Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

I have a buyer for all these ducks. He likes to buy about 100 at time to make his trip worthwhile. He raised them a few weeks then resales them to someone else for the meat market. I don't make much off of them this way but it is better than feeding a bunch for a while. I only hatched because he said he was wanting some and I can make a lot more on ducks than duck eggs.

 

[Kansas Prairie]

Danz,
What Thermometer Hygrometer do you recommend?

 

[Hawkeye95]

Hawkeye, do you have a link for the Lastin?

Kansas Prairie, that sounded quite safe until I read that last part. I haven't ever used it but everything I hear I think it sounds similar to using bleach, even down to fading fabrics. I hope you didn't get it on something important.

http://www.diapersewingsupplies.com/products/Lastin-Clear-Elastic-3{47}8-Inch.html I have bought it here before-- cheaper in the 50 yd quantities. I now do buys off a CoOp. But it runs about the same price for 50 yds.

I totally understand the annoyance with working at the speed of a snail, I have one here too! Yes, they do make plastic litter trays for the rabbit cages, but the metal ones are easier to find. None of them are cheap either, so I have invested a lot of money in all of the cages I have out there & the equipment to go with them. I only got one free cage & one for $5 that I have as an extra, but the rest I have bought new. I figured up one day that I have spent at least $1000 if not more on just my cages in the garage & all the stuff that goes with them because I have metal feeders & special bowls that hook onto the cage so they can't tip them over. Then I have bought used cages for outside too & bowls I use out there. It's not a cheap hobby for sure, but then having chickens isn't either.
Yeah the chickens are really good at tilling, they "tilled" up my flower bed by the front door, it's a total disaster now.
I read you're not supposed to use the activator with chickens, so I just use the plain oxine to spray in the coop & places I need to sanitize. Does anyone know if you can use it on galvanized metal safely? I know you're not supposed to use vinegar with galvanized metal. I have a few metal waterers for the bigger groups of birds where I have a heated base for it. I'm using plastic heated dog bowls outside in the dog runs I have chickens in, so I use vinegar in their water. I also use vinegar in my rabbit's water.

WOW. I don't even want to start adding up what I've spent on birds and supplies.

Lately, I've spent a lot of money getting some nice breeder and show quality silkies in. Not to mention, the price to ship them is an added $55 on top of the price of the bird! Gosh, what we pay for our hobbies!

I'm new to BYC. I don't have hens yet but I'm trying to get my special use permit approved in Overland Park. I'll follow your thread!

WELCOME!!!!! Hope you stick around! There are a few others up in your area, but none in Overland Park that I know of. I sure like that area, we get up there a couple times a year to shop. I have a brother in Lawrence who is getting chickens soon (his area has allowed them for quite some time now), and there are many people there that have them. I think it's catching on! Push hard and I sure hope it will happen for you!

Here are the results so far. I have 18 blue or black copper marans, 8 blue barred rocks, and 5 creme legbar chicks. One of the legbars just hatched so it isn't in the pic yet. I am seeing 2 males and 2 females so far. I'm not sure about the last one. I just put them in the bin with my lemon cuckoo chicks for now.

I've also got several ducks hatching. They take a lot longer to dry out. More pictures later.

Cute!!!!! Congrats, it sounds like you got some of those rare breeds to hatch for you.

Hawkeye, I am so sorry about your wreck! I was hit by a truck a few years ago- his fault and he was honest, but he lost his job due to his honesty.... I never can stomach lies, but maybe he was trying to protect his family from being without income? I always would rather assume the least intentionally hurtful choice, but there are some folks that just can't admit a mistake period. I make far too many on a regular basis to go that route Congrats on your wins!!! Beautiful birds!!!

We have been getting eggs now. None seem to lay every day, but I adore my colorful basket. The kids love going to collect them everyday, just to see what color combo we have

My youngest's peacock costume turned out fine. Not exactly what I wanted, but the shortage of time here is killing me. My oldest has had band every weekend and most evenings. Then 7am rehearsals....

Add soccer and music lessons and my own after school responsibilities.... I hardly know which end is up! Here is a quick snap in her parade. I will get a better one later this evening. Her big sister made her an amazing mask which she chose to not wear at school so that she could surprise people with it tonight.

Off to pick up pizza! Teenagers hanging out here tonight
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The guy that caused the accident is in his 70's and driving a personal truck. No reason on earth for him to lie about it... other than he's just a liar. I love the pictures! I think Sera's peacock outfit is adorable! Was she pretty happy with the end result? I want to see the mask!

I had both lavender Orpingtons I hatched from eggs I bought & then the lavender Orpington/porcelain isabels I got from Chooks & at this point I really can't tell them apart that well. I was thinking the rooster I kept was just lavender Orpington, but we'll find out I guess if they all start getting the lacing on the feathers. I lost some of the Orps early on, so it's possible I may only have the ones from Chooks now. It will be interesting to see how they feather out.

Danz, congrats on the hatch, it looks like you got quite a mixed bunch there. I may just get some of the blue barred rocks from you next spring if you have some instead of ordering regular ones from the hatchery. That would be interesting to have some of the blue ones.

I forgot to say Welcome Coop Group to BYC & the KS thread!

Medawinks, I love the peacock costume, adorable!

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

So the Isabel is a buff- lavender bird, right? We've created a similar color in silkies and it's a buff crossed with lavender. They have been breeding true but are all over the color spectrum on how light or dark they are. If you are working on that project, don't you need to be breeding Buff''s and Lavenders to help the Isabel project? At some point, even with BBS colors, you must breed back into black, even though black should always be bred separately and away from those pens, but the melanizers help keep the color-- thinking it's the same for the Buff in the Isabel. Or so, I've heard because our silkie thread is having a heated debate over it now! LOL Since they use the same genetics.... just wondering! It's sort of like picking ONE favorite color you love, love, love... and then realize you need to breed two other colors (or one other color) to continue to breed the ONE color you love!

I was never a big fan of blacks... but have discovered I have to have them to continue with my BBS project. Now, I've talked myself up and have them in person-- they are really quite beautiful.

Did you notice all the people texting in that picture. Some times I wonder if our younger generation will just stop talking and communicate only by text??? Sorry! That crosses my mind quite a bit when I stand in a check out line and every one in front or behind me has their phone in their hand.

I did notice-- and it looks exactly like the parents waiting outside at our schools. Everyone is so self-involved. Bleah.

LOL! I actually have a cat that uses the toilet and trained himself. I used to have a cat that loved to play in the toilet bowl. He would splash up the bathroom before he was finished playing. I kept that toilet spotless!

LOL! So your DH has been reduced to careful avoidance of the entire topic. I've suspected my own of the same. The poor dears! And thanks for the well wishes, I am a bit better today. I hate it too, there's so much I need to get done and it slows me down.

I've been debating what to do about the breeder pens for water. I'm toying with a couple different ideas but haven't settled on anything yet. Do you have any good suggestions for me? One option (not a fav!) is to just break ice frequently and the other is to move all the birds to the coop during the coldest months. I need to make a decision because I'll need to make more ventilation in the coop (that I've been putting off) before the snow flies! I have a second energizer ordered but is backordered until the beginning of March. At that point, I'll probably split the poultryNet fence between the coop area and the east side of the unfinished shop area. I could electric fence in the breeder pens next to the unfinished shop area and it would be easy to run electricity to each breeder house for the water heaters from there. My ducks will have a house to shelter in with heated waterer outside of their house. Those are my thoughts for now. What do you think?

You need cookie tin heaters! Check my link in my siggy to make them. Super easy, not going to catch anything on fire. Doesn't draw a lot of electric depending on the wattage you use. OMG-- I can't believe you had a cat that did that! WOW! And yes, at this point, my DH is now laying low. I could build a fortress out there of scavenged crap from the trash dump and he wouldn't say a word right now!

Maybe I should make a used mattress maize out there and see if he cries Uncle! hehe

I forgot, I do have a photo of the lavender Orp, here it is, it's not the greatest photo, but maybe you all can give me your opinions: pullet or roo?


Just for comparison, here is the other one that is getting huge, he wouldn't stand up for me, it was bedtime: This one I know is a roo.

I'm a real layman for "real" chickens... LOL I dream of fluff! BUT, the top chicken has VERY small wattles! And the comb is a lot smaller. I suppose I'd lean towards a pullet at this point. Her face looks closer to my barred rock girls. But what do I know? LOL

Don't have time to answer right now. ^&%$*)()_*( I just figured out how the cat was getting wet! I would have preferred he had been in the toilet. I went to the basement to get a string of Christmas lights to put in one of the coops where I moved birds to today. Of all my lousy luck!!!!
My septic tank is backing up into the basement. It overflowed the toilet that is down there which doesn't even have the water turned on to it right now. So now I have to figure out if it is a block or the tank needs pumped!

Uh oh!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so sorry!! I hope they get it pumped out and that is all you need to have done. Other than the clean up.

So since I'm in Wichita, and I'm new to the group i guess I'll start asking questions. Where is the best place to buy pullets, chicks and all natural feed in Wichita, or Kansas period? and whats the best breed of layers suited for Kansas Weather? I have been having a hard time locating 48 in x 50 ft. hardware cloth locally any suggestions...? None at Atwood's derby or andover and or tractor supply

I'm in the Wichita "area". I claim Wichita, anyway. If you buy all your birds here, you'll get better quality and know their background. But Atwoods was selling chicks all up until last week. They are all shut down now on chicks. That was in Derby. The other stores may still have them. I LOVE my barred rocks--- they are machines! They lay every single day without fault and even though they are molting-- STILL laying!! My polish and Wyandottes are not laying thru the molt. And I got Wyandottes because they are supposed to be good layers, and forget it, they don't come close to those barred rocks! They go on strike from time to time. The polish are purely ornamental and they lay really well in the spring and summer. Haven't laid since they started molting. Which is to be expected, they are on par with the Wyandottes on laying in that case. Don't get a silkie for laying, they lay when they darn well feel like it. Maybe twice a week.... and maybe every other day if they are really pleased with themselves. LOL I think the Rocks are your real egg layers-- they are fantastic layers. I love the barred rocks-- beautiful little Zebras running around the backyard!

I have a hatcher full of ducks I've got to get housing ready for. That means scrounging up another heat lamp, straw, feeders, waterers etc for them. I hope they aren't here long. I am out of chick starter so I need to go to town to get some. The house is a total mess but it will have to wait. Somewhere in there I have to find time to go out and feed and water everyone, work on some more pens, and move some more birds.

The other day I took a chandelier apart. It was kind of deco and had never been used but didn't work right. So I got all these light sockets and stuff from it. I think I am going to use a couple of those for cookie tin heaters as opposed to using stuff I bought. They only take a candelabra size bulb but I could still use a 40 wt bulb in them and have some decent heat output. I have the heated water bowls, but for inside a coop these work well because I can take the waterer out and dump it without having to unplug it. It's a little different than a premade socket so I'll have to do a prototype and see if I can make it work. I just seem to find a use for every bit of junk at some point.

If I remember right I have some more eggs to go in the hatcher today. That sucker is working over time. The lemon cuckoo chicks are maybe 5 days old. They mixed with each other without a hitch but it is pretty crowded in that bin. I am going to have to move some of them soon. I've got a big pile of fluffy little babies here.

Good luck on the tin heaters! I need to go hunting for tins myself, I think I need like 3 or 4 more heaters. Sigh. But I have all the stuff handy, thank goodness, I bought a lot last year.

I hope you're feeling better by now. I haven't seen too many hawks around here. Or, I should clarify, I see birds that look like hawks up high, but they are small and don't appear to be a threat to anything but the smaller chicks - and my chicks are in a covered chick pen where they are safe. However a few weeks ago we were buzzed by what I think was a Golden Eagle and that bird was HUGE. Cyrus called a warning and in a split second, the chicken yard was like a ghost town. Even I couldn't see most of them and I knew where they took cover. And they went completely silent too. It was really pretty amazing. The bird did one more pass but seeing no potential victims, it flew away and I haven't seen it since.

Oh wow - at the Andover Atwoods it wasn't in a locked cabinet. The cabinet has the ability to be locked but wasn't - I don't know if it was just that day or a regular thing. Anyway, I just went and browsed and when I saw what I wanted, slid the glass door open and grabbed a bottle. No employee ever even came over and asked if I needed help so it didn't seem like a big deal. Then I went around and did the rest of my shopping for feed etc. and then checked out. I didn't realize that wasn't the "standard" process.

That is a really interesting study on the temps in incubation but I wonder why it doesn't work with the next generation. It seems like if it were just a temp thing, it wouldn't matter how the parent stock came into the world.

No idea on the furnace, I'm sorry. VERY cool that Cyrus is good at his job! I had a cat stalk my silkies that I have running around (not in the fence) yesterday and my brand new black rooster set up a real fuss out there, I had to go see what he was screaming about--- there was a huge black fluffy cat stalking down low and trying to sneak up on one of my silkie girls!! I yelled and the cat ran for it's life. May be one dead cat if it comes back. Never seen it before yesterday. I was so pleased with my new rooster! What a good boy!
Yeah, the injectible was locked up. You can go eye ball it, but they keep the glass doors locked. I think they have a lot of thefts in Derby. They search your feed sacks before you leave. I will pile up like 10 bags of feed and they have to lift everyone of them to make sure you didn't try to stuff something between them and steal. They've had it happen a lot. I feel so bad for them, I help them lift all those bags of feed of mine. I understand why they are doing it. But yeah, when you're busy at the register, it's easy to forget that you wanted something out of the locked cabinet.
I wish I could find that article-- I might search for it again. It was really interesting.

OK, gotta get birds bathed for Saturday big show. I am so nervous, never thought I would ever be able to show my birds in the Rosecomb National!! Wow, what a super chance to see all the great breeders and their birds. Really almost overwhelmed with it!! I will have to leave at 4:30 Saturday morning. Coop in starts at 7 and the judging starts at 8:30. That should give me an hour and a half to get my cages sprayed down, allow to dry, and spot check the birds I am taking, and get them in the coops. Rosecombs show first since this is the big NATIONAL. Several other clubs are having their state meets and such, don't know what other clubs are doing what. They are not having sale cages at Fayetteville, but will allow people to post for sale signs on cages after those birds are judged.

Plan on going to the state and special meet in Hutchinson on Nov. 17Th. They will have sale cages there, so if someone is looking for something, should be able to find it there.

May not be around much the next few days, as soon as I get home, got to get some time in for hunting, Ivy will be back this weekend, so will try to spend some time with her, and well every body enjoy this fall weather!

Oh, I am so EXCITED for you!!!! You are going to do just fine at Nationals, I know it!! I bet you hold your own, but it would sure be nice to get some placings! Bring your fold up chair and sit down and relax with everyone. I'm going to Hutch, too!! I'll have to keep an eye out for you! I'll head over to the Rosecombs section! Anyway, we did have sale cages at our Silkie Nationals, but I didn't buy one. I just entered everyone in the show and then wrote FOR SALE with my phone number on a bright index card. Got them sold fast. I tried to sell another boy, but it didn't happen. Fell thru. I'm going to take him to the November show and see if he will sell there. (after I show him!) LOL Figure I might as well, since there might not be a lot of nice silkies there... we shall see! He might do really well.
Okay, so take pictures and post them when you get back from your show! I want a report on who did what! What are you hoping to hunt for-- deer? Seems like there are millions of them out there-- everyone is hitting them. They need to extend the season or let people be able to bring home more of them!

 

[Kansas Prairie]

I had a scare yesterday afternoon. In the middle of my backyard I found a pile of feathers, dark gray and white ones, good size. I did not go to close, but ran down to the pens and counted everybody. Everybody was accounted for. Had my husband check the feathers, there was no body just feathers. I have no idea what bird the feathers are from or what animal got the bird, but it was pretty scary. We do have hawks and owls. Our pens are covered.

A pile of feathers can sure get our attention! Makes my heart rate go up instantly!

 

[chicken danz]

I was out feeding and found another beheaded hen. This is one that sleeps under the hen house rather than go inside. She was laying just at the edge of it. I don't know what I am going to do. I just have some stubborn birds who won't go to bed where they are supposed to. There are about 5 others that sleep under there. It is too shallow to crawl under so I'm stuck. I don't really want to have to fence to the ground if I don't have to, because I'm afraid the mice will start moving in if I do. The front that goes to the attached pen is fenced so nothing can get in the pen.
I've been locking up everyone that I can. .I'm still thinking it is an owl at this point, because it isn't making any noise at all. If it did it would wake the guineas and that would alert the dogs. And this is 10 feet from the guinea pen.
I've got a few cookie tins I got last year. It is just a matter of getting them made. It feels kind of hot outside now. Amazing.

Hawkeye I'm afraid the mattress city would probably be just a little to ghetto for your DH.

 

[chicken danz]

I can't help but wonder why people are breeding lavender/isabels? Not sure of the colors that are being combined whether they are using a BBS and crossing it with a buff. But a true lavender Orpington is an English import and it is a self blue and isn't split to anything. You don't have to breed back anything to keep that color and they are English so they are bigger and fluffier.
Is this the American breeding to create their own lavender color? I'm not trying to be tacky or critical. I am just trying to understand what the deal is? Is the isabel a desirable color?
I really am trying to get a full grasp on chicken genetics.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I need help, or advice. I just went out inivestigate a screech from my birds and saw a hawk 4 feet from my coop which is 75-100 ft from the house ontopof one of the 2 mille fleur duccle hens. I got within 3 ft of him and he took off, I didnt have my gun on my like usual, he left her with a broken back and I had to put her down. She was that favorite chicken, that one that rushes out to see you. She would jump in my lap and lay down to sleep. She was my special little girl. I need to know what I can do to help deter them. Please help me I am so devestated. That is Sunshine iin my avatar.

 

[cherwill]

Hello Kansas

I had a scare yesterday afternoon. In the middle of my backyard I found a pile of feathers, dark gray and white ones, good size. I did not go to close, but ran down to the pens and counted everybody. Everybody was accounted for. Had my husband check the feathers, there was no body just feathers. I have no idea what bird the feathers are from or what animal got the bird, but it was pretty scary. We do have hawks and owls. Our pens are covered.

The same thing happened to me a while ago and I went running out to see if a cat had gotten one of my girls. Turns out my chickens were molting and a significant amount of the feathers had blown into that area for some reason.

Just emptied the hatcher. I have 42 dried ducks I moved out to the brooder pen. My darn bale of straw got wet so I sprayed it with oxine. I sure hope I killed any mold. I would hate to kill all these ducklings. I have several more pipped and some hatched and drying still on the hatcher. I had two that died while hatching and one that got stuck and is pretty crippled up. He might come out okay. Here are this mornings ducks.

That's a lot of cuteness in that tub!

I was out feeding and found another beheaded hen.

Ack! I'd probably freak out if I was finding that, no matter what the cause turned out to be. I hope it ends soon.

I hope you all get your septic tank and furnace problems fixed. Not that there's ever a good time for those things, but it always seems worse when it happens just as winter is coming on (even though it doesn't feel much like it today).

We spent some time running errands around town today. Yesterday I got the last of my tomatoes turned into 5 more bags of crushed tomatoes. I was pleasantly surprised by how many of the green tomatoes ripened into red. My chickens have been happy to eat the skins and seeds and the ones with holes in them, and a friend of my FIL dropped off a big batch of chard for them. He manages a community garden for his church, but it's not divided into subplots like ours is. It's one big garden and people are just supposed to come in and work and harvest what they need. Last year he ended up doing all the work halfway through summer and this year he's done all the work throughout the whole season. He brings us all the chard and kale that no one wants. I have some bell peppers I haven't decided what to do with yet. Last year I chopped and froze the green ones, but I tend not to use them. They seem to be more bitter than when they're fresh. Many of the ones I picked last week are turning orange or red, but there are still more green ones than I'll use before they go bad.

 

[cherwill]

I need help, or advice. I just went out inivestigate a screech from my birds and saw a hawk 4 feet from my coop which is 75-100 ft from the house ontopof one of the 2 mille fleur duccle hens. I got within 3 ft of him and he took off, I didnt have my gun on my like usual, he left her with a broken back and I had to put her down. She was that favorite chicken, that one that rushes out to see you. She would jump in my lap and lay down to sleep. She was my special little girl. I need to know what I can do to help deter them. Please help me I am so devestated. That is Sunshine iin my avatar.

I'm so sorry. Why is it always the special ones? She was gorgeous. We have a small enough yard, with big enough lilacs in it, that it would be very hard for a raptor to swoop in and take one of our hens. Not impossible, but luckily it hasn't happened. I saw in a magazine recently where someone took some kind of twine or something and just ran it across the top of the chicken yard, stapling it to the top of the fence rails. They ran stripes close enough together to keep out a predator-sized bird. That might be more workable, and certainly cheaper, than netting.

 

[LoriO]

Hi, it's time to introduce myself! I'm Lori and I live in/near Topeka with my husband and 3 kids. We live out in the county and have around 30 chickens. I need to go count them again. LOL Just a generic laying flock & we sell extra eggs to friends. I work part time as a para educator for the Auburn-Washburn school district.

I was starting to feel like a creeper when I recognized the school in the picture Medawinks posted of her daughter's Halloween parade. That's the school I work at! It's a very distinct design. I've probably seen you at Dillon's or something, Medawinks! Anyway, I work there, so if you want to come see if I'm normal, feel free!

Anyway, that's me. Don't know how much I'll post, I'm a better listener than a talker!