Minnesota!

[Minniechickmama]

Mine messes up to sometimes.
If they say the words platosin (sp) to induce labor, tell your daughter to run like hell. Ouch.

Morning everyone! I thought I was the only one up at this hour.

@aussiegal318 yes, we fostered through Nancy at Aussie rescue of Mn. My boy Brox loved having another dog around that he could play with. Again, Meka is crotchety. Someday. Also, We have our own dog park, we fenced in over 3.5 of our 4.5 acres, it is wonderful! Not the mowing part, but Brox can roam to his hearts content and I don't have to worry.

pitocin - it is the naturally occurring hormone that causes contractions and let-down of milk It is what gets the motors running to get that baby out.

My first child was turning into hell for me, so I said "Give me the da** epidural!!!" After that, it was the first thing I asked for. LOL

 

[KlopKlop]

It is amazing to hear you talk about all your dogs, cats and other animals. I think that is one of the things I love about coming to this site. Everyone here loves animals. Even thoufgh we disagree about what should be done with probelms animals, we all care for them.

If I seem off my game today it is a by product of performing my Grandpa daycare duties. I am stuck within the greater metropolitain area. Not my Favorite place to be. But I like Grandpa daycare duties, except for diaper duty.

I have a full box of latex gloves with me so I should survive it. I spent the night here as I hate rush hour.

How do you get involved in dog rescue?

How do you protect your birds from an animal you do not know or cannot trust?



My DW was given instructions to allow King George and his girls out today along with the turkeys. I hope it goes well.

Just as I was leaving she asked which door to let the creamettes out. I am so glad she did. The creamettes are no longer free range birds. They have babies to make. Even though I have not gotten a creamette egg in over a week now. If I do not get eggs soon, I will have to use a light on there. I was trying to avoid using lights this year.


For those of you with Smart phones might I suggest a Bluetooth keyboard. I really like this one. It makes my having to bring my laptop with me obsolete. I can type full messages on here and not take an hour doing it. I may not get a laptop when mine crashes. I got the large screen Iphone and it does everything my laptop does. Now if I could just figure out how to hook a mouse up to it.

Have a good day, I will be on a lot I am sure. how much work can one little boy be.

We got into fostering here because we were on the fence about getting a second dog and thought it would be a good way to 'test drive' it (we ended up keeping our second foster dog ) and kept going after that. We have had as many as 5 dogs on a short term basis which is nuts but fun. Usually that is when a bunch of siblings come in before they are old enough to be separated.

Our local humane society doesn't have a shelter yet and is 100% foster based. They just have one office staff person in a rented office space and a volunteer board. They have been working over the last couple years to build a shelter but have struggled with finding suitable property

 

[Minniechickmama]

So, 3 weeks ago, I set about 30 eggs from my Blue Silkies. 17 still looked viable by lock-down. I had to incubate these in the LG foamie I still have since I need to replace the fan in my cabinet. Well, after about 3 days of monkeying around with trying to get it to hold temp, I thought I had it. I put the eggs in, and it started jumping back and forth. I considered just replacing the thermostat, but by that time the eggs had been in long enough that I would have lost them all. So, I am sure the fluctuation in temp during the first few days impacted the eggs, which stinks, but it is November and I don't normally hatch anything until January. I think I will get 5-6 from this hatch. I am okay with that.

 

[duluthralphie]

So, 3 weeks ago, I set about 30 eggs from my Blue Silkies. 17 still looked viable by lock-down. I had to incubate these in the LG foamie I still have since I need to replace the fan in my cabinet. Well, after about 3 days of monkeying around with trying to get it to hold temp, I thought I had it. I put the eggs in, and it started jumping back and forth. I considered just replacing the thermostat, but by that time the eggs had been in long enough that I would have lost them all. So, I am sure the fluctuation in temp during the first few days impacted the eggs, which stinks, but it is November and I don't normally hatch anything until January. I think I will get 5-6 from this hatch. I am okay with that.

Good luck on the hatch! I am going to try January hatches this year. Not sure how smart that is for me.

 

[Minniechickmama]

morning
THUD yes I am online
I am committed to staying more in touch with my fellow chicken aficionados!

Of course I've got a question -- I've read when a hen is 'getting ready' to move into the laying phase of their life they will often be seen squatting at various times as they scratch, free range.

Well I've got a LO who seems to prefer squatting and sitting to walking. Nothing wrong with her legs - I can't decide if she's a little touched in the head or if she might bet trying to graduate to that phase of life. This has been going on some weeks now and no eggs from her or her sibling?

And does anyone know a good source for LO? I just adore their color. I'm a purple fanatic so why not bring it to chickens too. And is there a name for the Americana's that are all black but their feathers are gorgeous multiple colors when the sun hits them?

Ralphie - Lena said hello. Oh she was furious with me last night. Decided she was going to roost on the peacock cage (on it but it's covered with a tarped building) and then the guineas let her know that was THEIR perch. She chased them off and then I made her move. I got the stank eye glare all the way to the coop. She doesn't understand owl bait yet I don't think....

You may need to watch that pullet. She may have an egg she is trying to get out. I would think that a good warm water soak might be in order just to help her. If left too long, bad things happen if it is an egg bound situation. Feel her abdomen, if an egg is bound up, you can often feel it. Her abdomen should be soft and pliable, not lumpy or hard or squishy like a water balloon.

You brought up a pet peeve of mine, and I know I will sound like a poultry snob, but....
Lavender, is not the color you love. It is really called Self Blue, but someone (probably on this site) started calling them Lavender when they wanted to start selling them, and probably never made the effort to look into what the color was supposed to be called, but made up a pretty name to sell them at a soaker price. I agree, they are pretty, but hearing Lavender just gives me the twitchies (I wish there was an emoticon for that).


There is not special name for Black birds who have that green iridescent sheen, all black birds, pretty much should appear that way. That is a sign of a good, rich coloration, but mostly that the feathers are very healthy. Notice as a bird gets close to molt, that sheen and color both start fading, they become dry and dull looking where they are losing the moisture and oils and drying out as they are getting ready to drop.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Good luck on the hatch!

I am going to try January hatches this year. Not sure how smart that is for me.

Well, dear man, you better string up those lights then. Getting them laying in December can be a pain in the butt and you will need to provide ample light to get them to do it. Since you have all those different pens, you could get some solar powered Christmas lights to put in them. Just make sure they are secure so the birds don't flap and break them or the wire. I used some one year (still have a couple of strings of them) and found they blink. Not what I wanted. But i am going to hang the remaining ones in the outdoor runs this year just for fun, and maybe across the front of the brooder house. That is, while I look for some that are not blinking to put in a couple of the small coops.

 

[duluthralphie]

Well, dear man, you better string up those lights then.  Getting them laying in December can be a pain in the butt and you will need to provide ample light to get them to do it.  Since you have all those different pens, you could get some solar powered Christmas lights to put in them.  Just make sure they are secure so the birds don't flap and break them or the wire.  I used some one year (still have a couple of strings of them) and found they blink.  Not what I wanted.  But i am going to hang the remaining ones in the outdoor runs this year just for fun, and maybe across the front of the brooder house.  That is, while I look for some that are not blinking to put in a couple of the small coops.

 

The only ones I will hatch in January are the creamette eggs. At the rate they lay them I should hve 3 eggs in the incubator at a time.

I have lights in their coop. I just have to decide to turn the timer on. I will wait with the rest of them. All my pens could be a pain to have to light up.

 

[Minniechickmama]

The only ones I will hatch in January are the creamette eggs. At the rate they lay them I should hve 3 eggs in the incubator at a time.

I have lights in their coop. I just have to decide to turn the timer on. I will wait with the rest of them. All my pens could be a pain to have to light up.

I see, said the blind man.

 

[scandiafowl]

I see, said the blind man.

You do?, said the deaf man.

 

[duluthralphie]

HUH?? Said this confused dumb man...