Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

Awww, poor bird, must have been exhausted, hopefully he didn't die of some disease, but it sounds like you took enough precautions. I really don't know what diseases pigeons are subject to, I would have to read up on that. I just see the ones perched on buildings that make such a mess, but there are people who raise them & keep them for pets just like any other bird.

Well I just ate a big bowl of chicken noodle soup, it's proven to help get rid of the cold virus, so I ate it up. Anything hot helps break things up too, so after while I'll have some hot tea & that will help. I managed to get to two pharmacies & pick up medicines, I hated to have to go out at all, but I had to. I did my chicken & other animal chores in record time tonight too just so I could get back in where it's warm, It's supposed to get down to 14 tonight, brrrrr. I'll have to go down after while & get the woodstove going. At least DH brought in wood before he left.

I'm still getting eggs, knock on wood, so hopefully that won't stop. It varies day to day as to how many I get, but today I got 9 from 16 hens. I still haven't gotten an egg from the two Marans hens, the one at least looks like she should be laying any day, so hopefully she will. I can't wait to see what color of egg I get from them. I have not seen a Marans egg other than in pictures, so it will be new to me. One of my hens is laying an almost pink egg, not sure which one that could be if it's the Speckled Sussex or who lays an egg like that. It was long shaped, kind of irregular & a pinkish tan color. When I went out this morning to let the chickens out & collect eggs one of my Barred Rock hens was sitting up on the straw on their nest there. I reached under her to see if there were eggs there & she kind of growled at me, she didn't peck, but made this growling sound.

Hawkeye, do you have nest boxes in your coop for your hens to lay in? I thought I remembered seeing them,but wasn't sure.

 

[tweetysvoice]

On the subject of snowy owls there was one that lived out on the cooling lake at Wolf Creek for years. It was on the back side where no one but employees with permission had access. It was a huge beautiful bird and it almost always was sitting on the same exact fence post. You can't imagine what a sight he was. Those white feathers combined with the big eyes and enormous size was just awesome. I would love to see one again some day. I think it lived on fish and mice and drank from the lake.

There was a snowy owl that ran into an electric line earlier this month here in Lawrence. Unfortunately it didn't make it. http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2012/jan/04/snowy-owl-injured-near-lawrence-post-office-has-di/

 

[tweetysvoice]

Trish, I hope you get to feeling better. My crud still hasn't gone away I've been on antibiotics since last Thurs and called the doc yesterday. She told me to give it the full 10 days, but I'm thinking that if it hasn't cleared out my sinuses in 7 days, three more won't matter.. sigh.. oh well. I'm coughing a little bit, but I think that's more due to drainage than anything. For me, it's the pressure and the headaches (along with not being able to breathe) thats making me the most miserable. Kinda glad at this moment I don't have the chicks just yet. I feel for ya'll that are having to go out in this bitter windy weather. I'll be right behind ya next winter though - and cuz this one's been so good, i'm sure we'll get wolluped next year.

 

[rittert3]

I think that bird was probably just exausted or may have just been really old, hawkeye. It looked like a pretty healthy pigeon to me, other than being immobile. So now that you have expereice with pigeons it's time to have some of those around to right? Lol just kidding but, they really are neat birds to keep and cleaner than most people think. I can't wait to get some again.

 

[Trish44]

tweety, did you start out with what you thought was a cold & then progress to a sinus infection or what? I started out kind of like what my DH had, but now it's more like a darned head cold, my nose is just streaming today & earlier I was coughing my head off. I probably will start again as soon as I lay down. I have been drinking hot liquids this evening trying to break up this darned congestion & I can't breathe out of my nose. Yeah, it's not fun going out in the cold to take care of birds, rabbits, dogs, & such when you're feeling like crap. I did it because I had to, but if I could have gotten away with not going out I would have. I left the pups out until I ran to the pharmacy & back & they were lying by the garage waiting for me to feed them when I came back. They know that as soon as I put the chickens in, feed them their evening snack & water them that's it's their turn to get fed & put in for the night. I just can't believe how big they're getting, I know I keep saying that, but it's true, they're just growing by leaps & bounds it seems like every day I look at them & they're bigger.

Well despite my not going on this trip I still have been collecting the things that DH needs to take with him & putting it all on the diningroom table so he hopefully won't forget it, all except for the eggs he's supposed to take to his sister that are in the fridge. Now that I got all of that lined up I can go to bed, yay! Do they make drip buckets to hang on your nose? That's what I need, ugh, going to bed now. I'll see you all tomorrow.

 

[tweetysvoice]

awww... I hope you sleep good tonight Trish! I did have a small head cold for about a week that was a lot of sneezing, watery eyes, and runny nose... then it just all stopped. I thought I was over it for a couple days and then all of a sudden I got the serious sinus pressure and headaches. I knew it had moved into a sinus infection and went to the doc to confirm. I wanted to stop it before it moved into my chest. I've seen a lot of people in the ER with URI's (Upper Respiratory Infections) that started off as this headcold/sinus infection. I tried the netty pot a couple time (I hate that thing!), but it didn't help at all. I also tried sitting in the hot shower with a cup of menthol that's used for humidifiers to loosen it up. No luck. I can't get anything to break this loose. I'll wake up in the morning completely clogged and can't breath out my nose.. then it runs all day long and stops up again in the evening.. so I completely feel your pain! Can't tell ya how many boxes of kleenax I've used these past couple weeks. LOL

I just got finished reading the entire 130ish page thread "You know might be a crazy chicken lady/gent if...". OMG, I haven't laughed so hard in my life. and sadly, I can see myself doing half of those things once I get the chicks! LOL So it's almost 2 in the morning and I really should go to bed. Shouldn't have drank that cup of coffee after dinner. Night all.

 

[Ivywoods]

Just checked my incubator. I've got another lavender ameraucana hatched and MY FIRST ROSECOMB! I sure hope it makes it. It seemed to take a long time to hatch after it pipped. I hope my little hen starts laying again pretty soon. They are a very beautiful pair. They are also very friendly little birds. I just love them. I've got some very nice old english, too. They haven't started laying at all. Once I do I should get enough eggs to hatch since I have 4 little BBRed hens. My silver duckwing old english haven't started laying either. I hope they do soon. I've only got one pair of those, so every egg will be precious.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Rittert, yeah the pigeon was so pretty! A lot bigger up close than I thought, too! The white comb thing on it's beak is super soft and spongy, too. I was surprised. I have a cousin that raises pigeons, doves, etc... I suppose if I wanted one, I could have one pretty quickly, since he's in the Wichita area too.

Tweety, yeah, even when you're not sick, it's not a whole lot of fun to get out there in the winter and take care of animals. Every single night, I also put my horses in their stalls in the barn and then grain them, then let them back out in the morning. I had a pack of about 5 coyotes attack my mare one year, so this is the system I've kept up since then. I used to stall them, feed and let them out a couple hours later. I feel better they are safe and out of the wind/cold. Also, winter is great for thing breaking-- I have an automatic float on my stock tank with a heater. If something happens to the heat tape around the pipes or the heater goes out... then I wind up with frozen water and a potential water break, too. It's happened. I think chickens are a lot easier so far! I made up a cookie tin heater, plugged it in, sat the water on. All I have to do is refill water and feed. I hope you feel better soon!

Trish, you too-- feel better! Sheesh, everyone is sick! I've managed to catch Strep twice in two months... but I'd rather have that, than what you all have. My coop does have nest boxes. I think there are 4 or 5 of them in there. They are big boxes. I made them on the larger side anticipating that two birds might want to squeeze in there together. I had a dream last night that all of the birds were just starting to lay! I was actually panicked with how many eggs I had. Now I'm starting to worry! I may have gotten too many pullets! LOL!! My friends and family better love fresh eggs!

Ivy-- CONGRATS on the rosecomb that finally hatched! I hope it makes it, too! I can't believe you went all week with no word about the tests. I'm not feeling really confident that they knew what they were doing. I bet they sent off the results to KC or Wichita. Which a lot can be lost in translation. I love that my cardiologist has a full set up right there in the office. As soon as you get there, you go into the testing room, do it all... and then the Dr comes in once he's looked it over and tell's you the deal. No go-between, no waiting. I love my Dr! They have even called him in, right in the middle of testing to look at something-- so it's really a plus. Things have really turned into 'immediate' care here-- espcially in the Wichita area. I bet it's the same way in KC. The last couple of times, I didnt' know I'd do any testing. But when he came in to look at me, he was concerned about something and then sent me to the techs next door-- so fast.

Danz, hope Marshmallow is feeling better today.

My silkie (which ever one is laying) is hit and miss. I found an egg that first day I was so excited-- and then the next day-- nothing. Then finally yesterday evening, there was another egg. I guess she is getting off to a slow start. Not Seymore, though! That turkey is an egg machine here, lately!

 

[Hawkeye95]

I just got an email that our first 4-H show is March 24th in Jefferson County at the Meadowlark Extension District in Oskaloosa (where the heck is that?). Says all of our birds must be banded and NPIP tested. So I guess I better call our extension office and get that done! I suppose they have bands?? I wonder if I have to buy them. I guess that will be one of my questions. My silkies are already banded, but they'll need to be tested and I'm thinking of bringing Seymore (maybe). I don't know if I want to drive a long way with a huge bird in the back. ha!

 

[ChooksChick]

I have a mixed flock -- 5 EE's, 2 Delawares, a Campine, a Welsumer, a GLW, and a BO. They are all pretty tame and friendly. half of them are 15 months old or so, and the other half are almost a year (in March). I'd like to add a roo in the spring after the weather gets better since my isolation area isn't as warm as the coop would be, and I'd like to keep him in the tractor for a while until they got acquainted through the wires.

Sharol

Perfect! The guy I'm thinking of is an EE from my wonderful late roo, Professor. He's been lovingly named Associate because he sounds just like his father did, and he's even more stunning: solid blue with birchen markings and a giant mahogany beard. He's a very social, calm and wonderful fellow, and he's not an obnoxious crower, but is good at alerting and watching over. He's actually the beta in this group, but is watching at least as well, if not better, than the alpha roo.

I'll see if I can get pics working today.

Renee, A couple of my previous pups are house dogs. One of them lets their dog out to patrol the chicken/ duck pens but keeps them at night. The other does the opposite. Lets them out at night and keeps them in by day. If you have a fenced yard I think you'd be ok with a dog in town but like Ivy said you want them to bond with the birds as well. You'd be fine I think if the dog was out with the chickens a lot while you were there. But if you intend to make it a house pet and then later put it out with just the birds where there won't be any human contact, it really wouldn't be fair to the dog. I think Candace might be the one to answer the question about how to handle one that will be all alone with a flock. I don't know if any I've sold have not been used as guardians and protectors both. You could always get one now for dual duty and maybe get another later to be a sole protector alone or breed the one you have for another pup. If you got a boy you could ask for a stud fee of one pup from someone who had a female or if you got a female you could have her bred later. I guess you could have one for a pet and one for a guard dog. Just remember as a pet they need lots of attention and things to keep them busy.

I think, then, that if I got one and kept it here as a guardian in the yard when I'm not at the farm, in the house a bit, and then out at the farm with me when I'm there, it would work. It's a fenced yard, with a pond and 20 chickens and a couple of ducks (Cayuga mixes). We lost many to hawks this year in our 1/3 acre, suburban yard, middle of Lawrence! It would be great to count on them not getting munched when I go in the house. That's the saddest thing. I've never lost a bird out at the farm, but in town is far more dangerous.

When we move to the heritage farm, it'll be hours of work there daily, with farm plots and other folks there, so it's not as if the dog(s?) would be alone except at night, and it's a LONG way off. I'm not sure it would even be a consideration, but I've thought about it.

Do folks w/ GP close their coop doors at night? I know you have a gazillion ducks just out in the open, happy as clams at night- safe as can be...how nice would it be to not have to worry about rushing home from dinner or whatever to close up the birds as dusk falls!? It's been a source of anxiety for years!!

Trish, sorry you have the coughing crud! It's just soooo annoying, because the minute my body goes horizontal, I'm all coughs, too. Call your doc and sk for Tessalon. It's also called terbinafine. It numbs that little tickle that makes it imposible not to cough, and it's just these little spheres, like vitamin e. My hubby tosses and turns and *SIGHS* really loud...and I get up and take nyquil even though it's the only symptom I have left- I'm out of terbinafine.

Ivy, congrats on the rosecomb chick!!

It's going to be a cold, dreary one today. Everyone is still locked up, and I bet they don't mind all that much. It's time to strap on my insulated overalls and big wool sweater! I have these sheep & goat hair boots that I've warn for years that are so beaten up they look like I have long-haired roadkill on my legs, but they are toasty warm inside, and it's the best thing if I can't be inside. I also have these neoprene/rubber gloves that are the warmest gloves I've ever had- I think North is the company that makes them. Blue and black, industrial gloves. Can't say enough about them- I have Reynaud's, too, and cold is brutal for extremities. LOVE these.

Off I go!