The Old Folks Home

[hennible]

Hmm, I think the vet should be able to do a float test if they have a microscope, hennible.

In that case I'll ask.... Everything that comes out of my animals get sent out usually so I made an assumption.

 

[hennible]

Actually I have a microscope somewhere....

 

[vehve]

Also, just cut down my feed I use for mash from 27%. I think the grain mix I have is around 15%, and I now made a 50-50 mix of it for the mash. In addition to that, they have the same stuff in two separate feeders (grain mix and high protein feed), so far they haven't really touched the high protein feeder, and have been eating out of the grain mix. I think that with this cut down, they should be able to balance their protein pretty nicely. I might still go to a slightly lower protein content in the mash the next time I need to fill the bucket. They're not quite ready with their molting though, even though some have resumed laying already, their tail feathers are still growing out. So I think the higher protein is still okay. I don't approach this feeding stuff too scientifically though, I try to go with a "a bit of everything will balance out" approach.

 

[vehve]

Quote: They do need some special equipment for it, but it should be fairly basic. Asking doesn't hurt.

 

[hennible]

Asking only hurts if they hit me for being stupid....

 

[vehve]

If they did that, the better half would have a lot of black and blue customers...

 

[hennible]

Maybe she should....

 

[Double Kindness]

I had actually been thinking about using both the leaves and seeds for critter feed, not just hemp seeds fwiw. The leaves, roots etc have great amounts of protein, amino acids, etc. to offset the hemp seeds. This is still about a year out though.

We absolutely have to send off 4-5 muscovy ducks and 9 roosters to freezer camp this weekend. Today is another crazy busy day for me, still getting things ready to go for my indoor growing season.

I have ayam cemani for black meat chickens, as mine atm aren't the BEST lines. I had to start somewhere. In the spring I'll be adding svart honas, 2-3 more ac lines and an unrelated line of white bresse. Maybe hmongs, but idk honestly.

I'm only getting 1 egg a day from 8 pullets and 1 19 month old hen. Not acceptable, as they all JUST started laying, except my hen, that hasn't laid an egg since July. I decided to keep tge br and 2 slw pullets, I only have 2 ac pullets and 2 haffie pullets out of 12 chicks. 7 white bresse, I think only 2 or 3 are male. But my friend hatched more ac, so.. I might get a few more of her better blacker ones since I went through the trouble of decrowing 2 ac roos. I need more fibromelanistic pullets. My bf said NO SILKIES!! They are a bit small to eat, locally they go for $7 per lb in the Asian supermarket. I'm half Korean btw..

I totally ran out of stray, hay and pine shavings. OMG. I had asked my bf to pick me up one of each last weekend when he went to the feed store for me, but he wanted to take the 2 door coupe not our big wagon, so he didn't get any. Then asked me yesterday why I hadn't put fresh straw and shavings in the new chicken/duck condo he built me. Well... what can I even say?

My tooth is gone, the jaw hurts like a mother. I go back tomorrow to get broken molars pulled from the upper left side, now I have no lower right molars and get fitted for partials. I'm sad/stressed/upset about it, I always had great teeth. Sucks that the acid from vomiting for so many years due to undiagnosed celiac disease now has my back teeth breaking and is very painful. I'm in fear of needing all my teeth pulled and having full dentures or dental implants. Am I being overly silly/vain?

Well, gotta do chores. Winter is coming if not already here, and I am going to go dread going to the dentist tomorrow some more.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

We used wax growing up too. The jelly did not spoil but I do not think it is allowed any more.

We were always melting wax in the fall.

I still feel like I'm 14 most days and then I look in the mirror and wonder what the heck happened.


Maybe that will be the next new thing ... antiaging drops for your eyeballs.



I had an incredibly interesting day today. Need to make some decisions about what I want to be when I grow up. And soon.

I know. I don't feel any different than I did when I was 21, except maybe a bit slower. I'm always in shock to see the old folk in the mirror.

How much do u guys sell laying hens for? I am thinking of selling my mutt brahmas

I'd check craigslist to see the range for your area.

I turned 52 yesterday

If I lay perfectly still in a bed with a nice thick memory foam matress, I feel 14 too.

Then I move and get thrown back into reality.

Happy belated.
You're still a spring chicken.

I appreciate you explaining this to me Oz. Now I have two breeds of chickens the the breeders were feeding them 20%. Buckeye and Chantecler and then my turkey they need higher protein also. What would you suggest? The layer hens are now just getting grower at 18%.

It's best to house the species of poultry separately if possible. You could also make the feed available at different elevations for mixed flocks.

We love watching The Voice!

My wife's favorite show.

Hey, all of you yanks, don't forget to vote today. And this is not an invitation to start discussing politics, just a reminder to all of you, regardless of which party you stand behind. (I'm a big fan of the idea of democracy).

I voted.
It amazes me the high voting rates in countries that make it difficult and the low rates we have.

Us elections are a weird combo. You have direct democracy in some things, such as certain legal amendments, but then again presidents are elected via indirect democracy.

That's a carryover from the horse and buggy days when direct democracy was impractical - including the electoral college. We're slow to change.

The stupidest thing about our country is the 2 party system. Democrats vs republucans is just plain crazy imho.

X2
Perpetuates inaction and conflict. Common ground keeps getting harder to find.

No, that would make for lonely chickens... at least a sixpack! Of both beer and chickens.

I always offer my roosters a beer on the way to the killing cone.

No, we're a pretty democratic country too. Or a republic, really. But I think people are a bit too lazy to vote nowadays, and in my opinion, not voting voids your right to complain. I happen to like complaining, so I like voting too.

What's different in Finland compared to the U.S. of A, is that we're part of the EU, which handles a part of legislature, and then we have our own parliament, plus a president who really doesn't have that much real power. And in stead of two parties, we have a multi-party system, where parties work together to form a government that holds the majority of votes, and the rest of the parties form the opposition. At the moment, the government is formed by Kokoomus (the National Coalition Party), SDP (the Social Democratic Party), SFP (the Swedish peoples party), and the Christian Democrats (who are not as extremely religious as the name might suggest). I usually vote for either Kokoomus or SFP.

Interesting stuff.
Churchill, William Buckley and others are credited with the quote, “democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others”.

Yeah, but in practice the US doesn't really have more than two parties.

I'm not a big fan of a totally democratic system though. I don't think it would work. First of all, people don't possess the understanding to make informed decisions about each and every thing, and the amount of time it would take would be ridiculous. Although, even with the existing systems, I think you should be subjected to some sort of test about a certain subject to see that you understand it before you're allowed to vote about it. I don't think very many politicians in their seventies are that capable of making informed decisions about legislature regarding the internet, to name one subject.

*Edit* And I mean the people elected should understand what they vote about. Even ignorant people should have the right to vote for a representative for themselves.

True, but meeting some people I'm inspired to ponder - "They're allowed to reproduce, and vote".

Alot of people go to the polls and vote entirely democrat or entirely republican without having a clue about the individual candidates or their views.

That's the simple way and in some locales required.
Most people (myself included) don't have a clue about the judges on ballots and whether they should be retained. I try to look at their records but there were about 10 judges on Tuesday's ballot.
I'm ashamed to admit that I usually vote to retain women and minority judges. My thinking is that rich old white men should have to understand what it's like to look for a job.
Not good, is it?

...
Wisher, I'm sorry for making the thread go into a talk about politics again, don't hit me.

We're discussing systems not a real political debate.

Alaskan: do u think the recreational marijuana bill for your state will pass?

I like what Washington D.C. passed. Legal possession of up to 2 ounces and you can grow your own. That eliminates drug cartels AND the taxman.

Well, I already voted. Here in Florida they open up early voting, so you can go for almost two weeks to vote before the deadline. Gives everyone a chance to vote without having to wait for hours in line.

I got my bucket trap done. I will set it out later when I go to the coop. I also ordered some Oxine AH. I plan to give the coop a good going over with it when it gets here. By then, the mouse problem should be in check too.

We just had a chance in MO to have a week of early voting. It was soundly rejected. What were they thinking?

I keep the bucket about half full of water, get the big cheap containers of peanut butter and keep the spinning bottle lathered up.

Got my new bator today. Lg 10300

Woo Hoo!!!
Good hatches to you.

I voted! I voted for whoever was not an incumbent. Lol

I think a lot of people did that this time.
It reminds of the "Throw the bums out" philosophy. Not a bad one but so many people still keep their own bum.

Who woulda thunk i could run from offise

From or for?

Florida opens two weeks early for two reasons

Half the people take that long to drive to the polling booths

The other half would forget who they are voting for if they had to wait in lines.

And what long lines they are.

I don't know about other parts of the country but in my area the poorer parts of town (read that as where I live) have the longest lines. I don't know the reason. In 2012 the line at my polling place was 2-3 hours all day. Polling places in wealthy parts of west county had no lines at all.
I don't think it's because of a higher voter turnout around here. My feeling is that there are more polling places per capita in wealthier areas.

So...... I was sitting with kid #4 on the couch, and the couch shook. He said he didn't feel it, didn't know what I was talking about.

So, I looked it up, to see how big of a quake it was...turns out it was a small one, just a bit drawn out.

Then, I found this table that I thought you'll might enjoy.


Homer has had: (M1.5 or greater)

2 earthquakes today
15 earthquakes in the past 7 days
84 earthquakes in the past month
946 earthquakes in the past year


The largest earthquake in Homer:

today: 2.1 in Southern Alaska
this week: 3.8 in Southern Alaska
this month: 4.3 in Anchorage, Alaska, United States
this year: 6.2 in Anchorage, Alaska, United States

We have always had fairly mild earthquakes here (New Madrid Fault). But I've never felt one. My whole family has been awakened at night from tremors that I would sleep right through.
The only quake I've ever felt was when standing at the counter of a hardware store (ferreteria) in Costa Rica. Never having experienced one before I thought it was a big truck driving by. Then the counter kept moving away and towards me. I finally figured it out. Everyone else in the store commented but weren't very impressed. It was a 5+. They had a 6.1 right before I got there. 34 dead and 64 still missing years later.
.

Nope, as steady as a rolling rock!

You mean 'Rolling Rock' the beverage?

We've had 49 earthquakes in Finland this year so far, the strongest was a 2.0.

http://www.helsinki.fi/geo/seismo/maanjaristykset/suomi.html

I think I've once read about the foundations of one house getting a crack in an earthquake.

Oklahoma and Kansas aren't known for earthquakes - until a couple years ago. Some attribute the recent uptick to fracking. Kansas had 4 yesterday.

Hmm, I think the vet should be able to do a float test if they have a microscope, hennible.

Right.
I tried about 15 local vets to get a fecal sample read. They all told me they either needed to see the "patient" or that they couldn't read a chicken fecal. To the first point, I asked which of the 65 birds they wanted to see. To the second point, I had to inform the vet or vet tech that worms were worms and it didn't matter what kind of animal created the feces.
ETA
I ended up driving an hour one way to a country vet that agreed to read a sample without seeing the "patient".
Turns out, there were no worms but a clostridial bacteria infestation. Had I prophylactically wormed, I would have been prolonging the solution.

 

[vehve]

CC, identifying the worms might be more difficult, but just verifying their presence shouldn't be too hard. An equine vet might be the best place to start if you just want to know if you've got worms. From there, you can either have them sent to a lab or some vet that can identify them, or make an educated guess.

*Edit* I also like what you had to say about other subjects, but your comments are far too numerous to tackle each and every one.