Surviving Minnesota!

[Violetsfeathers]

I think I see Runnings in my future... I am not going to try and work in this stuff, I know I would slip and twist my back and really be in deep do-do.


I hade a kestrel land in the tree next to the coop while I was feeding the turkeys last night. I had chickens out, they scattered.  Then the kestrel flew to another tree. I yelled at it and it flew to a coop right next to shed with my chick pens!  I had left the door open as I was only going to out for a minute.. Scared the poop out of me. I ran back to the shed pronto..


It did not go in the shed.  I will admit I was weighing how much of the 25,000 dollar fines the judge would access me if the Kestrel had died of lead poisoning... I feel so at the mercy of all these raptors! BTW the dogs were outside with me and that did not dissuade it either.

That stinks, it seems like the only predators I've had since we moved to Minnesota are the Hawks and kestrels, which isn't bad compared to coons and dogs. The Hawks haven't taken any, yet.

Last spring I was in a pen with the new chicks and they made a warning noise so I looked up and a hawk (I think it was a sharp shinned hawk or Cooper's hawk) flew so low past me I could see the top of its back. I shut the chicks in the coop.

The other time I saw it was about four months later. I was outside and all of a sudden the chickens started screaming. I ran over there and I saw a hawk flying really low reaching for one of my bantams who was running for its life. Even my bantam roo was scared! I ran over to it and screamed at it and then it flew away. It was smaller than my standard size hen but bigger than my bantam roo (Pumpkin). I haven't seen it since.

 

[Violetsfeathers]

It seems I have to have a leg band on my chickens if I want to show them this year. I do not want a leg band on my birds. Are there any that can be removed? Easy on and off?

 

[holm25]

The hawks fly over my birds all day everyday all summer and never touch my birds. They dont even try. Although... The geese scream at them when they see them and they fly off.

 

[shannon1994]

By the time the forest canopy closes in the morel season is about over . You need warm days and warm nights are a plus . Rain is important . There are several species of Morel . The black are the earliest and like burned over areas . Then come the grays small ones first then larger ones . Finally the large yellow ones . Plus the half free or pecker heads . I mostly wait for the large gray and yellows . Easier for me to see . Dead or dying trees are good spots . Elm with the bark peeling off . You can often pick the same general areas for years . The spots seem to travel a little to a lot . Other times a spot is a one time thing . They do grow so do not listen to the people who say they pop up overnight and full grown .

OK so the morels won't start then for awhile. Do the morels grow on other trees or just dead and dying trees and where would you find them in the woods. Would they be by trees or more out in the weeds.

 

[holm25]

The hawks fly over my birds all day everyday all summer and never touch my birds. They dont even try. Although... The geese scream at them when they see them and they fly off.

 

[shannon1994]

Cant help with the question but do u breed Sumatras?!

I sure am trying to I have standard sized blues. I have them penned up now. But the whacky weather is not in my favor. I got a few from cackle two years ago and the male is pretty. I have his daughter's now. First generation and they are dark blue and a nice dark face. I got some other and the are so light blue I don't really like the color. But I'm Just starting out with them been in chickens for eight years. But nothing so beautiful as the Sumatra so im only really starting out. But the one in the picture isn't mine but he roughly looks like that. I will never even consider myself a breeder it will take many years before I would even consider myself as such. Breeders are amazing people and I admire them a lot are are you a breeder of Sumatra's.
Or are you interested in some?

 

[shannon1994]

Welcome to BYC! I'm afraid I don't know anything about morels. I'm sure there are a few minnesotans going to a event in minnesota.   Jk, what kinds of birds do they have there generally?

Well the last time we were there was two years ago because last year the couldn't because of the avian bird flu but when we were there there were lots of chickens,bantams, pheasants(ornamental and ring necks),peafowl, ducks and geese. Oh and some live stock but we never went and looked. But there were lots of chickens like rir, leghorns, Cochin's, and lots of mixed breeds. There were Reeves, Lady Amherst, Red Golden, silvers and ringnecks but nothing to fancy. Just wandering are you going?

 

[shannon1994]

The hawks fly over my birds all day everyday all summer and never touch my birds. They dont even try. Although... The geese scream at them when they see them and they fly off.

We also have the same problem they circle but never even get close. We also have eagles doing the same exact thing it doesn't make sense. Were we used to live they tried all the time but now were we live they circle above but that's it. We live were fields surround us, is that the same for you.

 

[holm25]

Shannon1994 I was just wondering. They r beautiful birds but I hope to start breeding big birds like Buckeyes.

 

[holm25]

We also have the same problem they circle but never even get close. We also have eagles doing the same exact thing it doesn't make sense. Were we used to live they tried all the time but now were we live they circle above but that's it. We live were fields surround us, is that the same for you.

No here it is tree, trees and more trees. Lots of hay fields but they r surrounded by trees