First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[duluthralphie]

.
Getting pumped for Spring, and it' not even winter yet.

Easy for you to say...

Feels like winter here today.

 

[Brookshire11]

Easy for you to say...

Feels like winter here today.

Its 85 here, cooler than it's been.
I think we're finally transitioning to our short "fall"

It's only my second winter in Dallas. I'm used to MAYBE 50 degree weather on Christmas.
Last year we had a few unusual ice storms, and this will be my first winter with chickens. My girls we're hatched in January and spent until March inside..
So I'm glad for the extra time to prep

 

[holm25]

It has been staying in the forties around her and fifties middle sixties in afternoon. But it did feel like winter here for a week or two.

 

[LindaB220]

Never ask a question you do not really want to know the answer too.........


I will simply say they never enter a trap twice and are never a problem again.....


Seriously if you think of relocating, remember it could be illegal to do and that animal now knows what a live trap is and will not go into one again.

I would never think of relocating. Not the thing to do at all.

 

[duluthralphie]

Its 85 here, cooler than it's been.
I think we're finally transitioning to our short "fall"

It's only my second winter in Dallas. I'm used to MAYBE 50 degree weather on Christmas.
Last year we had a few unusual ice storms, and this will be my first winter with chickens. My girls we're hatched in January and spent until March inside..
So I'm glad for the extra time to prep

That 50 degrees your use to on Christmas, is that Fahrenheit and is that above or below zero?

50 degrees above here on Christmas and we are going down the river for a skinny dip...

 

[1zooman12]

Stick with the chicken meat consumption; beef has lately just about doubled and the chicken is so much better for your metabolism, especially if you remove the skin before cookng.
Sincerely,
Neal, the Zooman

 

[duluthralphie]

I thought I would write this here even though it is off topic. Kinda.

I need sympathy and moral support.

I had the day from H_e double hockey sticks...

It started early this morning. My wife refused to make my coffee, just because she had surgery the other day and a Dr appointment today. It went downhill from there.

I having been plumbing in one of those new fangled on demand water heaters. I did not cut the gas line last night because I wanted to be wide awake and have all day incase something went wrong. Things went wrong all day...

I forgot to turn off the hose when I gave chickens the water. I made a small creek and pond for the chickens.

I could not get a flare fitting to stop leaking took me 4 tries to get it right. arrrgh

The Guinea hens refused to leave the coop. I needed to change water in the coop....Guess what happens when you walk under a guinea hen sitting above you on a rafter. Pigeons leave small droppings compared to Guineas. I could not find a clean shirt to change into. ( everyone crying for me yet?)

I went to Menards for some parts to fix my water heater problem and stopped at a friends, he had a flat tire and I offered to help him fix it. The rim was bent badly, fixing maybe out of the question. We took the tire to a shop to get fixed, after leaving there, He asked if I could sweat a joint for him as he had no idea how too.


We stopped at my home and I got the things I needed out of my shop to do his little chore. I had to cut the line to put the joint in. I asked him to shut the water off, he said he did, He didn't. Back home for another shirt.

When I got home I noticed I had forgotten to close the shed door. The chickens with the assistance of the turkeys ate huge holes in the pumpkins I had grown for my grandkids jack-o-lanterns. These were the HUGE pumpkins each was just under 100 lbs. Not the kind I can easily replace from a store. I am sick about this.

I then changed shirts and went back to Menards. ( menards think sorta a Walmart home depot store, for those not in the Midwest). They did not have the parts. It says they can order them on their website. They can't. Hot water is over rated anyways.

I went back home. I decided to check on my CX's. they were happy little guys, but looking a little dirty. I thought I would make life good for them by giving them some wood chips to sleep on in the tractor. Normally, I just move the tractor every couple days, but it is kind of heavy and being the nice guy I am, I decided to not ask my wife for help. After all if she can't make me coffee because of her 15 pound lifting restriction after surgery, what are the chances of her moving the tractor with me?

I really gave them a nice pile of thick wood shavings/chips.........

I went to give the chickens their treats and sit with them. I mixed up a special mixture of cracked corn, black oil sunflower seeds and wild bird seed, containing milo, millet and wheat for them. I generously dumped it on the ground around my chair. And about 6 birds showed up. The rest were full from all the pumpkin!

I decided to give them one of the smaller pumpkins they had ruined, so I got up went into the shed and got it, I rolled it like a bowling ball into the yard, the chickens swarmed it.. I went back to my chair. Apparently one of the birds left a present on the seat of my chair while I was gone. I did not notice it until right after I sat down.....

I refused to change clothes again!

I put the chair away, besides it was time to put the guineas, that were now outside to bed. I have 15 guineas 12 went right in the coop.3 of them refused. I guess they thought they did not need to because they stayed in the coop until noon. After a half hour of chasing them and many head fakes on their part they went in.

I then went to put the CX's to bed. It started fine. The CX's herd easily towards their door. Then all of a sudden they see the new wood chips. Wood chips are scary things! I never gave it a thought they had not seen wood chips since they were babies. They bolted. I had to run everyone down. I had to catch 3/4ths of them and personal invite them into the tractor. What normally is a 5 minute job took over an hour.

I then checked on Ethel and her 5 chicks. I wanted to see if the penguin looking one was still alive, so I had Ethel move. It was, but she only had four chicks! I searched everywhere for the 5th chick in the shed, I found it alive and healthy under one of my sewing machines.....whew

I guess I need to get a different brooder for them now.

Then I headed to the house for supper. My wife was standing on the steps, and she looked mad. She started yelling at me, because she had to chase 7 turkeys off her van! How is that my fault?

I still have to go lock the chicken coops , it is pitch black out now. I have a bad feeling about this....

Hopefully I will be back in one piece tomorrow.

 

[LindaB220]

I thought I would write this here even though it is off topic. Kinda.

I need sympathy and moral support.

I had the day from H_e double hockey sticks...

It started early this morning. My wife refused to make my coffee, just because she had surgery the other day and a Dr appointment today. It went downhill from there.

I having been plumbing in one of those new fangled on demand water heaters. I did not cut the gas line last night because I wanted to be wide awake and have all day incase something went wrong. Things went wrong all day...

I forgot to turn off the hose when I gave chickens the water. I made a small creek and pond for the chickens.

I could not get a flare fitting to stop leaking took me 4 tries to get it right. arrrgh

The Guinea hens refused to leave the coop. I needed to change water in the coop....Guess what happens when you walk under a guinea hen sitting above you on a rafter. Pigeons leave small droppings compared to Guineas. I could not find a clean shirt to change into. ( everyone crying for me yet?)

I went to Menards for some parts to fix my water heater problem and stopped at a friends, he had a flat tire and I offered to help him fix it. The rim was bent badly, fixing maybe out of the question. We took the tire to a shop to get fixed, after leaving there, He asked if I could sweat a joint for him as he had no idea how too.


We stopped at my home and I got the things I needed out of my shop to do his little chore. I had to cut the line to put the joint in. I asked him to shut the water off, he said he did, He didn't. Back home for another shirt.

When I got home I noticed I had forgotten to close the shed door. The chickens with the assistance of the turkeys ate huge holes in the pumpkins I had grown for my grandkids jack-o-lanterns. These were the HUGE pumpkins each was just under 100 lbs. Not the kind I can easily replace from a store. I am sick about this.

I then changed shirts and went back to Menards. ( menards think sorta a Walmart home depot store, for those not in the Midwest). They did not have the parts. It says they can order them on their website. They can't. Hot water is over rated anyways.

I went back home. I decided to check on my CX's. they were happy little guys, but looking a little dirty. I thought I would make life good for them by giving them some wood chips to sleep on in the tractor. Normally, I just move the tractor every couple days, but it is kind of heavy and being the nice guy I am, I decided to not ask my wife for help. After all if she can't make me coffee because of her 15 pound lifting restriction after surgery, what are the chances of her moving the tractor with me?

I really gave them a nice pile of thick wood shavings/chips.........

I went to give the chickens their treats and sit with them. I mixed up a special mixture of cracked corn, black oil sunflower seeds and wild bird seed, containing milo, millet and wheat for them. I generously dumped it on the ground around my chair. And about 6 birds showed up. The rest were full from all the pumpkin!

I decided to give them one of the smaller pumpkins they had ruined, so I got up went into the shed and got it, I rolled it like a bowling ball into the yard, the chickens swarmed it.. I went back to my chair. Apparently one of the birds left a present on the seat of my chair while I was gone. I did not notice it until right after I sat down.....

I refused to change clothes again!

I put the chair away, besides it was time to put the guineas, that were now outside to bed. I have 15 guineas 12 went right in the coop.3 of them refused. I guess they thought they did not need to because they stayed in the coop until noon. After a half hour of chasing them and many head fakes on their part they went in.

I then went to put the CX's to bed. It started fine. The CX's herd easily towards their door. Then all of a sudden they see the new wood chips. Wood chips are scary things! I never gave it a thought they had not seen wood chips since they were babies. They bolted. I had to run everyone down. I had to catch 3/4ths of them and personal invite them into the tractor. What normally is a 5 minute job took over an hour.

I then checked on Ethel and her 5 chicks. I wanted to see if the penguin looking one was still alive, so I had Ethel move. It was, but she only had four chicks! I searched everywhere for the 5th chick in the shed, I found it alive and healthy under one of my sewing machines.....whew

I guess I need to get a different brooder for them now.

Then I headed to the house for supper. My wife was standing on the steps, and she looked mad. She started yelling at me, because she had to chase 7 turkeys off her van! How is that my fault?

I still have to go lock the chicken coops , it is pitch black out now. I have a bad feeling about this....

Hopefully I will be back in one piece tomorrow.

Ralph, this sounds like a slap stick movie. Disney maybe. Only I'm sure there was some cussing.

 

[LindaB220]

Stick with the chicken meat consumption; beef has lately just about doubled and the chicken is so much better for your metabolism, especially if you remove the skin before cookng.
Sincerely,
Neal, the Zooman

Neal, I can't even afford beef anymore. I've always had chicken at least 4 days a week. Looks like it will be more. Still looking into the White Muscovies from JM Hatchery. Tastes like veal and extremely low fat compared to other ducks.

12# in 12 weeks.
I'm very happy with my day today. I got 2 big 5 gallon buckets made of fermented feed. I usually do one but with the extra birds, I decided to get both done. Happy with the way things are going around here. It's day 6 on the Swedish Flower Hen eggs so I'll attempt to candle tomorrow. I have 3 pens with 2 mini pens until I get my extras sold. And 2 babies in the storeroom. They never even needed the heat lamp. I had them in the house on day 2 at 75 degrees and they seemed to be okay with it. Still only down to the 70's at night in La.

 

[duluthralphie]

I have never had muscovies do they really taste like veal?

DO they make a mess like geese?



And my day got worse, I checked the Comb contest to check out the competition for Brutus, the worlds greatest rooster......


There is a new entry, named Ceasar, I think he could beat Brutus, but only because of Brutus being so young...... It is not right to put a bird named Ceasar up against one named Brutus!