Consolidated Kansas

[MrsProf]

Dad picked up some bird's at an auction today. He was told they're not laying yet, but that's about all. Looks like 4 pullets and a roo to me. Maybe y'all can help me decide what breeds they are.

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[chicken danz]

I had a charming surprise when I went to feed and water this morning. I have a Breda Fowl trio that was brooder raised. They hatched when my grandkids were here from Denver, so they were handled a lot when they were babies. They permit petting and handling better than their broody raised coopmates. That said they have never been particularly friendly. This morning the gray pullet flew 10 feet across the run from a straw bale and landed on my shoulder to check out the food bucket, almost immediately her black sister landed on the other shoulder. When they hopped onto the straw bales where the food is located, they acted like they wanted petted, so I obliged.

I have some Campine hatching eggs coming this week. I've never hatched shipped eggs before, so my fingers are crossed that they arrive in good shape. She will be shipping early in the week (from Alabama) and the weather appears to be cooperating. I plan to spend lots of time with those hatchlings. Campines are a little flighty anyway, so I want them to like me and trust me before they go into the main population in a couple of months. Wish me luck.

I sure like my birds. More every day.

The little black Orpington was on the nest this morning (no egg yet, but I found one in the yard yesterday, so maybe soon). Of the 4 younger ones, 2 are laying, just not sure which 2.

Those Bredas are such loving little birds. Of all my birds I have to say just for their personalities the bredas are my favorite.

Dad picked up some bird's at an auction today. He was told they're not laying yet, but that's about all. Looks like 4 pullets and a roo to me. Maybe y'all can help me decide what breeds they are.

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Well those chickens look like a mix of easter eggers and maybe cream legbar or a much mixed polish. But from what I see you have one older rooster, two younger cockerels, and one pullet. I hope he didn't pay too much for them. I could be wrong but looking at the feathering that is what I would say. The whiter one with the red on it is the pullet.
I worked really hard today. I got a bunch of stuff moved out of the new goose pen area. Lots of limbs and wire and stuff that I will have to haul to the burn pile or the metal pile. I moved out the pulled monster weeds which need hauled to the burn pile as well. I got a couple bales of straw in the new goose shelter. Then I cut and hooked up wire to fill in the gaps where the fence post and the barn and some other places weren't filled in. I still have to pull and cut the field fence but I got the old fencing taken out so it's ready to do. My dykes weren't strong enough to cut that old field fence. It's heavy stuff.
DH built the man gate I will use to go work in the garden. My garden is in the middle of the goose pen. If I didn't have established grape vines and some new garlic growing I'd consider just moving the garden and starting over. I figure the geese will keep the edges of the garden pretty clean for me.
I hope in another day or two I can move all the geese to their new pen. I'm pretty excited to have this much done.
The peacocks were displaying and started yelling today. I guess that means it is time to start laying eggs soon. I also found out one of my white babies I hadn't sexed is a male too. He was trying to imitate the big daddy. Girls will display too if they are upset but it's obvious when they are doing a courting display what they are. Anyway I felt like spring will actually come.

 

[lizzyGSR]

We have pretty good internet service with the addition of a booster and a tower. It is through Verizon. It's terribly expensive though and we use an awful lot of gigs. I wish I could find something else as dependable that wasn't so expensive. I'd like to be able to download movies without eating up our entire amount of gigs. Also If I could eliminate all the pop up advertising it would help. I've made some adjustments but they really haven't helped all that much. BYC is one of those places that uses a lot and Facebook is the worst.
It's going to be so cold today but one of my customers insist she is coming so I guess I'll have to handle it. I'm not at all looking forward to it. They'll be here in about an hour I guess I should go out and feed and water while I'm waiting but I'm just not ready to face the cold yet today. I don't think I'm going to be working on the goose pen today either. It can wait.

What browser are you using? I know that Chrome has some add-ons that you can get that will block some of those ads and other things that use video. If you want, I can get you the names of the ones I use on Chrome. I'm fairly sure that Firefox has something similar as well. I have no idea about internet explorer, but I would assume so.

Yeah there just doesn't seem to be a great solution for rural internet in Kansas as of yet. We're on a wireless service with the tower within sight of our house. We don't have an download limits but it does get bogged down if too many people are online at once. We've been told not to stream anything but I think someone does in the evenings at times & that just stops everyone else's service. I have complained about it to no avail. It sure beats having satellite though, I couldn't wait to get off of that. My niece in the middle of nowhere in Missouri got fiber optics, go figure.

I know you don't think satellite internet is very good, but I would have to disagree. I've got Exede satellite internet and have been pretty happy with it. It is by far better than anything else available out here locally (which isn't much). It is fast enough to watch videos and is pretty dependable. It takes a pretty big storm to cut service. In this area, it advertises 5 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload, but the actual speeds are faster than that. I get between 10-15Mbps down and about 4Mbps up. The speeds are better than a lot of what is available locally, but there is a download limit for this area. I know areas in far eastern KS have other plans available that don't have download limits. Also, advertised speeds vary based upon where you're at. In the interest of full disclosure, I am a dealer for Exede, but I only became one because I wanted/needed it myself and couldn't get anyone to come out here to install it for me. I am in the middle of nowhere and the closest dealer was 2+ hours away. I am not expecting to get anything in return for referring you to Exede, irregardless of whether you choose to become a customer or not. Not to mention, you're too far away for me to install for you anyway.

 

[Trish44]

@lizzyGSR the satellite services available in my area have download limits that aren't even reasonable. We had to set up software updates for 3 a.m. during our "free time". If we went over the download limit accidentally we got penalized & reduced down to dial-up speed, it was totally ridiculous. Oh & email was included in your download limit. You also had to sign up for a 2 year contract & that was bad when you found out you hated it. There are two such "services" available in our area. I'm glad you like yours, I guess everyone has to find what works for them in their area.

@MrsProf I agree with danz that you have mostly roosters there, so I guess you'll have several for butcher or selling. I think your hubby was mis-led unfortunately & the reason they're not laying is that they're not hens.

 

[chicken danz]

What browser are you using? I know that Chrome has some add-ons that you can get that will block some of those ads and other things that use video. If you want, I can get you the names of the ones I use on Chrome. I'm fairly sure that Firefox has something similar as well. I have no idea about internet explorer, but I would assume so.
I use Firefox and have put some limits on but I still get a lot of scrolling stuff on the sidebar on facebook and backyard chickens.

My experience with Satellite was identical to Trish's. And I was stuck on the two year contract as well. And then when the two years were up and I sent their inside equipment back to them, which incidentally cost me a couple hundred dollars, they were supposed to send me $50 back and never did. They over sold the area and I had better service with dial up than them. Plus any time it rained or there were sun spots or heavy clouds we lost service. They said there were no limits but they would cut you back if you used much. Obviously there were no limits because there was no chance on earth we would ever exceed them with slow speeds and having our service cut back when we used it.
I know you have great service out there Lizzy but I am going to have to hear from someone in this area that has satellite they are happy with before I consider it again. I get very tempted cause my bill is so high but I depend on the internet for virtually every thing. There seems to be a lot of companies out there now that all advertise about the same thing. I just haven't heard anyone that is satisfied just yet. When Hughes net came out a lot of people went to it as opposed to Wild Blue which was what the forerunner was. But everyone had an equally bad experience. Dish has made some lucrative offers and since we have Dish TV and are very satisfied it is tempting. I don't know anyone who has Dish internet around here though. And then there is Exede and a few other companies that advertise. I will definitely switch when I feel it is going to work.
Most people around here use a local antennae service but I am in a low spot and can't get reception from them. And they do have limits per package which would make my usage expensive.
Looking forward to a busy week but good weather. It's amazing how much better I feel when I know we have a warmer forecast. Now if I could just split into about 10 people to get things done I'd be happy.

 

[lizzyGSR]

@lizzyGSR the satellite services available in my area have download limits that aren't even reasonable. We had to set up software updates for 3 a.m. during our "free time". If we went over the download limit accidentally we got penalized & reduced down to dial-up speed, it was totally ridiculous. Oh & email was included in your download limit. You also had to sign up for a 2 year contract & that was bad when you found out you hated it. There are two such "services" available in our area. I'm glad you like yours, I guess everyone has to find what works for them in their area.

@MrsProf I agree with danz that you have mostly roosters there, so I guess you'll have several for butcher or selling. I think your hubby was mis-led unfortunately & the reason they're not laying is that they're not hens.

I'm pretty sure that Exede is available in all of KS. The download limits available at 10G, 15G, and 25G per month. That isn't enough for some families that watch all their TV online, but it is plenty for most people. It is expensive compared to some other services, but if you don't have good service available in your area, it really is worth it. Satellite is the only thing available where I live ('cuz I live in a hole) so I really have no choice. Also, you can't judge one satellite company by another. I had Exede's competition (not saying names), for 2 years and wasn't happy with them. Exede truly is a different company than the rest. I'm not trying to convince you, just telling you my opinion. If you look for a dealer in your area, there's probably one that would let you try out the interent at their location. Unfortunately, Exede does require a 2 year contract.

My experience with Satellite was identical to Trish's. And I was stuck on the two year contract as well. And then when the two years were up and I sent their inside equipment back to them, which incidentally cost me a couple hundred dollars, they were supposed to send me $50 back and never did. They over sold the area and I had better service with dial up than them. Plus any time it rained or there were sun spots or heavy clouds we lost service. They said there were no limits but they would cut you back if you used much. Obviously there were no limits because there was no chance on earth we would ever exceed them with slow speeds and having our service cut back when we used it.
I know you have great service out there Lizzy but I am going to have to hear from someone in this area that has satellite they are happy with before I consider it again. I get very tempted cause my bill is so high but I depend on the internet for virtually every thing. There seems to be a lot of companies out there now that all advertise about the same thing. I just haven't heard anyone that is satisfied just yet. When Hughes net came out a lot of people went to it as opposed to Wild Blue which was what the forerunner was. But everyone had an equally bad experience. Dish has made some lucrative offers and since we have Dish TV and are very satisfied it is tempting. I don't know anyone who has Dish internet around here though. And then there is Exede and a few other companies that advertise. I will definitely switch when I feel it is going to work.
Most people around here use a local antennae service but I am in a low spot and can't get reception from them. And they do have limits per package which would make my usage expensive.
Looking forward to a busy week but good weather. It's amazing how much better I feel when I know we have a warmer forecast. Now if I could just split into about 10 people to get things done I'd be happy.

Again, I wish there was a dealer close to you that could let you try out internet at their location. I have truly been quite happy with my Exede, and I'm not just saying that 'cuz I'm a dealer. Also, I'll tell you the same thing I told Trish - you can't judge one satellite company by another's service. I really wihs Exede had a trial period so you could try it out. I think you'd be happier with it than your current company, but the only way you can get it is to sign up for the 2 year contract. I find that frustrating, but my hands are tied on that one.

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Need some info on these two chickens is roaster or hens? Any idea what breed the red black one is? I know the yellow and black us an EE.

Thank you everyone these two are always apart and "watching over the other chickens or leading them out-in "

 

[lizzyGSR]

I went out to do chores this morning, and discovered a couple of mice. They were at the bottom of a metal trashcan that we keep cat food in. They'd gotten in and couldn't get back out. I went and got one of our farmcats, and put him in the bin with the mice. He tried to jump out until I put his nose down almost on top of the mice. He then grabbed one and jumped out, promptly letting it go and re-catching it. Ugh! I hate it when they do that. The other cat refused to even look at the 2nd mouse, even when the mouse climbed on him while trying to climb out of the trash can. So, I grabbed a peach can and caught the mouse and topped it with my gloved hand. I then dumped it upside down and called the dog. The dog got all excited about what was under there, so I lifted the can and the dog promptly watched the mouse run away. GRR! Oh well, I guess it's one less mouse int he world. The cat was seen only a couple minutes later mouse-less so I hope he killed it before he stopped playing with it. I'm not sure if we're feeding our cats too much or what! We've got them to control the mice and then theyd on't even eat the ones I hand them!

If I had chickens, would the story have gone differently? Would the chickens have eaten the mice in the metal trash can if I pointed them out to one of them? I'm excited for the arrival of my hatchery surprise box early next month! I'm looking forward to trying my hand at chickens (and anything else that comes in the box)!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If you had snakes it would have been a different story.
I much prefer snakes to barn cats.
They can get in places the cats can't (where the mice hide) and the cats prefer to kill birds.

 

[sharol]

Quote:
We have 3 cats and 2 Dachshunds. All of them are mousers. I keep a live trap in the coop all the time, and sometimes have a couple of mice in them. I dump them into a 5 gallon bucked we have and let Lucky (the doxy) in to do the dirty work. I hear a "crunch" for each mouse, and then he is on to more interesting things. He is a serious mouse killer. Our big dog (Australian Cattledog/Am Staff mix) waits for them to be dead and then takes them off for a little snack. Yuck. The cats bring them in the house to play with (including HUGE rats) and Lucky kills them there. Who's a good dog? The other day one of my hens stole one of the dead mice from Red (the big dog) and the chickens had a great time chasing each other with the mouse. The hen that stole it finally ate it.