First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

[JessicaThistle]

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, that sounds like a rough day. Poor little you. Darn that wife. The coffee pot doesn't weigh 15 pounds and what the heck kind of damage can a turkey do to a van? Sheesh! I sure hope she made you some dinner. Is that enough sympathy? LOL!

You may need to buy some more shirts if you ran out that quick....erm, excuse me. A first new shirts may need to just arrive like they have always been there! Haha!

Oh the guy with the bent wheel!!! Google your area to see if anyone repairs bent wheels. It is a very small niche market. Not many guys do it. My husband has amazing equipment that he can repair bent wheels with. It's only worth it if the wheel is one of those terribly expensive ones or one that can't be replaced. If it is a stock wheel it is cheaper to just buy a new one.

I think I may pass on the guineas for now. My coop is about 15 feet from my bedroom window and I REALLY don't like being woken up before I am ready. Plus my neighbors are too close on each side to have super noisy birds. I already rehomed two roos that crowed at 4 am and were bugging me AND the neighbors. Your story from this morning made me realize that is probably not the addition that I am looking for. Cool but weird looking birds though.

So sad the chickens ate your pumpkins! I have a neighbor down the street that grows pumpkins. I was thinking of picking up a few for the chickens this year. My kids don't care about carving pumpkins anymore but I bet the chickens would love them! However, my chickens are like yours and are weird about new stuff. Not wood chips because I use those in the brooder and their coops. When I gave them watermelon for the first time I thought everyone was crazy that said chickens love watermelon. Mine had no interest until later.

Hope you have a better day tomorrow!

 

[holm25]

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.

!! Sorry I should not laugh I know what that is like. And don't even get me started about Menards that place can make the most patient people go crazy!!!!

 

[LindaB220]

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!

I do not know what muscovies taste like. Never had one. But I can't afford beef anymore and it might be a good option. Not messy or noisy so I hear.

 

[Double Kindness]

Ralphie- Is it horrible that I laughed really hard reading your post?

Don't get mad.. I might take a picture of my rooster Lenny for that comb contest. I don't think a Lenny ever was shiesty or an assassin. I'm probably wrong though. He's got quite the spectacular comb and wattles going on.

The injured slw is still doing ok. In the barn. Next to the giant closet door brooder box. The next big brooder box we build I think I need see through sides so I can watch chick tv better.

18 new chicks arriving Monday or Tuesday, white bresse and I pick up more ayam cemani from my friend's flock nearby. Atm 4 ayam cemani and 2 haffie 3-4 week old chicks are in the big brooder box. Looks like 3 roos 3 pullets. The 2 haffies are pink skinned, the 4 others are fibromelanistic skin/features.

I'm trying so hard not to get cornish x chicks to be delivered on the 25th. If they can stay in the big brooder box for 3 weeks and go outside to finish up with the 24 7-8 week old dp chickens?

Or is that a bad idea? The meatie pen is HUGE, and since cornish x grow so fast, they might be big enough to put with the dp meaties I have? Probably not.

Anyhoo, I found someone to sell me a pregnant new zealand white meat doe rabbit in 3-4 weeks. Now I'm looking for a pregnant California white meat doe to add, and thinking I might take a buck from each one and cross him onto the other for hybrid vigor? Anyone have experience with meat rabbits?

I'm interested in muscovy ducks also, they are on the list for things to get in the spring along with cortunix quail, marans, svart honas, possibly cornish x. And a bunch of seeds and stuff for the big raised garden bed that's now almost fully enclosed (adding bird blocking this weekend to the top).

The neighborhood squirrels are taunting me. Time to go check the traps.

 

[1zooman12]

I think we all have had days like yours but somehow yours, in retrospect at least, was more amusing than mine (LOL). I know I'm supposed tp know this but what the heck is a CX? You see my brain is older than I am; and brother, that's OLD!
Thanks for your patience.
Neal, the Zooman

 

[JessicaThistle]

I think we all have had days like yours but somehow yours, in retrospect at least, was more amusing than mine (LOL). I know I'm supposed tp know this but what the heck is a CX? You see my brain is older than I am; and brother, that's OLD!
Thanks for your patience.
Neal, the Zooman

CX is a Cornish Cross meat bird.

 

[maranfarmer563]

Don't feel bad zoo,I just figured that out yesterday

 

[duluthralphie]

CX's
They are a huge chicken.... A bird with mythical prowess.

Just try not to fall in love with them, I dare you!

They are the only breed or race of chicken that when bred to each other will give you a frog for an offspring.....

 

[JessicaThistle]

CX's
They are a huge chicken.... A bird with mythical prowess.

Just try not to fall in love with them, I dare you!

They are the only breed or race of chicken that when bred to each other will give you a frog for an offspring.....

This is for the last line.


Yes, I dare you not to fall in love with them as well. I haven't had any luck yet. I'd keep them forever if not for the fact that I really need a full freezer. Even my hubby is falling for them.

 

[duluthralphie]

This is for the last line.


Yes, I dare you not to fall in love with them as well. I haven't had any luck yet. I'd keep them forever if not for the fact that I really need a full freezer. Even my hubby is falling for them.

I just put mine to bed, I cannot help noticing some are becoming real waddlers. ( spell check hated that) I am sure that is one who waddles.) They are shorter than my last batch but they have really put on weight this week. I hope I can keep them until mid October, but I am worried. I fed them only once today for about 45 minutes. I expect them to forage the rest.

I also am noticing them to spend a lot of time lying down or sitting and not as much walking.....Of course, they get plenty of exercise during the time I chase them around trying to get them to go into the tractor.