Quail_Antwerp: Words from the Barnyard...

[Beekissed]

Yea, but it's their FEET, Bee. Not sure how they will come out of that.

OOOOOooooo, I missed that!! Sorry! Not sure about that, but a member on BYC amputated a frozen roo foot!!!! And told all the gory details on the forum......and not one person complained that it was cruel. I'm not a bleeding heart here, but you won't find me cutting a roo foot off with loppers when he's not had anything to make it numb. It was a horrible description and it even made my stoic nurse's mind give a wince!

They complained about me doing a closed reduction on a subluxed hip joint on my cat....and didn't raise an eyebrow to scrunching a roosters leg bone and leaving an open jagged end jutting out. No mention made about just how he was going to walk on one leg, either.

I'd soak them in warm epsom water, massage them gently and often with Bag Balm to encourage circulation and then just pray that God's will be done.....its all you can do!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Hmm no bag balm, but I gave them some tetramycin water to help fend off infection. I have them in a cool (not cold or hot) room warming up gradually. I can hear contended clucking coming from their corner.

In other tidbits of news, I have an order in with McMurray Hatchery. I know others have said they haven't had any good experiences with McMurray, but everytime I use another hatchery, I am so disappointed in the chicks and/or shipping and how long it takes, or the chicks expire within the first 5 or 6 months. So, I'm sticking with McMurray for my birds. Nor have I had any issues with their customer service!

Anyway, on my order are 5 New Hampshire Reds for my DD. She wants them for her own flock. She's getting 4 hens and 1 roo. I felt that was a good start for a soon to be 10 yr old. And they will be here just in time for her birthday! I also have some dark brahmas coming. I didn't think I would want the dark brahmas, but I got to see a hen in person and omigoodness they are gorgeous! and to finish off the order, some standard blue cochin chicks, straight run.

As far as hatching eggs go, I am on a waiting list for BBS orps, Salmon Faverolles, more Light Brahmas, Silkies, and Frizzles. DH was ok with my wanting to start incubating in February. I'll probably incubate through June, but no more chicks for me after June 30, for keeps or sale. This way, all my chickerdoodles can be fully feathered and meated up a bit before winter.

 

[Beekissed]

Girl, do you have any plans for spring? Or are you just going to lay around your insufficiently SS house and watch Zombie movies all day? Couldn't help it! Had to say it!

I really don't think you have given yourself enough to do, Aly, so could you get with the program and add a few more animals to your farm????

I love, love, love my NHRs!!! They lay the biggest and prettiest eggs of my flock! Good choice.

Do ya think you'll have time to run over to Free's and get a massage?

 

[FarmerChick]

sorry about the birds feet.
that must be rough having animals in that type of weather. I am so fortunate I have it easy in NC. truly!!!

hang in there, people and critters! spring is coming!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Girl, do you have any plans for spring? Or are you just going to lay around your insufficiently SS house and watch Zombie movies all day? Couldn't help it! Had to say it!

I really don't think you have given yourself enough to do, Aly, so could you get with the program and add a few more animals to your farm????

I love, love, love my NHRs!!! They lay the biggest and prettiest eggs of my flock! Good choice.

Do ya think you'll have time to run over to Free's and get a massage?

You have NHR's?! Any chance you'd have pure eggs from those girls?! I'd be willing to buy them!! I'd much rather hatch my own.

Given myself enough to do??? Shoot! There isn't a day that goes by with NOTHING to do. Today I cleaned ferret cages, cleaned out nesting boxes (NOT that they are laying right now) and put a whole bale of straw in each coop to make sure I don't get MORE chickens with frozen feet.

We also filled the woodbox on the back porch, brought in the night's supply of wood, not to mention the regular feeding/watering of all the livestock.

Oh and I did a load of laundry

Oh and Bee, no zombies here. We sic the coyotes after 'em.

 

[Beekissed]

I do not have any purebreds on my place, Quail, sorry! I am breeding RIR, Blue Orps, and Partridge Rock roos over my flock of layers to keep the dual purpose genetics going. I am not one to care about specific blood lines but did go out of my way to get breeds of chicks who could tolerate the cold and push out the eggs!

Getting 15 a day right now and the NHR are my best layers. 15 isn't so great when you consider I have 30 or so chickens including the 3 roos. My pullets just turned 6 mo. but the NHs have been laying since 5 mo., as well as a few of the White Rocks and Doms.

 

[Okiemommy]

I still have to read your journal, but hi Quail!!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I do not have any purebreds on my place, Quail, sorry! I am breeding RIR, Blue Orps, and Partridge Rock roos over my flock of layers to keep the dual purpose genetics going. I am not one to care about specific blood lines but did go out of my way to get breeds of chicks who could tolerate the cold and push out the eggs!

Getting 15 a day right now and the NHR are my best layers. 15 isn't so great when you consider I have 30 or so chickens including the 3 roos. My pullets just turned 6 mo. but the NHs have been laying since 5 mo., as well as a few of the White Rocks and Doms.

We sure wouldn't mind mixed eggs! They would be for my daughter, so I'll ask if she minds if they would be mixed of if she wants pures.

15 a day. UGH I'm getting NONE.

Hello, Okiemommy! I hope you are staying warm, assuming you are in a cold environment like we are. LOL


Both roosters feet are still swollen, but they are yellow like they should be now. They look pretty well thawed and are walking/standing better than yesterday. Both of them have one toe that is cracked open and bleeding just a bit..but it looks like when you scrap yourself, you know what I mean? I have some neosporin I'm putting on their toes and I just gave them their breakfast of rolled oats and warm cornbread muffins. I am keeping them in for a few days until I am sure they are ok and healed enough to go back out with their flock.

I did a head count today. We are down to 69 chickens. Funny, I said down LOL considering 69 is a lot of chickens to some people. Worse, I have MOST of those chickens named....eek!

69 chickens...wow...and most of those are hens...I better be getting a good bit of eggs come spring!!

 

[keljonma]

QA, Sorry to hear about your roos. House chickens aren't too bad... We still have Patsy in the house, and she has been sleeping next to Titan at night. He does get a bit upset when she takes over his bed.

Are none of your hens laying now? We're still getting 2 to 6 eggs a day from the 14 hens; more eggs when it is closer to 40 in the barn.

How are the chickerdoodles doing? None of our want to go outside at all. But they seem to be doing well with the hay in the barn. DH has been taking them greens, carrots and red cabbage also.

You were talking about fencing. We have some chain link that used to be dog kennel that we need to sell. We used part of it for the mama hen and chicks to explore outdoors safely. (Although we had to put hardware cloth at the bottom of it so they wouldn't get through the holes.) We've also used parts to fence around the blueberry bushes, so the chickens wouldn't harvest before we did. There are 6 sections. I will have dh measure them, if you're interested.

ETA: our flock (with the exception of 2 hens) all came from McMurray. We ordered 25 pullet chicks and only 1 didn't survive the trip.... injured in transit.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Yes, kel, I'm getting NONE. That's ok, I figure the girls can take this time to be on strike. It's pretty cold out and they aren't liking this cold. They do venture out of the coops, but they tend to just stand in front of the door and stare at the house willing me to come and bring them more treats

Let me know how much on the fencing and I will talk to my husband about it.

The fab five are doing good! Poor Monroe got a tinge of frostbite on his comb, but I told him it was his own fault. Everytime I put him in the warm coop, he skidaddles out back to the cuck shed. Her royal highness has finally realized the sensability of staying in the warm coop, and has quit going to the duck shed. Monroe needs re-trained LOL

They enjoyed a nice noon time treat of cooked rice, corn bread, oats, and sliced tomato. The tomato went first LOL