Texas

[StelleKitten]

it's funny... when you say something like "only 3 hours drive" to people in other states.. they freak out like you're living in another country or something... yet here in Texas it's no biggie!
a whole 35 minutes!!!... ACK!!!.. that takes FOREVER!!!

Everyone at my DH's job gripes that he is sometimes late, usually on rainy days. Even though he strikes out early, sometimes on the 40 mile drive he runs into people that just don't understand that 70 mph doesn't mean you can do 55 mph. They chewed him out for being late last week by 10 minutes when the guy who literally lives two blocks away was 35 minutes late. The other guy didn't even get reminded he was late. GRRRR, my DH is looking for a better job and it can't come soon enough. They cut his daily hours down but increased the number of days per week. Now he is supposed to work 6 days a week.

Some people add it to the feed to help deter intestinal parasites

others use it to dust the coop for mites and such

and then there is also adding it to the coop litter and dust bathing areas.


The belief is that since the diatoms have sharp edges they will cut into the exoskeletons causing the parasites to desiccate and die

edited to add:

if you decide to go with the DE.. make sure you find livestock or FOOD grade.. you want to avoid regular garden DE since it usually has pesticides added which may not be poultry friendly

I was wondering about DE, I just haven't gotten around to trying it. What would you recommend as being the best way to start using it?

He has a "profile" at work.. means no PT.. no lifting.. no running.. no nothing for 90 days.. basically he can wear a uniform and show up.. then they decide if they want him to sit there look pretty and push a few papers.. or send him home for the day!

after 90 days he goes back for more tests (his foot, ankle, spleen, knee, and head injuries).. then they will decide if he will end up needing surgery, go back to regular work.. or more time of sitting there and looking pretty.

I hope he gets better soon. Of course being an ornament could be fun. I do hope he doesn't need surgery. That wouldn't be fun at all.

it's removing the end of the wing (the tip) when they are just a day old... a quick snip with a scissors renders them flightless for life

I gathered this info for Kili a while back (yeah.. it's from our PM)
for pinioning.. you need a bird that is just a couple of days old at most.. the older they are the more they can bleed
I HAVE pinioned three weekold ducklings.. but they fight a whole lot more..

you also need sharp scissors

when you look at the wing.. you have the "drumette" (humerus).. then the next section has the two long bones (radius and ulna).. a little "thumb" that sicks off and the metacarpus with phalanges.. (which is the little flipper part that you don't eat when you have hot wings)




to pinion you go to the other side of the little "thumb" (onto the metacarpus) and snip off the wing




it's fast .. relatively no blood to speak of and they only make a bit of a squawk... one word of caution.. the longer you hold them after the snip.. the more they will bleed (heart pumps faster because they are scared).. the older the duckling is the more it will bleed too.. usually its not more than a drop or two..

you don't want to snip off the "thumb" though.. just under it.. I even go out a smidge further than they show in the second picture since it's hard to get a good snip that close up to the thumb that sticks out.

Adult birds are a royal pain to pinion .. you need wire cutters to hack through bone and there is a real risk of them bleeding to death.. so I won't bother with pinioning an adult bird
I have also pinioned turkey poults... so you can pretty much pinion any flighted bird that you want to stay grounded; but don't want to have to worry about catching a few times a year to clip wing feathers

also..you only pinion one wing on a bird (usually the right wing)


so long as you stay on the matacarpus you can't do any real damage.. if you go too far from the "thumb" towards the phalanges you risk limited flight because more flight feathers will be permitted to grow.. so you want to minimize that

cutting back into the radius and ulna will cause more bleeding and damage to soft tissues..

so the safest place to cut is under the "thumb".. I just don't take it all the way back to the joint like the second picture shows

think of it this way
you can have fingers cut off and it will keep you from writing.. but it's not "life threatening"..
however if you hack off your lower arm and you risk a lot more damage (bunching of soft tissues) plus bleeding to death..


when a properly pinioned bird walks past you.. you don't even notice it's been pinioned..

unless they spread their wings

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/417114/exotic-duck-question









zoos and wildlife parks use pinioning all the time... otherwise their exotic bird collections would end up being pretty empty


for muscovys and other migratory waterfowl federal regulations call for either pinioning the right wing, solid leg bands, tattooing the webbing of the feet or removing the back toe

so I pinion all my muscovys right after hatch just in case they should ever decide to enforce their regs.

My birds are too old to pinion but I think I may start doing that. It would be a lot better than just clipping some of the feathers, those edges are sharp when they flap trimmed feathers against your face!

Finally have a full brooder -- the rest of my chicks arrived last week. We lost one chick (dominique) but she had been weak since she arrived and there were several times we thought she wouldn't make it. I don't know if something happened during incubation or hatching... sigh.

Here's everyone -- I'm paranoid we're going to have a surprise roo in the bunch!

6 total: 1 SF, 2 EE, 1 SLW, 1 RIR, 1 BPR

They are absolutely adorable. I really like that purple spot on the ones head. Lol

The Girls have decided Mike's shop is the place to be:

And, what they were supervising was the beginning of The Broken Yolk:

Once it's finished, we'll build the runs. The next 12' will be my garden, then coops start up again.

He will have poop everywhere. My DH used to have a shop where he kept all his computer works in. If he left the door open, we had a white leghorn who would lay her eggs on his foam pad thing where he built the boards. I absolutely love your coops! I keep watching for updates on it.

that's the thing with defective glands.. they do start out "hit or miss".. if it gets worse as time goes by then just keep an eye on her for issues

Usually it's no big deal.. just a little warning sign that things may be a bit amiss

I am hoping that this bird is okay, couldn't find original post.

And now I am caught up!

 

[StelleKitten]

Thought I would post some pics of the new little birds that DH brought home.

This is the Rhode Island Red with a light head. Supposed to be a pullet.

This is the Americana (lol, Easter Egger) that he got, straight run. I don't see a beard at all on this baby. Neat color though. Kind of a soft grey and peach.

The dark headed Rhode Island Red pullet.

The lighter colored silver laced wyandotte.

The brown leghorn that was given to him.

The darker colored silver laced wyandotte.

 

[Kilsharion]

In defense of aloof neighbors, sometimes we are just shy, and not sure if we are really welcome. Plus, around here, you can get shot for being too friendly...

I'd buy that because I'm that way myself. I consider that shy, not aloof. These neighbours have been invited over, repeatedly. The one time they actually came over, the look on the woman's face was very close to what I'd describe as disgust. I was being polite using the word aloof

Snooty and condescending is more accurate. They've never accepted another invitation over; and, I can't say that it breaks my heart. Though, it is preferable to be on good terms with your neighbours **sighs** So, I'll keep inviting them and hope that one day they'll get over themselves.

He will have poop everywhere. My DH used to have a shop where he kept all his computer works in. If he left the door open, we had a white leghorn who would lay her eggs on his foam pad thing where he built the boards. I absolutely love your coops! I keep watching for updates on it.

Oh, he already has pooh everywhere; though, weirdly enough, they seem to be staying off the stuff he actually uses regularly (except his chair....**snickers**). They really do like playing spectator. He's just said he's got the perfect excuse to leave the wood shavings on the floor, now

Thanks so much for the kind words about the coops. He makes me proud in everything he does..

..well, most everything

 

[Kilsharion]

This is the Americana (lol, Easter Egger) that he got, straight run. I don't see a beard at all on this baby. Neat color though. Kind of a soft grey and peach.

My little Roxanne had absolutely no beard as a baby...but, the older she's gotten she's developed a beard. It's not nearly as full as it should be; but, unlike the other two, she's not beardless. They all have their muffs, etc - just no beards and definitely EE colouration on their plumage.

 

[StelleKitten]

I'd buy that because I'm that way myself. I consider that shy, not aloof. These neighbours have been invited over, repeatedly. The one time they actually came over, the look on the woman's face was very close to what I'd describe as disgust. I was being polite using the word aloof

Snooty and condescending is more accurate. They've never accepted another invitation over; and, I can't say that it breaks my heart. Though, it is preferable to be on good terms with your neighbours **sighs** So, I'll keep inviting them and hope that one day they'll get over themselves.


Oh, he already has pooh everywhere; though, weirdly enough, they seem to be staying off the stuff he actually uses regularly (except his chair....**snickers**). They really do like playing spectator. He's just said he's got the perfect excuse to leave the wood shavings on the floor, now

Thanks so much for the kind words about the coops. He makes me proud in everything he does..

..well, most everything

Lol, I get the same look from one of my DH's coworkers, she thinks that because I have chickens in the house it is disgusting. (the ones in the brooder box) I love the fact they sit in his chair and leave little surprises. Must be that they don't want him sitting down for a break. They want those coops done, and now!

My DH saw the pics of what yours is doing, he isn't inclined towards construction but he is writing up wiring schematics for my coop. Seems my chicks will have led's to light up the inside of the nest boxes (with a switch so I can turn them on when I gather eggs, he doesn't want me finding a snake in the box), some lights on their ramp so they can see it in the dark if need be. I think I am getting some chicken activated feeders of some sort. He explained it to me, but I don't understand it at all.

 

[Kilsharion]

Lol, I get the same look from one of my DH's coworkers, she thinks that because I have chickens in the house it is disgusting. (the ones in the brooder box) I love the fact they sit in his chair and leave little surprises. Must be that they don't want him sitting down for a break. They want those coops done, and now!

My DH saw the pics of what yours is doing, he isn't inclined towards construction but he is writing up wiring schematics for my coop. Seems my chicks will have led's to light up the inside of the nest boxes (with a switch so I can turn them on when I gather eggs, he doesn't want me finding a snake in the box), some lights on their ramp so they can see it in the dark if need be. I think I am getting some chicken activated feeders of some sort. He explained it to me, but I don't understand it at all.

They are hard task masters!

I dunno about wiring all that in; but, I have to say I do like the idea of the LED micro switch setup to allow you to have light to see when you collect eggs. We have talked about wiring up electricity out there to help extend the days in the winter. I doubt it will happen. With the translucent roofs, and the number of birds, the reduction in laying isn't going to be as big an impact as all that...be a nice break, actually

Our birds will be up and in bed by the time the big light in the sky goes out. They are already going to bed just as the last bit of the sun sinks on the horizon. Dusk is what I grew up knowing it as...where the sun's no longer in the sky, but there is still a touch of light left by which to see. So, I'm not sure we'd need lights on the ramps....but, motion activated lights would be beneficial for the outward facing walls of the runs. My step son has been making noises about running water and electric out there for me (he's a landscaper and arborist) because, "You never know when it will be handy. Besides, having their water here will save you time in the morning." He wants to hook up a fully on demand system for them for watering.

Of course, he's also the one who overheard a random comment I made to his dad about the path being worn through my grass and how I wish I could do something about it....I came home the following day and he'd laid a rock path. I got an email this morning from his father telling me he's building a little rock 'bridge' to go over the natural wash that I have so that the two different types of stone walk ways (he's joining it to the path by the house) will "flow better".......I've got two over achievers in my home, right now.

If the three of them (my husband, my ss and your DH) ever got together on a project....watch out world.

 

[yinepu]

Thanks. We have exactly two other families that live down this road. Technically, we own the whole end of the road. They have right of way because that's where their drives come out of their property...one of our neighbours is alittle aloof and never comes over. The others are over about every night visiting. Thankfully, they are awesome people. Last night, our aloof neighbours were turning into their drive and I saw them craning their necks around to try and figure out what in the world we are doing. Why they don't just stop and ask, I don't know.

In defense of aloof neighbors, sometimes we are just shy, and not sure if we are really welcome. Plus, around here, you can get shot for being too friendly...

I'm not shy.. just antisocial and I like being a hermit..

showing up around here after dark unannounced could very well get ya shot!

Quote:
for the DE.. just start using it.. it's no different than giving the birds calcium in their feed or wood ash in their dusting spots.. so you don't need to go through an introductory period..

The DE that I have tasted was pretty much tasteless (never open your mouth when dusting birds with it or you may get a taste yourself!) so it shouldn't affect their feeding any

for the pinioning.. it is the way to go if you don't mind the "clipped" wing on a dressed out bird. It definitely keeps them grounded forever.. so don't pinion a bird that you will eventually want to see with flight capabilities (pigeons for example) since it can't be reversed

defective shell glands can range from minor to severe.. usually in young birds it falls into the "minor" category and are nothing to be overly concerned about.. but it's always a good idea to keep an eye on the bird just so you can try to catch a problem if it starts to develop..

something minor would be young birds with immature glands.. basically they have to work all the kinks out of the system.. so long as it's just a minor defect in the egg i normally don't worry about them.. and 99 times out of 100 (give or take) they sort things out on their own.. nothing wrong with the early eggs except they look funny
frightened birds can also lay "off" looking eggs for a day .. even too much sunlight can alter the look of the eggs (extremely pale eggs)

then you have the birds with more serious issues.. ones that lay shell less eggs over and over can eventually end up with issues like internal laying

 

[Cockle-Dood]

Lol, I get the same look from one of my DH's coworkers, she thinks that because I have chickens in the house it is disgusting.  (the ones in the brooder box) I love the fact they sit in his chair and leave little surprises.  Must be that they don't want him sitting down for a break.  They want those coops done, and now! 

My DH saw the pics of what yours is doing, he isn't inclined towards construction but he is writing up wiring schematics for my coop.  Seems my chicks will have led's to light up the inside of the nest boxes (with a switch so I can turn them on when I gather eggs, he doesn't want me finding a snake in the box), some lights on their ramp so they can see it in the dark if need be.  I think I am getting some chicken activated feeders of some sort.  He explained it to me, but I don't understand it at all.

I agree! Peopel where i wrk think im crazy! 6 dogs, chickens, cows, horses....people in downtown houston forget where their roots are!

 

[Kilsharion]

I agree! Peopel where i wrk think im crazy! 6 dogs, chickens, cows, horses....people in downtown houston forget where their roots are!

Um...most people in downtown Houston aren't from Texas....

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
only 6 dogs?

we had 11 here until my old lady died (we're doggy sitting for a few guys in afghanistan)

plus 2 parrots
9 cats.. at least I think it's 9..... they need to go somewhere where I can count them all...
a turtle
goslings, ducklings and 4 brooders of chicks in the house (soon to be 5 since i have eggs pipped this morning)
goats
mini equines
turkeys
ducks
geese
pigeons... should I continue???