Okies in the BYC The Original

[FunChick]

Hey guys! A quick post--just wanted to say HI!

We got lots of stuff done this weekend. We got up early both days,worked until we were too hot to continue and then came back out when it was cooler. I hope everyone else had an awesome weekend...it sounds like Blanchard auction went well!

City--I know how you must feel after losing your sweet girl Marge.

I feel that exact way when the special ones die. I can't help it, I am such a softie!

Well, I don't have time to catch up on all of the posts and I need to get to bed at a decent time tonight. Tomorrow is going to be super bizzy at work...in my department of 5 people, one person is on vacation and we have a surgeon who is doing approx. 50 pain management shots (50 diff patients), plus all of the regularly scheduled surgeries and whatever emergency surgeries that come up...I will be a very busy gal tomorrow! So who knows if I will even be able to hop on tomorrow at all.

Well, almost time to go close the hens in their coop...some try to be party animals and stay out until it is dark. Crazy birds!

Goodnight peeps!

 

[Buckguy20]

P&B It poured and poured and poured some more while we were at church in MWC but when we left and got about two miles East of town it hadn't rained a drop and hasn't rained at all here either. All of that nice rain wasted on concrete.

 

[CityClucks]

Thank you all for your kind words regarding my hen. I know unexplained casualties are too common, and I try to pretend I'm tough, but my soft-heartedness about livestock and/or animals meant for food production runs in the family. I remember the gentleness with which my dad handled every meat bird on butcher day. Once when another kid asked why we bothered to name our butcher calves and hogs, my dad said that naming them helped us to remember they were individuals - respected creatures entrusted to our care. That statement always stuck with me. (And when we eventually ate Royal and Keevin and Baby Red and Calhoun, we were able to compliment them on their tastiness by name!)

Kwartel! Thanks for reminding me that you & bfrancis are in Winchester - I should have consulted the Okie Roll Call before I asked you - I already have your location on the list. When does Bill leave to go overseas? (forgive me if you've already said and I missed it).

Peaches - I'm glad you were able to spend time with family this weekend!

Robin - good on you for using your healing ability on one of Cuban's magnificent birds. And Cuban - how smart you are to think of Robin when you needed an avian rehab specialist!

Sorry I made you cry, Buckguy - maybe I'll start a new business: Eulogies On the Spot. I could offer two-for-one specials on Tuesdays, family discounts, and stuff like that.

Al - sounds like my story reminded you of a sweet memory of your own...

 

[poultryand bees]

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[Kwartel]

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We haven't lived out here long, but we're loving it. After two trips to Iraq, neither one of us can really handle big crowds comfortably anymore. If I want company, I go out to the coops and talk to the birds. Their only agenda is getting me to bring them more food.

I can't say when his unit is leaving exactly, but they go to Texas next month and will be shipping out soon after.

Just had a short power outage here. My incubator dropped to 95 degrees, hopefully everything will be ok. The last time the power went out I wasn't home and when it came back on, the upstairs air conditioner didn't come back on. I ran upstairs to check on everything, my new quail chicks were fine in their brooder, but the incubator was over 108 degrees inside with chicken eggs due to hatch within days. I waited to see if anything survived, but when I gave up and cracked the eggs... there were my chicks, fully developed and stone dead. I was just sick.

 

[Sooner]

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WHat are the aprons for? I'm getting an education here LOL

The apron protects the back that is the favorit hen from the roo. I have a few that are getting pretty bare & thought it would be a nice project for Grandma & I to do. I would just move the roo out of the pen for a while but when he comes back it just happens all over again and like most on this board I have every pen I own full!

Evening folks.

 

[muesky]

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Thanks Poco for the pattern, instructions and pictures on the chicken aprons. I really like the elastic channel, that is a great idea. The pattern I found one line had the elastic bands static and I was worried about wretching a wing trying to get it on. Once again thank you for the information.

See this is why I love BYC okies, everyone tries to help everyone else. This is how the world should be.

 

[Poco Pollo]

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WHat are the aprons for? I'm getting an education here LOL

Here's what they look like on the hen. It may take a hen a day or so to get used to the apron, but before long she is dust bathing and visiting with her friends like she's always worn an apron. Feathers grow back under the apron, and the barrier between her skin and the rooster's claws can make her time in the breeding pen more pleasant. I made a pattern for a scrap fabric apron that requires no sewing, but I can't find it. I'll look again tomorrow and post an image and dimensions for those out there interested in making an apron without dragging out your sewing machine.

 

[muesky]

Well I just placed my last shipping order for the year. Ordering a few more salmon faverolles and dark brahma pullets and a couple of dark brahma males. By next year I should have three quads of each breed.

Turkey flock is going nicely. So far I have believe there are 9 hens and 4 toms bourbon reds, plus I have 7 in the brooder of unknown gender. It would be great if at least 3 are female. The final goal is 12 hens and 4 toms, this should ensure fertility. End of October through November I will be selling the extra toms so if anyone is interested let me know. The two adult toms I have both weigh over 30lbs, which seems average for the toms I have raised. Of course they are not for sell, the younger ones are the ones I will sell so they may not be quite as big, but two of the adolescents I know are toms are already almost as big as my hen and they are only 4 months old. Who knows?

Oh by the way, I have a bantam buff brahma pullet for sell. She is one I got from Atwoods cause I thought she was a dark brahma.

I believe she is about 2 months old, really sweet and very pretty. I would keep her but am not interested in buffs. If anyone is interested let me know.

I think I am going to try to get to bed at a better time tonight. Everyone have a good one!

 

[poultryand bees]

Went out to check on the "teenage" turkey poults and was delighted to see that all 7 of them had taken refuge under the Narragansett hen in the same pen, along with her week old poult. I didn't expect her to accept the royal palm poults, but she kept them all sheltered from the rain. With 7 teenage poults beneath her wings, she is spread out like a jumbo jet, but the poults all seem to be dry, despite the downpour we had earlier.