Minnesota!

[KlopKlop]

My sister and I managed to make a big batch of spaghetti sauce today. I feel as if I have accomplished something.

And tomorrow is the big day I have been waiting for!! We r making head cheese!!! Yuck I dont like it but its kinda fun to make. I also will probably be butchering roos.

I have 5 gallons of tomatos bubbling away on the stove right now too, pizza sauce it will be. Yours looks great! keep up the good work!

 

[KlopKlop]

I am a little baffled. Last week I was picking pullet eggs out of one of my pens of pullets but now i havent had any in about 6 days. I have looked all over in their run and havent found any outside nests either. My last pullets to start laying had a about 1 week of every other days then hasnt missed a day since they started (gold comet). Is this normal? the first ones just a fluke? Thoughts? They are 18.5 weeks old.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I think the odds are good birds would be safe during the day, but.....I've had one hawk kill during the day, one great owl attack before dusk, and I think one of the ones I lost this summer just a few weeks ago was a hawk.

I agree that coons aren't likely during the day, but dogs, fox, coyotes? definitely yes! I agree with minniechickmama not to use chicken wire fencing, but wire fencing works great - as klopklop describes it "welded" wire fencing and is cheaper.

What I have around the chicken "compound" is a 5-foot horse fence that has 2"x4" opening. I don't get coon in there now, but I have had them come in about 3 years ago and kill a couple of ducks.
I have been told by quite a few people who have come for birds that they have suffered attacks through chicken wire from coon, including going over the top of a 6' high run and chewing through chicken wire on top or pulling it up. I have personally had coon try pulling birds through chicken wire too, which is just gross to find a bird with its wing pulled off.

I think the local crows keep the hawks away here. I rarely see them any more. We used to have a couple of resident pairs, but after cutting down all those trees, we have lost a lot of the wildlife. Don't worry, we have planted hundreds more trees! I am certain though that we still have a Great Horned in one of the gnarly remaining trees, we recently found pellets under it. This year, the birds have been smart enough to get under cover at night, so I haven't had any losses from that. I have lost 5 or 6 each summer to it/one though, so I am doing better. I had quite a few less birds this year though too.
Last Winter I did find tracks in the snow from a GH. Funky looking feet on those things!

I picked up one of my BBWs today just to gauge on the weight. I think I have a couple who will top 20-pounds. That will be good though, I have a couple of folks who want them over 20.

I know Ralphie swears about the geese and waterfowl, but I actually do enjoy raising them, once they are out of the brooder and on the ground! Ducks are hilarious! But they do creat ankle breaking holes every chance they get. I have to go in in the Fall and fill in those craters when I have them. And when it rains, there is mud slick everywhere they have been playing in the water. I have slipped more than once and landed on my keister. I don't like over-Wintering them either since breaking ice is not an activity on my 'fun' list. Maybe if I make them a hoop house and have a heated water source I may feel differently. We have talked about digging a small pond since I started with poultry, but we have never gotten that far. I have a perfect spot for it though. I missed having ducks to watch this year, but didn't miss the mess and feed bill. I have never even broke even with them in the past, so this year we took a break. If I get any to keep around again, they will be Khaki Campbells for eggs. I don't think we eat enough duck to make it worth raising our own Pekins or Muscovies.
I won't do geese, but have toyed with the idea of having some of those huge dewlap Toulouse, but I don't think I could appreciate having to clean up the piles of poop they produce.
I like the Calls but they are tough to breed when needed, or were when I kept them. They are a novelty too, and unless you can sell enough of them, they are like throwing money away, IMO.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I am a little baffled. Last week I was picking pullet eggs out of one of my pens of pullets but now i havent had any in about 6 days. I have looked all over in their run and havent found any outside nests either. My last pullets to start laying had a about 1 week of every other days then hasnt missed a day since they started (gold comet). Is this normal? the first ones just a fluke? Thoughts? They are 18.5 weeks old.

Autumnal Equinox is Wednesday. Unless you are giving them extra light, you are probably going to see a sudden drop. Also, these stupid changes in weather can mess with them sometimes. We got well over an inch since last night. How did you end up?

 

[KlopKlop]

Autumnal Equinox is Wednesday. Unless you are giving them extra light, you are probably going to see a sudden drop. Also, these stupid changes in weather can mess with them sometimes. We got well over an inch since last night. How did you end up?

I have had supplemental lights on for about 3 or 4 weeks now. they get about 16 hours between the lights and sun.

we get just shy of an inch today and i think 4/10 yesterday. they don't seem to mind it, I see them outside in the rain when it isn't too heavy.

 

[holm25]

Minnie u need geese!! They really aren't messy if they have a stream or other good water source there isnt much poop to clean up.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I have had supplemental lights on for about 3 or 4 weeks now. they get about 16 hours between the lights and sun.

we get just shy of an inch today and i think 4/10 yesterday. they don't seem to mind it, I see them outside in the rain when it isn't too heavy.

Then I would think it is the crazy weather. I have to fix the hardwired timer in my big house before it is cold and I freeze my fingers trying to re-wire one. I need to clean light bulbs too of all the fly poop on them.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Minnie u need geese!! They really aren't messy if they have a stream or other good water source there isnt much poop to clean up.

I don't have that anywhere near, I am out in the big wide open of prairie. I didn't have good experiences with geese as a kid either, our Pilgrims used to chase us and bite. It was worth it though watching them chase the paperboy out of the yard daily. LOL The car dealership across the road didn't appreciate them going over in their parking lot where they had a huge puddle every time it rained though. They were afraid of them and called us to come get them. The geese didn't stay long after we moved to that place though.

 

[holm25]

I don't have that anywhere near, I am out in the big wide open of prairie.  I didn't have good experiences with geese as a kid either, our Pilgrims used to chase us and bite.  It was worth it though watching them chase the paperboy out of the yard daily.  LOL  The car dealership across the road didn't appreciate them going over in their parking lot where they had a huge puddle every time it rained though.  They were afraid of them and called us to come get them.  The geese didn't stay long after we moved to that place though.

Dig a deep hole and get a huge tarp!! Kiddy pools r to small for geese.

 

[holm25]

I have 5 gallons of tomatos bubbling away on the stove right now too, pizza sauce it will be.  Yours looks great! keep up the good work!

Yummo!