Kentucky people

[shelleyd2008]

That's what dad did. He asked people at his church to save their cartons for him, and then when he first got them he would tell the people to bring him cartons. If they didn't he'd charge more for them. You should get some from eggcartons.com, so you could have your farm name printed on them! I told dad about that, and he said that's what he's gonna do if he ever runs out.

That's wierd that they never stopped laying? They must be really comfortable there? Maybe it's cause they know the other hens that you got before? Idk, I guess there is no rule that they have to stop laying, they just mostly do.

I got a bantam egg yesterday!! I have no idea which one it is, I'm thinking the dutch hen Duchess, but it might be Gretchen, the one that looks like a dark cornish. It kinda looks like Duchess's egg, but not really. Oh, and one of Gretchen's girls was in the nest this morning! So she might be getting ready to start. Gretchen has just in the last week left those chicks, and one is already 'keeping house' in the nest! So I guess that means Gretchen is a good mama! If she kept her girls that long!!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
I set the eggs on the 11th, so they are on day 7. I didn't even realize it! That means I can CANDLE!!!!

Oh, and some of the ones you sent were about the same size as my dutch hens eggs, so they are already the size of a small chicken egg! If the end of the quail eggs wasn't so pointy they would be the same.

I might be interested in the A&M eggs, though I'm not sure if I'd want any right now. I have 16 buttons and 2 A&M's in the house right now, and they stink bad enough on their own! Plus I have those jumbo eggs cooking, and duck eggs cooking, so I'm thinking I might need to hold off on hatching. I won't have anyplace to put them! I could make some cages and put them in the barn, but I'd have to wait till I get my money. I'm broke right now!

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
Well, my problem with DE (other than no one seems to want to discuss that there MIGHT be problems with it) is that it is a sinus irritant.

I do not think that light use of the stuff, or eating it will be bad - it is non toxic - but being non toxic does not mean safe. It just means it isn't poisonous.

It is an abrasive and too much of it will cause abraded sinuses. My chickens got into the bag of it, and dumped a lot of it out in there coop, and I've been battling sinuses disease all late summer and fall in that coop.

What really bothers me is that no one on this forum will even admit that it isn't "totally safe" they act like you can roll around in the stuff and not be harmed. That isn't true. If you dare to pose an opinion to the contrary, you get blasted by moderators and members alike. If they don't blast you, they speak very condescendingly to you, as if you are the biggest idiot that ever graced the forum. (yes, Shelley, I'm still ticked about that

).

Used sparingly, I'm sure it is safe enough - but how many folks know how much to use, or how much is too much? With everyone saying it is so safe and "non toxic" they figure that means it is a wonder cure-all that will save the planet.

Look at your local pharmacy next time ya go in there - how many herbal supplement bottles claim they are 100% natural, organic, safe - and how many of those same herbal supplements can kill you if they are not meant for you (ephedrine, as one example - people with high blood pressure can have heart attack and stroke if they take this)? All "drugs" began as herbs and plants - herbal supplements are drugs!! But the labelling makes it sound safe - and most people don't research further on their own.

Same premise with the DE - it is organic, it is non toxic - doesn't mean it can't give you silicosis or cause harm if too much is inhaled or if your animals inhale too much of the stuff over long periods of time. Yes, even the "food grade" can do this.

Most folks have no problem with the DE - and perhaps I wouldn't have had a problem, either, if it hadn't been dumped in mass quantities (by accident) effectively "overdosing" the chickens.

Then again - how much long term damage might be done - silicosis sometimes takes 10 years to show symptoms. How many chickens are around for 10 years? But, I'm hoping I'll be around still in 10 years.
Silicosis can produce symptoms within 6 months, if it exposure is bad enough.

Silicosis aside (it is a lung disease, btw) the DE is an abrasive, and it just seems to me that if a chicken is that low to the ground, has its face in the stuff day in and day out (or is over exposed, as in my case) it must have some ill effect on the sinuses of the chicken.

Imagine having a sinus infection all the time - that "inhaling broken shards of glass" feeling that you get when your sinuses are raw and infected. Everything bothers you worse when you have to breathe it in at that time. If the chicken's sinuses are raw from being abraded by the DE overload, then it would figure that they would be more susceptable to any stray bug or infection or irritant.

But - heaven forbid you should mention such things on the BYC forum.
In fact, if I disapear shortly, you'll know the DE police have found me.

meri

 

[shelleyd2008]

Oh, btw, just thought I'd brag a bit!

justasnak sent me a pic of the 'babies' I'm getting off her whenever my money gets here.

Aren't they gorgeous??

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
Oh pretty !!

Sometimes I think I want turkeys, then I see one in person - they scare me

meri

 

[shelleyd2008]

I like the way the slates look. And it's not a bad price for these. If I take all 5 (4 slates and the black tom in the back), then it's $100. If I take just the 4 slates, it's still $100. So hmmmm....I think I'll take all 5 of them! These guys are only 5 months old, and they look huge already!!

 

[kycowgirlchick]

They are sooooo pretty Shelley. I just love the turkeys. I cant wait to have babies next year, if I am sooo lucky.
Well I am done with work today. Thank goodness cause that means I get to go see my 11 year old in her school play. It was cancelled Tuesday due to ice, and I had arranged to be able to go. But NOOOO it got rescheduled to my day of OT. But I worked so hard that I get to go. She will be so tickeled.
Well got to go. And by getting off early I will get to see my chickies. I hate not getting to see them.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Friend of mine just called - if I can catch the stoopid Goonies, I have them sold.

He's coming over tonight about "bedtime" for the chickens to see if we can trap them in the coop to catch them.

meri

 

[shelleyd2008]

Poor goonies!! It would probably be a good idea if you let them in the coop tonight. If you try to catch them outside and fail, they will roost somewhere higher where you probably won't be able to get them. Mine are getting really bossy, but this spring I won't have hardly any free rangers, so I think the chickens can deal with it till then. We get so many ticks here, we need the goonies to keep the bug population down!

 

[FrChuckW]

Oh Wow, pretty Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Easter and Birthday Dinners!

If you get all five then that means you will have two Toms and 3 hens. Might need to get a couple of more hens to even it out so that the Toms don't fight each other.

Wonder what color you would get if you crossed the Black Tom to a Slate Hen. Or maybe get some Bourbon Red hens to go with him and leave the slates together. Or you could put a Bourbon Red hen with the Slate Tom and then a Slate Hen, A Bourbon Red Hen and a black hen with the Black Tom and see what they produce.