One idea might be to have multiple smaller coops. This is what I have three birds in: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/2007-04-01/Portable-Chicken-Mini-coop-Plan.aspx You could use the top and bottom of two dog houses to make a total of four coops and either make multiple pens or put all the coops in one large pen. Also you could put all four coops in a fairly small pen if you plan to let the birds free range during the day.

Eczema is often caused by allergies. Is he being breastfed? If so, his mother may need to try eliminating his allergens from her diet. A common culprit is dairy. If he is being bottlefed a change of formula is definitely in order.

:lurk5:

If you are contemplating birds and it is practical in your area a chicken can be a very good pet. I used to raise a chicken every summer when I was a child. It stayed in a cardboard box when I was not packing it around. Mine went back to the farm when school started so you would need to plan for something larger than carboard box eventually. The hens were much friendlier than the rooster I ended up with one year. A hen would also eventually produce eggs.

I have used colloidal silver with success also. I believe that moderation is the key in most things.

Another idea in the tech field is either computer networking or computer security. Once you have the expertise it can pay fairly well to go in and set up for a new company, location, system, ect. It is alot of work and long hours but for a fairly short period of time (1-2 weeks). It can involve a great deal of travel also. The upside is that it would be possible to do this a few times a year and make a pretty good income.

Another thought that I did not see listed is the Bobsey twins books. I enjoyed those as a child and my dd may be ready to start them soon.

I once read that dominant hens sometimes crow but this generally occurs when there is no rooster. Have you checked the vents of all the birds? Also laying hens will generally do a submissive squat and are sometimes easier to catch.

I would be very concerned and would probably not have any more doses of that vaccine at the very least. I would take him in to the doctor tomorrow at the very least. That is one of the first possible adverse reactions listed here: http://www.nvic.org/reportreaction.aspx

There was only one fish left in dh's saltwater aquarium when we returned after evacuating for Katrina and he decided he did not want to restock the aquarium. Also the power was still off so it most likely would have died before that came back on. A friend who was also interested in fish told him that the humane way to dispose of a fish is to put it in the freezer (or cooler with ice). I believe that they just go to sleep and never wake up.

I like the one farthest to the right personally. What is your daughter's favorite color(s)? That might be a good place to start.

Color my hair? I won't even have a trim regularly so I have a hairstyle that doesn't need it. Massage? I am not particularly fond of physical contact especially with people I do not know well so I don't see how it would relax me. I have never been to a spa. See above reasons. As far as a manicure or pedicure goes, I painted my nails or my mother did a few times when I was younger but I don't think that is what you meant. I won't spend the money to buy makeup or hair products(gel, mousse, hairspray, whatever else they have come out with since I stopped looking) or spend the time to use them so I guess you can count me in the frugal group. I would say that it is not just frugality with money but time also.

I have a dd6 that tends to be very stubborn. In her case longer term consequences than are generally reccomended at that age seem to work better. I started putting her on restriction for a week at a time for serious infractions. Restriction for her means no television, no computer, and no sweets. These are all high value things for her that taking them away from her does her no harm whatsoever. In my dd's case her reactions and ability to think ahead and long term (short term consequences did not phase her because she knew they would be over relatively quickly) were mature for her age so I went with consequences appropriate for her maturity level in that respect.

My favorite tactic if someone accuses my dd or me of weirdness is to say, "Define normal." Everyone I have ever tried that on quickly dropped the subject.

I have heard that caution is needed with the fencing collars when it rains. My understanding is tha t a heavy rain can cause them to malfunction and repeatedly shock the dog to the point of burning. This may be a climate issue too.

One of the things I do with my dd6 is Kumon. She enjoys going to the center twice a week and when she asked about going to school I pointed out that it would be similiar to the Kumon center but all day M-F. She decided that that was more than she wanted. Also I mentioned how early she would have to get up and that she would not be able to take any pets to school with her. She has not mentioned school since and was even dubious about coop until we started. Do you have any pets? Dd has been much happier about her social situation since we found a coop to go to once a week.

:grouphug: Sorry the kitten didn't make it.

I totally understand the OP's postion. My dd was never left in a daycare or preschool or even a church nursery at that age and even older. I was working when she was born and my dh and I arranged our schedules so that no one else was needed to watch her. One was off or working from home when the other was at work. She is now 6 and I have only recently begun to leave for short periods of time in familiar enviornments that I trust.(I might go get gas while she is doing her work at the Kumon center.) We are in a coop for the first time this spring term and guess who assists in her classes? She does not like the idea of being left in the care of others. When I told her about coop the first thing that she wanted to know was whether or not I would stay with her and I assured her I would stay with her.

:grouphug:

It has been very easy for us. It depends on how you choose to manage them. We let ours free range during the day and shut them up at night. They do require more care when young. We started with four and now have three I suspect a large number (20+)would be more work.

I would make sure you also have an up to date website that is easily found with common search engines. I found out about the one I use from another parent at dd's dance class. However, in the past I had searched for local coops online and had found an out of date website for that coop so I thought they no longer existed.

Our male dachshund is very bonded to dh. Our female dachshund is very bonded to me. Our dameranian is bonded to dd. The Belgian Malinois prefers dh but is extremely protective of dd. The Bloodhound/Golden Retriever cross likes everyone and is very protective of the chickens.

Could you have him wear a scarf over his hair to protect it?(the sort that some athletes and other "cool" types wear) That may be a temporary compromise instead of cutting it. That way he would be protected from himself without actually cutting the hair.

We have a male dachshund that is a paraplegic due to back problems. When he initially injured his back, the vet said that a major complication that they could not do much about was if he became severely depressed. When our female dachshund died we had to replace her quickly because he became very depressed. We had two large dogs but evidently he missed having another small dog. We purchased a female that was very close in appearance to our previous female and he perked back up.

When you are looking outside remember to look up, if something frightens her she is likely to go up a tree. It can be challenging to get a frightened cat down but at least they are slightly easier to find.