Online Large Fowl Chat Thread

[CapricornFarm]

Today DH helped me assemble the rabbit triplex and put the roof on. The dividers are in, and I put the ends on. Now we need to build three doors and three nest boxes. The rabbit book suggests wire nest boxes lined with cardboard. Maybe I will try that. Waited all day for a lady to show up who said she was very interested in three of my goats, and would I hold them for her. I reluctantly agreed, and ended up missing the goat sale today because I was waiting for her. UGH! Next time I will not give my address until I get a firm time on a specific day.
My baby call ducks are growing like weeds. They practically bathe in their drinking water, so I ended up putting them in another brooder to keep the chicks drier. The broody Buff Rocks are all three jammed in one nest box trying to hatch black tailed buff jap eggs. when I put one in another nest box and gave her eggs, she left them to go back to the other box. Crazy birds.Two hatched today, hoping for more tomorrow.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Happy to report that the new triplex is done and full of rabbits. Finally cleaned all the manure off of the ground there and dumped on the garden.The clover I planted near the garage is growing great. Mama buns get treats.
. Tomorrow it is supposed to rain all day, tornado watches etc. But I have the sale at Scotts Hill to look forward to on Saturday. Love looking at all the critters.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Happy to report that the new triplex is done and full of rabbits. Finally cleaned all the manure off of the ground there and dumped on the garden.The clover I planted near the garage is growing great. Mama buns get treats.
. Tomorrow it is supposed to rain all day, tornado watches etc. But I have the sale at Scotts Hill to look forward to on Saturday. Love looking at all the critters.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Went to the sale today and sold some eggs, then turned around and bought a bunch of stuff. It was lots of fun. Got another call duck to go with the three I hatched. Got more eggs, and more bunnies. Mini satins, and lionheads. Going cheap. Prices are back down again. Despite the nice weather, attendance was poor as far as buyers were concerned but there were lots of birds and animals.
Then I came home and sold two goats to one lady, and five to another person. Then I bought two yorkie puppies! Going off the deep end now I guess, but they are adorable and two will be quieter than one as babies. DH says at least they will eat less than the goats.

Finally got to eat supper tonight at 9:30. I am tired but all hyped up. Anybody else got spring fever?

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Went to the sale today and sold some eggs, then turned around and bought a bunch of stuff. It was lots of fun. Got another call duck to go with the three I hatched. Got more eggs, and more bunnies. Mini satins, and lionheads. Going cheap. Prices are back down again. Despite the nice weather, attendance was poor as far as buyers were concerned but there were lots of birds and animals.
Then I came home and sold two goats to one lady, and five to another person. Then I bought two yorkie puppies! Going off the deep end now I guess, but they are adorable and two will be quieter than one as babies. DH says at least they will eat less than the goats.

Finally got to eat supper tonight at 9:30. I am tired but all hyped up. Anybody else got spring fever?

Wow Deb, you've been busy! I'm actually thinking about trimming down on some of my birds. I only have 18-20 chickens, there are a couple of roosters and hens that need to be rehomed, but mostly I have ducks. I think I have about 40+ of them, not counting the babies in the brooders and in the hatcher! LOL Then I have 15 adult geese, and about 15 goslings...with more hatching as I speak.

I'd like to get rid of all my Guineas, a couple of the chooks, and then try and rehome some of my ducks..that'll be hard as I love them all so much.

Then this fall once all my goslings that I'm keeping fill out, I'll be able to go through them and decide who makes it into the breeding pens in 2014, and who doesn't.

Our feed bill is pretty crazy, so we've go to rehome some animals, sadly. : (

However, since I'll still have some chickens that I'll be trying to breed as closely to the breed standard as possible (Seramas, Splash Cochins, LF Coro/Light Sussex), I'll be needing some new blood lines to work with.

The plan is to cut down to just the most favorite animals, rehome the rest...then hopefully we'll be able to build some new coops for the birds that we keep. Our setup right now isn't so good, so it makes feeding and cleaning a hassle. I spend my whole day (as I'm sure you do as well) trying to keep water out for them all, feed them, and keep their bedding clean. I could seriously spend my whole day outside just caring for them, and doing nothing else, but then all the housework get pushed aside, etc. Another reason that we are having to trim down is we cannot leave the ranch period even for a day, as we have babies hatching 24/7, and tons of animals to tend to. We'd like to be able to leave for a weekend trip and not have to worry about the animals. As it is right now, we either have to hire someone to come house sit for us while we are gone, or one of us has to stay home.

OK, I didn't mean to turn this into whole long story, but there is is. Lol

Blessings

~ Aspen

 

[CapricornFarm]

Hey Aspen, Nice to hear from you. I am so lucky to have a neighbor that babysits all the critters for me. And with the 7 goats that went yesterday, that will make it even easier. I am going to bite the bullet and get rid of more LF, I now have four baby call ducks I want to keep. Ducks are very messy, but I figure at least these are small. I raised some runners before and boy did they eat. With the pond down there, seems only right to have a few ducks. Once we get the pigs out of there and into the freezer.
I have only one pair of Coronation Sussex, and my Speckled Sussex now .Sold my Lights and Silvers . Many of thoseSpeckled hens will be retired soon as they don't lay much. I kept selling all the chicks and ended up with only a trio of young ones from last fall. Still have the Cochins and Polish. The Buff Rocks and Australorps produce the eating eggs. But really for our own use, many less are needed. I am kind of enjoying the Buff Rocks being broodies, thinking of giving them some duck eggs to hatch. The banties are fun, I bought more OEGB at the sale yesterday.
Tomorrow I have to go buy stuff for the two baby yorkies I got yesterday. I think I will call the male Rocky, since he is tough and keeps chewing rocks. I am considering calling the little girl Spicy. They were very good last night and let me sleep. Ugh, housebreaking is no fun, but they are adorable so I will put up with it.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I must be the multi post queen. If I wanted to do it, I couldn't. UGH

 

[CapricornFarm]

It's spring! I love it! Daffodils and Tulips, Iris and Apple trees all in bloom! Bought tomato and pepper plants today, and some seeds. The garden is supposed to get disked some time tomorrow or the next day. Turkey and Duck eggs coming my way in the mail. Went to Home Depot and got some cull lumber to make more bunny pens. People are calling for bunnies, goats, and eggs. I am down to about half the goats I used to have. Hopefully the feed bill shrinks. The puppies are being good, and letting me sleep at night, life is good.

 

[CapricornFarm]

The garden is disked, but we are expecting rain and heavy winds tonight. I was rushing around trying to get everything done before the rain. I almost made it, but got soaked feeding the Pyrenees her supper. My yorkie pup is kind of droopy, I don't know if she is allergice to all this pollen or what. Even her eyes are runny. Her brother is still full of beans, and giving her a hard time.Off to the vet with her tomorrow. We finished modifying the pen I bought at the sale, got it all painted and fixed up, some of the banties are in there, and I have a few young chickens to go in the other side. We put it on the Mule , and moved it down behind the house with the original chicken coop. Looks good. Started on a nest box for them today, almost done. Had to ship eggs, buy feed, and feed and water the whole crew. Then one of my eating egg customers called and wanted 5 dozen, so I had to wash more eggs. Phew, glad I can sit down for a while now. Oh, and I got a big wonderful box of eggs from the birdguy, lots of turkey and ancona eggs ! Yes!

 

[CapricornFarm]

Just a warning to everyone, someone posted a bogus charge to my paypal account from Coinstar in California. Be vigilant about your information.