Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

My meatballs were a pain in the arse tonight. They refused to go into the brooder/tractor. They were not even hungry and could not be enticed with feed even.

Of the 68 chubbies I think we had to pick up and carry 50 of them into the tractor. I hate even touching them on these hot muggy days. They are panting and most have their wings out.

Mine are the size most people process at. I got them July 8. so they are 8 weeks old today.


They must have eaten well this morning. There are so many weed seeds for them. We had 5 that were off in the tall grass eating grasshoppers. Was not a fun time. I hope they make it through the night. I need to get 5 more weeks on them. We tried to be as gentle and slow with them as we could. I did not dare let them stay out all night.

I still have turkeys to lock up, I am giving them as much time out as I can.

 

[duluthralphie]

I thought it was funny after I learned on here what the heck silage is, I heard on the radio a farm update and the guy was talking about starting to make silage and his moisture was all off so they had to stop and wait. Said they get the heaviest tractors they have to roll over it to pack it down and get the air out.

That is in a pit silo. BTW heaviest does not translate to most pounds pressure on the ground, which is what they want.

 

[KlopKlop]

I set a fan up in one coop tonight. so hot! the other was better since it is part of the grainery.

I finished tilling up the rest of my garden that is done. The girls will go nuts tomorrow morning with all the goodies they will find.

Has anyone planted a fall crop of carrots before? I'm considering trying some where my potatoes are if Im not too late, AND if i can find seed still.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Oh look! It's a pole-cat!

Her name is Mila, though it started out MilO. Then upon taking her to the vet, discovered the odds lost out this time. She is a sweety. Lately, she loves climbing up everything, including our trees my husband planted last year. Hubby no likey! LOL The turkeys are catching their stride now in growing and will be going to the freezer in about a month. I like to get them done so they are between 15-20 pounds. I may push a little more corn and fatten them a little more this year though since I have a couple of folks who want them bigger.

So, I have these clear freezer bags for chickens or whatever, 189 of them, 1 is a turkey sized bag, then the others for broilers or roasters. I have mine bagged already when they come back, so I don't need them and they are taking up precious cupboard space. I am not giving them away but if anyone is interested, let me know. They have twist ties with them too.

 

[Coffee 1st]

KlopKlop, Glad you made it through the night intact.

Deer are becoming a problem. I had one remaining pumpkin in my patch. I decided yesterday to give it to my oldest Granddaughter. Today I have no pumpkin. I have pieces of pumpkins and lots of deer tracks.

I threatened to put a high fence around my garden last year, I should have carried through, NEXT year I will, maybe.



I have a question about city chickens. I see so many people on (and this is not brought on my anyone on this thread) that have chickens and say they could never kill (cull) one. I admit it is a terrible thing to do but sometimes needs to be done. Chickens require feed to live, feed is not cheap.

So if a person lives somewhere they can only have 6 chickens, and the chickens get to be 3-4 years old and are no longer laying eggs, Do they keep the chickens until they die a natural death in another 3-4 years? Do they take the chickens for a one-way car ride and kick them loose in the country, so someone else has to deal with it?

What good is a coop full of 7 year old hens? I understand if they are just pets, but most often you hear people say they got chickens for the eggs and the pet part is incidental. Just curious.

I know what mine will become when they are no longer productive, luckily for me and not them, I love chicken noodle soup.

right now i say i will make chicken and dumpling with them,,,but ask me again in a few years...LOl..

 

[Minniechickmama]

I set a fan up in one coop tonight. so hot! the other was better since it is part of the grainery.

I finished tilling up the rest of my garden that is done. The girls will go nuts tomorrow morning with all the goodies they will find.

Has anyone planted a fall crop of carrots before? I'm considering trying some where my potatoes are if Im not too late, AND if i can find seed still.

Should have done them about 3-4 weeks ago. I wanted to do a fall crop of a few things, but ran out of time. Oh, and it decided to rain like crazy too that week I was going to attempt it. The best carrots we ever grew though were harvested from under about 4" of snow just before Thanksgiving. I just don't know if there is enough grow time left. However, you could run a hoop tunnel over them and extend your season.
I keep wanting to do that, but of course, I don't have time : ( Also, growing root veggies in a raised bed of 6" or so produces the best ones.

 

[Minniechickmama]

That is in a pit silo. BTW heaviest does not translate to most pounds pressure on the ground, which is what they want.

A pit or a bunker style. In the 80s folks started converting to the bunkers, probably because they got tired of pitching out with a fork when the unloader pooped out on them. There is more spoilage though if not properly covered, and if air pockets are left, then anaerobic decomposition starts and that is not good, creates mold and can be bad. With a cylinder, upright silo, it packed down very well as it is shot up into the silo, so no worry for air pockets. I would rather have the silo, myself, though if I had to do it again, it would kill me climbing those 50-60-footers. My legs could handle it when I was a kid, but not now.

 

[Coffee 1st]

We could advertise for donations of food stuff, bread, expired canned goods etc, to feed the birds and of course cash.

We could then open "Redneck Soup kitchen" for the poor and homeless. specializing in bring chicken to the poor.

We could ask for volunteers, food stuff and cash to help feed the poor......

We would only have 2 paid staff members. It would be a model of efficiency, We might need to hire a third or fourth person for the times we take needed fishing and hunting trips to relax.

Of course, this would be a tax exempt endeavor. We would have to take some care to assure people do not learn the two entities are connected.






Scandia, I have had the tax certificate but that was YEARs ago, now when I buy farm stuff. I just pay the price.

watch out Ralphie talk like that might get you another audit....:#14 coming up....

 

[KlopKlop]

Should have done them about 3-4 weeks ago. I wanted to do a fall crop of a few things, but ran out of time. Oh, and it decided to rain like crazy too that week I was going to attempt it. The best carrots we ever grew though were harvested from under about 4" of snow just before Thanksgiving. I just don't know if there is enough grow time left. However, you could run a hoop tunnel over them and extend your season.
I keep wanting to do that, but of course, I don't have time : ( Also, growing root veggies in a raised bed of 6" or so produces the best ones.

a hoop tunnel could do it. cooler weather should make for sweeter carrots. Iwill look for seeds and plastic tomorrow at the man mall

 

[KlopKlop]

I laid fresh mulch over a layer of newspaper around my raspberries last week. when i went out for lockdown i see the chickens dug out the wood chips and shredded the paper today. Thanks a lot guys!