Consolidated Kansas

[Katy]

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My guineas could care less about squash bugs

They love grasshoppers tho.

 

[bnjmik]

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Update on the blind chicken.

Well, I thought he was doing okay, but I was wrong. Went to pick up eggs Sunday morning and there he was laying dead. My first casualty. I figured in a 10% loss rate and this makes it 2%, so I am not terribly disappointed, but disappointed none the less.

I suspect cannibalization. There are feathers on the floor of the coop so I guess I've kept them inside too long. The run is done (see pics below) and I ordered a satellite dish motor for the door and I worked up a quick timer control system to open the door at 6AM then close it at 8PM, which is adjustable. Hopefully this won't happen again.

The run as it looks today.

Another shot of the run. The run is done, but I am not a morning person so I will be installing an electric door opener that runs on a timer for now. As time allows, I will integrate the door action with the PLC controls.

 

[HEChicken]

Looks great bnjmik. I would suggest though, that you set it to close at 9pm, rather than 8. Mine are already staying out until after 8:30 and if their door closes at 8, they will be stuck outside for the night. Great job on getting it automated!

 

[KansasBoy]

Lookin good!

 

[Ivywoods]

Nice job. My only suggestions would be to put something solid around the bottom with some more of your welded wire on the ground to keep varmints from digging in.

 

[schellie69]

I am going to plant my pumpkins and squash in July. I hope everyone had a great weekend.

 

[GeoKan]

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I'm so glad you asked Ivywoods! Just look at this Golden Lakenvelder egg. Every single one you gave me looks like this! I candled Saturday and I could actually see movement in a few. I had a feeling all of these were going to be viable fertile eggs.

The BCM eggs were a bit of a challenge. I am going to re-candle them tonight. I did find one with a bloodring. We thought we saw some dark masses in a few. Today will mark the 10th day of incubation and I've read here on BYC that this is the optimal time to candle dark eggs. I'll try to take some more photos and post them for ya.

I'm using this flashlight. It's 110 lumens. It about blinds ya.

 

[Ivywoods]

Cool! The lakenvelders look good. I can't tell anything by looking at the marans eggs. I candled some of my own yesterday. They all looked good except some of the little bantam eggs I got from my sister. Even my guinea eggs were showing developement.

Sure hope the marans hatch for you. I've got some marans chicks out in the brooder. They are so big and fat compared to the others. The little bantams try to burrow under them like they are their momma!

 

[Konza]

We've got a wild turkey hen nesting just behind our chicken coop!

I just hope she doesn't get unsettled when the chicks move outside next week. Maybe I ought to bring little treats with me when I go out there. Not enough so that she starts to depend on me, just enough so she doesn't feel the need to leap off her nest every time I visit the coop. Time to boil up some more eggs, I guess.

 

[Ivywoods]

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When we lived back near Solomon we had wild turkeys coming up to the pens every day. We had a couple royal palms that would call them in. The wild ones would go right into the pens with the tame ones.

My daughter used to go out to the pens and make "turkey" clucking noises. She had a tom come up to within 5 yards of her one time. She wasn't wearing camo or anything! Crazy birds!