Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[1muttsfan]

If your bird needs extra calcium in her diet, she will eat the oyster shell.

 

[lbrykowski2011]

Congrats on the deer Opa, almost last minute, but better than nothing.

 

[snowflake]

congrats Opa.a good days work, how is your arm holding out?

 

[Farmerboy16]

Farmerboy,
How did you make duck soup? Just boil, debone, and add veggies? Was it similar to chicken soup? What breed of ducks? I have a mating pair of Pekin ducks, but more as pets then dinner.... Although I'm not opposed to eating them if they were killed by a predator.

Yup, boiled almost all afternoon, and when I took the carcass out, it fell back in the pot in pieces. It was very easy to debone. Added veggies and noddles. nothing else. The duck was a cross between a rouen and a pekin.

No offense taken.  One of my sons would absolutely NOT eat pea soup when we made it.  If I tried to make him he'd gag...quite the site at the table, lol.  Anyway, I love it.  Today is ham and scalloped potatoes, then pea soup with the left over ham/ham bone.  

I love peas, fresh and cooked, but when they are smashed, I would gag. Plus, I do not like ham, but love bacon!

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Thanks to those who replied about Bonnie. I will try and reason with her tomorrow.

Bonnie always hides behind me when she seems Luna. She is deathly afraid if that little bantam. The only chicken she doesn't shy from when near pecking distance is Salt the rooster.

Luna doesn't like Bonnie either. When Bonnie is in the coop, she chases her out, when Bonnie's eating she chases her away...

In that picture, when Bonnie realized she was being ambushed, she jumped into my arms, it took a while for her to budge.

On a different note, I let the chickens out today. Bonnie was at the feeder, not with everyone else. Anyways. I was talking to Salt when all of a sudden he ran into me. Marian flew up onto the chicken run roof and slid off. Pepper slipped on the ice, and Luna ran into the door. Idk what scared them but I'm sure they scared me more! I couldn't help laugh a bit though.

 

[Opa]

Three crossword puzzles worked, several cups of coffee worked, and I still think going back to bed is still the best thing to do with this morning. Just listening to the weatherman is depressing. The weather the past two days was almost pleasant and now is is now right frigid. It's a good thing that we only have three more months of winter to endure.

Yesterday's success was a reminder of how life truly is a circle. While it' shard to believe that it has been 40 years since I first took David hunting with me, the enjoyment of being in the woods together has not diminished one bit but the roles have reversed. Instead of helping him, he is now helping me. As soon as I had finished field dressing my deer he loaded it onto the sled and pulled it out of the woods to a point we could reach it with the truck. While he as doing that I field dressed his deer then waited for his return. He then took that deer to the truck while I followed along behind thinking that without him it would probably have taken a couple of hours to have done it myself.

A combination of age and the effects of this debilitating infection has taken my strength and I can only give thanks that I have a son who wants to hunt with me and is willing to take on the tasks I can no longer perform.

 

[snowflake]

it is also a true blessing that he is close enough and has the time.Our kids are also are close enough and willing to come up to do things with their dad and me.

 

[uchytil]

Yup, boiled almost all afternoon, and when I took the carcass out, it fell back in the pot in pieces. It was very easy to debone. Added veggies and noddles. nothing else.

The duck was a cross between a rouen and a pekin.
I love peas, fresh and cooked, but when they are smashed, I would gag. Plus, I do not like ham, but love bacon!

I got my wife a nice book about raising pigs. Might be making the move this spring on a few feeders. By he way who don't like bacon, lol. My son and his GF got us tickets to Bacon Boot Camp in GR Jan 14. Sounds a little hipster but we'll try and have fun!

 

[uchytil]

Three crossword puzzles worked, several cups of coffee worked, and I still think going back to bed is still the best thing to do with this morning. Just listening to the weatherman is depressing. The weather the past two days was almost pleasant and now is is now right frigid. It's a good thing that we only have three more months of winter to endure.

Yesterday's success was a reminder of how life truly is a circle. While it' shard to believe that it has been 40 years since I first took David hunting with me, the enjoyment of being in the woods together has not diminished one bit but the roles have reversed. Instead of helping him, he is now helping me. As soon as I had finished field dressing my deer he loaded it onto the sled and pulled it out of the woods to a point we could reach it with the truck. While he as doing that I field dressed his deer then waited for his return. He then took that deer to the truck while I followed along behind thinking that without him it would probably have taken a couple of hours to have done it myself.

A combination of age and the effects of this debilitating infection has taken my strength and I can only give thanks that I have a son who wants to hunt with me and is willing to take on the tasks I can no longer perform.

My dad turned 76 two days ago. I wish I could hunt with him but we're separated by a thousand miles, him in Maine, me in Michigan. He's done and I know why - because I'm not there to drag out deer and simply the companionship.

 

[Stacykins]

Anyone who keeps ducks here, are yours spending a lot of time outside? Even during the warmer stretches, I can't get my darn chickens out the coop door without herding them out. But all winter, the duck have been out and about like little duck penguins! I love it when they slide along in the snow on their bellies! They go visit their frozen pond, back to their shelter, then over to the sump drainage area, then back to their shelter, always on the move.

I can't wait for eggs, from the Magpies especially! I will be hatching some of theirs to increase my magpie flock!



Looking especially fluffy are the two Nigora goats I sold to a friend! She took these pictures of them from the other day, and I went to visit them yesterday too to help with hoof trimming! These goats are in the best home they could ever be in. Tons of love from the adults and children. It has been months since I sold them, and they're fawned on like it is their first day. Definitely no buyers remorse at their farm!

They wanted in the house, as they know the house is where people and treats come from!


The goats were helping the human kids cowboy sledding. Note the goat on the sled, too!