Surviving Minnesota!

KlopKlop said:

Thinking about building something similar to this for my broilers this summer (the ones i will pasture, not the tractors) anyone have experience with this style of fount?

http://farmfolly.com/2010/09/building-an-automatic-chicken-waterer/

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I like it! great for a large flock like you have

Kloppers I use drinking cups in a barrel.

They work great with my barrel feeders. If I can get someone to collect eggs I am ready to go. When we leave for just a couple days I just leave them locked in the coop and run.


If no one comes for eggs (which has not been a problem so far), I could just boil and smash them and feed them back to the girls.



Holm I saw on FB someone found AI in a flock or two in Indiana. Of course it is large commercial flocks again. It is no skin off their backs as they have "crop" insurance so they get paid for not having to do the work if they destroy the flock. I may be cynical but I something is not smelling right about the whole AI scare.

duluthralphie said:

Kloppers I use drinking cups in a barrel.

They work great with my barrel feeders.  If I can get someone to collect eggs I am ready  to go. When we leave for just a couple days I just leave them locked in the coop and run.


If no one comes for eggs (which has not been a problem so far), I could just boil and smash them and feed them back to the girls.



Holm I saw on FB someone found AI in a flock or two in Indiana. Of course it is large commercial flocks again.  It is no skin off their backs as they have "crop" insurance so they get paid for not having to do the work if they destroy the flock.  I may be  cynical but I something is not smelling right about the whole AI scare.

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I do like the drinking cups. I use them in 5 gallon buckets in the tractors. I'm looking to find ways to make watering easier in the summer as that is the worst part hands down. Cups are definitely cheaper. That hanging waterer is almost $30 but I do think it would work well. I think I paid $1.10 per drinker cup last year

KlopKlop said:

Preparing to put the 'Frozen Egg Disposal Unit' to work. I manages to pick 11 eggs before they froze today out of 21

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What's your puppy wearing there? a sweater?

Good Morning!

Coffee time...

A balmy 11 below here. hopefully the warm up starts soon.

I am getting excited for my first hatch Saturday. I think I have most of the chicks sold already.

Nothing other exciting in my life, other than my root canal of my root canal this afternoon.

Holm is going to be learning Artificial Insemination for a couple of my turkey hens, he discovered with my hens and his tom we could get a good collection of mottled turkeys. To us turkey people they are a treasured turkey!

Other than that, I need reading material (hint).



BTW Holm has not agreed to learning AI yet, but I think we can convince him too..

Cluckies said:

What's your puppy wearing there?  a sweater?  

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We put a sweater on when it gets subzero. They like to come out and help with chicken chores which can get chilly for them at these temps. (-16 this AM)

My hound is so fine haired she needs it. My lab not as much but it still helps. I wish that carhart made a duck brown dog vest. That would make it a little less foo foo than blue argyle but in my defense... It was a menards Black Friday sale for $1.50 so.... Function over form!!

duluthralphie said:

Good Morning!

Coffee time...

A balmy 11 below here. hopefully the warm up starts soon.

I am getting excited for my first hatch  Saturday.  I think I have most of the chicks sold already. 

Nothing other exciting in my life, other than my root canal of my root canal this afternoon.

Holm is going to be learning Artificial Insemination for a couple of my turkey hens,  he discovered with my hens and his tom we could get a good collection of mottled turkeys. To us turkey people they are a treasured turkey!  

Other than that, I need reading material (hint).



BTW Holm has not agreed to learning AI yet, but I think we can convince him too.. 

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Good morning! I am surprised how quickly I am acclimating to the cold. -16 didn't seem to phase me as much today as it did several days ago.

I've finally gotten myself flipped over to #2 diesel haha

KlopKlop said:

Good morning! I am surprised how quickly I am acclimating to the cold. -16 didn't seem to phase me as much today as it did several days ago.

I've finally gotten myself flipped over to #2 diesel haha

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It must be my age, my knuckles and bones in my hands felt frozen all day yesterday. I do not have winter blend in my Bobcat, but I do in my truck.

I think a better tactic with the FooFoo sweater on the dog would have been to say your DW did it and cried when you tried to take it off, Now you will just have to be suspect........


I am looking forward to the 30 plus weather coming this weekend, I am not looking forward to the moisture problems it will cause.

Holm, as relates to the red rooster thing, the young men were not Japanese but they were Asian. My recollection is that the chickens were used as part of a new year feast and ritual, but I could be wrong as I am not Ralphie.

As relates to AI with poultry, I have a friend that is a long time very enthused keeper of a particular type of chicken I have little interest in. The birds have short legs and fluffy feathers I will say without naming the breed. Many years ago my friend established a relationship with a couple in Iowa who were well known nationally in this breed circle. My friend would go to visit with this man and wife for a week at a time to learn the finer points of this breed and their keeping. My friend wanted to upgrade his birds by getting some from this couple, and he was told by the gentleman that the only way he would sell him any birds was if he first learned how to artificially inseminate chickens. It seems that this strain was so refined or developed in anatomy related to display and showing that they could not naturally reproduce?

So Holm as a young man totally immersed in the keeping of poultry should by all means become proficient in AI. It will be an extremely useful procedure as he develops unique strains of prized fowl!

ejb3810 said:

Holm, as relates to the red rooster thing, the young men were not Japanese but they were Asian. My recollection is that the chickens were used as part of a new year feast and ritual, but I could be wrong as I am not Ralphie.

As relates to AI with poultry, I have a friend that is a long time very enthused keeper of a particular type of chicken I have little interest in. The birds have short legs and fluffy feathers I will say without naming the breed. Many years ago my friend established a relationship with a couple in Iowa who were well known nationally in this breed circle. My friend would go to visit with this man and wife for a week at a time to learn the finer points of this breed and their keeping. My friend wanted to upgrade his birds by getting some from this couple, and he was told by the gentleman that the only way he would sell him any birds was if he first learned how to artificially inseminate chickens. It seems that this strain was so refined or developed in anatomy related to display and showing that they could not naturally reproduce?

So Holm as a young man totally immersed in the keeping of poultry should by all means become proficient in AI. It will be an extremely useful procedure as he develops unique strains of prized fowl!

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Say that isn't true! I have been writing a poultry bible based on your writings alone!


I agree Holm should learn AI. With his interest and age he would do well with that knowledge. Heck, maybe he could set up an AI service harvesting and maintaining a sperm bank for chickens and bringing high quality strains to the masses. Much like AI has done for the cattle industry. And once he gets rich doing this I can marry him off to one of my Grand Daughters!