NY chicken lover!!!!

[Lynzi777]

Lynzi it looks awesome. I was wondering how it turned out. I remember your pictures from the spring when you were trying to get the water to flow in & out. It seems your ducks are very happy with it as well 

Yea I had started with the kiddie pool but didn't like it and the land is so hard to "shape" over there because not only is it a hill, it's all mud! So I finally said forget the pool, and one day I went out there and just started digging and digging, throwing all the extra dirt/mud in front of the water flow to build a wall and from there on just kept at it. I would work at it a little while, let the mud settle, see how deep I dug, went in and dug out some more, etc etc. it's now a good foot and a half deep in some parts and shallower in others. So it gives the ducks areas to "step up" and out of the pond.

 

[rancher hicks]

It's just a running joke I have with BYC members about how I feel about silkies. It's nothing personal. I don't believe that silkies are Real chickens.

 

[ke5hde]

Wanted to share a pic of my almost completed pond!

Looks great. I'm sure they love it.

 

[Tough Old Bird]

miquwid & Nutty - hope you are both recovering from your respective injuries / ailments. I have been dealing with a stomach bug the past few days. Definitely NOT fun. It's that time of year...

Rancher - regarding the scratch distributed around the pen....I do this all the time. It's just that we have so much stinkin' clay, here and now there is absolutely no vegetation left in the pen. So I rake it up good when I clean and then mix some sand in about once a month, just to keep things a little more pleasant for the girls. Seeing them walking around on hard-packed, barren clay irks me.

Lynzi - the pond looks GREAT! Another DIY project under the belt: A+ .

Glasshen - several of us on BYC have commented on the poor state of affairs at the poultry exhibit. Even to a novice like me, it was startling to see. I wonder if some folks who brought birds to the fair consider them to be "disposable" and didn't make any real effort to see that their animals were well cared for.

TOB

 

[Gramma Chick]

Quote: Mine have been in when the hawk roosted ..visited as far as I know . I am sure the hawk is in no danger from me throwing anything at it ..

 

[Gramma Chick]

miquwid & Nutty - hope you are both recovering from your respective injuries / ailments. I have been dealing with a stomach bug the past few days. Definitely NOT fun. It's that time of year...

Rancher - regarding the scratch distributed around the pen....I do this all the time. It's just that we have so much stinkin' clay, here and now there is absolutely no vegetation left in the pen. So I rake it up good when I clean and then mix some sand in about once a month, just to keep things a little more pleasant for the girls. Seeing them walking around on hard-packed, barren clay irks me.

Lynzi - the pond looks GREAT! Another DIY project under the belt: A+ .

Glasshen - several of us on BYC have commented on the poor state of affairs at the poultry exhibit. Even to a novice like me, it was startling to see. I wonder if some folks who brought birds to the fair consider them to be "disposable" and didn't make any real effort to see that their animals were well cared for.

TOB

THE STATE FAIR - I have a friend who does 4h for the whole fair with kids in her area of Canandaigua,NY
She brought some of her birds to show this year Here is what she says :

I lost 3,,and all others on antibiotic,and isolated from my laying flock. They have shown no symptoms,as of yet.The 3 I lost had been in a separate area,as they came home with symptoms,so I housed hem in an old Photomat building,that I use to brood spring chicks.I am blessed,,to have had enough areas to place ill,potential,,and unexposed birds.
Thanks for asking,,it was an expensive show,esp when we add in the losses.Some lost all the birds they took,,others,,have lost none. It depended on age,and health or animals.It hit the younger ones esp hard.

All birds are tested for certain things,,but a virus like what we had in the barn is not tested for.Some of the 4-H kids tested birds when they got home,and it was $100 per test! Its not cheap,,but knowing this,,in the future,I will vaccinate my flock against this,before I take them to shows.

Here is what is required to enter
http://www.nysfair.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/2013-Poultry-rules-regulations-classes.pdf

 

[Breella]

THE STATE FAIR - I have a friend who does 4h for the whole fair with kids in her area of Canandaigua,NY
She brought some of her birds to show this year Here is what she says :

I lost 3,,and all others on antibiotic,and isolated from my laying flock. They have shown no symptoms,as of yet.The 3 I lost had been in a separate area,as they came home with symptoms,so I housed hem in an old Photomat building,that I use to brood spring chicks.I am blessed,,to have had enough areas to place ill,potential,,and unexposed birds.
Thanks for asking,,it was an expensive show,esp when we add in the losses.Some lost all the birds they took,,others,,have lost none. It depended on age,and health or animals.It hit the younger ones esp hard.

All birds are tested for certain things,,but a virus like what we had in the barn is not tested for.Some of the 4-H kids tested birds when they got home,and it was $100 per test! Its not cheap,,but knowing this,,in the future,I will vaccinate my flock against this,before I take them to shows.

Here is what is required to enter
http://www.nysfair.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/2013-Poultry-rules-regulations-classes.pdf

What disease did they decide the birds had?

 

[Lapeerian]

What disease did they decide the birds had?

Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT)

 

[Glasshen]

It seems wrong that people who have good intentions, reputable breeders and serious hobby folks and kids in 4H in order to compete at the Fair practically have to write off the birds they plan to show after paying a great deal of money to show them...Just seems wrong. Competing at the fair should be an honor, not a place sleazy breeders just bring sick dreary feather picked birds with mites crammed together in huge numbers.

Perhaps limiting the entrants to 5 or 10 birds?

 

[miquwid]

TOB thanks

Lynzi the pond looks great.

somehow I'm going to finish today, and hopefully work on a few other projects and maybe if I feel like it homework!

My injured brabanter pullet is not only doing very well but is growing very well, she has beautiful tail feathers, a 3 piece beard, her mohawk, and her V comb is coming in nicely.

I know I missed a few post but I hope all is well!