Consolidated Kansas

[maidenwolfx80]

HEChicken, my ladder roost that I just took out was hinged to the wall so that I could raise it to clean out the coop, but these new roosts will be fairly easy to clean under too on that side because there are no legs, they're hooked to the wall & another board that was already there. I will try to get out later tomorrow & take some pics, but I did notice that one end is a tad higher on the step up, so I supposed I will have to level it just so my DH won't come in & tell me it's off kilter, he's such a perfectionist about things like that. I wasn't really too worried about it since it's a chicken roost after all, but I know I will hear about it. I will only have to remove a few screws to move it, so it won't be that hard. The roost I just put in there actually takes up much less space than the old one too, so there is more room to get in & out to the nest boxes & all. You know I never thought about it, but if you ever found an old wooden ladder at a garage sale or something that would make a great roost hooked at each end to the walls in the coop, great idea! My new roost also has a step up in the main coop so they can jump up on the first level & get up to the higher one. They were having a little trouble getting up & down, so this gives them a way to do it without hurting their feet. My roosts in the dog run pens I have are just 2x4s hooked into the chain link panels & the same in the hoop coop. The turkeys are the only ones that have a tree branch for a roost & they love it. I have a big tree stump in there at one end that they can use to jump up on to get up or down if they want to & I have seen them use it. That way they don't have to hurt themselves jumping down. I think the tom did hurt his leg one time jumping down off the roost. Speaking of the silly tom turkey, today I was out there painting & he kept walking over by me & I would tell him he was such a pretty boy & he would display & dance around for me fanning his tail, I just laughed so hard at him, he's a clown.

Man I'm pooped tonight now, I had to chase a little welsummer pullet around & around through the woods tonight. Today was her first day to be out to free-range since being let out of the grow-out pen. The three young ones I let out yesterday & added to the main coop hung around the outside of the grow-out pen all day today wanting back in. Silly chickens, they had freedom & didn't know what to do with it. I ended up walking right up to the lavender orp rooster & picking him up, he is so laid back I was just floored. I picked him up & just carried him around & then took him into the coop & he was so calm the whole time, I think I'm going to really like him. The welsummer pullets were a whole different ballgame. Two of them I just had to open the grow-out pen & run them in there & then catch them with the net & then take them back to the main coop. The last one though gave me a run for my money tonight, wow, I was about to wring her neck by the time I finally got her back into the grow-out pen & caught her.

Well I think Jasmine has learned her lesson with bothering the guineas. I didn't put her shock collar on her today, I went out to paint on the shelter for the grow-out pen this afternoon & let the guineas out & the whole bunch came out bigger ones & smaller ones all together, 19 of them. I decided to just let them all stay out & see how they did, so the larger ones hung out together & the younger ones stayed in their group. Jasmine was off sleeping while Lily watched over everyone, it seems like they take turns taking naps, which is really nice. Anyway, Jasmine never even came out from her sleeping spot to check out the guineas at all. I let the turkeys out of their pen for awhile too & they didn't go too far again. My DH was right behind the hoop coop cutting out doors with the saw & the birds were kind of freaking out due to the noise, but other than that all was well. When I had to go cook lunch I herded the turkeys back in & they went in calmly & I decided to just leave the guineas out & see what happened while we ate lunch. I left them out until later afternoon & went out to find the whole bunch laying down in front of the hoop coop. I opened the door & all 19 went in at the same time, I was thrilled they're doing so well with going back in. I think this is going to work out well this time. This bunch is so much easier to handle than the ones I had last year, those were just wild as they could be & I couldn't do a thing with them. These I have now seem so much easier to work with, maybe it's because I have had them since they were tiny & they are really accustomed to me, I don't know. I'm hoping they will get a little braver & start ranging just a little farther from the pen so they can clean up the ticks in the wooded area. We just get so many ticks on us walking through there & we have to go in there now to get to the new breeder coop & even to the hoop coop, so it would be nice if they would get used to going out & start eating bugs a little farther out. I'm sure they will get better as they get used to coming out more. They're doing really well though I think for the few times they have been out. Lily was laying out in the front yard with a wild rabbit she had caught & was guarding that. She only growled at cats if they came too close & she thought they were going to take her catch. Lily actually is the best behaved now believe it or not, she was the problem child as a puppy, but she really settled down & is a really good dog now. She listens very well now too, which she didn't do at all before. Somebody asked me, I think it was HEChicken about how Jasmine did with the turkeys & she didn't pay any attention to them at all, it was only the guineas she bothered, no chickens or turkeys at all. I just think it was the noise the guineas were making that got her attention & now she knows they are to be left alone just like the chickens & she seems fine with them now that she got shocked a couple times. She just didn't want anything to do with any of it after that buzz from the collar twice, that really got her attention, I'm impressed.

I'm working my way through my to do list for fall, but I still have quite a few things left on there yet. Tomorrow morning we have to take the cat to the Vet & my DH's car in for service. He has been having some issues with overheating, so he's going to have that looked at & the oil changed. We'll leave his car at the shop & take mine to take the cat in to get looked at. She has been having an issue with some skin problems & now today doesn't seem to feel well at all, so I don't know what is going on with her now. This is my DH's favorite cat, so I hope it's nothing really bad that is wrong with her. He is really a cat person through & through, that is all he had when I met him was a cat. He has had to learn to like dogs since I have always had them. His little dog now has her little paw wrapped around his little finger though, she won his heart very quickly, she is just a sweetheart, she's a Maltese/Shih Tzu mix & she is a lover. You just can't be mad at Bella too long, she is too loveable.

Sunflowerparrot, I can't wait to see pics as your new puppy grows, I'm so excited for you! I wish I was going to be around when you go pick her up so I could go.

Wow you were busy today

I also am trying my hardest to tackle that to do list, just seems like it never hasan end

... I am interested in guineas and everyone talking about them on here is making me want some. I really need to read up on them and get more info.

 

[ChicknBaron]

This is the BLRW i rescued from the bator... He's looking good now... It looks like the australorp and welsummer might hatch tonight--i'm hoping anyways-- because they've both been pipped for over 24 hours... i've seen recent movement in both tho so i know there still alive and kickin... I just hope i didn't saran wrap any of them when i took out the BLRW...

 

[JosieChick]

I hate to say it, but she even stunned me with how nicely she "cleaned up"! LOL I'm just so darned excited about her! She was so calm and happy about everything. She did very well with the blow drying and then the fluffing and spraying. She's a show girl at heart, for sure!

The kids played with her today and she got lots of attention.

I know you were!!! I felt bad yesterday, I kept thinking Loralee thinks I am pawning this awful bird off on her and she isn't even sure what she is going to do with her!!! I kept hoping you would bring her home and wash her up because she is a show girl! She would strut around my pen here and I would look at her and think she needs to go somewhere that has the time for her because that girl could go places!

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Tweety, Congrats on your new birds. What fun! They are all just beautiful. I'm glad they're settling in okay.

Hawkeye, I just showed your pics to the kids. They went crazy for that bit of fluffy cuteness. Even DH had to smile. The poor man is beginning to halfway like chickens against his will!

Trish, Thanks in advance for taking a pic of the roost for me!

Oh! The mallards are still here but they've added another female, so there are four of them today. They won't go in the coop at night with the others but they are helping themselves to the feeder with the others and don't mind us watching them or getting close while they eat. That's pretty cool! Duck math and it's not even my fault!

 

[Deerfield Acres]

ChicknBaron, Awwww. Love the pics! You're doing the best you can with your babies and that's all you can do. I think you're doing a great job! I've had to open mine before and the chicks managed to hatch in spite of it, so I think you've got as good a chance as I did. It seemed to take longer for them to hatch but many of them did. So, you may be okay. Hang in there!

 

[maidenwolfx80]

ok my order from ideal poultry shipped today, maybe I will get them tomorrow? Has anyone ordered from them? How long did it take you to recieve?

 

[tweetysvoice]

Maiden, Did they not give you a tracking number? I guess it depends on the shipping method and how far away they are - okay., just looked. They are coming from Texas. I got mine from a different hatchery in lebanon, mo and it took 2 days for them to arrive. Shipped on a monday and I got them Wed morning. Post office called me at 6am when they arrived. Have you given the post office a heads up that you have live animals coming? If not, i'd call them and they will call you the second they get them in - cuz they don't want to deal with animals any longer than they have to Eggsiting days!!!

 

[Trish44]

ChicknBaron, congrats on your chick hatching, I hope the rest hatch for you, good luck! I have had to on occasion help one or two out, so if you have to that is an option, just do it carefully & make sure there is not a lot of bleeding or they can bleed out very easily if you do it too soon.

tweety, I wanted to say that you got some really nice birds & I'm glad they're settling in well.

KarenS, it's not problem to get the pics, but it will be later in the afternoon because I have two things I have to go do in the morning with my DH, then lunch & getting him off to work. I also just found out I have finally found a home for my last rabbit I wanted to re-home before winter. I wanted to get a few dollars for him, but finally just gave him away free & the gal is supposed to come get him tomorrow afternoon. He's a surprise for two little boys, so I hope they like him. I just wanted him to have a good home, that was my main aim, he's a pretty rabbit, just doesn't fit into my breeding program, he's just on the larger side for a Mini Rex, so he doesn't fit with my others. All the others I have also have pedigrees now & he doesn't, so he will make a good pet. That is a relief because I was hoping I didn't have to move him into the garage soon when I move all the others. I just got a brand new buck when I went to Hutch with Sunflowerparrot, so I was running out of cages. I'm hoping my little pullets in the rabbit cage get well really soon too because they're taking up a cage I need. I switched them back to Tylan again, maybe rotating antibiotics will help, I'm out of ideas. One of the Cream Legbar pullets looks almost well enough to go back to the pen, but the other one doesn't & the Swedish Flower Hen is still really sick. I'm thinking the little SFH may not make it, she's not doing well. I have lost a couple now, I hope I don't lose any more. This stuff has been the total pits!

 

[tweetysvoice]

Geez - Getting chilly outside already. Just popped my head into the coop and everyone is fast asleep. The two silkies are already huddled together - yay! Body heat! The other birds are separated - older birds to the far left and new birds to the far right. haha. That's ok. I think we'll be alright
Sleep well all! nite nite

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Maiden, Did they not give you a tracking number? I guess it depends on the shipping method and how far away they are - okay., just looked. They are coming from Texas. I got mine from a different hatchery in lebanon, mo and it took 2 days for them to arrive. Shipped on a monday and I got them Wed morning. Post office called me at 6am when they arrived. Have you given the post office a heads up that you have live animals coming? If not, i'd call them and they will call you the second they get them in - cuz they don't want to deal with animals any longer than they have to Eggsiting days!!!

Yes I contacted the post office and they have all the details. Ideal poultry air ships for fast delivery. Alot of the reviews I have found from people in MN and VA say they have gotten them the next day so maybe I will too. FINGERS CROSSED!!!!! If not then thursday I am so excited