Nevadans?

[SunnyDawn]

Quote:

Brazen fowl you have there! I don't let my dogs around the chickens. Well outside the run but that's all. They are learning to ignore them but I don't trust them. I'm not sure they know that they are herding dogs not hunting dogs. Besides everyone likes chicken. Even chickens like chicken!

That would be sooo cool if you could come down for the next get together!

 

[americanvalkyrie]

Missy, has the sparkly stuff worked then? We have mourning doves and the dreaded pigeons too that eat the snack food we toss to the birds. I heard the sparkly stuff will detract them and I also heard it works on hawks but that I have no clue to.

I noticed a visible difference. Last year, I had seeds that didn't sprout (probably scratched and eaten by birds) and bites taken out of stuff that had sprouted. I went to the dollar store and bought some mylar flags that were on sale for 4th of July. It worked great because it was 8 flags on a streamer. I just separated the flags, slit each flag a few times so it was like a large fringe, and tied them to poles or stapled them to the tops of the fences.

Some birds, though, are still too smart for their own good. So I'm sure it doesn't detract all birds... bluejays will tease a dog. They probably wouldn't be too frightened by something shiny and flapping.

You can see one of the flags on the pole by Sahara here. This was late October (Halloween, actually) so the flags had torn up a little bit.

 

[americanvalkyrie]

Brazen fowl you have there! I don't let my dogs around the chickens. Well outside the run but that's all. They are learning to ignore them but I don't trust them. I'm not sure they know that they are herding dogs not hunting dogs. Besides everyone likes chicken. Even chickens like chicken!

That would be sooo cool if you could come down for the next get together!

I'm thrilled that I can trust my dogs alone all day with the chickens. As far as eating each other's food, Tater has taken a liking for tomatoes. So I've seen her bare her teeth once at Original when they both went after the same tomato. I scolded her, and she hasn't tried that since. Now, they just group together and eat food together... chicken scratch, broccoli, whatever. My dogs are used to sharing food, though. Shadow was such a queen of the house that the others had to learn really fast to just share and not argue.

 

[pigtail21]

I contemplated buying blue swedish this year, but decided on cayugas for my daughter... all the reviews said cayugas were quieter. How's your experience with blue swedish and noise/activeness?

Sebastapol goslings! Oh, she is so lucky! Those birds are so beautiful!

I might come by Feed World on Saturday... my husband will probably discourage me, because I might just bring something home. Is anyone else going?

Sunny, what an amazing story! Are you going to try to keep her, after such a survival effort

Well our blue swedish is really loud!!! She was raised as an only duck then lived with Call Ducks and we thought she learned her noisy mouth from them but I think it is Swedish!! But I only have one so not sure!

Hope to see you at the swap!

 

[americanvalkyrie]

Well our blue swedish is really loud!!! She was raised as an only duck then lived with Call Ducks and we thought she learned her noisy mouth from them but I think it is Swedish!! But I only have one so not sure!

Hope to see you at the swap!

I'll have to get a few more opinions before I commit to one. We live in the old Southwest, where I have a big yard but very close neighbors. This is our first experience with ducks ever, though, so we're still going to see how it goes. Both cayugas and harlequins are supposed to be fairly calm and quiet.

Well, I had a huge talk with the kiddos today. Getting them to help out has been like pulling teeth lately. I told them, I realize I've taken on a lot of extra projects that take a lot of extra work. I know they would rather play. Paid employment and schoolwork are mandatory, but gardens and chickens are optional things that we do to make life better. And I asked them if they felt it was too much work, if I needed to drop some of my endeavors to produce things ourselves. It would mean spending more money on food, and less on fun. The chickens are my babies, and I'll do the work myself if I need to, but that means they can't eat or sell the eggs. They said they'd try harder to pitch in, because they enjoyed the benefits and realized the importance.

Last year, we had a problem with Sahara's refusal to work in the garden when asked. So we told her that she couldn't eat out of the garden until she helped with it. And since I cooked with garden produce every day, that meant she had to cook her own food. Luckily, I taught her how to cook a few years ago. She held strong for two weeks, complaining about it, until she finally gave in and started helping again. She admitted that the benefits were worth the work, and she wasn't going to coast on the benefits without offering help.

 

[pigtail21]

I am bad about reading the posts, but when I did I noticed the swap this weekend at Feed World. Is there some I can read more about it, maybe I missed it on the loop. Can anyone come? Can we bring some of our 6 week olds to swap? We have some Barred Rocks, and would like maybe some others.
Do we need to pre sign up, or is this just an informal gathering?
Sorry for all the questions...
Jann

HI Jan

Anyone can come to the swap and bring birds to sell or swap! This swap is put on by my poultry club, Northern Nevada Poultry Fanciers Association (NNPFA) we do the swaps to get people excited and interested in poultry and to help people find homes for unwanted roos....(NNPFA will take unwanted roos for a $5 donation) We do this as a fundraiser for our Annual Poultry show in November(11/17/12 this year) Held at the Fairgrounds in the Livestock Pavillion. It is an amazing show, with extraordinary birds on exhibit. We have to pay $2100 just for the building rental which is difficult for a small club like ours made up of volunteers... We are also hoping to host a Marans Egg Show this year, we almost did last year but the guy doing the show got in an auto accident in the snow

so that was a bummer. I see everyone posting here about their new Marans so some of you might be interested in an egg contest? judging the eggs for darkness uniformity etc...( i have never been to an egg show so excited to have one here!!)

The chicken swap and sale is 8-2pm, bring your own table and cages,(possibly a tent if it rains

and NNPFA just asks for a nominal donation to the club show fund( depending on how many birds you plan to sell $10 - $20 )
My mom will have some tack for sale, I will have chicks and ducklings for sale....

Feed World 315 Spokane St of 4th street west of D Bar M. PM me if you have any other questions! Julie~

 

[VCfeathers]

Hi Everyone,

So for those of us that can make it 10 a.m. at the swap on Saturday? That's what I read right?

Sorry I've kind of been off and on today. I loaded and unloaded 300 semi truck tires so I can use them to build a much needed retaining wall here. I'm a bit tired and sore.

Ron I love your run! it's great, and your coop looks about the same size as mine. I'll have to borrow your ideas for the run. My honey thinks its overkill, but we have one of the few natural springs around and have already seen on our property mustangs, deer, rabbit, quail, martins, pack rats, mice, hawks, vultures, coons, bobcat, coyotes, and cougar tracks and heard them. I'd rather know my birds are safe and pampered then dinner for the wildlife. besides they'll probably need to stay locked up on market days. My honey also thinks we don't need to share an order of chicks and should keep all 25 ourselves.

So a bigger more secure run will definitely be required.

If I missed anyone ladies then I'm sorry, but I am dead on my feet. I'll try to be more thorough tomorrow.

 

[pigtail21]

Happy Birthday Elizabeth!! Sorry to hear about your sour stomach.

Mandy, my MIL grew up in VC. Her father was a civil engineer. In harder times people paid him by giving him chickens and such when he surveryed their property. Her mother passed away a few years ago, they are both buried in the VC cemetary. My MIL didn't know what to do with the house. There was 3 people trying to buy it from her, the County Commissioner was one of them. Her parents bought 3 parcels and only developed 1 parcel for their house and office because her mother didn't like to have neighbors too close by. The Commissioner wanted to tear down her house and office so he could build apartments there. Thank goodness it didn't happen. I think it would have ruined the historic house. John and I four wheeled out there in that valley you live in. I always dreamed of living there everytime we drove by it. My MIL rents out the house now.

I was planing on being at the swap around 10am since it fits in good with my schedule of stuff I have going on.

Julie, do you know if Heather is going to be there with her WH's?

Pam, it would be nice to meet you someday when it's better for you. I'm hoping for a get together again this year like we did last year.

I got an email from Heather asking about selling chickens but she didn't say anything about WH... I will have Cayuga cross ducklings there.

 

[americanvalkyrie]

Hi Everyone,

So for those of us that can make it 10 a.m. at the swap on Saturday? That's what I read right?

I have a morning client, so I couldn't make it until 11am. I might just miss everyone.

Sahara wants to go, but she's with her dad that day. I told her, if it's really important to her, then have her dad or grandmother call me for the location.

My husband is even interested in going, though he doesn't want to buy. I think we're up to our ears in poultry this year, but I can always make a list for next year and get names of who offers them.

UNLESS something happens to one of Sahara's ducks as they travel in the mail. In that case, I'll be in the market for a cayuga cross or two. What are they crossed with?

 

[pigtail21]

Yep, she came from a very dark egg so I will keep her for sure.

Congrats on the hatch and the goslings Julie!



That is the hardest part! I try not to intervene much but I am not good at keeping my mitts off! haha Since I caused this problem in the first place though I had to try. Of course I intervene on a regular basis so that excuse doesn't fly either. Yes I've had to cull a couple that I "saved" cause there was a reason they couldn't hatch (well there's always a reason but you know what I mean). But there are a dozen babies that have made it because I intervened and they grew up happy and healthy! So I will probably keep helping out when I feel like a little fighter just needs a little help.

Thanks Sunny!

Congrats on your SAVE!! I too have to admit that I help from time to time with chicks.... And I have to help my little call ducks out all the time..... their little beaks and huge heads make it difficult to externally pip, so I watch for the internal pip, then wait about half a day and make a small hole for breathing, wait another 6-8 hours, gently remove the big end of the egg shell, use a wet Q-tip to work the membrane off of duckling and I try to wrap the membrane over the outer shell,I gently help them get their head free, once I have made enough room for them to wiggle out on their own I put them back and leave them to hatch the rest of the way....and absorb their yolk. I also hatch my calls upright in egg cartons which helps to prevent drowning in the shell. Sometimes the membrane gets stuck on their backs and I have to loosen that.... I love my little call babies, they have so much attitude on day one it is hilarious!