Minnesota!

[BlackBrookPoultry]

$6 for a bale of straw is crazy! I wish people would start growing hay, oats, wheat and barley again. The soybean/corn craze is driving up the price of everything. Not to mention they are GMO crops, so Roundup and other toxic chemicals are being sprayed at alarming rates. Grrrrr . . .
I get my straw from Canada. Its $3.25 for beautiful 60+ lb bales.

 

[aussiegal318]

Vashjir, I don't about TSC, but I know my neighbor has a bunch. They normally sell for about $2.50. We are headed to Fairview Southdale tomorrow I could bring one or 2 down. If we can't connect I can always leave it in Minnetonka, we have a store there. Let me know.

Bogtown, last year I saved the comb & waddles but I haven't talked to my cousin to see how he's doing this winter. I've been meaning to call. I'm guessing that he have frostbite this year.

Knechtel, I know, Ramsey is weird. I have a friend that has 10 acres & rescues llamas. He had to get a special permit & such and they regularly mess the permit up. Just a pain. Oak Grove has relaxed ordinances, & Nowthen tries to count 1 alpaca like 1 horse when it should be = to 1 sheep. But they don't check, & my neighbors don't complain. I only have 10 chickens (1 roo) & 5 alpacas so I have a ways to go before I have to worry about getting too many animals. We used to live in Minnetonka, & I got so sick of the rude behavior & everyone sticking their nose in your business. I had a neighbor that if my dogs barked for more then 3 mins they would call the cops.

 

[aussiegal318]

Triplell- that is good to know about the BA. My neighbor wanted to get a flock of BA's because of dual purpose, but they would just be in a barn by the cattle. I'll let her know.

 

[Minniechickmama]

$6 for a bale of straw is crazy! I wish people would start growing hay, oats, wheat and barley again. The soybean/corn craze is driving up the price of everything. Not to mention they are GMO crops, so Roundup and other toxic chemicals are being sprayed at alarming rates. Grrrrr . . .
I get my straw from Canada. Its $3.25 for beautiful 60+ lb bales.

Preaching to the choir.
$6 is the low end this last year. I got it at that because I have been getting it for a couple of years for that much and because I got the guy set up with a laying flock this year.
I hope this year we can plant enough of our own Timothy, oats and maybe wheat to take care of some of our needs for the next Winter. I don't know how much we can do ourselves at the moment with the equipment and amount of land we have, but having our own would be nice.

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

I wish we could grow our own. We leased a hay field last year and hired someone to cut and bale. But we have nothing lined up for next year. We have 85 acres of land. All of its wooded, except some swamp and the pasture where my horses are I refuse to cut down forest to farm. So, if we buy more property it will be cropland.

Minnie, do you happen to have any Black Orpington roosters for sale?

 

[Triplell]

Triplell- that is good to know about the BA. My neighbor wanted to get a flock of BA's because of dual purpose, but they would just be in a barn by the cattle. I'll let her know.

If they would get the warmth of the cattle with good ventilation I would think they would do just fine. I do love them and their personalities and their beetle green sheen.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Aussie: so nice of you to offer bringing down straw....

I just love my Minnesota Thread Peeps!

3 degrees above this morning felt like spring! Rooster was crowing! I don't think he had for a while....

 

[coldupnorth]

Yes - loving the above 0* weather, except the wind chill. We are celebrating by going hiking or snowshoeing in one of the nearby State Parks. Looks like the weekend will be superb! We deserve it!

 

[Triplell]

I totally agree with the temps outside.
I am going to take our lab for a nice jog in our back forty. He loves to run ahead of the four wheeler. I let him make the pace and he does pretty well. I on the other hand look like the stay pufff marshmallow man with three layers on.
I managed to hatch out 5 chicks this week, 3 are still alive. One died just after hatching and last night another died, he was pretty weak and I thought he wouldnt make it. So I have three, 1 BA and 2 Cochins. I am hoping the Cochins are splash. I can't tell the difference between blue and splash as chicks.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I wish we could grow our own. We leased a hay field last year and hired someone to cut and bale. But we have nothing lined up for next year. We have 85 acres of land. All of its wooded, except some swamp and the pasture where my horses are

I refuse to cut down forest to farm. So, if we buy more property it will be cropland.

Minnie, do you happen to have any Black Orpington roosters for sale?

If you don't mind one with a frostbiten comb, I think I do have one. He is a younger male though, probably8-months or so, maybe 7. The only other Black I have is in the breeding pen now. I kept a couple of Blues as well and will keep one for sure and he is even younger by a month or so.