***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Poco Pollo]

The cooler temperatures are very welcome. Hopefully, my hens will start laying more eggs each day. Their production is about 1/3 of what it is normally - I haven't found any hidden nests but their production is like a group has decided to lay somewhere other than in the nest boxes in the coop.

Christina, the NN without any feathers could well be from the NN x Madagascar game eggs you hatched for me. Some of the chicks I have from those eggs have no feathers on their neck and some have just a few. All of mine are blue, black, or splash.

P&B,

The high winds took the lid off my beehive yesterday. It traveled nearly forty yards north, into the pasture. When I replaced it, I noticed the bees had started to build comb around the opening of the inner cover. I put my gear on and investigated. The bees had made a column of comb from the center frame that connected with the ring of comb around the inner cover opening. After checking the frames, I found that my bees have been very, very busy. They'd become crowded and were starting to build an addition. I put empty frames in my medium super, set that on the main hive body, put the cleanly scraped inner cover on that, and then fit the telescoping cover on top. I put a few bricks on the cover to prevent high winds from blowing it off again.

With the super newly added, do I need to feed my bees for a while so that they can concentrate on building new comb rather than on foraging? We don't have any flowers blooming at our place, and the trees are looking heat stressed, so I don't know where they're able to forage. I fed them for a couple of months after I first got them, until they'd become established, and after that I've just kept lots of fresh water nearby so they don't drown in the dog water dish at the house. I've got a sheet of foam with holes cut into it floating at the top of the bee water bucket. No more drowning victims. Bees aren't swimmers : ( Are there any late blooming plants I could buy as mature plants from a local nursery or at Lowe's that would help my bees feed themselves?

 

[NanaKat]

Quote: I can answer that and then P&B will give more info. The wax you scraped off the inner lid can be set in a pan in front of the hive. The bees will reuse it and will save on some of their honey use. With the cooler temperatures, there will be flowers for them to visit (alfalfa, etc). Feeding them will be of some help also. Plants like salvia, sages, any late blooming perennials will make good additions to the flowergarden.

 

[Elbert Garrett]

Elbert, love the picture of that gorgeous bird in your shop! He's a Silver Duckwing OEGB?,

Yes he is! I have him in with 2 pretty little pullets, here is one of `em she more curious about what I`m doing to worry about posing for the camera.




Thank you!

 

[NanaKat]

Doc put me on antibiotics and told me what to expect. Hopefully, going in and getting it treated before any other symptoms appeared will make it relatively easy to recover from it. He said it can get to looking fairly bad, even with the antibiotics, but the biggest danger is from infection, which we have hopefull avoided.

It was apparently in a blouse I took from a hanger in our closet that I hadn't worn for several months. Never did see the spider so I hope I didn't leave it at the Senior Center!

Also purchsed bombs to set off in the house to kill spiders and many insects. Will do it Monday when we'll both be away from the house. Should have done this earlier.

For brown recluse spider bites, my doctor told me to mix a nitro tablet with Neosporin to make a paste and cover with a bandaid. The nitro reoxygenates the skin and helps to reduce the deterioration from infection. It works.

Has anyone ever gotten eggs like these? ... All our Ameraucanas free range, and she has unrestricted access to 17% layer pellets and water all day. No extra calcium although I think this indicates I may need to start some. ... I THINK they are related to the extreme heat we have had. These shells are solid, they only LOOK cracked,

My only other theory is this is stressed related- much as I try I can't get my kids to stop trying to catch the chickens... although this is not one of the chickens they usually go after. Cute and annoying at the same time...

Stress from heat and lack of calcium. Are you using electrolytes in the water? You can give calcium thru oystershell or by crushing and giving the birds back their own shells.

Quote:

Yes he is! I have him in with 2 pretty little pullets, here is one of `em she more curious about what I`m doing to worry about posing for the camera.




Thank you!

Pretty birds.

We losty some limbs and the boys are out repairing fences where a tree went down. Got the high winds and only a little rain last night. Yesterday afternoon when the cold front came in, we got 1/4 inch in the rain gauge... of course...a rain gauge doesn't measure sideways rain. May have actually gotten an inch.

Red is home from surgery and is laying under my feet. Apparently he was a little stressed by all the thunder and lightening last night at the vet's. Took Gracie with me to pick him up this morning. She pouted all day yesterday and wouldn't eat last night. She went nuts when she saw him. They both got their rabies and other shots today too. Vet dipped Red for fleas before surgery...standard practice for the clinic. I plan on shaving and dipping Gracie today.
Fleas have been really bad this year and we keep the dogs in the house at night so I have been vigilent about this. Funny we haven't had a problem with ticks....of course there are no woods close to the house.

Will have to get the deer forage mix...good idea...the cvhickens and geese will definitely like that along with the rye and wheat I already plant.

Love the cooler temps. Everyone should really enjoy the local fairs even better.

 

[Elwood Lightfoot]

Hiya Everyone

74 degrees here I can live with that LOL

My thermometer says if went from 107 yesterday down to 58 that's a huge drop, When I was in Alaska we were called in and told to remind our troops that just because it went from minus 50 up to 25 degrees that T-shirts were still not allowed even though it felt like a heat wave LOL

I hope everyone is doing well and your birds are enjoying the weather like mine are..

Oh yeah and I watched the radar while storms moved both north and south of me it looked promising but didn't get a single drop

 

[poultryand bees]

Quote:

The high winds took the lid off my beehive yesterday. It traveled nearly forty yards north, into the pasture. When I replaced it, I noticed the bees had started to build comb around the opening of the inner cover. I put my gear on and investigated. The bees had made a column of comb from the center frame that connected with the ring of comb around the inner cover opening. After checking the frames, I found that my bees have been very, very busy. They'd become crowded and were starting to build an addition. I put empty frames in my medium super, set that on the main hive body, put the cleanly scraped inner cover on that, and then fit the telescoping cover on top. I put a few bricks on the cover to prevent high winds from blowing it off again.

With the super newly added, do I need to feed my bees for a while so that they can concentrate on building new comb rather than on foraging? We don't have any flowers blooming at our place, and the trees are looking heat stressed, so I don't know where they're able to forage. I fed them for a couple of months after I first got them, until they'd become established, and after that I've just kept lots of fresh water nearby so they don't drown in the dog water dish at the house. I've got a sheet of foam with holes cut into it floating at the top of the bee water bucket. No more drowning victims. Bees aren't swimmers : ( Are there any late blooming plants I could buy as mature plants from a local nursery or at Lowe's that would help my bees feed themselves?

I can answer that and then P&B will give more info. The wax you scraped off the inner lid can be set in a pan in front of the hive. The bees will reuse it and will save on some of their honey use. With the cooler temperatures, there will be flowers for them to visit (alfalfa, etc). Feeding them will be of some help also. Plants like salvia, sages, any late blooming perennials will make good additions to the flowergarden.

With the cooler temperatures we may get a honey flow this fall. The most important thing to consider regarding feeding is "how much do the bees have to get them through the winter?" Lift the back of the hive and see if it feels pretty heavy. If it doesn't, or if you didn't observe a lot of honey in your brood box, you need to consider feeding now so that the bees can convert the sugar to honey for their winter fuel source.

It sounds like your bees are a strong colony, but you might consider pulling out a couple of the frames from the new super, then placing a piece of paper on top of the frames in the brood box and pouring granulated sugar on top, before replacing the inner cover and lid. If the bees need the feed, they will eat the sugar. If there is nectar and pollen that is available, the bees will eat that instead of the sugar. From attending several beekeeper club meetings I know that many beekeepers are already feeding their hives to get them strong for the winter. I am giving mine some pollen patty to boost their health for the winter.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Stress from heat and lack of calcium. Are you using electrolytes in the water? You can give calcium thru oystershell or by crushing and giving the birds back their own shells.

Thank you NanaKat, that is what I was wondering. We've only had chickens since June and I've been meaning to go out give them some shells for the last month since I learned I should be, guess I will get right on that today! If lack of calcium is the problem, the strange thing is that these are rather thick shells, almost like they have twice the thickness, I have to really give them a good thunk to break them. Also these usually are laid after the heat has kept her from laying for several days, so I am guessing the single egg is getting all the shell on it from the two or three she would have laid in that period. Just weird eggs!

What is the purpose of the electrolyles? Pardon my ignorance.

 

[Kassaundra]

I usually get my chicken feed and grain from a local feed store, but was browsing the feed isles at a TSC and have a couple of questions, I tried to google the answers already but didn't find any info.

first what is creep feed?? The only info I could find was you feed it to young weanlings to transition from mother's milk to eating, but what is in the bags of creep feed?

Catfish food, has anyone attempted to feed that to chickens? Anything in it that will hurt them????

 

[Cjarvis]

first what is creep feed?? The only info I could find was you feed it to young weanlings to transition from mother's milk to eating, but what is in the bags of creep feed?

Catfish food, has anyone attempted to feed that to chickens? Anything in it that will hurt them????

Catfish food, cat food, dog food is all good for the birds they will fill out very well and develop a better sheen to the feather. For those that free range thier birds it may not make much difference as the birds are getting what they want and need naturally.

Fish food is typically higher in fish meal, both kinds but more the oil fish than anything. Protien levels are higher, as is fat content and natural oil levels, fiber levels are much lower . All in all it is good for the birds in moderation but not as a sole ration.

Many that show heavily will use a mix of grains, pellets, fish food, cat or dog food as a conditioning diet.

 

[Kassaundra]

Thanks cjarvis, I read the label and it seemed like it would be good for them mixed w/ the chicken food as a supplement. (the catfish food)