BeccaOH: Update of just STUFF

[BeccaOH]

Sounds like I need more mulberries. May have to hit the farmer's market Saturday morning.

We had a big storm blow through last night. Spent some time in the basement after a burst of wind came through and snapped a limb on one of the trees. Sounded like a shotgun, and things were blowing off the porch.

Many of the chickens got wet with blowing rain, but the ducks and geese stayed in the yard during the downpours.

Tomatoes and peas were pulled over. Need to wade through garden mud tonight to right things.

More storms predicted for tomorrow.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Ah, I see you told on me regarding the pullets I'm getting

I'm excited for the girls to arrive tomorrow. Trying to figure out just where I am going to put them. Everything's a muddy mess right now.

 

[BeccaOH]

I took Friday off work, but didn't go to the swap as there were still storms rolling across the state and we didn't want to drive almost 2 hours to find no one selling. So, I went to Aly's house for a while and got to see her new additions of mini horse and fawn.

I cleaned out my rain gutters of storm junk and found a BRICK and a vent cover on my roof. These are definitely not from my property. I'm told there were funnel clouds in our area on Wednesday evening, so who knows where those came from. The brick is a brand new one. I've got some shingle damage all on the south side, but the storm seemed to come from the north.

I got a lot done on my to-do list this weekend.
- mound the potatoes with more dirt
- thin the beets
**- finish the fence around second coop and put in 2 pop doors
- finish fence around expanded garden area
*- put a pop door on other side of main flock coop for entrance to bigger yard (doing a secure door is becoming a challenge)
*- put up gate and cover new chicken run with netting (netting not done)
- build a box shelter for the ducks with a nesting area
- set up movable fence so geese can pasture out under the apple trees (and so they eat more grass and less feed)
- finish 3 pens in new coop and kick ducks out of the space
- do major clean out and new deep litter in main coop
- put a real gate inside my main coop between walkway and pen
- finally hinge windows in the main coop
- butcher 4 older hens (never done this before hmm)
- sell those adult guineas! (haven't heard back from buyer, so I guess I'm going to list an ad)

Well, it felt like a lot until I started checking the list. I did clean in both house garage and detached garage, which feels good. Mowed the grass and picked some peas. Looks like the garlic is ready to pull, but I've never done garlic before.

Went to the farmers' market, but didn't find any mulberries. Did buy a strawberry/rhubarb pie that was divine!

So, on Saturday evening I was about to call it a day and decided to chat with the only hen that will let me pick her up and hold her. Now, I've never had an issue with my gentle giant Buff Orpington rooster. But while holding Jezebel, he came over and pecked my shoe. No big deal, I took my foot and brushed him away. He came back with feet flying. I dropped the hen and gave him a good kick. He kept flashing those talons and hit my shins. Thankfully just a scratch. I tried to get my foot on his back and show him who was the boss. Since I had shorts on, I decided to quietly walk away and be the first to end the fight.

Now, I'm going to have to keep my eye on that guy. I usually work in the coop and run without paying him much mind. I'm glad he wants to protect his girls, but I want to rule the roost.

 

[BeccaOH]

I can't believe I just bought 6 peafowl eggs for hatching! What was I thinking? LOL

The incubator is empty after a complete failure trying to hatch guinea eggs. Those were free, and these are NOT! I'll be babysitting that incubator carefully this time around.

Now I'd like to fill up the incubator with a few other eggs, if I can find something I want like those cool Brabanters or Blue Laced Red Wyandottes. Or I could get Bourbon Red turkeys to try for a girl for my Tommy. SIGH.

Going to check out Ebay auctions!

 

[Blackbird]

Wow, good luck Becca!

Peafowl are even worse than guineas! Lol. Atleast if they hatch they'll probably be friendlier.

 

[BeccaOH]

Any tips for hatching peafowl?

Out of 12 eggs, my friend got 9 guinea keets. I had 18 eggs all duds after temperature spike. I also used a turner and wasn't babysitting the incubator like I did during my earlier chicken hatch.

 

[Blackbird]

Oh, I meant for raising, hatching is pretty much the same. Nope.. no advice, sorry. I just throw em in and go.. lol.. We have the temp and humidity set for chickens.. we'll have chicken, duck, guinea, peafowl, turkey, and pheasent eggs in at the same time and we've done pretty well. We haven't gotten any eggs yet this year, but we had quite a few hatch from our last pair.

 

[BeccaOH]

Update. . .hmm. . .let's see.

It got hot the last couple days, but the chickens are still laying pretty well. Probably because they like their grassy new yard.

Turkeys have a yard now too, but one BS keeps jumping over the 4-foot fence. Other side to my neighbor is 5 feet and the turkey hasn't gone that way yet.

Guineas are up for sale on BYC, Craigslist, and Kijiji. I've had two good inquiries so far.

Peacock eggs arrived yesterday and look beautiful. I went looking for other things to fill the incubator and may now have to fill a second as I went a bit overboard. I'm going to have to sell all my peacock chicks to recoup my egg money. I saw chicks on our local CL for $20 each unsexed. Here's hoping for a great hatch!

Goose with the gray had a duck down in almost a pre-mounting position. Not sure yet if it is my boy duck or girl. Should I assume from the action that Lucy goosey is a boy???? Not sure what to do with my geese. I enjoy their antics, but if I keep geese, I at least want a breeding pair.

Insurance agent told me to have a local roofer inspect my roof damage, so now to find a good roofer. :/

Going to see Aly and E tonight.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Going to see Aly and E tonight.

Yea, well be ready for a big hug!

And keep me in mind when those peacocks hatch.............

 

[BeccaOH]

I came home to a sad sight. My young BS turkey that kept jumping out of her run was dead in my dog's run. The dog is not fenced but hooked to a run cable. The turkey must have come from around the back of the garage and got too close to the dog. Lots of feathers, but the bird was left mostly entact.

I'm seriously considering tying the dead bird around the dog's neck for a few days. Old timers haved used that method to cure dogs from chasing poultry, and this dog is still in his second year of age.

His dog box is right beside my main coop and my small summer coop. He has shown some interest in the chickens, but he hasn't appeared aggressive toward them before.

Guineas go to a new home tomorrow.

I enjoyed a nice visit at Aly's. Her baby boy is a doll. It helped me take my mind off the stupid dog. :/