Consolidated Kansas

[HEChicken]

Fingers crossed Sharol, for a good hatch. Any zips starting yet?

Well, I found some bands this morning in Walmart - thanks to whoever provided that tip. They'll need to be doubled but I think will work great. A lifetime supply (600) for $3

I don't even know if I'll need them. Currently my incubator is loaded with half NH eggs and half project eggs. As long as the NH eggs were all fertilized by the NH rooster, I won't need bands. However if the first few eggs were fertilized by my BR rooster prior to separating the NH's, the BSL chicks may initially be indistinguishable from the project chicks, so I wanted a way to differentiate them, just in case. I already created a partition to put in the incubator for hatch, to make sure chicks stay on their respective sides of it, until I've had a chance to verify their parentage.

While I was out I picked up another nipple for my bottles. I can now bottle feed 3 kids at once, by holding one bottle between my knees and one in each hand. That is helping a lot as, the older the kids get, the more aggressive they get about feeding times. When I could only feed two at once, the third was jumping all over the other two, trying to force them to give up their nipple.

The asparagus crowns I had pre-ordered arrived yesterday. I didn't get a shipping notification so wasn't expecting them so soon and I haven't even figured out a place to put them yet. I guess I'll have to do that pretty quickly.

The clippers I ordered a few days ago also arrived yesterday. I decided to stop paying someone to come and shear my sheep and just learn to do it myself. This should be entertaining. Tickets to the event are selling out fast

I expect it will take me four times as long and the sheep won't come out looking half as good as when the pros do it, but it will be nice not to have to rely on someone else's schedule to get it done. As the days and nights are already spring-like, I'm going to try to do one this weekend when DH is available to help subdue a sheep and get her on the stand.

 

[chicken danz]

I should be out working but for some reason I just plain wore out. DH went and got 5 tons of sand so I could add it to the garden. Now I'm too tired to go work on it. I sure hope it doesn't rain me out before I get done.
I need to candle goose eggs and see where I can put some more.
@HEChicken I wish I were closer. I would love to see that rodeo!
I have a big aquarium I posted on our county facebook pages and there is a lot of interest already. I have several offers but of course everyone is looking for a low ball price. I really just want it out of here. It's on the back of the pickup and we need to get it moved. I can use the money as well although it is a huge loss for what I paid.

 

[Trish44]

Fingers crossed Sharol, for a good hatch. Any zips starting yet?

Well, I found some bands this morning in Walmart - thanks to whoever provided that tip. They'll need to be doubled but I think will work great. A lifetime supply (600) for $3

I don't even know if I'll need them. Currently my incubator is loaded with half NH eggs and half project eggs. As long as the NH eggs were all fertilized by the NH rooster, I won't need bands. However if the first few eggs were fertilized by my BR rooster prior to separating the NH's, the BSL chicks may initially be indistinguishable from the project chicks, so I wanted a way to differentiate them, just in case. I already created a partition to put in the incubator for hatch, to make sure chicks stay on their respective sides of it, until I've had a chance to verify their parentage.

While I was out I picked up another nipple for my bottles. I can now bottle feed 3 kids at once, by holding one bottle between my knees and one in each hand. That is helping a lot as, the older the kids get, the more aggressive they get about feeding times. When I could only feed two at once, the third was jumping all over the other two, trying to force them to give up their nipple.

The asparagus crowns I had pre-ordered arrived yesterday. I didn't get a shipping notification so wasn't expecting them so soon and I haven't even figured out a place to put them yet. I guess I'll have to do that pretty quickly.

The clippers I ordered a few days ago also arrived yesterday. I decided to stop paying someone to come and shear my sheep and just learn to do it myself. This should be entertaining. Tickets to the event are selling out fast

I expect it will take me four times as long and the sheep won't come out looking half as good as when the pros do it, but it will be nice not to have to rely on someone else's schedule to get it done. As the days and nights are already spring-like, I'm going to try to do one this weekend when DH is available to help subdue a sheep and get her on the stand.

It sounds like everything came all at once. I would like to see that rodeo myself with the shearing. I may have one that will need it unless I sell her, I'm waiting to see if she's going to shed or not. I really don't want any that don't shed well & this one ewe was iffy when I got her as a lamb. I knew it could go either way with her since she's half Katahdin, half Dorper. I can't imagine bottle feeding 3 goats at once, geez you have a lot more energy than me.

I used to grow asparagus in my garden when I lived at Derby, I love it fresh out of the garden raw.

I should be out working but for some reason I just plain wore out. DH went and got 5 tons of sand so I could add it to the garden. Now I'm too tired to go work on it. I sure hope it doesn't rain me out before I get done.
I need to candle goose eggs and see where I can put some more.
@HEChicken I wish I were closer. I would love to see that rodeo!
I have a big aquarium I posted on our county facebook pages and there is a lot of interest already. I have several offers but of course everyone is looking for a low ball price. I really just want it out of here. It's on the back of the pickup and we need to get it moved. I can use the money as well although it is a huge loss for what I paid.

Wow that's a lot of sand! I never put sand in my garden when I had clay, I just kept adding organic stuff to it every year till it broke down. I had some good soil there after a few years.

sharol good luck on your hatch, I hope you get all of the chicks you want. I have my first hatch for the year coming up a week from today. I'm anxious to see what hatches on that one since the fertility wasn't that good to start out. I also have a hatch of ducklings coming the 25th as well. I went out yesterday & took off all the rest of the plastic off of the pens. Hopefully that will give them more light & spur them to lay better. I also will start taking off winter tarps soon. I may wait a week or so for that though.

 

[sharol]

Thanks for the good wishes. So far 8 Campines (from my shipped eggs from @Wisher1000) and 4 Breda Fowl out of the shell and drying (or in the brooder). All but 1 of the shipped eggs has pipped. However, a couple pipped yesterday, so they may not be among the living.

So far it is a fabulous hatch for shipped eggs.

Helped the first chick to pip finish hatching this morning. It was really glued in there. The membrane had dried because it was such a long process, and the chick was stuck to it. A little water and some picking at the shell, an it tumbled right out. No sign of blood or yolk, so I guess I did the right thing. It had been more than 24 hours since the pip.

 

[lizzyGSR]

I went out to check on my new chicks this morning, and there was a ray of sunlight peeking through one of the nail holes in the tin. The ray ended up on the cardboard on the dark/cool side of the brooder. One chick noticed and pretty soon there was a whole bunch of them over there trying to "get" the sunlight. Silly birds!

 

[HEChicken]

DH went and got 5 tons of sand so I could add it to the garden. Now I'm too tired to go work on it. I sure hope it doesn't rain me out before I get done.

That is a LOT of sand and I don't envy you the job of getting it spread to get it tilled in. Good luck!

I knew it could go either way with her since she's half Katahdin, half Dorper.

Katahdin and Dorper are both hair sheep breeds so your little ewe should still have 100% chance of shedding.

So far 8 Campines (from my shipped eggs from @Wisher1000) and 4 Breda Fowl out of the shell and drying (or in the brooder). All but 1 of the shipped eggs has pipped. However, a couple pipped yesterday, so they may not be among the living.

Congrats on the chicks so far. The pipped eggs could still hatch. If there is nothing actively zipping right now, you can candle the pipped eggs and see if you see movement.

I went out to check on my new chicks this morning, and there was a ray of sunlight peeking through one of the nail holes in the tin. The ray ended up on the cardboard on the dark/cool side of the brooder. One chick noticed and pretty soon there was a whole bunch of them over there trying to "get" the sunlight. Silly birds!

I can just imagine that - what a picture.

Well, I've been busy all day. I got a gate installed in the goat barn. I've had the gate a month and its been one of those tasks that has been on my to-do list since then so I'm really glad to have it scratched off. This gate goes over the roller door on the inside, which will allow me to leave the roller door open on warm nights for air flow, without goats getting out or predators getting in. I left the roller door open after getting the gate installed this morning and it makes the barn feel a lot airier to have it open.

Then I worked on installing a gate latch on a gate that we've always had to chain, which is a pain to do one-handed. I started this yesterday but found that the gate latch came with everything I needed - except the screws to mount one side to the post. I don't know why they don't include them as they are a very specific size - not the kind you'd normally have just sitting around. I've used these gate latches in the past so I kind of knew that but had forgotten. So I got the latch installed on the gate but couldn't install the other half of it without making a trip to the hardware store. This morning, while putting away my tools from the gate install, I found where last time I bought the screws to install a gate latch, I'd bought two too many. I need four but figured with two I could at least get it up there and then next time I'm going past a hardware store I can stop and get two more. Two should hold it for now. So I got the latch installed and then I just needed to drill through the gate to put in an extra bolt that I've found is necessary to be sure the latch doesn't move and at that point my drill driver's battery ran out. So I had to take a break while it recharges.

I *still* haven't decided where to put the asparagus. I'm really hoping DH can help me figure that out this weekend as I need to get it planted. It isn't like other veggies where if you don't like the location you just plant them somewhere else the following year. The asparagus I hope will live for 20-30 years so I need a good location for it now as if I have to dig it up and move it later, it will just delay harvesting.

 

[sharol]

Thanks for the good wishes. So far 8 Campines (from my shipped eggs from @Wisher1000) and 4 Breda Fowl out of the shell and drying (or in the brooder). All but 1 of the shipped eggs has pipped. However, a couple pipped yesterday, so they may not be among the living.

So far it is a fabulous hatch for shipped eggs.

Helped the first chick to pip finish hatching this morning. It was really glued in there. The membrane had dried because it was such a long process, and the chick was stuck to it. A little water and some picking at the shell, an it tumbled right out. No sign of blood or yolk, so I guess I did the right thing. It had been more than 24 hours since the pip.

I couldn't resist posting my pile of babies picture.


They are Campines and Breda Fowl. The leopardy looking ones are Campines. There are 2 more in the 2nd incubator drying and getting their feet under them, and at least two more zipping in the incubator. So far 10 Campines out of 15 (shipped), 4 of 5 Breda Fowl (and the 5th is pipped and zipping), 0 of 2 Orps (hoping they are just late).

Is there anything cuter?

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Darn ok so heads up for in the Kansas City area while you will get the text when you order chicks about them being at the KCMO Distribution Center you CAN not pick up or ship from this main hub only the Post office it feeds too. Yea i know it sucks but that's what what they say heck the post surp I talked too said even they cant go there only the truckers assigned to it can

 

[sharol]

That is a LOT of sand and I don't envy you the job of getting it spread to get it tilled in. Good luck!

***
Congrats on the chicks so far. The pipped eggs could still hatch. If there is nothing actively zipping right now, you can candle the pipped eggs and see if you see movement.

***
I *still* haven't decided where to put the asparagus. I'm really hoping DH can help me figure that out this weekend as I need to get it planted. It isn't like other veggies where if you don't like the location you just plant them somewhere else the following year. The asparagus I hope will live for 20-30 years so I need a good location for it now as if I have to dig it up and move it later, it will just delay harvesting.

I've decided to let them go forward. We are only on day 21, and 14 are hatched of the 22 i started with. I've helped 2 that were stuck and started to help another one and saw a little bloood, so I covered it up with a damp paper towel and hope I didn't do any serious damage. If I don't see any action by tomorrow, I'll candle what is left, but I'm seeing movement at the site of the pips, so there is clearly still hope.

Asparagus is no picnic to plant, either. With all the hilling under the roots and the sheer depth you have to do, it can be a challenge. We have a small patch. I planted 25 plants, and I think there are about 12 or so that made it (8 years ago or so), and they produce really tasty stalks every year. I REALLY like asparagus. My husband is a surveyor, and sometimes when he is out in the summer he will see an old farmstead with a stand of asparagus or rhubarb that has to have been there for 50 years. amazing stuff.

 

[zigzag45]

@sharol -- Congrats on the hatch.

I just got caught up on a few pages. I found the calcium carbonate interesting. I've been doing oyster shell. From what I gathered, the calcium carbonate is a replacement/alternative to oyster shell right? I was thrilled when I found that I could buy oyster shell at a feed store/coop. I was purchasing it at TSC and felt like it was way over priced. It was!!

I lost one of my cinnamon queens overnight. She was dead this morning in the coop, under a roost. Probably past in the night. I'm not one that wants to tear apart a cold hard dead bird so I won't know what happened. Since I run so few birds, each one I loose is always sad. I heard a funny cough/gag from one a few nights ago, made me wonder if it was her.

My chicks are happy and growing. These gals seem to be hearty and not very skittish which is great. They ate some scrambled egg out of my hand this morning which was fun.

I'm hoping to make the Gardner auction next weekend. Long range forecast calls for colder weather which would be a bummer after the beautiful temps we've had.