Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

Minnie it was a good weekend for me I am sorry yours was "stupid". I spent the weekend training my wife to let Bert out and put him to bed. She actually became somewhat attached to Bert but he is easy to get attached too.

I talked to her this morning on my way to Duluth she said " Did you know Bert waits to be lifted off his bale"... I said yep... She said I think he is faking it and could get down if he wanted too he just likes to be held..




Lala I could teach you to be a professional chicken rancher but it would costly and take lots of time... if you cut corners and do it fast you could wind up on the wrong end of a chicken stampede.. That would not be pretty, and the financial liability will bankrupt many small nations.





Edited to add the L's my keyboard tends to skip.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Minnie it was a good weekend for me I am sorry yours was "stupid". I spent the weekend training my wife to let Bert out and put him to bed. She actually became somewhat attached to Bert but he is easy to get attached too.

I talked to her this morning on my way to Duluth she said " Did you know Bert waits to be lifted off his bale"... I said yep... She said I think he is faking it and could get down if he wanted too he just likes to be held..




Lala I could teach you to be a professional chicken rancher but it would costly and take lots of time... if you cut corners and do it fast you could wind up on the wrong end of a chicken stampede.. That would not be pretty, and the financial liability will bankrupt many small nations.





Edited to add the L's my keyboard tends to skip.

Explain to her that he is such a strapping lad that he can damage his legs and feet if he jumps down, so by lifting him down is keeping him intact longer.

 

[duluthralphie]

Explain to her that he is such a strapping lad that he can damage his legs and feet if he jumps down, so by lifting him down is keeping him intact longer.

She has been told that, I think she just likes to think he likes to be held...

She even got to the point she was carrying him back into the coop,,,,and I know that was just her enjoying holding him...


She was also getting into chatting with Ethel and petting JJ but she denies it.

 

[Minniechickmama]

They weren't laid at Easter, but look at the eggs I got! They came with all their own ribbons and strings and shiny bling too! They must have hurt those poor hens to pop these ones out! They must have a special ink jet printer in their oviduct or something. LOL!

On another note... I went out to do chores yesterday and discovered I must have a family of weasels around. 5 of 7 large Cornish (purebred, 9-10 months old) were dead with their necks bitten or chewed apart, one damaged beyond repair and one looking like they scared the life out of him but was still breathing. They were culls, but still, I am not happy to find I have those little ****s around.
For those of you who aren't aware, this is another reason for getting rid of and keeping mice and rats away, weasels follow rodent trails, and if they lead to your coop, they lead the vermin right to your chicken buffet.

 

[lalaland]

yikes! I haven't been able to rid the coop of rats....with warmer weather I can try the 5 gallon bucket trick, and also put the rat zapper back out now that the batteries won't freeze and explode in subzero weather. thanks for the reminder.

very sorry you had that happen.

Will weasels get up to roosts ? I don't have ladders, the hens fly up to them.

 

[ejb3810]

Myron, I am thinking a chicken roundup on donkey back would be a sight to behold. Does the donkey have a permanent sway back now? Will the hens be out of lay for a few days as a result of this escapade?
I am thinking that you may have enough material to initiate a new reality TV series. Title could be " As The Chicken Turns" ? " Free Range and Free Love" ? Who has a better idea for a title?

 

[nordicacres]

Ack, weasels! I am so sorry.

We already seem to have a mouse issue out here. Somebody dumped their kitten out here on Saturday night. She is currently living in our shed. Hopefully she will help with the mouse population without bothering the chickens (if we can't find her an indoor home, that is). When we moved here the previous owners had THIRTEEN outdoor cats. I thought they were completely crazy. Until I realized that they probably collected that many over the years due to people dumping their pets, ugh. I called the local Sheriff's Office and they said there is no place for country strays to go to.

 

[lalaland]

ok, found this about trapping weasels in the coop. http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/ge...ing-questions/429810-how-get-rid-weasels.html

 

[ejb3810]

If you have quality barn cats they will keep weasels at bay. Be careful that they are not chicken hunters. Those of you in the Northland like I am must be cautious of Fishers. Fishers love cats and not as playmates but as the main entrée on the dinner menu. One winter they wiped me out of 7 quality barn cats. I don't have the heart to get more in my situation.

 

[Cluckies]

On another note... I went out to do chores yesterday and discovered I must have a family of weasels around. 5 of 7 large Cornish (purebred, 9-10 months old) were dead with their necks bitten or chewed apart, one damaged beyond repair and one looking like they scared the life out of him but was still breathing. They were culls, but still, I am not happy to find I have those little ****s around.
For those of you who aren't aware, this is another reason for getting rid of and keeping mice and rats away, weasels follow rodent trails, and if they lead to your coop, they lead the vermin right to your chicken buffet.

That is terrible. So sorry for your loss. I talked to one of the dudes at Ramsey F&G, he lost his whole flock to weasels last year. I think he ended up trapping 6 or 7 of them. He got more chicks this year. I won't even have a pen without hardware cloth cause of the horror stories i've heard about weasels and raccoon. Terrible.