Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[dheltzel]

We have a farmer a couple miles from us that got hit by fishers and took out almost 30 birds in one night. The PAGC released them 2 or 3 years ago to take care of some other problem and now they are becoming the problem.

Fishers are the only natural predator of porcupines, and a surge in their population can kill a lot of trees. I suppose it's all part of the "circle of life", I'd just prefer our pets could sit outside that circle.

 

[emorems0]

I'm so sorry for your loss Wingstone... A loss that big would be devastating and certainly worth a good cry. I'm no help with ducks, but if you ever need help ferrying birds I take frequent trips from NW of Pittsburgh out to Allentown and would be happy to bring some ducks for you... I see Muscovy's on craigslist around here pretty often (like these ones are only about 25 minutes from me http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/grd/4887167187.html)

Question about frostbite - my BA roo has a big comb and it got a little frostbitten over the past month. Just a little blackish on the very tips and now those points have turned whitish. It never seemed to bother him and I've since sealed up the drafts better in my coop. Right before I added the new 'winter wall' we had a couple of cold days and then a couple warmer days and the run started getting a bit muddy. I noticed some black schmutz on his comb, could it be a bigger patch of frostbite? It looks like it's ON the comb, not like the comb changed color... but if it was mud it would be brown, not black. I tried getting a picture, but he won't stand still long enough for the camera to focus for a close up. I contemplated trying to clean it, but I didn't think it would work too well without an extra set of hands.

In non chicken related news, I was helping my kids with the sled today and accidentally left the basement door open. Apparently the dog took that as an invitation to go downstairs and roll around in the bunny waste. We keep the bunnies in the basement garage because we didn't have time to get their outside area put together before it got cold so they are inside until it warms up in the Spring. We don't have trays under their cages, so we lay down a tarp with straw on it and periodically drag the whole thing up and dump in the garden. It works for now, but it's definitely not ideal. So I'm watching my girls sledding and all of the sudden I smell rabbits.... in my bedroom. I look down and see the dog's coat all wet around her neck... OMFG! I clip her up outside and hope that she didn't touch anything on her way from the basement to my bedroom. It's way too cold out to leave her outside until the hubs gets home (he is the resident dog washer). I washed her twice and I can still smell it a little on her... she's now locked in the bathroom until she's dry and I can reevaluate her smell. I'm a little afraid to go downstairs and see what she did, but the bunnies need water so I can't ignore it for too long.

This was when I first saw the black schmutz....


The rest are from a few days later when it was warmer.

 

[emorems0]

On a positive note, I did just bring home 4 naked necks, 4 cuckoo marans, and 3 blue cochins. Will be getting more next week! I'll post picks soon.

On a different topic, are there any other western Pa people on this thread?

Me! Beaver Co... about an hour NW of downtown Pittsburgh

 

[bobrut]

Yeah, I'm close to Burgettstown-

 

[sharron]

On a positive note, I did just bring home 4 naked necks, 4 cuckoo marans, and 3 blue cochins. Will be getting more next week! I'll post picks soon.

On a different topic, are there any other western Pa people on this thread?

i'm south of pgh., westmoreland country, course right now we're down south in florida

 

[bobrut]

you down there for the winter? It is just plain COLD here this weekend, I put some extra shavings in for the girls so they are snuggled down and seem happy

 

[sharron]

@bobrut , yeah, as soon as the weather breaks we'll head back up, it gets kinda cold here when the front comes down but still nicer than home and no snow

 

[chiques chicks]

Decided to throw some stuff in the crock pot. Not big on recipes, so it's going to be some kind of stew/ soup/pot pie. I just toss in what I have on hand that might taste good together. Opened a jar of some of the old roosters I canned this fall. Totally fell off the bones.

 

[fisherlady]

On a positive note, I did just bring home 4 naked necks, 4 cuckoo marans, and 3 blue cochins. Will be getting more next week! I'll post picks soon.

On a different topic, are there any other western Pa people on this thread?

1.5 hours NE of Pittsburgh here....near Punxsy Phil, tempted to check and see what amount of bounty Boston is offering for that rat!

Decided to throw some stuff in the crock pot. Not big on recipes, so it's going to be some kind of stew/ soup/pot pie. I just toss in what I have on hand that might taste good together. Opened a jar of some of the old roosters I canned this fall. Totally fell off the bones.

Some of our best meals were 'accidental recipes'.... my husband frequently tells me... "You should write down whatever it is you put in this so you can do it again"

 

[chiques chicks]

Some of our best meals were 'accidental recipes'.... my husband frequently tells me... "You should write down whatever it is you put in this so you can do it again"

I've been told that before. That would mean measuring and going to the store with a list as opposed to an idea and see what's on the discount rack attitude. Not my style.
The other week it was potatoes, onions, peppers, sauteed, dumped in casserole dish, covered with cheese and baked. And whatever seasoning sounds good.