Surviving Minnesota!

[Bogtown Chick]

I was waiting for that rooster to spur one of those little kids but I see he's a cockerel with no spurs and a nice comb yet. Young curious feller yet. Ha. Such a cute story.

 

[duluthralphie]

I wanted to vote for the rooster, but I was not allowed to, so I voted for the mangy dog.


I could not find it either Jerry, had BC not posted the link I would have been a disenfranchised voter.





Kloppers what is your secret recipe for layer feed?

 

[jerryse]

Spent yesterday rebuilding the old chicken plucker . The original chipboard frame was getting weak after 20+ years . So I remade it with 1/8 inch steel . Cutting and welding . So today 7 chickens plucked so far . Cutting and packaging next . I may even can some . These are old red hens my grandson bought .

 

[ejb3810]

Ralphie, at one time I had some McGraw chickens, which were developed by Albert McGraw in Alabama. They looked like your Appenzellers, but layed a blue egg. They were developed from Appenzellers and Auraucanas I believe, but there may have been other breeds in the mix.
I unfortunately do not have any at this time, and I think they have perhaps passed into oblivion?

 

[Siggie]

My Aussie is a red tri like @memphis

I have 2 Aussies, one blue merle and one red merle!!! I had two others that were also a blue and red merle before my two now....I also have a border collie and a little 4lb. something or other!! LOL!

I finally found my Minnesota people! Hello, everyone!!

Welcome!!

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 .

I am very impressed with my birds so far...there are days when I am getting 6 eggs a day! I only have 11 pullets (they will be 1 yr old in April) I have only lost 3 eggs to freezing so far but this next cold snap will be a tough one to get through I think as far as eggs are concerned. Our coop has been staying about 10 - 15 degrees warmer than the outside air but since the cold snap it's only showing about a 5 - 8 degree difference.

I just got back from doing chores.

I managed to get a few eggs before they froze. I got three good toad eggs. I think I lost a DOM egg to the STUPID pullet I took to New Ulm where it picked up the bad habits of Southern Minnesota chickens. It had rolled into the area I wanted, but she managed to get under and to it to peck a hole and suck out the innards.


I threw her in with the rooster, raised the end of her cage another 1 1/5 and moved the blocking boards forward and inch, while covering the top better.

Hopefully this will stop her from getting to the egg. I am afraid I may never be able to let her out in a coop again. I would snip her beak, Jerry Style, but I think the judges would frown on the snipped beak next year. She is my best looking pullet so I guess I just put up with it. I might have to buy an egg factory type cage for her.


I had to crack corn today too, If I was smart I would have done it when it was warmer. I only do a Cattle watering tank at time so I need to do it often.

It appears Cuddles is going to lose a point on his comb. I guess he is done being shown, This cold is hard on the birds and me. A good thing about the cold is Turkey bedtime, I did not have to chase one to get them inside. 22 are in the rafters and on the roosts inside. 4 are all that are sitting outside.

I took some pictures of the Appletiniis. They are the only birds not going into their coop. They are staying under a Lean too, I have that is open on the west side instead of going into the coop. Everyone else is huddled in the coop this evening.


Here are Appletiniis:






And here are the toads.

They are sitting on a 2x4 roost and the PVC is 4 inch PVC to give you an idea of their size. You can see the size of their nest too. It started as 2 nests but they pushed the divider so far to get in and out, it is now a one nest box.

Wow ralphie those are nice looking birds (from Switzerland?), how do they lay or are they for meat?

 

[duluthralphie]

I have 2 Aussies, one blue merle and one red merle!!! I had two others that were also a blue and red merle before my two now....I also have a border collie and a little 4lb. something or other!! LOL!

Welcome!!

I am very impressed with my birds so far...there are days when I am getting 6 eggs a day! I only have 11 pullets (they will be 1 yr old in April) I have only lost 3 eggs to freezing so far but this next cold snap will be a tough one to get through I think as far as eggs are concerned. Our coop has been staying about 10 - 15 degrees warmer than the outside air but since the cold snap it's only showing about a 5 - 8 degree difference.


Wow ralphie those are nice looking birds (from Switzerland?), how do they lay or are they for meat?

I am not sure what good they are. They are way too small for eaters, unless you want to serve Cornish game hens

Mine have not laid an egg yet, They are my slowest layers of the birds I got this past (late) spring. I keep checking and they keep disappointing me. They are friendly little birds so I think they are just pet like Fufu's at this point. The lacing on them is really good to look at though and most of them have very fine distinct lines on them. Hopefully I can find a few that will show good next year.

Even the knot-headed Polish have beat them in the egg laying department so far. Another breed that really has not useful purpose. I have an over abundance of roosters (in the polish) so those will become dinner for the days we want to eat lighter. Besides I have to keep the roosters each in their own cage or they main each other. Next week it is suppose to warm up. When it does these guys are history (the extra dumb ones). I will keep the two with the best tail set on them.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I wanted to vote for the rooster, but I was not allowed to, so I voted for the mangy dog.


I could not find it either Jerry, had BC not posted the link I would have been a disenfranchised voter.





Kloppers what is your secret recipe for layer feed?

I would have had mixed emotions on who to vote for there if Willie Nelson was up in the running. They just ran his story last night...so he obviously hadn't had a chance to be in the top ten yet. Bruno is in the lead now... I see. 69% of the vote or something. Thank you for your vote Ralphie and Jerry. I really like that RIR running among the the pretty Christmas Trees in that beautiful white snow.

 

[KlopKlop]

@duluthralphie my recipe is:
2 - 5 gallon pails of ground corn
1 small bucket soy
1 small bucket oats
1 scoop nutri balancer
2-3 scoops calcium grit

If that's not useful, here is the base recipe I started from
32lbs corn
9lbs soy meal
5 lbs oats
3lbs calcium
1.5 lbs nutri balancer

 

[KlopKlop]

I would have had mixed emotions on who to vote for there if Willie Nelson was up in the running.  They just ran his story last night...so he obviously hadn't had a chance to be in the top ten yet.  Bruno is in the lead now... I see.  69% of the vote or something.  Thank you for your vote Ralphie and Jerry.  I really like that RIR running among the the pretty Christmas Trees in that beautiful white snow.

I will have to try looking at lunch. Links never work for me on mobile

 

[Bogtown Chick]

They usually don't for me either Kloppers. Have to be on a Lap top to get the link to work. Something worked for me last night though...can't remember what it was. I was surprised though!