When a ranch kid lives in town.

[Betty Buckshot]

Tex what happens if someone else has THE tree on your place Tapped already

This is a really important question...Inquiring minds want to know.

[Dode]

Where are the goat and horse pics? Did I miss them? Are they on another thread?

[doublel]

Well my chicks arrive this week. I am getting 2 buffs, and 15 of what mcmurray calls a bbq special (cornish crosses), and the bonus rare breed chick. My neighbor also got 5 egg layers as well. So we are planning to keep them all together for a week, then split the layers and eaters up. I will post pics when they arrive!

[Tex]

With the broilers, make sure to seperate the water and feed dishes. If they are close together, the birds will sit in one spot and not move. This causes their lifespan to be too short to mature out to butcher weight. Remember, their hearts WILL give out in a short time and their joints WILL also deteriorate, so plan on butchering within about two months. Ours usually averaged about 5-6 pounds dressed out.

Good luck



Tex

[Dode]

I am so jealous...

TEX... glad you mentioned that. I will try to remember it for when I finally make it to the countryside.

[doublel]

So my chicks shipped tuesday, the last tracking update says they left Saint Paul at 8:50pm on tuesday. They weren't at the post office today. Everything I have read says they can survive 2-3 days without food or water...we will be cutting that pretty close. Fingers crossed I don't get a box of dead chicks....that would be upsetting to me.

[Tex]

If they do show up dead, Dode has a new woodchipper she might loan you.



Tex

[doublel]

Still no chicks...so I won't get them until tomorrow. So that will make them 4-5 days old when I get them depending if they hatched monday or tuesday. Everything I have read says to expect big losses after 72 hours...so I am losing hope. I am almost sick with worry, I know that the hatchery has a live chick guarantee...but to think of them dying in that box because the usps is incompetent makes me sad.

[Gwynmael]

Any tracking update?

[doublel]

The tracking info says they left Cheyenne at 3:03am. But my postmaster says if that was true I would have gotten them today. She is making frantic phone calls to try and find them...but they won't make a special trip to get them here...so if she finds them I won't be able to get them until 10 tomorrow morning.

[Gwynmael]

I sure hope they find them and they're ok.
I also hope they look into why they took so long to get from St Paul to Cheyenne, but doubt they will.

[doublel]

Thanks Gwyn. I didn't know it was possible to be so stressed over chicks. And just for fun, the weather has turned wet and chilly...so they are probably cold, thirsty, and hungry.

[AD]

Is it worth a drive if they find them?

Have you contacted the hatchery?

[doublel]

Yes, I would drive to get them if that was a possibility, but if they are in Cheyenne they are at the processing center and its hard to get approval to get stuff from them, says my postmaster.

I haven't called the hatchery yet, their site says I have 48 from when I get them to claim losses.

[AD]

The delivery is late. I would call and see if they can put pressure since it will cost them money.