Sdwd

[Yard full o' rocks]

Morning all....just caching up from the weekend "chat". We were EXTREMELY busy this weekend and I dont think I even turn the computer on.

Colby had a wrestling tournament Saturday....I am quickly learning these are ALL DAY events. Took him to the school at 600am Sat morning, met him at the tourney at 9am and we all got home about 730pm....uuuggghhh. He did place 3rd though, not too bad for his first year wrestling.

Unfortunately, we had company coming over Sunday....so, we "had" to completely decorate the house for Christmas. The slave driver, I mean DW, had us hauling stuff from the basement until nearly midnight.

Then, Sunday was Colby's confirmation at our church. We had about 15 family members here for that, then lunch afterwards. You think 1 of them said anything about the decorations??? NOOOOOOOOO. Finally, we had a youth meeting and youth dinner last night. Fell into bed around 1030 and didnt move until 600am today.

Cyn - belated congrats on your 35th anniversary!!! That is quite a milestone. My father and step mother mark # 45 this next February. BTW - gonna have to name some of those "chicks we're not speaking of" after a few elves!!!

Janelle - thanks for the dellie/rock cross pix. They do look very similar. I think your girl has some barring in her main feathers mine dont have. Only place I see any barring on mine is in the hackles

Cold here, but no snow (thank goodness). Gotta get a few resumes off this morning then I'm off to the lake to winterize the RV's. Temps in the teens tonight thru Thurs and I don't need those pipes freezing.

Everyone have a GREAT Monday....talk to you all soon

 

[kathyinmo]

Scott.... WRESTLING ! ! ! Now you are talking my language! Woo Hoo, I could go on for hours and hours! We used to attend those all day meets every weekend (in season) for years and years and years! That was out entire social life with the 3 older boys being wrestlers, and DH coach. Give Colby my congrats! Has he watched the movie (old one) "Vision Quest?" It's kinda fun, about a wrestler.

 

[NellaBean]

Quote:
See, I don't have any pure dels to compare with......but by far my friendliest bird is one of my RIR. Stew #2! Poorest quality girl in the yard, LOL. She is half bald, has split wings......but she comes running to me and will jump up and take food out of my fingers and is always RIGHT THERE. She likes to talk to me too. And by golly, she may be half bald and looking like she ran a marathon, but she comes tearing out of the coop every morning and dives into the nestboxes in the garage and lays me a nice medium brown egg. Every day without fail. Rain, snow, sleet hail.....no matter, Stew #2 always provides.

Scott, my girl does have some barring in all feathers....not just her hackles. Cute little bird. Would be interesting to see what she produced crossed with my Blue Wheaten Ameracauna boy.

Ms Bantam Cochin hen was fine and dandy in the mottled pen this morning. I can't help but sing One of these things is not like the other ones when I go over there. 6 black mottled, 1 very dark blue mottled.....and 1 buff. LOL.

All the babies seemed alive and well, even the group that is now motherless

The black chicks were part of the group! Imagine that.....

 

[Serrin]

Quote:
Nooooooo. Actually, these birds are probably the one and only thing that are gonna keep you from needing a therapist. We call it "Chicken Therapy" and it has psychotherapy beat six ways to Sunday!

Think of all of the money these sweet little creatures are going to save you just in shrink fees alone!

And why wouldn't you mention your little NH girl here? Did you not get the memo Knox? This is where we talk about EVERYTHING!! Including, but by no means limited to, little NH pullets with a Chatty Patty streak in them! Keep her stories coming please! She sounds like a real little sweetheart and a total charmer!

Maybe you can post a good picture of her? We'd like to see her too, ya know!

 

[joletabey]

Inkheart- it's the accent- the NH accent that the Dels don't get. They don't have one, you see.

It is butt freezing nasty rotten COLD. And I am going to have to buy heaters for the waterers.
Anyone have any suggestions?

Cyn, about your

, I really want to say

about it all, but since

is the order of the day, all I will say is

Scott- I never could watch wrestling -when they start jerking on each other's heads and necks I get all nervous.

Cetawin, if your DH and DD had bowed and scraped properly, with a few grovels and apologies thrown in, the Diva would have accepted breakfast with more grace. Have them try again with the proper attitude, you never know when you might need them to do chores again.

 

[Inkheart]

Quote:
Nooooooo. Actually, these birds are probably the one and only thing that are gonna keep you from needing a therapist. We call it "Chicken Therapy" and it has psychotherapy beat six ways to Sunday!

Think of all of the money these sweet little creatures are going to save you just in shrink fees alone!

And why wouldn't you mention your little NH girl here? Did you not get the memo Knox? This is where we talk about EVERYTHING!! Including, but by no means limited to, little NH pullets with a Chatty Patty streak in them! Keep her stories coming please! She sounds like a real little sweetheart and a total charmer!

Maybe you can post a good picture of her? We'd like to see her too, ya know!

Well i just got her Saturday - i think she may start coming out of her shell soon! LOL - Yes my camera batteries are dead - but when i get them you will. See my barn - the previous owners used it as a "party barn" it has a full length bar in it and so forth . Mirror behind the bar. I have converted a large portion of it for the chickens and my goats. So this morning she scared the crapola out of me cause i keep the feed right beneath where the bar is - i didnt see her in the dark and i stood up and she was standing o nthe bar just staring at me and chattering away - I picked her up - cooing of course and put her back in their run area . Once again the Dels are like - what is with this chick?

 

[Serrin]

Too funny Knox!!

Has she seen herself in that full length mirror behind the bar yet? If ya really want to have a howl at their antics, let them see themselves in a mirror! Guaranteed belly laughs!

Especially when they try to peek around behind the mirror looking for the rest of that chicken they see!

Just be sure to have your camera ready before you introduce them to their own reflection. Chickens are smart, and a lot of them figure out the illusion pretty darn fast!

 

[Inkheart]

I am not sure - but it sure seemed like she saying in Hampshirese that she wanted a beer since she bellied herself up on that bar. The Dels have never done that - they just go down to the other end of the building where i have roosts built in .

 

[kathyinmo]

Dang, it is cold out there. 33* now, suppose to get up to 42, but it looks doubtful. BRRRRRR....

Well, Miss Floozy is one ticked off girl, for sure. I wish I would have had my camera in my pocket. She still gets up on the roof of their little red coop. She is pacing and chattering up a storm; I think I heard some cuss words in there. What a sight!

Jacob and Oliver do not appear amused at all. I think they are ignoring her and warning the other girls to just avoid Miss Floozy.

I gotta tell ya what I have noticed with my Sussex. I have 3 Light Sussex layers that are over a year old. They are fine in the weather. ALL of my Coronation and Split Sussex (Australian blood) act like they are cold. I have a heat light on for the younger ones, as usual. I have noticed the older ones want the heat as well. Gee, it isn't even that cold yet. This really surprised me.

 

[NellaBean]

If heat is available, they will enjoy it, I have found. Which makes sense....would YOU ignore a heat lamp if it was there? My little loofah midget cochin girl needs the heat. She is constantly standing under it with her eyes closed. She obviously has issues and I don't really expect her to last the winter. The rest of her buddies in that brooder don't need the lamp, but if its on, they will stand under/near it. Bet it feels fabulous.

The only "outside" birds I have noticed bothered by the weather are my frizzles. I saw the white one shivering one day. Then I promptly forgot about it. I'll have to check her tonight. I "boarded" up the windows of the coop last night, as they are at roost level and it was brrrrrrrr chilly. Good old cardboard. Won't keep the cold out, but will sure stop the wind. Good enough. I have SO many birds in my coop this year, they should keep it a bit warmer. I may consider putting another waterer inside as I think they may be able to keep it above freezing.

I am a master ice breaker though. Gimme a 2x4 and some elbow grease......water for everyone! LOL.

Here is my helpful hint.....if you remove the broken ice, it takes longer to freeze back up. Easiest way to do that in bowls or buckets? Kitchen strainer on a stick! They sell metal mesh ones at the dollar tree here. I break the ice with my 2x4 and then use my strainer to get the ice chunks out. Works well