Michigan

[snowflake]

Man! stacykins, you just gave me one more reason to not keep bee's. I have been thinking about getting some when I retire in a year 1/2 don't think I could stand still and let them sting me. guess I will stick with the local farm store up on the corner.

 

[keyt1969]

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Whaaa??? That sucks.

Keep us up on the details.

It is just a whole line of pathetic events since we left that hatchery. It was dirty, the people had attitude because we brought a “dirty carrier” which had accidently gotten sprayed by the sprinkler, that was all. We ended up never using it but put the chicks in a shoebox instead. I am all for hygiene but mind you, the place was overcrowded with chickens, it smelled of decomp and there was mud all over. I should have left right away but figured, since we had made it all the way there… Lost the first 2 chicks within the first 18hrs, and 2-3each day every since. I called the guy and told him about the first two, told him what we were doing and he said that “we are doing everything right and it is just chicks”. I told him that I had raised 80 myself this year and lost only 2 out of them, so 2 out of 20 seemed a bit odd. Well, by now I have lost 8 out of 20 in 5 days with another one on the way. Whatever this disease is, it brings on a high fever and swelling of the brain. I treat the poor little guys like they have the pest and will send them to MSU for necropsy where the remaining live ones will have to be euthanized. It is just sad. I am glad I had the frame of mind to isolate them right away so that they never had any contact with our birds. Of course the hatchery guy is blaming it all on us. We are dirty people because we brought a dirty carrier, we don’t know what we are doing because we brought a dirty carrier, they won’t take our dirty birds back and forget about a refund. He is just full of hot air and the way he is getting all personal leads me to believe that there are several issues going on. The ironic things is that our place, compared to his is so clean that you cannot smell the chickens in 85 degree weather unless you actually enter one of their runs or stand near the manure pile. I have sold chicks before and I would be ashamed of myself if that were to happen to one of my customers. When everything is said and done I will have throw away my brooder, feeder and waterer at least. What a waste of money and time.

Wow, that is awful! I can't imagine having sold sick birds like that. I had a guy who bought 4 chicks from me email and say one of them died. I felt awful. Granted, they were very young and he had never had birds before. I asked him questions about what the conditions were and told him chicks are often weak in the wrong conditions. I like to keep chicks til they're older before I sell them to people who don't know anything about chickens. The guy was nice and I told him I would let him have another one out of this last batch when they hatch around the 16th.
Your situation is just beyond bad business and totally uncalled for. They must not realize you would spread the word and keep others from going to them!

 

[snowflake]

fifelake, you can leave them with the others to free range. I usually wait for about 2or3 weeks but know some let them run from the beginning. It is cool to watch the momma hen. She puts the other hens in there place real quick!

 

[Opa]

I finally am able to candle dark welsummer eggs. On Fathers Day Granny's church gave every father a flashlite. When I picked her up after church they gave me one as well. I'm sure its an inexpensive light but it has 6 LEDs and uses 3 AAA batteries

I cut a 2" piece of 3/4" foam pipe insulation and inserted the flashlite.I brought the end of the flashlite to within 1/2" of the end of the foam. By pressing on the foam at the lite end the foam became slightly concave. It fits tightly against the egg completely ending any light escaping except thru the egg. I illuminated the dark eggs perfectly.

 

[Avalon1984]

To me it is just bad business practice. I would have never said a word had I only lost a bird or two, but there were too many. And then to turn around and accuse us of not knowing what we are doing, becoming downright insulting was very unprofessional. I am currently talking to the BBB. They don’t have them listed for obvious reasons but I will try it anyways. I have not heard back from the MSU extension officer yet after he called me yesterday wanting to know who it was so maybe he is investigating. Somewhere in my mind I still hope that the remaining 12 might make it but the odds are not looking good. At least we have only lost 1 in the last 24hrs. I am just so deeply worried about the implications. They brag to sell hundreds of chicks every week- God knows how many sick ones have gone out already. What if people don’t quarantine them? What if the disease doesn’t show it’s ugly face right away? Who could possibly ethically justify selling sick birds?

I try to not sell chicks at all so that by the time my birds get sold, they don’t need a heat lamp and are fairly resistant. Yes, that forces me to charge more but I am finding that people appreciate it. By then they know exactly what they are getting, the birdies have healthy immune systems and are well established and big enough to fend for themselves. I guess all that is left to do is to ignore a bad example by leading with a good one and attract customers with service and quality, not low prices.

 

[keyt1969]

I just wanted to share some FANTASTIC

non-poultry news!!!

A few minutes ago the phone rang and my daughter and I saw it was my dad's number. We're not exactly on relating terms so she answered it figuring he was calling for her. But then she handed me the phone. First words out of his mouth were "I thought you would like to know I found my son!". HUH?

My dad was married briefly to another woman before my mother. They had a baby but then she took off and he hasn't seen nor heard from him til now. I guess he had to get a Social Security card and it required info from his father. I have looked for him too but there are dozens of Neil Harringtons in the US and even in Oregon, the last place we knew they were. This gave me the opportunity to ask my dad questions that I never knew, like how old he was and he's only 4 yrs older than me!

My dad and Neil are only in the early stages of talking. I told him when he can to tell him I would like to talk to him too!! I have two sisters from my mom's first marriage but they're 13 and 18 yrs older than me...so growing up it was like having 3 mothers

This was the best call I have ever received. I have tried for years to find him but I thought it was going to take money to really get into it. He lives in Oregon, one of my favorite states and...he works for American Idol!! Ok, maybe for some that's not big but for me...

 

[Stacykins]

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I think that is funny only because I've been there and done that. Although I usually wait until fall before harvesting propolis, just because I'm already disturbing the hives for the honey by removing the supers.

I hope your bees are doing well this year.

That is awesome that you keep bee's, not that you got stung of course. I keep telling my husband that I want to learn to keep them and he thinks I am crazy. The Community College was doing a beekeeping course last year that I wish I would have taken. Maybe someday I will get to have a hive.

Not gonna lie, beekeeping is AWESOME and so much fun. You are definitely not crazy for wanting to! I think I may need to be more cautious since I am having a large local reaction at each sting site. Lesson learned: I need to wear gloves. I always didn't because it reduced dexterity and I didn't like that. Now they've taught me not to underestimate them. Until now, they've hardly ever stung me.

 

[Avalon1984]

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that sounds very exciting! I haven't see my brother in nearly 6 years, I cannot imagine what you were going through.

 

[Avalon1984]

Quote:
That is awesome that you keep bee's, not that you got stung of course. I keep telling my husband that I want to learn to keep them and he thinks I am crazy. The Community College was doing a beekeeping course last year that I wish I would have taken. Maybe someday I will get to have a hive.

Not gonna lie, beekeeping is AWESOME and so much fun. You are definitely not crazy for wanting to! I think I may need to be more cautious since I am having a large local reaction at each sting site. Lesson learned: I need to wear gloves. I always didn't because it reduced dexterity and I didn't like that. Now they've taught me not to underestimate them. Until now, they've hardly ever stung me.

I can attest to that. it is our first year of beekeeping and we are very excited. Quite a rewarding hobby!

 

[wanaBfarmer]

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that sounds very exciting! I haven't see my brother in nearly 6 years, I cannot imagine what you were going through.

Thats is soo cool. I have been trying to start the process of finding my birthparents, but it is even difficult to figure out where to begin. Do you know if your brother ever knew about you and the rest of the family or is this all new too him too? That is really great and I hope it all works out wonderfuly for you guys