Illinois...

[Faraday40]

I knew there was a chance of snow on Halloween..... but I certainly didn't expect 3 inches of heavy, wet snow this morning. Coop is not prepped for winter! I was expecting a light dusting, not REAL snow. I still have all those leaves to rake and need to move the little coop into the patio. I usually don't shut off & drain the hoses until mid Nov. This winter weather really caught me off guard. After all, we didn't wear coats just a few days ago.

Tree branches are dropping everywhere under the weight of the snow. Some snow has melted since 8am. Hoping most will be gone soon, so I can get out there.

Here are some pics from yesterday.
PR with her chicks

My lovely lav

Cupcake's molt is finishing up. Her basic feathers are in, just needs to fluff out a bit more.

A baby blue orp

I'm thinking this SLO is actually a blue SLO. Over time as she matures, her lacing is getting lighter.

This lav is molting - but what's unusual is that she's doing it slowly.

Millie is always getting into something. She also stalks me to see if I'm carrying any treats.

My rooster possibilities:
Mr Nice Guy (still nice - especially his comb, but not perfect)

Wonky. Love his body, hate his comb

Mr August is Mr Potential. He may end up being a compromise between the 2.

 

[BReeder!]

I knew there was a chance of snow on Halloween..... but I certainly didn't expect 3 inches of heavy, wet snow this morning. Coop is not prepped for winter! I was expecting a light dusting, not REAL snow. I still have all those leaves to rake and need to move the little coop into the patio. I usually don't shut off & drain the hoses until mid Nov. This winter weather really caught me off guard. After all, we didn't wear coats just a few days ago.

Tree branches are dropping everywhere under the weight of the snow. Some snow has melted since 8am. Hoping most will be gone soon, so I can get out there.

Here are some pics from yesterday.
PR with her chicks
View attachment 1947643

My lovely lav
View attachment 1947647

Cupcake's molt is finishing up. Her basic feathers are in, just needs to fluff out a bit more.
View attachment 1947642

A baby blue orp
View attachment 1947644
I'm thinking this SLO is actually a blue SLO. Over time as she matures, her lacing is getting lighter.
View attachment 1947645

This lav is molting - but what's unusual is that she's doing it slowly.
View attachment 1947649
Millie is always getting into something. She also stalks me to see if I'm carrying any treats.
View attachment 1947650

My rooster possibilities:
Mr Nice Guy (still nice - especially his comb, but not perfect)
View attachment 1947666
View attachment 1947667
Wonky. Love his body, hate his comb
View attachment 1947652 View attachment 1947663
Mr August is Mr Potential. He may end up being a compromise between the 2.View attachment 1947653
View attachment 1947664

Same here with the snow load and not being prepared for winter. I am in the middle of taking an apple tree down. Leaves just started to fall from our maple trees, so I didn't started raking yet and now the leaves are going to be wet muck. I need to cut the lawn one last time. I am still mulching the chicken run with grass clippings, leaves and woodchips from chipping the apple branches, all of which I need to collect/make from around the yard still. I haven't finished clearing the garden yet. I would love to sift my bin of finished compost and store it for Spring planting, but that's likely going to wait until Spring actually gets here now. I want to move the laundry units to our second floor, which involves climbing a two story ladder and putting a hole through the outer wall or soffit for a dryer vent. I haven't finished cleaning my garage to get the cars in for winter. Best of all though, I have a wheelbarrow full of quail poop sitting in my driveway that I meant to take to the back yesterday to dump into the compost bins. Its hard to see because it's between my parked car and the garage door, but it still smells. I bet the neighbors love the new Fall scent.

 

[chickendreams24]

We do have an addition to the family! Mackenzie joined us on 10/24. She's a healthy little girl weighing 5lb 9.6oz and measuring 18.5" at birth. She's actually a little bigger than DS was at birth.
View attachment 1946276 View attachment 1946277

We have been a bit crazy around here of course with a newborn. To add to the crazyiness, we also had DW's birthday on 10/15 and have DS's birthday coming up on 10/30.

I haven't decided which turkeys I want to keep/butcher yet. I'm really wanting to be 100% certain of their sex first since I know I'm not going to be able to keep a tom for long. I'm new to turkeys, so sexing has proven difficult. I'll need to get some pics of them soon. They tend to be a bit shy around us though, so getting pics is difficult until I lock them in the coop at night (at least when they decide to join the chickens in the coop that is). If the calico's are jennies though, I'll likely hang on to at least one of them.

Congratulations!!! She's beautiful.

Also I totally understand if you don't have spare jennies.

Really @Molpet I would be grateful for any even a couple of your "wild ones" hopefully my turkeys will settle them down. Mine aren't pets in the sense of wanting to be petted but they do seem to all like people and follow me like dogs, the toms more than the jennies. A couple of the babies we lost were really friendly though.

Congratulations
If the brown ones lose the light tipped breast feathers they are boys
If the white ones get dark tipped tip breast feathers they are boys.

I love that they do this it makes it easy for sexing. I didn't know this last year with them. Unfortunately the slates do not show their gender this way.

My broody jenny broke with the last big rain storm I'm wondering if we nest ended up under water. That said I did find an egg in the coop today but it's pretty dirty. When we grab it later (out of my reach) if it is a turkey egg I will likely lock up all my turkeys and see if we can get enough eggs for me to set.

DH decided we should wait on those turkeys that were for sale for now and will add more next spring, as well as hatching our own. Our little single juvenile is okay so far. I think it helps that she is in the same coop the adults sleep in so she can hear but not see them.

We have two rabbits bred and have been attempting to breed the last one. We are also looking into adding some more rabbits to our rabbit herd.

Unfortunately this year didn't go as all how we had planned(of course that's an understatement) this is only our second and third rabbit litters(when they come) the one is also going to be a first time momma.

So if anyone is interested in adding rabbits let me know and I can get you on the list, or wanting rabbit meat. We haven't chosen yet from the last litter but have two girls and three boys left we're choosing from. They have an unrelated father so a boy from that litter would be good for anyone looking to breed.

We are excited for more rabbits as we get closer to the does kindling dates. We haven't yet fully decided on the other rabbits we are looking at which are harlequins and champagne D'argents.

It's a cold one here today. Yuck.

 

[chickendreams24]

We too haven't prepared for this weather.

Especially with DH's Mom's house closing today and him being in the fields on top of it.

We have our good days and bad days with the loss still of course. I'm not sure if it will be easier or harder without the house. I'm guessing easier when we don't have to visit any more because it's not only empty of stuff but so empty without her.

We haven't found out reception venue yet but we have decided that we will be having our reception on March 14th Mom's birthday. It's fitting since we were married on my Grandpa's birthday and I wore his cowboy boots.

More later everyone, stay warm.

We have a wheelbarrow full of rabbit compost in our driveway so you're not alone lol but it doesn't smell. That said the chickens think it's fun to play in and if we're not careful they'll have it all out in the driveway. LoL

 

[cavemanrich]

We did not have a frost yet,,,, I'm closer to the lake then many of you here. Overnight it got down to 32.9*F , The heavy snow wiped out my flowers, but It was just coming soon anyways.
Indian summer does not officially get name,, unless there is a frost. I know that warmer days are still ahead. Most of the leaves on my trees are still green. Some are yellow, and brown.
I still have some color left in the garden.
Begonia on the patio table. White wire cage is there to keep the squirrels from burying seeds.

Knock Out Roses.

This is the Fire Bush,, It just started changing color.

 

[homeschoolin momma]

Haven't had much snow here yet. Mostly a slushy icy mix. I let the chickens out this morning, although most looked out like.....yeah, I don't think so.
I did keep my two little ones inside today. Not that it was too cold for them, but with the rain, they would have been miserable with them just by themselves. I let them have Taji's box for the day for more space. I'm hoping to go ahead and get something down for the little coop I got in the next day or so. Will need to put some sort of floor in the nest boxes so the shavings don't fall out (its a slat floor...I guess for ventilation?), but since I use siftable shavings, I need something a little less.....holy.

My big tree in the pasture finally dropped it's last leaves this weekend with the rainstorm. So in spite of being exhausted and STILL sick, I went out and raked for almost two hours until the chickens put themselves to bed. Got two of the big rollaway garbage cans filled and dumped in out "garden" where I'll burn it when...uh...if.....it dries out. Now all I have to do is just take the lawnmower and get the rest up in a circle or blow them into the woods and I'll be done! At least mostly done.

 

[Molpet]

I had slushy white fungus that fell from the sky, before it turned to rain. Most of it is gone but soon to return.

I didn't know about the breast feathers sexing turkeys until this year too. I didn't have any calico jakes last year, and thought the brown jakes were just a different variety. I had read it about the browns before and just this year on the whiter ones. And by golly it's true... I have a good selection this year.... Only 2 calico I am not sure on, but they are smaller and have reddish brown highlights, I guess it could be called , instead of snow white. I don't want to eat those along with a couple of friendly ones I am sure are jennies

 

[homeschoolin momma]

I had slushy white fungus that fell from the sky, before it turned to rain

Guess who got to come inside for the day or two.....

Looks like hes already enjoying being a house chicken.....

 

[Tortoise]

Same here with the snow load and not being prepared for winter. I am in the middle of taking an apple tree down. Leaves just started to fall from our maple trees, so I didn't started raking yet and now the leaves are going to be wet muck. I need to cut the lawn one last time. I am still mulching the chicken run with grass clippings, leaves and woodchips from chipping the apple branches, all of which I need to collect/make from around the yard still. I haven't finished clearing the garden yet. I would love to sift my bin of finished compost and store it for Spring planting, but that's likely going to wait until Spring actually gets here now. I want to move the laundry units to our second floor, which involves climbing a two story ladder and putting a hole through the outer wall or soffit for a dryer vent. I haven't finished cleaning my garage to get the cars in for winter. Best of all though, I have a wheelbarrow full of quail poop sitting in my driveway that I meant to take to the back yesterday to dump into the compost bins. Its hard to see because it's between my parked car and the garage door, but it still smells. I bet the neighbors love the new Fall scent.

Same here too except it was suppose to miss the city altogether and it didnt.
Be prepared for round 2 tonight. 2-4 inches in places.
I don't think anyone was prepared. Heck most leaves are still on the trees.
This early snow really stinks.

 

[cavemanrich]

Same here too except it was suppose to miss the city altogether and it didnt.

People reporting weather can be WRONG 50% of the time ,,,, and still collect a paycheck