Sunflower Chickens

[Ivywoods]

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LOL! When I was a kid we used to go around and catch grasshoppers and junebugs and throw them in to the chickens. Then we would laugh as they would chase each other around, trying to steal the prize.

My youngest son graduated yesterday (with honors, I'm happy to add). I'm so happy and proud of him. I'm also sad, too. It's kind of like the end to an "era." Now I will have two sons at K-State this fall. It might make it easier to see both of them now.... I hope. I'm just going to have to plan some trips to Manhattan to take them to dinner. They never turn down food!

 

[KansasBoy]

That's cute! Silly little birds

My wife's cousin graduated from Centralia this weekend also, and will be joining his older brother at K-State as well!

 

[GeoKan]

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Hahaha! I did the same thing. I lived in Texas at the time and I use to snag June bugs off the screen door. It was like watching chick football or something.

While we're on the subject of graduations, my oldest graduated from Troy yesterday. I was doing fine until she started handing out roses to my wife and I. Then it was like somebody turned on the faucets. Egads. I was like a "man baby."

And to think — I'll be doing this again in 3 years at my twins graduation. I'm going to be a wreck.

 

[Myabcs3]

Congrats to all of you with children graduating. My first will graduate next year, and I am sure the waterworks will be on! I have already found myself tearing up at small things!
And Ivywoods - the great thing about college kids - they always want food!

So, I know some of you have ameraucanas - anyway to sex chicks? I have got blue wheatens so I know I can blues, splash and wheatens...First time I have ever done shipped chicks and it was a great experience. I figured the guy would throw in extras, but not 8 extras. Hubby had a cow when he counted Friday night and the brooder had 28 instead of 20 - in his mind we now have 30 with the law of rounding up!

 

[Ivywoods]

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I have ameraucanas. The only ones I can tell apart are the wheatens. The rest is a pure guess.

BTW... where is Vinland Valley, KS? I've never heard of it.

 

[Myabcs3]

Vinland Valley is to the south of Lawrence, between Lawrence and Baldwin City. Vinland Valley is not technically a town/city, but has the oldest library in the State as well as a school, and the original church where Naismith preached. At one time, the railroad ran between Lawrence and Vinland or Vinland Valley.

 

[ChooksChick]

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28!? Holy Moses! In general, with Ameraucanas, I just go by the comb. If the comb is three distinct ridges, that is a potential roo. If it shows any growth or sign of pink in the first 5 weeks, it is a roo. Many times the pullets have only a single ridge and show no coloring until nearly point of lay.

There are other secondary characteristics that can give hints, like leg girth, retarded tail growth, and slow feathering. These don't all hold true, all times.

You'll have to post some pics soon...I'm looking at a long list of egg shots and whatnot that I'm still waiting on! Where's the finger-drumming smiley?

I had to go make feed yesterday. I've had a bunch of folks show up wanting some and was out- some vermin out at the farm has been emptying all of the bowls at night. I'm considering adding a whole round of work and taking one of my small metal trash cans around to all of the coops and emptying bowls at night and then reversing the process in the morning...but that seems like potential for cross-contamination should the worst ever occur, and a huge arse pain, as well...I'm thinking about making hinged feed boxes out of something...or maybe I need to search out every metal cake pan with a lid I can find...

REALLY??? In all we know about poultry has no one come up with a covered feed container which will withstand weather and vermin?

A steel dog bowl with a hinged top? Perhaps I'll collect more lidded cast iron pans and use those...but that's like a sacrilege.

 

[Nana2KJS]

Let's see .... the cost of a day off .....

Dog food - $$
Chicken feed - pre-paypal'd - doesn't count

Awesome new garden pot = $$$!!
Beautiful new garden plants - $$$$!!! (somebody suggested one too many garden centers!)

Awesome new friend - PRICELESS!!!!

Thoroughly enjoyed meeting Miss Renee today - you guys up north are really fortunate to be able to call her your friend.

Hope to make another trip up that way sometime and meet a few more of you!

 

[ChooksChick]

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I feel exactly the same way!! It's amazing how many wonderful folks there are out in the world, but when you meet someone and it just CLICKS it's a much smaller world! I feel like it has worked that way more times than is reasonable on BYC, and now I have another soul sister to feel blessed for!

I'm really a bad influence about plants and chickens...you're just lucky we weren't anywhere near MyABCs3's house, where my favorite garden center is...complete with chickens!!!

We MUST have another intentional get-together and I'm thinking maybe actually make a Sunflower Chickenstock! Invite the MO, OK and NE peeps?
That would be just fun!!

 

[CarolAnn]

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I feel exactly the same way!! It's amazing how many wonderful folks there are out in the world, but when you meet someone and it just CLICKS it's a much smaller world! I feel like it has worked that way more times than is reasonable on BYC, and now I have another soul sister to feel blessed for!

I'm really a bad influence about plants and chickens...you're just lucky we weren't anywhere near MyABCs3's house, where my favorite garden center is...complete with chickens!!!

We MUST have another intentional get-together and I'm thinking maybe actually make a Sunflower Chickenstock! Invite the MO, OK and NE peeps?
That would be just fun!!

Okay, where is MyABCs3's house and near what garden center?? I haven't bought ANY plants yet, for the garden or otherwise.
I'd sure be interested in meeting some BYC peeps. Thought about that today when I was coming into Lawrence from the East on 10. Wondered where that espresso shop was where you first met. Now that I'm feeling better and freed up more time I'd love to get together.