Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Amy PT]

Sometimes I find myself so socially awkward I just point it out to the other person and laugh at myself. You get what you get with me.

 

[nluoma]

Quote:
If you find a solution, let me know! We have Howie (yes, my daughter named him) and Howie Jr. who are solely responsible for the length of my grass. Thanks to the two of them digging a ginormous hole that I didn't see, I destroyed my mower deck and am currently unable to mow. On the plus side, we now have a turkey flock who have decided that they really like my yard. (Of course, they ate all my tomatoes.....)

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

I have not been online for several weeks. Some of you might have noticed. I was at the June Chicken Stock (or whatever it is called) , bought 3 ss ,from the Pennsylvania group, (Thanks Jen.) birds are doing well and integrated into foraging flock with our other 4 hens. Do not roost with the big girls yet, but we will get that done too.

[added] This was not supposed to sound like a pity party, but it seems to. Sorry

The shoulder joint replacement / heart attack/ systems shut down I experienced in April took a lot more out of me than I realized earlier in the summer. Have not been able to do much and the back pain and hip pain just about preclude physical exercise. Bummer. At least I still share Sam's joy at awakening on most mornings.

To add to the problems on the home front..... JoAnn, wife, fell into the kitchen stove and pinned herself between it and the walker. She did a series of bad things to her arm/shoulder (Spiral fracture, humerus , split the ball joint, dislocated ball joint, tore two rotator cuffs off) I, in my infinite wisdom, diagnosed a dislocation. Would that I had been right. She now has a number of plates and screws holding the whole mess together. It's a long story I choose not to burden you with further. Short story...... she has been in a Medical care rehabilitation center since May since Bry and I have been unable to care for her.

NOW, The main reason for this posting. How can we get rid of a ground hog who finds our meager garden this year to be a great place to dine and abide? Anyone ever successfully trapped one of them? Live traps ? 22 short ? Furtively fired within city limits.

Suggestions please ASAP Thanks

Bobby, so sorry to hear of your troubles. I sure hope and pray that things will improve for you and your wife. I was just thinking of you yesterday as I was walking around the yard and wondering how you were.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

little roo doing even better, but boy has he become a total lap baby/ ham!

 

[Opa]

Bob, I've noticed that Father Time seems to conspire against us.

Trapping woodchucks can sometimes be difficult. However, if you first observe their travel patterns you can funnel them into a open ended live trap. A heavy string between two stakes will work to guide them. They will travel into the trap if they can't see any obstruction through to the other side.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Too bad you're not closer, my DH has a thing for eating woodchuck. Not me, they look like big rats to me! But he gets excited every time he sees one.

 

[uchytil]

Give me a call next week. 231-828-5609. Since I'm just down the road from you. They are nasty crtitters and can turn very mean when cornered or wounded. I'm in the middle of erecting 2 story 32x48 barn and my parents are coming out for the weekend but I think I can squeeze in some ideas for ya.

 

[1muttsfan]

Folks, don't talk yourselves down. There are plenty of people out there that will happily do that for you - good people to stay away from. A true and loyal friend is very hard to find, priceless, and worth keeping forever; you are lucky to find a few of those throughout your life. The rest can be great at times, not so great at others, but often still worth knowing for what they have to offer - just don't expect more from them than they can give you.

 

[Grammi]

I am poor for I have no friends.

Going back to bed.

Not true, just so not true.

 

[NovaAman]

All right people. We all have to do the "deed" of culling on occasion. I have had my neighbor do it for me, and have done it myself. I am not good at it, suck actually. I put a pullet down last weekend I think it was, because of the mareks. She was not improving on the hypericum, but the other two birds were showing improvement. The bbr is back on her feet and roosting. She's still a bit wasted, but has even started to put weight back on. I know there is a relapse possibility, but hey, this is worth the try. The golden on the other hand was attacked by blueberry and scalped. I decided to put her down since she was not able to stand, even on her haunches, and she kept face planting. I went and took her out into the woods, and gave a good jerk, heard her neck snap, but low and behold, she didn't die. I gave her a shake by the head like I saw that guy on man vs wild do to kill a wild roo, and... she didn't die. On the fourth try of putting a stick over her neck and giving a tug, I was sure I had it right. I nestled her under a log, and went on my sad way. This was yesterday. Today I found her in the big run. Poop you not. Imagine my shock. And blueberry was after her again. I ran. I decided that heck, if she's got that much will to live, surviving my 4 attempts, the night in the woods on the ground when there are coons, hawks, possums, skunk, fox... then I've got that much time to devote to getting her better. After all, the hypericum and rickets diet seemed to be working for her and the other pullet.

I can feel where her neck was broke. BUT she's able to move it still, side to side and even for eating and drinking though she's not tipping it back as far for the drinking part, but she's drinking. I have put her in a smaller rabbit cage so she'll be still, food and water is in dishes that hang off the side of the rabbit cage, and easy for her to hobble to. I will check her crop often to make sure it is full, and watch her to keep her hydrated if it seems she's not drinking enough. Wet mash comes to mind too for hydration.

Now.. here is my question, has anyone had a pullet survive a broken neck, well healed from a broken neck? I obviously do not know what the heck I am doing, with that one, and I felt it took to long on the other golden when I culled her last week, and decided I didn't like that method.