Consolidated Kansas

[Deerfield Acres]

I went to Derby to meet the lady with the duck and turkey eggs. So, I picked up the eggs and they are in the bator. I'm excited and nervous. I did tell her I've only hatched one batch of chicks, so far, and didn't scare her off. I sure hope I don't screw it up. What was I thinking? Oh yeah, poultry math!!!! Cayugas and Bourben Reds here we come. (I hope)

Dandelions. That's how I hurt my ankle. I was taking dandelions to the chicks when I slipped on the ladder. Now the dandelions are taking over the world, apparently, from the looks of my yard.

Ivy, I have the same problem. Terrible intuition in relationships. However, my DH and I have been married 15 years and he hasn't turned psycho or just plain stupid so I think I finally found a good one. He has a really quirky sense of humor and can make me laugh even if I'm really ticked. Some things really just aren't that big a deal and he has really helped me to chill. I honestly think he brings out the best in me. I like to think I do the same for him.

If the sun will come out today, my DH and DS might put up my electric fence around my coop. I want to get the exterior of the coop painted so badly and I have an idea for a really cute sign, so it would be nice if I could get rid of the crutches. Oh well, at least I can visit my birds. DS is painting the interior for me since I can't. At least I had most of it primed. DH is going to start on the roosts today. He has the nest boxes partially built but I don't need those yet.

We got lots of seeds started yesterday; lots of tomatoes, and lots of sweet and hot peppers. The strawberry plants look great and already have blooms on them. Asparagus came up, although not all that I planted but I'm still hoping. The onions and garlic look great also. I should be able to get lots more stuff planted this week since it's not supposed to rain. We'll see.

Here comes the sun. I think I'll hobble out and see how DS is doing. Later.

 

[pikeman94]

When we moved in about 4 years ago, my backyards was dandelions holding hands with ticks holding hands with grubs. It was a mess. After about a year with chickens all of the above are gone! Plus they fertilize the yard and give me food. The girls are also funny to watch. The kids and I get a lot of entertainment just watching them and their habits.

 

[Trish44]

Pikeman, Yeah I had so many grubs in my flower beds & yard it wasn't funny & I'll bet there aren't any left now. Those chickens have dug up every inch of my flower beds that doesn't have a plant in it & some that did, I don't think they could have missed any.

My new little BC Marans rooster is fitting right in. I was going to keep him shut up longer in the crate, but he had his own ideas. I opened the crate to put food in & he just ran right out the door. He started walking around in the crowd like he's always been here & today he is outside with the rest. He doesn't seem to have noticed that much that he moved! Thanks Eileen for such a nice little roo, he doesn't seem aggressive at all to me. I think it was just that Keena had two of them the same age that were ganging up & causing trouble when he was there. Here he is the new kid on the block & nobody seems to pay much attention to him.

I now have 5 Ameraucanas & 3 EEs hatched. The one little EE had problems getting out of the shell & it has a problem with it's wing & that throws it off balance to walk. I don't know if it will be OK or not. I put the first 5 chicks out in the brooder & I have the last 3 still in the hatcher to dry off & fluff out. There is one more EE egg pipping, but nothing much is going on with it right now. None of the other eggs are showing any signs of anything at present.

KarenS, let me know how you do with your turkey eggs. I also have turkey eggs in my incubator as of today, but mine are Royal Palm. This is my first time to incubate turkey eggs too. I sure hope they hatch, that would be great. We also have wild turkeys here all the time, so if I get some other ones they probably will call those in too. I have been hearing some down on our front 5 acres the last few days again. Last summer we had a family of 4 babies & momma & daddy here. There were more down the hill at my friend Connie's house, but this family seemed to like to stay in our trees.

 

[HEChicken]

I did pluck a bunch of them a couple of days ago and threw them in my girl's run and they looked at them and pecked at them and then turned up their noses at it. So I don't know what it would take for them to actually EAT the yellow dandelions. Ah well... weed killer is in my future!

They won't eat the flowers - its the green leaves of the plant that they love!

 

[cherwill]

I've been trying to figure out a way to kill the weeds in our walkways -- brick, flagstone and rock -- without poisoning my dogs. I can't let the chickens out there anymore because once things start to sprout, they're only interested in my garden beds. We've tried vinegar, but it takes a ton and still doesn't work that well. I'm afraid to try salt because I don't want it leaching out to the plants I want to keep.

We've got the annual ant invasion starting, too. I wish I could let the chickens run around my kitchen for a while!

 

[chicken danz]

Had to laugh cherwill! I know what exactly what you mean! My mother told me years ago to wipe down my counter tops with vinegar to get rid of ants. You need to do it a couple times for a couple days but it really does work. The vinegar smell goes away when it dries

 

[Trish44]

We also have an ant invasion every spring, I'm glad we're not the only ones that have that problem. Thanks Danz, I'll try the vinegar. Does it matter if it's white or cider or what kind?

I have all my little chicks out in the brooder except for the two still drying in the hatcher. The one little one with the wing problem seems to be compensating & walking a little better. Maybe it will just have a little disability, I guess we'll see. The rest of the eggs aren't doing anything, so I don't know if any more are going to hatch or not, but I'll leave them & see.

 

[chicken danz]

Nope it doesn't matter at all. Any vinegar will do. Speaking of vinegar I just got through coloring some eggs. Why? because I could. But the result was some less than attractive eggs, and my hands are now shades of blue, green.purple pink, and red. It was my first attempt at doing it with vinegar and food coloring. Next time more food coloring, faster soaking, and less hands are in order.
DH won't eat a boiled egg but I love them so I guess I'll be the only one who gets any of these. I remember coloring eggs with my kids. Then we found these shrink wrap type egg things that revolutionized the whole process. You just slipped the sleeve on the egg, dropped it in hot water and you had perfect eggs with lovely pictures. I wonder if they still make those. Been a long time since I even considered making Easter eggs or looked at what was available.
I mowed part of the yard late today. I had taken the baby geese out and put them in a kennel minus the bottom tray and let them nibble. So I decided to just mow some and grab some of the clippings to throw in the greenhouse for them. I just can't get over how those little guys ate all that foliage in the greenhouse so fast. I sure wouldn't want them loose in a veggie garden.
I took Chopper out and let DH babysit for a while. He wanted to sit in the shade under the tractor and eat grass. But when I got back from mowing he was sitting by the back step waiting on me. I wonder if DH even noticed he was gone. If I could keep a straight face I would go out and ask where Chopper was and act all upset when we couldn't find him. But I can't ever keep from smiling. And he did finally get out there and start working on the post holes again for my building.
I sold 6 ducks today and had a guy call wanting 50 anconas tomorrow. I thought I probably had that many but I only count about 25 of them.

I should have gotten more hatched. He's supposed to call back this evening. I sure hope not having that many won't keep him from coming. I have so many eggs in the incubator that aren't quite ready. Drat!!
I figured out costs to build this new tractor I had in mind and decided it was going to be too darned costly. The store kit was like $180 for the fittings alone and I figured out how to build it for about $50 in fittings. But by the time I bought all the other materials it would be pretty costly for just a temporary pen. I may try to design it a little different and see how much I could save.

 

[Ivywoods]

I'm pretty happy with myself. I've been working hard at rehab for my knee and I'm way ahead of where they expect me to be and where I was with my previous total knee. I did notice one thing weird. Since they straightened my crooked leg with this total knee replacement now my foot is REALLY crooked.

I suppose it got that way from walking on a crooked leg for so long. I've actually been able to help my DH work on the rooms in the basement we are finishing. I can navigate the stairs and hand things to him. I can stand for a while and help, then when I can't help I sit down in the chair and wait. The first time I got kind of dizzy, nauseated and sweaty so I had to come back upstairs and rest. It was then that I realized I had taken my pain medicine on an empty stomach. I ate a little and then I was fine.

While I was down there I noticed 3 of my little wyandottes had poopy butts. I plucked their bottoms and all seem to be fine. I can't believe I hatched 7 pullets and one rooster. Recently my DH and I laughed our heads off at an add on craigslist where a guy stated he had his "incubator set to hatch mostly pullets."

We sent him an email asking him how he did that. We would REALLY like to know! Of course we didn't get a reply. Well, whatever it is you do to hatch mostly pullets I think I must be doing it because that is mostly what I have hatched. Really, don't ask me how!

I think it's a pizza night tonight.

 

[cherwill]

Ivy, I'm glad your knee is working out well. Maybe there's some physical therapy they can give you for your foot. You're probably right -- it's from the way you walked on it when your knee was bad.

Danz, I'll try the vinegar. I don't mind the smell; I clean with vinegar all the time.