Southern NY, Dutchess county and below

[goldeneggtees]

Craigslist ad, the pic with the giant dog made me laugh!

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/grd/2959538773.html

 

[magsrags]

Agreed! I can't stand coons, but my husband is going to borrow a hav-a-heart raccoon trap to relocate the ones in our yard. I have a list of deserving people...

(Kidding-we'll take them to the pine barrens.) BUT-if one were to be around my house, active in daylight, I do admit, I'd be VERY able to kill it. Raccoons around here have been found with rabies. I'd feel no remorse for that-threaten my family's health, and all bets are off.

Coons......they cannot resist sardinesset up in a trap. And yes, rabies could make me take care of business as well.

 

[Imprfctme]

Hey, this is the nesting box blend I was talking about on Saturday -
http://www.tillysnest.com/2012/05/giveaway-nesting-box-blend-from-treats.html

I looked up their site, and the other ingredients are chamomile, lavender, regular mint, a few others - basically a blend of soothing dried herbs. So take that catmint, hang it somewhere hot and dry like in a furnace room, and add in a pinch of this and a pinch of that, and you have something nice and soothing for your ladies when they lay. Epazote, which is an herb used in Mexican cooking, also has an anti-insect property to it, as well as marigold. Maybe try mixing some of those in too.

 

[Imprfctme]

Now it is my turn to play catch-up -

I second the motion to play the honesty card, Caleb. If your dad's decision is still no, then so be it. I think you said he wasn't adverse to you going but he didn't want to give you a ride - maybe it's time to join a local gym and make a friend or two that might want to do the drive with you? Also, you can always do a race that is on a Saturday and closer to you, like the one in Tuxedo. I had a bit of a chuckle at the idea of kids in Europe having more freedom than you. Right now, there is a 16yr old in France saying, "But I don't want to go on strike with you again Dad, and I'm sick of having wine with every meal! Why can't I watch more than 4 channels on TV and drink soda?! In America you get a car the day you turn 16! I wish I lived there!" The grass is always greener, my friend.

I too am a softie and would have a hard time killing anything - (*see the time I spent 10 minutes cutting a chipmunk free from the bird netting around the blueberries it was trying to eat) - but that's just me. If my family were in danger I would have no problem getting rid of something. I have trapped many, many squirrels and relocated them to the cemetery 3 miles away but if it were a raccoon I'd have to call someone since you need a license to relocate them here. I think squirrels too, but you're not going to get in too much trouble for relocating squirrels. I hope.

I am loving the fact that we have so many tough, mud loving peeps on here! I guess it's no surprise since we all don't mind getting a bit of poo on our pants now and then, but how cool that we have someone that almost qualified for the highest level of Ironman?! And all these Spartan Race people! Chicken folks are just the bomb, I think. And when we aren't rolling in the mud with our gardens or chickens, it seems we are busy being creative geniuses with yarn and thread.

It's official. When the mutant zombie attacks begin, I want chicken people on my side. We'll be clothed and fed, and warm and cozy in Suzanne's coop. Clearly chicken peeps are just a bit better than your average human.

Now who wants a beautiful bantam cochin cockerel? Seriously I am going to have to rehome Chipmunk before he starts making noise or I'll get into hot water with the neighbors. If no-one here wants him I have to start actively putting up ads before the crowing begins. Both chicks spent the night outside in their mini-pen and were just fine this morning. I covered the roof with a blue tarp to keep them relatively dry during the thunderstorm, hopefully they're not too miserable. They have a hard-sided dog crate to cuddle in too, so they're fine.

 

[highpointfarm]

Broody Moms- thanks for all of the advice.. I think I will wait until closer to the race to really ask

Heather- THANKS for the catmint... I just saw it today... I didnt even realize you gave any to my mom lol

Everyone else- GUESS WHAT!!!!! My grandma is paying for a vacation for JUST me and noah, (Lil bro (the cool one

)) To go to florida for 2 weeks

BY OURSELVES WHHHOOOOHOOOOO... Of course it is a church camp type thing xD

 

[goldeneggtees]

Cool, I am so excited for my nerd tee! I already have one that says, Geek Mom, but that's not entirely true, i'm not that obsessed with Star Trek. Just chickens.

Those Buff Orpingtons at the show were HUGE! They looked like big comfy sofa cushions. I agree it's a nice color, plus I'm guessing it gives them some safety with camouflage.

I would wait until after we get all that rain thats due next week before pulling anything out. Wet soil is much easier to work with when uprooting stuff. If you can't wait try digging a little ditch around it and flooding it with the hose, then letting it soak for awhile. Any roots will work, it's just easier to uproot the smaller ones. Also if the tree you're cutting down is a decent enough size they make great fence posts since they don't rot, sort of like cedar - all that aromatic oil in the bark. And on that note, don't put the shavings in with the hens. I should post a pic of the fence I put around my berry bushes it came out very pretty actually and it's just sassafras limbs and chicken netting.

Oh wait, found one with the ladies walking in front of it:

Heather,

That's a great looking fence, I love reusing things! We made the best picket fence with pallets once. Then we had to muck it up because it was too low and the hens were taking themselves for walks for coffee down the street!

Those are about the same size as my small sassafras so I will def use the roots for some tea. It's funny, my 14 year old son, a fountain of useful information, some factual, some not, knew exactly about how to make the tea. For a minute, I thought he had read your post but he read it online awhile back when we first thought of doing it. He even knew about the cancer ties. He's a great kid, you would all love him.

Is everyone here on facebook too? Might be cool to hook up that way as well? If you feel so inclined, you can friend me at…

https://www.facebook.com/donnadesousaschmidt

 

[Toxic Chicken]

I'm having trouble making myself call
and cancel my day old chick order.
UGH

Ok well I tryed and guess what.....
I can not cancel because ship date is less than
2 weeks away. They advise that a local feed store
might take the chicks or I can put them on Craig's
list. Well great. I already will have chicks to get rid
of. At least these are girls so people might actually
want them.

 

[queenchick16]

Good morning All; Of course I have to comment: Yes rabies has been moving further and further North and these animals have been losing more and more of their natural habitat . Wouldn't it be nice if we could put them up in these abandoned strip mall all over Long Island. What everyone has to be extremely careful of is that these animals can do serious damage to you in just a few seconds(gun or no gun; even in a trap) . I have witnessed it first hand years ago when I was a nature director in Bear Mountain State Park for the summer with my husband.
Now if I offend any MD's or wives of MD's out there I apologize . Several years ago while at Cornell Vet school one of the secrataries husbands became very ill. Complete body shut down.My boss Dr. Shin received samples from him. We were able to diagnose what literally was killing him.He had skinned 2 raccoons and contracted Leptospirosis . Many hospitals can miss oddball infectious diseases I don't care how good they are..I always said if I pass out , drag my butt over to the large animal clinic and let them do their thing. Its not only rabies we have to be concerned with.

Please everyone be VERY careful its the time of year where these animals are out hunting for their young.You can kick the soap box out from under me now.
(Caleb please be safe.) Not as one of your chick moms but as a friend and a microbiologist with OCD
Now for a funny story; Last night my neighbor knocked on my back door and handed me one of my baby Polish chicks. Some how she got out of the box and was heading across the road.(go ahead bring on the jokes).They were in the brooder in the garage and I left the door open since it was so nice.Time for some wire over the top.

 

[highpointfarm]

LOL I love it that the chick was just walking down the road xD and I am always carefull.... Most of the time... Some times... Oh, Who am I kidding

 

[Toxic Chicken]