Surviving Minnesota!

[lvie]

Morning . Snow coming my way . Chickens are slackers . 1 egg yesterday and none the day before . Yesterday was not productive . Insurance shopping for changes when I turn 65 .

Morning . Snow coming my way . Chickens are slackers . 1 egg yesterday and none the day before . Yesterday was not productive . Insurance shopping for changes when I turn 65 .

What? ? You are not 65 yet? Youngster!

 

[lvie]

Good Morning Chickeners . . . .

Welcome to bigfoot11. ISanti is a skip, hop and jump from me and from Ralphie. Is that the still in the banana belt Ralphie?

Jerrsyse - I just turned 65! I highly recommend it. Many, many benefits and so far, the best time of my life! Not that there are any other best times . . . . I was
not expecting to be so happy to be this age.

 

[duluthralphie]

I am not sure, Isanti could be just east of the "official" banana belt. Bigfoot how are you coconut palms doing?

 

[lvie]

Yes! There is a ton of insurance information that will arrive via the mail. It keeps coming and coming and coming . . . . still . . . .

The good thing is that I am saving over $900 a month between medicare and the insurance supplement. I get full range of the Community Center for FREE! Plus they have classes for old like me! Then there are the minor little admission and meal discounts in places. Yeah - - - loving this! And it is so nice that NO ONE believes that I am now 65! Lovin that!

My Bananas on my trees have frozen. Just the edges, nothing solid. But the nuts are staying up in the Palms. I do wonder how Isanti is holding onto the foliage.

 

[lvie]

I am at 21 birds last count. Six are 12 weeks old. Of the other 15 one is a roo. Another is a PITA and has been forever. She thinks she is a he. I need to begin to pay attention to how well she lays this spring because she will be the first to go be processed if she is not laying.

Out of the 14 suppose-to-be-laying birds I get anywhere from 1/2 dozen to 11 eggs a day. I have rope lighting in their enclosed coop. I supplement their food with egg-laying encouragement. I switched them to the Layena layer food with the Omegas etc. It made a big difference when I began giving them it.

Bragging? Kind of. They are very spoiled and I am very happy with their performance. And the DH can talk to and approach Reggie without a stick or fear of attack. Reggie has been a therapy roo for the DH. Of course he is half the size of what Tom is/was (haven't had any updates from Tom's guy lately.)

Reggie will be turning a year and should be a really, really good roo as to the reading I have done says that they settle more about 1 1/2 years old. What do you think about that? I will go and grease up Reggies magnificent comb and wattles in a short time here.

 

[duluthralphie]

Yes! There is a ton of insurance information that will arrive via the mail. It keeps coming and coming and coming . . . . still . . . .

The good thing is that I am saving over $900 a month between medicare and the insurance supplement. I get full range of the Community Center for FREE! Plus they have classes for old like me! Then there are the minor little admission and meal discounts in places. Yeah - - - loving this! And it is so nice that NO ONE believes that I am now 65! Lovin that!

My Bananas on my trees have frozen. Just the edges, nothing solid. But the nuts are staying up in the Palms. I do wonder how Isanti is holding onto the foliage.

I know it shocked me to find out you were only 65!!

Just jerking your chain Ivie!! Please forgive me, I could not resist....

 

[ejb3810]

Ralphie, I thought for sure that "Bigfoot 11" was on of your Togo renters! But, alas he is another suburbanite. Is anyone other than me tired of seeing these AARP solicitations in the mail?

65? I always tell people that I think I look pretty darn good for a guy who is 98!! Ralphie is the only one of this group who could comment, and it is my wish that he keep his opinion to himself !!

The sun has finally come out and last I looked it was + 5 degrees. Please Gore and O'Bama bring back the global warming you pikers !! Better get the smudge pots ready Ralphie or the coconut crop may be damaged by frost?

 

[ejb3810]

Ralphie, I thought for sure that "Bigfoot 11" was on of your Togo renters! But, alas he is another suburbanite. Is anyone other than me tired of seeing these AARP solicitations in the mail?

65? I always tell people that I think I look pretty darn good for a guy who is 98!! Ralphie is the only one of this group who could comment, and it is my wish that he keep his opinion to himself !!

The sun has finally come out and last I looked it was + 5 degrees. Please Gore and O'Bama bring back the global warming you pikers !! Better get the smudge pots ready Ralphie or the coconut crop may be damaged by frost?

 

[duluthralphie]

I have been outside for the last 2 1/2 hours. Toes are cold!


I checked eggs 3 times and lost 3 to cracking by freezing. I lost a Dom, CLB and SS egg.

I have 4 good eggs today so I am happy 3 Toad eggs and a DOm Egg. I had to wait an extra half hour outside for the DOM egg, I saw she was going to lay it so I waited, She took her sweet time laying it.

I was productive though I made 2 nest boxes (ugly out of scrap) one for the Polish and one for the Cuckoo marans.

I lost the comb on my Cream Legbar rooster I was showing this fall. It has about 4 tips that are black on the last 1/2 inch. Cuddles is looking good still, but I am not hopeful. I have placed the silver insulation stuff on the sides and top of his cage I have about a 3 inch gap on the sides at the top to let moisture out.

Next year I will have a place for him. on the cold nights I will be sneaking him into my new area that will be heated. If not him whatever single combed rooster I have that I might want to keep the comb on. The Maran roosters comb looks ok still.

Yokohama and Polish have stopped laying eggs again. I only got one from the Polish and nothing again and the Yokohamas I have about 6 from. They are too much pullet eggs to hatch.

I am afraid my first hatch might be pretty pitiful. It will give me a chance to work out the bugs I guess.

I have increased the light in the pole barn by 1/2 hour a day hoping that will help. I might lengthen the day in the breeding cages too.

I have a CLB on a nest. I was not going to wait for her to lay the egg, I will check in a few minutes. Toes are too cold right now.

Fall must be over, there is a flock of Sandhll cranes that just flew over southbound. A large flock.

 

[I Love Layers]

My dad got a coyote this morning. About 150 yards with the 22 hornet dropped it dead.
We outside for about 2 hours, very cold out there, got a water heater in the coop while I was out there.
5 eggs so far no frozen