Michigan

[Stacykins]

That's what I am afraid of, not going in and trying to catch them. No way they can stay out at night here. We have coons, possums, ermin, mink, hawks, and coyotes - not to mention free-range cats and dogs!. My parents ducks would follow them all over the yard and go to their coop at dusk. I was told not to keep food in the coop since they are so messy, but maybe if it's in an open run they might go in there and I can close the gate. Once in they would be easier to corral into the coop? Any duck whisperers out there?

Yea, I am new to ducks too and finding them hard to coop up at night. They just don't have that instinct like the chickens do. They'd rather sprawl out in the straw and sleep under the stars >_<

I used a pair of dowels ("duck whackers" though I never touched them once) to extend my arm range and herd them into the coop. They're fast and crafty little buggers. They're not getting any free range privileges for a while, though, which POs the chickens. But it isn't like there is edible stuffs growing yet.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Quote: We could always make you a recording and you could play it on yer "outside stereo". If ya were out here I would set ya up with one of the bells I make. They probably would not be very proud of us when the wind (created by a fan on timer) caused the bell to ring like crazy in the middle of the night.

 

[uchytil]

I lost a dear friend today. He'd been going downhill fast these past few weeks. He slipped away in my arms. I'm pretty torn up, he was my childhood dog, around fifteen of my twenty two years.

Stacy, our heart and prayers go out for you and yours! I know how you feel - I lost my 17 y/o Jessie a few years back and my 7 y/o Jamine last August, both in my arms. My wife and would metion her and start crying together and it was good to know I had feelings being the tough guy I think I am. Again, we're sorry for your loss, John and Cindy

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Don't have time to say anything but I was downloading pictures my son took today. He only took 170+. But here are some of his good ones.

taprock, your son takes great pictures

Severe thunderstorms and now a tornado warning. Looking at the weather map on television we are smack dab right in the middle of the strongest part of the storm. Earlier the rain was really coming down hard. But I guess rain coming down is preferable to coming up. Can you envision how difficult using an umbella would be?

We got lucky here, no bad weather,not even rain. I hope those affect are all ok.

I went to my very last EVER parent teacher conference today. My kids went to the same school their dad and I went to. I was pretty sentimental thinking about never walking the halls there again. My DS and DD both had 4 years of German with the same teacher their dad had in high school. She told me today that since my kids will be graduated, she's decided it was a good time to retire so this is her last year. I walked away from her table wiping away tears. I have no idea how I'm going to get through Graduation Day.


Here's a nice picture that my DD's friend took of DD and Cadbury.

Your daughter is lovely. When my youngest graduated, I declared myself semi retired after raising kids for 25 years.

I lost a dear friend today. He'd been going downhill fast these past few weeks. He slipped away in my arms. I'm pretty torn up, he was my childhood dog, around fifteen of my twenty two years.

Stacy, so sorry for your loss

So tonight the weirdest thing happened...My van took over and hauled me into the Family Farm and Home parking lot...kicked me out...and insisted I go in and buy 3 barred rock pullets

I hope my van does not do the same thing.

For all the chick purchases, egg buying & hatching going on....Just out of curiosity, how many coops do some of you guys have?

I have 4 but one is divided so I guess you could say 5. I also have 30 chickens so I will not be getting any more unless I can get a Welsummer or two and possibly a shipment of eggs later. That is what keeps me from giving in to temptation. Two of my EE girls are 3 years old now so I expect they will probably be slowing down.

here I am.
Wish I could say it was a breeze and that I am doing fine. Far from it. I got there at six. Was wheeled in the operating room at 657, and was on my way home at 940.
Im allergic to Morphine. Had a horrible headache when I 'woke' up, they gave me toradol. Wrote me a script for fake vicodin- and I cant take vicodin. So, when I got home, I tried to take one of those fake ones..Norco, its called. Made me extremely sick. Nausea had me on the bathroom floor, muscle spasms kept me there.
SO MUCH PAIN. and muscle spasms.
I cant lie down, I cant sit. I pace and I cry. It has been 24 hours. Hopefully, it gets better soon, but as it is right now if you are allergic to good drugs, I cant recommend the surgery.

Mom 2, I can totally understand. I just had shoulder surgery and could not take anything stronger than ibuprophen. Please call your Dr and see if there isn't something else you could take, even if it is just prescription strength tylenol or ibuprophen. I do hope you feel better soon

 

[Olive Hill]

Stacy - I'm so sorry to hear of your loss.

Mom2 - I hope the pain lessens for you soon. I'm so glad you were able to get it taken care of though.

I don't have any more trips on the schedule until late summer now so I stopped off at TSC on the way home from the gym and made a deal with the manager.

 

[Mom 2em All]

Thirteen babies with my hen..the big eggs from Theron. Eight babies in the house.
I just moved the 23 others out to the coop and closed them in there. One hen will throw a fit- but the others have been sleeping under the lean-to, so they will just have to deal with it until these are big enough to move out to my brother in laws..
I say I moved them but really I just gave directions. My husband moved them. I was standing outside and had a sudden cough. Felt like I ripped open one of the incisions on my side. Now it is bulged out and swollen big. Let me tell ya, coughing is NO fun. My cousins incisions from her g.b surgery were straight across and higher up. This one is even with the incision at my belly button, but off the side.The other two kinda diagonal up from there.

There was a delay in shipping my showgirl eggs for Mahoni's Easter hatch. She just shipped them yesterday, according to the email. But everything has been hatching a couple days early in my incubator so it may end up being okay.

 

[1muttsfan]

Yeah, I was in TSC yesterday and they had a TON of red pullets and black sex-links that were 2 weeks old and half off - Thanks to the 44 chicks in my brooder I was able to resist temptation.

 

[antlolli80]

So sorry for your loss.

 

[swampducks]

I only have one coop, 6x8, dirt floor with hardware cloth underneath. Only have 2 ducks 9 ducklings and 5 guineas at the moment. I do have an old rabbit hutch with a run on it for overflow birds during the summer as it has wire sides and no heat. Didn't think I would be using it this year but now that I'm getting 50 chicks, and I haven't even placed my pearl guinea order at the feed store yet..

But by the time winter rolls around I should be back to a number that will fit my coop just fine. But which ones do I keep and which ones do I eat!?

Got an old Sears and roebuck 3 tier brooder in the garage I use for the chicks. Got it from my FIL who has pretty much decided to retire from farming all together, except for the occasional steer or two.

For all the chick purchases, egg buying & hatching going on....Just out of curiosity, how many coops do some of you guys have?

 

[RaZ]

I saw the neighbor and asked her point blank if she called the city. At first she tried to deny it, then admitted that she did. She said she did because I didn't cut down the tree in my front yard. Then said something that the chickens were teasing and upsetting her dog. She started to get fired up about then and started in on how I "just do whatever you want to do".

I interrupted her and said that it's my house and I can do whatever I want. She stormed away and slammed the door. I don't think we will be chatting for some time.

I'm waiting for the ordinance officer to call me back...