Surviving Minnesota!

Bogtown Chick said:

Erli you and I will have to start popping vit D supplement pills again. This ridiculous. White tufts on my lawn again. Every day this week. It melts during the day. Small blessings! But I need some sunshine and warm up. Lots of lakes are out here. Some of the bigger ones hanging on though. For the most part we are 2 weeks ahead traditional ice outs. Usually you start seeing liquid about the third week of April up here.

Those warm spring showers do make morels pop up.

It's Friday. Woot. DH is heading to the rainy river to rip some lips. And I have two kids and not one thing scheduled. Will take them up to visit the folks Saturday and bask in my moms cooking and laugh with my funny dad. Can't wait.

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Your hubby wasnt fishing with the CEO of Cirdan Health Systems this week was he??

http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/apr/11/body-of-twin-cities-man-recovered-from-rainy-river/

I also started with my first chickens 4 years ago. I don't remember the date, but I'm sure this is about the time of year that I got them.
I also have 3 of my originals left.

SleepyOwl said:

I also started with my first chickens 4 years ago.  I don't remember the date, but I'm sure this is about the time of year that I got them.  
I also have 3 of my originals left.  

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My first ones were given to me by my uncle 2 yrs before those. They are no longer living.

I think I got Ethel and JJ 4 years ago around now too. I also got Myrtle but she died within a month or so. I did not get the chickens until June. I ordered 50 straight run and had around 30 girls, I have 12 of them left is all.

I am eating before going downstairs and work on my Incubators.

I am thinking even if I fail the hatchery inspection, I will at least get my birds tested and become a certified tester, so that is something for all this work. My Coop is empty, I have every bird except the 4 bachelor toms locked in holding cells, waiting to see the Doctor.

They are not a happy group tonight.

Have any of you ever gotten an egg inside an egg???

Here's my story of finding one
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1096097/the-egg-inside-the-egg/0_10

I had a "mess" of turkey eggs to hatch on the 13th. I have 13, I put into the hatcher. The rest are going in the garbage. All non-starters except one I think is a late quitter but too hard to tell so he is in the hatcher. Another in the hatcher is a side saddle air sac. I just laid it on the bottom of the hatcher, not in a carton I have no Little hope for it.

My young Blues appear to be worthless. Either that or they spent so much time fighting through the fences they forgot to mate. Stupidnics!

Every egg in the hatcher is a JJ egg! He only had 3 girls then too, so he had a lower percentage of girls and got all the eggs! JJ is a bird to behold! He has knobby feet, I hope the bet tomorrow does not make a big deal about them. He has always had them. Well, as long as I have had him, but he came from such harsh conditions he is lucky to still have feet.

So I have 27 different kinds of birds that can hatch on the 13th!

Oh did I mention, I think some have already internally pipped, I can see the birds moving around in the air sacs! Or right below it. They did not seem to like the light shined in their homes!

My first turkeys of the year are so exciting! I wish they had not been so many blanks,,,,I did not think to candle any of the other two boys other eggs.

mnbrewdude said:

Okay I need a little support here. Moved my 4 week old chicks into their coop tonight. Have a heat lamp double hooked set so there's an area about 70 degrees, which is what their brooder has been. I went and checked on then and they were on the opposite side of the coop eating and drinking. I'm sure they will huddle together some for warmth, but they are chickens and will survive, right??!
Someone tell me I'm not a terrible chicken owner! If they make it tonight fine, the next week plus will be a breeze!

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The chicks will move where the warmth is. I don't keep their food and water in the heat area.
If they are huddled under the bulb you need to make it warmer. But that doesn't seem to be the case. Seem you are fine.

lvie said:

Welcome to our thread blue eggs!

Thinking about you Ralphie. It will be fine tomorrow and then you can sleep again.

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That will be nice, My back is begging me for a muscle relaxer or pain pill. I have told it , it has to wait until the nice Veterinarian Lady is gone.

I need to get down on the floor and change the diapers on my house chicks. Not looking forward to getting back up.

And the day is off to a rough start. I made my coffee way to weak. So I have to get up walk all the way to the sink and remake it.

I am out of my Peruvian Organic Coffee, so I am drinking some donut shop blend by Victors and it tastes like, Oh wait, I can't say what it tastes like as we have minors here.


When I take this chicks outside today, or tomorrow I will be leaving one or two of them in the house. They will become working birds with a fulltime job for the next 6 weeks. They will be in charge of the Turkey Poults teaching them what they need to learn to survive. They will have to teach them were the food is and how to eat, Where the water is and how to drink. They will have to teach them how to crawl under the MHP for their house stay. I asume they will have to teach the poults how to get under the light and away from it when they move outside.


Turkey poults are the dumbest farm animal there is! Back with new coffee in a second..

duluthralphie said:

That will be nice, My back is begging me for a muscle relaxer or pain pill. I have told it , it has to wait until the nice Veterinarian Lady is gone.

I need to get down on the floor and change the diapers on my house chicks. Not looking forward to getting back up.

And the day is off to a rough start. I made my coffee way to weak. So I have to get up walk all the way to the sink and remake it.

I am out of my Peruvian Organic Coffee, so I am drinking some donut shop blend by Victors and it tastes like, Oh wait, I can't say what it tastes like as we have minors here.


When I take this chicks outside today, or tomorrow I will be leaving one or two of them in the house. They will become working birds with a fulltime job for the next 6 weeks. They will be in charge of the Turkey Poults teaching them what they need to learn to survive. They will have to teach them were the food is and how to eat, Where the water is and how to drink. They will have to teach them how to crawl under the MHP for their house stay. I asume they will have to teach the poults how to get under the light and away from it when they move outside.


Turkey poults are the dumbest farm animal there is! Back with new coffee in a second..

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Good morning ralphie! I hope your inspection goes smoothly today! I am sure you will do great as it sounds like you are working very hard. Looking forward to seeinghow it goes!

Dandelioness said:

I think most mid to large sized flocks will do fine there, especially in dry weather. I've seen some people put a box or kiddie pool in the coop or under a covered area so it stays dry. They will take turns in the "spa."
I also rub neem oil into the roosts and nest boxes twice a year.

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The picture doesnt show the scale well, but this ash pile (from burning brush on sunday) is about 25-30 feet in diameter there are some places where the ashes are 10-12" deep from how much crap we burned haha

It was still warm last night. assuming it doesnt rain today I will be out there scooping a few pails of ashes to dump in the girls favorite dusting spots