Consolidated Kansas

[JosieChick]

Josie here is a link about flat diapers http://change-diapers.com/2012/04/diaper-rite-large-unbleached-flats-flat-cloth-diapers/

Flats are very easy to clean i don't have to worry about stinky issues you may get with other diapers and they dry super fast on a line.


About processing birds i don't think i could do it. But would like to get a flock for just meat but i have no one that could help or do the processing for me.

I have been thinking about ducks would love to have some around but need to figure out what to do about the dog issue. I noticed someone posted about some Muscovy's but when i was younger i was attacked by one so im not crazy about them i would rather have some pekins and black indian runner ducks.
I think im going to wait til spring so i can at least see what winter is like around here

Thanks for the info! I think my mom used flats on us as kids! I remember trying to help her fold giant white diapers. I think you could process birds. I NEVER thought I could do it and now we do it all the time. It really isn't that bad and once you raise them and know where they lived and that they had a good life it is so worth it.

I have a question for you all, has anybody ever used Sulmet 12.5% solution for their birds for respiratory illness? I know it is a sulfa drug, but I'm not sure if it would help my little chicks or not. Josie, do you know anything about this drug? I hope you don't mind us all picking your brain & your DH's all the time. We appreciate your help bunches!

I think i have heard of it and I think I thought it would be good to have some handy but haven't gotten around to it. Is it labeled for birds? Sulfa drugs are typically good for upper respiratory stuff so you could try it. Just make sure you give it long enough so it has time to work.

i was reading about animal cruelty charges at the butterball factory. I need to talk with Dh about getting some meat birds so we can do our own processing. Maybe if i watched a few times i could get up enough nerve to do it. We mainly eat chicken anyway i have heard about the plucker things sounds much easier. Does anyone know of a place that process poultry for you? I've asked two meat processing places and they said know one does it anymore

There you go!

I know some folks use Amish or Mennonite families to process their birds. I think you could do it yourself though too. It really isn't that bad. Just get a small crew of people together. Our first time processing there were four of us and we did 15 birds in 3 hours because none of us knew what we were doing and we kept having to stop and read our internet print outs!

Josie, I actually make cloth diapers. I have scaled back and don't work the business like I used to.. or like I should. It was getting so big and out of hand, I needed to find a manufacturer to keep up with demand. I hunted around, but it was going to drive up my cost so much, that I couldn't see people wanting to pay the higher prices when they were used to paying a lower one. It was so disappointing, I just scaled back and kind of let loose of that dream a bit.I have a website and let it go offline for the last month and I think I'll turn it back on in another month or so. I needed the break, anyway. My diapers are also sold in brick and mortar stores, too. The ease of these are just very simple! You have a "shell" that looks very much like a paper diaper-- but I use poly snaps (CPSIA certified for babies from a tested supplier) to snap them close. No pins, nothing to ever come undo and poke or hurt baby. There is a very absorbent insert that you stuff the diaper with and it soaks up all the fluids. It can hold a LOT. You change just as regularly as paper diapers-- more often for solids, of course. When it's dirty, you hold the diaper over your diaper bin and shake out the insert (I don't like to touch it if I can help it) and then it's all washed together, but because the middle absorbent part comes out, it gets cleaned VERY well. If you ever decide to have a baby-- definitely use cloth! I have newborn diapers, too. I always keep around 100 diapers here at the house to mail out or restock. You don't need very many, and the same diapers you buy today can be used for the next baby you have. I have diapers I have just thrown out, because I used those very diapers for all 3 kids of mine. By that time, they get pretty well worn, but think of all the money you save doing that! Cloth diapers are not cheap-- the materials and cost it takes to put them together is not simple, but once you have them, you're pretty well done. I've passed on and resold cloth that was in good shape. There is a big market for that, too believe it or not, so you can get a part of your investment back. But even if not, consider it an investment in the safety of your child. Flats are "sheets" of fabric that are folded into easy or complicated ways to make the old fashioned diapers your grandma used. I would not recommend it unless you like extra work! LOL That's why I said Michelle was a saint for using those!

Very neat! I tried to look at your website but it was down. I have already told DH that when we have a baby I want to use cloth. He is totally grossed out over trying to clean diapers off before the wash so I guess I will have most of diaper duty if I don't want to listen to him gagging! I will have to get in touch with you for diapers someday, hope you are still making them!

I grew up watching my dad and grandparents just hack off heads. Very fast, and you can do like 20 birds in a matter of just a few minutes so long as they are caged-- you can do them as fast as it takes to grab the next one. Curious--- why slicing the neck and why draining them? I'm not saying hacking heads is a better method, just wondering why people prefer to do it the other way. It seems less stressful to just "off with the head" in one clean motion and done. ???

It cots on average about $300-500 to get a really large stash of cloth diapers. It can cost well over $1,000 to buy paper diapers over the next couple of years for one single baby, and that starts all over again for the next baby.
That's not bad at all, plus I like the idea of reusing. I have been to baby showers and just thinking as expectant mom opens box after box of disposable diapers about all that trash.




Funny--- the little cockerel I just mentioned-- he tried to crow for the first time this morning. He sort of sounded strangled and garbled like "ARGHarrrRGHhhhhh". My 4 yr old daughter was outside with me helping me fill waters and she turned to me and said, "Mommy, I think that chickie is sick!". I laughed, because yeah, it did sound like he was being strangled to death. hehe
How cute!

HEchicken- Your babies are hatching!! There is a blue and a splash so far I believe.

Well I am just burned out tonight. One of our poor cats who is overweight and has had urinary problems in the past was acting really weird yesterday afternoon. I put him upstairs in the bathroom alone with food, water and litter box. Well he kept going in and straining but no pee. Gave him some meds to help him relax which sometimes help, nothing. Gave him some pain medication and sub cutaneous fluids, nothing. Finally at 11:15 I called DH for the final time and said I needed to bring him down. So I hauled him down and we didn't get started until 2 AM and worked on him for over an hour. Drained his enormous bladder and placed a urinary catheter. Poor boy had a huge plug about half way up his urethra. He is feeling much better today, although quite drugged!
Needless to say I got about 3 hours of sleep so came home and crashed for another six.
Now I have to try to go back to bed to be up early in the morning for a full day of fun.

 

[Trish44]

KarenS, have a great day with your DH & enjoy, you deserve it! I hope your hen recovers OK, I have not had one with that condition either as far as I know.

Danz, sorry I'm without a clue either. I have seen your place, but can't visualize where you could put another building up by the house either unless it would be on the opposite side from the driveway. You already have so many pens & coops out there, it would be hard to think of another spot to put something like that close up. I'm not much help. I have enough trouble figuring out where to put things at my own place. I was trying for awhile to figure out where to put the peacock pen & finally decided on the spot where I have it now, which didn't occur to me until later on after pondering for awhile. I'm surprised my DH didn't complain about yet another pen here, but since it was for the peacocks I guess he didn't mind so much. We weren't doing anything with that place under the trees anyway.

cherwill, yeah they're young so they should come out of it pretty fast. I could tell they were pretty sore tonight & Jasmine is mad at me I think for putting her through that. She went right up the hill into the backyard & stayed there all afternoon & evening & wouldn't even come down to eat tonight. I took some food up to her & she was having nothing to do with me. Lily came right up to me & wanted me to pet her all night, but not Jas. She may take awhile to trust me again, she's really sensitive & kind of stand-offish anyway. We have to make another trip back to get their sutures out in 10 days, ugh another trip in the car. They won't get in, so my DH has to pick them up & lift them into the car. I don't know what they weigh now, but they're no lightweights I know that. There is no way I could pick one up.

erinszoo, no I haven't tried the Advantage on the big dogs, I use it on the little ones in the house. The problem is that we have so many deer ticks this year it's just unbelievable, I just have never seen so many ticks before in my life. We have had to work out there among them because we're building a breeder coop right now & also a hoop coop & we come in just covered in ticks most of the time. I finally think I found a repellant for us that is working better. We have always used Cutter & it worked good, but these deer ticks just ignore it & run up your legs anyway no matter how much you spray on. I have so many bites on me that I look like I have the pox. We were putting up the big walls on the coop out there & I was holding the wall while my DH screwed it to the floor & put supports up till we get the side walls built. While I was standing there holding the wall for him I was looking at all the deer ticks that were crawling all over the boards & onto my arms, eeek. I just don't know if any spot treatment is going to repel the numbers of ticks we have right now. I can try it, but I don't hold out too much hope. My only salvation I think is going to be when I can let the first bunch of guineas loose out there, but I think they won't be ready for another month. I hope maybe with these guineas hopefully if they make it here we won't have to live with this problem again in this magnitude. That's what I'm hoping anyway because we read that a guinea can eat a lot of deer ticks. I have 10 in the first group that will be ready to go out & then the new ones won't be ready for about two months.

Josie, I'm sorry about your cat, gosh he must have been miserable, I'm glad he's feeling better. I think I'm glad we got our two GPs both spayed & got it over with. I think they will be healed in no time & back to their old selves. I was reluctant to do both at once, but now that we did I think it was for the best. It ended up costing us more than we planned on because the Vet required them to have Distemper/Parvo shots because I was the one that gave them their puppy shots & he said for legal reasons he wouldn't do the surgery unless they had this shot given by a licensed Vet. I guess that conversation went right over my DH's head (as usual) & he acted like he was surprised about it when we took them in for the surgery & the Vet said they would have to have the shot. I really wish he would listen better, it's really aggravating to me when he denies hearing information that was clearly given at the time, then gets mad at me when I tell him he was told that. I hope your day tomorrow is better anyway.

Oh & on the subject of diapers, I used cloth ones for quite awhile when my son was a tiny baby & I used flats. I got pretty good at the folding after washing, I would just fold them all so that they were ready to put on when I needed to grab one. Josie, it's really not that bad to clean diapers out & I just kept them in a diaper pail, something people probably don't even know about any more, until I had a load & then washed them.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Well we got the GP pups home this afternoon & they're doing fine. The Vet said they got through it OK, just had some nausea & vomiting from the anesthetic, but that's pretty common for animals & people. They seemed pretty glad to get out of there & get home & are now resting.

Well gotta get out there amonst the ticks & get to work on my coop, see you all later.

Glad the girls are doing well. Hope you got a lot done on your coop!

Glad Lily and Jasmine are home to recuperate!.
Our little D'uccle decided to finally start laying, as well as our white rock, but no one else has yet..... My kids are very unhappy about our very obviously missing little pink eggs. Andy is not sure he wants another chicken of his own right now, because he is afraid if it is his, it is destined to die early. He has been eager to go egg hunting for chocolate eggs though. We have 3 BCM and they are so quiet and calm. I asked him if he would like a different shade of brown egg and he was interested, so I am looking for a blue splash or blue copper ready to lay pullet.
Danz, as soon as school settles down a bit we will bring you our D'uccle girl so you can try for some D'Uccle chicks she has laid an egg daily! She is so tiny and her eggs are pretty big! I am feeding her yogurt, greens, fruit and layer feed. She eats non stop! She would have to.... Her eggs are almost an eighth as big as she is!!
Someday a muscovie will be part of our crew.... But not yet. I am sold on that breed though!!
No diapers here any more. I gave all of my youngests, who only wore them for a few months after adoption, away. I will keep your website though Hawkeye! Who knows.... Doing foster care, might be useful again They always make the best baby shower gifts!

Oh it will be so fun when the other girls start laying! Still sad for you about your missing egg.

So I have been walking around measuring and figuring trying to decide what to do. I really really want to build on a sunroom on the back of my house and an attached garage. That would solve so many problems at once. But it's just not in the budget and I HATE the idea of going further into debt. I really really want to get the incubators and stuff out of the house and reduce the chicken dust. It is everywhere. I figured if I had an attached garage I could put them in there with some type of radiant heat.

Sutherlands has pretty cheap barn kits. Of course, you'd have to build it yourself or get someone to build it for you. We bought a barn kit from them back when we built this house-- we got a 30 X 50 and paid right around $6K. I've seen people then build tack rooms in the front of them and insulate them, etc and use them for all kinds of things-- not always tack. I think an attached garage would be ideal if you want to put your incubators and chick bins in there, then it would just be a few steps out your door and no running around with water. I would be careful about having some fancy company come in and do it, they seem to charge an arm and a leg. We had a company come out and give us a quote on a patio out back. (we built a HUGE patio!) and about died when we heard those quotes. A guy at work said his son was a cement guy and we hired him to come out and do it. He dug it out with heavy equipment, put in all the forms, and then the day we had the cement delivered, he hired a temp crew to come in and help him. They were all hispanic and we paid them in cash-- they insisted. (we decided NOT to question that! LOL) But the kid did a great job and we're really happy with it! Maybe check craigslist for people that build additions, barns, etc and see what they would charge. They would need to know how to tie into the roof and attach to the house, etc. I would love a sunroom, that would be neat. But I'm sort of with Heather-- unless I can see your set up with the house, I'm probably out of ideas.

One of my Alohas had a sour crop this evening so I regurgitated her and gave her lotrimin. I hope she makes it she's a really sweet hen.

We moved the electric fence and the birds are enjoying the garden that's no longer producing much for us. This particular bird had a very bad case of sour crop and they only had access today so I don't think it was because of the move but who knows? I hope this is just a one time thing and not a chronic condition for her. That would be a real bummer.

I'm making diapers for one of our rescue dogs who never got the hang of potty training. He's a smart dog but I don't know. Anyway, I bought cloth diapers for him before but decided to make him some new ones myself since they're getting a little tired. We'll see how that goes. Just add that to my many unfinished projects!

Tomorrow my DH is taking off work specifically so we can spend the day together and go out to eat without any kids. I think that's going to be awesome fun!

My mom has "belly bands" on her little chihuahua because he would mark if he doesn't wear them... is that what you're talking about?? I hope your hen will be okay. How did you catch it? I just don't know if I would catch something like that. Have fun today with your DH!

Karen,
This will sound ignorant.... But I am as far as all the things I have yet to learn. How do you know a chicken has sour crop? No clue what you meant by regurgitating it. It sounds like I would have to eat her first and I don't thnk that is survivable
I make belly bands for my marking little guy. Is that what you mean by a dog diaper? I am curious. 'Might be a better way to do it!
Enjoy your lunch!!!

My mom uses belly bands on her little dog, too! He can try to mark, but the upside is that your house stays nice and pee-free when they are wearing it. She adopted him from the humane society last year and NO ONE wanted him. He marked on everything!!! So my parents took him and put on the belly bands. No problems. But they also worked on catching him in the act and yelling NO and teaching him to be better potty trained. (so funny, he used to lift his leg with the belly band on) He was neutered right before they brought him home-- so he was already 4 yrs old, which is set in their ways for marking. So I doubt he will ever be 100% potty trained on the peeing, but at least they don't pull their hair out wondering if something is getting peed on when he is wearing his belly band. He wears his belly band at ALL times... they never take it off unless they put him out to do his business.

Very neat! I tried to look at your website but it was down. I have already told DH that when we have a baby I want to use cloth. He is totally grossed out over trying to clean diapers off before the wash so I guess I will have most of diaper duty if I don't want to listen to him gagging! I will have to get in touch with you for diapers someday, hope you are still making them!

Yes, I'll put it back up. It's all paid for, and it's still mine. Sigh. I should probably make it go live again on the sooner side! When I do, I'll let you know so you can check it out. You don't have to do much for the solids. You don't even have to touch it. When the babies are newborn up to just a few months of age, the poo is just really messy/creamy. That won't knock off. I just throw those straight into the wash and spin them out. I have a "pre wash" cycle on my machine. But I don't even do that until I'm ready to wash, unless it is just particularly BAD. I'll throw my messy diapers right in the diaper pail (just roll them up). Then on wash day, throw them all in the wash (yes, poop and all!!) and give them a prewash or a rinse cycle before you wash them. I do a double rinse at the end of the wash. They should come out white and smelling great. If not, wash again and I throw in vinegar, or I have a lot of other tricks to finish them off. It sounds like a lot of work, but really, it's not that bad at all. I did it for nearly 8 years... if it were that bad, I would have quit! LOL When the baby is older-- and starts having real poo-- like the solid kind, well you just hold it over the toilet and let it fall into the toilet (again, you don't have to touch it) and then throw the diaper into your pail. So yeah, you are doing some extra steps, but there is the big picture pay off in the end.

Josie, I'm sorry about your cat, gosh he must have been miserable, I'm glad he's feeling better. I think I'm glad we got our two GPs both spayed & got it over with. I think they will be healed in no time & back to their old selves. I was reluctant to do both at once, but now that we did I think it was for the best. It ended up costing us more than we planned on because the Vet required them to have Distemper/Parvo shots because I was the one that gave them their puppy shots & he said for legal reasons he wouldn't do the surgery unless they had this shot given by a licensed Vet. I guess that conversation went right over my DH's head (as usual) & he acted like he was surprised about it when we took them in for the surgery & the Vet said they would have to have the shot. I really wish he would listen better, it's really aggravating to me when he denies hearing information that was clearly given at the time, then gets mad at me when I tell him he was told that. I hope your day tomorrow is better anyway.

Oh & on the subject of diapers, I used cloth ones for quite awhile when my son was a tiny baby & I used flats. I got pretty good at the folding after washing, I would just fold them all so that they were ready to put on when I needed to grab one. Josie, it's really not that bad to clean diapers out & I just kept them in a diaper pail, something people probably don't even know about any more, until I had a load & then washed them.

Yeah, funny how some people aren't really listening when they are right there. I understand about the shots-- that is totally something that he would have to show in his records. Wow, you were another saint to use flats!! Eesh, I just could not do that! LOL

 

[michelleml]

Trish we use a flea and tick treatment from walmart call pet armor its just like frontline but less expensive and it works. When we moved here and the dogs would go out they would have ticks so I bought this and the next day all gone and i haven't had to reapply yet. We have bad ticks here they get on us and our horse so we have to treat her also.

 

[HEChicken]

Our first time processing there were four of us and we did 15 birds in 3 hours because none of us knew what we were doing and we kept having to stop and read our internet print outs!

Isn't that a sign of the times? We are really so lucky to have the internet. I guess in the old days, these skills were passed down to us from our grandparents, but a couple of generations got out of touch with doing anything for themselves and now we have to re-learn all those old skills! If we didn't have the internet, I really wonder where we'd be.

on the babies hatching!!! I am SO excited!!!

We have to make another trip back to get their sutures out in 10 days, ugh another trip in the car. They won't get in, so my DH has to pick them up & lift them into the car. I don't know what they weigh now, but they're no lightweights I know that. There is no way I could pick one up.

You can probably just take the sutures out yourself - its usually as simple as unstitching a seam in something you've sewn. I did work as a vet tech for years where suture removal was one of my regular tasks, and that helps, I think, but its rarely very difficult to do, and I no longer take either my kids or the pets back to the doc/vet for suture removal but just do it myself at home. You might take a look at them between now and when you are scheduled to return, to see what type of stitches he put in and whether they look like something you'll be able to handle at home.

My mom has "belly bands" on her little chihuahua because he would mark if he doesn't wear them... is that what you're talking about?? I hope your hen will be okay. How did you catch it? I just don't know if I would catch something like that. Have fun today with your DH!

My mom uses belly bands on her little dog, too! He can try to mark, but the upside is that your house stays nice and pee-free when they are wearing it. She adopted him from the humane society last year and NO ONE wanted him. He marked on everything!!! So my parents took him and put on the belly bands. No problems. But they also worked on catching him in the act and yelling NO and teaching him to be better potty trained. (so funny, he used to lift his leg with the belly band on) He was neutered right before they brought him home-- so he was already 4 yrs old, which is set in their ways for marking. So I doubt he will ever be 100% potty trained on the peeing, but at least they don't pull their hair out wondering if something is getting peed on when he is wearing his belly band. He wears his belly band at ALL times... they never take it off unless they put him out to do his business.

This must be the new thing I'm learning for today. I have never heard of belly bands before!!!

Josie - so sorry about your cat - it sounds like you had a brutal night but I'm so glad he was in such good hands. Male cats and UTI's are just the pits. I feel so bad for them with those tiny little urethras that get blocked so easily.

 

[HEChicken]

Has anyone had much experience with real estate agents and contracts?

I am in a situation where I signed a contract with an agent to sell our old house but I'm totally unimpressed with her so far, mainly based on her communication. To summarize what has happened in the last month:

• At our first meeting she gave me a list of suggestions for things we could do to make our house more attractive to buyers. She then said she knew a handyman who could knock most of them out in a day to a day and a half and she'd email me his contact information. A week went by and she called to see how things were going. I reminded her I hadn't received the contact info yet and told her we were going to the house to do some of the items on the list the next day. She again said she would send his contact info. We spent two whole days at the house, working from the list. Three days later - after we had already completed most of the items - she finally emailed the contact info for her handyman.
• She then emailed me asking a question I didn't understand. I'm sure she was using some kind of real estate jargon and it made sense to her but not to me. So I replied to her email answering a couple of other questions and at the end said "I wasn't sure what you meant by *********************". She replied almost immediately to say she'd call me the next day to discuss. It was four days later before she called and she never did answer that specific question. (I forgot to bring it up on the phone call).
• She emailed last Friday to say she wants to bring a photographer out to photograph the place this week on Friday, and asking for suggestions on how to get her a key so they can install a lockbox. We were busy at the house all weekend so I didn't get a chance to reply to her email until Monday morning but then I wrote and gave some suggestions. Here it is, now more than 72 hours later, and I still haven't heard a peep from her. One suggestion was she could meet me at the house one of the times I knew I'd be there this week, and I could get her a key then but.....I have no idea if she'll show up or not since I haven't heard from her.

I really feel this is not a good fit, as I need someone who is going to stay in touch with me and at least give me the perception she is actively working to sell the house for me. When I don't hear from her for a week at a time, and when she doesn't answer my specific questions, or respond to my emails....I have to wonder.

Does anyone know if it is possible to get out of a contract once it is signed?

 

[sunflowerparrot]

I don't have good news to share this morning. Fern was hit by a car last night. She is at the vet now being assessed with IV/pain med/etc. The vet believes she does have a back broken leg. He will first get her comfortable and stable, then check for any internal injuries, then deal with the broken leg.

I'm heart broken. I'm feeling so horribly guilty thinking about how much I'm willing to spend.. but wanting everything done for her too... I didn't sleep well last night - I brought her in the house and she and I laid on the living room floor together all night long.. she had rapid respiration off and on through the night - she drank often as I offered a bowl of water. I feel I should have done more...

 

[cherwill]

Josie, I'm sorry about your cat. Sounds like you both had a miserable night. I'm glad he seems to be better today.

Trish, dogs and their personalities crack me up. They are so completely different, just like with people.

HEChicken, I don't know if you can get out of the contract or not. Check the fine print; there may be a "grace period" where you can cancel within a certain period of time. If there's a time limit on the contract, you may have to wait it out and then get someone else. I'd definitely let her know how unhappy you are with her services so far. Maybe she'll take notice and try harder. After all, there's nothing in it for her until your house sells.

 

[chicken danz]

My stupid internet is either down or crawling this morning! Grrr! How they heck can a signal just disappear??? I hate living where you can't talk on a cell phone or get a signal for the internet!

Little Duke is such a pretty color. If Chooks has more in the spring, we will both be wanting pullets
It would be interesting to see if he remembers our little D'uccle, Feathers. They used to be inseparable. Not sure if what I read somewhere is accurate, but I thought it said if you crossed the self blue with the Mille Fleur you would get a porcelain? We have a younger porcelain I picked up at Orschlelns. She is no where near laying, but she is very pretty She is inseparable with an Easter egger. Hilarious to watch! No worries on the Polish! We have a bantam white crested from the pullet bin. No clue if it is actually a pullet though!!! I guess we will find out when we get a white egg or hear crowing.... No way we can keep a crower, no matter how pretty or sweet.... My neighbors don't like Feathers, and rightfully so. She is a talker!!! Cute as a button and very friendly, but .... LOUD!!! I adore her, but don't want my neighbors unhappy. But would keep her and bribe with eggs if I wasn't so certain that she misses Duke and will make a great little mama
My Marans are my quietest birds. They rarely make a sound. They should be getting ready to lay, or at least 2 of the 3 should. I can't wait!! Andy has joined me in my search for the colored eggs.
I showed him some pics of the different kinds of Marans and he really liked the splash or blue copper. Any idea who might have those? I love our little silkies, and hope he will look for another but who knows. He has dealt with so much death and loss in his life. He has double checked on me nightly. Wanted to sleep in my room. I keep telling him I am not a chicken....:-/

Poor Andy. I hope one of us can find him a replacement chicken soon!

Karen,
This will sound ignorant.... But I am as far as all the things I have yet to learn. How do you know a chicken has sour crop? No clue what you meant by regurgitating it. It sounds like I would have to eat her first and I don't thnk that is survivable
I make belly bands for my marking little guy. Is that what you mean by a dog diaper? I am curious. 'Might be a better way to do it!
Enjoy your lunch!!!

KarenS I am wondering how you regurgitate a chicken. I have my one poor old girl who always has an impacted crop. She is the same one who had bumble foot. If there was a way to empty it I would. I've tried about everything I've read. It always feels hot and hangs down but she seems to keep plugging away. Hope your day with your DH is wonderful!!!

Has anyone had much experience with real estate agents and contracts?

I am in a situation where I signed a contract with an agent to sell our old house but I'm totally unimpressed with her so far, mainly based on her communication. To summarize what has happened in the last month:

• At our first meeting she gave me a list of suggestions for things we could do to make our house more attractive to buyers. She then said she knew a handyman who could knock most of them out in a day to a day and a half and she'd email me his contact information. A week went by and she called to see how things were going. I reminded her I hadn't received the contact info yet and told her we were going to the house to do some of the items on the list the next day. She again said she would send his contact info. We spent two whole days at the house, working from the list. Three days later - after we had already completed most of the items - she finally emailed the contact info for her handyman.
• She then emailed me asking a question I didn't understand. I'm sure she was using some kind of real estate jargon and it made sense to her but not to me. So I replied to her email answering a couple of other questions and at the end said "I wasn't sure what you meant by *********************". She replied almost immediately to say she'd call me the next day to discuss. It was four days later before she called and she never did answer that specific question. (I forgot to bring it up on the phone call).
• She emailed last Friday to say she wants to bring a photographer out to photograph the place this week on Friday, and asking for suggestions on how to get her a key so they can install a lockbox. We were busy at the house all weekend so I didn't get a chance to reply to her email until Monday morning but then I wrote and gave some suggestions. Here it is, now more than 72 hours later, and I still haven't heard a peep from her. One suggestion was she could meet me at the house one of the times I knew I'd be there this week, and I could get her a key then but.....I have no idea if she'll show up or not since I haven't heard from her.

I really feel this is not a good fit, as I need someone who is going to stay in touch with me and at least give me the perception she is actively working to sell the house for me. When I don't hear from her for a week at a time, and when she doesn't answer my specific questions, or respond to my emails....I have to wonder.

Does anyone know if it is possible to get out of a contract once it is signed?

It is my understanding that a contract is signed for a period of time you are bound to that unless she isn't doing her job. In that contract, read the fine print and see what she has agreed to do. If you see any problems with that you should contact her and tell her why you want to end the contract. You would need a termination agreement signed by both parties to prevent her from collecting a fee is someone else sells it.
The best thing to do is just tell her that you aren't getting the service you expected and that you expect more communicattion, and she doesn't appear to be proactive on doing her part. I would let her try again and if that doesn't work then I would point blank ask her to terminate the contract. Sometimes people just aren't a good fit.

Well I am thrilled. The guy finally got back to me this morning and has the two mixed color peachicks he will sell me for sure. Now if he will just answer me on price and when I can get them I'll be in peafowl heaven. Woot! Maybe I can find a white peachick at the Gardner auction that won't cost a fortune. It would sure help if I knew what sex my baby is. He talks so much to me when I hold him I almost think it has to be a male. I guess that adds one more project to my list...build their pen.
Hawkeye I have the windows for the sunroom add on already. I just need the $$ to have the addition built on and an attached garage. I don't see that happening soon. If I could get that done I wouldn't even consider adding another building to put the incubators.
The final payment on my other house has to by made by January 1st. I do have some loan money I borrowed against it I need to pay back and then whatever is left will be mine....which isn't much. I borrowed against my old house to put new plumbing and heat and air in this one. The money was actually supposed to go for a garage but these other things came first. I could always borrow some more and get it done after that but I don't want any more payments.
I could still close off a portion of the chicken trailer and keep it somewhat heated but it will be sitting so far out back that maintaining incubators would be a real pain.
I so often think if I could have purchased my land and built my own house to suit me I would have been far ahead. Of course if I could have foreseen the future I would have built a nice chicken building to house everything in the first place.

 

[sunflowerparrot]

Has anyone had much experience with real estate agents and contracts?

I am in a situation where I signed a contract with an agent to sell our old house but I'm totally unimpressed with her so far, mainly based on her communication. To summarize what has happened in the last month:

• At our first meeting she gave me a list of suggestions for things we could do to make our house more attractive to buyers. She then said she knew a handyman who could knock most of them out in a day to a day and a half and she'd email me his contact information. A week went by and she called to see how things were going. I reminded her I hadn't received the contact info yet and told her we were going to the house to do some of the items on the list the next day. She again said she would send his contact info. We spent two whole days at the house, working from the list. Three days later - after we had already completed most of the items - she finally emailed the contact info for her handyman.
• She then emailed me asking a question I didn't understand. I'm sure she was using some kind of real estate jargon and it made sense to her but not to me. So I replied to her email answering a couple of other questions and at the end said "I wasn't sure what you meant by *********************". She replied almost immediately to say she'd call me the next day to discuss. It was four days later before she called and she never did answer that specific question. (I forgot to bring it up on the phone call).
• She emailed last Friday to say she wants to bring a photographer out to photograph the place this week on Friday, and asking for suggestions on how to get her a key so they can install a lockbox. We were busy at the house all weekend so I didn't get a chance to reply to her email until Monday morning but then I wrote and gave some suggestions. Here it is, now more than 72 hours later, and I still haven't heard a peep from her. One suggestion was she could meet me at the house one of the times I knew I'd be there this week, and I could get her a key then but.....I have no idea if she'll show up or not since I haven't heard from her.

I really feel this is not a good fit, as I need someone who is going to stay in touch with me and at least give me the perception she is actively working to sell the house for me. When I don't hear from her for a week at a time, and when she doesn't answer my specific questions, or respond to my emails....I have to wonder.

Does anyone know if it is possible to get out of a contract once it is signed?

I'm sure there are things in the contract to protect you too? I'd look through the contract to see if you can get out of it based on something she has/hasn't done..