Surviving Minnesota!

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Surviving Minnesota? More like surviving the weekend!

The wife went out with a group of friends on Friday night. One of them lady night ordeals. So, I decided to get some quality time in with the step-son and our 4 month old baby girl.

Man, ohhhhh, man.

Woke up Saturday feeling great. The wife made some waffles,with homemade strawberry rhubarb jam. Tossed in a couple of duck eggs and that hit the spot!

Walked outside to check on the little critters and one of our black silkies we picked up last weekend was dead as a door nail.Needless to say the wife was not so happy. I think it was a case where it just up and died. No signs of frost bite or sickness the past week at all. R.I.P.

So after handling that debacle, we decided to have some leftover fries that the wife bought on that lady night ordeal. (This will be playing a big role soon) Then we proceeded to a family Christmas get together.

After the get together with both the kiddos sleeping............. ( i know what you're thinking)

WE GOT HIT WITH THE WORST CASE OF FOOD POISONING IN MY WHOLE LIFE.

I won't get into details but it ruined us completely.

Then for an early birthday present she surprised me with Monster Jam tickets.

Now I am up posting to BYC/F and trying to finish my last minute homework!
 
ejb3810 said:
It warmed up here over night.  It was 13 degrees when I first checked this morning, and it dig not get to double digits at all here yesterday.
It is snowing here now and is the light fluffy stuff.
Wolves and coyotes are a usual sighting here.  Deer and rabbits are now rare visitors.
Did I say that I love Ravens?  Since they have moved in my pigeons and chickens are not subject to daily hawk attacks.

Sorry to read of the demise of Zeus, but it happens when you are keeping livestock.  Hope you have a replacement.
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I feed the crows or ravens, whatever they are. I feed them popcorn and bread chunks. I love having them around, to at least warn the girls of danger. I have no rooster
 
Morning . We did not get the 6 inches of snow . Fine with me . We got some but it melted some . So just patches of snow . Temps will be falling today .
 
EMorical said:
Hello "Surviving MN"! I am an original Northdakotan - lived in MN for 4 years - and just moved back to ND with 65+ beef cows; 15 chickens; 5 barn cats; a dog, horse, and husband :ya   

The North Dakota board is a little slow; and I have been *DROOLING* over some hatchery magazines I just got and have a few questions for some peeps!

Whom has bantams? I had a pair (Serema/Banty cross) this summer - lost the hen to broodiness --- And unfortunately just lost my little roo --- to the cold. Soooooo. Anyone have any luck with cochin banties??? I am thinking of getting some but don't want to set myself up for some sadness if they are going to croak the first time the temps drop. I'm thinking the profusion of feathers would help them with the cold? Or whats some thoughts on that. I'm not opposed to doing a little special treatment - BUT - also leery of heat lamps etc as we do have a history of having extended (up to 5 days) power outages due to weather. 


Also wondering about the hardiness of the Salmon Faverolle??


What are some of your guys' hardy - yet - "cool" breeds? Post some pics! Thanks for the help!


(Also - note - relatively 'new' to the chicken thing! Still learning and stalking BYC for info. But there's just soooo much!!! So feel free to point me to other forums etc etc)
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I have been raising bantam faverolles for the show ring for 8 years. If you want something with proper color, feathering, and attitude you buy from a breeder. The hatchery caliber stock I've seen is all over the charts. They are a friendly little breed. I wouldn't suggest combining with larger more aggressive breeds or they will get picked on. Decent layers all year long. They do have feathers on feet, but not near as many as cochins or silkies so don't get as crusted up. Combs aren't huge and tips of combs get frozen off if anything. I've never had one of them go broody on me yet. Fertility is always good without hassle of AI or trimming in many other breeds. Best part about them is that you can easily tell sex on the chicks within just a couple weeks.
 
EMorical said:
Hello "Surviving MN"! I am an original Northdakotan - lived in MN for 4 years - and just moved back to ND with 65+ beef cows; 15 chickens; 5 barn cats; a dog, horse, and husband
ya.gif


The North Dakota board is a little slow; and I have been *DROOLING* over some hatchery magazines I just got and have a few questions for some peeps!

Whom has bantams? I had a pair (Serema/Banty cross) this summer - lost the hen to broodiness --- And unfortunately just lost my little roo --- to the cold. Soooooo. Anyone have any luck with cochin banties??? I am thinking of getting some but don't want to set myself up for some sadness if they are going to croak the first time the temps drop. I'm thinking the profusion of feathers would help them with the cold? Or whats some thoughts on that. I'm not opposed to doing a little special treatment - BUT - also leery of heat lamps etc as we do have a history of having extended (up to 5 days) power outages due to weather.


Also wondering about the hardiness of the Salmon Faverolle??


What are some of your guys' hardy - yet - "cool" breeds? Post some pics! Thanks for the help!


(Also - note - relatively 'new' to the chicken thing! Still learning and stalking BYC for info. But there's just soooo much!!! So feel free to point me to other forums etc etc)
Click to expand...
I too am relatively new to chickens but for cold hardy "cool" looking birds I like my gold and silver laced Wyandottes. They are pretty and have the rose comb which is good for the cold weather. I also have which seems like a million other breeds- only 8 or 9 really but those are probably my "coolest" looking ones.
 
duluthralphie said:
@EMorical Welcome to the thread. and BYC I see you do not have a lot of posts under your belt. We can change that for you.

I hatch a LOT of eggs. I have a fair number of birds. I am not going to get anymore single combs. (maybe).

I am finding the legbars while cute, and having great blue eggs are suffering the most damage to the combs. The SS seem to be standing up pretty good in the cold, but King George was winter trimmed pretty badly last winter.

The bird that surprises me is the Applttiniis! Aplehasuner Spritzinbabamers or however it is spelled. They are a small bird and cute as can be with their little feathered crowns. They are outside and the weather does not seem to faze them a bit. They have a three sided covered windbreak and a coop to go into and they stay right out in the cold doing whatever it is they do.

Those Swiss know how to breed a tough bird. I have yet to get an egg from them but it is early. They have no combs to freeze so that makes them cool too.


The Yokohamas gave me an egg today, it went into the hatching pile. It is the first one I have saved to hatch, but they are so small I worry the bird will be a dwarf (is that PC?)

I am not sure what size the eggs are suppose to be when they are able to hatch but I have gotten about 2 dozen from them so they should be Ok,,,,(maybe) We will know in 3-4 weeks.

I should head to bed, but the pain pills have not kicked in...BC the steroids to the knee did not work.



When I made the nest box for the toads I had it at 14 inches I think it was. but I left the end able to be swung open incase it was too small. They have opened it to about 18 inches now and it still looks tight for them. Them is some BIG gals!
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I think I may need some Toads from you! I have a family of 7 to feed and need a big bird for a meal! How long does it take for them to grow out?
 
Junior's comb is getting dubbed. Dang it. It is thinner than the New Hampshire's ever was so not sure why I thought me and a can of bag balm could change the inevitable. Ha. Glad I got the photos of his cockerel summer... Tips are all black and some nice blister bags at the base of them. They gone.

Nice nippy AM. DH's V-plow is drawing on his battery of the truck. He's needing it jumped everyday. PITA cars and trucks. Yuck! IDK...what the deal is. He needs new plug ins that he can do easily...as the current set up needs electrical tape to hold them. I'd love it if we'd get a break from the little snow showers that dump 2-4 inches. Then he could just take the darn thing off. Anyways.

Welcome EMorical. I don't know what to make of your silkie dropping. Stress of a new move...and then winter cold on top? Not sure. Or maybe it hadn't been conditioned to the colder temps?

BigFoot hope the tummy is feeling better today. Ralphie...that gif has got to go....
 

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