calling any one from missouri

[jeria]

I was finishing up outdoor stuff this afternoon and felt the wind change to the north. The temps dropped fast.
On a happy note, St. Francis the scarecrow protected the chicken feed from the sparrows and there was a bunch left at the end of the day. I brought him back in the house so he can stay safe, IDK if the paint is weather proof. I think I'll create a makeshift quick and easy scarecrow by putting a shirt on a hanger with a hat on top, pants pinned to the shirt and it will blow around in the wind.

Sounds like a plan if the wind doesn't low it away. I heard the wind chills here in the KC metro won't be nice.

 

[jeria]

Totally off topic. Does anyone know how to get a free trial of ESPN without cable or satellite? Have Roku, Hulu, and Netflicks. I am trying to figure out how I can watch my granddaughter tomorrow. She is with the Lathrop, MO cheer team at National Championships in Florida and performing tomorrow--supposed to be on ESPN. The so called "free" link to watch online isn't working only one that is $150.00 for a year's subscription to varsity games.

 

[microchick]

I'm so sick of winter I could cry.

We had a day this week where it was 40 and I was so happy that I played hooky and spent the whole afternoon outside hanging out in the coop, cleaned nesting boxes and filled them with fresh chips. Then went out with one of our dogs and a pair of grass sheers and cut enough dry grasses to freshen up the chips.

Then today....back to normal. Temp never got above 24 all day. It feels like snow outside...OH WAIT! could see up to 5 inches when all is said and done. Of course. I've been studying to take my Technicians class HAM radio test on Sunday. If I can't get out to make it to Kirksville, I'll have to wait till next month which means daily review till then. DH is no help. He tells me if I have to delay maybe I could study some more and take the General upgrade test. Good thing he has good reflexes and can duck fast.

Anyway. Love the sparrow scare crow. I have mouse traps set outside around my main coop. I haven't caught any mice but those traps have been really hard on the sparrows. Stupid birds. I bait my traps with a dog kibble wired onto the the bait holder and then smeared with peanutbutter. The mice love it....evidently so do the silly sparrows because I've had two commit suicide so far. Kinda makes me sad. I feel no remorse when I catch a mouse or find that a lone rat has found the bait under the small coop (coop has a removable skirt around it that I can pop out and toss bait into then close up so the chooks are safe but the vermin aren't) but I do feel bad when I have to take one of the sparrows out of a trap. If I could find a way to keep them out of my traps I would. I feel like I'm offing a distant cousin to my chickens every time I catch one.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I'm so sick of winter I could cry.

We had a day this week where it was 40 and I was so happy that I played hooky and spent the whole afternoon outside hanging out in the coop, cleaned nesting boxes and filled them with fresh chips. Then went out with one of our dogs and a pair of grass sheers and cut enough dry grasses to freshen up the chips.

Then today....back to normal. Temp never got above 24 all day. It feels like snow outside...OH WAIT! could see up to 5 inches when all is said and done. Of course. I've been studying to take my Technicians class HAM radio test on Sunday. If I can't get out to make it to Kirksville, I'll have to wait till next month which means daily review till then. DH is no help. He tells me if I have to delay maybe I could study some more and take the General upgrade test. Good thing he has good reflexes and can duck fast.

Anyway. Love the sparrow scare crow. I have mouse traps set outside around my main coop. I haven't caught any mice but those traps have been really hard on the sparrows. Stupid birds. I bait my traps with a dog kibble wired onto the the bait holder and then smeared with peanutbutter. The mice love it....evidently so do the silly sparrows because I've had two commit suicide so far. Kinda makes me sad. I feel no remorse when I catch a mouse or find that a lone rat has found the bait under the small coop (coop has a removable skirt around it that I can pop out and toss bait into then close up so the chooks are safe but the vermin aren't) but I do feel bad when I have to take one of the sparrows out of a trap. If I could find a way to keep them out of my traps I would. I feel like I'm offing a distant cousin to my chickens every time I catch one.

Hey I luv luv luv birds. . .but sparrows and starlings are the worst. Don't feel bad! There are WAY too many of them they are invasive and a total pita.

 

[jeria]

I'm so sick o

Anyway. Love the sparrow scare crow. I have mouse traps set outside around my main coop. I haven't caught any mice but those traps have been really hard on the sparrows. Stupid birds. I bait my traps with a dog kibble wired onto the the bait holder and then smeared with peanutbutter. The mice love it....evidently so do the silly sparrows because I've had two commit suicide so far. Kinda makes me sad. I feel no remorse when I catch a mouse or find that a lone rat has found the bait under the small coop (coop has a removable skirt around it that I can pop out and toss bait into then close up so the chooks are safe but the vermin aren't) but I do feel bad when I have to take one of the sparrows out of a trap. If I could find a way to keep them out of my traps I would. I feel like I'm offing a distant cousin to my chickens every time I catch one.

The sparrows have been attacking any thing that falls out of my coop. Also tired of winter. This has been an unusually long one for us as we usually get more ups than downs as far as temps go. We have had a few warmer days here and there. I am so tired of the cold, this old body likes warm. Well off to bed under my pile of blankets even if the temp will be set @ 68.

 

[SueT]

Good morning! @jeria good luck figuring out how to watch your granddaughter, @microchick yeah I'm sick of winter too, good luck on making it to your exam. The house sparrows are an invasive species. They are so aggressive they have evicted all the swallows, and bluebirds around here. They will take over nests and kill the babies. It's so sad. We used to have large flocks of swallows, they're just gone. I am thinking that the starlings can't fit thru the mesh on our run. If they did, we'd be in trouble, they're like an invading army. I'd have to wrap the whole thing in bird netting.

 

[SueT]

Okay, here's my new clothes hanger scarecrow. I put my hat and old glasses on it and it looks just like me, lol.

she doesn't have any feet. I will be moving it around to alarm the sparrows. Maybe I'll have to make a whole army of them. The sparrows have been eating a LOT of feed...and I'm tired of feeding them.

 

[jeria]

Okay, here's my new clothes hanger scarecrow. I put my hat and old glasses on it and it looks just like me, lol.
View attachment 1260607
she doesn't have any feet. I will be moving it around to alarm the sparrows. Maybe I'll have to make a whole army of them. The sparrows have been eating a LOT of feed...and I'm tired of feeding them.
View attachment 1260608

How cute!! Love it! Might have to do something similar to keep the birds and squirrels from getting all my raspberries. The nets are not working. I can't use my bird feeders because they attract the grackles. They are mean and attack the other birds and make an awful mess.

Mr Roo is beginning to show his colors. He has been testing the waters getting a bit aggressive with me. He isn't winning. Was happy I read something on here the other day about disciplining chickens, the advice is helping me.

I figured out how to subscribe on Roku. $29.99 for something called FloSports for a month--will cancel it even though they do have some interesting other competitions for gymnastics etc. Root for Lathrop to win one of the medium divisions as they are representing the state in that category.

 

[SueT]

@jeria. I hope they win!
Maybe you can use the rest of the month of Flosports to get superior coverage of the Olympics....

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Good morning! @jeria good luck figuring out how to watch your granddaughter, @microchick yeah I'm sick of winter too, good luck on making it to your exam. The house sparrows are an invasive species. They are so aggressive they have evicted all the swallows, and bluebirds around here. They will take over nests and kill the babies. It's so sad. We used to have large flocks of swallows, they're just gone. I am thinking that the starlings can't fit thru the mesh on our run. If they did, we'd be in trouble, they're like an invading army. I'd have to wrap the whole thing in bird netting.

I know right. I can't get a blue bird to stay for nothing. Way too many sparrows. When the purple Martin s arrive we spend all summer helping defend their nests from sparrows. I'm gonna get a sparrow trap this summer I think and try to eliminate some of them.
The birds can't get inside my new duck palace but I still have duck and Jane in a separate enclosure that they can get in, and Howard is in the play pen with no top.
I've been having to just feed them small amounts twice or three times a day so they can clean it up before the starlings invade.

Okay, here's my new clothes hanger scarecrow. I put my hat and old glasses on it and it looks just like me, lol.
View attachment 1260607
she doesn't have any feet. I will be moving it around to alarm the sparrows. Maybe I'll have to make a whole army of them. The sparrows have been eating a LOT of feed...and I'm tired of feeding them.
View attachment 1260608

That's great!! I might have to be a copy cat. It's worth a try