Minnesota!

[Rhetts]

The chicks arrived! Right at the tail end of our Scout Activity which was perfect. They are all healthy and alert. No pasty butt (like so many chicks I've seen at Fleet Farm and TSC). We spent the rest of the day watching chick tv, haha!

So glad to hear they arrived and are doing well!!

 

[Minniechickmama]

This Thursday shipping makes no sense. If the chicks do not make it to the post office before close on Saturday, not only do they sit all weekend but that also makes more mail for them on Monday. If Monday is so busy, why not Tuesday or Wednesday. They should then make it before the weekend.

That is exactly what I thought when I heard it. When I first got chicks from them a few years ago, it was Wednesdays they shipped and that was the reason they gave. It is crazy. But there has been the debate of stopping the shipping of day-old chicks altogether every year since I started hatching them. I use SpeeDee for as much as I can now because it is convenient and because it is way cheaper than the other options. I ship chick in-state and to neighboring states in the same boxes I use for USPS.
I had shipped two hens to a person Ohio a couple of years ago via USPS. Shipped Express, paid about $75 postage. It took them 3-days to get there!! I got refunded the express fee, and luckily the hens were in great shape when they did arrive, one even laid an egg en route, but both were very thirsty.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Ralphie: you're not alone. When I need to do freezer camp I need a week or two to prep myself.

Yeah... I just can't do the bird in the mail thing. I'll go pick them up. Shop local. Lol. I'm glad those chicks made it. Bit of a chilly day today. Our post office desk closes at 10:30 on Saturdays. Very narrow time frame to get anything picked up there on a Saturday.

The creamettes put themselves to bed in their new coop and grazed peacefully with my flock today. Small squabbles but they sure held their ground.

This is something that always amazes me about chickens: the roosting in their coop at night or putting themselves to bed. And my friends who are chicken less are amazed by that too. Many have always thought I had to chase 'em in each night after letting them free range all day. Anybody else find that part about chickens fascinating?

 

[Cluckies]

Oh Ralphie, you were not able to find a place for Nameless? Maybe post him on craigslist as a pet rooster. There are people that will take them maybe?

Maybe this person would take him? it is worth a try...
Unwanted Spring Animals

 

[duluthralphie]

Oh Ralphie, you were not able to find a place for Nameless? Maybe post him on craigslist as a pet rooster. There are people that will take them maybe?

Maybe this person would take him? it is worth a try...
Unwanted Spring Animals

I was not able to send Nameless to a happy home. I never tried craigslist, but there are so many roosters listed on it right now. Most of which are like nameless, not a bad bird, just one too many, with the run of the mill genetics or worse. It is too bad chickens are not hatched 90% female instead of 50/50.

I wonder about a place like you linked too. How can they take all the extra roosters and raise them as pets? It would cost them a fortune. I know some people would call me a skeptic, but I think it is more li they take free roosters/animals promise to pets, they eat or sell them as food.

I would have given him to someone even if they wanted to eat him, or if they wanted to have him as a pet. Now, I am afraid he is just going to be camp consoler for the Jakes.

 

[duluthralphie]

Ralphie: you're not alone. When I need to do freezer camp I need a week or two to prep myself.

Yeah... I just can't do the bird in the mail thing. I'll go pick them up. Shop local. Lol. I'm glad those chicks made it. Bit of a chilly day today. Our post office desk closes at 10:30 on Saturdays. Very narrow time frame to get anything picked up there on a Saturday.

The creamettes put themselves to bed in their new coop and grazed peacefully with my flock today. Small squabbles but they sure held their ground.

This is something that always amazes me about chickens: the roosting in their coop at night or putting themselves to bed. And my friends who are chicken less are amazed by that too. Many have always thought I had to chase 'em in each night after letting them free range all day. Anybody else find that part about chickens fascinating?

I find it all amazing. They put themselves to bed with no arguments, for the biggest part. I got a minor protest from Bert last night. We went and saw the grandkids so Bert had to go to bed two hours early. He did not like that. Bert is too big to go through the chicken doors nd so meek the other chickens pull his butt feathers out at night. They get along fine during the day but at night it changes. I have to open the human door then Bert jumps up on his bale of chips to sleep, but he waits there every morning to lift him off the bale and set him in the doorway.


I find it fascinating the personalities they have. With the 6 brain cells they have they can still remember things and show distinct personalities. They seem to have "buddies" and hang with the same buddies most the time. I come out the door they run to greet me, ( I prefer thinking that to, they want food from me or for me to trip so they can eat me).


Some come right over and talk, some avoid me, some tolerate me.


As far as prepping for camp day, it is a long process, I grew up on a farm, I am a farm kid, I have seen or helped butcher most of my life. Yet it is still hard to do. BUT I enjoy hunting and still find the "killing part: of that sad. We are omnivores, if it is alive we eat it, if not we die, that's life, but it is still hard to do.

I am one of those that thank God and the anima when I kill it. But then I thank the turnip also, who is to say the turnip did not want to live as much as the chicken did?..



Wow, so much thought here, I must be at a .15 AC from the liquid preparations yesterday. This kind of philosophy normally requires alcohol consumption for me.

 

[duluthralphie]

OH on the mail order chicken thing, Hoover hatchery sent me the CX's on a Wednesday I think it was. All were happy and healthy and 2-3 packing peanuts! I plan to buy this years CX's from them.

 

[lalaland]

I was not able to send Nameless to a happy home. I never tried craigslist, but there are so many roosters listed on it right now. Most of which are like nameless, not a bad bird, just one too many, with the run of the mill genetics or worse. It is too bad chickens are not hatched 90% female instead of 50/50.

I wonder about a place like you linked too. How can they take all the extra roosters and raise them as pets? It would cost them a fortune. I know some people would call me a skeptic, but I think it is more li they take free roosters/animals promise to pets, they eat or sell them as food.

I would have given him to someone even if they wanted to eat him, or if they wanted to have him as a pet. Now, I am afraid he is just going to be camp consoler for the Jakes.

or worse yet, they are doing the cock fighting thing. I had extra roosters a few years ago and took them to a swap meet in finlayson, gave them away to a guy, who I then watched go about collecting every single rooster there. left with about 30 roosters of all ages, etc. An old timer pointed out the reason the guy wanted all the roosters. I felt absolutely horrible and guilty as hell, and ever afterward have sent my extra roosters to freezer camp. I can give them a good life, and a quick send off - much better than what those poor sweet boys were facing.

 

[duluthralphie]

I know the guilt thing!!!

When I melded ED and Ole into my flock I had to watch Ed and Ernie duke it out. I broke it up about 4 times before I ran them off. They eventually earned their place. I was going to video the meeting then thought Geez someone is going to think I am cock fighting if I show this to anyone...


I know roosters need to work out their pecking order, but I sure saw nothing enjoyable about it. Even Ed and Ole had to work out their order when I picked them up from EJB. He kept them in separate pens, if I recall correctly. I thought based on injuries ( a little blood and bruising on Ole) that Ed was the top rooster of those two.... I was wrong Ole might have bleed but Ed always gives way to Ole now. Of course, Ole is a sneaky little buggar, he never really fights the other roosters, he just wanders the edge of the flock finding willing hens on the edge of the flock...


JJ my old tom hates Ole, I see him run Ole off about a dozen times a day. JJ never hurts him, just chases him away from the females.




NOW AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE:

Anyone here interested in meeting for coffee or lunch in Elk River this coming week. so far there are two of us...More would be nice..

 

[bantiesrule]

What day are you thinking of? The Minnesota Pheasant and Waterfall Society has a swap on Saturday in New Prague so that won't work for me but maybe sometime during the week?