Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[RaZ]

On a good note, I've got 8 pints of dill pickles cooling on the counter!

And picked my first GIANT zucchini. All the others I've picked have been a much more manageable size.

I take it that they were hot processed. (?)
I did some refrigerator pickles from a M.E.N. recipe. They are only OK in my opinion. They taste alright but aren't very crisp. I don't know if is was the cold method or if I had mediocre cukes to start with.

 

[Opa]

I no longer use the box type live traps like Hava-hart. I've found that some coons become trap shy once their buddies have disappeared. I now use only dog proof traps. I've had get success with the Duke trap and recently I've added some from Coon Collector. Rather than a spring loaded catch loop activated by the coon lifting up on the trigger, they work on the same principle as Chinese handcuffs. I've placed my finger in the trap and felt no pain, but I couldn't pull my finger out without releasing the catch gate. Another plus is that it only take one finger to set them.

While sardines are my bait of choice I occasionally find tuna fish is cheaper. Just be sure to use the type that is packed in oil not water. My most recent round of trapping sucess was 8 coons in 5 days. I keep the traps set constantly because when a area is void of coons others soon move in to fill the vacancy.

I use a 22 caliber pistol to dispatch coons rather than the 44 magnum that's pictured. Besides being a much cheaper round to use, it keeps me from looking down at the coon and asking "feeling lucky punk"?

 

[Brethren49619]

Well, it took a little over 6 weeks, but THEY ARE FINALLY COMING!!!!

My Araucana chicks are in the mail
(along with a few Light Sussex and Lavender Orps to round out the number)

I haven't stopped smiling all afternoon

AND my silkie hen went broody 2 days ago on top of it.

 

[hickchick55]

I use a 22 caliber pistol to dispatch coons rather than the 44 magnum that's pictured. Besides being a much cheaper round to use, it keeps me from looking down at the coon and asking "feeling lucky punk"?

Opa- You crack me up!

 

[Scifisarah]

Oh they are beautiful!! I just want hens though, Don't need a roo. LMK if you have any hens you could part with
I just called the Newaygo store, they said they don't have any right now, but should get some end of Sept. maybe?? guess this gives me some time to find others first. Thanks for the heads up

Not likely - out of ten silkies, I am pretty sure only three are hens. Usually my odds go the other way, so I guess it is about time but I don't have to like it! I am really hoping someone will want them as I dont need this many boys, even though they are ridiculously cute.

 

[swampducks]

Oh yeah, 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. It's hard to get crisp pickles, I think it's easier if you get small gherkin sized ones and don't cut them open. Mine have never stayed crisp but then I have a hard time picking them before they blimp. I just don't pay close enough attention. Heck, I found one of those giant zucchini today. Only thing I can do with that is bread!

what size cukes did you have?

I take it that they were hot processed. (?)
I did some refrigerator pickles from a M.E.N. recipe. They are only OK in my opinion. They taste alright but aren't very crisp. I don't know if is was the cold method or if I had mediocre cukes to start with.

 

[1muttsfan]

My friend Pat took my lav bantam Am trio this summer, as well as a few of the bantam cochins I hatched out. The brown-red cochin cockerel took grand champion bantam at the Chippewa county fair, and Little Boy Blue took reserve grand champion - so exciting!

 

[fuzzybutt love]

There is a guy named Randy, Randy's roosters who has a variety of birds. He is white rooster on here, but is never on. http://muskegon.craigslist.org/grd/3176080018.html

If you can look up farmerboy on this thread, he is located in Sparta, and he has taken great pains to eliminate MG from his flock, and his stock has been vet tested. His may be a bit young for getting chicks yet, have to find out, but by next spring he should be selling some for sure!

 

[NovaAman]

Today is one of those days where I think if I just exploded my brain it would be a relief. I can not seem to be cool. I can't seem to focus for very long and I HATE noise. I haven't even collected the eggs from the birds today because just walking makes me drip. I checked my sugar, and it is not up. 119 so I am not having a high or a low. Just a migraine that is affecting more than just my head. UGH!

I took my boy to his orientation at his new school tonight, met the principal, his teacher and one of the play ground attendants. Checked out his new class room and he went straight for the books in the science section. We are lucky, he has a teacher who is big on both reading and sciences. She was also in just jeans and a t-shirt. Most other teacher were dressed in more teacher professional attire. Jace liked her immediately. That is good. If he does not like some one, he is not very... Well, you will know it.

As for coons... I have not had any come back at night time since Carl blew the last one away, and it sat there for a few hours before I could bury it. We did have the day time juvie coon attack, but that one has not been back since Mr. Fluffers beat the crap out of it. HA! I must say though, that a peice of chicken behind the trigger and then strawberry jam smeared around it sure did catch them good. LOL.. I have not seen any indications that they have been visiting. I look at the base of the run every day as well for any signs of digging, prints that are not the cats or the chickens. I have the birds locked up solid at night now as well. I really hope to not have a problem again. I expect I will, but I am doing my best to not.

 

[RaZ]

My friend Pat took my lav bantam Am trio this summer,

Were they the BLAs that I got from you last fall?
I still have Gravy and she is such a nice little bird. Sometimes she gets picked on by the new ISAs but she is pals with the old BO and 2 old BSLs. Still it would be nice to have someone her own size to hang with.