Surviving Minnesota!

[Minniechickmama]

I am thinking I might have made an error.

I found this in my rooster pen this morning:




As you can see it is a first egg by the weird shape. The egg is a light blue. The "rust" on it is from my placing it in my 4 wheeler glove box while I finished chores. The egg has a crack in on end so it is not edible. It is so large it had to hurt for a first egg.


I looked over all the roosters, and have decided I did not make a mistake they are still all roosters.

The blue color tells me it has to be CLB or EE or a mix. I have a PC/EE cross in there I thought was a rooster. I am wondering if it is a hen now. It looks like a rooster, PC. But I found the PC/EE mixes have very dark/black heads and shoulders. The tail is near non-existent. but the legs are real thick. I am confused, the thought of me making a mistake is unbearable!

Any Ideas?

I have one Buckeye hen from last year's hatch who lays a wonky shaped egg that I am going to cull. It is almost alway curved a little and elongated in an odd shape.
I had one pullet or hen lay a fart egg that was about two inches long and perfect oblong shape about 3/4" in diameter, it was a New Hampshire.

I do have quite a few thin shelled eggs of late. I am sure the late part of the laying season, summer heat and approaching molt all have something to do with it. Some of them are from older hens too that need to go.


And the 8 chicks that remained came home with me. They changed the time everyone could leave this year and I was not aware of it. Not a big deal. I will keep any pullets I can sex and the others will go bye-bye. I have too many roosters still kicking around here that I don't need, so they shall go.

I may be taking a load to the New Ulm swap coming up and try to get rid of all the excess males here, which is killing my feed bill. I should learn to vent sex the darn things so I can cull down more in the future on some of these.

Yes, I hear you, Ralphie... needle and special thread, blah blah blah

 

[I Love Layers]

We just got some hail here. One of my broodies chicks got hit by a hailstone. Hopefully it makes it through.

 

[jerryse]

The sky is falling !

 

[duluthralphie]

I got a green egg today in my little pullet pen. The pullets that are not old enough to lay yet.


At least this one was not in the rooster pen.

I lost 2 more keets today, Ethel's babies. I am not sure what is taking them during the day. We were gone, not signs of struggles, Ethel does not seem overly shook up by this. I am confused. I did a head count, I am down on chickens too. Something is getting them during the day. Of course, a head count is hard to do when they are not neatly on the roost but crowded together. It is that time of year, young hawks, eagles and coyotes thinking I raised the birds for them. I thought I had taken care of my problem, guess not.



New Ulm....Hmmmm I wonder if I could get rid of any keets and pullets there. I need to make some hard choices this week if I did decide to go. I need to get down to my breeding stock for next year, and lock them in breeding pens for a few weeks.. SOON!

The rest need to go. I am going through way too much feed. I have been trapping chipmunks but no luck yet.


I did find a mushroom tonight. I did not care for it but Judy said it was good, she called it nutty, I called it "tasteless". My cousin said that is what people describe the "puffball" as. You can see in the pictures I have the book open to the page and am identifying it, in addition to sending my cousin a picture of it.




Pictures below...The first two id'ing it the third checking the meat to see if it is right, and the last was cooked. Must be ok Judy is still breathing.

 

[jerryse]

I got a green egg today in my little pullet pen. The pullets that are not old enough to lay yet.


At least this one was not in the rooster pen.

I lost 2 more keets today, Ethel's babies. I am not sure what is taking them during the day. We were gone, not signs of struggles, Ethel does not seem overly shook up by this. I am confused. I did a head count, I am down on chickens too. Something is getting them during the day. Of course, a head count is hard to do when they are not neatly on the roost but crowded together. It is that time of year, young hawks, eagles and coyotes thinking I raised the birds for them. I thought I had taken care of my problem, guess not.



New Ulm....Hmmmm I wonder if I could get rid of any keets and pullets there. I need to make some hard choices this week if I did decide to go. I need to get down to my breeding stock for next year, and lock them in breeding pens for a few weeks.. SOON!

The rest need to go. I am going through way too much feed. I have been trapping chipmunks but no luck yet.


I did find a mushroom tonight. I did not care for it but Judy said it was good, she called it nutty, I called it "tasteless". My cousin said that is what people describe the "puffball" as. You can see in the pictures I have the book open to the page and am identifying it, in addition to sending my cousin a picture of it.




Pictures below...The first two id'ing it the third checking the meat to see if it is right, and the last was cooked. Must be ok Judy is still breathing.

Ralphie we have the giant puffball here . Tried them once . Not impressed . With your foraging and critter trapping you could make burgoo . Never had it . Now have fun reading up on it .

 

[duluthralphie]

Can I make it out of a skunk? We went outside tonight and could smell a skunk again. It must be near the house/coop as I cannot smell it further out and it is real faint. I am going to have to tie a rope on my traps and set some eggs in them for the skunks.


Yep, after looking it up it appears I can use skunk in the burgoo.

 

[duluthralphie]

Worrying time here..

I bought 8 silver laced polish, 7 cuckoo marans and 7 silver duckwing Yokohama, I am guessing at this numbers, When I counted tonight I had 15 crested birds, I could see the cuckoo marans, Not sure how many I have. I am thinking I might not have gotten my order. I was not here when they came and my Mom picked them up and put them in the brooder. She had no idea what she had or if they were even different breeds. I have been trying to figure out since then what I have.


I need to dig out the packing slip and see what they really sent me.. I wanted the Yokohama's more than any of the others. I sure did not need 15 polish! Oh well, time to quit worrying and go to bed. I will find the slip in the morning...

I remember I received 32 birds, just do not recall the break down, I lost about 4-5 of them. maybe they were my yokohamas....Hmmmm

 

[lvie]

Good Morning Chickeners! Could not sleep, tired of laying in bed, finally got out of it and dressed and started processing through what I need to get done today.

On Saturday I moved the three hens that were cooped with Tom in the little coop into the large coop with the established larger flock. Sunday morning I sat and drank coffee as the three paced back and forth and kept asking me "What the H?" Gilda Radner reminded me of why she was named Gilda Radner. Somehow she escaped the large coop and headed for the small coop and when I opened that door she proceeded to go into the coop and into her familar nesting box where she produced her daily egg. Then she was happy to rejoin her small flock in the large coop.

Every chicken is readjusting once more to the three older hens incorporating into the pecking order. Reggie can stand only so much of their squabbling and then says "Enough! Everyone quiet!" Reggie is like that. He could be labeled an amiable - amiable. Very easy going, productive, but when enough is enough he declares it and sets his foot (or his beak) down.

I am looking forward to Tom's five girls molting. I am hoping it is sooner than later. They are bared back and, as in my hostas and other ornamental plants, I would like to see what these chickens look like when fully feathered.

I need to add one more area to nest in on their small coop within the run. They have a three-stall, sloped roof nest box area and somehow I am going to figure out how to build another as it has an opening so that it can be installed opposite the first set. That would give them plenty of boxes. As it is I have temporary nesting items set up within that small coop for them to use.

I love chickening. However, it does drive the DH crazy. Its still a new hobby for me yet what a difference a year makes.

Have a wonderful day and know that I am lurking. Especially since I plan on being on Quick Books alot for the next two days so I will need some breaks.

 

[jerryse]

Morning . Just to be clear Jerry will not try skunk , snake or any kind of cat . Add armadillo to that list as I hear they often carry leprosy . Not that I will ever encounter one . Oh I also do not do hot peppers . I do have limits after all .

 

[jerryse]

Here is mans best friend ratting you out .