Eastern Tennessee Thread

[TNBEARCHICK]

Glad to see you are back Stacy....I would say Craigslist but you have to be very careful because of idiots and spammers.

Anyone needing more space....HOOP COOP. Quick to build and very handy in a pinch.
he
OK....I need everyone here to do something for me please. My dearest friend of 26 years had breast cancer 5 years ago. Did surgery, chemo and radiation. She cared for her husband who was bed ridden with bladder cancer and Parkinsons. She is truly an amazing person. I wish you all could meet her. She has taught me more about animals....nature...plants and flowers..than 2 people would normally learn. She had been my confidant and the only person I could talk to when things where going so wrong in my world. 2 1/2 yrs. ago the cancer returned in her spine. Her husband had died a year before so she would only allow 10 radiation treatments. Last week she was feeling funny...went to the dr. and she had lost her perepheral vision. They thought they she had a small stroke. I had noticed that sometimes when talking she would forget what she was telling me..but I do that myself sometimes! They did a MRI last week and she found out yesterday that the cancer is in her head. My brothers GF's condition was a lot like my friends and I know the H*^# she went thru. Carolyn's is inoperable..but she is considering radiation. She is 73 and we have talked a lot about something like this happening. She feels she has lived her life and had much joy except for a daughter that treats her like trash. I could not tell you the things she and I have gotten into...we relive those fun times a lot. I am really having a hard time facing the fact that I may not have her very long..or at least with a clear mind. This is the type of friend you only find once in a lifetime we have never had the first cross word between us. If you have a friend like this...tell them how much they mean to you. I have always told Carolyn...we have shared a lot in the last 26 years. She was the one who introduced me to silkies 12 years ago. I hate seeing all the knowledge she possess lost.
Please keep her in your prayers and for me to have strength. I and 2 other friends will be taking her for some of her treatments so I don't know how often I will be on. I will need to spend more time with her right now. I am glad I'm almost finished with hatching for now.
It shows I am always online cause I never sign out...just can't remember passwords. Sorry for the post being so long.

will be praying. Cancer seems to hit everyone in some way or another anymore. I just had an aunt die from a very rare type of cervical cancer a few weeks ago. Will keep her and her situation in my prayers.

 

[Talbott Poultry]

Yeah! there is always a new chicken that I want.. I always get them before I am ready

Yep ALWAYS a new breed that I want to add, talking about having to have "Will Power".

I can only imagine what I would have if I had the room and the funds.

It took me a long time when we first got started. Now it takes me 30 minutes or less but, if my kids do it, it takes them 1 hr or more! of course they feed and water a little and then play with the chickens a little and so on.

I think as adults we learn short cuts and do not dilly dally, we just have waayyy too many things we need to get done.

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

Believe it or not its not that bad.
I can feed and water 21 pens in about 30 minutes if I have help. An hour if I do it by my self. But I do spend about 2 hours on the weekends.
Sometimes I would like to back it down, then I just add more.
Sounds like someone is doing extra work.
It's all in the setup and procedures.

First, every pen has 2 feeders that hold a gallon of feed each. I feed free style (they eat all they want).
Second, all pens with bantams have a 2-1/2 gallon water pan.
Third, all pens with large frame have a 5 gallon water pan.

I only feed every three days and spot check every day when collecting eggs, just to make sure no one runs out.
Once every 10 to 14 days I pick up what they don't eat, mix with whole corn, cracked corn, and 4 grain scratch. This gets fed back to the roosters.

With the size of the water pans I use, I only have to fill them up twice a week, Never on a feed day, unless its the weekend.
The pans are all located in the end of the pens. A 4 foot piece of plastic pipe means I never enter the pen to water.
On the weekend I swap out the water pans and wash the dirty ones. During the hot months I add ACV to prevent algae.
If I have some that think the water pan is a bird bath, and I do have some that would stand in the middle if I would let them, I install a 4x4 welded wire cage over the top.

Now I will say that the past couple of winters it has been more difficult with freezing water.
This year with Rodney's advice, I will be using 5 gallon buckets with nipples (to hold 2 gallons of water) and a low wattage bulb in the top top prevent freezing.

Believe it or not, when the end of the week comes around and the pans are starting to get dirty, they actually drink more than when the pans are clean.

Have you ever dumped the water and watch what happens when it runs across the ground. They go NUTS trying to drink it before soaks into the ground.

See, like I said setup and procedure.

ohhh... great advice!! Will be taking some of your ideas to simplify our setup.

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

When we moved into our "mini farm" we thought 6 acres is all that would ever be needed. Now with the chickens, 2 horses and 6 goats, I would love more acreage.

The funny thing is that I think...hmm.. imagine how many more breeds of chickens I could have with more land.

 

[stanglover2001]

When we moved into our "mini farm" we thought 6 acres is all that would ever be needed. Now with the chickens, 2 horses and 6 goats, I would love more acreage.

The funny thing is that I think...hmm.. imagine how many more breeds of chickens I could have with more land.

I've got 7.434 acres for sale!!

 

[tnchickenut]

I agree with AJ... it doesn't have to be hard. I only do chicken chores once every other day. I go out daily to just check on everyone, but that is hardly a chore. And it only takes a hour to do because as the waterer is getting filled, I fill a feeder. The stuff that takes the longest is the pools. We have two baby pools for our two sets of ducks. And the layers have 3 waterers, one being a tub for the crazy goat.

So really it is all in how you tackle it. I also have 250 feet of hose so I don't walk back and forth... I take the hose with me. (is that cheating?)

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

Just went to the post office to pick up my coronation sussex rooster and hens. Unfortunately one was dead when it came off the truck. The other are good. Hoping to get some sort of reimbursement from shippers. Here they are...

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

I've got 7.434 acres for sale!!

but, unfortunately.... lack of money and you may be further away than I want

 

[Talbott Poultry]

Quote: When I win the lottery tonight

, We are ALL going to live on the BIGGEST chicken farm EVER seen.

How many members we have now?
times 10 prime acres with automated, environment controlled, chicken coops.

 

[dncarr09]

Ok, does anyone know where I can find a good quality Lavender Orpington Rooster? I have a rooster and 4 hens that I was wanting to raise chicks from. I am fine with the girls, but not as much with him. I culled 6 roos and he was the one that I chose to keep. He has real good build and type, and a very good dsipositon. But, as he is aging he is getting yellow leakage on his back and neck. It's not horrible, but more than I would like. I just don't know where to begin looking to find a great one. I don't want to start over from eggs again or anything like that. I had an offer on here for one a couple of months ago, but at the time he didn't have the yellow leakage. He is 9 months old. If I can't find a good replacement I will keep him because the rest of him is good.