- Mar 27, 2013
- 1,860
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Not even if they are made from Reese's PB Eggs??
I will eat oysters,
I will snails,
but no balut for me!
Lisa
The Front Porch Swing
- Thread starter Beekissed
- Start date
I will eat oysters,
I will snails,
but no balut for me!
Lisa
Whenever I try to list things "I won't eat," unhatched chicks is always on it.
Not much else is on that list. I don't really know why I'm squeamish about eating unhatched chicks considering what I will eat.
- Mar 1, 2013
- 4,292
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Come on, it would be like a watermelon eating contest. You know it would be so yummy... that delicious balut juice running down your chin and clean down to your elbows. Yuuuum! We could spit bones like watermelon seeds. hahahaha
I'm not sure what kind of OCD I have, but I think it involves a cozy front porch, warm baked stuff, cold tea, and a lot of very nice people! I'm hoping that by now everyone who was under the weather is feeling better, those being beaten up by the weather are seeing a little sunshine, and the recent losses of little critters is a little less painful today. Kind of a generic way to answer all the posts, but even though I read every single one of them and think of you all, sometimes I get so far behind that I can't mention every one the way I'd like to. Right now my first priority is getting this stoopid coop done.
I'm going to stick my neck out here and admit that right now I am tired to death of -------- chickens. I have my little bandanna packed so when I get tossed off the porch I'll be ready to go. <sigh> They were so cute and tiny when we got them, and as they grew they started developing personalities along with their feathers. That's fun to see! I do spend a little time each day just enjoying them, but I'm spending more time each day taking care of the messes, dust and odor that 22 chickens in a old mobile home create. It's not their faults - they are just doing what we wanted them to do - grow and stay healthy. The fault is entirely ours. We thought we'd have an outdoor place ready for them long before they needed it. We were wrong, and that's all there is to it.
I think it's the constant cleaning that has me a little down today, and I don't normally let much get me down. We bought a larger hanging feeder for the brooder that will also work out in the coop, but were still using the 1 quart mason jar type waterers. I had two of them, so one was always in the brooder and one was always clean, refilled, and sitting in the office, ready to go in. I swear every time I turn around some genius chicken has decided that if she flies to the top of it, she might find a hole I missed and escape. So over goes the partially filled water. It was getting so full of litter and poop that I was changing it more and more often. I put the waterer up on a block of wood to keep it cleaner. That worked for, oh, about 2 days. Now they are overcrowded in there so when the "thirst frenzy" hits they pack themselves in so tight around it that inevitably it gets dumped over. I put a piece of 4X4 in there to divide the area where the waterer is and where the feeder hangs from the'; litter on the other side. That worked until they decided that it made a dandier roost than the one they had and if they aimed just right they could fill the waterer with poop a lot faster, leading to getting fresher water more often. I tell ya, it's a poop plot against me!
Today I did my normal, everyday routine. I have a big box with a lid, and I line it with fresh newspapers every morning. I take out each chicken one at a time, pet her, and put her (oh, and Charlie) into that box, then put the lid on. Then out comes the feeder, the waterer, and the blocks of wood, which I scrape. I roll up the newspapers, litter and all, and pitch it. Then I use a dustpan with that little rubber squeegie thingy on the edge of it and run it over the bottom of the brooder to get any poop and litter that fell off the papers as I rolled them. A quick wipe down, because one side of the brooder is always wet, then back in go newspapers, litter, and all their accessories. Each chicken goes back in, then the net goes over all. I have done this every single day since I got them.
Today I did my morning routine. I very rarely have to grasp them - I just put my hand down and approach them from the front, palm up, and when they step forward I gently scoop them and make the transfer. They normally protest this procedure halfheartedly, but settle right down as soon as I pick each one up and pet her for a few seconds. Jane, Rose and Charlie all decided to test their protective skills this time around. Jane got me right in that little piece of skin between the thumb and forefinger and really got me good. Like an idiot I did the normal reaction - I let go of her and jerked my hand back way too fast for them. They panicked and started screeching, so the ones still in the brooder and the ones in the box started freaking out too. So Charlie and Rose went on the attack! My hand is bruised in four places and that little piece of thumb area has a bit of a cut on it. I ended up having to put on Ken's leather glove to get them out. Now, of course, I'm worried that they might not be the sweet, nice chickens they were yesterday ever again. I got the brooder cleaned and the chickens put back in, but again Jane came at my hand with her head extended and her wings swept back. I know it's all our fault for being so unprepared for how fast they'd grow, and that makes me feel even worse. We even spent part of yesterday trying to figure out a way to split them up and lessen the overcrowding, but we just don't have any way to do it. I finally measured it for sure last night, and the brooder is 5.5 feet long and 3 feet wide, not nearly big enough.
Earlier this morning I had I told Ken we needed to go pick up a bigger waterer before he left for Sheridan. We left the house and were gone about an hour and a half. Got back, I cleaned the new waterer and filled it, then took it in there to replace the small one. The small one was dumped over again and the brooder was soaking wet over halfway across. They'd tracked it with their feet and tails, it oozed under the board, they'd shredded the wet newspaper and had it strewn all over the brooder, and the divider board literally had water dripping off it when I picked it up. So I had to repeat the entire process - less than 2 hours after I'd done it already! Seriously, my first thought was, "You IDIOTS! You did this, now you can just stay in a wet brooder all day!" Fortunately good sense prevailed when I thought A) They aren't any happier with the crowded conditions than I am and B) Just what I need - 22 chickens with Athlete's Foot from a wet brooder. So I kissed Ken goodbye, sent him on his way, and started over. And yes, the Nasty Three weren't any happier with me this time, but I left them for last and used the glove. The other girls were fine, so apparently the rumor that I'm a big bad evil home-wrecker hasn't gotten to them yet.
Ken will be in Sheridan until Saturday, and a lot of what's left to do I can't handle. So I'm going out in a little bit (if the weather clears) and I'll begin priming the inside of the coop so we can get it painted. We thought about just leaving it, but we used that siding that has the plywood on the back and the flyer that came with it said that "all substrate must be primed and painted as protection against moisture". Since I know first hand about my chickens and moisture.........
Okay, got my whining clothes tossed into the hamper now. I've slung my bandanna over my shoulder, packed a lunch, grabbed my phone, and I'm getting ready to walk that long, lonesome road away from the Porch as an admitted chicken-abuser. Here I go......<looking over my shoulder>....feel free to stop me any time.....<scuffing my toes in the dirt>.......
I'm going to stick my neck out here and admit that right now I am tired to death of -------- chickens. I have my little bandanna packed so when I get tossed off the porch I'll be ready to go. <sigh> They were so cute and tiny when we got them, and as they grew they started developing personalities along with their feathers. That's fun to see! I do spend a little time each day just enjoying them, but I'm spending more time each day taking care of the messes, dust and odor that 22 chickens in a old mobile home create. It's not their faults - they are just doing what we wanted them to do - grow and stay healthy. The fault is entirely ours. We thought we'd have an outdoor place ready for them long before they needed it. We were wrong, and that's all there is to it.
I think it's the constant cleaning that has me a little down today, and I don't normally let much get me down. We bought a larger hanging feeder for the brooder that will also work out in the coop, but were still using the 1 quart mason jar type waterers. I had two of them, so one was always in the brooder and one was always clean, refilled, and sitting in the office, ready to go in. I swear every time I turn around some genius chicken has decided that if she flies to the top of it, she might find a hole I missed and escape. So over goes the partially filled water. It was getting so full of litter and poop that I was changing it more and more often. I put the waterer up on a block of wood to keep it cleaner. That worked for, oh, about 2 days. Now they are overcrowded in there so when the "thirst frenzy" hits they pack themselves in so tight around it that inevitably it gets dumped over. I put a piece of 4X4 in there to divide the area where the waterer is and where the feeder hangs from the'; litter on the other side. That worked until they decided that it made a dandier roost than the one they had and if they aimed just right they could fill the waterer with poop a lot faster, leading to getting fresher water more often. I tell ya, it's a poop plot against me!
Today I did my normal, everyday routine. I have a big box with a lid, and I line it with fresh newspapers every morning. I take out each chicken one at a time, pet her, and put her (oh, and Charlie) into that box, then put the lid on. Then out comes the feeder, the waterer, and the blocks of wood, which I scrape. I roll up the newspapers, litter and all, and pitch it. Then I use a dustpan with that little rubber squeegie thingy on the edge of it and run it over the bottom of the brooder to get any poop and litter that fell off the papers as I rolled them. A quick wipe down, because one side of the brooder is always wet, then back in go newspapers, litter, and all their accessories. Each chicken goes back in, then the net goes over all. I have done this every single day since I got them.
Today I did my morning routine. I very rarely have to grasp them - I just put my hand down and approach them from the front, palm up, and when they step forward I gently scoop them and make the transfer. They normally protest this procedure halfheartedly, but settle right down as soon as I pick each one up and pet her for a few seconds. Jane, Rose and Charlie all decided to test their protective skills this time around. Jane got me right in that little piece of skin between the thumb and forefinger and really got me good. Like an idiot I did the normal reaction - I let go of her and jerked my hand back way too fast for them. They panicked and started screeching, so the ones still in the brooder and the ones in the box started freaking out too. So Charlie and Rose went on the attack! My hand is bruised in four places and that little piece of thumb area has a bit of a cut on it. I ended up having to put on Ken's leather glove to get them out. Now, of course, I'm worried that they might not be the sweet, nice chickens they were yesterday ever again. I got the brooder cleaned and the chickens put back in, but again Jane came at my hand with her head extended and her wings swept back. I know it's all our fault for being so unprepared for how fast they'd grow, and that makes me feel even worse. We even spent part of yesterday trying to figure out a way to split them up and lessen the overcrowding, but we just don't have any way to do it. I finally measured it for sure last night, and the brooder is 5.5 feet long and 3 feet wide, not nearly big enough.
Earlier this morning I had I told Ken we needed to go pick up a bigger waterer before he left for Sheridan. We left the house and were gone about an hour and a half. Got back, I cleaned the new waterer and filled it, then took it in there to replace the small one. The small one was dumped over again and the brooder was soaking wet over halfway across. They'd tracked it with their feet and tails, it oozed under the board, they'd shredded the wet newspaper and had it strewn all over the brooder, and the divider board literally had water dripping off it when I picked it up. So I had to repeat the entire process - less than 2 hours after I'd done it already! Seriously, my first thought was, "You IDIOTS! You did this, now you can just stay in a wet brooder all day!" Fortunately good sense prevailed when I thought A) They aren't any happier with the crowded conditions than I am and B) Just what I need - 22 chickens with Athlete's Foot from a wet brooder. So I kissed Ken goodbye, sent him on his way, and started over. And yes, the Nasty Three weren't any happier with me this time, but I left them for last and used the glove. The other girls were fine, so apparently the rumor that I'm a big bad evil home-wrecker hasn't gotten to them yet.
Ken will be in Sheridan until Saturday, and a lot of what's left to do I can't handle. So I'm going out in a little bit (if the weather clears) and I'll begin priming the inside of the coop so we can get it painted. We thought about just leaving it, but we used that siding that has the plywood on the back and the flyer that came with it said that "all substrate must be primed and painted as protection against moisture". Since I know first hand about my chickens and moisture.........
Okay, got my whining clothes tossed into the hamper now. I've slung my bandanna over my shoulder, packed a lunch, grabbed my phone, and I'm getting ready to walk that long, lonesome road away from the Porch as an admitted chicken-abuser. Here I go......<looking over my shoulder>....feel free to stop me any time.....<scuffing my toes in the dirt>.......
I've heard that professional pastry chefs prefer the duck eggs...are there any gourmet bakeries in your local towns that could be a potential market for them? Most folks out here in the burbs and burb-like country think duck eggs taste too oily or are "too orange", whatever that means.
Have you ever thought of selling your eggs and meat birds on a CSA-type setup or like a milk share with dairy cows? They pay a monthly fee for the service/share, they buy into it yearly like a membership and they are made to understand that payments stay the same even when production of the product is low.
Do you have a local feed mill that will grind specialty mixes for people? If not, maybe investing in your own personal use feed mill and mixing your own organic mix might be more cost effective in the long range. You could even defray the cost for the feed mill by advertising to grind specialty mixes for other people and charging a fee.
They can be small and affordable, but hand cranked and only grind 6 lbs per minute or they can be bigger, more professional and more expensive at $1500-$3,000+. http://non-electric.lehmans.com/search#w=grain mill
http://www.ebay.com/bhp/feed-grinder-mill
https://www.strombergschickens.com/prod_detail_list/feed-mills
An article about feed mill designs: http://www.world-grain.com/Departments/Feed Operations/2012/12/Feed mill design tips.aspx?cck=1
I had my eye on the ebay one for months. They have come down from $189. Cheap for what you're getting. This is not China. It's like Swenden or Germany or somewhere. If money weren't so tight I'd buy it. I know, Bee, throwing money at it. ha
- Mar 27, 2013
- 1,860
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- 226
Sick, TW, Sick I say!!!!
Oh, Blooie, don't run off with that little hobo sack! You didn't even fill it with these almond cookies fresh from the oven...
Come on back to the porch for a second and see if a few, "poor Blooie!"'s won't help. I've had a few days of cold wet shavings and an overturned waterer myself and the task has become tedious with only my five girls (fingers crossed they're all girls...Anne, don't you dare be a cockerel); I can only imagine what it's like with 22 chicks!
Actually, scratch that; I tried to imagine my scenario with 22 and my mind shied away from the idea while suggesting the appeal of a well provisioned bandana.
Hang in there, Blooie. We've seen photographic evidence that those chicks will have their own space (with suspended waterers) soon.
Come on back to the porch for a second and see if a few, "poor Blooie!"'s won't help. I've had a few days of cold wet shavings and an overturned waterer myself and the task has become tedious with only my five girls (fingers crossed they're all girls...Anne, don't you dare be a cockerel); I can only imagine what it's like with 22 chicks!
Actually, scratch that; I tried to imagine my scenario with 22 and my mind shied away from the idea while suggesting the appeal of a well provisioned bandana.
Hang in there, Blooie. We've seen photographic evidence that those chicks will have their own space (with suspended waterers) soon.
- Mar 1, 2013
- 4,292
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Didn't anybody tell Blooie that chickens are stupid and crazy ...and they love to make huges messes and and and...? LOL Oh, and if she happen to pass out and fall in the coop/run those sweet birds will eat her, pecking her bones clean? hahahahaha
- Mar 1, 2013
- 4,292
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- 238
haaaahahaha!!!
I think what Blooie needs are some ducks. That'll give her some perspective about the chickens.
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