Maine

[hoppy]

I just saw that, closed due to flooding.
https://www.facebook.com/WindsorFair

reading further, some things are still going on, but no gate, does that mean everyone gets in free? no rides and some other things are cancelled as well,

According to the fairs facebook page pretty much everything is cancelled today.

 

[guesswhokatysue]

Well shoot! I guessed that might happen, for the safety of the guests and the exhibitors. Thank you for updating on here!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I just saw that, closed due to flooding.
https://www.facebook.com/WindsorFair

reading further, some things are still going on, but no gate, does that mean everyone gets in free? no rides and some other things are cancelled as well,

I'm trying to figure out if I can go get my jam...

 

[ashandvine]

Yes, it's THRILLER. I want to throw my big boy in there in the next few months, and hatch meat birds early in January. If I have both him and THRILLER in there that's a terrible game of sperm roulette to be playing with meat birds. And THRILLER is just too wonderful to cull.

The bees were back again, I again sprayed their nest and put a big rock over it and I think they've dug a new entrance. But I've definitely put a dent in their numbers.

I will give you seeds for the prolific white cukes next year. They are technically picking cukes, but they're good enough to eat. Even Caramel thought so.

To clarify, if Caramel thinks they are great then they are a go for us. She has distinguished taste!
The bees are clearly bumble... I know the difference between hornets and wasps and honey bees and bumbles and carpenters. Not great at all of the species but I grew up petting bumbles. You should have heard me when we were stung by these bees at SCS's house. I was a broken record of disbelief. It wasn't like they really stung us either because if they sting their stinger comes off and they die. Not this time. It was like a little jackhammer and it chased us through the yard even. It was sooooo weird. I am just guessing time of year means they are out to protect whatever they have stored and all their little grub babies.

Now... about Thriller. Some folks might say you should just get him a little crate for himself so he is isn't "throwing his dice on the gaming table" and you can still keep your hideous little pet lol He really isn't cute, but all his beauty is on the inside. And I do mean all.

 

[Chambertin]

Not great breeds, but I'd happily send you some sperm roulette eggs.

What breeds are they? I'm not opposed to any breed with a good trait or two, double so for something not common over here.
I'm always betting on black
Red combs are so typical hehe

 

[superchemicalgirl]

To clarify, if Caramel thinks they are great then they are a go for us. She has distinguished taste!
The bees are clearly bumble... I know the difference between hornets and wasps and honey bees and bumbles and carpenters. Not great at all of the species but I grew up petting bumbles. You should have heard me when we were stung by these bees at SCS's house. I was a broken record of disbelief. It wasn't like they really stung us either because if they sting their stinger comes off and they die. Not this time. It was like a little jackhammer and it chased us through the yard even. It was sooooo weird. I am just guessing time of year means they are out to protect whatever they have stored and all their little grub babies.

Now... about Thriller. Some folks might say you should just get him a little crate for himself so he is isn't "throwing his dice on the gaming table" and you can still keep your hideous little pet lol He really isn't cute, but all his beauty is on the inside. And I do mean all.

I don't know that living for him would be a crate. And loved the dice comment.

Chambertin, I have about half hatchery birds, all different varieties, and then the rest are random half breeds, turkens, olive eggers, and some that I have no idea what they are. You really don't want them, I was mostly joking.

 

[Chambertin]

Hehe, genetic lotteries are kinda fun though.

Thanks anyway~

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Hehe, genetic lotteries are kinda fun though.

Thanks anyway~

I love mutts.

For me, I just want eggs and meat and pretty, friendly birds.

 

[buckabucka]

Here's something I don't understand. I read that all eggs are either blue or white, and the brown and green colors are just "paint" put on when the egg travels through. I've noticed that my brown eggs are white inside, while the olive eggs are blue. Then today I was looking at these eggs:

Both eggs are olive on the outside, but when I peel back the inside membrane, the one on the left is olive all the way through, while the other is blue inside. Why is that?

 

[lazy gardener]

OK folks, here's a fun read for you, posted by a writer called "Cold Day" on the chicken behavior and egg laying thread:




"This is my first year raising chickens. We live in the mountains outside of Denver on 4 acres. We have neighbors within walking distance but far enough away that I added a roo to the flock of 8 hens. We got him at six months without a crow - of course about 2 weeks ago he started crowing. Not as bad as I have read in the forums - but a couple crows at 5:00 am then non stop for an hour at 6:00 am. Throughout the day would crow every hour or so. So typical rooster.

His crows are very loud - enough that it grates on me when I work from home. I am sure the neighbors also hear him when he is outside the barn. So a couple days ago - I should him the 'Red Ryder' and a few shots on the side of the barn usually broke him outside of his crowing hysteria. But it didn't stop him.

So yesterday I tried something different. I had a loose fitting rubber band that I put over his lower neck feathers. It did the trick of distracting him enough that he didn't crow for over an hour... then I decided to check on him. Unfortunately he got the rubber band lodged in his beak to the back of his head. With the rubber band removed I knew I was close to solving the crowing - or at least slowing it down.

What came next did the trick. My wife suggested a children's sock. I found a sock with good elasticity that would normally fit a five year old. I cut off the foot piece leaving just the elastic tube. It was snug but not tight over my hand - I have XL hands. I am not sure if the placement of the sock on the roo is important but it worked. I slid the sock tube over his head and down to where the long neck feathers meet the body. I then took all his neck feathers and draped them over the sock - the only visible part of the sock was just above his breast.

He messed with the sock for about 30 minutes and then gave up... but the hens didn't like it and tried to remove it for an hour or so. Then the rest of the afternoon it was ignored. Needless to say the rooster didn't crow the whole time. He made all of is other normal sounds and the interest in the hens didn't drop off. He ate and drank normally. It wasn't until dinner that I decided to check on him again... this time he decided to show me that he could still crow. He let out two or three - but they were so muffled and strange he gave up.

The big test was this morning - no crowing at all. So much silence my wife thought a fox or raccoon could have gotten into the hen house over night. At 6:30 am I found them all doing well on their roosts.

The only side effect - and I will have to monitor this - is that the hens weren't coming off their roosts to go out into the run like the normally do. I think they thought something was wrong since the rooster wasn't making his normal racket. But there you go - I will update this thread as things progress. I will eventually take the sock off and see if the new behavior remains or not. Will also update with pictures.

Now, If I thought that I could keep a rooster from crowing by putting a sock around his neck, I'd be tempted to have a rooster. Kind of like a pressure vest for a hyperactive kid!!