The Old Folks Home

[microchick]

Thanks, Wickedchicken6. I'm in a much better frame of mind today. I was pointed in the direction of Fayoumi chickens yesterday and after reading about them my brain has been steadily churning out a plan that includes getting a dozen of the chicks next spring, raising them in their own pen and coop and cross breeding any survivors I have that are resistant with them or not. Depending on what happens. Since the Fayoumi's are 'remarkably' resistant to not only Marek's but to all viral and bacterial infections, they sound like the way to go for anyone who is dealing with Marek's disease. It doesn't matter to me if they aren't the most cuddly birds as long as they are tough!

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Good morning everyone!

Good Morning everybody!!!

I haven't been to bed yet...lol. I dozed at the computer, but I don't think it was enough.

Both DH and I are sick. I'm on my 4th cup of Java. Very delicious. I don't want to move. Taxes are officially done as of yesterday.

And being away, I found Oyster Shell at that co op for $18 for a 25kg bag so I can supplement when we're away and I run out of eggshell.
The boy took us for a ride in his car last night, he just got it out of storage. I hadn't had a chance to ride in it yet.
It's amazing how much smoother the classics are than the new vehicles. Still can't believe he bought that car...lol.

Nevada doesn't have any Income tax?

I've never thought of moving away to retire other than to a city so we have health care. I've never really been anywhere I wanted to move to. But then again, I've never really been anywhere...lol.

We also have a lot of lawn. Too much lawn. WAY too much lawn. I was the one who wanted lawn. Why oh why did I want lawn? And now we have this yard to mow too.

11.5 hours with a 50 inch mower. A little less now that we have a 60 inch. No wild rabbits on lawn here. (Just guineas. Guineas are everywhere! ) Used to have gophers but the constant rain and flooding have set them back greatly. Last year we were looking into a mower than mows the lawn itself, same idea as the robotic vacuums in in the house. It actually sounds pretty nice. Already proven technology where they come from...just not common here. At least in this area. And I think we need to lay down more gravel...lol. A LOT more gravel.

Quote: I'm really happy to hear the wee bunny is doing well and eating! And that your snow will be done.

Have a great spring as well! Hopefully you're not leaving us completely/will be back sooner than later.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Thanks, Wickedchicken6. I'm in a much better frame of mind today. I was pointed in the direction of Fayoumi chickens yesterday and after reading about them my brain has been steadily churning out a plan that includes getting a dozen of the chicks next spring, raising them in their own pen and coop and cross breeding any survivors I have that are resistant with them or not. Depending on what happens. Since the Fayoumi's are 'remarkably' resistant to not only Marek's but to all viral and bacterial infections, they sound like the way to go for anyone who is dealing with Marek's disease. It doesn't matter to me if they aren't the most cuddly birds as long as they are tough!

I'm glad to hear your feeling better about things today and I'm going

because I had thought of that exact same thing...bringing the Fayoumi breed in to cross breed for their toughness and resistance. And I'm not even joking...seriously!

I did that last fall.

Except I hope

you have better fortune than I did...because they were the first two expensive heritage chicks to die...one before I made it home (that's not right, it died that night after we got home, where's my brain?) and the other the next morning. I stayed up and held the chick all night until 5 in the next morning.

The chick had died by mid morning when I made it back from having a rest.

I'm sure from different stock it could be totally different.

I did see Fayoumis sell at the sale and some of them came from the neighbors down the road....which I find hilarious.

Here they are right in my area and they apparently had better luck than me. I didn't have to drive 4 hours (one way) to get them.

I'm editing to add that I'm sure you will have good luck with Fayoumis chicks you get. I didn't mean to sound disheartening. I didn't have luck at all with the particular breeder and won't be going back. I'm very interested in how this breeding turns out.

I'm also forgot to add...great minds think alike???

 

[Beer can]

chickisoup, hope you didn't take my comment critically, I was just speaking out loud in general on my experience with wild bunnies. Yeah I'd say the bunny would have probably died, most do. Not sure of their mortality rate without looking it up but I'm pretty sure it's not good. Why they breed like rabbits

Seems kinda cruel how the mother kicks them out so young, not much bigger than a racketball and then has nothing to do with them, haveta fend for themselves. But I guess nature is kinda cruel in some ways with it's survival of the fittest.
Even crazier is how lions and bears etc a male killing the cubs to put the female back in heat, then the female mating with the killer, or even in some cases the mothers eating their cubs cause of various reasons.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

I have to admit I'm both a bleeding heart and a believer of survival of the fittest. It's a strange combination.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Nature can be cruel in our our eyes no doubt a mother bear or lion
are not geared as humans with a child but if we lived in the wild as once
look back in the pages, histories of man... the donner party

 

[flwrldy]

YIKES!

 

[Alaskan]

I have to admit I'm both a bleeding heart and a believer of survival of the fittest. It's a strange combination.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Nature can be cruel in our our eyes no doubt a mother bear or lion
are not geared as humans with a child but if we lived in the wild as once
look back in the pages, histories of man... the donner party

Sometimes I think we're not that far in instinct than a wild animal, it's dealt with differently. There is news every so often about say...a mother killing their baby. Perhaps her life is stressed and that's how she's dealt with it. Is it any different than a sow that savages her piglets? Maybe that sow isn't comfortable with being so close in a pen or having the stress of humans around? I know humans are "supposed" to know better...I think we still act on instinct sometimes whether we know it or not. Some hens peck and kill their chicks. Are they crazy or is it instinct? We've found ways around typical animal behaviors by intervening...it's simple economics. With people, they're thrown I jail. We show behaviors...like being territorial like animals but it isn't "allowed in society." Chickens bully each other, or new additions...we know all about that. People do the same, even as young children.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

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