Online Large Fowl Chat Thread

[mrheinz77]

Hopefully by Spring I'll have BBS Jersey Giant eggs. I have a pair of Blues right now that are 3-4 months old. I'm also trying to get eggs from Bobbi Pronto. I am on the look out for SQ Langshan and SQ Speckled Sussex eggs. Talking to an APA judge, there hasn't been a really good SS at shows in years.
Why do Delaware and BLRW refuse to hatch for me? I'd like a small group of Heritage Delaware and have tried to hatch them twice. Several make it to lock down but never hatch. Same with BLRW. I have more of them in the incubator now. I need to candle them. Is there some secret with these breeds?

Some people have all of the luck and some don't. I fall into the second group. I've had a bull streak for a while now and last night a feifer calved with a heifer calf 3 weeks early. The calf was looking good this morning but when I checked before chores tonight it was dead. Another heifer I moved from my heifer farm must be related to Deb's former devil goat. She went through every fence she saw at least 7 or 8 times. I finally got her back where she belonged last night and this morning when I took the other cows in to milk them, she jumped the fence and is now in with the dry cows and the clean up bull (that is waiting to go to sale before freezer camp). I hope all are well,
Jim

 

[CapricornFarm]

Did you miss me last night? My phone was giving me fits and wouldn't let me post But I did have a good day at least. I sold 81 chicks to the guy that was supposed to come get them. He showed up late without any boxes or my crate he borrowed last time. So he had to go back home and get the stuff. After he left a farmer we know showed up to buy some goats for weed control. I sold him the two youngest bucklings. He is a nice old fellow, quite a character. He cut all the fingers off one hand with a saw , but the doctors were able to reattach them. Then he did the same thing to his other hand! He gave us a little rocker he made for the grand kids. Poor old guy has balance problems and is so blind he really should not be driving.
I am working on finishing my ceus for my nursing license, got about half done. Have to do them every two years. I will be glad when they are done, pretty boring reading.
Jim, I am so sorry about your baby heifer. It always seems like it's the girls that die off. And I am always wanting girls when the goats kid, but the bucklings show up quite frequently. If I had a bull producing that many males, I would get a different bull for sure. I think we have a normal percentage here, about half and half. I am down to three bucklings and three doelings now, two of which I will be keeping( one of each). I am keeping the purebred, registerable ones.
Looks like another hot sunny day out there. I should water the garden. Need to go to town to use DH's computer at work. I need to order more business cards and my computer is so slow it's practically useless. Stay cool, take care. Deb

 

[CapricornFarm]

I went to DH's office to use a computer and could not get the site to work properly. So we went to lunch. Afterword I went to the library and used their computer, to order more business cards, a pair of t shirts, labels etc. I used a photo I took of my buff roo in the design, it came out well.
It was so hot this afternoon , I let the polish out of their tractor. They were having a great time. When it started to get dark, they just laid down on the ground where ever they happened to be. I had to collect all of them and put them back. I was missing one, eventually found him between two goat pens on the other side of the fence. The white rooster was being a big boy, and standing up tall looking for predators. I was proud of him.
I was getting ready to toss the quail eggs from my second batch because I thought they were not going to hatch . But tonight when I checked the Bator, there was one little Bob white hatched out. I forgot how tiny they had been! It is pitiful because he is calling for another quail, but he is too tiny to put in with the others, they look big enough to be his mama! And I can't put him in with the chicks, they would eat him. I guess I just have to hope at least one more hatches so he has company.
What's up with you folks?

 

[Chicken Coach]

HI Deb,I went to the Tulsa airport with my sister to get my niece and her kids from Colorado they are here for a week. Its fun to see them they have been gone for a year. When i got back home yesterday i could not water and feed fast enough .The poor birds had some hot water and some where out, that's just being gone a little over a half a day! Thank god for the evenings i'ts the only time i get anything done. The duck that fought off the snake hatched 9 babies yesterday she set for so long i was about to give up. Latter, Dennis

 

[CapricornFarm]

Hey Coach, great those duck eggs hatched after all that . It's always good to visit with family, especially after a long absence. Enjoy!
Tomorrow the lawn tractor repair guy is supposed to come and fix it, some time between 8am and 5 pm. Gee, could they get less specific?? So DH could not find the replacement blades , they are here somewhere, but the garage is a disaster area and very hot. I have been out there looking three times now It's aggravating.
I took a goat census today, I have 12 does, a buck, and 6 kids. So under 20 goats total. I don't even want to think about a chicken census. I moved more youngsters out of the brooder today and into the grow out pen. Less to tuck in at night, cause I was letting them out in that yard. The Ameraucauna hens got to run loose today, the goats kept them company.
It was blazing hot once again , I laid low and rested.most of the day. Now I have lots of energy but it's dark out

Guess I need to look for mower blades again

 

[Chicken Coach]

Today i went and got a truck load of bark mulch.I got the weed cloth down and forked out half, looks great! I only had to chase the chickens out 2 times, i think the bark is doomed.I do have one flower bed that they dig around in but not to bad. My wife came home from work and went to bed she stayed up to late last night and got up at 5 am like she always doses, i don't know how she doses it. So i got to milk the goats finish the chores, feed myself, watch some tv. I'm pooped out, i guess a half a pick up load of bark is a lot, it didn't use to be.

 

[CapricornFarm]

So today I got to wait all day for the lawn mower repair guy. They always call before they come, so you have to sit by the phone . I got a call from a man wanting chickens. So at 3:30, the repair guy called and said he is on his way
The man for chickens shows up, closely followed by the repair guy! I had all day sitting around, then they show up at the same time! Crazy. Anyway, he bought 20 chicks, so that was good . Then I beat it out of here to get to town before Co-op closed because I needed more feed so I don't run out on the weekend.
I did manage to finish the base for the new coop, and painted the rest of the boards for the frame, then cut them. Also took apart the rocking chair farmer Wilson made for the grandkids and started sanding it. Got about half done. Love that belt sander.
Just realized my vacation starts in about a week. I will never be ready! I think I am going to have to start getting up early in the morning, yuck.
What is everyone else up to?

 

[mrheinz77]

I am lost. I was talking to my mom and it was hot so I was sweaty. When the call was over the buttons on my phone wouldn't work. UGH! What am I going to do? I use my phone (a Blackberry) to keep up with BYC.

Maybe in the morning it will work otherwise I will go through with drawls. How will I keep up with the swap threads? Darn phone.

I had to wipe the dust of the computer before I could use it.
Jim

 

[CapricornFarm]

Maybe your phone got wet. Got a dryer?

 

[mrheinz77]

I had it on the defrost in my truck turned on high for a while with my windows rolled down because it was so hot. Thanks for the suggestion.