The Front Porch Swing

[wyoDreamer]

I thought I had updated this thread on the chicks. So here is their home.

MHP in action.

And they have a screened window for a view of their future expansion area.


And look at those tail feathers already. I have only had them for 6 days!

 

[Blooie]

I thought I'd see them too, Wyo..hmm. They are sure looking good, and their little "home" is so cute! Nice job!

 

[wyoDreamer]

@Blooie I had posted them in our MHP thread, ha ha. I need to enable here also, right?

Any advice on getting my English Setter to behave around the chickens. He is so obsessed with looking at them right now. I am not sure if he is drooling because he is thinking about dinner or just too excited and over-heating. He gets so obsessive at times, about weird little things like a horse whinny or the neighbors door slam, so maybe he is a lost cause.

 

[Alice28]

I thought I had updated this thread on the chicks. So here is their home. MHP in action. And they have a screened window for a view of their future expansion area. And look at those tail feathers already. I have only had them for 6 days!

Oh my goodness! So cute! We went to the farm store this weekend and saw all the baby chicks, ducklings and goslings! If I had the space, I would have gotten some. So cute!

 

[Blooie]

@Blooie I had posted them in our MHP thread, ha ha. I need to enable here also, right?

Any advice on getting my English Setter to behave around the chickens. He is so obsessed with looking at them right now. I am not sure if he is drooling because he is thinking about dinner or just too excited and over-heating. He gets so obsessive at times, about weird little things like a horse whinny or the neighbors door slam, so maybe he is a lost cause.

Oops, I don't know why I didn't see this before...Duh, Diane!!

Is Pistol Pete worrying you a little bit? He's been around them before, hasn't he? Is it just this batch he's going all drooley over? I don't really have any good advice for you, I'm afraid. Molly got all quivery and pointy when we got last year's chicks too. But she had to share the office with them, and it was a small space, so the constant exposure without being able to get at them sorta of de-sensitized her to them even being there.


Sharing the space and not liking it much. (Gasp, did I ever raise chicks like this???)



Back to the quivering and drooling stage the first time we took the chicks outside for a little air. A couple of firm "NOs" when she got over-antsy calmed her down, but it was against her better judgement.


This was the day she decided to try to dig under the run to "play" with the chickens. She broke and bloodied a toenail on the hardware cloth apron and the was the end of that! She hasn't bothered them since. Guess she had to teach herself that messing with chickens isn't a good idea. We've never had another problem. She is totally unfazed by them even when they are out in the yard, running all around her.


Mathilda had just run underneath her! The girls were about 4 months old here.



Took this one when we started integrating the chicks this spring. She went into the run and just made herself at home, laying right next to the broody pen. The chickens (and the chicks) are not one bit worried about her. I'm not either, now. But you have to remember that she's 11 years old, too.

So I don't have any advice - just a lot of cool pictures of her and them to share!

 

[wyoDreamer]

@Blooie Molly is so pretty! I'm glad to hear that she so good with the chickens.

Pistol is not aggressive at all, just way over excited whenever I let him near the brooder. He loves to stand up and peek over the side at them. He loves to bark at the guinea hens and tears around the yard like a maniac when they are in the front yard and he can't see them from the backyard. When they are in the dog yard, he will stay way back and point them, until they wander towards the fence to leave. Then he will charge them barking like a psycho...
In Wyoming, the ravens used to tease the dogs to make them bark, so I am worried that Pistol is bird aggressive. Guess I will just wait until they are a little older before really introducing him to them close up. For now, he will be allowed to occasionally join me in the brooder room and look at them through the window.

 

[wyoDreamer]

@Blooie that picture of the brooder with Molly shows me why I went with the Momma Heating Pad - it looks like you are baking those chicks on a grill.

 

[Blooie]

@Blooie that picture of the brooder with Molly shows me why I went with the Momma Heating Pad - it looks like you are baking those chicks on a grill.

Yep, same here. It was actually a regular red lamp - don't know why it came out looking that way, unless it was the aluminum foil Ken put up to "keep drafts off the chicks."

Oh, foolish, foolish people!! It's a wonder they didn't start laying fried eggs!

 

[MistyMountain]

Any sewing people hanging around in here that are willing to offer some advice? I can sew… well enough. I've made puppets and Halloween costumes. All good enough… east to hide any mistakes or not something I have to worry about whether it will last.

I have a couple of swimming suits that I LOVE. They fit perfectly… except they are cut too low in the front. Both are halter type. My plan is to sew a panel in the middle to cover up a little. I found some fabric (a stretchy polyester on super sale at Wal-Mart) in just the right color.

So… I would like to do this myself, and most likely by hand…. unless you think I should bust out the sewing machine. I need to make sure of a couple of things:That the new fabric does not bleed (should I wash it first? Will it turn to mush in the washing machine?). That I sew it to last and not come loose when I am swimming.

Am I over my head? Is this something that will cost next to nothing to have a professional do? I honestly think it would take all of 5 minutes for a person with some know-how to do.

Any advice is appreciated!!

 

[Blooie]

I think this is a job you can handle very well, MM, and it's good idea! I didn't even think of that when I pitched a suit that I bought (yes, without trying it on first) for the hot tub. I got that puppy home and realized I could just as well be out there in my birthday suit. <sigh> Polyester shouldn't bleed, but having said that I've had one really dark colored piece that did just a little bit. It was like the color was put on instead of woven in or something. I'd use the machine if you're just attaching the piece to the straps. You can tack it down with a few hand stitches at the bottom edge, just under the bustline and that shouldn't be too noticeable.

Doesn't sound you are too comfortable doing this. I'll bet it would be less than 10 bucks to have a pro do them.