Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

I am so far behind. I can't even begin to remember everything I've read.
Bamaproud good to see you back. How are things? You did know that Ivy is moving didn't you? I forgot to mention that in the PM.

I got my monster cage. It was more of a chore getting the pickup backed up to the porch to get it loaded than anything. Tiny little yard with a large curb and trees and a full driveway. I am so glad I don't live crowded up like that. Her front room was tiny and only had parrot cages, a huge aquarium and no furniture. I at least wouldn't take it that far! No parrots....just cages. She said she was done with them and they took too much time. Judging from her aquarium I'd say it was suffering from the same. The cage is huge. I need to give it a major cleaning once we get it off the truck. I wish my enclosed deck was done as I had hoped so I could put it out there and not take away from living space. I might see if I could hire someone to frame it in for me cause I don't think DH is ever going to do it. If they did the basic framing I could finish it. I just can't handle the big heavy stuff.
The owl that had gotten in my garage was back last night but this time he was walking on the ground inside where I ran the strands of bias tape. I hate to spend time and money closing that in but I guess if he is going to make it in there I will have to. If I only had my stuff done and ready as planned I wouldn't have to worry about it. I haven't even considered working on the chicken trailer again because I have so many other things I had to get done.
I never seem to even begin to get caught up. I got my roo delivered and they seemed happy with him. He is such a gentle boy I don't see how they could be unhappy. They have been loosing birds to hawks recently. When you have super expensive stock that has to really hurt.
I am feeling really irritable this morning. I think it is because DH is home and I can't just chill and start out my day relaxing.

Me too! So funny to catch a "cool" teen bocking!
X2
EEeekkss! Those are pricey little birds but they sure are pretty. You're going to have to share a pic of your chipmunks. I bet they look a lot like my Sussex chicks! That's why you couldn't resist them, they reminded you of chicks!

Yep that is absolutely right. Sussex chicks with long tails!!!

LOL! Stop running around with that tape measure and focus! You make it sound so funny, but that's exactly what I do. I do a lot of excess flapping around to no purpose. DH moves slowly and gets about 10 times more accomplished than me. What's up with that?
Focus? Not in my vocabulary. I run around frantic and see something else I need to do and get sidetracked. I think I could be a poster child for adult ADD and OCD.

OH and I'm ordering more eggs. I had some people contact me with some I've been waiting for!!!!

 

[mommahen10]

ADD isn't a bad thing Danz. Sometimes I wonder why they call it attention deficit when it's really only that they attention deficit occurs with the boring stuff. It also gives an ability to hyper focus on the things that are important to you, which of course makes you work too long and too hard. Sigh, just saying. I'm not speaking from experience or anything, shhhh.

 

[chicken danz]

Maidenwolf, your tractor is coming along nicely too. I'm curious why so many of the tractors are A-Frame. Is there a specific reason for that?

Lighter weight construction and easier to build. Angles are always stronger than square as well.

*****please advise*****
Last night when turning eggs I found one to be seeping a very sticky substance, it didn't stink, I even put it to my nose to smell. Upon candling, it looked like the liquid was extremely liquid, not thick at all, and the air cell was kinda moving however I moved the egg. I saw no more veining. I discarded the egg but didn't go really look at it, it still bothers me to see them half developed and dead.
It was rotten. It just hadn't started stinking yet.
This morning, when I went to turn the eggs one was stuck down a little when I turned it. I didn't force it or anything, I just turned it as usual but I could feel it was stuck. Well, a piece of the shell stuck to the wire, just bigger than I pencil eraser perhaps. My first thought was that the egg was bad, but I had to candle it first to ease my mind about throwing it out. It's not bad, there is a chick in there and it's moving around, there is more fluid than I would expect for day 16 but I'm just learning and I don't have anything to compare it to. What do I do with this little baby? Will it survive with a piece of the shell removed, is there anything I can do to help? I plan to lock down Thursday evening.
Put some scotch tape over the missing piece of shell. The important thing is to keep it from evaporating. Make sure it is sealed but don't take the tape any further on the egg than is absolutely necessary.

We are still having fun with our new chicks that are supposed to be Ameraucana, I think I spell that wrong every time, sorry. I don't think they are, I looked them up and they're more solidly colored, I think they're just EEs. Regardless, they're tons of fun, extremely entertaining. These creatures, they're so social and smart. They're eating from our hands and it's only been a few days. Did anyone see that shark feeding frenzy a while back on yahoo? We put mashed sweet potatoes in their brooder yesterday and they would grab a piece and run so there were just chicks running every direction as fast as they could. They would try to hide in a corner but of course that it's possible so they would just keep running everywhere. It was so sooooo funny. We won't do that too much, they may just get hurt. The one with the hurt eye seems fine, it's opening that eye now, it's hard all around it and the fuzz is matted down around it and won't come loose. I've been dabbing it with olive oil to see if I can get it loosened up but it won't. I still wonder what happened to her. I'm sure she's not seeing through that eye by how she behaves, she's a little smaller than the others but she's still eating and active. I feel like it's a catch 22. If I put her alone so she doesn't have to be so worried about what's coming she'll adapt less. I feel like leaving her where she is will give her the best chance later. We will have to see how this plays out.

Also, the hatchery that these chicks came from, Heartland Hatchery, I can't find a website for them. I wonder what's up with that. I was hoping they had a site that could give me more information about these chicks.
Heartland hatchery is a single guy that just hatches his chicks and goes from business to business peddling them. I am sure they aren't true Americanas from him.
Josie, what does LGD mean? Did you get Lucie's staples out? What do they do when they perform a necropsy? Just check for germs?
Livestock guard dog.
Danz, are we gonna get to see pics of the chipmonks when you get time? I'd love to see them.
It will be a while before I get the new pen ready. Then I'll take pictures. I think I confirm this morning I have a male and female.

 

[checoukan]

Hey, mommahen10, where are you located near Pittsburg, or where, you are close to me. Usually the leg color will give the EE's away. They may be from ameraucana's, but if you cross breed color's, then well, they are EE's.

danz, good luck with that chage. Sounds like a chore to me. Yeah, I think Ivy will be there Friday morning.

Gosh, time is here to go again, ahhh the life of a school bus driver!!

Hi to everyone else, Enjoy these beautiful days.

 

[mommahen10]

Danz, I know you are super busy but I was hoping to see if you have any brilliant ideas with our brooder room before we get things all done and more permanent. Here's the space that will become our brooder room, we are going to divide the shelving and wire the front, with doors of course. Planning to put in 1 plug per brooder, so a total of 4 outlets(8 plugs) along these shelves. The top shelving will be divided into 4, the bottom into 2 to give some different size pens. I will have a couple more outlets around this room, the breaker box can handle it but it'll max it and my son won't be able to get a welder and we will have to do something about that later. I need one for the incubator, another for a lamp for a bigger pen, and one to work with chicks with special circumstances. We will kitty proof, of course.

 

[mommahen10]

Danz, that's awesome that you got a pair. Now you can let nature take it's course and hopefully get a return on your money. Thanks for the quick advice on my eggs. I will do that now, I make patterns all the time so I'm sure I can make it just fit over the missing piece. I'm just so glad that you're here to give me a quick answer when I needed it. I think that it was probably stuck down from what seeped from the other egg. It's okay if my chicks are just EEs, they've been worth every penny in the entertainment they've created. The big kids are even just sitting there playing with the chicks. They were making them move their heads together swinging a banana peel back and forth. They make bets on which one will get the most flies when they swat and put them all in there at once. Then the sweet potatoes, that was just too much.

checoukan, I'm almost an hour from Pittsburg. Humboldt is between Iola and Chanute. Pittsburg is east and south of us. We go through Erie, then St. Paul, Girard, then Pittsburg. It's really not a bad drive at all. I'm not sure what you mean about crossing different colors. I wouldn't breed the ones I have together, I worry about inbreeding. They're supposed to be all pullets anyway. That's what got me thinking, how are there so many color variations in one breed, they must not be one breed, right? What am I looking for in leg colors? I'm not at all worried about what kind of birds they are, I don't care, I just love learning and understanding so I'm curious. Here's a pic I posted, I don't think it shows legs but you can see the colors. This was a few days ago but they're already getting real feathers. The light ones are a pale yellow with this gray on their back that has an almost lavender hue, I can't wait to see how these chicks grow up.

 

[mikeksfarmer]

Wishing I didnt have a very old computer and dial up. I could then actually reply to what people say; I want a pig.
I do have an interesting story to tell here. I usually let a hen hatch some eggs for me every year. Replaces what the fox or coons get and gives me some new fresh girls that I dont have to raise in a box. So have these two white rocks that like to set. Both going on 8 years. One hatched ok the second one wanted to set and I gave her 8 marked eggs. Between fighting with others who wanted to lay in her nest she broke two of the 8. Cleaned the eggs and she sat kind of ok. She would get off to eat and be off the nest for hours. One day on the coldest day we have had so far, she slept on the roost. At this point I am sure the eggs are not going to hatch. I know she did not get on that nest that night, because it was after dark when I shut them in. Next day sitting on the nest. Today 3 of 6 eggs hatched. Man these little baby chicks are spartins! I know she let those eggs get cold at least 3 times and one over night. Any one else ever had this happen? Between hatchery chicks and now these chicks I have more chicks than adults. Not sure what I am going to do.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Hawkeye, sorry about the disappointment with your new boy - I hope you are able to make him work anyway.

What a gorgeous day today! After my post earlier, lamenting how little I had accomplished, I popped in to say hello to DH and he asked what I was up to. I told him what I told you guys, about not getting enough done and told him I was headed out to check on painting supplies and you know what he said? "Its too nice a day to be painting. You need to go get your Kindle and go and sit with your birds and enjoy the day". So I did. Without guilt. Because its what he wanted me to be doing

(And with an enabler like THAT is it any wonder I don't accomplish enough?)

My broody game hen is sitting solidly on her 3 Aloha eggs. Every morning when I go down there she is slamming herself against the wire cordoning off the broody area, frantic to get out. ...

Your DH is a wise man. A relaxed and guilt-free wife is a rarity and a very happy woman. I like the way he thinks. He's awesome!

Ok... For some reason I thought about this on and off today.... What exactly are chipmonks? Those little squirrelly things that sing? I know Sera will want to drive down to the bird farm now!!! If they are birds, though, she prob still will want to see new critters!
My dad was the dean of the at college as I was growing up. We never had pigs, but I used to go visit the barns outside of his office. I have seen my share of mean pigs..... Pot belly pigs are sweet though Good thing the mean ones aren't even cute after they are big. Makes it easier to eat them!!
Hawkeye, those heavy costumes that zip are top notch here! I found a bunch on sale and we have plays here regularly knights, dragons, damsels, pirates.... Pirate dragons, knight cows...... The fun never ends! I have quite a few my kids have outgrown if anyone is needing some. The home made costumes do make the best memories though I love the ones you did! Cute!!
My oldest loves her face paints..... This is what she played with just for fun last night. Just makes me feel OLD!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What a talented girl! Awesome.

Just wanted to say "hello" to everyone.Hope everything is going great for everyone and the chicken math hasn't hurt anyone too bad.LOL I'll post more after I get caught up some.

Welcome back BamaProud! Where ya been?

HEChicken --that is cute, I love first crows they are great. And then the mystery of who done it..

But you already figured that one out.

Just thought I would post some pics of our chicken tractor

Nice work! That's a really cute little helper!

ADD isn't a bad thing Danz. Sometimes I wonder why they call it attention deficit when it's really only that they attention deficit occurs with the boring stuff. It also gives an ability to hyper focus on the things that are important to you, which of course makes you work too long and too hard. Sigh, just saying. I'm not speaking from experience or anything, shhhh. :

LOL! It's just that sometimes I wish I had more control over what my brain deems "boring"! At least there are upsides to ADD and OCD.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Danz, that's awesome that you got a pair. Now you can let nature take it's course and hopefully get a return on your money. Thanks for the quick advice on my eggs. I will do that now, I make patterns all the time so I'm sure I can make it just fit over the missing piece. I'm just so glad that you're here to give me a quick answer when I needed it. I think that it was probably stuck down from what seeped from the other egg. It's okay if my chicks are just EEs, they've been worth every penny in the entertainment they've created. The big kids are even just sitting there playing with the chicks. They were making them move their heads together swinging a banana peel back and forth. They make bets on which one will get the most flies when they swat and put them all in there at once. Then the sweet potatoes, that was just too much.

checoukan, I'm almost an hour from Pittsburg. Humboldt is between Iola and Chanute. Pittsburg is east and south of us. We go through Erie, then St. Paul, Girard, then Pittsburg. It's really not a bad drive at all. I'm not sure what you mean about crossing different colors. I wouldn't breed the ones I have together, I worry about inbreeding. They're supposed to be all pullets anyway. That's what got me thinking, how are there so many color variations in one breed, they must not be one breed, right? What am I looking for in leg colors? I'm not at all worried about what kind of birds they are, I don't care, I just love learning and understanding so I'm curious. Here's a pic I posted, I don't think it shows legs but you can see the colors. This was a few days ago but they're already getting real feathers. The light ones are a pale yellow with this gray on their back that has an almost lavender hue, I can't wait to see how these chicks grow up.

So cute! I love their little puffy cheeks. I have just a handful of chicks that are EE's crossed with my Speckled Sussex roo with little puffy cheeks. They are colored like little chipmunks except their beard and muffs are cream colored. So darn cute!

 

[mommahen10]

Karen, these little chicks have sooooo much personality, or chickenality. They're so fun it's crazy.

I just wanted to update that I got the egg taped, I got it shaped to fit and applied easily but it's the other crafting things that came in to play with that. I've done vinyl work too. I cut the shape with my super pointed scissors, then held it with the tip and applied. I thought I didn't overlap enough on one side so I added another tiny strip probably less than a mm wide. If I didn't add to it I was afraid that if it curled at all it would be unsealed. It was fun to do actually but I really hope the chick makes it.

I gotta go roll my bread, it's rising above the bowl about to make a mess.