Consolidated Kansas

[JosieChick]

Pikeman- He is adorable!!!!!!!!!! The chicken is pretty cute too.

 

[cherwill]

Cherwill-- so sweet that you are interested in my chicks. I mean, I am always excited about other's too, but it's not the same when they aren't yours.

I'm so sorry about your back, and that probably (with everything else you do around there) is likely why you are getting really annoyed and frustrated. Personally, my rule of the house is, if you don't eat it, you starve. I make a lot of casseroles. I do that because then I don't have to cook the next day!! (left overs) The neighbor kids used to want to always eat dinner with us, and finally stopped asking! LOL I don't make chicken nuggets and corn dogs like their mom's do. I don't even have soda in the house, and I try to cook as healthy as I can within reason. I'm not stupid about it. I'm not one of those crazy health freaks, but I do try to cram veggies in what I do make. Honestly, I think he should be feeling pretty lucky that you cook at all. I'd just keep cereal, and bread and cold cuts available when he's not in agreement of your dinners. But otherwise, I don't think you need to make a lot of concessions if you don't feel up to it. And you know what? It makes me angry FOR YOU that you are having to give up your girl time to be with your friends when that was planned in advance. I have a GNO (girls night out) every single month, and I put it on the calendar and I know I've come off as rude to my own family, but that is MY time, and I don't get a lot of ME time. Nothing interferes with it. I think you should still do your girls thing and ask for the birthday party to be at lunch or in the evening-- basically in a slot that won't interfere with your time out with your friends. Ive done that a lot. IN fact, that is what is going on this weekend. My oldest son was invited to a friend's birthday party like 3 weeks ago. I said we'd come. Then my MIL calls me and tells me that she's going to have my brother in laws party on the SAME day/time. I politely told her that we had already scheduled a previous party to go to and that I'd be more than happy to work with her and asked if she could do it before or after our own event. She was NOT happy. But I got a call this morning from her, that after she'd thought it over and realized that HELLO-- last minute events don't work for us, that she was willing to have the party in the evening so we could make it. It really wasn't that hard, but you need to stick up for yourself and make yourself happy too.

I think the reason I'm so interested in the chicks is that I'm pretty sure I'll never be in a position where I can hatch my own. I'm fascinated by it and would love to do it, but I don't see it happening. I'd be surprised if we would be able to find a place in the country, yet only 5 miles from the fire station. About half the time I'm OK with that thought, and even question whether I have any business wanting that when I have so many problems with my back.

You are absolutely right about putting my foot down. It's happened too many times and my family takes it for granted that they should come first, even when they weren't first. My friends have cancelled for family reasons as well, but I think not as much as I do. It's not always a good thing to have both our families, including some siblings, so close to us. There are enough of them that it can reallly cut in on any "spare" time we have. I know it can't be healthy when I get so stressed out and/or angry about it. I will do it! Next time. I already cancelled.

I think you must have been right about the back pain making everything else seem worse. It's better today, and my head is in a better place. Thank you for the kind words and support. I guess I really needed to vent some more!

Danz, chicken math is hard enough, must you introduce us to chicken algebra as well?!?

Trish, thanks for the pictures. The black one is particularly pretty; wish I could take one.

Karen, the ducks are pretty and I especially like the ones that look like they have freckles on their cheeks.

 

[Ivywoods]

Cherwill-Sorry your weekend got blown out of the water. Mine sort of did, too, but at least my sisters both had legitimate reasons for their cancellations. It's still disapointing, though.

Pike-Love the pic of the little guy. Was there a chicken in that picture?

Josie-Wish I could answer you about leaving your GP pup out. The litter we raised were out from the start, but they had their momma to look after them. Now with Britt, I think she is old enough to be out, but my DH doesn't think so. He just went out to put her in for the night. I don't know. Maybe it's better to be safe than sorry.

 

[pikeman94]

Ivy and Josie - Thanks! He is a good little helper and my little buddy! Funny thing is when he smiles he always looks like he has to poop. I know, I am bad. He is a good kid and most of the time we can get a real smile out of him without that look!

 

[Trish44]

Josie, about the GP pup, I was told by the breeder I got my pups from that they needed to be kept in at night until they were 6-7 months old to give them a chance to get some size on them. That is so they can face up to larger predators like coyotes & other dogs. I kept mine in a dog run until they were about 6 months at night & then they were getting so big that I figured they could stand up to most things at that point even though they were puppies. I gave it a trial run & they did fine, so I have left them out since. I don't have an adult dog here for a mentor or teacher, so they have to rely on instinct, which they do pretty well. They are out doing their job now at the age of 7 months & I think doing OK at it. I can tell they're maturing by the way they're acting, they still act somewhat like puppies, but aren't as wild & crazy as they were earlier on.

Well the rest of my turkeys are still hanging in there, but still not what I would call "normal". Just when I think the first two are doing better I go down & one or the other is lying on their back again with their legs in the air & can't get flipped over. I tried making that mash & it seemed like just a mess & none of the birds ate it. I have been dosing them all with vitamin E since what I read is that this is a neurological problem. I don't know at this point if any of them will make it or not. I guess the next days will tell about that. I have a really busy day tomorrow with an event at the Cowley County Humane Society in the morning that we do along with our little dogs every year then in the evening I have my 40th high school class reunion to attend, so I won't be here that much to keep flipping these birds back over again & again. I guess whatever happens with them will have to happen. They're all so darned cute it's a shame they have this problem. Some of them can seem to flip themselves back over, but the two first ones to hatch can't for some reason.

 

[rvroman]

RVRoman, I don't believe hens crow. When we got our first chicks a couple of years ago, one started crowing. I had done a lot of research online since we were total newbies to chicken raising, and I kept running across people claiming that, in the absence of a roo, a particularly dominant pullet or hen will sometimes take over roo responsibilities and will even crow. The only person with chickens that we knew at the time thought it was built more like a pullet than a roo, but had never in her life heard of a female crowing. I got my hopes up that the stories online were true. Of course the bird turned out to be a roo. In the couple of years since then, I have not yet met anyone IRL or here who has experienced a hen crowing. You cracked me up with your forgotten order of chicks! That's something I could probably do. I also enjoyed the nerd binary humor. I agree with your DH, that bird should be named Foghorn! I love it.

Cherwill, I am so glad you appreciated my binary humor, I tried to share it with some of the WSU students in my student org, but I guess you have to know about chicken math to truly appreciate it!!! They were engineering majors so they def. knew binary. The leghorn is Foghorn for sure, and the first to jump in my hand when I go to visit them and play!

I have also decided for sure that my buff orp is going to be Chunk (from The Goonies) instead of Lillith, its just so much more fitting!!!
So I have 3 chickens with movie names, Jareth (Labyrinth) my hopefully houdan, Chunk (Goonies) my buff orp, and Audrey 2 (Little Shop of Horrors) my newest EE. I also have one old school cartoon chicken, Foghorn the Leghorn...Is it possible I watched a little too much TV growing up?

And RVroman, yes you can breed bantams to LF. You just wouldn't have purebred offspring. A Houdan isn't a large bird. It is a small framed medium bird that would have smaller sized chicks.

Houdan-When I looked at the chick in question, that was the first thing I thought. We used to have Houdans. They were my daughter's favorite. It still might be some type of cross, however, because the silkies have the extra toe and black skin, but if it's a purebred with a top knot it is most likely a houdan.

Thank you guys for your input, I think it will be a Houdan, well I hope it will be. I really looked at it compared to the leghorn and its really not as small as I thought, almost the same size in fact. My orpington is such a chunky butt though that she seemed tiny.

I am sorry to hear about the RP turkeys Trish44, that is sad that it is neurological problem. Is it something in their bloodline or is it how they were incubated. I personally would be ticked if I got "defective eggs" that all hatched Turkeys with nuerological problems.

I tried to keep up with eveybody, but its just... so... late at night.... Time for La-la land!!!

 

[Hawkeye95]

Thanks Ivy! Yeah, I think you very well could be a internet in-law of these chicks! LOL They were all done by AI, and you certainly had to walk me through that.

So sorry to hear that Checoukan is sick! NO fun being sick! I'm still not 100%, but doing better. You had me laughing with "Crackie"-- could be a great nick name for Crack.

Danz, I have my chicks in my garage and I had their heat lamp turned off with the doors open yesterday. It was HOT! Sheesh! Sounds like you were doing the same thing. You just need a barn for your Chicken Mega Palace, not a garage.

Trish, sorry about your little turkey dying. Did you make up that mash you posted? I hope that helps!

Tweety, my neighbors little daughter has an egg allergy. They didn't know. They had been feeding her eggs for a while and then one day-- she broke out i hives and started in with a very severe reaction. They took her to the hospital, since it was so bad. After a couple of weeks and getting testing done they found out it was the eggs. That is really too bad if you can't eat eggs.

Karen-- OMGosh!! Those ducks are like the most adorable things ever hanging out by their pond.

Pikeman-- glad you got your girls outside. That picture of your boy with one of your chickens is sooooo cute! He looks pretty comfortable with them! That's great, then he can be your little chicken helper. I already have my son helping me feed and water and move birds around.

Josie, that's great that you are getting the invisible fence put in! A lot of my friends use them and love them. We don't have one, but it's not a bad idea, for sure! We have bought a shock collar for our shih tzu because she likes to run off the second she gets outside. So we got that stopped. Now she goes out there and does her business and gets back in. No more running off a mile down the road to the highway. I would think that once you have them really trained to respect the fence, that you could leave your puppy out. ?? And yeah-- I can't believe that cracked egg is growing either! ha!!

 

[chicken danz]

Anyone know anything about the Poultry Swap in Yates Center on Sat & Sun? Do they do any testing?

Late but yes you have to have your birds tested to sell. I don't believe anyone does it there as all the birds are in fixed cages that they sell in.
for future reference if you need some birds tested I can do it.

 

[Hawkeye95]

I think the reason I'm so interested in the chicks is that I'm pretty sure I'll never be in a position where I can hatch my own. I'm fascinated by it and would love to do it, but I don't see it happening. I'd be surprised if we would be able to find a place in the country, yet only 5 miles from the fire station. About half the time I'm OK with that thought, and even question whether I have any business wanting that when I have so many problems with my back.

You are absolutely right about putting my foot down. It's happened too many times and my family takes it for granted that they should come first, even when they weren't first. My friends have cancelled for family reasons as well, but I think not as much as I do. It's not always a good thing to have both our families, including some siblings, so close to us. There are enough of them that it can reallly cut in on any "spare" time we have. I know it can't be healthy when I get so stressed out and/or angry about it. I will do it! Next time. I already cancelled.

I think you must have been right about the back pain making everything else seem worse. It's better today, and my head is in a better place. Thank you for the kind words and support. I guess I really needed to vent some more!

Danz, chicken math is hard enough, must you introduce us to chicken algebra as well?!?

Trish, thanks for the pictures. The black one is particularly pretty; wish I could take one.

Karen, the ducks are pretty and I especially like the ones that look like they have freckles on their cheeks.

Yeah, once I have scheduled an event on my calender, it's THERE. I don't change it or cancel it unless I'm sick or something REALLY important pops up. But family wanting to make a last minute birthday party when I already have had something on the calender for 3 weeks.... Nope.

I'm glad your back is feeling better! When I'm hurting or not feeling well, everyone else tends to suffer along with me. Yeah, I try not to do that to everyone, but it's hard to be easy going and laid back when you're in pain. For example, yesterday I went to my son's school to have a pizza party and games in his classroom with him. Everyone else's parents were there and cheerful. I was miserable, my stomach was about ready to give out on me, and I was trying not to blow my nose every two minutes. I just couldn't produce a real smile for the life of me. I was as nice as I could be and tried my best, but I was so relieved to get out of there and collapse when I got home. I just felt yucky. And it's okay to vent when you really need to!

(most times just the telling of it makes me feel better)

Well the rest of my turkeys are still hanging in there, but still not what I would call "normal". Just when I think the first two are doing better I go down & one or the other is lying on their back again with their legs in the air & can't get flipped over. I tried making that mash & it seemed like just a mess & none of the birds ate it. I have been dosing them all with vitamin E since what I read is that this is a neurological problem. I don't know at this point if any of them will make it or not. I guess the next days will tell about that. I have a really busy day tomorrow with an event at the Cowley County Humane Society in the morning that we do along with our little dogs every year then in the evening I have my 40th high school class reunion to attend, so I won't be here that much to keep flipping these birds back over again & again. I guess whatever happens with them will have to happen. They're all so darned cute it's a shame they have this problem. Some of them can seem to flip themselves back over, but the two first ones to hatch can't for some reason.

I'm so sorry about these turkeys! I didn't hatch Seymore, so I have no idea what it's like hatching them. I sure hope they can hold their own today. Especially by the time you have to leave. Hopefully they will stay on their feet or their bellies. Poor things.

 

[ESP Chickens]

Thank you...just wondered about quality of birds.
We've never been & thought we'd check it out. Is it worth the drive?