Consolidated Kansas

[Ivywoods]

Frizzle-LOVE the poem!

Those tanks full of chicks in the spring are SO irresistable. I always have to stop and take a good look at all of them, even if I don't bring any home.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Morning! and HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!

Darin, you tap trees??! That is SO cool!! We have a total of 3 maple trees here on my property-- and i bought them from Lowes a few years ago. They are all too small to tap. BTW-- for those of you wondering, you don't have to have sugar maples-- you can tap ANY maple tree and so long as they are over 5-6 inches in trunk they will be good to tap. The bigger the tree, the more taps you can put in. But usually not more than 3-- even on a really large tree. (I have family that does this) I have been planting Autumn maples and silver maples. If we stay here-- or at my next place, I think I'll look into getting nicer maples that are more known for tapping.

HoneyCreek, NICE birds!! They are beautiful!

Marty- yeah... going to avoid the "link" idea for now... bathing and trimming up next! LOL But it's unlikely it will be today-- this is my crazy day of driving around everywhere (preschool, Dr, etc)

Tazcat, I bet heatstroke probably did do him in for being fertile. At least for that summer. But Wyandottes-- especially the nicer ones have LOTS of fluff. So that really could have been a problem, too. Where has Katie been? She sure has really nice Wyandottes-- I wonder if she's ever had that problem with hers? Interesting!

Pikeman, is your hen still "yawning"? I'm going to bet she doesn't have Gap worm. The ground has been frozen off and on and it's winter. My guess is that she has an upper respiratory infection. You need to give her VetRX and an antibiotic. Or at least... just the VetRX. I dont' remember where you're at-- Wichita area? The Atwoods in Derby has VetRX on their shelves for $8

MsFrizzle-- miss you!! Loved your sonnet! Too funny. I hope to NOT be one of those casualities again where I walk in and buy more chicks. That is just too darned tempting! Those bins are like a beacon.

 

[tweetysvoice]

Happy Valentines Day!!

msjfrizzle - I love the sonnet!!!! I explained chicken math to my DH last night and he's relieved that we are only allowed 20 chickens within city limits. hehe

So... As I lay in bed last night dreaming about my new chicks, I came to a realization. They incubate for 21 days, right? Well, Today is my chicks Birthday!!!! They are being laid today! Go mamma birds Go! Lay me some good ones!

 

[OzawkieBantams]

Daren-I would LOVE to tap some trees and make some syrup, but I'm afraid with my agenda this spring it isn't going to happen.

Didn't you make some walnut syrup last year. It sounds so interesting. We have TONS of walnut trees here.

Yes I did. It seems they deleted all the info.......

 

[OzawkieBantams]

I tapped a hickory tree few days ago.....gonna go check it later on today.

 

[OzawkieBantams]

WHAT KIND OF TREES?

The trees suitable for tapping include all of the maple family: sugar, silver and red maples as well as box elder. Sugar maple sap contains the highest concentration of sugar (2% or higher according to weather conditions and the health of the tree). Box Elder produces a weaker sap, but one which is especially delicious to drink as is, tasting like a slightly sweet spring water. Other species of trees which reportedly may be tapped including walnut, hickories, sycamore and sweet birch. Trees to be tapped should be at least 1 1/2 feet in diameter, have large healthy crowns, and be well exposed to the sun.

​

 

[pikeman94]

Ivy - Worms and parasites. He stools haven't been normal at all. Also, I saw her gaping the other night. I was under the impression that Ivermectin would get rid of gape worms, is that not correct?

 

[pikeman94]

Hawkeye - I am in Olathe, KS. I will check the local TSC to see if they have it.

 

[Ivywoods]

Yes, I belive that is right. I just thought you were treating for a respiratory ailment, which would have been my first inclination.

Hope she's doing better today.

 

[Trish44]

msjfrizzle, you betcha you can use that excuse too, ha! My DH is probably going to kill me in April when these little chicks come, he's going to be asking me if I'm out of my mind because he thinks I have enough chickens as it is.

Ozawkie, that all sounds intriguing about the tree tapping. I only have one maple tree here & it's not big enough yet. We have been slowly trying to plant some nicer trees here. We have a forest of hedge trees around here, ugh, I know some people like them but I hate them. The thorns get in everything & they tear up my arms & legs when I'm trying to mow. If you cut one down you get 10 in it's place instead of one. Then there are the darned hedge apples that fall all over the ground & make a mess, oh I could go on & on. If we didn't have so many of them it wouldn't be so bad. DH cuts them for firewood & they eat chainsaw blades for dinner because the wood is so hard.

tweety, how exciting your chicks will be coming soon then!

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! It's still a mess here at my place with the snow. It's supposed to warm up today some, but it's going to have to warm up quite a bit to get rid of what we have here. My chickens are coming out some today, I think they're just sick of being inside, so they decided to brave the snow anyway. It was so funny this morning when I opened the run door & they looked out really disgusted like oh we hoped it was all gone.