Michigan

[Olive Hill]

Quote:

Don't remind me!

Where's Opa with the countdown? We've got to be on what 123 days to go??

 

[A2SciTeach]

Agreed, Olive Hill. Pets and the pet industry take up enormous capital. The overwhelming majority of the population is so far removed from their food they wouldn't know how to feed themselves if they couldn't go to the megastore and find 20 brands of peanut butter on the shelf.

 

[Olive Hill]

Morning all! It's nice to see the a.m. temps not quite as low as they have been. There was no glitter of frozen moisture in the air this morning when I let the dogs out. And the geese were more mobile than they have been; up early again (when it's colder they tend to sleep in a little longer), wandering around and making a racket.

I don't know how people who live in populated areas keep geese. Mine wake me at least once every night honking about who knows what, and they're rather vocal on and off all day as well. There is certainly no sneaking around this property.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Yes, I noticed that today was warmer too.

Amazing how we all get excited about 26 degrees!

 

[SillyChicken]

My geese are the same way... the african is so vocal , the embden is pretty quite until feeding time... but boy, Lucy, she's a talker. Of couse it doesn't help when I honk back at her. They're generally very quiet during the day except if they see someone...especially me. She's funny too cause I can say anything out the patio window and she's quite, but if I say LUCY! I get an immediate HONK!!

Neither of the geese want to come out from under the coop. So they end up being locked up in the run everyday. Are there any greens or other foods you feed your geese during winter? They're getting layer crumbles, but I want to get some greens for them....... any ideas? should I sprout some grass in the house for them?

Has anyone heard from Opa?

 

[Olive Hill]

Mine have free choice access to grass/alfalfa hay. They pluck it right off the round bale that's parked next to the hogs pens (for easy access for me more than anything, the hogs get it free choice too so I keep it close for ease in topping off their supply every couple of days.)

If you're thinking more along the lines of growing/live greens you could grow just about anything you want for them in trays in the house. It would take a lot of greens growing continuously to make much of a difference in their diet however, so it'd be more of a treat than anything. Cabbage sells for 30-40 cents per lb so if you're wanting live/fresh greens and wanting to make a difference in their diet that might be the way to go. You could toss in whatever other greens you can find on sale as well, but cabbage is consistently cheap.

I do find that the hay helps keep feed costs reasonable despite the lack of vegetation this type of year, if that's of any help.

 

[keyt1969]

Quote:
I have 19 ducks of various types. I only have one that makes the most noise...Sunny, the one with the twisted bill. She follows me to the barn and back to the trough, quacking as loud as she can until that food goes into the trough. I then go and feed the chickens, water them and by the time I'm done, the trough is completely empty. They're quiet unless I go back there, and if I don't, they let me know it's time to feed them around 1, then again around 5. They are regular clockwork! lol

 

[justcelia]

Quote:

Don't remind me!

Where's Opa with the countdown? We've got to be on what 123 days to go??

94 days till the official start of SPRING!!!
Spring is Spring, even if it's clod outside!!!
I want SPRING!!!

Celia
Slightly crazy

 

[michickenwrangler]

I usually go by April 1st. I've seen subzero weather in March and when I was student teaching, we got a snow day on March 21st

In that case, 103 more days

 

[chickflick]

I'll hope for the 94 days!