Minnesota!

[ejb3810]

Ralphie, I think that Ed will make it to the breeding pen and do just fine, as he is far too intelligent to be injured by any falling coconuts.

 

[duluthralphie]

What breed did you say Ed was?

Is he the one you got in Carlton?


It does take a special rooster to avoid being hit by falling coconuts, You would not believe how many roosters I lose to them!



And on a side note, these cold nights are taking a toll on my egg collection.

 

[Chickenchick11]

Ugh, it's supposed to be -25 tonight. I'm debating if I want to go put Bagbalm on everyone's combs. *Sigh*

 

[duluthralphie]

Ugh, it's supposed to be -25 tonight. I'm debating if I want to go put Bagbalm on everyone's combs. *Sigh*

Our winter might have been pleasant in the middle, BUT the two ends stink.

I was 11 eggs short today because of the cold I think,

 

[Rani]

Howdy fellow Minn-peeps,

I have been out of touch for awhile. After all my fussing and worry and all of your very helpful advice - my first winter has been uneventful. In fact, all my worries about my poor cold hens was for naught. In fact, they prefer to roost outside at night. (protected run).

There was a morning when it was bitterly cold and they were clearly stressed. So . . . on went the heat lamp. We have used it when temps are dropping below 0 F at night. My monitor (yes, I bought a remote temp monitor) says it's only staying around 10-15 in the house with the heat lamp on, so I'm not too concerned with huge temperature swings when they are let out in the morning. (On bitter nights, I catch them all and put them in the hen house and close it up for the night).

Here is my new wonder: I thought that egg production slowed down during the winter months. We seem to be getting about 3-4 eggs a day from our 4 hens. That seems like a normal production rate for summer time. The heat lamp is only on a couple times a month, so I'm not supplementing light. Do you think it's because they are northern breeds? The type of northern breeds that prefer to roost outside!?

ps. I want more snow!

 

[duluthralphie]

My condolences to those of you in NW Minnesota this morning!

I was worried we would have the cold you do, It stopped before getting here. I got up to a balmy 4 below.

Tomorrow will not be pleasant..

 

[PoultryBird12]

I NEED EVERYONE'S ADVICE. I AM SOOOOO CONFUSED. Is this little ducky a Muscovy. . . or a wood duck? HHEELLPPP. You can see how big it is . . . because those hands are medium sized. Someone told me it was a muscovy, then someone told me it was a wood duck! Which one is it?

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Howdy fellow Minn-peeps,

I have been out of touch for awhile.  After all my fussing and worry and all of your very helpful advice - my first winter has been uneventful.  In fact, all my worries about my poor cold hens was for naught. In fact, they prefer to roost outside at night.  (protected run).

There was a morning when it was bitterly cold and they were clearly stressed.  So . . .  on went the heat lamp.  We have used it when temps are dropping below 0 F at night.  My monitor (yes, I bought a remote temp monitor) says it's only staying around 10-15 in the house with the heat lamp on, so I'm not too concerned with huge temperature swings when they are let out in the morning.  (On bitter nights, I catch them all and put them in the hen house and close it up for the night).

Here is my new wonder:  I thought that egg production slowed down during the winter months.  We seem to be getting about 3-4 eggs a day from our 4 hens.  That seems like a normal production rate for summer time.  The heat lamp is only on a couple times a month, so I'm not supplementing light.  Do you think it's because they are northern breeds?  The type of northern breeds that prefer to roost outside!?

ps.  I want more snow!

They are laying because they are young pullets with bountiful ovaries right now. The intermittent light sessions also may have kicked it up a notch but February tends to be a month where they begin to lay again too. They'll probably go on through June and then egg break during the heat of summer.

 

[duluthralphie]

I NEED EVERYONE'S ADVICE. I AM SOOOOO CONFUSED. Is this little ducky a Muscovy. . . or a wood duck? HHEELLPPP. You can see how big it is . . . because those hands are medium sized. Someone told me it was a muscovy, then someone told me it was a wood duck! Which one is it?

I can't help you on whether he is a wood duck or Muscovy, but he is a cute lil duck!

 

[PoultryBird12]

I can't help you on whether he is a wood duck or Muscovy, but he is a cute lil duck!

Yeah, he's cute! Thanks! I found him in my back yard . . . my cat was trying to kill him . . . so I brought him in and then a day later, I let him go on our pond. I'm hoping he found his family.