Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

tnt, that's a very cute cockatiel. My brother-in-law had a couple of them for years, they were pretty entertaining.

IVY, your conure was beautiful, but I agree I wouldn't be able to handle the screeching or the biting. The parrot is pretty too though & sounds like a riot. I haven't had any birds of that type for years & I never had anything but canaries or parakeets. We had a parakeet named Tweety when I was growing up that lived to be pretty old & he talked & meowed like a cat.

Hawkeye, yay on your birds putting themselves back in the coop! They should do it from now on since they have learned. Even when I have brought in new chickens they have picked up on when it's time to go in to roost pretty fast. There have been some like the Lakenvelders that were kind of stubborn for awhile, but even they have learned now that they need to get in when the others do or get left out. I think now that they're some of the first ones in to roost instead of the last because they want certain spots on the roost. Those two hens & the big BC Marans rooster go to roost first because they have their spots staked out where they like to sleep. I about had a heart attack yesterday evening when I went to close up the run because one of my Barred Rock hens was missing in action, those two have been my best layers. So I went walking all around where they usually go to range & walked up the hill & all the way around the house & by the time I got back close to the garage she just popped out in front from somewhere. I have no idea where she had been, but she is not usually late getting in to roost. I sure was glad to see her though wherever she had been. Today after filling the wood rack yesterday we did get a couple eggs up on top of the straw again. I hope my Ameraucanas start to lay again & the EE hen, they seem to have taken a break for some reason. I miss those pretty eggs when they don't lay. Oh, BTW Hawkeye, how old are your chicks now?

 

[Poco Pollo]

Good Morning Kansas Chicken Friends!

North East Oklahoma chicken enthusiasts are putting together a chicken stock. It will be held at the Muskogee Fairgrounds in June of 2012. I know it's five months away, but I want to invite everyone to think about attending now. Next month I'll invite you to decline other invitations for June 16, and then the following month I'll invite you to invite all your friends to join you in attending the N.E.O.C.S. Pretty soon you'll have a bus rented and you'll be bringing fifty people with you. Here's a link to the planning thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=591368

Below is a map of the building we have rented at the Muskogee Fairgrounds. If you know you will attend and need space to set up cages, tables, etc., please send me an e-mail or a PM so that I can reserve your space. We are inviting folks from Arkansas and Missouri, too, so I am confident we will have an amazing, awesome, most excellent chicken stock experience.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Trish, glad that your BR came back- I wonder where she was hiding. Seems like you must have a lot of spots they can hide in. There is nothing here. I truly am on the flat plains out here. I've been planting trees every year, but they are always the small 5 foot trees-- and they don't grow fast. I'm working on it. I wish I had a nice shady property instead of the sun scorched place we have. I have had a lot of luck with planting though, things do grow. Hope you start getting your pretty eggs soon! I bet they have been laying some where else maybe??? My chicks are now 14 weeks old! They are still half sized birds and cute. But they are getting bigger. The little white Atwoods silkies in there with them-- they are now really small compared to the others. BUt they still are fiesty and kick barred rock booty when they get out of line.

Speaking of-- the barred rocks seem to be leaving the others alone for the most part now.

Poco Pollo-- what is a chicken stock? Is it just a chicken show? So with judges? Where did you get your judges?? I haven't checked out the link you provided, I'll do that in a bit. I am only 30 mins from the Oklahoma border as it is. Sounds interesting, I want to know more about this. I doubt I'll have a bus load of people though! LOL But I love your enthusiasm!

The kids have today off, too. I'm ready for school, although they did let me sleep in this morning. Otherwise, I'd have been up for the bus and left already for Wichita.

 

[chicken danz]

I was wondering the same thing. Is it a chicken show, auction, or swap meet?
Well I am still feeling a little like a witch today but not as bad. I did find part of my problem. I learned a few years ago that I have an allergy to sulfa drugs. After taking them for years for UTIs I noticed that I started getting fever blisters and feeling awful each time I took them. The doc suggested it was just another way my body showed an allergic reaction. I had never had fever blisters prior and haven't since I quit taking them. Well I had a fever blister pop up day before yesterday. The burns kept swelling up and filling with fluid and looking infected. I have never had a problem with silvadene before and thought it was a wonder drug. However I noticed it is actually silver sulfadiazine. Indicating it has a sulfa drug base. I put bacitracin on my hand last night instead. This morning there is a world of difference. My burns look so much better and the swelling has gone out of my hand. So apparently I was making matters worse by an allergic reaction. And whatever sulfa I was absorbing into my system was making me sick. Now if I can just get this stupid fever blister to cure I will be ok. I hate those things. They seem filthy to me.
I'm ready for the weather warm up this week. I just don't enjoy getting out in the cold to feed and water.

 

[Trish44]

Hawkeye, yes we have lots of trees & brush here for the chickens to get in. They have been going back to our fence line picking around & I don't like it that they're going down there. I really can't get down where they go though, so I can't get in there to run them back out. The hedge trees are thick down there & it's kind of hilly. I'm kind of afraid to try to get down there since my footing isn't that great any more after knee surgery & the arthritis I have. So I guess I just have to let them range & hope for the best. I wish the pups would kind of roam around down that way & maybe that would deter some things at least, but they seem to stick more to the upper yard. They like staying up on the hill a lot, I guess it's kind of a vantage point for them. Well you're within 8-10 weeks of getting eggs from your Barred Rocks, so you're getting closer. Mine laid at about 22 & 24 weeks & have gone pretty strong since then.

Danz, I'm glad you figured out what was making you feel so bad. Now that you figured that out maybe things will go better. You can get some cream from your Dr. to get that fever blister to heal faster. Once you have those you're a carrier & whenever your body is stressed they come out. I have some cream I get that helps dry them up faster, I hate them too.

 

[Hawkeye95]

My silkies from Virginia are about 7 months old now... I'm thinking soon for them?? (sure hope so-- I can't wait to use this incubator!) But yeah, my other chicks are all the same age-- 14 weeks. I can't wait till they start laying! I wonder when Seymore (turkey) will lay, too? She is out roaming around, so I suppose she could decide to lay anywhere and I'd never know it. She has dug out a spot for herself near my back deck (sort of under it a bit). There is a flower pot that tipped over and she dug into that nice dirt (I'm wondering if SHE tipped it over??) and kicked up the dirt and even dug down into the earth and created a little "nest" or impression in the ground. She sits there a lot in the sun during the day. I was going to clean it all up, but she seems so happy there. I usually keep the yard pretty well cleaned up, but she is a mess! She gets into everything and I'm betting she purposely kicked over the pot. Ah well. Maybe she'll lay there when it comes time. I got her in June-- she was already about 6 weeks old by then. So I'd say she is 7 months old going on 8 mos.

Seymore is like a dog. She follows us everywhere. She keeps going over to my neighbors house following the kids. They have a huge black lab. Fortunately, the lab has sniffed her over and decided she didnt' want Seymore. I freaked out and was yelling and running when I saw it happen a while back. I was thinking Seymore would be eaten by the time i got there. Now Seymore goes over to visit their dog a lot. Sigh. I keep expecting something bad to happen. Not by their dog-- but maybe by another dog. There is another neighbor a ways down and his dogs run around and they are BAD. They chew, destroy and pee on everything. I hate them and they've tried to bite and growl at us. Anyway, I can't be out there every minute, but I sure hope they don't get Seymore. She is out back with the horses right now.

Trish, is there anyway you could put up chicken wire in the area they like to take off in the fence line? Maybe they wouldn't be smart enough to check further down and it would stop them?? I was reading on the Purina post where they said that RIR's and Wyandottes produce strong in winter. I have two of the Wyandottes, so maybe they will be the first, I don't know! It'll be fun to see!

 

[Hawkeye95]

Danz, forgot to mention the silverdine, and what a bummer it has caused you to be more sick. Wow, you can't seem to catch a break sometimes! Hope it all clears up fast and you get to feeling better. I'm doing okay today! The sun it out and I've been outside and it sure does make me happy to enjoy the light.

OH! and I was going to mention that we heard word on Boeing. Rather, we don't know what is going on, BUT-- Boeing is having a mandatory All-Hands meeting tomorrow morning on the flight line in a hangar (so they can fit all 2,000 people). They have NOT said what the meeting is about or what will be announced. They are still keeping very quiet about it. But I think tomorrow we'll know FINALLY what is going on and what will happen. The chief engineer of the site is going to be calling the meeting. I'm wondering if they will have someone from Seattle or Chicago also be there. I have no idea. So speculation is very high today. I guess we won't have to wait much longer.

 

[chicken danz]

Oh Hawkeye, I would be on pins and needles if I were you!
My daughter sent me a video and it makes me sick. I think it is a must watch. I'm not advocating being a vegan or anything, but I don't think I will ever buy a butterball turkey again.
http://www.butterballabuse.com/
Here is an article that goes with it: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...horrific-abuse-turkeys.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

 

[Hawkeye95]

Quote:
I'm eating chicken fried rice right now from Great Wall that I picked up last night. I'll wait to watch the butterball link until my stomach is settled after I eat.

My dad used to have a farmer tenant his land for him a few years back. The farmer recently got into turkeys and started out with ONE barn-- which is HUGE! I mean, its like 3 barns put together it's so big. Anyway, to get rid of his turkey manure, he was offering it up to the public for free, he'd scoop it out and put it in a pile. Well.. then he turned around and put it on my dad's farm ground and CHARGED him for it! My dad agreed the first year, until another farmer talked to my dad and said he was getting it for free because this guy was having a heck of a time 'unloading' it to interested people. SO my dad said he wouldn't pay for it any longer and the farmer and my dad had a falling out. Which is unfortunate, because that is the last thing my dad wanted. He tried to work it out, but the turkey guy said that he wasn't going to stop charging for the "fertilizer". Anyway, my dad ended up selling that land because in SEK it's already difficult to find tenants to work your ground. It was only about 180 acres-- but still. He still has a couple hundred left, but what a mess. Anyway, on our way down there a couple days back- we drove by the farmer's house and he had put up 4 more turkey barns! He is contracting for Butterball. I have no idea what goes on in those barns. They are fenced in on either side- and it looks like the turkeys are all on the floor. But I heard he fits in 10,000 turkeys in each barn. I'm betting he may not farm land anymore, either. I don't know. Looks like the turkey thing could be a full time job- especially with the 4 extra barns he just put up. And these are big-- bigger than the ones I've seen up here.

ETA-- wanted to add that YES I am anxious!! I don't know what to think. I *think* I already know the outcome, but I suppose I could be surprised! I will be watching the news tonight to see if anyone leaked what is going to happen!

 

[chicken danz]

I wonder if he is the guy that lost like 1200 turkeys this year to heat. It was somewhere in SE Kansas. I told my daughter that they contracted out raising turkeys to several farms and the video was just one place. If butter ball was smart they would end their contract with them. There was also mention of a lawsuit involving some gal with aids that was processing turkey. I sure hope she wore gloves all the time.
I guess that is one reason I want to raise my own turkeys. They'll be cared for and treated good.