Surviving Minnesota!

[lvie]

So sorry to read about your really bad day yesterday Ralphie. There is actually a little book and the title is 'Its been a very bad day and I think I will move to Australia.' I actually say that when nothing is going the way it should on a bad day. And your day was really, really bad after all that hard work planning this hatch and then the loses. Sorry.

 

[lvie]

It's sad to hear about all the chic losses. Ralphie loss and the loss of strawberry. Our neighbor (90 year old woman) nearly lost all her chicks due to old heat lamp too close to shavings.We are counting our blessings that the only thing we have lost is our sanity as we kicked all 52 outside in the run this weekend. Some walked out nicely others were forced out and forced back in 2 days in a row. They did enjoy they fresh oats we freely spilled all afternoon to keep them out.

I WANT TO BE NINETY (Well, someday - not right now) and still have chicks. Thanks for mentioning this! Encouraging and definitely a good reminder about heat lamps. Was this recent?

 

[Cebarmlds]

Wow Ralphie that sucks, so sorry to hear. I'm only 30 mins from brainerd and would have gone if it wasn't for the wind yesterday. Although I would have if i'd have known you could've used a hand.

So sorry to hear of Strawberry.

We built a hoophouse greenhouse today, all except for the plastic covering, it got windy again this afternoon.

 

[MNChickMom]

I WANT TO BE NINETY (Well, someday - not right now) and still have chicks. Thanks for mentioning this! Encouraging and definitely a good reminder about heat lamps. Was this recent?

just yesterday. Same day as ralphie bad luck.....she lost 3 of 25 so far due to smoke inhalation and scorching. It is hard to teach an old dog new tricks especially when this is how we have done it for years this way.

 

[I Love Layers]

I haven't posted in a while! I've been so busy!

Started working with the cochins today, the hen is definitely more tame then the too.
I almost succeeded in convincing my 10 year old sister to show one of her silkies. But the silkie was being a pain in the arse.
So then in still trying to convince her I let her practice on my Mille Fleur bantam. She was fine with that until I told her that I was showing him. She got angry, cause she wanted to have a nice chicken, and stomped away.

My Barred Plymouth Rock that I was planning on showing is sick. Don't know with what... She's pretty bad I don't think she will make it through the night..

Sneaks is way better now, she made a faster recovery then I thought so I can start working with her for 4H. I'm just doing RHP, and trail since I don't want to spend a long time getting her to know all the other patterns etc.

 

[holm25]

Coffee I am sorry to hear about Strawberry!


Ralph that sucks! Hope that doesnt happen again!


Its been a few weeks since I have talked to Heidi and was wondering where she has been!



Well. My day in a nut shell... I went out with some friends to Jamba Juice and the Zorbaz and ate the best pizza I have ever had. Then we went to one friends house and watched a movie and walked all around town.


AND my parents went looking for Morrels and found none! They dont velieve they exist anymore

Ooh and how could I forget! I have projects hatching! My ¾ Welsummer and ¼ Black Australorps are hatching! And many more mixes!

 

[lvie]

GOOD MORNING RALPHIE!

 

[lvie]

I am experiencing that old adage 'its hard to teach an old dog new tricks.' I have 25 years to catch up to her, but I am telling you. Oh! by the way it is - Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. It is frustrating trying to recall trivia as a person gets older. I can only imagine what the next 25 years will bring.

When with people in the same age range it becomes a game. Honest! Sounds like? Describe it? How many syllables? (then someone asks - whats a syllable - I forget - oh yeah-yeah-yeah I remember now)

 

[duluthralphie]

GOOD MORNING RALPHIE!

THANK YOU!!!

And Good Morning! You finally beat me so I can now go back to posting here when I first read the thread. I am so happy you are first today!


I have 2 chicks alive today that should be dead, so maybe life is getting better...

Yesterday morning I had one egg that was zipped but heat shrunk. Judy is getting good at picking them out of the shell. My hands are too large and clumsy for the fine work that requires, despite what some may say, the differences in the sexes make her hands perfect for that. She picked it out, then she soaks it in a wet warm paper towel wrapped inside of cellophane. The whole time she talks lovingly and sweetly to the poor bird. She carries it around and nurses it for 15-20 minutes.

Then she carefully pulls the shrink wrap and any membrane off the chick. It gets an olive oil rub and is placed in the incubator. My brother was sure it would die. It was hardly moving. It is alive and well this morning.

Late yesterday afternoon, I took my cousins son down to look at the incubators. I thought the eggs were done hatching, but because of a family reunion, my Mother decided we needed to have I was unable to get the eggs thrown away. There was one CLB shell that had pipped. the hole was about the size of a pencil. I heard the chick inside.

Jake (Cousin's Son) was shocked to hear the chick inside. He is around 35-40 and just got 6 chickens. His wife is a cute little thing in love with them. She maybe joining the ranks of turkey owners too, she is trying to convince Jake to get some. They both want Guineas after seeing and hearing them. (this is just to give you an idea of what kind of people they are.

My Granddaughter has been asking to see a egg crack open and a chick come out. I went and got Judy and gave her the egg. Judy sat at the table and opened the egg with Jake, Vivian and Olivia (my 4 & 5 year old granddaughters) watching her every move. She cracked out the chick that was so completely heat shrink wrapped it could not even move. Judy got the bird freed up with her wet towel voodoo. Olivia found it boring and left, Jake and Viv stayed the whole time until after the oil massage was done.

This morning they are both up and walking around inside the foam incubator. They look pathetic with the feathers not fluffed at all. But they are alive. I will give them shampoo them then use conditioner to fluff them later today... So much better to talk about the ones that lived over the ones that died!

BTW my guess is Jake will be getting turkeys for his wife too.......

 

[duluthralphie]

I am experiencing that old adage 'its hard to teach an old dog new tricks.' I have 25 years to catch up to her, but I am telling you. Oh! by the way it is - Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. It is frustrating trying to recall trivia as a person gets older. I can only imagine what the next 25 years will bring.

When with people in the same age range it becomes a game. Honest! Sounds like? Describe it? How many syllables? (then someone asks - whats a syllable - I forget - oh yeah-yeah-yeah I remember now)

I am so glad to hear you say this. I hate when I am talking to someone about a "common" item, thing or place and there is no way I can think of the word used to describe it or it's name. I go on and on, saying, you know, the stuff that is black... hot, and we drink in a cup in the morning,,,,,,ahh ahh ahh You know some people had ahh sugar or milk to it,,,,oh dang whats the word,,,,,ahhh...


Then they say "Coffee" and I have to explain why I could not think of the word...




I have talked to my Doc, he assures me it is not Alzheimer. I think he might be lying to me. Even though you are CONSIDERABLY older

than me I have those same trivia type games....