Homesteaders

[boskelli1571]

This morning we have an extra 6-8 inches!! plus the wind was blowing a bit last night, so a couple of drifts. Took the Beagles for a walk along the road - they were snow surfing

they love the snow even tho' it's up over their heads in places. Going to try and fire up the snow blower this morning and dig out the skis'.

 

[MoonShadows]

We just dug out of 10" to 12" (depending on where the wind blew it). When the chicken door opened, a few of the girls just stuck their heads out and went back inside. I shoveled the run, threw down a little scratch, and they came bolting out. Yesterday, while it was snowing, I added a fresh bale of pine shavings, then I threw in a few handfuls of sunflower seeds, so they had fun trying to find them. I have to drive a few towns over this afternoon to Tractor Supply. We're low on feeding supplies. I think instead of scratch, I am going to get them straight cracked corn since corn raises their metabolisms higher and they will stay a little warmer on their own. I'll have to get a bigger bag of sunflower seeds too. I bought a small bag at the grocery store the other day as a treat (first time they tasted them), and they love them! Another two bags of feed, and I'll be all set for another 6 weeks or so.

 

[boskelli1571]

Yeah - me too! I'm off to town tomorrow for bird seed, chicken stuff and a couple of cabbages for chicken tetherball! My girls have sat in the barn grumbling away giving me stink eye like it's my fault!

The 2 new girls seem to be assimilating well. Since they are eating grower/layer ration and the others are molting heavily, I'm feeding everyone the grower ration at the moment.

 

[Raech]

We have absolutely no snow, the hill has a bare dusting of snow up on the top but that is it. There are days I really like living in a valley and then winter hits and it makes me really sad, because of the mill we don't get any real winter. It's just cold and freezes, with a little bit of snow, maybe a week worth spread out over the whole winter.

Woke up this morning to my big 15 pound cat sleeping on my butt/back, with his sister crying because she "killed" something in the house, probably my hair tie again, or the baby's pair of socks; she has found the sock nest in the boys' room.

Then hubby comes in, pushes him off of me which earned me clawed smack!! How is it that when my husband moves him, and I get whacked?

Made up my next year planting/canning list last night. Looks like I am going to not be doing cucumbers or cherry tomatoes. My focus is going to be on large tomatoes, about 30 plants, 10 bell peppers maybe some jalapenos too, onions and garlic, which is already going. Along with buying a pear tree and a dwarf cherry tree for Grandpa's house, since he is going to be chopping down the ones we already have. Oh and pumpkins, my oldest really liked watching them grow, with his sunflowers that we are doing again, Mammoth ones this time I guess. I compared my garden to my Grandpa's garden, and I can plant the same pepper plants at both places and his are 3 feet long, and mine are lucky to get past the 6" mark, talk about cruddy soil. His garden has been in the same place, growing the same thing, in the same places for 60 years, and it's still going like crazy!!

 

[chicken-lady13]

My little pet bantem hen lays an egg every other day. She is sitting on her nest in her cage right this minute concentrating on a little egg. I can count on her not to let me down. We had a weezle get our outside chickens couple of months ago, so now I' m buying a lot of store bought eggs. We plan on getting more outside chickens in the spring, after my hubby has time to re enforce our coup. I miss my fresh eggs , but Mrs. Chick trys her best to help. She is my special spoiled rotten thinks she is a dog,baby. LOL

 

[rancher hicks]

My little pet bantem hen lays an egg every other day. She is sitting on her nest in her cage right this minute concentrating on a little egg. I can count on her not to let me down.

We had a weezle get our outside chickens couple of months ago, so now I' m buying a lot of store bought eggs. We plan on getting more outside chickens in the spring, after my hubby has time to re enforce our coup. I miss my fresh eggs , but Mrs. Chick trys her best to help. She is my special spoiled rotten thinks she is a dog,baby. LOL

Check the internet for how to deal with weasels. They are tough and no matter what you do they WILL try to get your birds. Deal with them now if you like.

I wish you well,

rancher

 

[chicken-lady13]

What ideals do u have on getting rid of the weasels ?

 

[rancher hicks]

What ideals do u have on getting rid of the weasels ?

On you tube there are videos of how to build a weasel/mink trap using a rat trap. Unless of course you'd rather not dispose of them that way. I would however set the trap far away from the coop. If you do not get rid of them they will just keep coming back and figure out a way into your coop.

The expense of hardware cloth can get to be a bit much, and poultry wire won't be strong enough. Be sure to lock them in at night too.

 

[chicken-lady13]

Yes I know the poultry wire isn't strong enough. That is how they got in. They chewed the wire till it broke and made the hole wide enough to get in and massacred my girls and my roo. I guess I need to find out from our local wildlife officer what I could legally do.I hear they are really mean to deal with. We had a time last year relocating three ground hogs. One of them tryed to get out of the trap and almost took my husband's finger off while he was trying to get it up in the truck. We relocated them to a local park. We have live traps. Wreckon they will work on the weasels ?

 

[rancher hicks]

Here's how you deal with ground hogs. Have DH "mark" there holes at night and they will move on. Had one under my coop before I got my chickens. Marked his hole often and he left for parts unknown.

Also perhaps you've not heard of the three Esses. Shoot, shovel and shut up. Of course with the weasels you won't be shooting but you get the idea.

But if you'd like to check with the game officer that's fine too.

Take care,