Minnesota!

[NorthCoastChick]

Hi all!
I've probably introduced myself previously, but haven't been on the forum for awhile.
Anyway, my name is Paula and I am from the town of Grand Marais in far northeastern MN on the shore of Lake Superior. Our closest "big city" is Duluth - about a 2 hour drive away.
My boyfriend and I have a home on 5 sparsely wooded acres. We share our home with my 6 year old Great Dane. Last July I started my poultry adventure with 7 lavender guinea keets, and I love the noisy, crazy things! I lost one as a younger keet, and one only a couple months ago, so they are now the Magnificent Five. Both disappeared and never returned to the roost. I'm blaming an owl for the first loss and possibly a neighbor's dog for the second, but I can't be sure.
This spring I would like to add a few guineas to my little flock, and also get a few laying hens. Because I'm so far north of "civilization" I rarely get a chance to go to swaps and the minimum order for mail order chicks is prohibitive for me (can't find any local buyers to order with). I'm looking for people in my area (Cook, Lake, or St. Louis County) to connect with, with the intention of splitting a mail order of day old chicks or even buying chicks directly from another forum member.
Like I said, I'm only looking for a few hens for eggs, and a few guineas just 'cause I like 'em!
I'll be on the forum more often as the weather gets nicer; trying to keep myself from pre-maturely planting all my seedlings right away! Please message me if you are in or near the Arrowhead region. I'd love to talk chickens or guineas with you!

Edit: Realized I perhaps should have posted most of this in the buy/sell/swap forum? If so, sorry admin!

 

[Summer98]

If you're losing birds to predators, maybe you could go ahead and order the full 25 chicks with the idea that some will be lost. By the way, we have a great dane also. Ours is 9 years old.

 

[SouthDakotan]

If you're losing birds to predators, maybe you could go ahead and order the full 25 chicks with the idea that some will be lost. By the way, we have a great dane also. Ours is 9 years old.

I've got a great-dane/german shephard 18 month old "pup" but he is already 210 lbs! Luckily he's not interested in my birds and seems to be keeping most land-based predators at bay. My chicken tractor protects my smaller birds too.

 

[a123andpoof]

Hi, I have been on here since last year and got my first chickens then. I live in Otsego, and honestly am not 100% sure we are allowed to have chickens. We have 18 layers, 3 roosters, and 5 chicks. 2 of the roosters will probably be dinner at the end of the month as we are worried the neighbors might get annoyed with them. The other roo is a silkie and isn't very noisy. We are moving this summer to Elk River where we will have around 10 or so acres of usable land. Some will be used for gardening, and around 1/2 to 1 acre will be used for my chickens. So we are just praying we won't get called out before the move as our roosters are getting annoying, and my grandma won't be back before the end of the month, and she will be helping to butcher them. Anyways hello to you all!

 

[NorthCoastChick]

Truthfully, I'm not prepared to order 25 chicks (financially and coop-wise). The predators haven't been too much of a problem except that the guineas won't roost in the coop, so they are outside on the deck all night (their preferred roosting spot). My Dane keeps the foxes, etc. away. BTW the guineas follow him around the yard and once in a while he'll try to "play" with them. They tease him and yell at him from the roof until he's dizzy! I think their brains are all the same size!

 

[bobbi-j]

Hello from West Centeral MN! I just got some Buckeyes from a breeder in the southern part of the state, but would like to find a rooster from a different bloodline so I can perpetuate my own flock. Looking for something within 100 miles or so from me . If anyone has one, please PM me so we can discuss location, price, etc. (I'll disclose my location in a PM) Thanks in advance. I could also travel into SD, as I'm very close to the border.

 

[SouthDakotan]

Hello from West Centeral MN! I just got some Buckeyes from a breeder in the southern part of the state, but would like to find a rooster from a different bloodline so I can perpetuate my own flock. Looking for something within 100 miles or so from me . If anyone has one, please PM me so we can discuss location, price, etc. (I'll disclose my location in a PM) Thanks in advance. I could also travel into SD, as I'm very close to the border.

Bobbi-i is that a Buckeye in your avatar picture? I'm not familiar with the breed but think the one in the photo is stunning! So just had to compliment!

Anisah (in neighboring South Dakota)

 

[bobbi-j]

Bobbi-i is that a Buckeye in your avatar picture? I'm not familiar with the breed but think the one in the photo is stunning! So just had to compliment!

Anisah (in neighboring South Dakota)

Thanks! He's a brahma, though, not a buckeye. I'm just getting into that breed. The guy in my avatar has 25 mixed-breed babies running around the coop right now - they all inherited his feathered feet. Where is Bushnell in relation to Milbank, Watertown or Brookings?

 

[SouthDakotan]

Thanks! He's a brahma, though, not a buckeye. I'm just getting into that breed. The guy in my avatar has 25 mixed-breed babies running around the coop right now - they all inherited his feathered feet. Where is Bushnell in relation to Milbank, Watertown or Brookings?

Bushnell is near Brookings. Just east of Brookings about 6 miles and a mile north. Its a nice little community of artists and farmers.

 

[bobbi-j]

Bushnell is near Brookings. Just east of Brookings about 6 miles and a mile north. Its a nice little community of artists and farmers.

Oh, OK. I have an idea where that is. We go past Brookings on I29 when we go to Sioux Falls.