***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Chickenfan4life]

Granddaughters are here for the weekend. I bought a toddler bed and mattress, two car seats, a high chair, a booster chair, and linens. DH installed the safety gate at the top of the stairs yesterday. I think we're ready to baby sit.

No eggs for the past few days. Maybe we'll get a little sunshine this weekend to jumpstart the hens.

Gee, you went all out.

Have fun with them! I am so not a kids' person.

No eggs from my girls, either.

 

[i-love-my-honey]

I am still "newer" to chickens. But I am glad Igot my first chicks last year from hatchey stock. That way I could figure out what I like. I really LIKE them ALL. But there are some I fell in love with. I love Orphington, Astraulorp, Dottes. I want one of each, plus the Sussexs I'm ordering, and maybe a Welsummer. We are also getting 2 silkies. those will be in a separate mini coop because those are for 4H and our project is going to be trying to sell silkies. Not sure where it will go... but it is a project.

I have thought about getting my girls involved with 4H, I am just spread so thin anyway, I just don't think I can add one more thing... :0/ Plus, spring is coming and I coach a USATF track team in Edmond/OKC area - once practice starts in March I will not be able to look up again until the end of June!

 

[i-love-my-honey]

Hatchery birds to be used as layers are designed to produce on just layer pellets for their 2 to 3 year productive life in a confined layer pen with limited exercise.
I get healthy strong girls who will age longer by allowing them to free range year round, supplementing in winter with fresh greens, adding meat protein occasionally, fresh water with Apple cider vinegar rotated with Oxine in addition to their 18% layer pellet and scratch and oyster shell.
As for proper care...provide an uncrowded dry draft free coop and sleeping roosts with plenty of good ventilation, plenty of nest boxes, clean pest-free nest bedding, scheduled pest management, an indoor dust box and shelter from summer heat.
I do supplement with red heat lamps in the layer room in winter but I don't add light bulbs to extend the hours of artificial light. Sunlight is more natural and I let the bird follow their own cycle.
As the hens have aged, their production has naturally decreased from the 5-7 eggs a week as young layers to the 2-3 as older hens. Several of my girls like NNN and Alice have been broody and raised chicks several times in their lifetime.

I will study this more when I am not blurry eyed from the day. I am sure I will have more questions for you (like what is Oxine and how much ACV you use in their water). I want to be as nice to my chickens as I can so they will have a happy life! :0)

 

[CayuseRanch]

Hope that you are feeling better now!

This reminds me of friends of ours when we were in Yokosuka Japan. They lived off base in an older, traditional Japanese home. They had a larger family so actually had a house (instead of an apartment like we did). The bathrooms were unheated somehow and one winter I recall them complaining about the shampoo freezing!

You were in Yokuska? Mj's hubby and I knew each other in 1993 from Atsugi but didn't meet again till I went to tour mj's coops!

 

[Kassaundra]

Hope that you are feeling better now!

This reminds me of friends of ours when we were in Yokosuka Japan. They lived off base in an older, traditional Japanese home. They had a larger family so actually had a house (instead of an apartment like we did). The bathrooms were unheated somehow and one winter I recall them complaining about the shampoo freezing!

I am feeling better this morning thanks. Oh and the bubbles didn't freeze. It is suppose to get real cold again Tues I'll try then.

 

[Kassaundra]

Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry.

Are you okay, now?

I don't have athsma, but I have the beginning of what appears to be a fainting disorder. It's not neurological or heart related, as we had thought it was, but I will actually have issues that the doctor said were prelude to fainting.

So that could be a problem later on...

Thanks I am feeling better today. Sorry about your problem, I hope they figure out at least what triggers it.

 

[Poco Pollo]

Gee, you went all out.

Have fun with them! I am so not a kids' person.

No eggs from my girls, either.

Our youngest daughter is a nurse, and her shift changed from weekday days to all weekend. Daycare options are few and expensive, so Granny and Pop-pop's house seemed the best solution. This work schedule could become permanent, so buying the essentials, like car seats and beds, wasn't optional.

I've been thinking about Black Spanish turkeys. I read somewhere that hawks look down at a flock that includes Black Spanish turkeys and mistakes them for carrion birds, so the hawks stay away. Does anybody know if this is true? The turkey Kyzmette, Shelbydog, and I met a few weekends ago was too social to be considered a carrion bird. He sure was handsome, but his behavior was more like that of a puppy than a vulture.

 

[shelbydog]

Our youngest daughter is a nurse, and her shift changed from weekday days to all weekend. Daycare options are few and expensive, so Granny and Pop-pop's house seemed the best solution. This work schedule could become permanent, so buying the essentials, like car seats and beds, wasn't optional. I've been thinking about Black Spanish turkeys. I read somewhere that hawks look down at a flock that includes Black Spanish turkeys and mistakes them for carrion birds, so the hawks stay away. Does anybody know if this is true? The turkey Kyzmette, Shelbydog, and I met a few weekends ago was too social to be considered a carrion bird. He sure was handsome, but his behavior was more like that of a puppy than a vulture.

I've been thinking about getting black Spanish myself.

 

[shelbydog]

Lets talk taxes.....there was a post on a Missouri Facebook page about reporting chickens when they file taxes. These people sounded like regular backyard flock owners. Do/should backyard flock owners submit chicken expenses when filing taxes?

 

[NanaKat]

We are running 100 momma cows and have expenses beyond the backyard chicken owner so we
have a farm tax number for the farm. That way we get a tax exemption on feed for livestock, cattle and supplies therefor I keep a separate ledger for those expenses and the Schedule F form (profit or loss from farming) is used on filing federal taxes. It covered all aspects of farming/ranch expenses including equipment, etc. My chicken feed, meds and upkeep are expenses allowed in the farm tax area.

If you sell eggs, chicks, etc it is considered income. You offset the income by keeping records on your expenses. If you are operating at a loss as a "hobby farmer" ...which might describe most who have a small flock, then you may want to explore claiming it. To see if you want to offset your regular income by the "loss" by those expenses. then ask a tax consultant if it would be worth it get a tax exempt number.

As a hobby farmer, expenses can be considered pet expenses. But, I would still keep records if you buy and sell chicks and eggs, etc. to show a loss.