***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[artsyrobin]

A lesson in perspective. Oreo after his water boarding correction (still working by the way) views the water hose w/ suspcion and fear, to be avoided at ALL costs. (and not to sure about the large featherless chicken who sometimes carries it!!!)

Yeta the wonder chicken who helps me regularly as I flush out squashbugs w/ the same water hose views it w/ awe and wonder as the great and powerful caller of the brown crunchy bugs. I think she views me as a "fremen" calling the spice "worms" from the ground.


Hummmmmm I may have discovered the plot for the next great "B" rated sci-fi movie ................. large featherless chickens using just thier mental powers call insects from the ground for their small feathered "cousins" Can you tell I didn't sleep last night???? lol lol lol

LOVE your perspective! good for oreo!! and yeta has you trained well!

Aside from chickens i have

4- White Chinese geese
1- brown Chinese
2- African
4- Welsh Harlequin Ducks
3- Buff Ducks
6- Muscovies

Oh and 16 Guineas

So as you can see i have gone to the birds this year and have even gone as far as digging a pond for the geese in the front of the house! My birds are free ranging with guard geese and dogs during the day and cooped at night with run.

Sounds like you will fit right in here!!

just gave up outside other than running ice out there- rinsed the small coop down, treated it with oxine, so after a day of baking it the heat it should be ready for the next adventure in chicken keeping.... it was our original coop when we naivly thought we would only have 6 chickens.... hmmmm..... maybe i could make it into a silkie house... its 8 x 4.... but the roof needs patching

 

[chickchickchiky]

It is too hot for sure! I had to cool down my light brahma roo yesterday he looked like he was heat stroked but he is all better today. All that rain yesterday and we did not get a drop so frustrating too!

 

[NanaKat]

just gave up outside other than running ice out there- rinsed the small coop down, treated it with oxine, so after a day of baking it the heat it should be ready for the next adventure in chicken keeping.... it was our original coop when we naivly thought we would only have 6 chickens.... hmmmm..... maybe i could make it into a silkie house... its 8 x 4.... but the roof needs patching

Do you have a picture of your original coop? 8 x 4 would be a good size for the two geese as they grow up.

 

[mjgigax]

Hello Fellow Okies! I am so happy to have found this thread i am pretty new here and just started this spring with my flock and coming along well. I am looking to make friends with some Okie breeders cause i have plans for my flock of birds.

Welcome!, What kind of birds do you have?

 

[sdsknifeworks]

This heat is miserable!! I got out early and got my work done and came home early to check on the birds. My older hen was on the nest when I took ice and frozen bananas out for treats. She didn't come out so I left her be figuring she was laying. She missed yesterday so I figured she was ready to lay. I just went back out and she had laid her egg but was so weak and hot that she couldn't even get up from the nest. I gave her cool water and brought her in the house to cool off. All of my other birds are younger but none of them are having any problems at all. They aren't laying yet so I wonder if that has anything to do with the difference.

Instead of bringing her into the main house where the temp is about 30 degrees cooler I took her to the garage. It still has A/C but the temp out there is probably in the 80's. I didn't want to shock her by too big a difference in temperatures.

I have a fan, mister, give cool treats (watermelon, cantaloupe, frozen bananas) and have put ice in the water as well as laying 2 liter water bottles in the shade for the birds to lay next to (which they have not figured out yet). I don't know what else to do for these girls!



Okieridge, you mentioned bleaching your water bottles. I assume this is to prevent bacteria buildup. What kind of bleach solution do you use?? I haven't thought about needing to do that but in the heat I would think bacteria would grow pretty quickly.

SDS

 

[chickchickchiky]

Welcome!, What kind of birds do you have?

I posted the list in an earlier post lol too many to list again got caught by that darn chicken math

 

[Kimbroe1981]

AHHH, My temp gauge outside says 109.8. Yuck! Have the misters on the girls and the fan on. It's pretty nice over there.

 

[sdsknifeworks]

Kimbroe, we must have a cold front moving through the north side of OKC. It's only 106 up here!

SDS

 

[chickchickchiky]

LOL it's way too hot and i am originally from FL! If it's too hot for me to be outside it's too darn hot!

 

[Ksane]

Thanks Ksane, My little polish is looking much better. These little lice/mites were almost white and very very tiny. didn't see any today, I appreciate the frontline tip, that would be much easier than the dusting. How much do you use?

Ksane most all grains have enzymes called "anti nutrients" in them, basically bind or make not bio-available nutrients that are in the grain, but most one stomached animals (humans and chickens included) can't get all the benefits from digestion. Fermenting is a form of "pre-digestion" for lack of a better term, this breaks down those enzymes making the nutrition already in the grain more bio-available for use by the animal eating it. Fermenting grains prior to eating them is an age old practice across all kinds of cultural divides, but was mostly cast aside by our "microwave" culture. (not literally the microwave, but wanting all our food already prepared or ready to eat in 3.5 seconds.)

THAT'S the kind of info I love. That's awesome, Kass, thanks I thought fermenting the oats was something people did because their grandparents did it, you know-like some old wives tale that get passed down without question to each new generation. That's way interesting and I'm going to go read more about it.

I spent 3 hours solid brushing out the undercoat on my Black Chow boy, he's almost 7 and I just love him. He's got the greatest temperament. But oh man he's got the coat to match. Super thick & doubled coated. Plus he's neutered and that makes their coats even thicker. He's so patient with it all though. Now for his bath, then tomorrow he gets shaved down to make him more comfortable. He stays inside all the time but just looking at all that coat makes me hot.