Surviving Minnesota!

[holm25]

Every single Buckeye egg is developing I knew I could trust these boys to get the job done

 

[Bogtown Chick]

That's awesome holm. Bring them into the home stretch! How fun. Now that I'm out a Bantam Silkie Hen...and have announced not getting more (broodies) I suppose I'll have to look into one of those Brinsea classroom hatcher thingy-ma-bops---incubator? Another Chapter of chicken knowledge I will have to figure out.

Maybe i should just get a bantam cochin again.... I don't have space upstairs.

 

[holm25]

That's awesome holm.  Bring them into the home stretch!  How fun. Now that I'm out a Bantam Silkie Hen...and have announced not getting more (broodies) I suppose I'll have to look into one of those Brinsea classroom hatcher thingy-ma-bops---incubator? Another Chapter of chicken knowledge I will have to figure out. 

Maybe i should just get a bantam cochin again....  I don't have space upstairs.

Thanks! I am gonna try get them all the way to hatch day!


Get a standard Cochin! They make amazing broodies and I almost prefer them over my standard/Bantam cross Cochins! I do have two hatchery quality Blue Cochins that are to big big for a Bantam but to small for a standard and they raise a lot of chicks. At the end of this fall my Aistralirps and Cochins will be the only birds still here. Everything else will be culled and replaced.

 

[bantiesrule]

Good morning everybody. -17 below here.... burrrrr.....



Bantiesrule I get where you're coming from. They are enjoyable for a lot of people and make really good pets for people in the city or even way out in the sticks. I just have bad luck with them. Never lost one to a predator. I have only lost guineas and an extra rooster to coons here. And that was in the coop too. I love my standard chooks and I don't think my mind will ever change about that! The swap is for only game breeds right?

No, people bring a lot of pheasants, peafowl, wild ducks and the like but others also bring chickens, domestic ducks and geese, etc. I don't remember about the spring swap (spring?-what a joke

) but I've seen house birds at some of these also. It's $5.00 a person for either selling or buying. All birds must be tested and banded. Doors open at 7 AM. Contact info if interested is: Doug Randall (320) 236-2270

 

[lvie]

Quote:
When a vehicle has AWD there is a place that needs the 6 oz. of fluid (like oil) changed about every 20 to 30,000 miles Who knew? Not me - not the DH; apparently not the mechanic that is retiring on us in April. But his nephew knows! That nephew works on my DH diesel and will become our new go-to mechanic. We will miss the mechanic that we have had for years and years. Oh. A mear $1,500 and my car will be fixed. Ouch! Change that stuff if you have a AWD.

On a chicken note - I am heating my coop! No lectures needed, no shaming. One of my RIR is in full molt and poor Reggie's comb is horrible. It is not beach weather in there but I am not making them endure these temperatures. As it begins to warm up I will pull the heat lamps one at a time. So! I want to say that my CLB chick is quick! She has here roost spot in the line of the heat and the other birds have not caught completely on about those roosts. One SS was using one end of them. There are two and five birds could easily fit on each but usually its just the young pullets that use them. The bigger, fuller birds are just fine on their regular roost. Its below freezing in their coop, just not below 20.

 

[lvie]

I am not sure if it is cold or not.

I have covered my thermometer with masking tape. I figure cold is just a state of mind and I do not look at the temp, I will not feel the cold.



Coffee and DH are coming today, She is going to get Snowflake and shop for more, I hope.

I wonder if covering the temps will keep the eggs from freezing?

Hope so yesterday we had a 2 people calling for eggs, one wanted 2 dozen another wants 5. No idea when I will finally get them. Ivie about those extra eggs you have...




@bantiesrule I find it amazing the eagles don't decimate your birds. I lose so many to those flying ( see BYC I have self control and did not say the words)... While I do not have banties, I have the 3 fufu's their eggs are small and they are smaller than real chickens I figure they might become eagle bait.

Yep - I have five doz sitting in a refrig right this minute. Mine are only $2.00 a doz so you would still make money.

 

[lvie]

I hate to write it and probably will regret it, but the winter thus far has been quite mild. Not enough bitter cold weather to properly eliminate all the vermin which usually perish ?

Bantams are for fun and not really for agricultural production, but 2 or 3 bantam eggs will equal a full size egg. The bantams don't eat much and most seem very resilient ?

Ducks and Geese are messy and a pain in the posterior !!

Those in the Minnesota Banana Belt are not the only complainers regarding this winter, as I have friend in Central Oregon who is going through a season with cold and snow. He does not understand how this is happening, as it never has before there. He is convinced it has something to do with Global Warming !!

As W. C. Fields said, " I love small children. Lightly roasted they are best."

I have a friend too! Yea! She has been my friend for 52 years now. Amazing. She lives in Oregon also and holy cats! They have had the weather! With their roads, up and down and curvy, and the lack of equipment to deal with snow and ice I really do feel sorry for them. But not as sorry as I feel for us during these freezes. We should be just about done with the bitter cold now after this one. Right?

 

[lvie]

That's awesome holm. Bring them into the home stretch! How fun. Now that I'm out a Bantam Silkie Hen...and have announced not getting more (broodies) I suppose I'll have to look into one of those Brinsea classroom hatcher thingy-ma-bops---incubator? Another Chapter of chicken knowledge I will have to figure out.

Maybe i should just get a bantam cochin again.... I don't have space upstairs.

And me, being a BC wanna be - was thinking I wanted one cute little bantie which I would name Dixie II to brood for me. I still feel desolate for the loss of Dixie BC. I am sorry she is gone.

 

[I Love Layers]

My birds all sleeping. Ivie I'm heating also for tonight

Well they're all sleeping but the stupid bantam silkie rooster

 

[Cebarmlds]

Ralphie is that child in your avatar cooking ducks?