Consolidated Kansas

[Ivywoods]

Three new babies in the incubator this morning. Two lavender ameraucanas and one golden lakenvelder. I'm still not having the best hatch rate. Out of the last dozen eggs I just put into lockdown, only seven looked viable. I've just about decided part of the problem is my schedule and cold weather. I think sometimes by the time I get the eggs picked up they are already partially frozen, and how would I know unless they are cracked or something. Anyway, I will keep limping along until the weather warms up.

DH is home from the hospital. He is resting right now but is having some relief. They never really found the problem this last time. Everyone is thinking it is some insufficiency in some of the microvasculature of the heart, so he is on several new medications. I think with a few lifestyle modifications and the medicine he will continue to improve...at least that is what I am hoping.

I hope everyone is on the mend health wise. It has been such a nice, mild winter it's a shame not to be able to get out and enjoy it. This morning when we got up there were hundreds of thousands of snow geese in the field just in front of our house. It is such an awesome sight, and it sounds like you are next to a huge stadium with 100,000 people cheering for their team. We stood and watched them until they all moved on to the north, and then we could see our neighbors field looked like it was covered in snow. The numbers are unimaginable.

I'm going to work on my brooder again today. It has kind of taken a back seat for a while, but I think I can finish it today. I wanted to come up with waterers and feeders that didn't take up much floor space since the comparments are smaller than I had planned, and I wanted feeders that they can't throw everything out of, and I think I've figured out how I want to do it.

The nubian doe that is close to having babies is still hanging on. She is not in labor yet, but she sure acts miserable, along with the other nubian that is close and a first timer. These are two of my favorite goats, so I hope they do well.

The dogs had a BUSY night last night. Seemed like the coyotes were everywhere. I'm sure it's the snow geese in the area right now that are bringing them in. Those coyotes are hungry and they are hoping for a goose dinner.

 

[HEChicken]

The ambient humidity here is 75% anyway. Don't know what it is at your place.

Keep in mind that the ambient humidity in your house or outside, is largely irrelevent due to the relationship between temperature and humidity. An ambient humidity of 75% when the temperature is 40 (outside) or 65 (inside your house) is not still going to be 75% in an incubator where the temperature is 100.....

 

[HEChicken]

Ivywoods, congrats on the babies and I'm glad your DH is home - hopefully that is the last of his issues and it is all downhill from here. I'm interested to hear more about your ideas for the new feeder/waterer. Or even see pics once you are done.

 

[chicken danz]

I need to add water nearly every day to my incubator but fall behind on doing it. The big ones use a lot of water. Even at that if I'm not opening it seems to still hatch ok. I do like to stay at 40% for incubating if I can.70% for hatching. I noticed the other day the button on my digital incubator inadvertently had gotten pushed and was running at 101 degrees. Makes me very nervous. My incubator is full. Probably close to 300 eggs in there. My turkey eggs are in there and they are hard to hatch any way. I will be so upset if I ruined them. Fortunately a lot of these eggs are Seramas and I don't need them anyway,
I had a terrible night. I coughed all night long. I finally got up and went to the couch so DH could sleep. Come on, antibiotics!
I am pretty handy and my DH is a very good builder. He just takes for ever. If I had waited for him I would be still waiting to get my first little chicken house done. I just can't handle the heavy work with a fused back and a fused wrist. If I use my hands too much then I can't even pick up a coffee cup for days. If I bend too much then I hurt so bad I can barely move. It's just arthritis and a lousy lot of joints. I can build, do electrical, plumb, you name it. But if it is heavy or requires a lot of repetative action I'm worthless.

 

[Ivywoods]

Danz-I hear you on the arthritis. My mom's family all had it big-time, and it looks like all 5 of us kids have it now. Danz, I, too pride myself on being able to do alot of the work myself. I love to build stuff, but I do need help with some of the big, heavier stuff. When it comes to plumbing and electrical my DH can do it all, and I gladly let him! I make a pretty good apprentice, though. Well, frankly, when he is feeling well there isn't anything I can think of that he can't do. Big construction, like framing, I let him make the decisions. He has that engineering ability, but I LOVE to help with the air nailer! We make a pretty good team. He calls the shots, I do all the measuring and cut anything less than a 2x4 (my little circular saw is just not quite big enough) then he puts things in place and either one of us holds it and nails it up or whatever needs done.

That's why it has been so frustrating to have him not feeling well. We have so many thing we BOTH want to do. I've been able to do little things by myself, like make my brooder, but now we need to move some big panels in the barn and I need his help to do it. You know, I could never bad-mouth my DH. All I have to do is look around and see all the unhappiness out there and I realize I have it pretty darn good. OR... all I have to do is think back to my EX husband and how abusive he was and how miserable I was and I feel like I am about as lucky as one can get.

I guess the next thing on my Christmas or birthday list is a new circular saw. Mine is a little 4 3/8 or something like that. I'd like to have one that is 5 1/2 or 6 1/2, but not the big 7 1/4. I want one just big enough to cut 2" material. My DH's circ saw is big, heavy, and he is left handed. I can't cut anything accurately with it.

 

[Trish44]

Well I'm back, my computer is fixed & the internet is up, yay! I was so disgusted last night, I know it's trivial but my internet was down & then I went downstairs to watch TV & the satellite was down too. When my DH came home he went out & cleaned off the dish & it came back up. At least I got some reading done while everything else was off.

The pups are so excited about the snow, they're just running & playing in it today, thankfully it seems to be melting off of things this morning.

IVY, I'm glad your DH is home, hopefully things will keep getting better. Congrats on your new chicks!

Danz, I hope your meds kick in soon so you can get some rest, that's the pits.

Well I have a rural water board meeting this morning, so I better get up out of this chair & get with it. We usually had them in the evening, but it seems nobody could come this time unless it was during the day. We have a very small rural water district here in our little area, but we still have to meet all the government standards & regulations of the larger ones. I'll see you all later, have a good day & keep warm!

 

[BamaProud]

Ivy,glad to hear that your husband is doing better and he is at home resting.Hopefully they have found out what is causing the problems.Make sure he takes it easy and doesn't try to over do it until he feels better.I'll be glad to help move those panels for you.Just let me know and I can also bring my son to help us if we need him. PM me and we can work it out to get those moved for you.

 

[chicken danz]

Yeah Ivy I really can't complain about my DH as a person. He tolerates me and we don't fight. Maybe once a year we will have an argument. (He has learned he can't win!)

I do wish he had a little more "go get 'em " so we could get things done. He always says I just go and go and go and he has to rest. But most of the time I don't see him doing anything to rest from!

I don't know what I'd do without him though.
I never made it out to take pictures of the puppies yesterday. It is getting so nasty in that dog house. They crawl out and then crawl right back in. I sure like warm weather litters the best. I haven't really gotten to interact with these pups much. But I do have my favorite picked out. She's so cute! They are eating really well.
I ordered a slew of grape vines and some blueberries that you can grow in a pot, and some seed potatoes. I couldn't find anything but 1yr grape vines but I guess at least it is a place to start. I'll just have to wait a couple years before I have grapes. I do hope that the vines will grow enough I can get some shade from them, assuming we get enough rain this year that they don't die.

 

[HEChicken]

He always says I just go and go and go and he has to rest. But most of the time I don't see him doing anything to rest from!

I don't know what I'd do without him though.

You know, I feel tired - a LOT - while my DH is the one to go and go and go and never seem to run out of energy. A few years ago I found out the reason. I tried to give blood and was rejected because I am anemic. And anemia results in a lack of energy. I am not very good at remembering to take stuff and I hate taking supplements, so I often get behind. But I've noticed if I try to be consistent about taking a multi-vitamin/mineral on a daily basis, I do feel a lot more energetic. Is it possible your DH is also suffering from anemia? You don't have to get tests done and prescriptions - why not just try adding either an iron supplement or a multi-vitamin/mineral to his daily regimen and see if, after a couple of weeks you notice a difference.

I do think there are also people who just have a "lazier" outlook on life and would rather sit and do something sedentary than get off their butts and actually work so just because someone seems tired doesn't mean they are anemic. On the other hand, it can't hurt anything to take the supplement and see if it makes a difference, right?

 

[tntblake]

My shed has shipped!

I am super excited for it to get here! I hope it warms up a little in the next couple weeks so that I can get it put together and get the modifications done so I am ready for chick days! This is the one I got. It looks like it will work well for what I need.