Surviving Minnesota!

Post because I think I unfollowed this thread. Somehow.

Been a long day here. Started with bird chores right away in the morning. I had a quick piece of toast around 10 and then my dad and I went to a neighbors where we are finishing up replacing injectors in our pickup, he has a lift so it makes it easier we've been working on it since Saturday I think. We did that til about 1 and then we came back home grabbed some stuff and went back. Around 5 went home. Did some more chores and started haying at about 7:30. I was raking and my dad was stacking. A storm moved towards us as we started but like usual it went around, thankfully because this tractorhas no cab. As it started getting later another storm came along. It started getting darker, and this tractor doesn't have headlights but instead one light in the back. It wasn't to bad until the last few passes. I couldn't read RPMs, and I couldn't see anything in front of me, and the stupid light, that says the battery is going out, has been on for so many years it doesn't mean anything, but it really makes it hard to see in front of the tractor with it shining in your eyes. As it got really dark I started using my hand to cover up the light so I could see better, but since the tractor doesn't have power steering it was getting hard to stay straight. Another storm came so now we have a horseshoe of storms around us, lots of lightning, which was nice because i could see in front of me then. Finally I got done but I wasn't sure where my dad wanted the rake parked, and I really didn't want to drive back in the dark, so I sat and waited. When he got done changing gears from park to 5 was a challenge because I couldn't see. Thankfully I got it right because i was worried I'd put it in reverse and I'd let the clutch out and I'd be going backwards. Finally got to the end of the field and unhooked and went home. Never again do I want to drive this tractor in the dark while raking. I thought i was only 9:15 here it was 10:15 explains why it was so dark

Hi Everyone..

I am feeling better but my internal clock is all screwed up now after a week of drugs and pain pills..

I made a trip to St Cloud today/yesterday to Fleetfarm. I was not impressed or not in that great of condition for the trip, I guess. I was looking for a gallon of Glycerin. They had it last time I was there.

I asked an employee and she said she had never heard of it. When I told her I saw a gallon last time I was here she basically called me a liar and crazy old person....... And people wonder why us crazy old people like to shop on Amazon..

I have 2 gallons on Glycerin being delivered this week.

@memphis Cuddles is back in a cage for summer baths and conditioning. I put him in and Brooster the other day to get them ready for the fairs. Brooster failed getting ready and committed suicide today.

Aggggggghhhhh

He was by far the best cockerel I have raised. He had a perfect tail and the black bands were perfect. His comb was one of the 7th marvels on the world.

And he died today! I have no SS cockerel to show now. I only have Cuddles. Cuddles is a rooster and shows his age over that of a cockerel. He is so cage ready, I might just bath him, shine him up and let hm go back to free ranging. He has some marks/scabs/scars on his comb I want to get cleaned up. Not sure what to do, I hate losing a prime cockerel like Brooster. He was so perfect.


It is a damned if you do and damned if you don';t deal with cages. If they are not cage ready, you lose. If they hate a cage they die. If they lie a cage like Cuddles does it seems to make no difference.

I will work on him a few days and let him go is my guess. I have a Cream leg bar in a cage too and a couple Doms. I have Ed and Wienerhead in cages. they seem to be doing ok.

I have a couple of PC and Legbars I should be caging, and cage training.

Did I show you the color I got on my cream legbars this year. I am impressed, if I say so myself. I am not seeing any Creole on the best ones. The comb is not perfect but to have no creole has made me happy..


This was Brooster.




And Cuddles sitting on my knee. See the comb work he needs...


Below is one of my cream legbar cockerels. Very little creole in them. The barring is actually better than the picture shows. I am pretty happy as I said to get the creole out of them as fast as I did.

I have this one's father in with 4 hens right now, I am collecting eggs and will hatch one more go around with them. I will be doing the same on the PC for a test breeding to see who is bringing in the off leg color. Hopefully, the test breeding will result in parents for next years show stock.

My Cockerel I had all my hopes on this year still has the "skinned" patch behind his head. I am not going to win with those missing feathers. It is like they are all purposely making my life miserable...or they don't want to live in a little cage and have people stare at them.

I Love Layers said:

Been a long day here. Started with bird chores right away in the morning. I had a quick piece of toast around 10 and then my dad and I went to a neighbors where we are finishing up replacing injectors in our pickup, he has a lift so it makes it easier we've been working on it since Saturday I think. We did that til about 1 and then we came back home grabbed some stuff and went back. Around 5 went home. Did some more chores and started haying at about 7:30. I was raking and my dad was stacking. A storm moved towards us as we started but like usual it went around, thankfully because this tractorhas no cab. As it started getting later another storm came along. It started getting darker, and this tractor doesn't have headlights but instead one light in the back. It wasn't to bad until the last few passes. I couldn't read RPMs, and I couldn't see anything in front of me, and the stupid light, that says the battery is going out, has been on for so many years it doesn't mean anything, but it really makes it hard to see in front of the tractor with it shining in your eyes. As it got really dark I started using my hand to cover up the light so I could see better, but since the tractor doesn't have power steering it was getting hard to stay straight. Another storm came so now we have a horseshoe of storms around us, lots of lightning, which was nice because i could see in front of me then. Finally I got done but I wasn't sure where my dad wanted the rake parked, and I really didn't want to drive back in the dark, so I sat and waited. When he got done changing gears from park to 5 was a challenge because I couldn't see. Thankfully I got it right because i was worried I'd put it in reverse and I'd let the clutch out and I'd be going backwards. Finally got to the end of the field and unhooked and went home. Never again do I want to drive this tractor in the dark while raking. I thought i was only 9:15 here it was 10:15 explains why it was so dark

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Long day indeed! If you do need to run that tractor at night again, use a head lamp and put black tape over the light.

duluthralphie said:

Hi Everyone..

I am feeling better but my internal clock is all screwed up now after a week of drugs and pain pills..

I made a trip to St Cloud today/yesterday to Fleetfarm. I was not impressed or not in that great of condition for the trip, I guess. I was looking for a gallon of Glycerin. They had it last time I was there.

I asked an employee and she said she had never heard of it. When I told her I saw a gallon last time I was here she basically called me a liar and crazy old person....... And people wonder why us crazy old people like to shop on Amazon..

I have 2 gallons on Glycerin being delivered this week.

@memphis Cuddles is back in a cage for summer baths and conditioning. I put him in and Brooster the other day to get them ready for the fairs. Brooster failed getting ready and committed suicide today.

Aggggggghhhhh

He was by far the best cockerel I have raised. He had a perfect tail and the black bands were perfect. His comb was one of the 7th marvels on the world.

And he died today! I have no SS cockerel to show now. I only have Cuddles. Cuddles is a rooster and shows his age over that of a cockerel. He is so cage ready, I might just bath him, shine him up and let hm go back to free ranging. He has some marks/scabs/scars on his comb I want to get cleaned up. Not sure what to do, I hate losing a prime cockerel like Brooster. He was so perfect.


It is a damned if you do and damned if you don';t deal with cages. If they are not cage ready, you lose. If they hate a cage they die. If they lie a cage like Cuddles does it seems to make no difference.

I will work on him a few days and let him go is my guess. I have a Cream leg bar in a cage too and a couple Doms. I have Ed and Wienerhead in cages. they seem to be doing ok.

I have a couple of PC and Legbars I should be caging, and cage training.

Did I show you the color I got on my cream legbars this year. I am impressed, if I say so myself. I am not seeing any Creole on the best ones. The comb is not perfect but to have no creole has made me happy..

View attachment 1072133
This was Brooster.



View attachment 1072134
And Cuddles sitting on my knee. See the comb work he needs...


Below is one of my cream legbar cockerels. Very little creole in them. The barring is actually better than the picture shows. I am pretty happy as I said to get the creole out of them as fast as I did.

I have this one's father in with 4 hens right now, I am collecting eggs and will hatch one more go around with them. I will be doing the same on the PC for a test breeding to see who is bringing in the off leg color. Hopefully, the test breeding will result in parents for next years show stock.

My Cockerel I had all my hopes on this year still has the "skinned" patch behind his head. I am not going to win with those missing feathers. It is like they are all purposely making my life miserable...or they don't want to live in a little cage and have people stare at them.
View attachment 1072139 View attachment 1072140

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Oh no! Booster was lovely. Sorry about his loss. Your clb is lovely as well! Sorry you are having such troubles!

Oh I hate that about Brooster. What a nice bird. What a shame. Cuddles reminds me of my old Gregory Peck....such an easy rooster to deal with. I still miss him.
So your not planning to show any turkeys? Do the judges remove the turkeys from their cages to exam like the chicken? I've seen turkeys at shows, just never saw them judged.

Sorry, Ralphie.... Them birds are just out to get you.

Cluckies that what I told my dad. He agreed.

I think I might wash Cochins today, They are a bit dirty on there feet so I would like to take that off

Good morning al et Ralphie. I'm sorry to hear of your show bird troubles Ralphie. Junior, my prize Wellie , has rubbed off his beak patch on the bottom so has a stiff piece of paper flopping around the top of his beak.
I am thinking that this week I'll tend to poopy fluffs and a round of wormer. It's time.

memphis said:

And, just for reference I'm not used to feeding a bunch of people. All holiday events take place in St. Louis & I usually just show up & eat. The one true benefit of living away from the family!!

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PULLED PORK ON BUN - CALICO BEANS - CORN ON THE COB (SOAK IT FOR AS MANY HOURS AS YOU WANT WITH THE HAIRY SIDE DOWN IN THE BUCKET OF WATER AND THEN THROW IT ON THE COALS - LET THEM PEEL IT AS THEY EAT IT) ALL CAN BE MADE UP TO TWO DAYS AHEAD (BUT NOT THE CORN) LET THEM BRING THE TREATS AND BEVERAGES.

Bogtown Chick said:

Post because I think I unfollowed this thread. Somehow.

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My alerts for this thread had disappeared for a few days too...

ILL hope the fire situation is resolved soon. Your recounting of driving the tractor in the dark was entertaining!

Sorry about Brooster, Ralphie. I don't know squat about what makes one bird better than another yet, but all the birds in your pics look beautiful to me.

Bogtown Chick said:

It's a good year for wild raspberries. Wow. Many, large, tasty.

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Regarding berries, we've got a patch of wild black raspberries we dug up from my father-in-law's place and planted in our yard. This summer is our best yield yet (some made it into the fridge), and luckily we were able to harvest before moving day. Yum!