I did have some reservations about getting the day olds, so thank you for the input!

I'll send you a PM.

Grumble, grumble, gripe, whine.

2 of my 3 Araucana pullets are BROODY. In January. In single digit overnights. They are IDIOTS.

Now I have to decide what to do about it. I have some fertile Breda Fowl eggs, and I think they may be pure since the Breda cockerel has been really busy with his girls, but they could be crossed with Araucana (that would be interesting, no? I also have some pure English orp eggs (Jubilee cockerel over white or lavendar pullets) that I think are fertile. I can give them a few eggs each and then move them to the floor of the coop in an isolation pen when they start hatching (if the girls stick with it). But that will have new chicks the first of February -- bummer of a time for babies outside. The little portable hoop coop isn't suitable for winter use at all. They have completely stopped laying and are cursing at me every time I go near them. Trust me Araucana pullets can curse really fluently for as young as they are.

I don't want chicks in the house, so they would have to stay in the coop. It is sort of heated, but only over the roosts. I suppose I could move a sweeter heater down closer to them later if I needed to.

Just thinking on paper (so's to speak).

Anyone with any ideas here? Anyone want some chicks after they hatch and the mamas get tired of them?

I wouldn't count on them hatching in my experience but at least they may break their broody. I've had them go broody before but they sit too tight and the chicks haven't ever hatched for me. Could have just been the ones that sat. Araucanas are not supposed to be a broody chicken but I certainly have had my share for sure. At any rate don't worry about the heat as long as you can keep water thawed for the chicks. She'll keep them warm. My araucanas are laying really well right now. I got my first Breda egg in weeks yesterday but most of the girls are in molt.
I ordered some more Homz totes yesterday to use as nest boxes. I really liked some they made for kids modular toy storage but they don't make them any more. The ones I bought are double that size but I think I can use them in the pens where I have more birds. They're pretty pricy but worth it if I don't have to build nest boxes for each pen. I may have to rig up some kind of center divider but that shouldn't be a major thing. Had I had any idea what all these chicken supplies would have cost me I probably would have decided to build a new house instead ......it would have been about as economical.
I went out this morning to feed the dogs and cats and it's just miserable out there. At least I got the bedding washed for the puppies so between it and the sweeter heater they should stay plenty warm.
I need to set eggs again today as well. I should go to the building and get them before long so they can warm up first.

 

[Trish44]

sharol I just found out my tiny little bantam Cochin hen is sitting on eggs in the doghouse, eeek! I can't let her keep them so now I'm going to have to dig them out of there & make her mad. I will not be in any shape right now to take care of chicks, really bad timing. Speaking of the bantams, yesterday I went into their pen to feed them & with that pen being right next to the main coop at times the other hens will sneak in with me. Well one did yesterday & these hens are at least double if not more the size of the rooster in there. He saw that hen & he puffed up his chest & went after her like you don't belong here get out, it was so funny I had to chuckle. She did turn around & head out the door of the pen.

It's really cold out there today so I'm glad I got most of the water changed out yesterday. I'm actually feeling worse today but it may be because I overdid it. I did all the water, feeding, & then came in & totally changed things around in my entry/mudroom area. I was really tired out by the time I got that all done. I may have to take it easier today so I can get well. I sure don't want to get worse now.