Surviving Minnesota!

[KlopKlop]

The trick is to plant the largest cloves if you want larger bulbs.  If you have doubles, those are no-nos to plant though, eat all of those ones.  DH cut the weeds in the garden we are going to plant with it this year and I think I may go out and burn before tilling.  With all the crazy stuff we had this year, the gardens were just left, now we have to clean out before snow falls and prep so we can have something next year.  You should see our strawberry patch.  OH MY!!!  It will be a challenge, especially since the big trees that fell in July went over in there too.  The fence was mushed in a few places and needs fixing.  We are never done working around here, that is certain.

That is the advice I got from my garlic guru as well. The variety i have creates only a certain number of cloves per head. 14 max I think. That's why I've saved the largest heads.

I need to till in my compost so it is ready for planting in a few weeks.

See if they got started pullets at McMurray

I emailed Hoovers and they allow small orders if I pick them up. Happy to know I have that option if we decide to get anything this fall.

 

[duluthralphie]

Ivie so hard to know sometimes. In the end it just comes down to a live or dead chicken as Ralphie has said.

There are things that can be learned from it if you do figure it out... But that's about half the time.
I've had one die of fatty liver hemorrhages. She was a gluttonous bird. But also she was grained too much. Lesson learned.
unknown causes-- maybe a cancer.
egg yolk peritonitis deaths
Several predator deaths
One ate a crumble of miracle grow. Fertilizer is not a good thing to ingest. Felt bad about that.

Other common things are sour crop, broken egg shell in the cloaca that infects. Worms. Really possibilities are endless.

I'm getting to the point that no condolences are needed here either. The predation angers me a bit but it is what it is. When you free range those are the risks.

That is why I have started my "feed an Eagle a deer" program. If each and everyone of you were to smuck a deer with your car/truck and leave it lie in on the edge of the road the eagles would all be full and there would be no need for them to kill out chickens.

 

[KlopKlop]

It's also getting to be molting season. Hens that may not be at 100% can definitely decline quick if a fast molt hits.

I have not started lights in one coop yet to allow them to molt and holy buckets I've to some naked pin cushion chickens

 

[Minniechickmama]

@duluthralphie I am sorry about Judy, I hope it isn't going to knock her down too hard. Rest and more chicken soup maybe will be what she needs

@KlopKlop Well, now I know who to turn to for all of my insurance questions

I hope everyone has a good day. Looks like we have a possibility of rain this evening. Some of you in the Western and Northern part of the state will likely have more and sooner the way it is coming up. We had two FEET of water in our basement the other day when I went to check the boiler about kicking it on soon. It was 3/4 of the way in the tank. Had the pump going for 3 days straight but it keeps seeping in. The basement is so old there is no sump pump, half is still dirt. It was hand dug and they apparently got sick of digging. We are going to need a new one next Spring for sure now. So, Winter will be spent planning and doing the financials. More fun. The salamanders love it, and the frogs too.

@lvie sorry about your BA. I used to cut them open. Sometimes I found why, sometimes I didn't. Any chance she was eggbound? You can feel an egg if it is stuck in them. If her feathers were gone, did you check the vent for mites? They can take a bird out of you don't find them in time. I have had it happen, big old fluffy bird in the pasture suddenly acts off and I picked it up and it was covered with them. Those kinds of pests will go after an ailing bird first anyway, so it is often likely there was something else at play with them. Still, I hope you don't lose any more. I don't let it get me to upset unless it is something valuable in my breeding birds, but even then, what can you do?

 

[holm25]

I would keep the white over that last one, number 3 too high in the tail and her whole body seems to slope down forward, not just from her stance.  The white is a more balance heifer.  And if you get some grays (blue in chicken talk), then that would be really cool!

I know what you're saying. There is an awful lot of air under these heifers this year. We will see what we decide come weaning time. I am think we are for sure keeping 9 (my moms heifer) and 10 (my grandpas heifer).

 

[KlopKlop]

@duluthralphie
 I am sorry about Judy, I hope it isn't going to knock her down too hard.  Rest and more chicken soup maybe will be what she needs  

 
@KlopKlop
  Well, now I know who to turn to for all of my insurance questions    

 
I hope everyone has a good day.  Looks like we have a possibility of rain this evening.  Some of you in the Western and Northern part of the state will likely have more and sooner the way it is coming up.  We had two FEET of water in our basement the other day when I went to check the boiler about kicking it on soon.  It was 3/4 of the way in the tank.  Had the pump going for 3 days straight but it keeps seeping in.  The basement is so old there is no sump pump, half is still dirt.  It was hand dug and they apparently got sick of digging.  We are going to need a new one next Spring for sure now.  So, Winter will be spent planning and doing the financials.  More fun.  The salamanders love it, and the frogs too. 

@lvie
 sorry about your BA.  I used to cut them open.  Sometimes I found why, sometimes I didn't.  Any chance she was eggbound?  You can feel an egg if it is stuck in them.  If her feathers were gone, did you check the vent for mites?  They can take a bird out of you don't find them in time.  I have had it happen, big old fluffy bird in the pasture suddenly acts off and I picked it up and it was covered with them.  Those kinds of pests will go after an ailing bird first anyway, so it is often likely there was something else at play with them.  Still, I hope you don't lose any more.  I don't let it get me to upset unless it is something valuable in my breeding birds, but even then, what can you do?

I've got a degree in commercial insurance I earned after I started working for this company. It has come in handy in understanding my personal and farm insurance coverages for sure.

My number one tip for you if you plan to attempt insurance fraud (which I obviously don't recommend) do NOT NOT NOT post about what you are up to on your Facebook page, or at least lock down your security. When we suspect fraud the first things they do is look you up on social media and Google you. See what they can find.

So much more frequently than you would think people are claiming they can't work and need full disability but then post pictures of themselves climbing a mountain, going on luxury vacations, competing in roller derby... For real! Those are all real examples i have seen. Also once where somebody claimed their mega spendy diamond engagement ring was stolen then posted photos of themselves wearing it... Doh!!!!

 

[Minniechickmama]

That is the advice I got from my garlic guru as well. The variety i have creates only a certain number of cloves per head. 14 max I think. That's why I've saved the largest heads.

I need to till in my compost so it is ready for planting in a few weeks.
I emailed Hoovers and they allow small orders if I pick them up. Happy to know I have that option if we decide to get anything this fall.

I am glad you found someone with Leghorns for you. I know that most have started ones too this time of year. I have never been interested in getting them, but I have seen the in the past on pages.
I have a friend in Oklahoma who was telling me he gets about 250 pullet chicks in the Fall, raises them over winter and sells them at premium price in Spring when people who don't want to mess with chicks just want POL pullets. If I had the space to do that, I would, but the building I might have done that with has been cancelled and I don't relish keeping that many chicks over winter in my not big enough brooder house.

I like the garlic with fewer but bigger cloves. I can't stand messing with those tiny cloves. We used to grow Killarney Red and it had 10-12 cloves per bulb. We planted some again last year but we lost the whole thing this year with all of our other issues to deal with. I have almost 11 pounds of it in the garage waiting until we get the beds worked up again this week, hopefully, if the rain doesn't hit too hard. I really miss having our own garlic to use for cooking. That stuff we get from the store is just not enjoyable many times. I also like strong garlic.

 

[Cebarmlds]

I worked my butt off all day. I had to take care of the insurance stuff. Go pick up our cow. I sold and loaded an old 1949 ford pick up I had for sale, it was in about 10 pieces.

I finished my breeding pens (chicken one) and moved all my PC breeders into a pen. They are not all happy together but will learn to like each other. The Hen with the 2 chicks was being a tad pushy. Her chicks are 8 week old it is time she backed off a little. I think she is a helicopter Mom.

I worked with my show birds until well after dark. Them being inside makes it kind of nice to leave them until the end of the day when I can just turn on the lights and talk to them, while I feed and clean their pens.


I am not sure I will be getting anything done today. Judy has relapsed. I am trying to get her to let me take her to the ER right now, she is being stubborn, and wants to wait and try to see her doctor. I was worried they were making her go back to work too soon. She was able to help me around here a little for the last 10 days or so, but it would only be for a hour or couple hours and she could go in and lay down. There is a big difference between working here at home for a few hours and going back to work. Work and her short term disability insurance were both pushing her to go back to work. The jerks at Prudential were calling twice a week asking and not in a nice way. "what's wrong with you and why aren't you back at work?"

You just know the next thing would be some "investigator" taking pictures of her helping me and then claiming she was not disabled and was caught working at home. They sure like getting the premiums but sure try their best to never pay out.

It's raining! When did that start? I just noticed it..

If I do not go to the ER with Judy I will be spending the day in the shed again. Getting ready for spring/winter.

Best wishes to Judy

 

[duluthralphie]

I've got a degree in commercial insurance I earned after I started working for this company. It has come in handy in understanding my personal and farm insurance coverages for sure.

My number one tip for you if you plan to attempt insurance fraud (which I obviously don't recommend) do NOT NOT NOT post about what you are up to on your Facebook page, or at least lock down your security. When we suspect fraud the first things they do is look you up on social media and Google you. See what they can find.

So much more frequently than you would think people are claiming they can't work and need full disability but then post pictures of themselves climbing a mountain, going on luxury vacations, competing in roller derby... For real! Those are all real examples i have seen. Also once where somebody claimed their mega spendy diamond engagement ring was stolen then posted photos of themselves wearing it... Doh!!!!

I saw a woman once that declared all her belongings were lost in a house fire, which to this day I think she set, show up for the "interview" wearing a leather Harley jacket she claimed was lost in the fire.

Nothing like you have seen I am sure. But I still worry about Judy getting "caught" helping me even though most her help is sitting there talking to me or holding something a few times an hour. I know how lawyers can twist things.


It is kind of amazing an insurance company can check a person Facebook page and the FBI and homeland security cannot in the case of refugees and/or terrorist like the San Bernardino attack. (oops sorry if that became to political.)

I have a call in to Judy's doctor, no response yet. I can see this will be another day of getting nothing I had planned to do done. I just hope I can get her in to see the doc. If I do not hear in an hour she is going to the ER whether she likes it or not. Pollocks are so stubborn!

 

[KlopKlop]

I saw a woman once that declared all her belongings were lost in a house fire, which to this day I think she set, show up for the "interview" wearing a leather Harley jacket she claimed was lost in the fire.

Nothing like you have seen I am sure.   But I still worry about Judy getting "caught" helping me even though most her help is sitting there talking to me or holding something a few times an hour.  I know how lawyers can twist things.


It is kind of amazing an insurance company can check a person Facebook page and the FBI and homeland security cannot in the case of refugees and/or terrorist like the San Bernardino attack.  (oops sorry if that became to political.)

I have a call in to Judy's doctor, no response yet. I can see this will be another day of getting nothing I had planned to do done.  I just hope I can get her in to see the doc.  If I do not hear in an hour she is going to the ER whether she likes it or not. Pollocks are so stubborn!

Our fraud department sends out a monthly newsletter detailing a recent fraud attempt which is usually highlights the bizarre and imbecile attempts. I'm sure there are many more less interesting ones.

I really don't think you have much to wore about. Don't stress about it! You would already know if they were suspecting you of anything fishy.