Consolidated Kansas

[HEChicken]

chunky chicken cavier

Ingredients:
Musca Domestica (insect), non-GMO corn, non-GMO wheat, rendered beef kidney suet, alfalfa, flax, Kelp, Spirulina, oyster shell flour, and mixed organic tocopherols (for preservation).

Analysis:
Protein: min 11%
Fat: min 38%
Fiber: max 8%

Hmmmm, it sounds interesting - I hadn't heard of that before. If you decide to try it, let us know what you think. That's a pretty high fat content so I'm thinking it might be a better winter food than summer food.

Danz, thanks for the explanation on Ringnecks (it was me who asked). I didn't know they were a native, but then neither am I so I get a pass, right?

Hey - its the middle of July. I think of the worst of the summer months as being July and August so....we made it 1/4 of the way through

I know it isn't much to celebrate given the losses some of us have suffered but hopefully the last 3/4 won't be as bad as the first 1/4 was.....

 

[HEChicken]

For anyone who is interested, I just saw this on the Wichita CL: http://wichita.craigslist.org/grd/3140874480.html The ad gives no information about it - just says "LGD for sale" and "Call 250-2276 for details and pictures." My guess is they got tired of getting flagged so decided to do it this way instead, so if anyone is interested in one, I would suggest calling. I am only posting the text of the ad in case they get flagged and it is taken down before you get a chance to click on the link.

Sunflowerparrot, you said you haven't really been around dogs much and are a little afraid of them. I would suggest reading and researching all you can about LGD's. I have almost always had dogs but even so, a LGD is a little different than a pet dog. All of my dogs have been pets and I think I have a pretty good handle on care, feeding, training etc. I have well-behaved, happy dogs, whom most people enjoy being around. Nevertheless, I am on a whole new learning curve as my new LGD and I adjust to one another. Being a working dog, they have a different outlook on life than a pet dog, and in order for me to let her work, I have had to let her have her head quite a bit, instead of staying on top of her all the time.

Also, be aware that a puppy, although small and cute to where there is no fear, can make you feel like committing yourself as you raise it. A couple of people on here have recently gone through or are currently going through the puppy stage with their dogs and often feel like tearing their hair out or wishing they could trade the pup for a mature dog. I don't want to put you off but I am afraid that if you get a puppy, and you are not that experienced with dogs, you might end up regretting it.

 

[Trish44]

Sunflower, I do agree with HeChicken that if you are not used to dogs a puppy is a big challenge, especially a large one & a Great Pyrenees. I also agree that livestock guardian dogs are a whole different ballgame in regards to how they are trained & the manner in which they need to be able to do the job they were intended for. It may indeed be best in your situation to get an adult dog who has already been around chickens & poultry because as HeChicken said with a puppy you still have to go through all the puppy stuff with them & that includes destructive things that all puppies do, not just GPs. My two have just gotten through the worst of their puppy behavior at 9 months of age, but as large dogs they are still puppies until after the age of 2. They have the instinctual knowledge just as the breed to be livestock guardians, but they still have to be taught as a puppy at times what their boundaries are. It's just some food for thought for you.

 

[chicken danz]

Not sure about the wolfhound mix in there but it is such a small amount that it shouldn't make much difference. I think $125 is too high personally unless they are going to have a complete round of shots and worming. I'd ask for a vet certificate if she says that will be done. Honest request, so you can know exactly what and when it was done. I sold 100% purebreds for $100 complete with health certificates. Way below normal because that way I could choose their environment. Most of them went to BYCers here.
My next littter won't come for at least 2 more years. The price will be considerably higher. But I think you can find a cheaper pup or at least a pure bred one for that.
Sharol I thought the same thing the first time I read it. Then I thought, What is that, ground eggs??

 

[Hawkeye95]

Do assorted laundry, iron the lab coats for showmanship tuesday.
Go to fair grounds finish a couple of loose ends, making sure correct size of cage is in place for the large fown coming in , zipping cages down, getting water and feed crocks out an put in duck pens. Drive a t-post in the ground to secure the turkey pens. unload the grill that we are raffleing off as a fund raiser.

Then if hopefully go to the rodeo and see the queen get crowned and enjoy the rodeo!!

Do you just keep a couple of lab coats on hand for the kids to change into? I bought Colter's lab coat and had it embroidered, so I guess maybe that wasn't a brilliant idea since it can't be passed on, unless no one cares his name is on it. Or we could make patches to cover it up for my other two. Sounds like the poultry barn is a lot of work. We used to go to the Cherokee fair and watch the demolition derby-- but you know what? We never saw the rodeo out there! I didn't see the rodeo this year either at our county fair since I was helping with poultry and we needed all the birds out by 8pm and I needed to drive them home. I didn't feel like driving all the way back. I'm seeing a trend for future years, I think. Doesn't look like the rodeo will ever jive with the poultry barn schedule-- it's the same night that we send home all the birds.

Hawkey-I tried to ask this before, but my whole post was lost. I read how your birds did at the fair, but I didn't read how your son did in showmanship. Great pictures, BTW.

Ivy, he did really good. But I was VERY disappointed, he was the only kid to show! There were so many kids there that said they were going to do it and then no one showed up! In fact, hardly any kids showed up to see their birds being judged! The Showmanship was directly after the judging. But like a champ, he recited his intro, went thru the parts of his bird, told about the history of Marco Polo writing about them having "fur" and fit in a few other neat tid bits. The judge was very impressed, he said Colter did better than a lot of older kids. (oh, and THIS time, he remembered head first for the cage) They only had Participant ribbons, so he got one of those. I wish he'd had competition, because he would have nailed it. The judge told him he needed to go do Showmanship in Oklahoma this Fall, he was ready. Thank you for asking!

Today's to-do list:

Replace the foam insulation in the upper ends and part of the roof of the coop. The sparrows are tearing it to shreds. I'm covering it this time with cheap underlayment plywood. DH is doing the cutting on the table saw. I'm about halfway through the repair project. It is a metal building, and gets WAYY too hot and cold without some insulation. Take that, spatzies.

Back to chickens. I'm getting about 5-6 eggs a day from my 10 layers. I have one who isn't laying at all - Welsumer, so I think it is the heat, but she is looking a bit ragged, so she may also have something else going on. She is right at 2. When I add chickens next year, I'm getting a couple more dark egg layers. I love the contrast in the egg cartons. someone here had some extra Welsumer pullet chicks, and I should have said something then, but it got past me. I have 11 chickens in a 6x8 coop with a big run and yard ranging in a huge yard when I'm home, so I could probably add 2 without stressing out the coop. (just dreaming, I guess)

Sharol

My barred rocks and Wyandottes lay brown eggs. I enjoy the brown eggs! I am still getting 8-9 eggs a day, my birds are egg machines since I only have 9 hens right now. I don't count the silkies-- I get eggs off of them too, but they are small and sporadic.

We had a rather strange day yesterday, headed to Karen's to drop off her incubator & chicks & had car trouble. We had to drive all the way back home to leave the car here & just as we got home the radiator spewed water & antifreeze all over the place. We got in my car to go to Wichita & on the highway in front of us a truck blew a tire & the parts flew all over in front of us, scary.. At that point we were wondering if we should just turn around & go home, but we continued on. We were running so far behind that we never had the chance to catch up with Chooks to meet her, as it turned out she got sick & went home without finishing her work, another weird thing. It was after 11 pm when we got home from finally getting all the shopping done to be greeted by some very hungry dogs & a bunch of hungry cats. I hope today is better.

Well my granddaughter is coming today, better run, I hope you all have a good day & stay cool! Gosh IVY, I wish I had the money I would buy that hatcher in a heartbeat, but I don't right now. Schellie, I just sold the rest of my Ameraucana chicks, I may have one out in the grow-out pen to sell, but that's it I quit hatching for this year. There are people on the KS Poultry swap on FB that have Marans chicks for sale if you look there.

Oh, I didn't know that Chooks was going to be here! I'd love to meet her the next time she is down. We should have another get together. What a crazy thing for your car to break down and then a tire blow in front of you. That's one of those days you wonder if you should even be outside the home! ha! Have fun with your granddaughter. It's hot out there.

Well my little turkey that hatched under the broody hen died. I think the poor thing just stressed himself to death from being by himself. They didn't hatch any more poults, and the hens have been off the nest. I was kind of hoping to raise this one as kind of a pet. The RP's are so neat. All 5 of mine come running to the yard when they see me out walking the little dogs. I don't handle them but they walk around with me like they are expecting a handout or something, and they gobble at the slightest noise. What a hoot they are.

I'm still packing up "stuff" but just sat down to get off my feet for a bit. I need to take it a little easy on my feet because I have to work tonight and I will be on my feet all night. I've got a venison roast in the oven with onions, carrots and potatoes. Yum. It will be done for lunch. I'd rather cook something like that in the morning before it gets too hot out, then get the oven shut back off. Sometimes working nights we eat at really weird times. Usually I have a snack when I get home from work in the morning, or a bowl or cereal or something, lunch/dinner in the middle of the afternoon, and then a sandwich or something for a meal at night between 2-3am. When DH and I go out to eat, often it is in the middle of the afternoon and we are sometimes the only people in the restaurant. At least we don't have to wait for a table.

I'm so sorry about your baby!! He could have been your little pet. Sooo sad! I was sure lucky I had such a great turkey and that she did okay all by herself, and I had no idea that she wouldn't be okay. I was sure in the dark on that one. Are you going to hire someone to move all the boxes and furniture after you pack it? Sounds like your eating schedule is really a different one. Yeah, I wouldn't mind not having to wait for tables. Vension, hu? One of your own??

I got my Dad taken to church and fed him dinner. Now I'm home and have to come up for something for my grand daughter. I didn't sleep at all last night. I have no idea why I was so wide awake. Now I feel lazy and groggy. It's ridiculous hot out there already. It felt pretty good about 7:00 AM but it sure didn't take long to get way too warm out. I had to go out first thing and check on the baby turkeys. It's like the equivalent to leaving a kid in a hot car in my mind. I worry about those guys constantly.

We spent the morning at church, too. Then we have a small group we are trying to help grow, so we do that after the service. We went out to eat without the kids-- my parents go to the same church and they picked them up after church and took them out to eat and to a kid movie. So my DH and I got to eat all by ourselves which was wonderful!! Then I came home and took a nap-- I never get one of those!!

We are home and my chicken sitter kept my birds all alive . Our silkie stopped laying while we were gone though :-( I guess it was the heat? It wouldn't be a big stressor to simply have someone different taking care of them would it?
I tried to read from the train ( took a family train ride to Chicago for a Shriner's appt for my daughter), but darn if my eyes could adjust to the bouncing :-( so much to do now that we are home, I am not sure I will ever get caught up. My daughter is needing 4 surgeries this fall, so it sounds like we will be pros at getting things ready to leave and unpacking again. Right now, I am exhausted from it all though.
I did see there was another fox attack, however:-(. I have seen them in my neighborhood many evenings this year, more so than previously. Might just be coincidence, but are there more of them this year? We have silver foxes around my neighborhood. There is a creek nearby and some park type land in between housing developments, but I never thought fox were city animals.... I have my chickens right outside my bedroom window, so I would think I would hear anything, or I would hope so anyhow. I have wire mesh under all my fences and gates to keep my dogs safe from the foxes since a visiting fox shared a very lethal parasite with one of them a few years back. I am hoping that will be enough to deter them.
I am going to have to go check out a county fair this summer, just to see all the different types of birds I read about here. It sounds like it must be a lot of fun! Might be something my kids would be interested in doing next year.
I will be keeping my fingers crossed for all the peafowl I have seen here to make it and do well! I have never seen a white peacock. That is definitely intriguing!!!
Better stop procrastinating and get to attacking the laundry pile now before it breeds and multiplies again
Stay cool and safe

Glad you came home to healthy birds. It was really hot while you were gone, so you were pretty lucky they did okay. I'm betting your silkie has gone on strike until it cools down a bit. That or she is going into a molt. I have a bird that is starting her molt. Wow, 4 more surgeries, hu? Poor girlie, I hope they help and make things easier on her in the long run. You have such a blessing in her. I've never seen silver fox, but doesn't mean they aren't here. They are sneaky little things. If I didn't have chickens, I'd really appreciate them. That is terrible about the parasite-- your poor dog.




So doing laundry, the kids are back home now and my DH had some time to ourselves which was so fun. I got a nap in, but I almost feel more tired now than I did before! I think I'm behind on sleep from all the fair stuff-- and I wasn't even in charge or really had to do too much this year! Next year is going to be a different story! I'm glad the kids will all be a year older and better help. OH!!! and my middle child lost a front tooth this morning in his cereal! We found it and it's waiting for the tooth fairy later. He now is missing both front teeth and it's pretty funny/cute to see him smile now. We're taking the kids roller skating later. We're going to go pick up my oldest son's best friend and I think we'll have a good time tonight. I'm so glad all of my birds are back home and I don't have to drive an hour to go feed each day.

 

[tweetysvoice]

Howdey all! Someone asked for our to-do lists: Mine is almost done, but so far today I've accomplished a lot in this heat!
- I cleaned out the coop and in the inner run & relocated the stinky fly traps and hung up vanilla trees all around the coops. (I'm afraid my neighbors are going to be more upset about the fly population I'm attracting versus the chicken and duck noises - but yet maybe they don't have flies at their place since they are all coming to ours!

)
- I created a second nest box out of my kitties old litter box. Finally decided that I didn't need it around since our one cat left only uses "hers".
- Got lots of gardening picked. I'm jealous as to who got peppers big enough to eat stuffed peppers. My peppers are about the size of a lemon. They aren't growing well at all. The tomatoes however - I'm getting about 30 cherry tomatoes a day! I'm starting to give them away at work because there is only so much salsa you can make! LOL
- I got some homework done and going to start on dinner here in a few. We are having beef and barley soup. The chooks love these leftovers!

Got another egg today - in the nest box! I still can't figure out whose doing it. I've been watching that coop like a hawk and I sware that It turned by back for 30 minutes and someone had gone in there and laid! I've decided to blow out the first egg I got and make a christmas ornament out of it.

Stay cool everyone. Gonna be another hot week! My DH is going to an outdoor concert all day on Tuesday and I don't envy him at all!

 

[sunflowerparrot]

Wow - thank you EVERYONE for all your responses and information about dogs So much information.. you guys are awesome

Tish and HeChicken - honestly, I'd be afraid of a fullgrown dog I'd not have grown up with. I've had dogs in the past as puppies (smaller/medium breeds), I do know a little about the whole puppy drama Come August 1st, I will be home fulltime (YAY for retirement!!) and will have the time to work with a puppy. I'm also going to enroll in classes in Wichita for some basic training and obedience. There is a lady I've been talking with in Hutch today who has a GP mix with Anatolian puppy (born in April). I don't know what she's asking yet; I've just been talking a lot to her on the phone about behaviors, training, etc. At this time, the puppy is with goats. I'm going to proceed with caution. I want to do this right for me, my flock/etc. and for the pup.

I'm so glad I came over here to this community - anyone from Winfield or Oxford?

 

[chicken danz]

Sunflower, congrats on your retirement. I think the obedience classes would be perfect for you. It will help you learn not to be afraid of the dog and to take command.
My daughter does dog training and although she spends weeks with the dogs she also spends at least 20% of her training time with the owners. All the training in the world won't do any good if your dog senses you fear it. A pup born in April would be a good age. It will of course have to be trained to be around the chickens. At least GPs understand a firm NO! and usually train pretty easily. If you were closer I would offer you some mixed breed birds to help train your pup. Of course if you want to drive I could still do so.
I spent most of my afternoon resting. I put my tens unit on my neck and got rid of a ridiculous head ache and took a nice long nap. Then I went out and cleaned the brooder. I lost some guineas today. They just got too hot.
I need to contact the guy who was supposed to come get 50 of them. If he isn't going to show I am going to get them sold elsewhere.

 

[averytds]

Hawkeye, I'd just sew a patch over it if/when passing on. The kids have patches from their breed clubs and the APA/ABA Youth. They're all the circle kind that would cover a name, no problem. There are probably 4-H ones you could get too.

 

[checoukan]

Hawkeye~~~ I bought lab coats off of ebay. They do not have anything on them but pockets. Most of the kids don't have a lab coat, so as one comes out of showmanship, the coat comes off and goes on the next one walking in. I have two sizes and works really well. One is a waist coat and the other one is long.

We do showmanship first thing in the morning, so the kids are free to go take care of other animals or what ever. The poultry barn is closed so the judge can work. Im not sure, but I think we have at least 15 signed up for showmanship.

Got everything ready to go. All told I think we only have 5 empty coops but we do have several pens doubled up, I allowed one of the committee to assign coops, so I will make the call and move tags before birds come in and make sure all the pens have a bird in it. It will be to hot to double birds up.

So I got my seat belt on tight and ready for the ride. Gonna be hot this week, pray for all the animals out there in this heat.