Michigan

[SillyChicken]

You may already know this, but take it slow with ear stretching. I've seen a lot of people (mostly young teens) size up week after week (or within hours) and it ruins their ears, sometimes even splits them in half.

There's a tumblr blog called Awful Modifications that has a whole list of guides and care procedures if you need them. Their main page usually has some pretty gross pictures of body modifications gone wrong, so be warned. They run the site as an attempt to educate people as to why it's important to go to a license professional rather than a friend of a friend in the mall bathroom. Another warning, the main blog can get a repetitive, and a bit preachy, so I would just bookmark the guides for future reference.

Best of luck with your ears, I hope they stay healthy and nice looking!

Thanks Ferret, we did a lot of research and it will be quite a while before we do any stretching and we'll take it slow, I appreciate the concern and info. Right now the trick is to keep my fingers off of them! LOL!

 

[chicken grandma]

RaZ - Awwww!! Those ducks aren't going anywhere this Fall!

Olive - how do the muscovies keep from getting eaten at night? Do they go in trees or on the water? Do you have to secure pen them?

 

[EeyoreD]

Eeyore! Those Geese look happy and is that Buddy the duck?

It is! He's a charmer.

Eeyore - They look right at home. I love the picture with Buddy out on the pond with the geese. He's going to be in heaven with all that water on which to chase his goosey girlfriend around.

Those poor Scovies had a much more eventful morning than the rest so maybe they'll just take a bit more to settle in.

Oh Man Buddy must have spent 10 minutes fluffing and dunking and fluffing and dunking in the pond. He's really digging things.

Ha, I didn't think about the poor Scovies traumatic morning. Awwww, poor things.

 

[RaZ]

RaZ - Awwww!! Those ducks aren't going anywhere this Fall!

Well, I hope they do. But if they don't. I won't complain.
They do like hanging with the BSL's but will also hang with the Uggos.

 

[Totalcolour]

I went back and reread the post about cowboy boots being useless. If you have ever had a low heel boot go through a stirrup you will find yourself wishing for a cowboy boot.

Well if you rode a proper saddle (English) you wouldn't need cowboy boots

(bareback works well too!)

 

[Olive Hill]

Olive - how do the muscovies keep from getting eaten at night? Do they go in trees or on the water? Do you have to secure pen them?

Yes, they'll fly up and roost on/in things. We had one flock a few years back that slept up in the trees, the ones Eeyore took would actually sleep in the alpaca paddock on their round bale feeder. In the first case they were well protected so high up in the tree, in the latter case nothing really goes in with the alpacas. I suppose if you didn't have somewhere that they could find some natural protection for sleeping you'd need to provide something. And of course, no matter what, there's always some risk there. Personally, we've never had a problem with preds messing with either the ducks or geese. We have coons, possums, foxes, coyotes, stray dogs, hawks, owls, and bald eagles here. They just don't seem to mess with them.

ETA: Correction: I did actually lose a duck to a predator once. Just once. And it was a duck that went in at night. A weasel slipped through a tiny crack to get into the coop we had at that time and killed the duck and two chickens. So I guess a more accurate statement would be that we've never had a pred problem with ducks who sleep outside in the place of their choosing.

 

[RaZ]

Well if you rode a proper saddle (English) you wouldn't need cowboy boots

(bareback works well too!)

Bah. Try jousting or roping from an English saddle...

 

[ladyfeather]

Everyone seems like they are doing all right this weekend. The wind burned up nearly a quarter tank of my gas tank while driving.

I always wanted to learn to joust and a friend of mine who does it fairly professionally tells me I'm not too old to start.

Eeyore they certainly look happy there with an exception for the Scovey ducks. That you all made it home in one piece is a bit of a wonder considering you had to stuff everyone in.

Speaking of boots and shoes thankfully the rain didn't turn the woods into a knee deep swamp and my hard toe calf high work boots kept my feet dry. Best $20 I ever spent.

If any one is close to Laurell Park Place I highly recommend Bookstock, it was fun and I think I made the news camera for a minute while they were scanning the crowd

Our chickens are getting their feathers and I don't think they are the gender/breed the TSC said. The ones from FFH are turning out to be Barred Rocks I think instead of the Buffs I thought they were.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Be parents first. Maintain rules that never vary. They have to learn that every action has a consequence. Be there to help and guide them but don't worry about whether they like you. If you are fair and even with all things in your life when they become adults they will be as proud of you as you are them.

I wanted to quote this yesterday but once again I have not been able to post anything. It's working for now though.

 

[NovaAman]

RaZ, you need to find some family that has a tug boat sandbox/pool from little tykes. My ducks LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

I did go out and get the duck coop cleaned after all. I couldn't see wasting a layer of pine just cus I felt lazy. Their coop is so close to where I dump the shavings, it only took a matter of minutes.

I chugged some excedrin for the head ache, it seems to have helped the kidney pain in the back more than the head. LOL. I am really tempted to chug some coffee for the head, but have been avoiding it as much as possible for obvious reasons. I guess I will have me a cup of valarien tea to relax.

Skatter has finally figured out that she needs to stay put in the nest box, or get back in as soon as the biggers get back out. I think she also figured out that when Vanna and Vonna go in to lay, thats the perfect time for her to go on walk about.

I think I may end up putting Veena down. She's not to good again. She broke a soft shell yesterday, had the membrane still attached, I ended up pulling it out the rest of the way. I don't know. That girls reproductive system just does not like her. Is there a way to stop her from laying all together? I love her to death cuz she really is the top grouch and she keeps the new pullets in line. LOL. She is queen of the coop. How funny is that? She really has personality, and I do not mind feeding her even if I do not get the egg from her. Heck, I normally feed her soft egg to Leila. It really helped keep Leilas weight up this last time. SO, Veena is still a productive member. I just don't know if I am doing her harm by letting her continue. She seems pretty ok otherwise... I think. I did notice something, so maybe Olive can advise me here.. She seems to have drop butt... In other words, her bottom seems to sag low in comparrison to the other dottes. And when I see her walkiing, her legs seem to set wider lately. Her eyes are clear, her comb and wattles are bright, and she eats and drinks and poops fine... Am I missing a symptom? She does have access to a bowl of oyster shell as well, and they all also get the eggs shells chucked out to them, and I do see her utilizing both options... Anyway...