Consolidated Kansas

[Trish44]

I decided to temporarily move my oldest guinea keets in with my two peahens for about a month until they're ready to be let loose, so I got them caught with the net & got them in there this evening. The peahens weren't too thrilled with the rambunctious things being in their pen, but I think they will get used to them. The guineas kept trying to follow the peahens around & they just didn't know what to think of that. I don't know if the guinea keets thought they were their mommas or what, it was kind of funny to watch. Anyway, the small guinea keets can have some peace now & not get picked on, they seemed so happy after I got the bigger ones out of the pen. After getting the bigger ones out I was able to tell for sure that I'm short one lavender keet, it must have gotten out & something got it. The cats could have even eaten it not knowing it from any other small bird. So if I get back down toward Birdman's place I'll have to pick up another or 2 or 3. I have so many ticks I could support quite a few guineas for awhile on just that probably.

I was sitting outside guarding the cats while they ate & the coyotes started in howling before it was even dark tonight & they were close. The dogs started barking right after the first few yips & howls & I didn't hear them any more after both dogs got in the act, good doggies!

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Trish, I'm excited for you on the rabbit sales and the peachicks. I'm pretty intimidated by peafowl but think they're beautiful birds.

Danz, I bet the Brahmas crossed with Sussex would be really nice birds and huge! I've asked revolutionmama if she might have some Coronation Sussex hatching eggs. I really want to Danzsize those into the grand scheme of things as well. I just hate to have eggs shipped, though, because of the poor hatch rate. The Coronation Sussex have the lavender hackle feathers and they would also be a really nice stand alone color/breed as well as being of benefit to the Alohas. If revolutionmama doesn't have any this fall, I'll just wait till next spring because I've gotten spoiled having more than a couple hatch out of 2 dozen from shipped eggs.

 

[cherwill]

So Lucie is coming back. Apparently the youngest son is allergic to her and got a sinus infection. I recommended giving her a bath to see if that would help calm down his allergies but I guess 4 hours later they are not miraculously cured so they give up and don't want to keep her. Never mind it could be FALL and seasonal allergies like ragweed and mold are at their highest counts right now. Or maybe giving the dog a bath and waiting a few days instead of a few hours to see if that helps. I don't even think it is the poor dogs fault. I would venture to bet it isn't even dogs but something in the air. They have had dogs in the past and play with the neighbors shedding dogs all the time. Should have gone with the goat people!!!! Geez.....

Oh no! Hopefully the goat people are still interested. If they've had dogs before and have had no problems with the neighbor's dogs, I seriously doubt the son's problem has anything to do with Lucie.

Oh and more bad news. I finally heard from the guy with the peachicks. He is working nights and busy, but he said a skunk got in and got one of his babies. I don't know if I am ever going to get a peachick. Maybe I'll find one at Gardner.

I wouldn't have thought it would be so hard, but that shows how little I know about peachicks!

DH says we need rabbits. He read they have the best ratio for amount of meat provided for the amount of feed they use. Right. Like we have room for rabbits. The dogs would sure like it, though. We got no eggs today; maybe he's looking to replace the hens with rabbits!

 

[Trish44]

cherwill, I have a really nice pair of Chinchilla rabbits for sale right now, they make great meat rabbits. These are just at the right age to breed & they're nice big rabbits! Am I an enabler or what? Well I have to sell some more rabbits now because I brought home two more last Sunday, some Danz-sizing. No, but really I had already decided to sell this pair of rabbits because I only want to keep one breeding pair for meat rabbits. I mostly raise Mini Rex & now have a pair of Netherland Dwarf rabbits too after last Sunday, but they're the cutest things ever. It's a good thing I got them right on the spot too because my friend took the rest home that she got & she said 5 of them are on the loose in her yard. Neighbor dogs will probably get them before she gets them caught or a fox or coyote or something. She's 7 months pregnant, so she said she couldn't bend well enough to catch them because they're so fast. But anyway, rabbit is supposed to be really healthy meat for you. I personally couldn't do the killing, I'm just too soft hearted for that.

Josie, I don't think the puppy caused the kid's allergy problems either. It sounds more like they changed their minds or some other issue came up & they used that for an excuse. Maybe the goat people haven't found another dog yet.

 

[chicken danz]

Well, I got my free pen put together this evening and I am so happy with it. It turns out there were brackets with it after all. Only 4, but that was all I needed. For a dog you'd probably want 8 but for my purposes, 4 worked out fine. I just put them in the center instead of top and bottom and they held the panels together just fine. Then I reinforced it with chicken wire around the bottom two feet, since the chicks can run right through the chain link, and put a tarp over the top and voila, it is ready for occupation. Tomorrow morning the chicks will go in it and they will be so happy to have all that extra space! I'll have to take photos tomorrow. The light was already getting dim by the time I finished up tonight.
I wouldn't normally want a pen that wasn't 6 foot tall but I can't count the times I wish I had one just that size to hold younger birds. I wouldn't have even minded paying for it. You are lucky!

After getting the bigger ones out I was able to tell for sure that I'm short one lavender keet, it must have gotten out & something got it. The cats could have even eaten it not knowing it from any other small bird. So if I get back down toward Birdman's place I'll have to pick up another or 2 or 3. I have so many ticks I could support quite a few guineas for awhile on just that probably.
Trish if you happened to be coming up this way I've got a few keets. The girls had almost stopped laying and are back laying full force again. I've got a few lavenders that are older that I want to sex and remove most of the boys.

Trish, I'm excited for you on the rabbit sales and the peachicks. I'm pretty intimidated by peafowl but think they're beautiful birds.

Danz, I bet the Brahmas crossed with Sussex would be really nice birds and huge! I've asked revolutionmama if she might have some Coronation Sussex hatching eggs. I really want to Danzsize those into the grand scheme of things as well. I just hate to have eggs shipped, though, because of the poor hatch rate. The Coronation Sussex have the lavender hackle feathers and they would also be a really nice stand alone color/breed as well as being of benefit to the Alohas. If revolutionmama doesn't have any this fall, I'll just wait till next spring because I've gotten spoiled having more than a couple hatch out of 2 dozen from shipped eggs.
I'm really not wanting to mix any more birds than I have to or I'll end up with a ton of them again. The red stars or sex links are different because they wouldn't breed true any way. And I have been reading these prolific layers have to be culled fairly early. I read they only lay a couple years max. I guess I'll be having some little baking hens in another year or so. I may have to just start ordering chicks once a year to have active layers. I guess a lot would depend on how my little crosses do as layers.

DH says we need rabbits. He read they have the best ratio for amount of meat provided for the amount of feed they use. Right. Like we have room for rabbits. The dogs would sure like it, though. We got no eggs today; maybe he's looking to replace the hens with rabbits!

Not to discourage anyone from rabbits but back in the 80's I raised rabbits. I absolutely loved eating wild rabbit. I thought it was delicious. And I butchered them with no problem. But butchering our own rabbits made me loose my taste for them all together. I just couldn't eat that stuff. I don't know if it was the butcher smells or if tame rabbit just tasted different. I even tried freezing them and eating them later but still couldn't eat them.
As it turned out it was a total waste. I wasn't attached to the cute little bunnies either. I've often wondered if the rabbits just free ranged around the yard and ate what wild rabbits do if they would have tasted better.
I think if I were going to raise rabbits I'd just raise the pretty ones and sell the babies.
We've got lots of rabbits out here. They nest under my sea van. My dogs LOVE chasing rabbits. It's like their favorite activity. Unfortunately if they do catch one it doesn't live. So that keeps me in check of even being tempted.
I did fall in love with a ginormous Flemish Giant though. I understand they aren't good for eating but that rabbit was huge!!!!

 

[Trish44]

Danz, I ate rabbit in the past, not mine but someone else's & I think it makes a big difference how it's prepared. I personally don't like gamey types of birds or wild animals because of the flavor unless it's prepared so that taste is covered up with some kind of spices or sauce. I think that's why I like duck with orange sauce. I know that some people really like rabbit & it's supposed to be a lot healthier for you.

Gosh I went out to let the chickens out & feed everyone this morning & I was carrying some damp paper towels in one hand. I let the chickens out & my gold laced wyandotte just jumped up & grabbed those paper towels out of my hand & ran off down the yard with them like it was a prize. I guess she thought it was something to eat & I went after her but she just kept running away with a bunch of other chickens chasing her. It was the funniest thing ever! Imagine their surprise when she put those towels down & it wasn't something to eat after all.

 

[HEChicken]

I forgot to mention it before but last night my male turkey gobbled! I wasn't really expecting him to try that yet as he is still sort of small but DS came to visit me in the coop and I guess the new visitor got the attention of the turkey and he made several attempts to gobble. It wasn't real practiced yet so I'm thinking that might have been the first time he even tried.

We had a storm pass through here but didn't do much more than get the ground wet. The cool change sure is welcome though. The thermometer is showing only 66 degrees out there right now.

In Australia it is common for butchers to carry rabbits in addition to other types of meat. Usually it is the whole rabbit, skinned so there no doubt left in your mind as to what you are eating. I used to buy one occasionally but found there wasn't a lot of meat on them for the effort. I don't remember them tasting much different than......wait for it......chicken LOL.

 

[chicken danz]

Well I just made $100. They came for pheasant, bought three more than expected, bought a rooster I had saved back and a brahma hen. He only owed me $80 but when I got in after they left there was extra money there. This guy is an excellent customer. He has bought so much from me before. He always throws in some extra.
It got really dark all of a sudden and looks like we have a major storm coming in. I sure hope we get lots of rain and not just lightening and thunder out of it. It looks pretty spooky out there. I worry about my birds in bad weather but I can't complain if we can just get the rain.
Well Trish I went ahead and paid for laced brahma and breda fowl eggs. I worry about shipped eggs but I've lost so much on them this summer anyway I guess I am supporting the postal service!
I got some lavender eggs yesterday that were pretty hot. I hope they do okay. They were all wrapped in plastic wrap> I hope they will be okay. People don't realize you smother the embryo if you have them enclosed in plastic.
That was quick. The storm is gone already. Lots of high wind and some hail but it only lasted 3-4 minutes. What's wrong with just having a few days of gentle rain?? I guess I should go out and make sure the birds are okay.

 

[cherwill]

Gosh I went out to let the chickens out & feed everyone this morning & I was carrying some damp paper towels in one hand. I let the chickens out & my gold laced wyandotte just jumped up & grabbed those paper towels out of my hand & ran off down the yard with them like it was a prize. I guess she thought it was something to eat & I went after her but she just kept running away with a bunch of other chickens chasing her. It was the funniest thing ever! Imagine their surprise when she put those towels down & it wasn't something to eat after all.

I forgot to mention it before but last night my male turkey gobbled! I wasn't really expecting him to try that yet as he is still sort of small but DS came to visit me in the coop and I guess the new visitor got the attention of the turkey and he made several attempts to gobble. It wasn't real practiced yet so I'm thinking that might have been the first time he even tried.

We had a storm pass through here but didn't do much more than get the ground wet. The cool change sure is welcome though. The thermometer is showing only 66 degrees out there right now.

In Australia it is common for butchers to carry rabbits in addition to other types of meat. Usually it is the whole rabbit, skinned so there no doubt left in your mind as to what you are eating. I used to buy one occasionally but found there wasn't a lot of meat on them for the effort. I don't remember them tasting much different than......wait for it......chicken LOL.

Congrats on the gobbling turkey. I like all the sounds my chickens make.

We finally got some rain!!!

I don't know why rabbit isn't used more here. They're apparently very cost effective and they breed rapidly and plentifully, and they don't take up much space compared to some other kinds of critters!

Well I just made $100. They came for pheasant, bought three more than expected, bought a rooster I had saved back and a brahma hen. He only owed me $80 but when I got in after they left there was extra money there. This guy is an excellent customer. He has bought so much from me before. He always throws in some extra.

cherwill, I have a really nice pair of Chinchilla rabbits for sale right now, they make great meat rabbits. These are just at the right age to breed & they're nice big rabbits! Am I an enabler or what? Well I have to sell some more rabbits now because I brought home two more last Sunday, some Danz-sizing. No, but really I had already decided to sell this pair of rabbits because I only want to keep one breeding pair for meat rabbits. I mostly raise Mini Rex & now have a pair of Netherland Dwarf rabbits too after last Sunday, but they're the cutest things ever. It's a good thing I got them right on the spot too because my friend took the rest home that she got & she said 5 of them are on the loose in her yard. Neighbor dogs will probably get them before she gets them caught or a fox or coyote or something. She's 7 months pregnant, so she said she couldn't bend well enough to catch them because they're so fast. But anyway, rabbit is supposed to be really healthy meat for you. I personally couldn't do the killing, I'm just too soft hearted for that.

Trish, you ARE an enabler.

We really don't have space for them or I'd be tempted. I'd also have to find someone to do the butchering for me; no way am I ready for something like that!

 

[Trish44]

HEChicken, I think your little Jake had been gobbling a little when he was at the Birdman's place because I thought I heard him doing it when I first saw him there. Mine didn't gobble that young though, either one of the toms I had. I was out yesterday just standing out by the turkey & chicken pen & I guess my tom wanted my attention because he started puffing all up & displaying for me, so I told him he was a pretty boy & he started doing that thing with fanning his tail & moving it all around like he does. Those turkeys sure are entertaining! I think you will really enjoy yours once your younger one gets a little more used to you & grows some. I just get a big kick out them, the hens really like to talk to me, especially the one I hatched & the tom likes to show off. I never knew turkeys could be so friendly.

My peahens aren't really thrilled with having the guineas in the pen with them, but hopefully it won't be too long before I can let the guineas out to do the job I got them for. They're starting to do their different calls, so maybe I can tell how many soon of which sexes I have. I think a lot are females.

Danz, congrats on the sales, must be nice to have someone give you extra money!