Consolidated Kansas

[Kansas Prairie]

They are flooding on the East Coast and we can't get rain in SW Kansas...weird how that works out. I know it's all in God's plan and it will all work out.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

My boys are fighting too. DH said he saw one girl get bred. These are my midgets and they were hatched in May and June. I sold my extra Eastern and blue slate Tom so there hasn't been any fighting in their pens. The Toms are flirting a lot though.

HHMM well I havent seen her get bred, the fighting is so intense they were all panting and had bite marks and bruises. I need more hens, with the adopted boy from next door I have 5 toms and 2 hens. The younger hen isnt even interested, she hatched out in june so she stays away from all the commotion. I have them doctored up this eveing and may seperate them tomorrow if it starts back up. She will submitt but she wont sit still when a tom comes near. She will walk up to a tom and rub her neck all over him and run circles around him rubbing her neck all over him until it is broken up by another tom. Silly boys I just dont want anyone to get hurt.

 

[mommahen10]

Danz, that's so sad about your chick but at least this way the poor thing won't have to suffer. I don't have a clue about what to do about your area that doesn't grow anything, there must be something deficient in the soil.

maidenwolf, what kind of chicks are you expecting this time?

Hawkeye, I'm reading about all the show stuff but I don't understand that too well so I don't know what to say but I wanted you to know that I'm following along.

Danz, what's KIA? and What's pine tar?

Do you think that maybe those participating in that thread are just older people, maybe more opinionated? I haven't been there ever, I'm just saying maybe if we could consider where they came from we would understand the attitude better? I mean, it sounds like my dh's dad would fit in there, he's an old farmer and the animals aren't for fun they're for food. Then old people, sometimes they just think a certain way and there's no telling them otherwise. I don't always agree with what they say, but I don't take offense to it either because I know it's just how they are.

Hawkeye, I'm with you, welcoming and accepting, that's something to live by. We don't have to agree with each other to be accepting.

Josie, I just wanted to mention incase you are buying used diapers. I've read something about if they're washed in bleach it breaks down the waterproof part, and if they're washed with fabric softener they don't absorb as they should. I could have this completely backwards so look it up but I wanted to point it out so you could research and ask the right questions. You probably already did, but I just wanted to be sure.

I love this thread too and coming here is my 'break time' and it's my chance to catch my breath. It would hurt me if people here were cranky with each other and it wouldn't be a break to come. I'm thankful for each of you and all of the support and help regarding chickens or otherwise.

AWWWWW, Sharol, he's just precious. I can't wait until I can post a first grandbaby pic, my oldest dd is due in March.

 

[JosieChick]

Congrats! I think .223 are perfect for coyotes. Make sure he gets you a good scope! A shovel? You are a brave one!

Yup! That was what everyone recommended. The savage has a really nice scope, the .22 doesn't but it is just so I can get my self together and practice until I am better to practice with the .223. Coyotes are our main problem here and we have several day time loners that are hardly fearful of humans. The one the other day was the size of a small german shepherd, scared the daylights out of me so if he comes back he is going bye bye. The coyotes that hunt at night in packs don't scare me nearly as much as the ones that trot right through our backyard like a loose dog!!!

Geez, I hadn't gotten to the part of what to do with it....that would be a pretty big hole. I don't know if I am up for the task of burying dead coyotes. Will have to come up with a plan if I actually get one!

 

[maidenwolfx80]

mommahen- I am expecting a mystery assortment this time lol makes it more exciting

 

[HEChicken]

Yup! That was what everyone recommended. The savage has a really nice scope, the .22 doesn't but it is just so I can get my self together and practice until I am better to practice with the .223. Coyotes are our main problem here and we have several day time loners that are hardly fearful of humans. The one the other day was the size of a small german shepherd, scared the daylights out of me so if he comes back he is going bye bye. The coyotes that hunt at night in packs don't scare me nearly as much as the ones that trot right through our backyard like a loose dog!!!

Geez, I hadn't gotten to the part of what to do with it....that would be a pretty big hole. I don't know if I am up for the task of burying dead coyotes. Will have to come up with a plan if I actually get one!

Yeah...that would take a pretty big bucket

 

[Trish44]

Sharol, that is a whopper baby, so cute too! That's so exciting you get to go see him! I don't have a grandson, just a granddaughter.

Josie, it sounds like you're ready for those coyotes now! I don't have anything to shoot them with here except a hand gun & I"m a terrible shot. I don't really need one now though with the dogs here, they have been on the job lately, of course except when Jasmine got freaked out by the fireworks & went two houses down.

My male turkey has just been doing his showoff routine almost constantly lately for his two hens. I let them out this morning for awhile & boy were they full of it, they flew down the length of the yard & one of the hens flew up the hill & then flew back. They were stretching their wings today for sure, it makes me a little nervous to see them flying around like that. I'm always afraid they'll take off. I thought there for a few minutes that the one hen was going to take off up into the backyard by herself. We do have a lot of wild turkeys around here so I don't know if she heard some outside our fence line or what. The dogs won't let them in here any more. We used to have turkeys that came & roosted in the trees down on our front 5 acres, but now they can't come in. They're not part of the inventory here & the dogs know it, so they're just not allowed, even the deer aren't allowed in any more.

I'm just sitting here taking a break, I've been moving books around & trying to do some cleaning downstairs, but after I went out & fed all the animals I was kind of in need of a sit down for a bit. I was going to ask those of you that have automatic pop doors, do you have them on a timer? I have been having quite a time with mine & I may just have to call the company tomorrow. I bought a better timer & I can't get it to open & close the door now. My other timer had quit working, so I bought a more sturdy one & since I put it up the door hasn't opened or closed automatically. I can go out & unplug it & plug it back in & then it will open or close, but not on the timer. It's really aggravating!

Finally my hens are starting to pick up on laying, I was beginning to think they weren't ever going to get to laying like they were again. The older bunch just about all went into molt at the same time & cut down on laying & then the younger ones hadn't started laying yet, so I wasn't getting many eggs for quite awhile. Some of my young pullets are starting to lay now, but not all of them yet. It seems like the Speckled Sussex are a little slower to start laying. The buff Orpington looks like she's about ready to start laying soon, but so far she hasn't. The two young hens I got from the Birdman in Arkansas City awhile back when HEChicken & I went down there are laying now, they're really nice birds. They're RIR & buff Orpington mix, but they look more RIR than Orpington. I just needed some hens to pick up the slack for the ones that don't lay that well like the Black Copper Marans. When they lay they lay nice eggs, but they're not the best layers. In the spring those two hens may be leaving along with a few others that aren't my best layers so I can get some that lay better. I love my Black Copper Marans rooster, he's gorgeous, but the hens I haven't been that impressed with. I may just use the BC Marans rooster to produce some olive eggers next year, I think that would be fun. I want to get some new Barred Rocks in the spring, those two hens I have will be two years old next year & they have been my best layers by far. They may not be that impressive to look at, but they're troopers when it comes to laying. I think they layed right through molting, I don't remember a time they weren't laying, even though that horrible summer we had. I also have been reading about the California Whites & want to try some of those next spring too. They're supposed to outlay the Leghorns. I also like the Red Star I have or any of the production reds like Gold Stars, Cinnamon Queens, etc. They're really good layers. I ordered two Anconas this spring & I think one of them is turning out to be a rooster & I ordered pullets, so I will only have one hen & she hasn't laid yet. They're another white egg layer that is supposed to be a good layer. I hatched out 3 Welsummers this year too that turned out to be pullets, so I will see how they are at laying too. They're younger than the ones I ordered this spring, so it will be awhile yet before they're old enough to lay. But maybe I will get some dark eggs from them so I don't feel so bad about getting rid of the Marans. Since they went through molting the eggs haven't been nearly as dark as they were before either. I don't know if they will darken up again or if they will stay just a darker shade than the other brown egg layers. Before molting they were really pretty, you can see the color in my avatar, but they don't look anything like that now. I just want some hens for my general laying flock that are reliable egg layers. I don't want hens that go broody all the time when I'm trying to have eggs to sell. That was my problem this summer with the Marans & the Australorps. I have two of each so that was 4 hens that were not producing most of the summer. I guess that's what is kind of nice about there being so many breeds is that you can try out some one year & if they don't work out you can try some other breeds the next year. I know some I don't want to get again now anyway.

Well I have to go get back to work, hope you all have a good night!

 

[cherwill]

I don't know what happened to my multiquote, but I'm going to use your post to make some of the comments I wanted to make

MichelleM-- that is fantastic news about your DH!! I'm so glad his scans are looking better! I hope he continues to go in that direction and can beat the pants out of that cancer! ! X2; you put that so well I'm not even going to try to use my own words.


Trish, that's great that you got the tags on the collars! I've seen that machine in there at Petsmart. My vet engraves the tags for free, which is nice. I think people are more likely to help if they have a phone number to call; it makes it very easy for them to contact you if they find your dog and much less likely they'll just call animal control or something.


Yeesh! That is down right insulting and rude that they have that attitude towards cute coops, bantams and silkies. I wonder what makes them feel so far superior to the rest of us. I have never even heard of that thread, but if they feel the need to belittle others for their tastes in poultry and housing, then I don't have much respect for people like that. It's called being a bully and having a low tolerance and you don't make friends that way. I personally love and respect all breeds of poultry. Can't think of anything I don't like and I certainly would not judge a person by their coop or breed of birds they have. My MIL doesn't understand half of what we do with our chickens; she's an old-school farm girl. Still, she has the manners to recognize that just because we do things differently it doesn't make us wrong or stupid (or at least she doesn't say it to our faces). How hard is it to offer advice or discuss something without being rude? Why should it bother someone else that my coop looks like a little cabin in the woods? They SHOULD appreciate the frugality of reusing something instead of buying new stuff!

My favorite hen, Scout (Golden Campine) appears to be hurt. She isn't using her right leg and when I pick her up it just hangs and she doesn't seem to have any strength in it. She was fine just a couple of hours ago, so I'm guessing she may have caught it in something and pulled a muscle or nerve. She doesn't seem to have any pain when I move the joints or put my hand under her foot to push it up toward her body (when she is in a football carry hold). I have her in the house in a dog carrier for the time being to protect her from her "friends."

Hopefully it's a sore muscle and she'll get over it quickly.

I promised to post a picture of my new grandson, Benjamin Cadel Romine-Casteel:




10 lbs, 4 oz. born Sunday morning. He's a brawny little thing.

Back when I thought I could have kids, I'd planned to name a boy Benjamin. I love that name and he's a real cutie.

 

[Kansas Prairie]

I was going to ask those of you that have automatic pop doors, do you have them on a timer? I have been having quite a time with mine & I may just have to call the company tomorrow. I bought a better timer & I can't get it to open & close the door now. My other timer had quit working, so I bought a more sturdy one & since I put it up the door hasn't opened or closed automatically. I can go out & unplug it & plug it back in & then it will open or close, but not on the timer. It's really aggravating!

I have a pullet shut door, have the photo sensor to open and close it, or I can set the timer with a magnet. I have a magnet out by the door so I can close it anytime.. I love my automatic door. I wish my turkeys would use it but no luck with that.

I had the opposite problem, I couldn't get any of my hens to go broody for me, I have RIRs, BAs, and PRs. Maybe you have a more motherly friendly atmosphere than I do.

 

[sharol]

I bought a better timer for mine. Remember that the only tab you set to ON is one to open and one more to close the door.

Have you checked it manually by turning the little wheel past the point where the power would go on and activate the door? Mine changes the position of the door whenever there is power to the motor. Then the power turns off and it doesn't activate again until the power goes on again. Maybe you have a bad timer? Can you try it with a light or something just to test it?

Sharol

I have a pullet shut door, have the photo sensor to open and close it, or I can set the timer with a magnet. I have a magnet out by the door so I can close it anytime.. I love my automatic door. I wish my turkeys would use it but no luck with that.

I had the opposite problem, I couldn't get any of my hens to go broody for me, I have RIRs, BAs, and PRs. Maybe you have a more motherly friendly atmosphere than I do.