Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[msladyhawke]

hey..how are you?!

...I missed seeing you this past summer, you know..I still have those lilacs..and will most likely have twice as many next spring!

Hi LMP!!!

Haven't been on here in a while. Just crazy busy. Can't wait for the lilac! Wishing it was time for it now. HATE cold weather. Hope all is well up your way! Just put up a trail cam near the coops. Lost one of my free range hens during the day this past weekend. Thinking hawk. They (the chickens) have been mad at me all week because I refused to let them out to free range, LOL. So far all I've caught on the cam is a feral cat that sometimes seems to hang out under our deck. Grrr.

 

[SilkieSensation]

Put my first ever CCL eggs in lockdown last night Planning to move about 40 chickens into their final breeder pens today. Hopefully, all the simultaneous upheaval will make it easier to work out the new pecking orders everywhere.

Good luck! I'm on day 15 with my broody.

I still have frozen eggs if I really want eggs, but I refuse to buy store eggs. Or store chicken & turkey. Come spring, we're hoping to get a couple pigs, so no more store pork by this time next year. Beef will have to remain a store commodity, however, as we definitely don't have room for cows. Looking for a couple milk goats tho...lol The goal is to get solar panels & be totally off-grid within 2 years. Our only public utility at this point is electric...so it's do-able.

Awesome! Have you ever considered bison instead of cows? I'm sure they're probably harder to come by, but it's an interesting idea. The meat is delicious.

No room for bison. We only have an acre & a little over half is wooded. We still have to squeeze my son's cabin in here yet too...lol

I still have frozen eggs if I really want eggs, but I refuse to buy store eggs. Or store chicken & turkey. Come spring, we're hoping to get a couple pigs, so no more store pork by this time next year. Beef will have to remain a store commodity, however, as we definitely don't have room for cows. Looking for a couple milk goats tho...lol The goal is to get solar panels & be totally off-grid within 2 years. Our only public utility at this point is electric...so it's do-able.

we have the same goals though I'm not big on goat milk lol. I doubt we'll be able to get off grid within the next couple years but it's an ultimate goal of ours. Hubby told me to tell you to check this out for your battery bank for your solar panels. It may be better than deep cycle batteries. http://ironedison.com/

I will check into this. Thanks!

I am a little behind here. Blarney, you drove right past. Silkie, I can send somE mixed breed chicken and duck...duck may be Muscovy mix. Will have to wait till after things settle here a little, maybe right after the holidays, if the weather holds. Anne, I can catch you a rat and frizz it's tail out,.. really not sure I would ever want a chinchilla. Now a pet skunk, that would be cool.... but then I had ferrets year's ago, kind of a big rat. CC, when you bringing your bunny for that play date? Anyone have a favorite game cam ( mine has died) . Must take decent night time pics.

You know me wing, I'll hatch anything. Chicks & quail are preferable this time of year. I really don't have anywhere to stuff ducks yet. I need to build a new outdoor brooder & don't have any electric in the coops yet.

Hopefully no more filling water bottles for the rabbits! Just finished a nipple system with brass spring loaded nipples in PVC. Found a 16 gallon heated stock tub and using a pond pump for continuous circulation so it doesn't freeze. Still need to carry water, but no more frozen bottles (I hope). Now to figure out how to circulate up the hill for the chickens.

[COLOR=0000FF]I am 120 posts behind. We are about to head out to. Hershey for a gymnastics meet, I'll catch up reading on the way if I can convince DH to drive. I'm sure I'll pass a few of you along the way....[/COLOR]

awesome! I did the whole gymnast thing, for quite some time too, meets are intense but fun! ,..had a cousin go to college on a scholarship doing it! Love her outfit!

 

[wingstone]

 

[Blarneyeggs]

LOVE THIS!!!


LMP!!! You got an egg? Yay!!!! Do you think it was the hot pepper?

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

I've never had Chinchillas, but for furry animals as pets, I feel like you can't beat a rabbit. Breed choice makes a big difference in temperment, though I'm sure there are some individual differences. I had them (New Zealand Reds and Black Dutch) as a boy and they were not well tamed, but when my oldest was a teen she got a pair of Angoras and they were the best rabbits ever. They didn't breed much (the buck had a hard time figuring out which end was which and made the doe a bit indignant), but we had a few litters and every baby was so sweet and gentle also. I miss them and wholeheartedly recommend them for pets.

I would love a rabbit, but Hubby is very allergic to them. For some odd reason, chins are okay. Rabbit dander has almost closed up his throat before, not something I would ever consider for that reason. But I agree, they are sweet animals. We had a bunny growing up and we would let him "free range" in the yard. when we would whistle, he would come back to be scooped up and brought inside.

Awesome! Told ya last winter they were laying thru the winter. Glad yours didn't make a fool of me lol!!! Whew.

Hi! I don't know if you know this, but I got two of your bantam Lamgshans from Rose. They are excellent layers and lovely additions to my flock. The one keeps going broody, so I finally gave in. She is sitting on 6 eggs with such dedication! (We are on day 15). Just wanted to let you know they are healthy, happy, and very much enjoyed. Thanks!

awesome! I did the whole gymnast thing, for quite some time too, meets are intense but fun! ,..had a cousin go to college on a scholarship doing it!
Love her outfit!

I think I quoted this wrong, but a big Congratulations on your first egg!!!

I remember when you got them, and how great of a name I thought that was! Fyi, molts only get rougher as the hen gets older :
Thanks!

Thanks, Mary Poopins is my biggest, and everyone giggles at the name too!

 

[dheltzel]

I would love a rabbit, but Hubby is very allergic to them. For some odd reason, chins are okay. Rabbit dander has almost closed up his throat before, not something I would ever consider for that reason. But I agree, they are sweet animals. We had a bunny growing up and we would let him "free range" in the yard. when we would whistle, he would come back to be scooped up and brought inside.

Found this in CL: Chinchillas
If you ever get one, I'd love to get your opinion, compared to a rabbit.

 

[SilkieSensation]

I missed quoting whoever asked about my Christmas tree but, yes, it is white. My little Charlie Brown tree is 4 ft tall, covered in candy canes (kids are allowed to eat 1 each everyday) & topped with a paper wreath made at school by my 7 yr old.

And this is what my house looks like while doing laundry this time of year. I have clothesline strung back & forth in the taller section between the lofts near the woodstove. I usually put the longer items to the sides, but the blankets were in the last load last night & I was not rearranging everything to make a walkway.

 

[chiques chicks]

Really wish I had gotten my butt in great and prepared for goats. Seems a bunch showed up on CL this week. Oh well, maybe in spring more week show.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Found this in CL:  Chinchillas
If you ever get one, I'd love to get your opinion, compared to a rabbit.

Thanks, there's quite a few ads for chins, but we are going to wait. We have a lot going on right now and I think we need to focus on our (hopefully) baby chicks that are due to hatch soon.

Really wish I had gotten my butt in great and prepared for goats. Seems a bunch showed up on CL this week. Oh well, maybe in spring more week show.

I thought we bought animals first, and figured out how to house them later...

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Hi LMP!!!

Haven't been on here in a while. Just crazy busy. Can't wait for the lilac! Wishing it was time for it now. HATE cold weather. Hope all is well up your way! Just put up a trail cam near the coops. Lost one of my free range hens during the day this past weekend. Thinking hawk. They (the chickens) have been mad at me all week because I refused to let them out to free range, LOL. So far all I've caught on the cam is a feral cat that sometimes seems to hang out under our deck. Grrr.

good luck with the predator issues!!

Hope we get to catch up with each other when the weather gets warmer!! I have about another half-dozen lilacs in the cutting garden popping up right now...MC was looking for some too, I definitely have plenty to go around!! Hope you & yours have an awesome holiday

LOVE THIS!!!


LMP!!! You got an egg? Yay!!!! Do you think it was the hot pepper?

I really do not think they did anything except maybe "warm" them up. I had stopped giving them almost a week ago...
I think we will be getting another egg today..Cordon came into the coop this-morning and stated talking all nice and quiet, then she was eyeing-up the nest boxes.
We are going to have to reconfigure those boxes..they are small for these birds now...i don't think they are very comfortable in them..i realize they do squeeze themselves into small spaces, but these boxes are shallow..if that makes any sense..


Will have to do it after we get back from Lancaster County trip..getting ready to leave..have a multitude of Dr. appts..blah

..I hate testing...will be a very full trip, family getting together and then back here by Tuesday..I am tired already

...at least DH & I have some time before the holiday weekend when our girls come up and visit.
I think we will be going out to see a movie again this year Christmas day..we had such a good time last year, only get to the movies about once a year, so it is extra special.

I missed quoting whoever asked about my Christmas tree but, yes, it is white. My little Charlie Brown tree is 4 ft tall, covered in candy canes (kids are allowed to eat 1 each everyday) & topped with a paper wreath made at school by my 7 yr old.


And this is what my house looks like while doing laundry this time of year. I have clothesline strung back & forth in the taller section between the lofts near the woodstove. I usually put the longer items to the sides, but the blankets were in the last load last night & I was not rearranging everything to make a walkway.

You are making this work! that is all that matters...love the tree

...it is wonderful you can fit it in there!