***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[jcatblum]

Keeping chickens cool is a challenge. We cut a hole in the west wall of the barn & mounted a large fan like you find in an old school gym. It runs on a 220 if that gives you an idea of size. We have a large shop fan running. Also running a swamp cooler plus making sure everyone has plenty of water.
The chickens treats all go in the freezer. They seem to get grumpy when we take down frozen treats, but in 10 min the treats are thawed then the birds goon me the cold treats down. Today cut open a melon that was pink.... Looks like next wk we will have lots of melons. Chickens don't mind if the melon isn't ripe all the way.
I hate a muddy mess inside the coop, but if you spray the ground the chickens will splash in mud holes to clean off. My guineas stay in the woods where it is cool but most of my birds think there coop is cooler. I am going to try freezing some surplus squash & cucumbers. The birds eat the whole squash I throw in the compost. Sometimes when I cut the squash up they refuse to eat it. Must taste better whole I dnk??

DH stole the tomato from the broody hen. She pushed an egg out from under her that is half way hatched. Hopefully they make it in this heat. I turned her fan back on around 9. Worried about her & the keets--- but cant help her if she won't help herself.

 

[Buster52]

Buster I understand not washing the eggs, I don't wash the ones for our personal use-- honestly I rarely even put them in the fridge. Technically the way I understand the very vague Oklahoma dept of Ag egg packers information - the eggs are suppose to be cleaned, graded & in the fridge in new cartons within 12 hours of lay. When I was looking at the USDA site it states they must be refrigerated within 36 hours.
I don't want to be a rule breaker-- but my eggs get 2 grades.... Pass or fail. We pass them into an egg carton or the ones who flunk go to the chickens or dogs.

Huh. I'll have to read them again, because sounds like I missed something. I do know there are different rules for small egg handlers like us (in some ways we are exempt) and the big producers, but I don't recall how they work. We will start washing all our eggs, just in case, until I have had a chance to check.

That said, you might find the following usefull, from the fall 2011 issue of Grit! magazine by Robert Plamondon:

Wash by Hand
You can do sanitary egg washing by hand with a double sink. When I did this, I immersed them first in hot soapy wash water and then in. hot bleach rinse water. Wipe the egg until it's clean with a paper towel or a loofah and then put it in the rinse water. Dry on a towel. I used plastic "washer flats" from Kuhl Corp. when handling eggs this way. You can use essentially the same process without immersion, spraying the eggs with the wash and rinse solutions instead of dipping them, and this will satisfy the USDA and many states' dislike of immersion washing.

 

[Buster52]

Seen you post Buster about your bird's not haveing a floor in the pen / Wen i went to Roy Aprill's place that grew out bird's like you he had no floor but did have roost in the pen's for thim to get on an they wer just off of the grown about 2ft. He said all bird's do better if they roost an not set on the grown ,,

Interesting. Is he raising Cornish Cross or one of those color hybrids? Because to be honest, while I'm finding the crosses to be more active than advertised, I just don't see my little fatties getting 6 inches off the ground, let alone 2 feet.

 

[jcatblum]

http://www.oda.state.ok.us/food/foodsafety_sub1.pdf
That is the regulation that I found for Oklahoma-- it is still vague. Says they can deface any sign or carton that doesnt meet the guidelines- all labels & signs must include price, grade & size of the eggs. The regulation doesn't say how to clean the eggs that I noticed but we are suppose to meet all USDA & FDA regulations. Crazy thing is don't you think they should give us the regulations when they issue the permit??? Dont remember where I saw the part about refrigeration within 12 hours of lay.

So how did the auction go Buster?

 

[Kassaundra]

Taking another garden break eating a sun warmed cherokee purple tomato

 

[Kassaundra]

Coaxed Jackie O and Miss Priss almost up to me today w/ a tomato. They got to within about a foot, but still not trusting enough to come and eat from me. Oh well guess Rome wasnt' built in a day.

 

[MacGuyver]

I just spent quite a bit of time uploading photos for coop pages. Here's my hoop house.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hoop-house#

Here's my bantam ark.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/bantam-ark

Probably already posted a link to my brooder, but here it is again anyway.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/shipping-pallet-brooder

When I feel like uploading a bunch more pictures, I'll do a coop page for my original coop. Still not sure if I'm going to keep guineas in it, or maybe turn it into a pigeon loft. It's too hot to put anything in it right now though. Waaaay too hot.

 

[Buster52]

So how did the auction go Buster?

Good and bad. Mostly good. Good was I only spent $81, and scored 7 fans for $2 total, which is really good since our AC has been on the fritz for over a month now and it is starting to get a little hot. Also bought several vegetable boxes that will act as excellent chicken carriers for bringing home auction finds. They stack much better than pet carriers. Two USDA approved scales, once set for the processing area and one set to hang over the freezers for customers when they do on farm pickup of their broilers, for $32.50 total. And a bunch of other neat stuff.

The bad news is I didn't get the 16 foot utility trailer. I thought I was the winning bid at $800, but it turns out the winner was standing right next to me and I thought the auctioneer was pointing at me. Didn't realize he wasn't until he called out the winning number. But there is a chance he would have gone a lot higher, and that was already over my self imposed limit, so I might not have one anyway.

The sorta good sorta bad news is, the giant walk in fridge didn't sell, so I have the option of picking it up later for $500 if it fits our space and needs. Going to talk it over with the office manager tonight and measure out the space I had in mind. Only thing is, it will be a lot of work transporting it and putting it together. I have enough to do right now!

 

[mamapoppybee]

i cant wait to get them and ty soooo much. I will keep you updated as to there progress. The castle coop im building will be for cochins. getting real close to done but the heat is slowing my work time.

ok lets see if i can get this to work this is a BLLUE GOLDEN LACED large fowl cochin i have been wotking on this progect color and im sooooo exsited to see them looking this good the bird in the pic is about 6 weeks old and has just started to show good coloring i can't wait to see him all grown up

momapapee i will be shiping you these eggs tomarow

and on my way back i sawl this i think it is a gaint green rhino beatel

 

[jcatblum]

Buster Sound like you did very good. I of $150 for my digital scale that calculates the price per lb. If the tires on the trailer were good then that wasn't a bad price. Think we pd $900 for ours 10 or so yrs ago-- but I am sure it will be a while before you need a flat bed trailer. I was tempted to go to the auction. REALLY REALLY was..... But my focus needs to be on house building not business building. I don't know that I will sell at the market once DH retires in 5 yrs & the girls are out of the house. Right now it is a good experience & money for the girls. I am enjoying them learning first hand that if they work hard they will be rewarded.