Consolidated Kansas

[kbhear80]

Sorry bout that. Arba is american rabbit breeder association. Both the kids and i show (i my spot won second reserve in show open class! Super excited about tbat still!!!) and the national convention for arba is in wichita this year too. Very cool thing to check out! My kids are still showing in michigan but this is there last year. They will be joining a club in abilene next year. My moms lovesbig her poultry and does the apa shows back home. She is big into her turkeys. It was my very first time going to a apa show amd inbetween showing i ran over and chatted with breeders about the different breeds. I learned allot from them. Everyone was super helpful and really nice, had a great time just looking around! Would def go again to for the learning experience!!

 

[Trish44]

I had two more Ameraucanas hatch yesterday, so there is only one more egg in the hatcher that really is not due to hatch until Weds. Some of them have hatched a day early, so either Tues. or Weds. I should have one more. That will make my total so far at 12 Ameraucanas & 7 Easter Eggers. I was just looking at the eggs in my incubator briefly & they seem to be growing fine, so far so good. IVY, maybe I'll have some blue wheaten Ameraucanas soon, I'm so excited! Yours aren't the blue wheatens right, they're just wheatens? I had been looking for just wheaten eggs online, but didn't see any & decided to go ahead & get the blue wheaten eggs. I'm thinking of keeping one of the little Ameraucana chicks from this hatch so I have an extra hen. That way I can kind of see how it feathers out too. I almost think I can predict some of these chicks that I have hatched as roosters. There have been some that are kind of obvious I think because they're bigger, taller, & just act more bold the the others. I had one EE chick that I sent home with my friend on Sat. that was a lot taller than the rest, I would talk to it & it would come right over close to me in the brooder & stretch it's neck up looking at me, it was so cute! I put the last two chicks I hatched yesterday out in the brooder today with the rest, they seem so little compared to chicks that are just a few days old, gosh they grow fast.

We went into Wichita yesterday to do some shopping we needed to do & when we got done we needed to get from north Wichita down to Derby & we had roadblocks at Rock Road & all the way along until we got to K-15, we had to go way around just to get there because there were so many roads blocked off. We couldn't get anywhere near the base. We could see some of the damage at Spirit from K-15, but most of it must have been on the other side where we couldn't see. The roads were all blocked off there too because power lines were still down. You could see the damage as the tornado came through Oaklawn to the west & across to Spirit. We did see one house with a big tree sitting on it along there. I'm going to have to find a way around everything again on Weds. when I have to go back to Derby & then go to north Wichita. You know my DH & I were talking about how the path of this tornado was almost the same as the bigger one that came through in 1991 that was so devastating. At least there were no deaths this time, they gave everyone plenty of warning to be watchful & I think that helped. We went into Winfield that night just very briefly & there really weren't many people out, most stayed home & watched the weather I think.

 

[Trish44]

rbhear80, what kind of rabbits do you raise & show? I also have rabbits, but haven't shown any, I have Mini Rex & standard Chinchillas.

 

[Ivywoods]

Hawkeye-Yes, each judge's decision stands. It's like two separate shows, just held at the same time and place. It works out pretty good.

Trish-Yes, my wheatens are regular wheatens, not blue. I've always felt it was difficult to keep the blue coloring correct. It tends to get diluted. The lavenders are technically a "self-blue" which breeds true. Of course with the ameraucanas the lavender (self blue) is still in the project stage, and that is why so man people recommend crossing them with the blacks, to improve feather type and size. My blacks definitely are bigger than my lavenders, but it's not a huge difference. I plan to hatch some lavender/black splits later this spring or early summer. I have to wait to get one of my breeder pens empty, and that won't happen until May.

 

[checoukan]

So pretty out!!

Ivy hows the trio doing? Be sure and save me some lavendar chicks too! I still want some blacks. Be sure and try the head lift on the chicks after they hatch, on the 3rd, or 4th day. See if it works for you.

Trish, glad you are getting good hatches.

Hawkeye, there is a JR. APA-ABA club you can join for the kids, it is on one of the websites. Has some really cool stuff for the kids.

We have a new 4H agent here, I am going to see if we can get one of the shows started here. They are a lot of work, but I think they would be a big help in getting kids to come and show the birds.

 

[Ivywoods]

Hi Rosie-The new trio is doing great. I think they like their new "digs." Their pen is kind of up high, and they can see all over the barn. They seem to be pretty happy.

I talked to my friend. She is SO excited to get the little blue red OE pullet. She has already named her "Sugar." She has some quail hatching this week, and Mike wants to get some of those, so when we pick up his quail we will give Sugar to her. I took her out of the pen last night. She didn't want to be caught, and actually flew out over my head. Freaked me out, because you know me... with this bad leg I'm not the fastest chicken catcher in the barn. Anyway, I did manage to corner her. I held her for a while after that and she settled right down. I got a picture to send to Debbie so she could see her. I think she will make a great pet. She is planning to keep her as a house chicken! She is still interested in a ginger red cockerell if you can come up with one. It doesn't have to be show quality. She is keeping them as pets, and boy do they get spoiled!

 

[kbhear80]

Sorry bout that. Arba is american rabbit breeder association. Both the kids and i show (i my spot won second reserve in show open class! Super excited about tbat still!!!) and the national convention for arba is in wichita this year too. Very cool thing to check out! My kids are still showing in michigan but this is there last year. They will be joining a club in abilene next year. My moms lovesbig her poultry and does the apa shows back home. She is big into her turkeys. It was my very first time going to a apa show amd inbetween showing i ran over and chatted with breeders about the different breeds. I learned allot from them. Everyone was super helpful and really nice, had a great time just looking around! Would def go again to for the learning experience!!

 

[kbhear80]

I have english spots and my kids. Show min rex, satin (well a satin..she has won 6a best of breeds and tbey refuse to sell her...but she is going!), pals and we have one cinnamon left. Last weekend wass the standard chin national show too! Had breeders from california there and everything.

 

[sunshinegirl620]

Had a question... I'm still new at this chicken keeping I have 4 silkies and and I don't know if they are 'he' or 'she's' but I have thought that the one is a hen, and now I have the others pecking on her back. It's starting to get bare, but not bleed or look abnormal, yet. What do I need to do? Or is this 'normal'? No eggs yet and they will all be a year old in June of this year. Is that 'normal'? Thanks for helping a 'Greeny' out!

 

[Ivywoods]

Chickens pecking and picking on another is not uncommon. There are several things you should do and some other things you can do. First off, be sure they have plenty of room. They are more apt to pick on each other if they are crowded. Also, if you can give them things that they can entertain themselves with it might help. Some grass or weed clippings to peck through, some scrap veggies or other goodies.

If the one getting picked on is getting weak or simply lies there and lets them pick on her you probably need to get her out and separate her. Definitely do this if there is ever any sign of blood. That is like a magnet to the others and they will peck her to death. Also, they make blinders you can order to put on your chickens This fixes to the beak in front of the eyes with a pin that is inserted through the nostrils. They are still able to eat, drink and scratch around with these on, but they don't pick on each other with them.

It is hard to know what sex your birds are without a picture, and often with silkies it is REALLY hard to tell. I would think if they were roosters they would be crowing by now, and if they are hens and are almost a year old the pullets should be starting to lay. Crowing and laying eggs are sure-fire indicators of which sex they are!

By the way,

The Kansas thread is a very friendly one. Feel free to stop by anytime with any news you have or questions you would like answered.