Illinois...

[Faraday40]

Thanks.

She's been working very hard. One of my favs is her monarch project. She wanted to know exactly how many days it takes to go from egg to butterfly. (Averaging 29-30 days in this year's climate) So far she raised & released 35 monarchs. (Will be much higher, since we're only 1/2 way through summer...) We also tried black swallowtails too, but they didn't do very well. 1st a bunny ate most of our dillweed. Then we were lucky to find 4 caterpillars on out tiny pitiful plants. One died while making its chrysalis. One turned into a pretty female, but the last two hatched out as parasitic wasps! All month she fed & cared for those caterpillars only to find out that a wasp has taken it as host before we ever found it.





My other fav is her paper quilling. It's a great time-consuming project for little hands. Keeps her busy! It also looks great when finished & costs almost nothing. A shadow box frame would have worked better, but that was out of budget. I found a nice frame at the Goodwill store & with the help of duct tape, I made her a frame. LOL

 

[cavemanrich]

Thanks.

She's been working very hard. One of my favs is her monarch project. She wanted to know exactly how many days it takes to go from egg to butterfly. (Averaging 29-30 days in this year's climate) So far she raised & released 35 monarchs. (Will be much higher, since we're only 1/2 way through summer...) We also tried black swallowtails too, but they didn't do very well. 1st a bunny ate most of our dillweed. Then we were lucky to find 4 caterpillars on out tiny pitiful plants. One died while making its chrysalis. One turned into a pretty female, but the last two hatched out as parasitic wasps! All month she fed & cared for those caterpillars only to find out that a wasp has taken it as host before we ever found it.

Are these butterfly projects part of 4H ???

 

[Faraday40]

Are these butterfly projects part of 4H ???

Yes. She signed up for entomology but cringed at the idea of collecting bugs to kill. They had an "other" category, so she invented her own sort of experiment using butterflies. Years ago we started raising monarchs, black swallowtails, painted ladies, & even praying mantises. I can understand why she wouldn't want to pin them. My DS also likes caring for the caterpillars (or 'cap-a-pip-pers' as he calls them) but his are mostly moths. LOL

 

[ChicagoClucker]

Yes. She signed up for entomology but cringed at the idea of collecting bugs to kill. They had an "other" category, so she invented her own sort of experiment using butterflies. Years ago we started raising monarchs, black swallowtails, painted ladies, & even praying mantises. I can understand why she wouldn't want to pin them. My DS also likes caring for the caterpillars (or 'cap-a-pip-pers' as he calls them) but his are mostly moths. LOL

Your daughter is very artistic! Love the feather pic and the paper quilling. Fantastic! And do you raise the caterpillars outside in the garden or inside? I know someone who (I think I might have told you before, sorry if I am repeating) raises Monarch's too. But he doesn't order any, he goes around to all of us gardeners who have milkweed growing for the monarchs and if they have eggs or caterpillars on them he cuts down the plant and puts them in fish tanks. Just so the eggs don't fall prey to wasps or any other predator. He is very serious about increasing the monarch #s. Very dedicated man.

How did everyone's chicken hold up today? I have been topping off the water bowls every hour or so. Spraying down the old coop where my broody is still sitting. My top hen tried taking her nest today, while she got up to poop. I ran down to the incubator and grabbed the egg that was a clear, but I was letting it go to day 14 to see, and put it in the other corner of the coop for my top hen. Removed broody #2 from the other nest and put her on the single egg, Thelma returned to her nest that she has been on for ever and Dolly sat on that 1 egg for a total of 5 minutes before she gave up! Then guess who pulled it over into her nest. LOL. I have the Juvies in the coral with a wet sheet over the top to help cool them down, seems to be working. My blue marans gave me a scare though, my husband stepped out onto the deck and she came running up to his feet panting badly. She has never gone up to him before, so I was concerned. I put her feet in some cool water and brought her inside for about 2 minutes to help her cool down for a bit. I have had the hose on mist at the gate where they walk and is about 5 feet from their food and water.

Now, with tomorrow bringing even hotter temps, I am cancelling a trip we were going to take up to Wisconsin to look at a house. I know my children, even though they are all old enough, won't pay as much attention to the chickens on the day they will need it the most as I would, and I don't want to lose any. So staying home.

 

[MeeMa Brown]

I'm in central Illinois...Decatur to be exact!


I have Amercuana bantams (they are out of show/breeder quality lines) in black, white, blue and pencilled buffs and Black, Blue Salmon and Salmon Faverolle Bantams.


Chicks, started chicks and adults are offered for sale occasionally.

DuQuoin here

 

[Nwchickma]

I posted this in the emergency thread but no responses so I thought I'd check here. I had a hen with a poopy butt so I thought I'd wash her today since it was so hot anyway. This is what I found under her vent. Most of the feathers were trimmed back in the winter so it's pretty easy to see.
What is the white thing under the vent? Belly button? Normal? Something more sinister?

 

[MeeMa Brown]

DuQuoin here

just started with peeps this month

photo attached.

 

[MeeMa Brown]

I am in southern IL. The Mt Vernon area.

DuQuoin here. New to peeps and enjoying. Have 2 Buff Orpington, 2 Speckled Sussex ,2 Rhode island reds, 4 Dominique. Started two weeks ago.

 

[EweSheep]

Glad to meet you but I no longer have any bantams of that breed. Its an old post! LOL!

 

[ChicagoClucker]

I posted this in the emergency thread but no responses so I thought I'd check here. I had a hen with a poopy butt so I thought I'd wash her today since it was so hot anyway. This is what I found under her vent. Most of the feathers were trimmed back in the winter so it's pretty easy to see.
What is the white thing under the vent? Belly button? Normal? Something more sinister?

How old is she? Does it look like its pus filled? Hard or squishy? I know when I washed my girls at the beginning of summer, I don't remember seeing anything like that, but maybe I wasn't paying attention. The one thing I know that happens when its this hot and they have poopy butts is fly strike. I don't know if that's it, but if you are on FB there is a page called the Poultry Pages and it is very active and there are a lot of experienced chicken keepers there. Post the pick and you might get some idea of what it is and how to treat if necessary. Hope she is ok, let us know.