***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Adorkable]

My girls eat the okra seeds.

I pulled a bunch of pears off the tree in august and they sat in the fridge for 2 weeks. I think they're moonglow too. They were rock hard and really grainy when I got them off the tree and I put them in the fridge. Just ate one and it was nice and tender and not grainy at all. It was delicious! The chickens love em too!

 

[Matt in Okla]

Sort of off topic but has anyone heard of Jade Helm 15 going on in the lower states?

I'm retired military. Training in the public isn't new but more transparent today than in the past. Unusual? No. Worthy of keeping an eye on? Yes
"We The People" should always watch, listen and participate otherwise you won't have what you have. It's not "someone" else's duty because we are someone. Pass the butter and the ammo

Well it's over and one get invaded? Trust in your sons and daughters that serve to know the difference in lawful and unlawful orders. BUT keep watch as we all do to our children anyway.

 

[bardies]

Dang, its been about two weeks and 12 pages since I've been on I will need to go back and catch up. So here is the latest thing....
Young pullet (still a chick really - but feathered) probably got stepped on and has broken her leg. It just hangs there at the knee (elbow?), and I can feel that it has disconnected at the joint - so maybe it is just dislocated and not broken? Any folks in the know have advice as what to look at and the chances of it healing if I tried to work with it. Honestly though, my patience for tough cases has gone noticeably down over the last year or so .

As a side note - having skunk problems. Mostly just tunneling into pens for food. Once a bird got eaten. They looked to be baby skunks and could not spray about a week and a half ago. No more birds have gone missing but they continue to tunnel and are now making tunnels under and around the metal screens/grates/ I have put down to block them. Last night, I think my dog got sprayed. It was a bad spray or a beginning dribble or whatever...otherwise, I would have KNOWN the dog was sprayed. Either way, the problem is only going to get worse, they are beginning to 'own' my yard. Besides trapping them and then dispatching via bullet/bb... any advice?

 

[NanaKat]

Okra...split tough okra lengthwise and the birds pick out the seeds. Par boil it and freeze for winter meals. Or cut it and freeze to add to soups or fry.
Pears are good for birds. Mine get the peeling ,cores and damaged Frits. We can pears in light syrup.

Atwoods in Shawnee had many yellow baby ducks and a few Black Sex Link left.

 

[Matt in Okla]

As a side note - having skunk problems. Mostly just tunneling into pens for food. Once a bird got eaten. They looked to be baby skunks and could not spray about a week and a half ago. No more birds have gone missing but they continue to tunnel and are now making tunnels under and around the metal screens/grates/ I have put down to block them. Last night, I think my dog got sprayed. It was a bad spray or a beginning dribble or whatever...otherwise, I would have KNOWN  the dog was sprayed. Either way, the problem is only going to get worse, they are beginning to 'own' my yard. Besides trapping them and then dispatching via bullet/bb... any advice?

Elevate or suspend the food off the ground where the chickens can eat but not the baby skunks. Cheap metal tent stakes, metal sucker rod etc drove into the ground will deter the tunnels.
Try placing a light in a close but different area. That tends to draw in June bugs n such which skunks love. They will eat an easy meal over digging and the light helps line up your sights

 

[NanaKat]

Dang, its been about two weeks and 12 pages since I've been on I will need to go back and catch up. So here is the latest thing....
Young pullet (still a chick really - but feathered) probably got stepped on and has broken her leg. It just hangs there at the knee (elbow?), and I can feel that it has disconnected at the joint - so maybe it is just dislocated and not broken? Any folks in the know have advice as what to look at and the chances of it healing if I tried to work with it. Honestly though, my patience for tough cases has gone noticeably down over the last year or so  .

As a side note - having skunk problems. Mostly just tunneling into pens for food. Once a bird got eaten. They looked to be baby skunks and could not spray about a week and a half ago. No more birds have gone missing but they continue to tunnel and are now making tunnels under and around the metal screens/grates/ I have put down to block them. Last night, I think my dog got sprayed. It was a bad spray or a beginning dribble or whatever...otherwise, I would have KNOWN  the dog was sprayed. Either way, the problem is only going to get worse, they are beginning to 'own' my yard. Besides trapping them and then dispatching via bullet/bb... any advice?

On the leg ...I have splinted and taped a broken leg and it has healed. Wrap the leg in cotton. Use Popsicle sticks cut to length. Use stretchy athletic tape to cover it. Not sure how to handle the dislocation but it needs to be secured.
Skunks tunneling in...trap using cat food. Bullet. A skunk will use its tunnel. Might try those spring mole traps.
Straight hydrogen peroxide with a little Dawn detergent gets rid of the skunk smell. We pour it on, rub it in and rinse the dog.

 

[GaryDean26]

Oh, nice! Which atwoods? Did they have guinnea Keets?

It was the McAlester, OK 74501 Atwoods. I didn't look close but think they had chick, ducklings, and poults. I don't think they had any keets. The poults were also a new thing for me. I know that I never saw any of them at the feed store in Marble Falls, TX. Keets would have suprised me even more than poults to see at a feed store. Expecially in September. Don't they know the breeding season is from February - June?

 

[bardies]

This was my Blue Breda Guldre cockerel.


This is not the best photo but below was my Splash Breda Gueldre Pullet. TheY are a really mellow breed. The are so gentile you can even put two cockerels in the same pen with out problems. They have feathered feet and vulture hocks. They lay white eggs. The unique thing about them is that they are the only combless breed of chickens.

What neat birds!

 

[miohippus]

I pick them when they're sweet and put them in the refrigerator for a week or two and that softens them up. Enjoy!

Yes, and if you and your family don't like them I'm sure your birds will.
I brought a bushel of apples and a bushel of zucchini from MI, both more than my family could eat. The zucchini is the most popular.

Ok, thanks... A lot of them are pretty high not sure if I can get them all but I can get a few

 

[casportpony]

Thought some of you might enjoy this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-byc-getting-his-groove-on-in-a-wedding-dance

-Kathy