Minnesota!

[Minniechickmama]

I'm not sure if the young thing is a hen or rooster. It's about 13 to 14 weeks old. No crowing yet.

Crowing will commence in 5, 4, 3, ......

Are you a Gopher's fan?? The bird looks like an Easter Egger or a cross of some kind, but can you show us a picture of it on the ground and a side picture? It is a pullet though, so you will get eggs, and that makes it
valuable, right?

Edit: I thought you were on a breed page when I posted. LOL! Of COURSE, you're a Gopher fan! LOL

 

[bear7298]

I will get one tomorrow since she and I are in bed.

 

[lalaland]

its that time of year - woodchuck moved in under the shed, hens turning broody if you look at them crosseyed, strawberries ripening, baby bunnies everywhere - where the heck are the hawks and owls?

the 25 red ranger chicks are almost a month old, cute as the dickens and I have to keep reminding myself that they are dinner.

Is everyone getting ready for the 4th?

 

[Minniechickmama]

its that time of year - woodchuck moved in under the shed, hens turning broody if you look at them crosseyed, strawberries ripening, baby bunnies everywhere - where the heck are the hawks and owls?

the 25 red ranger chicks are almost a month old, cute as the dickens and I have to keep reminding myself that they are dinner.

Is everyone getting ready for the 4th?

Just trying to get what I can caught up, but doctors appointments and things of that nature are kind of running the show most days.
Our berries are passed, I think. I am not a fan of them, I just like to grow stuff, but my daughter said they are done. I need to venture out to that side of the house and see what is happening. Something, maybe a woodchuck, chewed off half the tomato plants we put in in May. The way things have been here though, I think I must be a bit delusional to think I can maintain a garden this year. Oh well, I dream big.

I may put in another batch or two of eggs to hatch this Summer, I need to get some from one of the Buckeye roosters I haven't used yet. I am worried about some color things with the others I have used, so I am trying to make sure I am covered for next year.
I still have some juvies to get rid of. I have 3 Cochin hens to go still, two are broody, of course. The other one usually is but seems to be taking a break to lay a handful of eggs before she sets again

I have a wild cat after my birds that I need to trap and get out of here. It has killed at least 3 birds this week and pulled lots of feathers from one of my favorite EEs. We have seen two cats around who don't belong, but I think I know which one is doing the damage. On a sad, sad note, we lost our little girl Mila

She got into a scrap with something that tore a hole in her leg about 4 weeks ago. It healed up well, but she was acting strange for a few days after that, now we haven't seen her in almost two weeks, so I am quite certain something befell her. She was our little baby born out here last year, the only kitten or only survivor from her litter. My buddy, Jerome, is still around and just had to deworm him this week. He is noticably sad, I think because his sister is gone.

I am not sure if I will show this year or not, I should make up my mind quick though because State Fair entries need to be in soon. I may just help 4-H kids make sure they get things covered for what they need and enjoy seeing how they all do. (@holm25 )

 

[Minniechickmama]

Grrrrr! I went out and found that the cat who is on the killing spree got 2 of the remaining 3 Silkies I had in a small coop. My best Splash hen I was thinking I would keep, along with the Black rooster are gone, Splash feathers on the ground. The only thing left is a Black hen.

The cat comes around in the evening while I am finishing chores, so I have a surprise for it. I have been putting up fence for half the afternoon.

 

[lalaland]

minniechickmama, that really stinks!

I've never had a problem with the feral cats, but then a silkie might be a different story for a cat.

Made a mistake at fleet farm, saw their garden stuff was half price and ended up with some cabbage, squash and pumpkins to replace what got eaten in the garden. THe mistake was I really didn't have time to plant them and had to take some time off work to do it.

Its been fun watching the chicks from ralphie's rooster feather out, trying to guess who the heck their mom was. I"m puzzled by a barred rock looking one who also has a beard and black/green feet. How could that happen with a legbar and a barred rock?

 

[holm25]

Minnie I am sorry to hear of all your troubles and I hope u catch that little bugger!! I have only had feral cats take chicks but Silkies look small enough to be taken. I had a pesky coon destroy a bag of feed last night and am lucky that has been my only issue with them.



I thought u could only go to State if u placed in county shows??

 

[Henchickkk15]

Me too!

 

[Minniechickmama]

Minnie I am sorry to hear of all your troubles and I hope u catch that little bugger!! I have only had feral cats take chicks but Silkies look small enough to be taken. I had a pesky coon destroy a bag of feed last night and am lucky that has been my only issue with them.



I thought u could only go to State if u placed in county shows??

Your county should select a State Fair line up of birds after the show is done. The judge picks his entries in order of what he thinks is best and goes down the list in order. It depends on how many trips your county has available in the poultry department and how well you place overall. Since a member can only take one animal entry, some of them will take a different animal than poultry if they win more than one SF placing. For instance, if you qualify for rabbits and poultry, and you take poultry, it opens a space for someone down the line to take their rabbit to State, and vice versa.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I had things ready to greet the killer, but didn't see it tonight. I am pretty sure the dogs were barking at it for a while, but it was hiding in the weeds.
The dogs were carrying on and on while I was doing waterers tonight, and when I looked over, there was a big deer in our little orchard! It stayed there too until my son came out of the house, but even then it took a few minutes before it ran off across the road. We get them in the yard, but I have never seen one during daylight hours in the yard except when they are hauling butt through with someone shooting at them in the Fall. There are plenty down in the field in the evening, and they are so pretty with the golden color coming off them with the sun going down. This one was very healthy looking and pretty.

The cat actually went in the door where I keep it propped open during the day for air circulation, and it climbed over the 8-foot divider to the first big pen and killed a 4 month old Buckeye cockerel and hate most of it. The rest of the pen pecked it the rest of the way clean. It also pulled a pullet through in pieces from a big dog kennel where I had 3 birds that were getting pecked on for healing them up. I found pieces of that bird the next morning. It also ate the head off a 3-month old NH cockerel. I am thinking I have a momma kitty feeding a litter on my hands. She has gotta go though, I am not putting up with a killer cat. I did get enough fencing up to hopefully keep whoever it was at bay for tonight. I have to make the gates and finish putting staples in tomorrow. I never found hide nor feather of the Black rooster, but the Splash I did find while mowing the pasture tonight. She was a really beautiful bird too.

Of course, they can't take the ugly birds.