Consolidated Kansas

[ChicknBaron]

Well i did it, i helped the 2 out, one is looking normall, but the Welsummer is looking undeveloped: its eyes arent open and its feet are real curled... its breathing though the white skin aroubd the wellie in the eggs was 100% dry the other 2 eggs still ha ven't pipped ... im on my phone doing this so its kindof a brief description...

 

[mommahen10]

HEChicken, awesome pics. The roost came out great!

ChicknBaron, just keep them really warm. If they act weak then I usually dip their beaks in sugar water and it seems to perk them up. I'm sure there is better stuff out there, but that's what I have easily available. BUT>>>> don't give the left overs to your strong chick, you'll be up all night with a hyper chick. I did that once, they peeped so loudly all night long.

 

[chicken danz]

Well guess I had better go out and get band numbers for my girls going to Fayetteville. I need to get my entries sent off, and well I have been procrating a little bit. Ivy has been here every weekend, and I have bee spending time over there with them, and last weekend, our other sister was here from Garden City to help Ivy move stuff. So, I have not been doing things I need to do.

Don't forget this weekend is Columbus day! Sound like a lot of people will be here, should be a lots of fun. Chilly but nice I think.

hawkeye, where are you going to show at?

danz, slow down, you make me worry about you.
Slow down what ? My physical activity or buying more and more birds and eggs?

Just got another shipment of eggs in the mail seconds ago. I nearly fell getting to the door. My peachick and pullet were sitting here next to me and decided to run to the door when I did right under my feet. The new peachick must have thought there was too much activity in here cause she went back to her kennel by herself.
Originally Posted by karenS

HeChicken - Congrats!!!

We've been having problems with the door handle on our back door not working properly, so my husband decided to take advantage of one of the last nice days this year (snow in the forecast already for Friday night) to change the door knob. Apparently, I've done a little TOO good of a job making sure my goose (a 4 month old white chinese) is friendly.

When he had the door open so he could work on it, she kept trying to come in the door. He even positioned his 100 pound chocolate lab in the way, and she worked her way around the dog and still tried to get in the door!

I don't know what she thought was inside that was so good, but she was VERY persistent.

I finally had to pick her up and hold her so that he could work on the door without having to worry about having a goose in the house!

Previously, she's been coming to me when I step out the door, but she's always come to me, not the door. I don't know WHY she was wanting in the house so bad (she's only been in the house once since she was old enough to be outside, and that was only because I was holding her and the phone rang). However, I do know that she's gonna get me in trouble if she spends a lot of time on the back step. My husband doesn't mind the birds, but he REALLY dislikes bird poop on the sidewalk.

Your hubby would not be happy here. I have poop on the porch and birds in the house. I used to have goats that would push their way in every time the door was open. I never taught them that; I think they just figured it was a good place to hang out. At least goat turds just roll up in the dust pan without a mess. Needless to say when my family comes to visit I get out the steam cleaner and make sure the floors are spotless and disinfected.

My stupid mouse trap that I ordered last week finally killed a mouse. Meanwhile, Danz' traps have caught how many hundreds? Ah well....the way this trap works is a little rubber ring is threaded onto a tube. The mouse is tempted into a cone to get the bait, which triggers the trap, the ring is launched and lodged around the neck, strangling the mouse in seconds. I will say it worked as they said it would once it finally worked at all. The mouse was laying a few feet from the trap. I finagled the ring off the neck and threw the mouse out into the yard, where the chase was on. If only they got as excited about catching them live as they do eating them once they're already dead....

I hadn't set all the traps the last two nights cause time got away from me. I just emptied them and had 89 mice total. Have you set those new traps up yet. I am using peanut butter and oatmeal cause it isn't messy. I mixed it in a plastic container and just drop a spoonful or so in the trap so I don't have to touch it. Out of curiosity I put a trap in the basement last night to see if there is any activity down there. I am VERY happy to say that there wasn't! Yay! One time I am thrilled I didn't catch mice.
I just loaded the incubator with duck eggs cause I got lazy about picking them up. I think there are at least 80 of them. I am sure some are too old to be good but I decided to hatch anyway. Sure hope my buyer willl be interested in babies cause I sure don't want to feed them all winter.

 

[HEChicken]

Well I must be on a campaign to alienate friends. I thought I was being nice telling Josie about some Sebbies a friend of mine had for sale. In the meantime Josie saw her add and bought the rest after being told a friend had already spoken for the white curly girl. Yep! that was me again!!!

Have you set those new traps up yet.

Oh, that is too funny! First Karen, now Josie.

No, I haven't set up the traps yet

I was so excited to get them but I've been so busy the past couple of days and every time I think about it, I'm in the middle of doing something else. They're actually still in my car. I just need to go and get them and set them up right now!

 

[Deerfield Acres]

HeChicken - Congrats!!!

We've been having problems with the door handle on our back door not working properly, so my husband decided to take advantage of one of the last nice days this year (snow in the forecast already for Friday night) to change the door knob. Apparently, I've done a little TOO good of a job making sure my goose (a 4 month old white chinese) is friendly.

When he had the door open so he could work on it, she kept trying to come in the door. He even positioned his 100 pound chocolate lab in the way, and she worked her way around the dog and still tried to get in the door!

I don't know what she thought was inside that was so good, but she was VERY persistent.

I finally had to pick her up and hold her so that he could work on the door without having to worry about having a goose in the house!

Previously, she's been coming to me when I step out the door, but she's always come to me, not the door. I don't know WHY she was wanting in the house so bad (she's only been in the house once since she was old enough to be outside, and that was only because I was holding her and the phone rang). However, I do know that she's gonna get me in trouble if she spends a lot of time on the back step. My husband doesn't mind the birds, but he REALLY dislikes bird poop on the sidewalk.

That's such a cute story! Our birds are such a hoot!

Too funny. I have a hen who used to try to come in every chance she got at our old house too. My DH and DD also didn't like all the bird poop on the back deck and that is why they are now contained in a large yard where their poop is contained.

I got some pics taken of my new roost. Here is what it looks like when its ready for roosting:


The bars that come out from the wall are attached to the vertical studs like this (one screw through the support bar into the stud):


That allows the supports to swivel upwards. I took a picture of it halfway up but because I was on my own trying to hold it up and take the picture at the same time, I don't know if it will be that easy to tell what you are looking at:

What this picture shows is the support bar swiveling up, and you are seeing the undersides of 3 of the roost bars. What I need to do yet is find a way to hold it up while I clean under it. I'm thinking something like a big eye hook that hooks into a chain that hangs down from the rafters or something like that. As I just cleaned it out yesterday and put in fresh straw, it will be awhile before I need to worry about that.

And now, just because I was out there with the camera, here are a few more pictures.
Here is Madge, sitting and enjoying being outside (she was talking to me the whole time I took her pictures too):

Then Ned Kelly stuck his head up to see who she was talking to:

Here is Cyrus:

And a better shot of Ned Kelly. You can see his trimmed beak in this picture - doesn't seem to bother him:

Thanks so much for the pics of the roost HEChicken and I love the turkey pics. That's so funny the little guy poked his head up to check you out. I love turkeys.

Well i did it, i helped the 2 out, one is looking normall, but the Welsummer is looking undeveloped: its eyes arent open and its feet are real curled... its breathing though

the white skin aroubd the wellie in the eggs was 100% dry

the other 2 eggs still ha ven't pipped ... im on my phone doing this so its kindof a brief description...

Congrats on getting them out. If you have any Vit E capsules, poke a little hole in it and put a drop in the curled toe chick's mouth. I've had great luck with that perking a chick up and straightening out curled toes. If you don't have Vit E, then mommahen10 is so right about the sugar water.

HEChicken, awesome pics. The roost came out great!

ChicknBaron, just keep them really warm. If they act weak then I usually dip their beaks in sugar water and it seems to perk them up. I'm sure there is better stuff out there, but that's what I have easily available. BUT>>>> don't give the left overs to your strong chick, you'll be up all night with a hyper chick. I did that once, they peeped so loudly all night long.

LOL! Live and learn, right? I'd have never thought of that.

Well I must be on a campaign to alienate friends. I thought I was being nice telling Josie about some Sebbies a friend of mine had for sale. In the meantime Josie saw her add and bought the rest after being told a friend had already spoken for the white curly girl. Yep! that was me again!!!

You are on a roll!!!! LOL! I'm afraid you'll have to work harder than that to alienate any of us.

 

[mommahen10]

One of these days I hope to be a pro.

Danz, what is it? Is it that you can't eat the eggs and you don't want to waste them if you don't have to? I've done the same thing? But how do you know when to lockdown? How many incubators do you have? What kind are you using? We have 100ish chicks/chickens and our feed bill was $185 and I'm just guessing half of that is the chicks/chickens. We also have 3 pigs, 2 rabbits which we just rehomed on Saturday, and 2 dogs and cats. I want to pay attention to how much we are using but I know I used an entire bag for the layers in 3 days. That doesn't count all the chicks of various stages. I really need to pay closer attention. I really don't think I will be out anything in the long run if the roosters become our food that's like $4-$5 a piece and if I don't continue to give away perfectly good hens/pullets. I guess I just need to watch.

Karen, ChicknBaron's little chicks, do you think that it could be that they should have hatched 2 days ago and these last two days they've beens surviving on their 3 days of stored nutrition? Would it be safe for ChicknBaron to gently tap the 2 remaining eggs or peep at them to see if there is any response since they haven't pipped? Yes, I peep at my eggs and tap on them very softly and hold them to my ear and they usually peck. Not that I'll get to do that anymore because I'm going to be way strict about lockdown now, especially since it's not just a few eggs and I was so extremely devastated with my last hatch. I even got out my baby doppler and tried to listen for heartbeats but it didn't work, those dark colored egg shells you just can't see through. Some of the hatcheries on youtube poke a pretty big hole on the air cell on day 18 and their chicks hatch on day 19, I don't know how they do that. But maybe if it's pretty late in the hatch and you really have a strong suspicion that they are shrink wrapped especially considering the others. Or... maybe not becuase they would be more likely to shrink wrap after there is a hole in them. DUH. I'm over thinking, but what if they are living on their food storage for the first 3 days? There's just no way to know.

 

[chicken danz]

Mammahen I have 3 GQF incubators and a fourth GQF that is strictly a hatcher. Plus I have two LG stryos for when I have too many eggs at once.
I put the duck eggs in because I had picked them up but hadn't done anything but set them on the counter for several days. I have a guy that buys baby ducks to the tune of about 100 to 150 at a time. I just haven't been hatching because fertility was down with the heat. If I find nests the chickens have laid that I don't know how old they are I do the same thing. I just plan from the date I start incubating. Once in a while a hen has started sitting and one hatches early but rarely. I switch from incubator to hatcher any way. My lockdowns are total lock downs because I open to add eggs, remove chicks, or add more water. The GQFs have great recovery and it has never hurt any chicks that I know of. During peak fertile times like in the spring, I quite often have 100% hatches.
Right now I'm concentrating on some rare and fancy breeds because with the cost of feed I am spending thousands on my birds. You said your feed bill was $185. I am guessing that was for a month. Mine runs right at $250 every 10 days and that isn't including bagged feed like chick starter and game bird starter. But then I have all these other birds too. I wish I had a hog I was feeding out. I'd be thrilled. I used to always have a whole hog in the freezer but can't find anyone any more who will sell a fat hog at a decent price I can finish or a feeder pig cheap enough. I really don't have a hog shelter any way but I could certainly make one in a hurry.
I am trying to decide whether to buy more red stars to lay eating eggs, or buy the breeds and raise my own birds for crossing. I have to keep enough eggs going for my eating egg customers even though that sure doesn't pay for the feed they eat.

 

[checoukan]

Oh my everybody has, is, and will be so busy!
Oh I did buy me an Brinsea incubator. It is one of the mini's with the auto turner. Thought when I turn the lights on in January, and my rosecombs start to lay, I could use the small bator in stead of firing up the GQF! As small as these eggs are, I would think I could get at least a dozen in there.

Hechicken like the roost, I tried to build one like that, but did not work out

danz what kind of eggs did you get today?

Funny story on the "PooP on the step. We had a tom turkey, that used to fight the bumper of my truck. He would talk to it, and peck at it. Stupid bird, but funny as heck to watch.


Ivy told me to tell you all "HI!" She is thinking about you all. Just a really difficult time right now hoping land a job down here soon, she loves her new house, and is getting tired of leaving it, she would rather be here.

 

[cherwill]

Hey Did anyone else besides me noticed that Hechicken won the BYC SPIRIT AWARD!!!
Way to go!!!!!!!!

Congratulations!

In past years I decorated outside for every holiday. Lots of lights and stuff. Of course I never had dogs that would steal things and I had porches to decorate, and of course lots of traffic. I have a fortune in decorations and it seems such a waste not to use them. I love putting on a light show of sorts for people. Dennis says no one will see it so why go to the trouble but I still love to decorate. I have some Halloween decorations I'd love to display. I am just so undecided what to do. I guess I could sell all this stuff but what fun would that be?

The last few years I haven't been able to get excited about decorating for anything. I keep thinking to myself that I'm just going to have to put it away again and it's too much of a hassle. How's that for holiday spirit?

HEChicken, awesome pics. The roost came out great!

X2!

 

[chicken danz]

I got some more lemon cuckoo orpington and some more swedish flower hen eggs. I have several of both but bought all the SFH from one breeder and all the lemon cuckoos from another breeder. I just wanted to add a few more blood lines in the mix so I won't be doing inbreeding for awhile. This person was selling some of both so I bit the bullet and bought some of each. His shipping was super high but he cut me a deal for both breeds together and did a very nice job of packing. No broken eggs at all.
Day after tomorrow I have several colors of Dan Powel bred LF Brahmas and some Breda fowl eggs going into the hatcher. I am really excited. I haven't candled them at all. Very pricy eggs so I am holding out hope! Then tomorrow I have some porcelain d'uccles and some mille fleur d'uccles going in the hatcher. I did candle those today and I have an even dozen of each of them developing. So hopefully I'll get a good percentage of viable chicks out of them.
My favorite chicks to date are the Olansk Dwarfs. They are so rare and so beautiful. I bought those as 6 week olds and had them shipped so they are very expensive birds. I do hope to make some money off of them early spring. I need to take some updated pictures of them.
I have quite a group of lavender Orpingtons now, but don't plan to buy any more of them unless for some reason I end up with all roos. The youngest group is too young to sex definitely yet. I did get them from different breeders so I am pretty confidant they will be fine to breed for awhile.
Tell Ivy I really miss her input. It is a terribly long trip down there from Highland. I am sure she'll be glad when she gets settled.
Any offers on her house yet? Did the land bring a decent price? The worst part about her being down there will be she won't be driving down to see you and stopping here on the way down.