Minnesota!

[FoxyChicken]

38* and just rain here so far....be careful out there folks!

 

[lalaland]

got about 4" here, so not bad.

Minniechickmama, I didn't know you lived down by zumbrota. that is such a gorgeous area. It is pretty flat where I am, and when I am somewhere with hills, I'm just in awe.

Havent looked in on Goldie yet. I figure the more she is resting the better. After I had her settled last night, I went out and got a wire kennel that was in the shed, it is a bit of a task to get to it. Got it set up, got rugs to cover the sides so it would be dark, lined it with towels, etc, and then went to get her out of the tiny carrier kennel . She was in worse shape - just laid where I put her in the kennel. Hope she wasn't going into shock. I didn't even try to get her to drink (got her to take in a few drips of electrolytes earlier).

When I was in the bathroom I talked to her, but she didn't answer back. So in about an hour I'll take a look. I am not 100% sure that I found all the wounds, you know how it is with all those feathers. And when your fingers are sticky....

Really lucked out that I get to work from home so I can tend to her, coax her to eat and drink.

have a good morning everyone. safe commute to everyone!

 

[Cluckies]

got about 4" here, so not bad.

Minniechickmama, I didn't know you lived down by zumbrota.  that is such a gorgeous area.  It is pretty flat where I am, and when I am somewhere with hills, I'm just in awe.

Havent looked in on Goldie yet.  I figure the more she is resting the better.  After I had her settled last night, I went out and got a wire kennel that was in the shed, it is a bit of a task to get to it.  Got it set up, got rugs to cover the sides so it would be dark, lined it with towels, etc, and then went to get her out of the tiny carrier kennel .  She was in worse shape - just laid where I put her in the kennel.  Hope she wasn't going into shock.  I didn't even try to get her to drink (got her to take in a few drips of electrolytes earlier).

When I was in the bathroom I talked to her, but she didn't answer back.  So in about an hour I'll take a look. I am not 100% sure that I found all the wounds, you know how it is with all those feathers.  And when your fingers are sticky....

Really lucked out that I get to work from home so I can tend to her, coax her to eat and drink.

have a good morning everyone.  safe commute to everyone!

Hoping she comes around, that is just so sad that that happened. Hoping seaquist got up high and out of danger as well. Roads just wet on my way in today.

 

[FoxyChicken]

Whoa, the gravel county road I take down to Highway 61 was a skating rink! And of course it's all downhill with curves at the bottom

I was just creeping along when I got to the curves because my dear dear sweet darling husband (DDSDH?) had called me before I left to tell me how slick it was down there. Anyway, even though I was going really slow my ABS was engaged the whole way down! freaky.
The highway was just wet, but it's supposed to turn to snow yet today so the drive home should be interesting. It will be 30 miles of white knuckles I'm sure.

 

[lalaland]

whoa is right foxy, hope it melts before your drive home.

Well, this morning Goldie (I didn't name her!) is doing ok. She gave a couple of soft clucks, and she had a few poops during the night. Also lost a bunch of feathers, don't know if she was grooming in the dark or if relaxing just let the ones pulled out loose. So I got a big handful of feathers out of the cage.

She ate some scrambled egg and electrolyte water. Stood and turned around, but pretty slowly, poor babe. I think her internal organs did not get damaged.

No sign of seaquist, but I am guessing the dog carried her home. I have never found the bodies, so I think the MO is to grab a bird and flee home. The neighbor's dog is a big german shepard, the biggest one I have ever seen. His back comes up to my hips, and he is fairly agressive. Otherwise I might consider searching the neighbors woods, but between the dog, having to work, and the 4 inches of white snow, and the odds being very very good that she is dead make me wait. After it melts a little, I might later this afternoon.

I think the next couple of days will tell whether Goldie can fight off any infection or not. Nustock is really really good on infections, but I am still worried I could have missed some wounds.

back to work.

 

[cottonlouie]

I recently acquired 2 barn cats, feral, who get food and water and a warm place to stay in hopes they help will rodent control. I rarely actually see the cats. I have wondered if I still have them...but today I found partially eaten mice outside the coop! Yay! My cats are around and are doing their job! As soon as I let the chickens out they found the carcasses and it was pretty funny watching them chase eachother in an effort to get a bite. The cats came from a horrible situation in which they never had human contact and were locked in a truly filthy house littered with feces and dead cats as well as a whole bunch of other starving cats. I didn't know if these poor cats would ever venture outside the barn, but they do! And now they are living a cat's life!

 

[Minniechickmama]

I recently acquired 2 barn cats, feral, who get food and water and a warm place to stay in hopes they help will rodent control. I rarely actually see the cats. I have wondered if I still have them...but today I found partially eaten mice outside the coop! Yay! My cats are around and are doing their job! As soon as I let the chickens out they found the carcasses and it was pretty funny watching them chase eachother in an effort to get a bite. The cats came from a horrible situation in which they never had human contact and were locked in a truly filthy house littered with feces and dead cats as well as a whole bunch of other starving cats. I didn't know if these poor cats would ever venture outside the barn, but they do! And now they are living a cat's life!

That is a good thing. Some would disagree that a cat's life is outside hunting for food, but I am in total agreement that that is a happy cat's life. So long as they have a warm place to sleep when it gets cold. I love having my cats out in my chicken yard.
Now, Mr. Jerome, the only male of the three, thought he should help me yesterday while I was trying to put up my hoop coop. I was trying to put some big screws in the corner and turning them in with a wrench and he came right in and rubbed against my hands and legs while I was doing it. He is such an attention hound that if I want to get anything done, I have to pick him up before I start working and give him plenty of snuggles or he will be under my feet and in my way the whole time. He got neutered this summer and now he is getting to be a really big boy too! But such a sweetheart. I have always considered myself a dog person, but I sure do love my chicken kitties.
I was certain our momma cat was dead and gone, she disappeared for over a week. Then Sunday while I was out working, I heard a meow and turned around and he she came trotting back from the field. I am SO glad I got her spayed!!! But while she was gone all I could think was what a waste of money to pay for that then have her gone. I was really happy to see her and she seems perkier than she has been in quite a while.

 

[lalaland]

I recently acquired 2 barn cats, feral, who get food and water and a warm place to stay in hopes they help will rodent control. I rarely actually see the cats. I have wondered if I still have them...but today I found partially eaten mice outside the coop! Yay! My cats are around and are doing their job! As soon as I let the chickens out they found the carcasses and it was pretty funny watching them chase eachother in an effort to get a bite. The cats came from a horrible situation in which they never had human contact and were locked in a truly filthy house littered with feces and dead cats as well as a whole bunch of other starving cats. I didn't know if these poor cats would ever venture outside the barn, but they do! And now they are living a cat's life!

that is wonderful!

 

[Minniechickmama]

whoa is right foxy, hope it melts before your drive home.

Well, this morning Goldie (I didn't name her!) is doing ok. She gave a couple of soft clucks, and she had a few poops during the night. Also lost a bunch of feathers, don't know if she was grooming in the dark or if relaxing just let the ones pulled out loose. So I got a big handful of feathers out of the cage.

She ate some scrambled egg and electrolyte water. Stood and turned around, but pretty slowly, poor babe. I think her internal organs did not get damaged.

No sign of seaquist, but I am guessing the dog carried her home. I have never found the bodies, so I think the MO is to grab a bird and flee home. The neighbor's dog is a big german shepard, the biggest one I have ever seen. His back comes up to my hips, and he is fairly agressive. Otherwise I might consider searching the neighbors woods, but between the dog, having to work, and the 4 inches of white snow, and the odds being very very good that she is dead make me wait. After it melts a little, I might later this afternoon.

I think the next couple of days will tell whether Goldie can fight off any infection or not. Nustock is really really good on infections, but I am still worried I could have missed some wounds.

back to work.

I am glad to hear she is doing better. Personally, I would have a gun at the ready for that dog then. And for the owner to try to play it off the way he did. I SO hate seeing people who are irresponsible with their pets like that. I hope Seaquist surprises you and shows up again.



I drove to town today, and our driveway was the worst part of going. It is staying warm enough that what precipitation we have gotten over the last 24+ hours has been rain. I think what we have on the ground right now will be gone by the weekend. I hope. It looks like we will have a fairly mild December from the forecast I looked at this morning. I won't mind. Of course, the one year I have everyone inside of a coop is when it is mild. LOL

 

[cottonlouie]

...

That is a good thing. Some would disagree that a cat's life is outside hunting for food, but I am in total agreement that that is a happy cat's life.  So long as they have a warm place to sleep when it gets cold.  

I make sure they have cat food and water, too. I got them from the humane society, and was very clear about how they were going to be barn cats. The woman there told me these cats would never be good house kitties and my barn would be the Taj Mahal compared to what they came from. They were both spayed by the human society and I got them both for a total of 40 bucks...plus they told me to keep the nice pet carrier they came in. I am so glad these kitties get a second chance and I get natural rodent control.

I don't know how my response got mixed in with the quote from minniehickmamma. The first paragraph is a quote....the second paragraph is my response. Just clarifying so as to not put words in someone else's mouth. Can't figure out how to delete the whole thing.