The Old Folks Home

[vehve]

Night Diva, chicken poop is more pleasant than pig poop. Then cows, then sheep, then horses.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

My chickens were NPIP tested today. Yay! DD helped, and we got it done in short order. Got my paperwork, and will have my card shortly. Oh, they gave me a calendar too. The chickens were not impressed with having to go through that, so I could get a calendar. They settled down, and got happy when I gave them treats.

How many birds did you test? I'm doing 17 Tuesday. What state are you in?

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I have a different problem in the grocery store. All the checkers know I am an ice cream addict and all waggle digits at me when I say" I am buying for a friend." I AM my best friend.

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Feeding our cravings, we are our own best friends, or worst enabler.

Ooooh, I think 100 sounds lovely. Now the swings though...... I do always wonder why big temp swings like that don't cause everyone to just die.

Seriously....how can the human body adjust to that?

Wardrobe changes.

Must......move.......poultry......


Seriously..... I have been waiting all my life for the cleaning fairy, the lost sock fairy, and the dish fairy, and she STILL hasn't shown up. Now I am old, and have given up on her, and am hoping for the COOP fairy.

Anyone seen her?
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The socks ran away with the circus to be puppets. No more stinky boots for them.

The coop fairy actually came here this week. I had been putting off cleaning out a couple of the vacant units that lost birds and she cleaned them out for me. Rebuilding is getting urgent though since The chicks are starting to crowd their space. They are outside most of the day so not such a big deal - YET. I'm redoing the flooring, nest boxes and doors. Anyway, the coop fairy is the same one that is helping with the NPIP next week.

Come on over. It will never be colder than 68 and never hotter than 90. Water is 76 - 80.

Right now it's 3pm with a 20 knot breeze off the bay and 80 degrees.

Sounds delightful. The breeze makes 90 slightly bearable.

I've got a nice heat going on in the middle of the pile too, probably around 50 C right now, although since I broke my thermometer I haven't been measuring the middle of the pile. Not enough to melt plastic though. I think I need to update my compost thread again.

I have a 3 stage system. New material in the first, moves to second when it heats up and as long as I turn it regularly it breaks down pretty nicely in there. I move most to the 3rd stage when I have to make room for stuff going from 1 to 2. I've been wanting one of those long compost thermometers but just not a priority now. I'm happy when it ranges from 50-70C. I'm also comforted when there's a lot of snow on the ground and no snow and just steam rising from the piles.

 

[vehve]

Ron, I do a three stage system too, I've got one that I'm adding to, and one that's cooking, both in the same insulated box, and once both compartments are full, I empty the one that's resting into a uninsulated cage for maturing. Right now the pile that I'm not adding to has mostly been used for fall fertilizing though, so I won't have much to move from it.

 

[chickadoodles]

Chickadoodles - you need to shop for chicken either incognito ( you can borrow my Cone) or have a' shopping proctor' pick up the "shameful goods."

I have a different problem in the grocery store. All the checkers know I am an ice cream addict and all waggle digits at me when I say" I am buying for a friend." I AM my best friend.

If we lived near each other I'd pick up your chicken and you could get the ice cream(with coupons of course) for me. It would have been a win- win situation.

Oh Diva you are so funny! But true! Would be nice if we lived closer. And DH and I try to only buy chicken when we go to T-town where no one knows us. lol

 

[chickadoodles]

Getaclue Congrats on your NPIP testing that is so awesome!

 

[chickadoodles]

CC
NPIP here they only check 30 of my birds no matter how many I have, they will check from different pens and even test some 3 month olds to get the 30 birds but only 30.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

What state is that? In MO, they have to test every bird on the property over 4 months of age.

 

[Wisher1000]

Alabama - they do a sampling of your pens up to 30 birds.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Our laws have recently changed to reflect the 30 bird sample. Just a few years ago (before poultry keeping became popular) it was 100% of your flock and you had to bring the flock to them. Can you imagine that U-HAUL rental return?

 

[Sylviaanne]

What state is that? In MO, they have to test every bird on the property over 4 months of age.

Well, I might not get it done then. I have some birds that are roosting out in the woods. Can't catch them to save their lives.