South Carolina

[huckleberryfarm]

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Are they getting bantams too??? Or just smaller chickens and chicks?

It carried off a bantam cochin and a silkie/cochin mix. It has taken the heads off of my several EE, a Brahma, a Dominique and a Large Cochin. Sometimes it just takes the head and sometimes it tears the body apart after the head is gone. I think it depends on how quickly we get to the bird after the kill. I lost another EE today. My sister has moved some of the breeders around and opened up a run for them to go into so I'm hoping that solves the problem until we get home. Unfortunately my husband is leaving for a week out of town as soon as we get home so it might have to wait for a week or so. I hate that stupid hawk!

 

[huckleberryfarm]

Quote:
We'll be back Sunday. The beach is beautiful! And it's definitely not too hot here. Just in the mid 80's with a great breeze. Surely it will cool down before September. I cannot take a whole summer of 90 degree weather!

I haven't lost any more chickens to the heat. We had moved their automatic waterer closer to their big coop so they could drink without having to travel through the pasture. That's how the hawk was getting them. I guess some of the chickens couldn't quite figure out where it was. You would think that 50 other chickens drinking from it would be a clue, but I guess not.

Seems now everyone knows where to drink and we put out some other waterers before we left and my sister is filling those. She said it's been a bit less humid and a bit cooler the last few days. I was actually considering reducing my laying flock but this is not what I meant! Thankfully all of my breeders have been safe and well. Nothing more since my two lav silkies got their heads ripped off.

I'm really hating predators right now! And hot weather!

 

[tiffanyg2]

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Why NO NO NO???? Who told you that DH

Of course....... the spoilsport!

Frozen jugs are a good idea, but my chest freezer is about 19 miles away from home

Maybe one of these days we will get it moved up here.

I will be grabbing some frozen fruit out of it for them today.

Haha~ Boohoo to the spoilsport! I bet they will love the frozen fruit

 

[KrisH]

Wow, the PO made a mistake and didnt call to tell us the Keets had arrived. So I turn off the heat lamp and went on errands. Get back home and 20 min later the door bell rings, the Mail had delivered the keets to the wrong post office, so they called my mail carrier to come get them and deliver. No one called, so I am so glad I was home.

We have 15 very active guinea keets. They arrived in 1 day, and are active and well, noisey

Boy are the fast too.

 

[emptynester]

yay keets! They are so cute! I don't have room for them, but I like looking a them.

 

[pinkwindsong]

Quote:
OMG sorry to hear about all that! BUT..... did you see my post about the Velevet Ant??? It's a wingless wasp (yes a wasp) that has some very dangerous venom. It would really be most dangerous to those allergic to bee's! But either way they hurt like hell! I'll post it on here for you to see. Alrthough you didn't see what it was?? Where did you get bit at?

Ive never heard pf such a critter.. sounds nasty...

)O(
Pink

 

[WestKnollAmy]

DH calls those nasty things Cattle Drivers! He always watches out for them but before we moved out here to the farm I had never seen one in my life. Now I am very careful and haven't gone bare foot in many years.

 

[gofasterstripe]

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I have been asking for some for over a year.

I was told NO NO NO

NO Geese!

Why NO NO NO???? Who told you that DH

I hatched out 4 Sebbie eggs in April but I dont know what I have. I will have to wait till breeding season to find out. If I have excess males I will be selling them and I will be selling babies too. Long way off yet tho.

 

[pinkwindsong]

somethign got my Dixie chick either late last night or this am before i let everyone out int he yard today.. jsut a puff of feathers.. left. no body or blood.. just feathers..

I really love my little Dixie chick.. she just got to big for her britches and now.... what ever it was that got her... NOW KNOWS WERE THEY LIVE>>>>>> muahhhhhhhaaaa... that was my scarry movie talk.... hahha.. anyway.. yea the worst is now the critter of what ever kind knows about my girls.. ahhhh.. and Boo... has rolled in something absoultly GAGING..

.. I have washed him 4 times in dawn dish detergent and he still stinks.. its not so sickening but its still bad.. I don't know what Im gonna do with him tonight.. maybe spray Lysol on him... whew... hahhahah.. seriously he will probably have to sleep in the bathroom.. what ever it was is was dark brown/greenish and nasty..

. probably from what ever got Dixie... cause this is not a normal poop found on the farm...

we'll ya'll we made it through one more day of 91d heat today.. OMG its gonna be a barn burner this summer..

i do not do well in the heat.. i dont know how my husband works out in the heat and on big trucks and equipment.. he has the heat of the day and then the heat coming off the engines.. too.. ahhhhh.. I couldn't do it.. oh and how bout the guys who work on roof's with hot tar or laying asphalt on roads..

what do yall think the worst hot weather job would be???

Im going with hot tar and asphalt road paving.... but don't tell my husband.. hahah "yes dear you have the hottest job.". hahhahahah

)O(
Pink

 

[ChickyChickyBaby]

Quote:
Here's my Velevet Ant Pictures~ I caught it on Saturday morning out in my backyard!

Guess what I found in the grass over the weekend a Velvet Ant~ *AKA* the cow killer technically this thing is a wingless wasp!! But it's sting is extremely painful and probably could have done some serious damage to the chickens, dogs, or kids if it stung one of them. Or even me for that matter~ but I caught it in a jar to show you all! Check it out...

This is a Female~ with a very toxic stinger!!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/88786_velvetant1_011.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/88786_velvetant1_005.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/88786_velvetant1_009.jpg

Then we found a male Velvet Ant the next day which does have wings but no stinger!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/88786_velvetantmale_005.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/88786_velvetantmale_016.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/88786_velvetantmale_024.jpg


I released the female in a big open feild far away from any houses so she could go about her life! They are really beautiful creatures~ even the male! I let him go back in the yard where he was since he wont bother anything

another bug I gotta watch out for. Luckily not seen any of those yet.......

I have no clue what got me last night. Never saw or felt anything but the stings. The first sting was the worst....it is still painful to the touch but almost gone thanks to the steroid drip IV.