What did you do in the garden today?

[igorsMistress]

Um, one cockatoo is a lot to handle, having had both sulphur crested and Mollucan Cockatoos. Are you sure you want all that at once? They are very noisy and the dust gets everywhere. I loved my Moluccan, but the screaming was awful. And she bit my ear and made it bleed when she was on my shoulder. Now i can't wear an earring there until i get it pierced again. I have had birds since 1972. Sometimed less is better. Pionus are nice quiet birds.

Honestly I'm thinking the Pionus and the smaller cockatoo. They're part of a five bird flock with the larger cockatoo and 2 african greys.

I've had birds in tge past, not cockatoos or parrots though. Still thinking on it. Thanks for your input, it certainly helps to hear from experienced bird keepers!

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I checked on my egg pen after the storm last night. Yelled for hubby again!View attachment 1085008
All the rain, rodents and snakes are bumming me out.
My container garden got slapped hard too.
Mother Nature is in a bad mood and it is rubbing off on me.
Oh well, don't sweat the small stuff right?

I have to start posting photos and positive experiences from last season so I don't seem like a negative nancey!!

 

[pennyJo1960]

we all have negative thoughts from time to time... got things done this morning actually gave myself an hour nap to recharge

 

[igorsMistress]

@CapricornFarm do you think it's better to have 2 birds? They're kind of a flock, I'm afraid if I only took the pionus it would be lonely.

 

[Taote]

I have to start posting photos and positive experiences from last season so I don't seem like a negative nancey!!

It isn't small stuff. It's your planning and hard work. It's good to have an outlet to say (or type) it out loud when things get you down.

Hope you get a win in the next few days to raise you optimism for the rest of the season - it's only july, right? : )

 

[CapricornFarm]

You're doing well to have weathered the difficulties you've encountered. What you haven't already overcome, you're planning solutions for with a level head.

I sometimes have tough days when this all seems overwhelming, but all it takes is a trip to the top of our "little mountain" to see the sun setting over our farmstead and I feel better, or at least I feel strong enough to weather whatever it was that brought me down.

Hang in there! Just take it one project at a time. You and your hubby can do it! We have accomplished a lot here already for two 60 year olds. I still have a ton of things to do. Next project, a bigger pen for the guineas. They have grown so fast already they will be growing out of the brooder soon. Then i will tackle the chicken coop.

 

[CapricornFarm]

@CapricornFarm do you think it's better to have 2 birds? They're kind of a flock, I'm afraid if I only took the pionus it would be lonely.

If you are looking to breed birds, get two. If you want a pet that you find time to spend with, get one. If you stick it in a cage and just give it food and water, yes it will be lonely. Lots of people keep single parrots for pets. We used to let our amazon fly around the house, and the cat and dog did fine with it. So the answer is up to you and your schedule. Good luck.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Honestly I'm thinking the Pionus and the smaller cockatoo. They're part of a five bird flock with the larger cockatoo and 2 african greys.

I've had birds in tge past, not cockatoos or parrots though. Still thinking on it. Thanks for your input, it certainly helps to hear from experienced bird keepers!

No problem. I would be tempted by the African greys. They are amazing talkers. We have sold them in our pet stores , but i never kept one as a personal pet. But they seem much less noisy than Cockatoos. I do love the personality of the 'toos, especially if you get a young one. I used to have two rooms in my house and four flight cages in my basement to breed birds. I had cockatiels, parakeets, finches, and canaries. Birds can become addictive.

 

[NorthTexasWink]

Thanks for the input folks. I'm feeding regular Purina start and grow, mill date less than 2 months ago. Never empty. Plus veggie scraps and shrimp tails. Honestly they are growing and feathering in so fast, I think they just want more room and more to do. I've never had chicks in a brooder longer than a couple of weeks before, so I'm winging it with these at almost 4weeks now. I expanded the square footage of the brooder over a week ago, to about 28 sq ft. Subtract feed/water stations and it's probably closer to 20 sq ft. Just not enough room.

Got them out about 3:00pm. Well got out 17 of them. The 8 most rowdy troublemakers stayed in the coop. They panted a bit, because . . . Summer in Texas! 97 F by the thermometer I put in there, but a bit of a breeze. I put the roofing panels over the cyclone fence and wrapped some wire fence scraps I had on hand around the bottom half with zip ties to keep them in. Worked fine since I knew we'd be out there much of the time. Put the horizontal nipple waterer I made in there. Took the first two about 30 mins to use it, but then it was "chicken see, chicken do." Electrolytes w/vitamins in water. Trough feeder for now. Dog crate and improvised roosts. They seem to like it. Already heard them alert to flying shadow (plane) and squirrel. Put a tarp lapped over west side to protect from sun later.

Worked more on coop. Had already gone to pick up more screws and lumber. Glad the roof panels were here already! Getting real close to putting them on, them siding and doors & windows. Then I can place the run permanently and reinforce it properly. Somewhere in there will be paint and last will be interior fittings. Still got a bulk feeder to make too, but that's just cutting holes in a storage tote. Got the street elbows already.

I'll bring them all in tonight, back to the brooder for lights out, then everybody goes out to the pen tomorrow. I'll see what I can do to make the brooder a happier place, but not spending much time on it now. I just need to get them through the next week without them eating each other!

ETA: the pictures make the run look smaller than it is. It's 8x8 ft, 4 ft high. My ultimate hen count will be 8-10 max. Selling off excess by POL. They will range the yard (approximately 1/2 acre of it) at least part of each day.

 

[Taote]

Hang in there! Just take it one project at a time. You and your hubby can do it! We have accomplished a lot here already for two 60 year olds. I still have a ton of things to do. Next project, a bigger pen for the guineas. They have grown so fast already they will be growing out of the brooder soon. Then i will tackle the chicken coop.

Oooo guineas are on the list, but for next spring.

View attachment 1085520 View attachment 1085522 View attachment 1085523 Thanks for the input folks. I'm feeding regular Purina start and grow, mill date less than 2 months ago. Never empty. Plus veggie scraps and shrimp tails. Honestly they are growing and feathering in so fast, I think they just want more room and more to do. I've never had chicks in a brooder longer than a couple of weeks before, so I'm winging it with these at almost 4weeks now. I expanded the square footage of the brooder over a week ago, to about 28 sq ft. Subtract feed/water stations and it's probably closer to 20 sq ft. Just not enough room.

Got them out about 3:00pm. Well got out 17 of them. The 8 most rowdy troublemakers stayed in the coop. They panted a bit, because . . . Summer in Texas! 97 F by the thermometer I put in there, but a bit of a breeze. I put the roofing panels over the cyclone fence and wrapped some wire fence scraps I had on hand around the bottom half with zip ties to keep them in. Worked fine since I knew we'd be out there much of the time. Put the horizontal nipple waterer I made in there. Took the first two about 30 mins to use it, but then it was "chicken see, chicken do." Electrolytes w/vitamins in water. Trough feeder for now. Dog crate and improvised roosts. They seem to like it. Already heard them alert to flying shadow (plane) and squirrel. Put a tarp lapped over west side to protect from sun later.

Worked more on coop. Had already gone to pick up more screws and lumber. Glad the roof panels were here already! Getting real close to putting them on, them siding and doors & windows. Then I can place the run permanently and reinforce it properly. Somewhere in there will be paint and last will be interior fittings. Still got a bulk feeder to make too, but that's just cutting holes in a storage tote. Got the street elbows already.

I'll bring them all in tonight, back to the brooder for lights out, then everybody goes out to the pen tomorrow. I'll see what I can do to make the brooder a happier place, but not spending much time on it now. I just need to get them through the next week without them eating each other!

ETA: the pictures make the run look smaller than it is. It's 8x8 ft, 4 ft high. My ultimate hen count will be 8-10 max. Selling off excess by POL. They will range the yard (approximately 1/2 acre of it) at least part of each day.

Sounds like you got a LOT done. Come on up to Kentucky and I'll feed you plenty of patty pans and cushaws (as sides, of course). I'll even put on a pot of beans and make some cornbread, Texas style, and you and my hubby can work on our coop!

Then he can come down and return the favor (his family is from Texas, mostly living near college station these days).