Surviving Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

View attachment 1659045 -26 is nothing to turn your nose up to there!

We were -42 at 6 am. Now -36. It’s the same as -26 except you need to work just a bit faster.

The New Hampshire hen looks a little nipped on her wattle. It looks swollen.

We are at -32...was -33..

BC is correct, I told the what's up temp thread that same thing yesterday, kind of,....after 20 below it is just academic, it all feels about the same even. Sort of like above 85 it all feels the same and you want to die, at least at our extreme you just want to work faster.

I am up to 5 babies this morning. A slow hatch, but at least I have a few. All SS, however 2 of the SS chicks are very light in color. I sure hope Hoover, didn't find a way to do "it" through the fencing. I will not be happy if they end up being mutts.

 

[Cebarmlds]

-40 but it’ll warm up some day?

 

[duluthralphie]

-40 but it’ll warm up some day?

There is no doubt the 4th of July will be better than today, maybe.

 

[Elise Ferguson]

Okay I will apologize in advance. This is a duck question. My two ducks (who hate me) have been hiding a lot the past couple days. Well I just noticed the reason, they can hardly walk because of the baseball sized frozen poop balls on their rears. Both of them. So do I A. give them and my husband a heart attack by chasing and catching them, bringing them in the garage where it's a little above freezing, and giving them a tub of water to swim in and hopefully clean themselves up or B. let it ride, shovel the run and give them a tub of water outside on Saturday when it's suppose to warm up quite a bit?

What's worse: poop balls or scaring the ducks to death (and making the garage a royal mess)?

 

[duluthralphie]

Okay I will apologize in advance. This is a duck question. My two ducks (who hate me) have been hiding a lot the past couple days. Well I just noticed the reason, they can hardly walk because of the baseball sized frozen poop balls on their rears. Both of them. So do I A. give them and my husband a heart attack by chasing and catching them, bringing them in the garage where it's a little above freezing, and giving them a tub of water to swim in and hopefully clean themselves up or B. let it ride, shovel the run and give them a tub of water outside on Saturday when it's suppose to warm up quite a bit?

What's worse: poop balls or scaring the ducks to death (and making the garage a royal mess)?

First off, anyone hated by dux must be a good person..

I will try to keep my prejudices against dux out of the answer.....but here is a hint:



Why do they have to swim in the garage? Can't they swim in water outside until the water gets to hard to swim in? Maybe a tank with a stock tank heater in it. I have a spare stock tank heater if you need to borrow one....

 

[duluthralphie]

It has warmed to 20 below already! A fast warm up...

Today's baby picture:

 

[Elise Ferguson]

Well it's currently -16F so by the time I drag enough water out to fill a tub I imagine it'll be frozen and then I guess I'd be concerned that now they're wet and whatever is going to freeze to them again. If it's not a big deal to wait til Saturday it's supposed to be quite a bit warmer and I imagine I can drag water out there and not have it freeze instantly. I don't have a tank heater right now, nor a very good tank, I was just planning on grabbing a feed tub or something to make do.

 

[jbenson]

Hey MN peeps. With the cold, certain local places that sell chicks are having trouble getting them. Someone locally is looking to purchase small numbers of birds to start their personal flock right away (yes, they really want to start now). She's wanting Buff Orps, EEs (or something that lays colored eggs), and either Barred Rock or some kind of Marans. Any NPIP breeders within an hour or so of the Cities got those for sale? I'll get her connected to you and she's willing to drive to purchase.

 

[duluthralphie]

Well it's currently -16F so by the time I drag enough water out to fill a tub I imagine it'll be frozen and then I guess I'd be concerned that now they're wet and whatever is going to freeze to them again. If it's not a big deal to wait til Saturday it's supposed to be quite a bit warmer and I imagine I can drag water out there and not have it freeze instantly. I don't have a tank heater right now, nor a very good tank, I was just planning on grabbing a feed tub or something to make do.

Understandable....Give Donald a bath....I would think that is preferable to a trimming, but I have no idea as I live in a firmly anti-dux area.

 

[duluthralphie]

Hey MN peeps. With the cold, certain local places that sell chicks are having trouble getting them. Someone locally is looking to purchase small numbers of birds to start their personal flock right away (yes, they really want to start now). She's wanting Buff Orps, EEs (or something that lays colored eggs), and either Barred Rock or some kind of Marans. Any NPIP breeders within an hour or so of the Cities got those for sale? I'll get her connected to you and she's willing to drive to purchase.

Does she mean "wants them right now" or a month from now?

I would have to gather EE eggs for hatching, right now I am just eating them. I do not have my own Legbars hatched yet.

I have dominques, but no barred rocks, however, I think the rose comb makes the Dominique the better choice for our climate.

Mnchickmom has the BO's. I am not sure what Minnie has as she has not been on here in quite a while. I do not know of any other NPIP people around here.