Consolidated Kansas

[sharol]

There's an image I'll have trouble getting out of my head.

Well, I would not want one of those bull stimulators up any of my roo's rears, but it involves some stroking, on the back, towards the tail, and a little feather ruffling, and a spoon.

 

[Ivywoods]

Gee. I've just been crazy busy and have not even had a chance to read about the last 90 posts. Hopefully I can catch up tonight. I didn't get everything done I wanted to do before the storm rolled in tonight, but mayb this will pass on through and I can get more done in the morning.

 

[HEChicken]

Well, I would not want one of those bull stimulators up any of my roo's rears, but it involves some stroking, on the back, towards the tail, and a little feather ruffling, and a spoon.

Well, I'll just have to come and get a demo sometime

So then I guess you just use a syringe to transfer it to the hen?

 

[Ivywoods]

No. The spoon.

 

[rittert3]

A guide to better hatching, by Janet Stromberg shows how to AI poultry.

I'm all ready to go pick up birds and rabbits tomorrow!!! 5 bantys (3 serema hens; from Danz, 2 Mixed Roos; from a lady off the Kan. Poultry swap) and a pair of mini lop rabbits from an acquaintance of the gal off the swap page. I got all my pens setup and arranged today and got all my missing supplies. I even got a bigger chicken yard than I needed

10' x12' with 2 dog houses in it. As busy as I've been I love the sense of accomplishment when I actually have things to do and get them done! I'll try to get pics of the new critters up next week. I've also got to go fight with the post office in the morning before I leave. I had quail eggs sent out priority mail on Tues. from Ft. Myers FL and they still aren't here. Tracking said they were in KC this morning so I hope they get here in the morning!

 

[Trish44]

Well I got quite a bit accomplished this evening. I finally got things cleaned out enough in the garage to get my brooder set up in there, so I'm ready for chicks now, yay! Except the bulk of my chicks aren't coming until April

. I may still get a few right now just to get a head start, we'll see. I may find something at Yates Center that I can't do without tomorrow. I may be looking for a new home for these two Lakenvelder hens if they don't straighten up. They were being bull-headed again tonight & wouldn't go in the coop. They were lucky I was working out there or they both would have spent the night outside again. I get really tired of messing with them all the time. All of my other hens & roosters all go in when I feed them & then go obediently into the coop to roost, no problems. Anyway, IVY I set that brooder box up on cinder blocks set on end & it's going to work just perfect! I had thought of sitting it up on a table, but these blocks are just the right height so it will be really easy for me to take care of the chicks without hurting my back all the time. I'm going to love this brooder box, it seems like it will be so easy to clean out & all, much better than the livestock tank I used last year. It worked, but it was a pain to clean out. I may still have to use it for a short time later on after the chicks start getting bigger until they're ready to go in with the flock. But at least while the chicks are tiny this brooder box will be great.

 

[MarcAustin]

Hello Consolidated Kansas from El Dorado ! I'm a chicken newbie but a lifelong animal lover and rescuer. I will be at the Yates Auction tomorrow and would love to pick anyone's brains about starting my flock. Especially concerning things to have on hand that might not be obvious (meds, instruments, etc . . .) I know this is a late post, but I'm kind of a dracula. Anway call or text me at 316-807-5625. You will find me near the birds or the Llamas. Thank You!

MarcAustin

 

[Trish44]

Welcome MarcAustin, glad to have you here. I also will be in Yates Center today, maybe we'll bump into each other.

Everybody have a great day! I feel like the vampiress out of her element this A.M., we're night people around here, but I had to get up early to drive to this sale. I'll be pooped out later today.

 

[chicken danz]

Welcome Marc Austin. I'll be at Yates Center along with a few of these other chicken people. Feel free to pick our brains here or there.
DH and I went to Emporia and it was late as it always is when I go somewhere with him. It was nearly midnight when we got home and finally got things ready to go to bed. The alarm went off at 6:00 am so I feel like I forgot to go to bed. When I worked full time that was a norm but I really need my sleep any more.
At any rate I stocked up on a load of quick foods my parents can pop in the microwave since they have trouble cooking. I couldn't believe other than food for them I didn't buy anything other than a couple things I had on a list. I was feeling mighty broke after buying all those higher priced convenience foods. It's better than worrying if they were able to get dinner though.
I need to go get some babies fed and get things moving so I can make it to YC at a decent time.

 

[Hawkeye95]

My Welsumer Lisbeth has laid her first egg since her best friend, Misty, died last spring in May or June from reproductive complications. She went through a light molt and then a heavier one and was pretty listless for a while, but she has seemed fine since Christmas. Her egg is the lovely dark brown one on the top row between the EE eggs. The pink one to the left comes from my GLW.
I can't tell you how relieved I am to have another of her lovely dark eggs and her healthy and laying again.

Beautiful eggs! That is great she is laying again!! That is a LONG time for a break! WOW!

Hawkeye, chickens do dumb things. They make up their own mind where they are going to lay. Some lay in the same spot every day and others just drop it out where ever they are standing. I think they like to plan Easter egg hunts the way they hide them here and there. I've wondered how it is going to affect the hens I put in runs, rather than letting them run free every day. Sure hope they don't lock up the egg machines on me.
My white Seramas haven't laid an egg since I put them in their own cage even though they are still in the same coop they were before. Dumb birds.
My silkies are still laying faithfully since I put them in a tractor. Who knows why they do what they do?

Well my trio has a much more confined space to go easter egg laying all over the place! LOL Im sorry about your Serama's that aren't laying-- maybe it's just a combination of the weather and light. I doubt it is because they are in a cage. If that were true-- my silkies would never lay! They are so much bigger than Seramas! But I do have them in the garage (it's warmer) and I have a bright light over them during the day to help stimulate them to lay. If it's nice enough, they go outside-- it's been nice lately, so they get outside more often now.

Well Hawkeye, maybe you should talk to Ivy about AI until Zorro figures out which end is which!!

I'm about down to that, Rosie!! I watched a YouTube video a while ago on how to do AI with a rooster and it didn't really look that bad at all. Just a lot of petting him down his back, mostly. In the video, they used pipettes to suck up all the semen and then squirted it to the hen. It was really neat how fast they did it. They were done and over with it pretty fast.