Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[LittleMissPurdy]

I like your imagination, where do my old fashioned ways fit in?
Might be a little high for you also....you would be better at jumping and swinging the axe then me though....you know I do not have that kind of coordination, I would probly chop everything but the target.
Thanks for the laugh.

MC, keep in mind that every now and then someone would need to be sacrificed to go look for supplies, in the name of safety of course.

omgosh!!

.....yeah, always have to keep THAT in mind....

We lost one today, not really sure of the cause... They are ~12-13 weeks old now and all seem to be happy and healthy, except my daughter's 'special' chick - a blue cochin. I had started wondering if she was a bantam because she just wasn't getting as big as the rest of the chickens (black australorps and RIR). I haven't spent much time out there over the last few weeks bc of the new baby, but this week I noticed she just wasn't running around much or getting excited about food like the other chickens. They didn't seem o pick on her, and she did eat, just wasn't 'enthusiastic'. This afternoon I went out and she wasn't in the run.. she was laying in the coop on her side with her head back like she was dead, but she was still moving a little. DH and I tried to give her some electrolyte water and she swallowed it and tried to get up but couldn't. DH tried to help her but she just flopped around the like she was broken. I feel like we could have done more to try to save her, but DH decided it was too late and took care of the rest. She wasn't attacked, but definitely seemed 'broken' (like, wretched into an unnatural position) when DH tried to stand her up - any ideas what could have caused her death? My daughter is heartbroken

so sorry

...especially when it is all of the sudden like that....

 

[LadyBehir]

First 6 egg day!

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

First 6 egg day!

congrats!!!

...I am still waiting ....and waiting.....hahahhaa, enojy your long awaited eggs!!

 

[BullChick]

First 6 egg day!

 

[barbiegirl]

First 6 egg day!

Yay! Pretty eggs

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

I'm so behind on all the posts!
1) To all those who are in the "hunt zone" with the shooter on the run, I hope you stay safe and that they catch that man soon. Such a frightening and tragic situation.
2) Wingstone--- if I were in your region, I would volunteer to help you. I've only killed/dressed a handful of CX (all this week), but I'm pretty handy at killing and butchering a deer by myself (it's pathetic, but I find the deer a whole lot easier to process than trying to dress out a chicken!!). I hope you get all the help you need and the task done, sounds like you've got some good people from here already lined up.
3)AnnInTheBurbs---love the new run! I'm going to start on my ladies' new one this week. I'm playing around with the idea of cattle panels in an arch over the top of the open run (like the one you've built) so that I can put clear plastic on as a roof but leave the sides open in the winter, do minimize the snow and such that will accumulate in their run this year. Any one have any suggestions?
4)To those at Fort Fisherlady----I only wish some place like that existed! So far I have thrown out our microwave (I had cancer and don't want to get it back, so now I'm the nutter who went "green"), and DH just finished restoring an old Glenwood range for me that I found on craigslist for $100----it's a dual wood burning stove with propane! Circa 1930. SO that means the next thing to go is my "normal" stove. We just tonight ditched our fridge and are using a 1920's ice box that I got last week at an auction-----DH built me a 10x10 root cellar in our basement, so between using that and the ice box and the freezer for veggies/meat that I don't wind up canning, we are set. I try and can enough food each season to feed an army. Our goal is homesteading and being able to produce/hunt/raise enough food that we don't have to buy any out of necessity.

I have a question that is probably going to sound really stupid-----When a chicken molts, do they legit lose ALL their feathers?? It's been in the 30s at night here, and I know my coop is suitable but I've got visions of cold naked hens, as it's already 1/2 way through September!! I've got 3 ladies who look to be just starting their molt as they've got lots of underfluff showing, and the coop has more feathers than normal on the ground.

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

First 6 egg day!

Congrats! Love the different colors

 

[troyer]

A Sumatra cross cockerel.

 

[dheltzel]

I'm so behind on all the posts!
1) To all those who are in the "hunt zone" with the shooter on the run, I hope you stay safe and that they catch that man soon. Such a frightening and tragic situation.
2) Wingstone--- if I were in your region, I would volunteer to help you. I've only killed/dressed a handful of CX (all this week), but I'm pretty handy at killing and butchering a deer by myself (it's pathetic, but I find the deer a whole lot easier to process than trying to dress out a chicken!!). I hope you get all the help you need and the task done, sounds like you've got some good people from here already lined up.
3)AnnInTheBurbs---love the new run! I'm going to start on my ladies' new one this week. I'm playing around with the idea of cattle panels in an arch over the top of the open run (like the one you've built) so that I can put clear plastic on as a roof but leave the sides open in the winter, do minimize the snow and such that will accumulate in their run this year. Any one have any suggestions?
4)To those at Fort Fisherlady----I only wish some place like that existed! So far I have thrown out our microwave (I had cancer and don't want to get it back, so now I'm the nutter who went "green"), and DH just finished restoring an old Glenwood range for me that I found on craigslist for $100----it's a dual wood burning stove with propane! Circa 1930. SO that means the next thing to go is my "normal" stove. We just tonight ditched our fridge and are using a 1920's ice box that I got last week at an auction-----DH built me a 10x10 root cellar in our basement, so between using that and the ice box and the freezer for veggies/meat that I don't wind up canning, we are set. I try and can enough food each season to feed an army. Our goal is homesteading and being able to produce/hunt/raise enough food that we don't have to buy any out of necessity.

I have a question that is probably going to sound really stupid-----When a chicken molts, do they legit lose ALL their feathers?? It's been in the 30s at night here, and I know my coop is suitable but I've got visions of cold naked hens, as it's already 1/2 way through September!! I've got 3 ladies who look to be just starting their molt as they've got lots of underfluff showing, and the coop has more feathers than normal on the ground.

First, on the molting issue, they lose only some feathers and regrow those rather quickly. They look a bit shabby and unkempt while molting, but otherwise act normal. Cold temps are not a problem for molting birds, they keep enough to keep warm.

Does anyone feed more protein while birds are in molt? Seems like feathers are almost all protein and making all those new ones might make supplementing protein a good idea. Maybe they just eat more of the regular food to get the protein they need.

As for the cattle panels, check out some of the "hoop house" videos on youtube and pics on the forums here. Here is a link I got some good ideas from: http://selfsufficiencyandotherassortedhijinks.wordpress.com/2013/11/04/hoop-house/

 

[fisherlady]

I'm so behind on all the posts!
1) To all those who are in the "hunt zone" with the shooter on the run, I hope you stay safe and that they catch that man soon. Such a frightening and tragic situation.
2) Wingstone--- if I were in your region, I would volunteer to help you. I've only killed/dressed a handful of CX (all this week), but I'm pretty handy at killing and butchering a deer by myself (it's pathetic, but I find the deer a whole lot easier to process than trying to dress out a chicken!!). I hope you get all the help you need and the task done, sounds like you've got some good people from here already lined up.
3)AnnInTheBurbs---love the new run! I'm going to start on my ladies' new one this week. I'm playing around with the idea of cattle panels in an arch over the top of the open run (like the one you've built) so that I can put clear plastic on as a roof but leave the sides open in the winter, do minimize the snow and such that will accumulate in their run this year. Any one have any suggestions?
4)To those at Fort Fisherlady----I only wish some place like that existed! So far I have thrown out our microwave (I had cancer and don't want to get it back, so now I'm the nutter who went "green"), and DH just finished restoring an old Glenwood range for me that I found on craigslist for $100----it's a dual wood burning stove with propane! Circa 1930. SO that means the next thing to go is my "normal" stove. We just tonight ditched our fridge and are using a 1920's ice box that I got last week at an auction-----DH built me a 10x10 root cellar in our basement, so between using that and the ice box and the freezer for veggies/meat that I don't wind up canning, we are set. I try and can enough food each season to feed an army. Our goal is homesteading and being able to produce/hunt/raise enough food that we don't have to buy any out of necessity.

I have a question that is probably going to sound really stupid-----When a chicken molts, do they legit lose ALL their feathers?? It's been in the 30s at night here, and I know my coop is suitable but I've got visions of cold naked hens, as it's already 1/2 way through September!! I've got 3 ladies who look to be just starting their molt as they've got lots of underfluff showing, and the coop has more feathers than normal on the ground.

Sounds like you and DH would be awesome additions to the fort! I am impressed that you are able to can and preserve enough to get rid of the fridge...that takes a lot of work in this day and age!!

I would have loaned you our processing equipment had I realized you were ready...drop me a note next time and I'll get it to you on our way up to camp if you need it.

Molting usually isn't horrid but there are exceptions. I have heard of some people making sweaters for hard hit birds...though as DHetzel said it is usually not so bad. I do give the birds some extra protein when they are heavily molting...crushed cat food is an easy way to do this.
If you want to be entertained (or maybe horrified) you can do a search on BYC for their previous 'worst molting' contests. There's usually an active thread on it each fall.

...DHetzel's suggestions to search hoop houses is spot on. remember to take into account the heavy snow fall in your area so make the arch pretty steep and make sure the opening is not facing the prevailing wind. (we get a horrible west wind here at camp)