Consolidated Kansas

[sharol]

Hi, Chicken Danz. I'm definitely looking for a little acreage. Nothing extravagant, but at a minimum probably 40 acres maybe even as much as 160. Rolling hills pasture is fine because I'm not looking to farm any crops and I prefer that scenery. I know the area and I'm partial to Chase County or a neighboring county. But what is essential is the ability to build a permanent home so access to electricity. Work isn't an issue. And I don't have a flock yet so I'm unencumbered and can wait for the right place. But of course I'm anxious and would like to make the change sooner rather than later. If anyone has any leads I would love to hear about them!

http://ekhomes.com/idx/mls-23233-2389_road_n_emporia_ks_66801

This is an older house about 10 miles north of Emporia on 40 acres. Lots of trees and nice pasture. I know the guy who is selling it, and it has had good care over the years. It isn't exactly in the Flint Hills, but technically on the edge of them. The house is a pre-constructed home that was built maybe 30-40 years ago. Bathrooms recently rennovated. Kitchen could use some updating. Good outbuildings.

 

[TytoAlba]

Thanks for the lead,sharol. I'm doing a lot of hunting on the internet and then hoping to make a trip to look at some of the properties in a few weeks when I get a free weekend. I'll keep this one in mind.

 

[Ralph Moyer]

This is an up-date on my turkey hens and there mix of chicks. There are now 7 peachicks, 6 guinea chicks, 2 Mottled Java chicks., 1 Royal palm, and a Muscovy duckling( it is at the rear of the darker hen).. The Muscovy duckling got in the pen from a duck's nest next to it. The turkey hens raised such a fuss when I tried to get it out, I just left it. You can see by its size now, that it is doing ok. They are all getting bigger, and now both hens are brooding them at night. I think it is time they get a larger pen with a roost, because the peachicks get out, with the hens during the day.

 

[Trish44]

Well I let my 4 big geese out of the hoop coop they were confined in for 4 days & I guess they still didn't get it because I tried & tried until dark last night to get them back in there for the night & they wouldn't go. I would get two or three in & the other one wouldn't go & then they all got out in the end so I gave up & they stayed out all night. They kept going back over to the duck pen where they used to live & they seemed confused. I managed to get the 3 young ones back in with the baby ducks for the night. Whew I was exhausted by the time I chased them around & got all the feeding done. I guess if they get hungry enough they'll eventually come back to the pen, I hope anyway.

I don't know if I mentioned it but I had a broody hen show up in the driveway a couple of days ago with 10 little chicks. I had no idea she had a nest anywhere so these were a surprise. I really didn't need any more chicks & now am looking to re-home them. I have a friend coming this afternoon for 4 of them. The hen is a Buff Orp & it looks like most or all were fathered by the Black Copper Marans rooster because they have cute little feathered feet. I had to rescue them from out there & bring them into the brooder because I have way too many cats out there for them to be safe running around. I had one New Hamp hen that had a baby she was taking around with her & it didn't last a day out there.

 

[chicken danz]

Make sure you keep feeding the geese in the pen where you want them. I tend to feed mine in the evening so they'll go where I want them. In fact I call them when I do and they come looking. I am going to have to switch things on them soon because I really need to get them accustomed to going back to their old pen area before I put up a fence. Not that that will probably get done very soon.
I just have a huge group here and need to sell some of these younger ones before winter. I'd love to keep them all. Just can't afford to feed 50 geese all winter.
I still have one group of the youngest in the greenhouse. They are all old enough to go out and free range except two of them. I'm afraid the littles would be picked off by owls too easily.
I was outside and I thought it felt kind of pleasant but it didn't take me long to work up a sweat just sitting there. Sure wish the humidity and heat would subside.

 

[girlsnammo]

Chicken Danz yes school is horribly expensive! By the time I get everything done for that I have 3 birthdays and the holidays to deal with. I also have to make time to make a wedding cake for 300 about a week after school starts. Definitely a busy time for me, not to mention a broke time! I won't have play money until at least January. So tsc has equine safeguard on sale for $5.99 right now and of course I'm broke after spending $202 on clothes and backpacks. The sad part is that was only half my list. At least the rest can be picked up at the d.a.v.

So it looks like it might rain here today, then again it looked like that for about 20 minutes yesterday and never did. So much to do and never enough time!!! My two years old came up with a fever yesterday so that's going to make getting stuff done even harder. We are planning on continuing construction on our co-op and run the beginning of August. Only need 2 more 10 ft panels for the run and then build our big coop. I want him to make it look like an old farmhouse. My dh is an awesome artist and with his construction and engineering experience I'm sure it will be even better than I can imagine. I can't wait to be done with it. I think I have finally got it into his head to buy a farm. I have a few local ones picked out already but we have to wait until we get rid of our old house and pay this one off. He will still be close to work but if I'm going to be stuck at home I could at least occupy myself getting a farm up and running. Nothing fancy they each only have 10-14 acres.I probably couldn't handle much more than that by myself with 2 boys 2 and 1.

Well, kids are starting to stir and I have chores to do so I hope everyone has a good day today. Hopefully it will be cooler with the cloud cover but we will see.

 

[chicken danz]

@girlsnammo , I have 20 acres and rent out 14 of them. The other four are where my house and all the birds are. It works really well cause I get just enough from the crops that it almost pays the taxes on the land. There's no way I could handle doing more. I wish I had a lot more land cause I would love to have an option to build a large pond without interferring in the crop land. I also wish I had more trees. I was never a fan of lots of trees before I had birds and got older. That shade is invaluable. Of course all those things cost money which isn't a commodity here.
Yesterday became the worst day yet I think. The temperature wasn't as high as it had been but there were storms up north and the humidity was so high I couldn't breath. I had to change shirts twice just because they were dripping with sweat. Needless to say I sure didn't get as much done as I wanted.
I did get a metal roof of sorts that had been on a shelter taken off and moved on top of my pheasant pen. It was too hot to stay up there and fasten it all down real well but unless a big wind comes along at least it's there for now. They really had no shade and shelter was limited so hopefully it will help them some. I have a lot of birds in that pen right now with some of the older babies from this year so the shelter they had just wasn't catching it. I have a lot of other changes to make out there when I have time and once some of the other birds have been sold.

 

[girlsnammo]

Çhicken Danz that is an awesome idea to rent out the land for crops! I'm looking for more of a ranch style. I would like to be as self sufficient as possible. Maybe a few acres for corn and hay but I would really like to cows, pigs, chickens obviously, and a horse or two for working the cattle. And maybe a goat for milk. I sure miss being on a farm. Being in the city sucks. My oldest son wants to be a farmer so it would be a chance for him to learn the ropes so to speak. I just can't wait to get the go ahead to finally pick my favorite and buy it up.
Yes this heat is horrible!!! Even today I thought the clouds might help but it is so muggy out there I already feel drained. We have 1 big tree in our yard, it helps. Thankfully it helps keep my coop and run shaded most of the day. Luckily if I need anything built or remodeled my dh takes care of it. He likes to make me happy. I will take a coop or other animals and stuff over jewelry and crap anyway! Keeps me happy having stuff I enjoy doing. He is even going to box in my tiny little corn patch to keep down on weed/grass growth and keep the boys and dogs out.
My neighbor to the north of us are super nice. It's an older couple. They gave me a straw bale last week for my girls. I know they are anxiously waiting for the girls to start laying. They told my dh they were interested in extra eggs. I guess they used to raise their own back in the day and love seeing and hearing mine. I also had a neighbor from up the street ask if her dh could come over and check them out cuz they are now discussing getting some. I guess I'm a bad influence. Since I got mine 4 other people have caught the chicken bug!

 

[chicken danz]

Well if you have lived on a farm you know you have to provide shelter and thawed water for all those critters Sounds like you would be better off with mostly pasture and ponds. I have a nice sized pasture but it isn't separately fenced so my farmer just hays it. It does have a pond though. I had thought about fencing but it is too costly and then I still wouldn't have a shelter where I need it. I've had other livestock but that all comes at a cost and additional work. At my age I have to be realistic about what I can handle

 

[Trish44]

I have lived in the country since 1976 when I left Wichita & haven't looked back since. I love having a little land & what animals & birds I want & the privacy. Danz you saw how we're kind of hidden behind this hill here in the Flint Hills & a lot of people come here & say they never would have known there was a house here. I do like the privacy & protection from the north wind we have but the driveway is the total pits, especially in the winter when we get snow or ice. I would have done the driveway totally different if I had built this place but then I would have done quite a few things different if I had built this house. We only have 10 acres here but we have a lot of trees that have grown here naturally. We have to clear trees for fences we're putting up for my sheep & goats. That's what takes so much time is clearing the darned hedge trees, otherwise it wouldn't be so bad. The fencing is really expensive & I can only afford to do one section at a time so we're putting in a paddock a year. This year when we get this one done we'll have two so far with an additional smaller area we fenced off to separate my ram from the flock just to try to control breeding better. I would love for the ewes to lamb in March instead of February next year. It was the pits out there supervising lambing in 16 degree weather, ugh. I think it contributed to the one ewe rejecting her one lamb as well. I had to bottle feed him & that wasn't fun either. We don't have just open areas with all of the trees for the animals so that's why I have goats to help as well with the brush control. So far they're doing a good job with that.

Yesterday was a hot one. One of my hens got overheated & wasn't doing too well last night. I hope she does better today. I have lots of shade for them & water but sometimes nothing is enough. We're supposed to have rain & cooler temps for a couple days & I'm sure the birds & animals will welcome that too as well as I will be relieved for a break.