Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[Dr HaHa]

Good Morning Everyone! ontonoh your well on your way to becoming an addict. Think it's bad now wait till you get chicks. Speaking of which think I might be doing something wrong. They've been in there for 2 days and still no signs of life.

WCc That is a ranch style you could put hay or machinery in there. Good luck with your move but don't envy that. But keep your eye on the prize! I swear if I ever move again I'm leaving everything! Sweetfolly don't envy you either that's a lot of work! But your young you'll pull through! Bigz hope the fresh air will help clear your head! Springs comin hang in there just a little longer. Have to take a walk in the woods this morning to see in any is accessable. Hate the thought of running the furnace. But it would be for only a couple of weeks. Still..... Another day of sunshine!

 

[Treeva]

It has been a while since I've been on here, but I ordered chicks yesterday - OK I'm a bit scared, because I feel like I'm entering unknown territory. I keep thinking, O.K., you have dogs that you've raised from puppies and a horse, you should be able to handle 5 little chicks

Anyways, I did check with Eagle and yes, since we are zoned single family residential, no chickens are allowed. I have a friend who lives in the town of Eagle and has about 50 chickens on lots of land and she said we can move the chickens over there when they are old enough and it is warm enough out for them.

In the mean time, we will get the day olds and the kids will enjoy watching them grow. We also got a good sized hutch we can move them into when they get a little larger and less dependant on the heat lamp. From there, we will move them out to her place and build them a separate area until we are ready to acclimate them with her Bantams (which she already has separated from her standard sized chickens). My son will plan on showing these guys at the County Fair next year. This year, my friend has offered to let him use a few of her Bantams. He will start going over to help out there with cleaning the feeders and waterers etc.

Any suggestions from those who have been there, done that on if he should start trying to handle the Bantams he plans on showing - I know dumb question, but I virtually know nothing about showing poultry at the county fair. I understand they will have to be Pullorum tested and I will have to have a tester out to do this. Can anyone explain what they do when they Pullorum test them, how it works, should I band those birds at that time?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm full of them and I'm sure I'll have more. Thanks for your patience and any information you may have!!!

Mary

 

[Terri O]

Good morning! Was glad to wake up to the sun again today. Yes, spring just might me right around the corner!
Dave-I am on the other side of Madison towards Milwaukee! It is a looong drive! Even when we met Jim at the swap he said he wasnt coming there again...too long a drive! (for not much to see) I used to get up that way quite a bit when my daughter attended Winona University...havent been that way since though. THe closest I will get this year will probably be Mother's Day weekend when I take my horse and go camping near Castle Rock. (fantastic time BTW!)
Thank god the coffee is almost done! I need to burn off whatever is in my throat--I swear I coughed all night again! Tonight I have to work at my PITA client's place. I have been so unstressed for the past 2 weeks because she has been out of town. I am planning on telling her that I wont be coming back any more...the $$$ is good (not great) but I cant stand her calling me 3 times a day "making sure" that I am planning on coming! I have NEVER not shown up!)
*end of rant*
SO...what project is next DrH? You seem to be bathing in the glory of your perfect ceiling! Get to work Man...you have much to do!

Just though I would remind you!
Carol--that is great that you can move earlier if you can get "psycho lady" to let you out of your lease! DH and I never found peace until we bought our own place. We were really good renters too...never late, no parties, out to work all day and only had 1 cat and a parakeet! I could never understand why landlords are such pains! Maybe you can do like we did when we moved here...I did it in shifts and the people let me put stuff in the barn. I built my chicken coop in their woodshed too before we moved in. THat was nice. I only had 3 geese and 12 hens when we moved here. Let's see...3 cats, 2 kids and 2 dogs...that's it! Man life was easy then...
Just watched a youtube video of twin baby boys having a talk. It was hysterical! This is what DH does on unemployment; find videos for me to watch! And go to the dog park...
Well, I need to get another cuppa...and I suppose Jim had posted another chuckling moment while I was typing! Have a fantastic day today...get out and enjoy the sunshine if you can! Terri O

 

[MustLoveHens]

Quote:
Terri, my Dh ordered Texas A&M's. They are a meat quail that are ready to process at 7 weeks. I had nothing to do with ordering since my sneaky dh asked me if he could order quail eggs while I was in the forum and not paying any attention to him...all I heard as "blah blah blah" and something about eggs and dinner. Two days later I get a box in the mail marked fragil. I had a my still air LG going with the Aseel eggs and I did not want to get yet another brooder so I put the quail in with those eggs. Then I did highly technical incubator egg care called "ignoring the eggs". The temp was porobably a little cool. The eggs got rolled when I remembered to. That was kinda an exercise in futility since the eggs just rolled right back to where they started. I'm not a turner kinda gal, but I'd use a turner for these if I do quail again. Day 17 came and I forgot hatch day is day 17 so lockdown never happened. I marked the calander and everything. Dh noticed when lockdown was supposed to be and they got locked down the day before they hatched. I had one little straggler hatch this morning but he has a leg/foot curled so I don't think he'll make it. Other then that they are all done.
It's good to know that the fish tank brooder sounds like it holds heat really well. I have a clamp lamp I've been playing with to get the temp right. It has a 60 watt pulb and either it is too cold (85*) or too hot (120*). So, I will get a 40 watt and try that or take a 75 watt and place it as high as it will go. OOOOoo, I can also try laying a towel over the top of one end...hmmmmm....

Well off I go to Walmart to pick up my contact Rx. My youngest Aussie (who is 5 btw) decided in a fit of jelousy over the new chicks to steal my glasses. He then proceeded to chomp them past all repair.

have a terrific day!

 

[MustLoveHens]

Quote:
Welcome (back!) Treeva!!

I can answer some of your questions. I would have him handle his show stock as much as he can from chickdom. They need to be calm and easy to handle both in showmanship and in judging. The more he handles them the easier it is on the birds and less stress on show day. I handle my chicks about once to twice a day from day olds to till they are about 7 to 10 days old. After that they are more durable and can handle being handled more. Then they get handled a lot especially as they get older! Bantams are a good choice since they are small and easy for kids to handle and they tend to have really even temperments and make great pets. While I showed just a couple of bantams, I primarily showed Standards but they need to be able to be handled just like the bantams do.
The Pullorum test is easy. The tester that comes will need you or our son to hold your birds. He or she then extends a wing and plucks a few feathers in a spot close to their body where he can tap a vein. He pokes a little needle like tool into the vein and then takes sample of the blood. The birds part is done! Next, the tester takes that sample to his little tester board (I know there is a technical name) and mixes that blood with the test solution to get a result. If it looks like cottage cheese then you've got a positive. I asked my tester if he has ever had a postive. He told me in the 20 years that he has tested birds, he has never seen one come back positive. You will get a Pullorum application and then the State will send you documentation. This documentation must accompany you to shows, and swaps if your son ends up selling birds. I would make copies since you will need to leave copies with various organizations/people .
I would band at that time if you want to. For show the birds entered must have a numbered leg band. So it would be a convient time to band them.

 

[Terri O]

Treeva--are you in Jefferson county? IF so there is a monthly poultry meeting for the kids that teaches them showmanship and helps them with many things poultry. There is also a time to take your birds to get them tested. When my daughter did it the man clipped a toenail for the blood drop. It was no big deal...same thing he said he got a positive once in his 50+ years testing! Terri O

 

[ParkfieldFarm]

Hi all--it's been forever since I've been on, so I thought I'd drop in to say 'hey!'.

Not too much going on here, starting the outside clean up of all of the dog poop, cleaning up the rabbit hutch (it lasted half of the winter, then I ran into technical problems and brought my one remaining Angora inside for the rest of the winter). My hens are still at MeettheFlockers' place, and I did get to go hang out with them yesterday. I'm working on wheedling my mom's dog kennel out of her so I can fix something up here for the summer before I move out again. I'm still desperately searching for a job--it's highly frustrating to not be able to take care of myself or my two kids, but I'm so grateful that I have family willing to help me out. My dad said absolutely no chickens (I'm living in an extra house of his) but I'm hoping I can change his mind. We'll see. We're also expecting three new chicks in early June because of the three we ordered last spring two were roos! I'm also hoping to add a new Angora after I get a job because we lost one this winter to old age.

I'm hopeful for getting a job soon, I have one phone interview and one in person interview this week. So think of me and send me JOB vibes!!

I'm also still very active with Cream City Hens and we're hopeful that we can get urban henkeeping legalized in Milwaukee before this summer. I even re-wrote the words to 'We've Been Working on the Railroad' to be about the hen movement and sang and played the ukulele for a local activism night.

The 'bawk bawk bawk' part went over really well.

Anyway, I'm really glad to hear that everyone seems to be doing well. Off to tear my three year old away from The Phantom Menace and head outside to tackle the poo!

 

[Dr HaHa]

TO smart choice hiding under that chair! Come Friday or Sat. I'll be totally done in the toidyroom. Waiting for payday on Friday to get the baseboard and stain. Sucks sometimes getting a monthly stipends but beats punchin the clock and dealing with the stupidity I left behind. Just have to come to terms with my own stupidity, never will happen. Moving into our bed room next but have to wait till the weather warms to pull off the walls and insulation. It'll be a whole cheaper than the bathroom was. Insulation, drywall, and paint. Should be fun. Was thinking this morning where the H did I spend so much money on the bathroom? $600 on plumbing, $600 on the plumber and $1,400 on ????? I figured $2500 so I wasn't far off the mark. The kitchen is going to be a lot more. Baby steps! Treeva good to hear from you again! Sounds like you have a plan in the works, hope it works out! MLH great bator story! Made me laugh! I like doing that! Laughing that is. Looks like we'll have enough wood to get through if I get my lazy butt out there. Going back out to fire up the saws and splitter shortly.

 

[jvls1942]

going to try this once more.. the last time my letter a got stuck and I had about 50 lines of aaa before I got the plug out of the wall..

i got to Fleet and got my pvc parts and fixed the pipe outside.. thawed the hose, watered and fed all the birds.. made breakfast and am coffee'd up..

later today going to transfer the 19 chicks to the outside brooder.. will need the fish tanks in the house for the buckeyes of Brent's eggs and the americaunas.. all due on Sunday.. 8 doz eggs set....

will have to set up two more pens outside for the new chicks, then..

I should be getting about 14 dozen eggs this weekend and that will be it for chickens for awhile.. unless I decide to do some barred rocks or Delawares.. but that will be a month from now, at least..

In the mean time I should be busy with turkeys and the ducks should be starting again, soon..

so far I have been keeping up with just one incubator.. Having the hatcher really helps a lot..

Annie announced this morning that I am going to enclose the lean to for some laying hens.. with lots of windows.. she said that they do not get enough sunlight in the back pen.. Oh, yes, it gets a new concrete floor also.. Anybody want to toss about 60 bags of premixed for me ?? I have a good mixer..
In return I will teach you how to mix, pour and finish concrete.

 

[Treeva]

Hi Terri,
We are in Waukesha County. I know we have a county wide meeting tonight which I'll attend. My husband went to the last one and didn't bring back much information. I wish we had a county day that we could bring the birds for the testing, sounds like that would be a bit easier. Thanks! Mary