Minnesota!

[KlopKlop]

Just guessing by the 38 posts I went through from the last 3 hours,   I am betting we make the top ten again.

I haven't ever seen us out of the top 10 for the week since I've watched that

 

[aussiegal318]

This is the photo I entered.

That is beautiful!

So I have had some exciting happenings over here.  We have ourselves a 2.5 week old calf!!  Yes, I know pictures are in order and they will be coming soon.  
I have been trying to learn up on what I can on calves (@holm25
  give me some pointers here!!)  I am reading up on the internet and calling places and shopping in feed stores asking tons of questions which I am sure are stupid newbie questions.  But a girl has to start somewhere.
I am warming milk and feeding him a bottle.  When did it start getting dark so dang early?!
Any way just thought I would share why I was M.I.A. on all the posts these last few days.  Oh and we named him Norman.  He is a Angus/Jersey cross.  Black with the cutest wet nose ever!

Congratulations on the new addition.

My poor ButterFluffin had another sedative today at Vet.. They pulled out drain tubes and took out stitches.. My $10,000.00 ,, 10 yr old ,, 3 legged, no teeth, almost blind baby But I still love him even though he just peed on my bed..

Glad to hear he's healing. Special pup. Our old man can't hear, doesn't see too well, gets lost, & is diapered at night. We love him but pain & falling frequently is getting to be too much for him.

Had a blue healer and it had some boxer in it. It was a rescue. If I told that dog not to do something once, it never did it again. It was an amazing dog. One day he just laid down in his favorite spot and never got up again. I really miss that dog.

You HAD to say Jersey Giants, didn't you?  Yes, I do intend to get Whites from a friend this coming year.  For a minute I had a senior moment and forget about that.

Yes please!

Ralphie I'm going to Aussies tomorrow and since I'm closer to Jeff's if u want to drop it off there I can bring it here kinda half way for him.. We can start a game with the traveling jacket you pass it off to me I pass it off to someone someone passes it off to someone else we can see how close we can get it to Jeff's house without him actually having to go and retrieve it...

We could do that. If I'm not here it can be left on the front porch.

This is Gockel, quickly becoming one of my favorite dudes of the flock.

Wow what a good looking boy.

Best dog I ever owned was a border collie.. Loved that dog. So many wonderful days with him, his name was Bowser.. Then one day he woke up with a big lump on his chest and before I knew it we had to put him to sleep, cancer spread fast. The first night he was gone and every night for 2 wks straight I would Dream of him telling me he loved me and I needed to get checked , well enough was enough I went to docs.. Turned out I had stage 4 Breast cancer.. Because of him I am here today... I would love another BC but I'm afraid I would keep comparing him to Bowser ..

That was a super special dog. Researchers have been training dogs to detect several diseases. It's so amazing.

 

[duluthralphie]

Aussiegal I think they need a picture of your new rooster, I never took one before I brought him over. Try to get that flowing tail if you can. Some one asked for his picture. I should have taken one just because his tail seemed like the perfect eye candy tail to me.

When I got him into the cage and into the car he did not want to be pretty, he just wanted to be PO'd at the way he was being treated.

 

[The BlanchRanch]

So I have had some exciting happenings over here. We have ourselves a 2.5 week old calf!! Yes, I know pictures are in order and they will be coming soon.
I have been trying to learn up on what I can on calves (@holm25 give me some pointers here!!) I am reading up on the internet and calling places and shopping in feed stores asking tons of questions which I am sure are stupid newbie questions. But a girl has to start somewhere.
I am warming milk and feeding him a bottle. When did it start getting dark so dang early?!
Any way just thought I would share why I was M.I.A. on all the posts these last few days. Oh and we named him Norman. He is a Angus/Jersey cross. Black with the cutest wet nose ever!

Congratulations!!! Now where is my milk.... ;-)

This is the photo I entered.

Wow, Holm. No wonder you are a finalist. That is a beautiful shot. That should make it to the calendar no problem.

 

[The BlanchRanch]

Hey!! I just made overrun with chickens!! That was quick.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Wait, a local Jersey breeder?

Sort of. My friend I buy feed from has Whites. I was supposed to get eggs this last season and she never split them out and hatched from them. She is more of a rabbit breeder and shows those nationally.

OK story about Camp Day and my son,,,

I Told him I needed his truck and told him I was going to someones house that invited me to Camp Day so I could learn and get some experience about chicken and he Freaked he said Mom haven't you ever watched the news or seen the TV movies don't you know there are creeps out there what happens if you get raped or murdered its probably a setup maybe they want to sacrifice you and using the chickens to lure you there? He had me give him Ralhpies name,address and telephone #. He told me if I got there and there were no other cars there i was to turn around and drive away. I was to call him when i pulled in the driveway and take a picture of the area and send it to him. I had to call him at least 2 times throughout the day and if I didn't he would come looking for me... LOL since when did he become the parent and I guess paybacks are a b$t$h since that sounds like what I use to do to him when he was a kid..Guess he was paying attention.. Love My Baby Boy.

My kids have been trying to tell me what to do since the first one became a teenager, but they also know they are wasting their breath. LOL But isn't it nice that he cares so much about his Mommy?

Yours was 8.4?

That is bigger than you will find in a store. If you roast it you will find it juicy and delicious if the are like my biguns from last year.

That is TWICE as big as the ones in the store, and raised better and probably tastes more like chicken than those store bought ones!

Now this one one of the CUTIEST Pics I have Ever seen....I would Hang that up.......

That is the first time I have seen a Blue chicken that actually DID look Blue! So vivid an so danged ADORABLE!!!!

So I have had some exciting happenings over here. We have ourselves a 2.5 week old calf!! Yes, I know pictures are in order and they will be coming soon.
I have been trying to learn up on what I can on calves (@holm25 give me some pointers here!!) I am reading up on the internet and calling places and shopping in feed stores asking tons of questions which I am sure are stupid newbie questions. But a girl has to start somewhere.
I am warming milk and feeding him a bottle. When did it start getting dark so dang early?!
Any way just thought I would share why I was M.I.A. on all the posts these last few days. Oh and we named him Norman. He is a Angus/Jersey cross. Black with the cutest wet nose ever!

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

You NAMED it??? You KNOW you won't be able to eat it now!!!!

I have been here for months and I still can't figure out the multi quote thing. I have tried and failed a number of times! I feel so dumb!

I have been on here for years and JUST figured it out by accident one day! It is that old timer's disease creeping up on me.

just testing multi quote///


test///




test....

Like a little boy who just learned to pee outside, Just can't stop doing it now. LMBO!!!

WOW, I never knew that! And the best thing is it works, I am now a Techie!

Time to change that sig line again!

Aussiegal I think they need a picture of your new rooster, I never took one before I brought him over. Try to get that flowing tail if you can. Some one asked for his picture. I should have taken one just because his tail seemed like the perfect eye candy tail to me.

When I got him into the cage and into the car he did not want to be pretty, he just wanted to be PO'd at the way he was being treated.

You thought POed, he was just overjoyed that he was escaping the loony bin!!!!

 

[Minniechickmama]

ARE. YOU. KIDDING ME?? I checked this afternoon and got caught up. I go take care of the turkeys and get them distributed, cut up, bagged, into the freezer, cleaned up, and come back and 86 new posts????? Is there a cash reward for getting the top thread??? Sounds like everyone is having a pretty good day all in all.

So, I loaded the 15 turkeys this morning. Hauled them to Dennison, and a kind gentleman that works there helped me pull them out of the truck where they sat and didn't want to come out. I had to pull the same trick with them this year to keep them in the truck while loading one at a time... lower the gate, then close the hatch to the topper, they are too stupid to know they could easily duck under and escape. I was smart enough to take my poultry hook with me though and we got them all in the stall to await their big surprise.
I knew that this year's were bigger than I have grown them before, but....
Last year, my biggest one was 19 pounds, most were around 15-17. I got them the first week in June and processed the second week in October. This year, exactly the same. I fed the same feed, the same amount, maybe less, put them on pasture at about the same age. Pretty much everything was the same.
3-25#
4-17#
all others were right at 22# give or take a few ounces.
OMG! they were not easy to get into the truck and they weren't any easier getting out of the coolers and weighing them when I got home! I didn't have 2 of them sold, but tonight, one person said she would take two more, so I think I have sold all but what I wanted to keep! YEEEHAW!!!
Then tonight after delivering them to the folks in town who bought them, I came home and proceeded to start cutting up the two that we had split. Chickens are SO SO SO SO SO much easier! I decided to keep one half in one piece and we can have it for dinner one night. I then removed drumsticks, wings (all the way back to the shoulder), thighs, backs, and breasts, leaving the bones in. Tomorrow I start a marathon stock cooking challenge. Let me stop and thank Coffee1st for two excellent ideas!!! First, I am going to pressure can my stock this time. Second, you helped me decide what to do with all the giblets from these goober birds! My dogs are going to get 7-weeks of a once a week addition of pate from the giblets. So, I got all done with cutting and bagging and shrink wrapping what I cut up and got it all in the freezer. Then I started cleaning the livers, which they at least took the gall bladders out of for me. Then I had to clean the hearts. Then I cleaned the gizzards, which are kind of gross but also I think they are fascinating! My favorite part is cleaning them and trying to extract the whole inside 'pouch' fully intact. I did stop feeding them yesterday, just gave them a snack early enough that I knew it would be gone before their 'appointment'. However, being that they were on pasture, they still ate grass, and that wasn't the most offensive smell, but not anything that made me drool either. After cleaning those, I proceeded to open each little gizzard pouch to look for treasure in the form of gizzard stones! Yes, I picked through the gross, smelly grass that was half ground up and pulled out some stones. I had a thought too GIZZARD STONE ART!! I could make a killing at craft fairs!! Some of them are as smooth as river rocks, but not others so much.
Okay, then I washed the necks, threw two away, and put those in the frig to make stock with too.
I should have written down weight totals, but I will do that tomorrow.

Oh, and in between a fella came and got 15 roosters to butcher. I had rounded them all up last night and put them in a pen. I screwed up the lock and it didn't latch, so guess who was running all over the pasture this morning? Yup, had to go catch them again after I dropped the gobblers.

Alright. I am caught up. I am tired and my feet are crying. You won't see me in the morning, so I hope there aren't 200 posts by tomorrow evening when I am able to come back. Take care folks!

 

[scandiafowl]

ARE. YOU. KIDDING ME?? I checked this afternoon and got caught up.  I go take care of the turkeys and get them distributed, cut up, bagged, into the freezer, cleaned up, and come back and 86 new posts?????  Is there a cash reward for getting the top thread???  Sounds like everyone is having a pretty good day all in all.


So, I loaded the 15 turkeys this morning.  Hauled them to Dennison, and a kind gentleman that works there helped me pull them out of the truck where they sat and didn't want to come out.  I had to pull the same trick with them this year to keep them in the truck while loading one at a time... lower the gate, then close the hatch to the topper, they are too stupid to know they could easily duck under and escape.  I was smart enough to take my poultry hook with me though and we got them all in the stall to await their big surprise.

I knew that this year's were bigger than I have grown them before, but....
Last year, my biggest one was 19 pounds, most were around 15-17.  I got them the first week in June and processed the second week in October.  This year, exactly the same.  I fed the same feed, the same amount, maybe less, put them on pasture at about the same age.  Pretty much everything was the same.
3-25#
4-17#
all others were right at 22# give or take a few ounces.

OMG! they were not easy to get into the truck and they weren't any easier getting out of the coolers and weighing them when I got home!  I didn't have 2 of them sold, but tonight, one person said she would take two more, so I think I have sold all but what I wanted to keep!  YEEEHAW!!!

Then tonight after delivering them to the folks in town who bought them, I came home and proceeded to start cutting up the two that we had split.  Chickens are SO SO SO SO SO much easier!  I decided to keep one half in one piece and we can have it for dinner one night.  I then removed drumsticks, wings (all the way back to the shoulder), thighs, backs, and breasts, leaving the bones in.  Tomorrow I start a marathon stock cooking challenge.  Let me stop and thank Coffee1st for two excellent ideas!!!  First, I am going to pressure can my stock this time.  Second, you helped me decide what to do with all the giblets from these goober birds!  My dogs are going to get 7-weeks of a once a week addition of pate from the giblets. So, I got all done with cutting and bagging and shrink wrapping what I cut up and got it all in the freezer.  Then I started cleaning the livers, which they at least took the gall bladders out of for me.  Then I had to clean the hearts.  Then I cleaned the gizzards, which are kind of gross but also I think they are fascinating!  My favorite part is cleaning them and trying to extract the whole inside 'pouch' fully intact.  I did stop feeding them yesterday, just gave them a snack early enough that I knew it would be gone before their 'appointment'.  However, being that they were on pasture, they still ate grass, and that wasn't the most offensive smell, but not anything that made me drool either.  After cleaning those, I proceeded to open each little gizzard pouch to look for treasure in the form of gizzard stones!  Yes, I picked through the gross, smelly grass that was half ground up and pulled out some stones.  I had a thought too GIZZARD STONE ART!! I could make a killing at craft fairs!!  Some of them are as smooth as river rocks, but not others so much.

Okay, then I washed the necks, threw two away, and put those in the frig to make stock with too.

I should have written down weight totals, but I will do that tomorrow.

 
Oh, and in between a fella came and got 15 roosters to butcher.  I had rounded them all up last night and put them in a pen.  I screwed up the lock and it didn't latch, so guess who was running all over the pasture this morning?  Yup, had to go catch them again after I dropped the gobblers.


Alright.  I am caught up.  I am tired and my feet are crying.  You won't see me in the morning, so I hope there aren't 200 posts by tomorrow evening when I am able to come back.  Take care folks!

200? Try 2000.


We spent the afternoon sitting outside after Zeus and Gockel started pitching a fit. I ran out in time to watch a gorgeous hawk fly off. He'd been sitting in a tree in our yard probably eyeing one of the Cochins.

 

[scandiafowl]

Bert is  a mutt of my designing. Half CX, half Dixie rainbow.

Dixie Rainbow?

 

[lalaland]

guess y'all were up late posting because its pretty quiet this morning!

@holm25 , I forgot to tell you your pallet table was gorgeous. What do you mean "toasting" - how did you do that? A torch?

@Minniechickmama , I think you need a spa vacation retreat. You must be exhausted. Now I am disgusted with myself that I didn't snag one of your turkeys - especially after I learned yesterday that I'm hosting thanksgiving this year. Bet they will be deliciious!!

@Coffee 1st , hows Bufferfluffin? boy does that name make me giggle. And its the perfect name for him judging from his pics.

Ok, everyone, please send me thoughts of patience - I'm heading out this mornign to pick up my mother, bless her heart. She's 88, independent as hell, and cantankerous too.

She has some trouble walking, very teetery. But if you are so rude and ignorant as to offer her a hand, you will get a tongue lashing. Its quite the experience to take her anywhere because the minute she gets out of the car or she is in a parking lot, she is taking her cane and whacking you if you get to close. Other people, though, they see her and literally come running across the parking lot to offer a hand because they just know she is going to be flat out on the pavement in 30 seconds. She lurches side to side, and it is like watching a tree you are cutting down - that moment when it kind of sits there before it heads to the ground. ANd they give you a look that clearly says "what kind of low-life slob are you that you let this poor lady try to make her way alone?"

Of course, she is sweet and gracious to them. If you know what borderline personality disorder is, then you can feel my pain! That's my mom.