Surviving Minnesota!

[CuzChickens]

My Leghorn has layed an egg a day for six months now. She is slowing down for winter, but man, she is an egg laying machine! She only weighs about three and a half pounds, and she probably eats a quarter cup of feed a day.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I'm really seeing that Minnie. Junior does sqwak when I pick up a hen in the coop. But am okay with that sort of protectiveness. I need it actually. Sort of like the feistiness for survival, if you will.

Sylvia is still leading the flock I think also. I saw the two of them go toe to toe on the hill the other day...and I'm not sure ...but I think Junior did back off. Funny old hen. I saw her dance for the BLRW this morning too, while on the picnic table. Maybe she's got funny things happening with her ovaries.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

My Leghorn has layed an egg a day for six months now. She is slowing down for winter, but man, she is an egg laying machine! She only weighs about three and a half pounds, and she probably eats a quarter cup of feed a day.

Production in vs. out...those leghorns give you your money's worth. Their combs are entirely wrong for us though.

As a person speaking with a rooster that's going to get whacked this winter.

 

[CuzChickens]

Production in vs. out...those leghorns give you your money's worth.  Their combs are entirely wrong for us though. 

As a person speaking with a rooster that's going to get whacked this winter. 

Yeah, I'm a little freaked out she's gonna get some serious frostbite this winter. We have temps drop down to ten or below most nights December-February. What temps to you guys get?

 

[Bogtown Chick]

The worst winter I had I woke to -20 F everday. Most days it would warm to 0 or 5 by noon. There was still ice on our lakes mid May. That was 4-5 years ago. It was relentless

Last winter was very mild. Teens, Twenties, Thirties. One week only of subzero -20s or so. This year is shaping up to be the same by the looks of it. I would like snow though. Its part of a good economy where I live. People need the tourism here with the ice and snow sports that go on around here. It gets pretty lean and tough around here on our little local economy if the snow plow guys arent plowing and the waitresses aren't serving snowmobilers and such on the weekends.

 

[duluthralphie]

My fist choice for friendly birds would be speckled Sussex.

I will agree on the Polish being bat-butt Crazy! If I reach in their cage, change water, bedding or anything they scramble and go ape-poop.

I have only held one or two of them and they do scream and act like they are being assaulted.


This morning I had one escapee in the barn. One of my SS pullets had gotten out, I have some cages I bought at the Hutch show. They are the same type that are in use in the fairs and shows. The door latch can be left semi open fairly easy. I assume Judy did not shut it all the way. Who else could have left it open?

I tried to walk up and pick her up, after all she is a SS and I just said they were friendly. She would have none of it, She was standing right next to Bert. Bert has the run of the barn and is not in "no Stinkin cage"!.

Bert lets me pick him up anytime I want. I reached down and her pea brain said " He wants to put me back in the cage"....

Off she went.

Now it was quiet in the barn. Until I grabbed the net to catch the pullet. The pullet is running over and under things to escape me. It was like the whole barn erupted into a scream. The rooster were screaming , the hens were going at it. I am sure they were encouraging the pullet to keep going. It was unbelievably loud. As soon as I caught her and was holding her, the barn went quiet.

I will have a headache from the noise all day, and it is mainly Judy's fault.

 

[duluthralphie]

Yeah, I'm a little freaked out she's gonna get some serious frostbite this winter. We have temps drop down to ten or below most nights December-February. What temps to you guys get?

OH wow, all the way down to 10 degrees! How do you survive it?

The worst winter was back in the 90's. We had -68 as I recall. My wife and I sat in the hot tub just to say we could. We ran back into the house, we did not dilly dally on the trip back in. It was an experience to remember. However, we enjoy sitting in a hottub on extremely cold nights. it is so relaxing. There is a trick to it, but I will not give away that secret on the G rated website...

There was a power company guy here yesterday, he was whining we have not been below zero yet. He wants lots of ice for fishing.. I wished him a terrible ice fishing season....

 

[CuzChickens]

-20???!!! Um. Brrrrrrr. My dad is a landscaper during spring through fall, in the winter he plows snow. I think our coldest weather record was -7 and a wind chill of like -15. I don't know if I would survive -68 good gracious outside in a HOT TUB? Wow. You are braver than me. Oh, wait, you are scared of ducks, I'm am so much more of a man than you....lol

I have five Speckled Sussex, I love them! But Welsummers beat them for friendliness. I think you should have a farming comedy show, Ralphie.

 

[KlopKlop]

The worst winter I had I woke to -20 F everday.  Most days it would warm to 0 or 5 by noon. There was still ice on our lakes mid May. That was 4-5 years ago. It was relentless

Last winter was very mild. Teens, Twenties, Thirties.  One week only of subzero -20s or so.  This year is shaping up to be the same by the looks of it.  I would like snow though.  Its part of a good economy where I live.  People need the tourism here with the ice and snow sports that go on around here.  It gets pretty lean and tough around here on our little local economy if the snow plow guys arent plowing and the waitresses aren't serving snowmobilers and such on the weekends.

Yeah I remember that winter 5 years back. Right when I started at this job. We clocked a few days down around -28 when I was headed to work. So cold the clutch in my truck worked like an automatic. I could push it in, put it in gear then take my foot off. It would slowly release itself and engage. It was hydraulic and the fluid must have been gel essentially. We would show up in the office in full snow gear and strip down to our work clothes. The aisles looked like the coat room in an elementary school with boot and snow pants and scarves strewn ablut

 

[MinnesotaNice]

Excellent point, BC. We spend a week or two a year at a "resort" on Crooked Lake in Finland. During the Summer they depend on 4-wheeling and fishing folks. In the Winter, snowmobiling. Last year hurt them with the late snow start. It was too cold to 4-wheel and have a boat on the lake and, of course, no snow for the snowmobiles. It's easy to forget about how important the tourism is here in MN when you don't depend on it.

Where do you live @CuzChickens ?

I really love my Black Copper Marans in terms of friendliness. I spoiled them since day uno, so maybe that has something to do with it. I did hatch a Blue Copper with my Black Coppers and even with the same amount of attention, she's never been very friendly. I get that "try it, lady" look when I reach for her. I agree with you Ralphie, my SS have really grown on me. Initially they didn't want much to do with us, but laying calmed them down a bit. Same with my Barred Rocks and EE's from this year.