Sdwd

[rancher hicks]

Ohhh, just look at that ! Love the picture!


Tim,
The price of feed here is outrageous, too! I broke down and went to MFA, a local co-op and bought their feed (it is cheaper and reading the label impressed me). I was so dang mad when I opened up the first bag and found bugs and dusty feed. I am returning it all tomorrow..... all 12 bags. It was $13. a bag and that is the cheapest I have found around here.

I have quit leaving the feeders full all the time (except for the chicks). All my older birds free range and I just fill up their feeders once a day, sometime in the afternoon. In the mornings they are on their own, or they clean up what they left on the ground the day before.

I feed outside, to deter the mice. That keeps feed off the floors of the coops and helps with that. However, outside I have coons and possums. Since I quit overfeeding and keeping full feeders, I notice all the predators' populations have decreased too.

Milk - you mentioned milk..... A new girl at work - they have dairy cows! YAY for me! I will be getting fresh milk..... for me and for the chickens! William Bennett (Pine Grove) said they love soured-clabbered milk, and it is good for them, too. I tried it, and they DO love it! Leave it out on the counter for a couple days and then feed it. At my previous job I was able to get fresh milk and I have really missed it. Glad to have a source again! You can use either raw milk or pasteurized milk.

Well I went out last night and "Exprinexed" most everybody. It's good for mites so I understand and I do DE everything and everywhere.

That big mean BR rooster got so scared he ran and stuck himself head first in the corner between the wall and the nest box.

Yesterday I got a pan and mixed some milk with the grower and put it out. They cleaned the pan so that was good. I will have to get my own designated measuring up and see how much to use.
We have a small college sized fridge and I'll set that up to put outdated milk I get from the school in. In the winter it just freezes in the garage and then I bring it in to thaw out.

I no longer keep any water or feed in the main coops, but put it in the runs. Since the runs are covered in the winter I don't have to worry about rain or snow. Water comes out hot in the morning and afternoons. Of course by the time I get it to the birds it's warm enough to drink. I will have to bring in the nipple waterers each night and rotate them, but I still prefer the gallon jugs.

Kathy I am sorry for you buggy feed. I do worry about such things at the feed mills.

 

[speckledhen]

I won't keep buggy feed, either. I paid for fresh, I expect fresh.


Well, my D'Anver sale fell through so had to reopen my ad.

Not the buyer's fault, really, but still, I thought I had these sold and out of here. Poor Purple Princess would like to be rooster-free again.

 

[rancher hicks]

I won't keep buggy feed, either. I paid for fresh, I expect fresh.


Well, my D'Anver sale fell through so had to reopen my ad.

Not the buyer's fault, really, but still, I thought I had these sold and out of here. Poor Purple Princess would like to be rooster-free again.

I would appreciate it more if folks would just say they've changed their mind or found someone else. Right now I don't know what to do. I had a guy come and give me a deposit for a pair of Dels and I haven't heard from him since.

He is only getting started and he did have to get things set up but he hasn't called to say what's going on. Granted it's only $12 and I want to refund his money so I can offer the pair to someone else.

One thing I do with my scratch is mix in some DE to ward off bugs. My wild bird seed used to get cooties but since I learned about the DE and mixed it with the scratch I don't have that problem.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I would appreciate it more if folks would just say they've changed their mind or found someone else. Right now I don't know what to do. I had a guy come and give me a deposit for a pair of Dels and I haven't heard from him since.

He is only getting started and he did have to get things set up but he hasn't called to say what's going on. Granted it's only $12 and I want to refund his money so I can offer the pair to someone else.

One thing I do with my scratch is mix in some DE to ward off bugs. My wild bird seed used to get cooties but since I learned about the DE and mixed it with the scratch I don't have that problem.

 

[Braclin]

Mom and I spent the day at our State Fair.















I wore my BYC shirt so I advertised for us today as well. Mom fell in love with the crested duck I like the Lavender colored one. The Winning NH Roo, and ROV Barred Rock Roo, and Bantam Black Orp. hen. The hand carved rocking horse with real horse hair mane and tail. The hand painted egg of one of our historic homes in the state. THe hatching station so kids and adults get a chance to see what we see all the time. It was just a GREAT day. Also took pics of some quilts. I came home with a jar of honey and molasses suckers yum yum. OH and a Property protected by attack chicken sign, woot!!

 

[Cetawin]

Brandon that Orr girl is indeed gorgeous. I so love that rocking horse....absolutely beautiful.


On the feed subject....I would hesitate to feed souring milk and such to them. Dairy is not the greatest thing for them and the risk of mold and etc is just not worth the risk to me. I prefer mixing their commerical feed with the grains. They eat less, waste less and the food lasts me much longer...More cot effective for me, even with the rise in cost, feeding free choice and etc.

 

[Cetawin]

Cyn, I am praying for my big blue tank...I will be up if you need to call and if not my phone will be right beside me. You know you can call me anytime...day or night...especially about Suede.

I am praying that he crosses over peacefully and quickly just as Zane did. You know how I feel so need to state it. Give him my love.

 

[crazyhen]

Good morning Cyn,
I hope Suede is doing well or like Cetawin that he passes smoothly. I lost all my Suede hens when my flock contracted Mps 2 yrs ago , I did get some hens from Beth though and I believe she had some of yours at the time. I have a big fluffy blue and a black hen. I love them both. They are such characters, My blue is the diva.
Aren't you glad it is a bit cooler. Here it is so dry the grass is twisted and my fox grapes have shriveled on the vines while still green. I almost cried when I saw them. This is the first yr. of them bearing. They are a large purple thick hulled grape, I use them for jam. The only place I have seen them wild is in an area called Gold Mine between Franklin and Highlands. They are not the tiny possum grapes you usually see high in the trees.
Have a wonderful day. Gloria Jean Ps I would love to have a few of Suedes girls if it is possible.

 

[speckledhen]

Gloria Jean, LH and I were just talking about you losing your Suede kids in that awful mess. I remember your Velvet-still have her picture. She was so beautiful.

Dusty's egg under Emily is on Day 4 today, but Emily's actual clutch of two eggs is on Day 15. Naturally, I'll have to remove Dusty's and the three D'Anver x Coch'Anver eggs by Em's hatch day.

In a few days, I will candle Dusty's, but in the meantime, I will be collecting anything Dusty lays, just in case there's a chance that big Suede spread his last seed before he passes on to that Great Roost in the Sky. I hope against hope that he did. That big old boy is loved by so many folks who have never even met him, sons and daughters, grandkids and great-grandkids all over this country.

Just told Tom to set up the bator, in case Emily quits on Day 16-17 like she's done twice in the past. She quit much earlier the other three times.

She has one pure Delaware, one DelaRock (Wynette's egg).

 

[crazyhen]

Cyn,
That was a devastating time for me. I still cringe thinking about it. ``I just love my hens now though. If you know anyone locally that wants two linebred Ameracuanas let me know. I have two cuties that are males. They were from Peachick. . One is wheaten I think, and the other is bl/wheaten they are about 9 wks old now. Appear healthy and all I just already have a bl/wheaten from Cari in Cal. that is about 12 wks I am going to keep since has been with his hatch mates since the beginning. Gloria Jean