Surviving Minnesota!

[I Love Layers]

Look who decided to change gender....

 

[lvie]

They look like speckled hen's eggs. Just a little out of shape.

They look like speckled hen's eggs. Just a little out of shape.

Welcome spurrer. I am just catching up on reading - you chickeners have been busy - and that is exactly what I thought. Speckled eggs in Ralphies hollow tree.
I am doing grandma duty and am exhausted! Ready to collaspe real soon. Gotta get designated survivor in yet - the first episode looks like it may be an okay series. Have any of you watched it?

 

[Minniechickmama]

I have a smaller feed bill after the last week. I sold 7 Buckeyes and 8 Faverolles last week. Then today, a Hmong family showed up and took almost 40 roosters. Whew! I am glad my oldest stopped in to visit and helped me catch them all as they did not call or text ahead as I had expected they would. I forgive them though for taking as many as they did! 6 old roosters that have been getting fat all Summer were part of that load.

My eggs were almost non-existent today. I think I have 4 big ones and 4 bantam pullet eggs. I do like to give them all a break for about a month before I jack up the lights and get them laying again. It won't be long and I will need lights to do my chores if I don't set an earlier schedule LOL

My feed bill will go down again on the 10th(or 17th if they can fit me in then) when my meatballs go in to be processed. They are getting their stride now and starting to bulk up. They need to go to a much bigger pen though, right now they are all split up in the brooder house in different pens. I prefer to have them all in one if I can.

Those contests on here can be fun, and maybe I should try winning a membership. I am too stingy lately to pay for it, but I am sick of this one ad that keep popping up and messing up my screen.

 

[duluthralphie]

Good Morning..

For 20 bucks a year I decided it was worth it to not see that ad or any other....

Glad you got rid of birds.

I am hoping mine (feed bill) will go down more soon too, I am nearly ready to process my birds,, my SIL is coming down next weekend to help do them. Whatever we don't take we have the nice Asian lady with the plastic lined trunk ready to take. She wants turkeys too, but I don't have any this year, yet. Thanks to the neighbors recently departed dog.

The contest are kind of fun here, but getting Bantychook's dander up over a duck comment is even more fun. Thanks for your help...

BRB

 

[duluthralphie]

Back, Had to check something in the SOP, and assure myself of the win for the day.

Minnie on the entry from for Hutch it says brd or non-brd. Is this where I get to show my birds that won't get judged?

Like my CLB and white sports? Could I enter a pair of toads there too? They maybe my own creation but they are impressive birds by sheer size. They also have decent feathering, to the point of being beautiful, IMHO.


In other news one of my Doms is laying at 20 weeks. I took two eggs out of her cage last night. I did not notice the one I am assuming the day before, it was in the very back kind of hidden by the wood chips. I thought she might be close by the bright red comb. I really did not expect any eggs before Hutch from them. I so wish they were 2 months older.

I picked up the turkey hen I want to show yesterday. I sure wish I knew what they mean by broad at wings and across back. She seems small, but then I keep comparing her to the toads which are huge. Judging my own birds is extremely hard to do. I think I need someone else to come here and tell me which ones are good, Jerry. (subtle hint)

I have almost replaced every feeder with the PVC ones. They still manage to have some waste but it seems less. There must still be a lot of feed they can forage even though it is fall. I put the PVC feeders in the chicken coop and they all swarmed me, mainly because I had feed sacks I think. When I was dumping the feed into the feeders they were under foot and acting like they were starved. I was feeling guilty for not giving them enough feed in addition to their free ranging.

I left the coop and came back about 5 minutes later and they were all under the lilac bushes. I went into the coop and there was no one bird at the feeder. Of course, they rushed the coop when I entered because I had a bucket. I think they just try to shame me into giving them more goodies.



EJB Where have you been? Have you raced the other races yet? How did your birds do?

Disjointed thought today, I sure hope I have the right PC cockerels in the cages, I look at one running around free and think I should have him in a cage to show. Judy, was surprised last night, she opened the cage for the one SS rooster/cockerel and he actually jumped into her arms. When she sat with him he was picking at spots on her sweat shirt and actually seemed to be purring. For birds that we could hardly touch two weeks ago they sure have tamed down. Not like the PC's that have that "I want to rip your eyes out" look the entire time I am touching or holding them.

The CLB are taming down pretty nice too for the short time they have been in the cages.


I have my form almost filled out. I have 12 birds on it. One of each sex with the exception of SS which I have 2 cockerels on,

PC
SS
Doms
CLB
White sports
Slate turkey (hen only)

I am thinking about one of the PC older hens I got from EJB. The one with the chicks is pretty impressive looking. I would bring Ed but he is kid of beat up from Turkey Snood pulling contests he cannot seem to keep out of.

 

[destiny_56085]

It feels so good to lighten the load like that! I skipped Jackson and the Game Breeders swap to go down to the huge Waverly IA sale. Thousands of people there and sales were good. Unloaded over 50 birds myself and just about down to what I am keeping for winter. Still have a couple black standard cochins, 3-4 Easter Egger cockerels, and maybe 1 faverolle cockerel left to dispose of. Not bad at all and will probably put them in my own freezer if I get free time. This week has been dedicated to going through birds and pullorum testing everything. I still need mom's help to get some AI swabbing done and then I will get renewal for hatchery permit squared away for the next year. I'm up in the air over Hutch this fall. I may take Saturday off to go say hi to everyone and fill out a show report for breed club. With a kid in school now, they have me running non-stop (a full job and farm too). Just don't know how I'll juggle bathing birds all week and even getting them up there with my current schedule.

 

[destiny_56085]

Ralphie..on the entry form, that Brd or non-brd just means bearded or non-bearded. On breeds such as my silkies and polish, they come in both varieties so I have to specify so they get judged correctly.

 

[MNChickMom]

Look out - VENT session ahead.

I brought a couple dozen eggs to work this morning. Free for the taking. I put the following email out:
"Good Morning,
I put 4 cartons of farm fresh eggs in the fridge...please feel free to take them home and enjoy. There is a date on the carton; this is the picked date. Please use within 21 days as they are not pastaurized.

The eggs are from a new young flock so there is no such thing as 2 uniform eggs."

I had one person say, "Eww some are speckled and some are so tiny, that is gross." She closes the egg carton and shoves them back in the fridge. Mind you all were over 50grams. GRRR> I am giving you eggs for free. Keep your "city slicker" opinions to yourself.

 

[I Love Layers]

Look out - VENT session ahead.

I brought a couple dozen eggs to work this morning. Free for the taking. I put the following email out:
[COLOR=222222]"Good Morning,[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]I put 4 cartons of farm fresh eggs in the fridge...please feel free to take them home and enjoy. There is a date on the carton; this is the picked date. Please use within 21 days as they are not pastaurized.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]The eggs are from a new young flock so there is no such thing as 2 uniform eggs."[/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=222222]I had one person say, "Eww some are speckled and some are so tiny, that is gross." She closes the egg carton and shoves them back in the fridge. Mind you all were over 50grams. GRRR> I am giving you eggs for free. Keep your "city slicker" opinions to yourself.[/COLOR]

I hate when people do that!!

 

[duluthralphie]

Ralphie..on the entry form, that Brd or non-brd just means bearded or non-bearded. On breeds such as my silkies and polish, they come in both varieties so I have to specify so they get judged correctly.

Thanks!