NY chicken lover!!!!

[Tough Old Bird]

Hello everyone,

Another quick check in after a bit of an absence. Life's a blur, but I think that's the way it goes here in the "Sandwich Generation."



Jlaw, best of luck moving forward, step by step, away from your addiction. Regardless of what inner turmoil people might be going through, I think talking with people who have been there and understand is a great benefit. I hope you'll find a good support network. Meanwhile, I believe in prayers, so you're getting some from this Tough Old Bird.

Stony, I am truly very sorry to learn that you suffered the loss of your daughter. As a parent, it is something that is unbearable to consider. Do you feel closer to her when you are doing certain things? Music? Being in the outdoors?

Lynzi, sounds like you're in need of spring time and some good positive vibes, too! Hang in there!

This past prolonged cold snap just about made me mental. Chickens aren't much impressed with the weather, either, although they were happy today with the more civilized temp's and sunshine. A south wind is really gusting up here now, though...the price we pay for the rising mercury.

Rancher, the 2nd Columbian Rock "Ursa" finally started to lay last week. What you said was true: "just when you think they're never going to lay, they start." Only 1 left to lay, and that's the little optically-challenged Brabanter.


Take care everyone! The weekend's almost here...


TOB

 

[Cydney83]

I prefer "unique."

Gotta say that AA is a good thing. I've attended a few open meetings, and they are powerful in their support. Once I went because things were horrible that day and I just wanted to feel that total acceptance. You leave feeling way better than when you went in. You will find your way. My husbands father was an alcoholic, and if our life were different, DH might have gone that way. Both my sons have had DUIs, but the program they must participate in was helpful, made them do the hard work and look at everything. I think they will be ok, I am sure they won't drive if they have had a couple of drinks. I think I'm ok. But then, I am kinda unique.

On to chickens. Lynzi, I am so sorry it is not working. Such disappointment, and sadness.

I looked out and saw a big hawk perched on the chain link fence to the chickens pen. Not a chicken to be seen, just a coop with the door open. I thought I wanted a picture of that bird, but he heard my camera turn on and flew away. Everyone was jammed into the corner, or nest boxes and very quiet.
Later in the day Earl took them outside, and they walked and pecked the ground I had shoveled.

Tomorrow is another day, may it be a good one for us all.

My father was an alcoholic, so I too am very careful, I have clear memories of a rough childhood! I still enjoy wine and making it. But one glass and I am done!

I saw a huge hawk in the run, we have fishing line over the top, tomorrow I am adding the spinning CDs. I didn't see a chicken in sight also!

 

[Cydney83]

Lynzi - go to walmart.. They have thermometer / hygrometers. The brand is accurite, they're digital. It's about 2" x 3" fits in my brinsea, laying on its side. You might get different temp readings between the brinsea thermometer & the accurite one. I go by the brinsea thermometer.

As far as water. I bought a mixed bag of thin, thin sponges, but they were the size of a sheet of paper. I cut them in strips about 1.5" - 2" wide and long enough so that they curl into the bottom of the water well and comeback up to lay on the floor of the bator under the hatching tray. You have to play around with the amount of water in the well with the sponge and how many sponges you need to maintain the humidity you want. Then I take a piece of aquarium airline, cut one end at an angle and slide it thru the air vent on top down thru a hole in the egg tray right into the water channel. When the humidity gets low I use a needless syringe to injet water down the line into the channel. Add small amounts at a time and wait about a half hour to recheck humidity, before adding more water.

Don't give up................. it takes practice and patience to figure out how to get the best hatch rate from our bators. I've had some awesome hatches and some really crappy ones, It will come.

Who is she kidding....she has had some fantastic hatches doing it this way! Good luck Lynzi it will all come together!

 

[JLaw]

Thanks for all the support guys and gals. I've stopped before for like amonth but desided to do weekends and it just snow balled back to 8-12 beers a night again. Night before last was a 9 12 ounce and 1 16 ounce. Last night was rum and coke. Nothing in house cept wifes wine but i dont like wine and wont drink it. We went to a chocolate affair tonight and i wanted to see how bad the chocolate beer tasted but desided I'd better not i don't want to drink any more at all.

Well wife is driving to ohio tomorrow to get a dishwasher from my mom since they are selling house in april and don't need it in flordia. I think i may tare down my sons walls and redo his room if i can get home depot to let me buy the stuff on my wifes card lol. His room is always the coldest as it has that wood paneling on walls i think it would be easiest to redo no plaster to deal with. Tomorrow I'm going to make my house look even worse. Going to buy plywood and put it around the bottom of house to stop wind from going through the craw space. Its getting in even after using great stuff since i cant fill the whole wall with figure just block the wall altogether.

 

[Cydney83]

hi im alex from the bronx(yes many people keep all kind of things on the down low here, stupid laws with no freedom to have anything cool and nice) and am a quail newbie. i want to connect with local city folk raising quail and similiar birds for fun, food, and education! i wonder if theres local bird clubs around here, cant wait til the weather warms up!

Welcome!

 

[Cydney83]

I just found out that our propane company offers a lock in. Pretty much from second week of oct to second week of nov you can buy as much propane as you want and have it delivered all winter at that price. Guy at work put like 3 grand down and he's getting his propane for 1.59 a gallon where I'm paying like 2.20 a gallon and other places its up to 2.59 or more. Just an idea to see if they're company offers it for next year.

Only thing is you have to have the money at that time of lock in and once you use all the funds you go back to what ever they are charging at the time.

I wish ours was that price! I think it was 3.29 last week!

 

[Gramma Chick]

hi im alex from the bronx(yes many people keep all kind of things on the down low here, stupid laws with no freedom to have anything cool and nice) and am a quail newbie. i want to connect with local city folk raising quail and similiar birds for fun, food, and education! i wonder if theres local bird clubs around here, cant wait til the weather warms up!

Welcome

 

[Gramma Chick]

Quote: Our Propane company has a budget plan available ..also they deliver every month ..even summer
They get a better price that way & so do we . Our heat & hot water is propane so we need some anyway even in the summer

 

[Gramma Chick]

Thanks for all the support guys and gals. I've stopped before for like amonth but desided to do weekends and it just snow balled back to 8-12 beers a night again. Night before last was a 9 12 ounce and 1 16 ounce. Last night was rum and coke. Nothing in house cept wifes wine but i dont like wine and wont drink it. We went to a chocolate affair tonight and i wanted to see how bad the chocolate beer tasted but desided I'd better not i don't want to drink any more at all.

Well wife is driving to ohio tomorrow to get a dishwasher from my mom since they are selling house in april and don't need it in flordia. I think i may tare down my sons walls and redo his room if i can get home depot to let me buy the stuff on my wifes card lol. His room is always the coldest as it has that wood paneling on walls i think it would be easiest to redo no plaster to deal with. Tomorrow I'm going to make my house look even worse. Going to buy plywood and put it around the bottom of house to stop wind from going through the craw space. Its getting in even after using great stuff since i cant fill the whole wall with figure just block the wall altogether.

It is a big thing to admit it & that is a start . I am proud of you !
One thing also is dont bring it in the house ..If it is there you will drink it .
When your tempted ..think of your family ..and the harm it would be to them .

I cant think of anything to put on the outside of the house besides plywood ...that could work ..
This wind this year has not helped in either

 

[Pyxis]

Well, I'm starting to think that one particular EE chick is a cockerel. Just feathering in too pretty to be a pullet. I could be wrong. However, I think I'll keep him if he is a he, since I lost Lime. The flock is so big that when I free range it breaks into sections and I like to have a rooster for each half. So one lucky EE rooster is staying. Plus I like the idea that I can make more EEs if I want in the future.

After much searching and trips to three different feed stores, I finally got ahold of a thirty pound hanging feeder. This way if I'm running late for work and there's just no time to pop out and feed the birds for a day, no worries. Plus I'll know that they're getting enough. Lime seemed a little skinny to me when I looked him over. Not sure if that's because Honey was keeping him from food or if I might have been underfeeding. Either way the hanging feeder should fix that issue too.

The fox bait chickens (I really should name them, the one cochin cross that supposedly lays a blue egg is named Puff, so I might keep that) refuse to come out of the coop. They've been sulking in there for two days. Whereas my flock is out in the run enjoying the sunshine, they won't budge from the coop. Maybe the warmer weather this weekend will draw them out. I know they have to be coming out to drink at any rate.

And my barred cochin hen that featherz gave me flew out of the coop that she and my mille fleur pair were in and joined the main flock. No scuffling at all, except with the fox bait gang, and I'm going to leave her. Since my little buff barred cockerel passed away in the cold I don't hav anyone to put her with anyway so her and her daughter would have joined the laying flock this spring sooner or later.

JLaw: Congratulations on taking the first step. Alcoholism runs strongly in the family on my mother's side. Her mother was an alcoholic, her father is a functioning alcoholic, and she was too when she was younger. She stopped cold turkey as soon as she got pregnant with me and has not had a drink in 22 years. I just celebrated my 21st birthday and plan to be very, very careful about drinking.