Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[frustratedearthmother]

I have heard they're very hardy in the cold - but no way to prove it here, lol. However, we did have a couple nights below 20 when I raised 'em a few years ago and they were fine. Nope - not reliable about going broody even though I once had one hen that sat for a couple days and then got over it! Way back a hunnert years or so ago, when I had an old Styrofoam incubator I had a quail egg turner...it held 120 eggs I think... You shoulda seen them little buggers popping out of that incubator when I opened the top - they were like popcorn!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

One more thing - feed them a really high protein, non-medicated feed. I use a game bird starter that's 28% protein. If not, egg production will be sketchy at best. Oh yeah,,, they will fling their food around if its in an open feeder. I use the bottom of a round chick feeder like this:

But, I don't put a jar on top of it. I actually cut a hole in the top of the cage just big enough for a piece of pvc pipe to fit through. And, of course, the piece of pvc matches the hole in the top of the feeder. That way I can use a funnel and fill the feeder up from the outside of the cage. You know - so I don't leave the cage door open and let 'em all out, lol. They can also use a fill from the outside of the cage waterer too - like this:

or any other kind of waterer you can hang on the cage.

You'd think they'd never have a chance to escape their cage if you have feeders and waterers that you can fill from the outside of the pen. But, it's those dang eggs you have to collect that make you open the cage door. I need a cage with an egg roll out feature!

 

[NH Homesteader]

Ooh great thanks! That'll help, I can make DH be the egg collector, he has faster reflexes than me lol! He wanted to just eat them but I said hey, let's try to raise them and if we don't enjoy it they'll still be edible. But might be fun!

 

[baymule]

I have the GQF brooder. I have 3 sections and a roller stand. On our 19th anniversary I found an ad on Craigs list for free stuff-cleaning out a barn. We went to go find that barn! I got a sewing machine, pet carrier, a bench and we bought that brooder for $100!! It wasn't free or even for sale, but my husband talked 'em out of it. Best present ever! I love mine and can recommend it.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I have the GQF brooder. I have 3 sections and a roller stand. On our 19th anniversary I found an ad on Craigs list for free stuff-cleaning out a barn. We went to go find that barn! I got a sewing machine, pet carrier, a bench and we bought that brooder for $100!! It wasn't free or even for sale, but my husband talked 'em out of it. Best present ever! I love mine and can recommend it.

Dang, I never get in on the deals like that!

I went ahead and ordered the first one in my list. Hope it gets here by tomorrow, lol!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I didn't get to go to my son's t'givng dinner today. I did get in the garden for awhile and planted a few more things. Not a great day. Pie and wine sounds good.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Pie and wine does sound good. Sorry you had a not so great day! How are your mom and dad doing? Is it nice being home or do you miss escaping to work?

Oh side note- not gonna get the quail. They're WHITE cortunix quail. Like the cornish cross of the quail world. Not what I want!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Low carb cheesecake and wine was just what the dr. ordered!

I'm the only one out of bed - enjoying a cup of coffee before any chaos gets a chance to get brewing today. My house reeks of urine....thanks to DH spilling Dad's bedside pot. OMG! I need to head to town and see if I can find some neutralizer because I can NOT deal with this. I've got all windows open, candles going, and spray air freshener just about emptied.

Mom and dad are just not doing great right now. Dad is mentally better than mom, but he's back into that sleeping all day pattern. Mom has had some really bad days lately and it seems that each day is worse than the day before. She only had one moment of clarity yesterday and it nearly broke my heart. She knows something is wrong....but she doesn't know what. She asked me "What's wrong with me". I couldn't say the "A" word, just couldn't. Told her that because of her age her mind wanted a vacation....to just relax and not worry about it. Helped for a minute...barely.

Couple nights ago she went to the bathroom and I heard the toilet flushing over and over and over. She couldn't remember that she'd just flushed it. I had to 'intrude' on her and ask if there was a problem with the toilet. This morning I wake up to a half- a roll of toilet paper stopping up the toilet. I put a fresh roll in before I went to bed last night and this morning I find it on the floor of the bathroom half gone. And, I have a suspicion that she's flushing her panties from time to time. Opened the fridge this morning and found every glass that they had used during the night sitting empty IN the fridge - not in the sink.

At one point yesterday she came into the dining room and started taking her shirt off. She was hot (because she's constantly turning OFF the AC in their room) and thought taking her shirt off was the thing to do. I guess it's a good solution but not when you live with other folks! I changed her into a t-shirt and after that she just walked around in her shirt - with no pants on. Good thing DH is a nurse.... he's accustomed to these things.

But, it has become apparent that staying here is not going to be a long term solution. I dread coming downstairs every morning not knowing what I'm going to find. Found dad in the kitchen the other day trying to get a coffee cup. Nothing wrong with that except that with his walker he can't really reach for something without losing his balance. He, luckily, managed to get the only plastic coffee cup that we own because he dropped it. Had it been glass it would have shattered.....dad doesn't wear shoes. I can only imagine the blood bath that would have been.
Their most active time is at night. I sleep at night. I can't keep them safe here...and I feel horrible about it. I'll start looking at assisted facilities this week. I wanted to wait until after the holidays, but I at least need to start the process. With most places having a waiting list it could take a while to get them moved anyway.

Enough of that!

@NH Homesteader
Years ago, with my first quail, I would occasionally have a white baby pop up while breeding "regular" ones....musta been a mix in there somewhere! But, the new ones I've got seem to be breeding true. If I ever get these going well and you decide you want some - I can ship ya some eggs.

So much I need to do today before going back to work tomorrow. Really need to do tons of laundry, mow the yard, check some goat membranes. I try not to stay outside for too long at a time and it's hard to get some of this done in 10 minute spurts. Oh well - I do what I can.

 

[tortoise]

I'm sorry FEM.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Thanks @tortoise. Today mom seems great. She got up at a decent time, we got her shower and hair washed and she's grounded and knows what's going on. I don't get it sometimes. But, that's part of the craziness of Alzheimer's I guess. I'm going to give her a craft project in a little while and see if she can accomplish something that will make her feel better about herself. I know sometimes she just feels like she can't do anything.... sigh.