Minnesota!

[NathanZee]

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So the training didn't pay off?

 

[NathanZee]

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Thanks! I'm glad to be here. I and my brother have 12 ducks (3 mallards, 3 khaki campbells, 3 fawn & white runners, and 3 buffs), and a pair of african geese. They are all 22 days old, and starting to feather out. My brother used to have chickens, which made finding housing, feeders, and water containers very easy!

 

[duluthralphie]

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Actually it did, but I got too old and my knees and hips got too bad to walk the fields hunting with her, Now she only gets to go if I can find someone to take her. I do take her once a year to a game preserve just so she can hunt. But alas she is getting old now too. She will be my last hunting dog, not counting her daughter who I trained myself.

I forgot to enroll her in "anti-poop ingesting" 101..

 

[duluthralphie]

Oh,, back on chicken stuff,

We went out to lock up the babies tonight, they are getting big enough they do not want to go inside. We were doing the nightly round up when a creamette gave herself up and cam flying down from about 20 ft up in a tree...Shocked me, scared the poop out of my DW. It flew right in front of her..


While working on CX pens today I heard a ruckus in the nursery ( formerly known as "guinea gulag") I ran over to see what was going on. The young turkey hen that is setting on eggs got a wild feather up her rear and decided to attack the BA broody and her kids. Luckily the BA was between the turkey and the BA's kids.

I moved the BA to the old covered run of the creamettes along with the 6 keets (not hers) that were in the nursery. Ethel is still in there with her but the young hen seems to not bother Ethel or her poults.. Do turkey hens go crazy before they go into labor? (hatch eggs)

How does a hen know if the eggs under her are any good?

Will it be safe to leave her in with Ethel and her kids?

I think she might have rabies, She came off her nest, after things had calmed down and she had went back to it, and ran halfway across the pen to attack the BA and brood a second or third time. She did go back to her nest and all was calm once I got the other birds out of there.

Oops one more dumb question, there are lots of flies around her eggs, does that mean they are rotten or is that normal, I have never watched a nest outdoors before.

 

[The BlanchRanch]

I would not count on not having predators in the city. My dad lives in St. Paul in a neighborhood near macallister college, his neighbors just got 3 chickens this year. a couple weeks ago while they were out of town for the weekend, he saw a fox trying to get into their pen, middle of the day. He scared it off, but was really surprised it was right there in the city. I have a friend with chickens in white bear lake. a raccoon got ahold of one, right out of his pen. ripped its head off and was eating it piece by piece through the wire. So, I don't want to scare you, but just because you are in the city, it does not mean that you are safe from predators.

By the way, if anyone knows, if your run is 1/2 inch hardware cloth and you have no holes larger than that, are your chickens safe from predators? I have it on my windows of the henhouse as well as covering every hole in their as well.

Are they safe now if they are in the pen?

So far so lucky then. I never put them in the coop. They have free run of the yard. It is fenced in. I never close the coop. They go in at night and come out in the morning. I live really close to downtown. But racoon sightings are everywhere. Haven't heard of any around here. But that means little.
Think I should be locking them in when I am away or at night? They would be angry. They are spoiled.

 

[lalaland]

i would lock them in at night. They will be fine - its dark, they are only going to roost.

It is more work for you - and they will raise cain if you want to sleep in and don't let them out early....but I think it is just a matter of time before a coon gets into your yard. Even in downtown, or near downtown mpls. The coons usually travel the sewers and come up through the gratings at curbside...

But, it is the same gamble most of us take with our flocks free ranging....sooner or later something will get one. Maybe not this year!

 

[duluthralphie]

So far so lucky then. I never put them in the coop. They have free run of the yard. It is fenced in. I never close the coop. They go in at night and come out in the morning. I live really close to downtown. But racoon sightings are everywhere. Haven't heard of any around here. But that means little.
Think I should be locking them in when I am away or at night? They would be angry. They are spoiled.

I would not lock them in if it has not been a problem, just cause I like them to live as free as possible. Just know and understand something will kill one or all of them some night. Do not deceive yourself, some will die some night, but they could die locked up too. If you get a weasel it will not matter if they are in the Fort Knox of chicken coops, he will get in.

I am a " I would rather live a short free live" than a "long captive life" person. I have a mix of birds some that get locked in every night and some that never get locked in. I have lost more birds in the locked in one than the unlocked ones. I know it is an abnormality, but it is what it is.



NOW ON A WAY MORE IMPORTANT ISSUE..


I need my coffee each morning, I try to limit myself to a couple dozen cups. I am also a semi-cheap person.

About a year ago I was in Menard's and they had "Victor Allens Organic Peruvian coffee" in k cups on sale it was very inexpensive. I like a good cup of coffee, not one like my mother makes. I know Kuerigs make and more expensive cup of coffee, but it is worth it..

Now the problem, I want more of this coffee, I am down the last half of my last box. Menard's has not had this coffee since it was on sale. I want, NO, I need more of it. I went online and cannot find it. I tired to find this Victor Allen's website, I cannot find it. What am I to do? Who would ever think Menards would stop selling a coffee I need...

If I cannot count on Menard's to constantly deliver a inexpensive good product, who can I depend on..

I need this coffee, help me find it, (and I want it on the cheap)

 

[scandiafowl]

I

...

I would not lock them in if it has not been a problem, just cause I like them to live as free as possible. Just know and understand something will kill one or all of them some night.  Do not deceive yourself, some will die some night, but they could die locked up too. If you get a weasel it will not matter if they are in the Fort Knox of chicken coops, he will get in.

I am a " I would rather live a short free live"  than a "long captive life" person.  I have a mix of birds some that get locked in every night and some that never get locked in. I have lost more birds in the locked in one than the unlocked ones. I know it is an abnormality, but it is what it is.
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I feel better with everyone tucked in at night. But they go to bed on their own, Zeus leads them in at a certain time.

 

[scandiafowl]

So far so lucky then. I never put them in the coop. They have free run of the yard. It is fenced in. I never close the coop. They go in at night and come out in the morning. I live really close to downtown. But racoon sightings are everywhere. Haven't heard of any around here. But that means little.

Think I should be locking them in when I am away or at night? They would be angry. They are spoiled.

Living in the city does not guarantee safety from predators. The availability of food from dumpsters, gardens and pets... Much easier than having to chase for a living.

 

[ejb3810]

Ralphie, flies around the nest I would take as a bad omen. I would guess that at least some of the eggs may be bad?
Perhaps your Lab would like to spend the month of October up North. Pigeon racing season is over at the end of September, and after that I think I may do a considerable amount of Grouse hunting?
I am tempted to duck hunt in the St Louis river as well, but that requires a non-resident Wisconsin license. I am not much fond of duck as table fare, but they are sure fun to hunt.