Michigan

[EeyoreD]

You are NOT almost 40. You don't look a day over 30.

HAHAHA thank you so much! I will be 40 this July. I like you almost as much as compost guy

 

[Olive Hill]

I cannot even imagine trying to establish a working homestead at retirement age.

Several years back I had a conversation with an uncle about something similar, something "I'd love to do if I could". He said the same thing then, "What's holding you back?" I had all kinds of excuses for him and at the time of the conversation I thought all of his rebuttals for my excuses were, of course, quite silly. What a concept. The man had no idea what some of these barriers meant. What an idiot. I didn't have the money, or the time, or the freedom... I have KIDS to take care of. The very thought...

I blew him off, didn't realize it at the time, but he managed to plant a seed. It took a couple weeks, but I finally understood what he was saying. They're just excuses. We all have them. We like to talk about things we'd do "if only..." but we rarely like to admit we're the only thing standing between us and that "if only".

 

[EeyoreD]

We like to talk about things we'd do "if only..." but we rarely like to admit we're the only thing standing between us and that "if only".

Absolutely. And, speaking from experience, I can say that some of those barriers work out much better than you ever expected if:

1) You seriously consider, work towards, and angle your options
2) You make darn sure that you like the actuality of things rather than the idea of things
3) (this one could just be me...) You make sure you're running toward a situation you want instead of away from the situation you're in. It's a subtle difference but crucially important.

 

[Olive Hill]

Absolutely. And, speaking from experience, I can say that some of those barriers work out much better than you ever expected if:

1) You seriously consider, work towards, and angle your options
2) You make darn sure that you like the actuality of things rather than the idea of things
3) (this one could just be me...) You make sure you're running toward a situation you want instead of away from the situation you're in. It's a subtle difference but crucially important.

You're pretty wise for such a young lady.

 

[Juise]

Quote:

Mmm hm. Just about gave it away, didn't you.

So, do you wear the human as a skin like the MIB "Edgar Suit" or is it some kind of perception filter a la Doctor Who?

You're pretty wise for such a young lady.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Originally Posted by ladyfeather
I've been trying to hold them but they just jump away...what sucks is, my favorite one (the one in the pic) she would still come up and perch on my leg when I went out there for the first week, but now she doesn't do that either. So Im sure it's my fault, w/not being able to spend any time w/them lately, that they are not quite as social with me. I just wondered if I could resocialize them. Mine don't really freak out when I grab them, but they do want to get away. They don't like being grabbed but once I'm holding them they tolerate it for a minute or too. Except the wyandottes...they don't really like to be held ever, but will perch on my hand as long as they're not restrained.

My first flock was rhode island reds, and they were super friendly 'till they hit about a month, then didn't want nothing to do with me. My orpington was the same way, though i think that was more to do with the neighbor girl sneaking over and terrorizing her when my back was turned. I think certain breeds are just more friendly, but of these current chicks i have 2 were kinda shy, so i left them alone. They sure overcame that when i fed them their first bugs (fly)!!! Now they are the first to come mug me. To introduce a chick to something new, you do the chick chick chick thing, and pick it up and drop it a few times, that's what the adults do.

Also, be it an adult or a little bird, when i pick them up i gently push them down and hold down on their back, and kinda cup their head/comb in my hand, hard to explain. They will usually calm down, since i am imitating a "Momma" holding them in her wing. Even works on my roo, you will know they are happy when they rub their little combs and faces all over your palm. Some birds like their chin and neck scratched, too, just like a cat! If they get frantic and keep trying to stand up, it's not working and let them go, just keep trying and good luck!

darn this HIPPA law because I could tell some wild tales. Age will not be kind to us folks.
???? what is this?

1muttsfan trio of Bantam Lavender Ameraucanas
Do these gals go broody?




Quote:
Originally Posted by RIRJen

Just bathed the 4 silkies that are going to the show on Saturday in Alma! It was....comical...

Poor things were so embarrassed looking and looked like drowned rats! Right now they're drying in my kitchen in a little round playpen with a blower on them. Almost dry!

While washing them off I was looking for mites or anything and I found a few on one of my roosters!

So now I'm going nuts thinking they're all over me...I know, I know....they're not but it gives me the creepy crawlies!

It's those ugly yellow-ish ones. I think if I seven dust them tomorrow really well and bath them again they should be all set. Anyone have any other tips to get rid of them fast? I didn't see a whole bunch and I looked really good around the areas where they normally congregate (pooper, head/kneck and under wings) and I peeked throughout the body here and there and only found them on my one Roo. The coops are going to be scrubbed and dusted as well and these guys are going into cages anyways so I don't need to worry about them getting dirty.

I use the liquid permethrin from TSC, but you can't eat the eggs for a while. If you are going to re-bathe them, i would use a spray or a medicated bath, that way it will keep working. This product is $10, and has instructions to be dilluted for a coop spray, and a weaker one for a bird spray. you have to repeat at 10 days, to get rid of the newly hatched lice.
i make a bird "spot treatment", but it takes 3 days to start being effective, and there's no FDA approval, i am pretty sure i am the only one to try it! (I think this way you are putting less of the chemical on the bird) I like diotomaceous earth as a preventative, but for me the medicated powders just got shook off and rolled off when they sand bathed

.

 

[RaZ]

Growing up we had a clothes chute and when we built our home that was a MUST HAVE. Have you ever gone down one??

Better yet what about a coal bin? The perfect esccape route when grandma specifically told you that YOU COULD NOT GO OUTSIDE! lol

Our clothes chute was too small, I tried to stuff my sister down it though.
The house we had in PA was built into the side of a hill and had a natural spring in the cellar and exited the wall right next to the coal bin.
So picture a 5 YO boy at play down there...

Until Mom catches him...

 

[sarah92480]

We always had a laundry chute growing up in both houses I lived in. It's really weird not to have one now. They are nice!

and you could totally see him thinking, "SORCERY!" He would wait and cry at the door until someone opened it for him, or shoved him through the cat door.

As they started getting older, and he siblings began bringing in mice, moles, birds, etc, Nate (his name is Nate,) started bringing in pine cones and sticks... When his siblings started bringing in rabbits and bluejays, Nate started bringing in grasshoppers and butterflies. One memorable time he actually quite proudly brought me a rock.

This is adorable!! I love kittens. How cute. It's funny, I originally named her Rose...and now she's starting to remind me of Rose from the Golden Girls. Love that show!!

 

[Farmerboy16]

All this talk about fresh milk makes me want Bella to hurry up and start producing fresh raw milk, but nooo she is taking her sweet time.


Her big pregnant belly, and growing udder!

 

[sarah92480]

Our clothes chute was too small, I tried to stuff my sister down it though.
The house we had in PA was built into the side of a hill and had a natural spring in the cellar and exited the wall right next to the coal bin.
So picture a 5 YO boy at play down there...

Until Mom catches him...

When I was about that age I used to throw pots and pans down the laundry shoot. I thought this was amazing fun because the dryer was directy below it and made huge loud sounds that were so fantastic. My parents had that dented dryer until about 8 years ago, haha! I was a devious child sometimes. I had a younger brother, and I was an art lover at a young age. I used to draw all over his body with ball point pens (he let me do it!!) and see how much of a city scape I could draw before mom caught me. I did this to throw pillow also. One of my aunts still has one that I destroyed when she was babysitting me, hehe. I also convinced my brother that it would be a really fun idea to fling spoonfuls of oatmeal all over the kitchen while mom went downstairs to put laundry in the dented dryer.

She tells me now, I knew something was going on because it became eerily quiet up there...

I probably shouldn't have kids. hehe