The Old Folks Home

[Arielle]

I find my brain is a very good Random Thought Generator. Today's gem: back in the Paleolothic Age - or whatever - were there doorbells on yurt or cave entrances? My dogs have NEVER lived in any house with a doorbell, yet they wake right up and bark at the door when the sound of a doorbell emanates from the TV set. They do this with the sound of someone knocking on a door, too, but gosh, they have heard that sound in their lives, so I cannot attribute their responses to instinct or "genetic memory."

Or could this be ingrained in canine genetic memory with only a few generations of selective, domestic dog breeding?

My two dachshunds give me such injured looks when I shush them during their false Polite Intruder Alerts.

Since my 3 rotties barked at airplanes flying overhead, I"m wondering if anything out of the ordinary sets them off. Mine barked at the TV door bell too!

 

[Arielle]

The Vets I have known tell me these transitional periods are colic season. Some horses seem to forget they need to drink when the weather changes, and next thing you know, there they go. I've seen everything from just lying down and sorry for themselves ("my tummy hurts") to diving at the ground when you try to walk them ("why don't you just go away and let me die?"). Thank the Lord, I've never yet seen the agony of a twisted bowel (and pray I never do!!). If you like, I could point you to a couple of websites where you can learn more than you ever want to know about colic - as could several other horse owners here, I'll bet. Good job, and good luck!

Colic-- for that reason a constant worry. However, I don't have that problem in my crew. I think it is because mine are either on 24/7 turnout with a run in shed or 12 out, 12 in schedule. Horses where not designed to live in a stall IMO. I still remember a few too many colics. When they are bad they are memorable. Unfortunately.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
And this is why I have about 25 chicks in the brooder, and 3 more hatched today. Just love them. Broodie hen has gone broody so I'm thinking of giving her the next batch in the incubator at lockdown. She raised 12 last summer to adulthood. Clever girl, even if she is not a SS.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: IRead this and I had the heart attack for you SCG. lol

 

[Arielle]

What is your opinion on decrowing a rooster? A local vet is considering doing it for backyard chicken owners.Others have had some success with it but the mortality rate is rather high,about15%. Also has anyone here had/been around a decrowed rooster?

My roosters are less noisey than the turkeys. THe roosters limit their talk to alarm calls, morning greetings and a few afternoon creetings. If I hollar for my kids, every turkey answers.

 

[Arielle]

I've been around, you know? I got my first chickens as a child and have raised hundreds through the years. I have been a serious chicken geek for the past five years. You would think I could tell a rooster from a hen, right? I have four RIR (production reds) hens - or so I thought. I have never nest trapped them to see that they all lay but assumed they all were. Today, one to them CROWED! It was a very clear and manly crow, too. She/he did it three or four times and the old rooster was in the coop with him/her acting very confused. Are RIR/Production Red roosters hen-feathered? This bird doesn't have saddle feathers or sicles in the tail. I thought I saw some pointed hackle feathers but it was not obvious. Three of the birds came to me as pullets and were hatched on 4-14-12, a fourth was 7 months older. I can't tell any of them apart. I have never seen this bird mounting a hen, I have never heard it crow before. I'm so confused.....

So is he/she !

 

[Arielle]

[/U]I am SOgone. Over the edge for sure.

One of the broody hens in the coop hatched a chick but it got out of whichever nest ... I don't know which hen hatched it - found it this afternoon cheeping on the coop floor. None of the three setting hens "wanted it" when I presented it to them, individually.

Well, gonna have more chicks if any of the 23 eggs in lockdown hatch, so I put it in a wire cage brooder with an EcoGlow, feed, water bottle, and plush rooster binky for company. (Sparkle was too protective of HER four chicks to accept it.)

NewChick, hereafter known as NC, ran in and out from under the EcoGlow, scratched in the feed, pecked at the drinker, but would NOT stop screaming.

So NC is now fast asleep in a fold of my heated throw across my lap. Lizbeth the cat is stretched across my lap on the other side of NC's fold. Earlier, sniffed sniffed at NC and got her nose pecked.

This is a first for me: brooding a day old chick MYSELF, as I rest in the Enchanted Recliner.

Amazing effect. DH had to care for a newborn chick in such a manner when hurricane knocked out power here and he had to manage lockdown at work. He was forever hooked on chickens thereafter!!!

 

[Arielle]

Quote: I love my kids, but life and trying to raise them right is a FAAAAAARRRR bigger challenge than I realized. We have many friends without children-- what ever works. Having kids has helped me see the world with a new perspective. My pet peeve is public education. What a joke. I"ve gone back to trying to supplement my kids education on my own.

THere really are some wonderful kids, and in reality they are a reflection of the parentling. I hang out with a group of moms and dads with model kids. Polite, short haircuts, neatly dressed. I tell my kids to dress for school like they are dressing for work. It is good practice. ANd bosses hire the clean cut look. That's how I am planting the no-tat noooo-earring look. Pray it works, they are not 14 yet!!

 

[Arielle]

Too funny!!

Quote: It does not offend me. I did not want you to get in trouble with the mods.
I am all for free speech-- doesn't mean I have to like it. I go to many art museums and cannot see the "art" in many of the works. All in the eyes of the beholder I am sure. I have "old" eyes that preferold art, not new. I love tattoos and can appreciate the art of it, HOWEVER, I"m too conservative to want to see it all over the head and hands. Saw a sales demo the other day, and the hands were completely tattood and very distracting. Very. Keep the tatoos to the covered areas IMO> gosh I am getting old. LOL


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Caught up--- been outside enjoying the wonderful warm weather these last few days and cleaning up after a long winter.

 

[gryeyes]

Is it that odd that I gauge the .... Oh, "status" of night time security around here (my house) by the sound of ducks and geese? The ducks are gabbling. A goose makes a four-syllable repetitive "nug" sound, which causes the ducks to lower the volume but continue gabbling. Hmmm. Life is good, all is well. The ducks are yukking it up in one of their night-time joke-fests. All is well. The ducks gabble AND I hear a whole bunch of webby flap-steps in concert. Time to turn down the TV volume, get up and go look out the door to see what's going on. I always put my shoes on, too, just in case. Two long honks and really fast flappity feet sounds, plus loud quacks and I head for the door. All this week it's been "Life is good, all is well."