***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[NanaKat]

Long day today! At least after breakfast....
Started out cleaning the 10 quail cages....should have done it a few days ago so the job took longer than it should have...two and a half wheel barrow loads to the compost pile. Sorted the birds into breeders and butcher pens.
Then off to Choctaw to help move a 25 ton load of gravel to make a circle drive so SIL could drive up to the wheel chair ramp we put in 2 weeks ago for Roger's mom. Using two tractors and a hand rake, and ropes to mark the location of the drive way, it only took two hours. But we are dragging.
Now going to the doctor will be a whole lot easier for Mother.
Now we are home in front of the tv both on heating pads for a nap.

 

[Matt in Okla]

Long day today! At least after breakfast....
Started out cleaning the 10 quail cages....should have done it a few days ago so the job took longer than it should have...two and a half wheel barrow loads to the compost pile. Sorted the birds into breeders and butcher pens.
Then off to Choctaw to help move a 25 ton load of gravel to make a circle drive so SIL could drive up to the wheel chair ramp we put in 2 weeks ago for Roger's mom. Using two tractors and a hand rake, and ropes to mark the location of the drive way, it only took two hours. But we are dragging.
Now going to the doctor will be a whole lot easier for Mother.
Now we are home in front of the tv both on heating pads for a nap.

Feet up, knuckles down as we say. Motrin is your friend. Sounds like a long day

 

[TTownChics]

Excellent advice they gave me when I started too. I put a heated waterer in the coop and built a feeder in there too. Constant food n water if it's bad they don't have to go out. I give mine bread, lettuce n scraps in the evening just before bed so they have energy for the cold nights. Its no different than what I do for myself while hunting or training in harsh environments.
I put up some plastic windbreaks so they can get outside n do what chickens do in the day so they don't get cabin fever. Scratch feed makes them happy cause it keeps them busy and out of the wind.
Don't tell the wife but:
Occasionally I might spoil them with crickets or worms from the bait area of wallieworld for a little protein boost.

My egg production has increased the last few weeks.

Their food is inside the coop. When I check on them, I throw feed out on the run and they are always happy with that. I gave them treats this morning. I know they aren't loving it. They dont squat either as I walk by. They are not impressed with the cold. I hope they eat more though, I worry. :/

 

[CLSranch]

How is every1? I haven't been with internet in a couple of months. Trying to catch up. Sorry and best wishes to Nana. I kept power and my Cornish hens just started laying 21-22 wks old, but did get all the rain 7 inches b4 the snow.

 

[Ironsights]

Baby it's cold outside. Welcome back everyone

Nana that's what grandkids are for. (If you can corral them).

 

[allenw]

Bare ground this morning except in a few places where the snow/sleet drifted, what a beautiful sight.

 

[NanaKat]

Baby it's cold outside. Welcome back everyone

Nana that's what grandkids are for. (If you can corral them).

Sure would have loved to have them helping...but they were all back in school. Sure glad Roger and his brother were doing the gravel work with tractors!

Bare ground this morning except in a few places where the snow/sleet drifted, what a beautiful sight.

Allen. I guess I missed your first post. We didn't get the sleet or snow last night...but the pens are really wet again from the drizzle.

 

[NanaKat]

Had another doctor appointment yesterday....the orthopedic studied the xrays and confirmed there was good reason for the pain in my left hand for the past several months. Bone on bone in the left thumb joint and swelling that is separating the bones. So now I'm sporting a hand brace for the next three weeks with ibuprofin...sure puts a crimp in my activities....But the new technology is neat. The brace came out of the package soft and flexible. When placed in a special heater...the warm brace was soothing to the hand and then held in place by the technician, the material became rock hard in seconds.

For the first few days, I'm wearing it almost 24 hour hours. So I put a plastic glove over it then one of my husband's old work gloves.
When chores need doing outside...necessity is the mother of invention!

Had a nice conversation with a gentleman from Indiana last night. He was looking for Columbian Wyandotte chicks to be shipped to him. I don't ship chicks but offered to ship him some eggs this spring...he doesn't have an incubator but does have a few hens that go broody. Beside discussing how he could work timing based on when his girls go broody, we talked Standard of Perfection, breeding, and chicken keeping. He was not familiar with the BYC site or the Facebook pages on Columbian Wyandotte. Always fun to help someone get connected to great resources.

 

[allenw]

Sure would have loved to have them helping...but they were all back in school. Sure glad Roger and his brother were doing the gravel work with tractors!

Allen. I guess I missed your first post. We didn't get the sleet or snow last night...but the pens are really wet again from the drizzle.

Thanks for the welcome,

 

[Kassaundra]

Some baby pics from today, though now they are more like school aged.

This one makes me sad b/c I am 99.9% sure it is a boy





This one hatched from the biggest egg, but it is about 1/2 the size of the others.











This darker one is shorter bodied then the other one has a smaller comb and less white, I'm thinking it might be a girl, she is developing a top knot too.