Surviving Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

The Iowa fair is on now, is that where you are?

 

[jerryse]

I have 7 quarts tomatoes processing now . Rain cleared off and i could not sit still .

 

[Violetsfeathers]

The Iowa fair is on now, is that where you are?

Oh, yah! Duh! I keep forgetting I'm not in Minnesota!

 

[Minniechickmama]

Welcome to the thread Sparkle Chick.

After reading what Minnie has gone through in the last couple days with storms it makes my problems seem pretty petty. Good luck with the continuous clean up Minnie.

So I have had my fair goers (6 hens and 2 roosters) in quarantine since Sunday, now the 2 roosters (brothers) are going at each other. While I like the idea of flock protectors and fertilized eggs.....these late teenagers/ nearly adult roosters are going to make me go gray.

Thanks. It seems to be getting to be par for the course, ya know. I am almost to a point where I think I am just going to laugh at anything except death of a human.
But speaking of death.... I feel sick and just terrible. I went to pick up feed at my friend's house this evening, and she has all these polydactyl cats around. One young one that was a couple of months or so old was laying in the middle of the driveway coming in to the farm. I slowed way down, beeped my horn and just started inching along. It looked like it would get up and move. Yeah, it did, it moved right under my tire. I cried a little. My friend saw it and said not to worry about it, but it made me feel really bad.

What possesses critters to do such dumb things? It was raining too, so why it was just laying there in the middle of the drive?

 

[Minniechickmama]

Oh, yah! Duh! I keep forgetting I'm not in Minnesota!

LOL!!!! I was wondering if you were talking about Des Moines. I would be tempted to go down to it myself except I can't get away for a day and a half.

I hope you see some birds that I hatched for a fella named Colt Churchill. He has Bucks and NHs there.

 

[Violetsfeathers]

Thanks.  It seems to be getting to be par for the course, ya know.  I am almost to a point where I think I am just going to laugh at anything except death of a human.

But speaking of death.... I feel sick and just terrible.  I went to pick up feed at my friend's house this evening, and she has all these polydactyl cats around.  One young one that was a couple of months or so old was laying in the middle of the driveway coming in to the farm.  I slowed way down, beeped my horn and just started inching along.  It looked like it would get up and move.  Yeah, it did, it moved right under my tire.  I cried a little.  My friend saw it and said not to worry about it, but it made me feel really bad.     What possesses critters to do such dumb things?  It was raining too, so why it was just laying there in the middle of the drive?

Oh that is so sad! Maybe it was sick or dying anyway, didn't sound like it was healthy,

 

[Violetsfeathers]

LOL!!!! I was wondering if you were talking about Des Moines.  I would be tempted to go down to it myself except I can't get away for a day and a half.  


I hope you see some birds that I hatched for a fella named Colt Churchill.  He has Bucks and NHs there.

Only about one third of the chickens were there when I got to the barn. The rest were coming in.

 

[lvie]

Hi there!

I'm from Stanchfield, MN

I now know how it feels to lose my favorite chicken too! About 3 weeks ago, we lost 11 of our friends. 3 adults & 8 babies to a fox! Cinnamon, our RIR was top hen and my favorite. Daisy, our white Leghorn was my hubby's favorite. It happened so fast, it must have been only a few minutes before we caught him. We were devastated!
We used to let them free range but we haven't since the accident. I'd like to take care of that fox before I let them out again.
They have plenty of space in the run. Aside from the fact of danger, do you think chickens are healthier free ranging?

I'm not happy to hear about your birds! Glad you didn't get discouraged on your first try! You're right btw, predators should just stick with wild game!

Enjoy your coffee and have a beautiful day!

that is AWFUL!!!!! And I am serious. When the eagles got the three BA's it wasn't a reality for a few days. I kept looking for them under bushes and in the woods. After that happened I was down to two ISA's. So that is when I got the BR rooster I named Tom Hank's and a hen I named Gilda Radner. So Tom is about 13 to 14 months old now.

Then I love layers put the link on for that article about not having roosters and that author was saying that around 1 1/2 the roosters start to settle down. Tom sure is handsome and I imagine he does look quite regal with 14 RIR. Its a bird for cryin out loud! I can go see him. Would that be too wierd?

Welcome to our thread Sparkle. We actually like each other on here

and hang around, we talk about alot of stuff.

One more thing about the free-ranging. It was my intention to free-range my birds. Until the three BA incident. I figure I can't free-range what I don't have. So, IMHO, I would rather have live hens than absent free-ranging hens. Mine are cooped. They get lottsa stuff when I weed my gardens and the clover I pull from the ornamental garden beds. Plus I get to have ornamental gardens - it will be interesting, after two years of free-ranging chickens, to see how large my hostas do get in 2017, and the other stuff I have planted. I do believe that the eggs are healthier from free-ranging IF you can keep the birds from the predators. I simply am not trying anymore.

 

[Cebarmlds]

Good Morning people.

 

[lvie]

Good Morning Erlibird! You are living up to your name.