Surviving Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

It's raining here. I am going to take about 75 new BA's out to the shed. I am a little concerned I might have Minnesota BA mixed in with real BA. WWD was helping me and she did "not know they were different, they all looked the same"....

 

[holm25]

It's raining here.  I am going to take about 75 new BA's out to the shed.  I am a little concerned I might have Minnesota BA mixed in with real BA. WWD was helping me and she did "not know they were different, they all looked the same"....

Thats alot of chicks to sort through! We will be in Brainerd at that show in May. Its not for aure but we want to go. So if u need any help let us know. We enjoy all your stories!

 

[KlopKlop]

Nope..

I was outside, feeding chicks and setting up pens... I made a little Boo-boo and have way more chicks than I thought I would.  I had one brief senior moment and am paying for it now....  




Shhhh BC  you weren't suppose to tell them about the extras.. I need a swap meet fast to get rid of some of these.. I must have 100 BA alone.

How many CLB chicks?

 

[eastbethel]

Hello,
Well I'm new here and I don't see a recent post since 2014 so sheesh, hopefully I get a response! Anyway, I'm new to chicken keeping, have always hated chickens, until now. LOL. I never realized the variety of eggs and chickens! Minneapolis now allows city residents to own 6 hens per household, no roosters, so that sort of sparked my interest. But really the coops did. So I've moved to the country, suburban country at least and own only 1.5 measly acres. I have some easter eggers, speckleds, and red sex links. But, the sex links are 5weeks old, fully feathered and are adorable. They love me and come to me when they see me. The other girls just walk away, but the speckles do come over to say hi if they think I have food. BUT, my question is, my puppy! He's a border collie x australian sheperd. He's amazing. He herds, I want him to, because it is so much easier to get the hens into the coop, especially since we axed the rooster. The hens are so lost without him. So, I realize that this is his natural instinct to do so he just does it, no training. But, he constantly wants to chase the chicks and catch them. He will leave the big girls alone if they are free ranging until I get him to help herd them back when it's time to go to bed. So, how can I break him from chasing chicks? Right now, the chicks don't free range. I keep them in his puppy playpen until they can, but he still goes crazy over them while they are in there. So they are in the pen inside the chicken run. Boring life, but when they are older, I'd love for them to free range too. He is currently 12 weeks old. So I know I have to break him from this soon. How do I do this???

 

[lvie]

Ralphie has been pretty industrious with his NPIP status and vet visit preps, etc. I wonder what project he's working on. Perhaps a bed room addition to the house for those extra 100 chicks. WWD may be on the warpath with all the incubating & brooding. He may have had to leave the banana belt for safety concerns.

I will go check the Rapunzel Building to see if he took me up on my offer of a place to stay.

 

[ejb3810]

Ralphie, there is a swap in Carlton on the 30th I think? Now that the Carlton Feed Mill is closed they have it at the Four Seasons Building? I have never been to it, but have friends who go and they say there is usually a good turnout. I know it is a fair jaunt for you, but you need to reduce inventory to keep the feed bill in check.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Hello,
Well I'm new here and I don't see a recent post since 2014 so sheesh, hopefully I get a response! Anyway, I'm new to chicken keeping, have always hated chickens, until now. LOL. I never realized the variety of eggs and chickens! Minneapolis now allows city residents to own 6 hens per household, no roosters, so that sort of sparked my interest. But really the coops did. So I've moved to the country, suburban country at least and own only 1.5 measly acres. I have some easter eggers, speckleds, and red sex links. But, the sex links are 5weeks old, fully feathered and are adorable. They love me and come to me when they see me. The other girls just walk away, but the speckles do come over to say hi if they think I have food. BUT, my question is, my puppy! He's a border collie x australian sheperd. He's amazing. He herds, I want him to, because it is so much easier to get the hens into the coop, especially since we axed the rooster. The hens are so lost without him. So, I realize that this is his natural instinct to do so he just does it, no training. But, he constantly wants to chase the chicks and catch them. He will leave the big girls alone if they are free ranging until I get him to help herd them back when it's time to go to bed. So, how can I break him from chasing chicks? Right now, the chicks don't free range. I keep them in his puppy playpen until they can, but he still goes crazy over them while they are in there. So they are in the pen inside the chicken run. Boring life, but when they are older, I'd love for them to free range too. He is currently 12 weeks old. So I know I have to break him from this soon. How do I do this???

Welcome @eastbethel . Actually I wonder if you skipped a thread somehow because the most recent post before yours was 38 minutes ago. LOL. I hope you don't mind us poking a little fun. We're kind of like that on this particular Minnesota thread.

Well I'm glad that you like chickens now! Fantastic. Because they really are neat and they are a science in themselves. There is a ton of information on here about chickens. If you have a question the best information is only a search bar away. By typing in your question at the top. You may have to go through 5-6 threads to find what you're looking for or to see if somebody's opinion is the general consensus or a bunch of malarkey. There are a lot of internet 'experts' on BYC that you'll need to sort out. You have a very driven dog it sounds like. Don't ask me about Aussies. LOL. I have a nipping fear of them. But our friend @aussiegal318 may be able to give you some tips on your smart smart dog. Those dogs require lots and lots of exercise to bring into obedience. Do you walk the dog or do some exercising? Then it becomes a control/leash thing until they know. You will have to be the 3rd Reich with that Dog. Always always on a leash around the young chickens. Pick your calmest young chicken. Bring it up to it's nose. if it licks nervously or attempts a bite. Swat the nose. Take the bird away. It does not get the privilege to be next to the bird anymore. Keep working that. Calm energy. Do not "scream" or "yell" , "NO!" just low firm voice...."noooo." I've also heard Aussie say she uses different words like "Mine" "Leave it" as the dog hears "no" so much. I have labradors, and they are generally what aussiegal318 calls a beginners breed to train. LOL. I'll give her that. Our latest pup is proving to be a challenge though. Although she is chicken trained and did well at that.

I guess I would start with that dog on short leash with you doing chores with you and under your control. It will take time...but again those are very smart dogs. Time and peristance will win I'm sure.

 

[duluthralphie]

Hello,
Well I'm new here and I don't see a recent post since 2014 so sheesh, hopefully I get a response! Anyway, I'm new to chicken keeping, have always hated chickens, until now. LOL. I never realized the variety of eggs and chickens! Minneapolis now allows city residents to own 6 hens per household, no roosters, so that sort of sparked my interest. But really the coops did. So I've moved to the country, suburban country at least and own only 1.5 measly acres. I have some easter eggers, speckleds, and red sex links. But, the sex links are 5weeks old, fully feathered and are adorable. They love me and come to me when they see me. The other girls just walk away, but the speckles do come over to say hi if they think I have food. BUT, my question is, my puppy! He's a border collie x australian sheperd. He's amazing. He herds, I want him to, because it is so much easier to get the hens into the coop, especially since we axed the rooster. The hens are so lost without him. So, I realize that this is his natural instinct to do so he just does it, no training. But, he constantly wants to chase the chicks and catch them. He will leave the big girls alone if they are free ranging until I get him to help herd them back when it's time to go to bed. So, how can I break him from chasing chicks? Right now, the chicks don't free range. I keep them in his puppy playpen until they can, but he still goes crazy over them while they are in there. So they are in the pen inside the chicken run. Boring life, but when they are older, I'd love for them to free range too. He is currently 12 weeks old. So I know I have to break him from this soon. How do I do this???

WOW.. I have no idea how you get a dog to chase a chicken when you want and not when you don't want them too.

Way beyond my meager training skills. But welcome to the thread..

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Yeah. I think I would stop the herding thing as well. I know it's their nature. But it's their nature for a sheep or cattle...something that can take a dog nip. A chicken cannot take that. Chickens will go to roost in their coop on their own. They do not need a herding dog. As soon as the hens figure out who their lead hen is they will have a leader again.

 

[lvie]

Welcome East Bethel - I live in Sherburne County and have almost two acres. Probably a quarter of it is low land to a river. So 1.5 has plenty of potential as I have learned with my piece of land. I call it the one-acre farm. LOL.

Your puppy is young. Ask Bogtown chick because I am sure she has some useful tips on how to train the dog, as will others. She has one that is a little over a year. (Nice set-up huh BC?)

You will find lottsa diversity on this thread. Turkeys, Cows, Ducks, Horses and Goats - Soap making; breeding lines, breeders vs hatcheries, and the stories, the stories are the best, I think. We do love to talk. Lots of experience advisors that do not mind letting us plebs know the how tos of raising animals. Very generous with their knowledge. No question is a dumb question.

Post away and welcome once again.