What did you do with your flock today?

[Shetland lover]

If he could hear the crowing at my place for just one day he would be happy with 3 or 4 nice roosters.

He'd probably end up in the local nut house!
I'm often up and on the go before the boys are crowing so it wouldn't bother me hearing your lot crow.
To be fair to DH, I think he's more worried about the neighbours complaining about the noise than the crowing per se.

 

[Shetland lover]

Yes, he was most definitely underwhelmed He must have Siamese in him because he is insanely mouthy! He's funny because he will sit there and yowl and complain but he won't really do much about his misery!

It is felted! I bet with your creative skills you could totally make one! Maybe a small amount of tulle to make a bow around it??

My gorgeous George was a quarter Siamese and quite the chatterbox. Had to give you his opinion on anything and everything! He was also fiercely intelligent. To give you an example, his favourite food was prawns. You could whisper "prawns" and he'd come running. It got to the point where you couldn't say the word "prawns" without him plaguing you for some. So, we started calling them "pink peas". Took him 3 days to cotton on that "pink peas" were prawns. My brother used to torture him by saying "George? Do you want some praaa.......line?" He'd sit expectantly until my brother changed prawns to praline then he'd huff very loudly and stalk off. He knew about 40 to 50 words for definite and probably more.

A strip of tulle would look great! And maybe some tiny flowers? Maybe I should make bonnets for the pekin girls, they always remind me of Victorian ladies wearing bustles!

 

[Shetland lover]

Same, I sometimes curse my soft soft heart, but my empathy for living things runs too deep! I too feel bad killing even the bugs and the pests...they're just doing their thing! I totally respect and appreciate others that feel differently and take advantage as I do really like eating meat...but I will remain grateful others are able to, and I don't have to. Otherwise, I would be a very sad vegetarian

Absolutely agree with everything you said! I was vegetarian for a while but it was more to do with going off the taste and texture of meat than anything else. I'm no longer a vegetarian and I enjoy meat but only eat it maybe once or twice a week.
We buy all our meat locally from a farmer who does their own slaughtering on site and gives the livestock a chance to grow and have a life before they feed us. Yes, it's more expensive but because we don't eat it every day, it's affordable and we know the animal has been raised with care and compassion.

 

[Shetland lover]

Well, I don't know how I did it, but I lost 1/2 a page on this thread. Glad I found it.

At least your pests are gorgeous!!! Our beetles are funner to squish than look at and they eat our beautiful fruit and flowers. Real pests but, their grubs are big and according to my chooks, tasty enough to eat.View attachment 3628917View attachment 3628913
K. Look real good, you have someone looking back at you ♡

How cute! It looks like it might be about to tell you to back off so you don't frighten it's lunch!

 

[Shetland lover]

Many, many years ago there was a TV series called the Dobie Gillis Show. A sitcom type comedy show with Dobie with his buddy Maynard Cribbs. (Spelling on all the names) Any way one night as Dobie is about to leave on a date with a cute new young lady Maynard shows up. As they were about to leave Dobie kills a fly. That upset the young lady and that gave Maynard a chance to move in on the girl. Maynard being a beatnik grab the fly and started scolding Dobie for being such a killer and needless to say the beatnik left on a date with Dobie's would have had date. I was brought up knowing where food came from where it was fried chicken or Lima beans. Broilers were a common FFA Vo-Ag project. My dad was very strict about only a few things and treatment of animals was one of them. You are supposed to withhold feed from and animal for a short period of time before the butchering process starts. He refused to do it. He refused to let any food animal die hungry. I'm kind of the same way even knowing why it is done for safety reasons. By the age of 12 I could process chickens and after they had been chilled long enough I could break one out into pieces and flour them and use an iron skillet and fix dinner. It's survival in the making. One thing I do hate is the modern poultry production plants whether they are layers or broilers. I'm surrounded by those type farms and just have no respect for them.

I too, was brought up knowing where my food came from. My grandad raised chickens, ducks and rabbits for meat and eggs (not the rabbits, of course ) and sea fished. He also grew virtually all the family's food. My mom carried on the growing tradition so between the two of them, we understood where the food on our plates originated and the hard lessons sometimes involved.
Treating living things with respect and kindness was something we learned from a very young age.

Many modern farming practices are highly questionable but I find the chicken and pig farming industries the worst. Any kind of battery farming is reprehensible in my eyes.

 

[Shetland lover]

I am getting less eggs, only 4 or 5. The molt is surely around the corner, all except Velma. DH has been helping me by filling the feeders and picking up feed and such. I get this surgery bandage off tomorrow morning, Yay, and can finally wash my hand and arm, but will not be able to lift more than 5 # , or 2.4 kg for 12 weeks. Therapy until around Christmas.
Do you all add more protein to the feed for feather growing, or just switch to a higher protein and leave oyster shell on the side? With one pullet who will probably lay through the winter, not quite sure. I think she may have laid a soft or no shell, as we picked up a bunch of very messy eggs one day. Most times the eaten eggs weren't so spread around.

I give mine extra protein and a biotin supplement during the moult. I find Pru becomes frantic for anything meaty she can get her beak on.

 

[Shetland lover]

I grew up a lot like that. I was helping butcher animals when I was still less then half a midget. (I'm a midget now so I can say that ) Anyways...my family was always big on giving a good life, humane slaughter (which killing cones aren't), and never teach an animal to love you if your intent is the dinner table. Pets are not edible period. Teach table animals to trust, but not to love. I'm very comfortable with butchering and sometimes still do if it's needed. I also absolutely agree that any home raised table animal is lucky compared to any animal that makes it to the grocery store. My tenderhearted kids feel the same, so they're also fine with eating home raised and butchered. Better flavor, less chemicals and a better life for the animals.
My problem is that somewhere along the way I started to see the potential pet in every animal, so it no longer matters if they love me. I'm half in love with them all even if they run screaming at the site of me . So yep... butcherings become an only if needed thing. Kinda sad since a brief life with a family is better than anything commercial raised animals experience.

Totally my problem! An animal might bite, scratch, kick or otherwise try to kill me and I still fall in love with them...

 

[Shetland lover]

Went out to check on momma and her babies tonight…look at the good momma Even while roosting she’s doing her best to shelter them

What a wonderful mom! Bet you're so proud of her

 

[Shetland lover]

Stanley is officially a cock! He's one year old today. I can't believe it's a year since he hatched! It doesn't feel like two minutes and at the same time, it feels like he's been with us forever.
I'm going to try to get a decent photo later but we're just off out for the day. I say 'decent as he had a fight with dad 2 days ago and they both have scabby faces.

 

[ChicksnMore]

My gorgeous George was a quarter Siamese and quite the chatterbox. Had to give you his opinion on anything and everything! He was also fiercely intelligent. To give you an example, his favourite food was prawns. You could whisper "prawns" and he'd come running. It got to the point where you couldn't say the word "prawns" without him plaguing you for some. So, we started calling them "pink peas". Took him 3 days to cotton on that "pink peas" were prawns. My brother used to torture him by saying "George? Do you want some praaa.......line?" He'd sit expectantly until my brother changed prawns to praline then he'd huff very loudly and stalk off. He knew about 40 to 50 words for definite and probably more.

A strip of tulle would look great! And maybe some tiny flowers? Maybe I should make bonnets for the pekin girls, they always remind me of Victorian ladies wearing bustles!

My first cat was like that for dried octopus. She was a little calico named Candy Cat. She'd not only yowl but pat, paw and claw you for it. Better than catnip to her.