***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Kassaundra]

Been working on my crocheted quilt here it is all laid out and each block is quilted to a back, but they aren't joined together yet.



The blocks are so scrappy b/c it was from a block swap, my first one ever and it was a blast, so much fun I started another swap that is almost done (the swap not the blanket)

 

[jcatblum]

WOW Kass that looks like an extreme amount of work!! Awesome job!

 

[bridget-rdh]

Now I remember why I hate daylight savings time, it is dark when I leave for work and dark when I get home!!!! I hate this!!! I won't get any time to spend with the birds Monday-Thursday now that the time change has happened.

I hate it too.. and I have the same schedule as you. Haven't seen my girls except inside the coop since Sunday.

Wondering where the cheapest place to get cartons is? I called our feed store and they have them for 25 cents each. That's the cheapest I've found. If anyone has any recommendations I'd greatly appreciate it.

 

[MacGuyver]

I think I'm gonna call it quits on the large fowl. I lost three more cockerels and a hen to something this week. Darn time change we were rushing around after dinner and I didn't get out before it got dark to shut up the pens. Whatever got the cockerels actually went INTO their coop. We found three missing birds and a big huge pile of feathers. I have three trios of Large Fowl Dominiques for sale. There will be an 18 month old hen, a five to seven month old POL pullet, and a five month old cockerel in each group. They are quite genetically diverse so would make a good foundation of breeding birds for a flock.I am asking $25 for each trio. I would trade a trio for a silkie pair - one rooster, one hen if anyone's interested. I'm going to keep my bantams as they do well in tractors and I can protect them.

 

[Cjarvis]

Conbgrats on the duck eggs!

Spent time earlier today busting up the d'Anver pairs until spring since the fertility begins to drop in the fall. Also spent time cleaning and replinishing the gallon waterers. Many of the early summer project pullets started laying this week and there were three new girls in the nest boxes.
Then we spent a couple of hours today under two pecan trees and between us picked up 7 gallons of native pecans.
When we got back, found my Black Rosecomb roo laying in the pen with his hen sitting beside him. He had died, his comb was blue looking. She has been calling for him since I removed him. I'll go out later and pen her with the two other Rosecomb girls.
Do some banties have heart attacks like some of the large breeds?

Some do, if he was up and going strong just fell over I have seen that before when feeding some whole corn one day, tossed into the pen the cock bird was up and going, crowing, when I finished tossing the grain he was dead in the pen. I think he choked on some grain.
I do have a few more cockrells, three Splash and a few Blue if you want one.

 

[jcatblum]

McG so sad to hear you getting out of LF. I am sure you will find awesome homes for them. At least you are not giving up on all birds.
The plus side to keeping bantams is you can have twice as many without spending more in feed!

 

[Oakieridge]

Oh Kass I love that quilt and it will definately be warm!!! I love a good heavy quilt on those cold nights.

McQ sorry you are getting rid of the LF, I wish I had room I would take some off your hands but we don't have an empty pen avail. My last empty hoop house is now housing Jackson's 11 new banty pullets! LOL But I don't blame you.

Christina I will pass the info on to him. He is getting one of my buff guinea hens this weekend. I am trying to sell off what I won't use for breeding next year. I am sure we will still end up with some of the free rangers that don't sell but I am scared we will have a harsh winter and have to find a way to heat a coop for them. I figure the less I have to do that for the better.

Well I was hoping for a chance to get home before dark but hubby needs me to stop and get supplies to make cobblers. He makes them in the dutch ovens over a jet burner. They are taking them for coop tomorrow they are doing a pot luck lunch. I told him he better save me some or make one for at home too.

 

[NanaKat]

All the bantam roos are together to work out their differences before I put them back with the flock...less stressful on everyone else.

All the hens are together with the other young birds like before I put them in breed pens. The girls transition easier than the boys. Once the boys are settled, they will go back with their flock and any eggs laid will not be incubated.

I  wish something like that would work for me. I'm too paranoid about mixing different chickens though. It would be WW3 if I put all mine different hatch groups together.

I have 6 week old chicks, 6 month old POL pullers and a cockerel, the bantams, and Delilah with her 3 week old chicks in the brooder room at night and during the day everybody except the rooster pen go outside to free range. The breeding roosters (the CW and the Cochins) keep their girls away from the other roosters and the different groups seem to cluster to free range together. So far everyone is happy. I simply throw open the gates and everyone rushes outside...one group goes this way, one goes that way another group heads to the garden and another group to the front lot. Pairs choose to go where they please. There are plenty of nest boxes inside and the Roos take their girls into someone else's pen to check out the feeder and the accommodations,but every flock returns to their own roosts in the evening.

 

[NanaKat]

Conbgrats on the duck eggs!

Spent time earlier today busting up the d'Anver pairs until spring since the fertility begins to drop in the fall.  Also spent time cleaning and replinishing the gallon waterers.  Many of the early summer project pullets started laying this week and there were three new girls in the nest boxes.  
Then we spent a couple of hours today under two pecan trees and between us picked up 7 gallons of native pecans. 
When we got back, found my Black Rosecomb roo laying in the pen with his hen sitting beside him.  He had died, his comb was blue looking. She has been calling for him since I removed him. I'll go out later and pen her with the two other Rosecomb girls.
Do some banties have heart attacks like some of the large breeds? 

 Some do, if he was up and going strong just fell over I have seen that before when feeding some whole corn one day, tossed into the pen the cock bird was up and going, crowing, when I finished tossing the grain he was dead in the pen. I think he choked on some grain.
 I do have a few more cockrells, three Splash and a few Blue if you want one.

I sent you a PM. Thank you! My little black hen will be pleased and so will the other two Rosecomb ladies. The Black roo never gave them any attention.

 

[MacGuyver]

McG so sad to hear you getting out of LF. I am sure you will find awesome homes for them. At least you are not giving up on all birds.
The plus side to keeping bantams is you can have twice as many without spending more in feed!

I like the cheaper feed bill, but mostly I am just glad that they are happy confined. My Dominiques act like they're dying if I don't let them out of their hoop house to run, but they just keep getting picked off, even in the daytime. I can build cheap tractors and keep the bantams perfectly safe.