Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

Josie, that's a really cute pic of Lucie! I agree with IVY, these dogs get so dirty, mine sometimes come back looking like they laid in a mud hole & the next day you wouldn't even know it. It has to be something with their fur that sheds the dirt. I've got to get to town this weekend & see if I can find a swimming pool for mine to lay in to cool off. I don't know if they have them out yet or not here.

Well today I felt like I had run a race by the time I got to Wichita, wow. I ran to Arkansas City to the CO-OP & I thought they would have everyone's chicks in boxes for them already, but no they didn't. So I had to stand there while they identified every breed we had in our order, counted them all out & put them in boxes. Then somehow Candace ended up with 5 Lakenvelders that weren't on her original order, so they had to call her & make sure she wanted them. By the time I got checked out & back home to load up the rest of the chicks for everyone I was already 30 minutes behind. Then while I was grabbing a coke for the road the Fed Ex truck came with my incubator, yay! But, I didn't even know it was supposed to come today, so I had to just shove the huge box in the door & leave. Poor Shana was sitting up in north Wichita at a QT waiting on me to get there. But I finally got all the chicks for everyone delivered to Shana & she took off for El Dorado & then on to Marion for her part of the chicken train. I went on to run a couple errands I needed to do in Wichita & then come back home. Then of course when I got here I had to unpack my incubator & it was a lot bigger than I expected, so I ended up moving all kinds of things around to find a spot for it where it would fit out of the way. We have still been moving furniture around trying to get our livingroom the way we want it after the new furniture & I have one more wall to paint yet. Gosh, when you start one thing it just seems to domino & then there are not one but ten projects that happen because of it. But in the end we will have a really comfortable livingroom with freshly painted walls. My DH was trying to take over the recliner next to the only end table that will fit at the moment, so I made him move to the other one & now he wants the whole entertainment center moved down so he can see the TV better, geez. It can't be moved though until the wall behind it is painted, so I'm going to work on the half of the wall I can get to this weekend while he's gone for his marathon & then he can help me move it the other way so I can paint the other half after he gets back.

I also got back to find two little blue wheaten Amerauanas hatching, so there are two in there now drying off in the Brinsea. I'm so excited that they're hatching! This is the first time I have hatched in that, usually I hatch in the hovabator, but it's stuffed full of eggs until I get my GQF set up & working. I can't wait to get it up & running & get all the eggs moved in there. Those of you that have the cabinets do you use plastic egg trays with yours? I had ordered some from on eBay that are coming straight from GQF, but it looks like they won't be here until Tues. I sure would like to get those eggs moved over before then, but I don't have any trays in there to hold the eggs yet.

It was really windy here earlier too, but it has died down now. We were under a tornado watch, but I think it expired about 20 minutes ago.

 

[Hawkeye95]

I'm alive. I have a GNO (girls night out) tonight. This month, it's at my house. At least I don't have to worry about driving home. I sooo totally need this. A few of our group cancelled, so we will only have 8 show up. I'm feeling a little off about everything that has happened lately, I guess. Glad I can forget about it tonight and enjoy myself.

Everyone sounds really busy. I don't know how I'd catch up with you all right now, it took me a while to get thru the posts since I haven't been on.
Trish-- hey, the next time you all get together, invite me and lets all of us girls that are local hit up a restaurant for lunch or dinner or something fun.

Since I've shown so much interest in the poultry project for 4-H and I have been calling our extension office a lot making sure I'm not missing out on any shows.. they now want to offer me a leadership position. They asked me a couple days ago if I could do a clinic for poultry and go over Showmanship. Say what!?!? My whole POINT was that I know nothing and no one is teaching us!!! I guess those who complain get relegated to changing it. I told her I'd love to, but I don't know what we're doing and we've only done ONE show so far and we need a lot more to go to. I wanted her to see if she could set up a poultry show for Sedgwick since there isn't one. Anyway, maybe next year I'll be even more involved. We'll see.

 

[Ivywoods]

Well, Hawkeye, one of the best ways to insure you learn is to be thrust into a leadership position. You asked about shows a while back, and I forgot to answer. They were not 4-H shows, and were a long ways away from you... Nebraska (Scribner, I believe) and another show in Iowa to the east of Omaha, can't remember the name of the town right now. I believe I read about them in the Exhibition poultry magazine. Have a great time at your GNO tonight. I haven't done that kind of thing since I moved up here, and I sure miss it.

Trish-I use plastic egg trays, but before I had my trays I just used egg cartons. You can always start with that and switch over when you get your trays.

I didn't get anything done outside today, but DH and I did manage to get my printer working again and my computer desk fixed. The slide out tray where the keyboard goes wouldn't go in or out, so we had to totally disassemble the slides to get a screw out that had worked it's way out of the wood and was stuck inside the slide. I don't use it with my laptop, but I do use it for pens, pencils, etc.

I believe we are in a tornado watch right now. The wind has been relentless all day. Came home from physical therapy to find our trash can blown off the slab and halfway down the hill AND our BBQ grill had taken the same route and was bent up but fortunately was not ruined. I'm really tired of this wind today. Maybe once these storms pass through the wind will die down. I always try to look at the postivie side of things.

 

[chicken danz]

Wow, Hawkeye I bet you feel honored just the same. I'm so happy you're able to have a GNO. I could certainly use one of those myself! Not that I've done that in several years!
Chickies-duckies-etc, I haven't owned a donkey but I have a neighbor who has 4 of them. They all hate any canine type animal. They got loose once and came to my house. When I got hold of the owner she freaked out and said to be sure to keep the dogs away from them because they would stomp them to death. Donkeys go fairly reasonable in price. Also if you advertised on the Kansas Farm animal swap on facebook I'll be you could find one someone wants to rehome for very little.
Isis, where are you from? I take it you'll be at the Yates Center auction? I hope nothing is going on so I can make it down there. I really shouldn't but I love going.
Trish, sounds like you had a really busy day. Wow! I do use plastic egg trays. I have gobs but have different sizes so I can switch them out if I'm hatching different birds. I bought mine from Cutler because they are a lot cheaper than GQF price.
Ivy be careful in that wind. I about blew away out feeding. The wind moved my PVC pen for the first time ever today. I had my Cayuga ducks in there and it picked it up over the water sled and moved it about 30 feet. Two of my hens are out running around the yard but they will eventually work their way back to the group.
I had a busy day as well. I went to Gardner and got my turkey eggs. Stopped and did some shopping there and then at Orchlen's in Ottawa as well. Then I came home and fed and watered everyone. I emptied out the hatcher and didn't even bother counting how many birds I had. I had a bunch. I'm thinking I am going to have to buy a new thermostat for the newest GQF I have. It is running low no matter how I set it and I lost some babies I had incubated in there. They hatched ok but didn't thrive. There were also a couple with bad legs.
Before I left this morning I had a previous customer show up. He didn't call or anything but drove down from Topeka. That made me a bit uneasy. But he ended up buying 14 Serama hens and 4 roosters from me. I was tickled to get some sold. I really do want to downsize and only keep a few to breed. It was nice to have some unexpected money. I told him I had someone from here that wanted some hens and a guy from Oklahoma that was going to take some young ones. He said when I got done selling to those other people he would probably take all the rest I had for sale. I sure hope he was serious. I also let him buy a pair of my bantam polish although I really have no females I wanted to sell. I now have about 10 roos I need to find homes for to get my numbers down where I want them. I did hatch some out yesterday though so maybe with luck I can raise a few more.
I have a guy from KC coming to buy some of my mixed young roosters this weekend. He has bought some before and he eats them. But that is all these are really good for. And hopefully the other guy will call tomorrow and come buy a load of babies from me. DH will be unhappy I am selling things so cheap but I just have to make some room around here.

 

[Trish44]

IVY, good idea, I think I will use some egg cartons so I can go ahead & put some eggs in the cabinet incubator, but I have to get it all set up first & I have to read, so I'll be working on that tonight after chores are done. I finally moved a bunch of furniture around & decided on a spot next to my roll-top desk in the sun room for the incubator. It's the only place I could find that has room for it to sit like I need it to. It should work fine there next to the doors for the livingroom, it will be convenient to check on things. I hope to get a clear door for it before long too. I was just glad to get the incubator & the extras will come later. I'm so excited to get it & get it going! Now I will have lots of room for eggs, yay!

 

[cityhick]

Ok thank you for all the welcome. I'm Chris from Topeka I'm sorry but i was tired when I started my username and left a bunch of important info out. My flock includes a buff Orpington, two silver laced wyandottes, and one black sex link. All hens. We had one more black sex link but a dog got her it was a very sad mourning. I bought all of them the same day so they are all. About seven weeks old. I'm building an awesome chicken tractor and hopefully get it done this weekend. My flock also includes my wife who dosent understand but tolerates my love for critters, a big black lab named Magnus and two lil shih tzu's tubby and Bella.

In the near future I would like to find two more Wyandotte hens. Also we are working on moving out of town to expand our hobby farm to include cattle and maybe a goat or two also some ducks. I have a passion for waterfowl and have kept them in the past.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Trish44, my cab incubator came with cardboard type egg trays that are inside the cabinet. You may have found them already but just in case. I bought the plastic trays too and that's what I use. I think they include the cardboard type for just your type of situation! You had a wild one, today!

Very busy day here, too!

This evening DS and I got the bunnies out and they were so cute. They're more relaxed now since they are used to getting outside to play. They would jump up and then kick their little feet and twist while in the air! I guess they were doing the happy bunny dance. It was just a hoot. They munched on some grass, chased the chickens and then got their feelings hurt. The chickens decided they were tired of the bunnies chasing them so Dottie and Shadow both got pecked before we could step in. They didn't seem hurt at all just frightened. After that they stopped chasing the chickens!

JosieChick, I loved the pic of your mud puppy!

 

[HEChicken]

I also got back to find two little blue wheaten Amerauanas hatching, so there are two in there now drying off in the Brinsea. I'm so excited that they're hatching! This is the first time I have hatched in that, usually I hatch in the hovabator, but it's stuffed full of eggs until I get my GQF set up & working. I can't wait to get it up & running & get all the eggs moved in there. Those of you that have the cabinets do you use plastic egg trays with yours? I had ordered some from on eBay that are coming straight from GQF, but it looks like they won't be here until Tues. I sure would like to get those eggs moved over before then, but I don't have any trays in there to hold the eggs yet.

Do you have to get the cabinet incubators up and running and stabilized for 24 hours before putting eggs in like you do with the smaller incubators? That might take care of some of the wait time until your trays get here. Then you could put some eggs in in egg cartons and it would be easy to transfer them to the trays after they arrive.

Everyone sounds really busy. I don't know how I'd catch up with you all right now, it took me a while to get thru the posts since I haven't been on.
Trish-- hey, the next time you all get together, invite me and lets all of us girls that are local hit up a restaurant for lunch or dinner or something fun.

Enjoy your GNO! A get-together for lunch or dinner sounds like a great idea! Someone tried to do something like that a few years back and suggested meeting at the airport McDonalds the day after Thanksgiving. I had every intention of joining them but wasn't able to at the last minute.

I believe we are in a tornado watch right now. The wind has been relentless all day. Came home from physical therapy to find our trash can blown off the slab and halfway down the hill AND our BBQ grill had taken the same route and was bent up but fortunately was not ruined. I'm really tired of this wind today. Maybe once these storms pass through the wind will die down. I always try to look at the postivie side of things.

Stay safe!

 

[tweetysvoice]

Karen, I love the happy hops!! You can really tell that they are enjoying themselves when they do that!!

Chris, Sounds like you have a great start to a flock! I added a ducks to my flock and they get along with the chickens great! All 7 of them were cuddled up in the corner just before the rain started this evening taking a nap. I wish I'd brought my camera - but of course as soon as they saw me, they all got up and ran to the gate hoping for a treat.

I took the hobble off of Amber's legs and she's getting around great! Would never have known she was spraddle legged. (in fact, now I can't tell her or Jade apart except when I pick one up and check for the missing toe. LOL

 

[HEChicken]

I worked my last paid day today. Actually, last Friday was supposed to be my last day per my two-week notice, but they begged me to stay one more week as they had not yet hired someone to replace me. As it was, the new person only started today so I didn't have much time to train her on everything I do/did. I feel for her now having two days off and having to come back Monday and try to remember ANYTHING.

With our impending move, we realized that a) the new place will be too far to drive to work - it was going to tie up too much of my day driving back and forth, not to mention, gas ain't exactly free these days, and b) there will be so much to do at the new place that my time is better spent there than at my job. So....DH started nagging me to give notice a couple of months ago. It took me until a day I was feeling fed up to actually do it but I got over the "fed up" feeling and now feel almost sad. DH says come Monday when I don't have to dress up and go to work I'll be glad and I suspect he's right

I always enjoyed being a SAHM more than anything, and only took this job because of the hours. With summer coming up and kids out of school, I am really glad to have the time with them again.

From here on out, my time will be largely spent either at the new house coop building (yeah!!!) or here preparing to move. Less than a month until school lets out - the time has gone pretty fast after all.