Surviving Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

Alas, I don't have Carharts. I'm on the Dave Ramsey plan Baby step 2, and it is not in the budget. I wear some snowpants I got on clearance at Cabelas in the bargain cave for $16 and an old coat 2 sizes too big, and I layer. I look a site, but who is going to see me? (Besides dh, the dogs, the chickens, the neighbors, ups guy, Mailman, garbage lady, Ralphie when he stopped over to drop off eggs....) lol

I have carhartts because I am fashion snob!


. I had 1 unfrozen egg when I went to the pole barn. It froze before I got back in. I was so excited, I thought I had a good Maran egg. I was wrong it was cracked, not one good egg even in the pole barn cages.

Watering and feeding was a treat today. I added bedding (chips) to the cages today. The Yokohama's went nuts. One of the pullets tried to fly out the door. I grabbed her by the leg as she went out. She screamed and every rooster in the pole barn went nuts. The Yokohama rooster managed to rip his toe somehow, so he was bleeding and holding his foot up. I hope it is ok. It has been all of 2 weeks since they last got bedding, I guess they forgot.

One of the Maran Pullets got out. She played a game of "catch me if you can". I played it for about 5 minutes before I decided to cheat and use a net. She let me touch her with one hand but not put 2 hands on her.

I had a dead toad rooster this morning. No visible signs, but considering the CX base not overly surprising. I kind of wish I had not butchered that one to roast now. I am thinking of crossing a PC rooster into them once to get rid of the single comb and then back to themselves to keep the size and growth rate.

His comb was badly frostbit and scabby so infection is possible too.

On the way in I went back to the layers and the Legbar pens. I had 2 good eggs in the layers boxes and 5 in the legbar nest boxes! I did not want to take my mittens off the mark the legbar eggs for hatching. So I slipped all 5 eggs into the carhartt bibs pocket. Judy told me to never put them in my jacket pocket and I listen to her, especially after the fuss he made last time I broke an egg in the jacket pocket.

It is only 50 steps to the house from the legbars.....And I am going to get chewed out a tad tonight when Judy gets home. on the bright side 4 made it.


I think I was too harsh on the legbars when I first got them. I really like them. I do not have the flightiness my first ones I got from Heidi had. They are calm and really do not eat much. The forage well, they are just a good all around bird, if not for the comb, and once that freezes off the roosters seem ok too. I have one in the pole barn, the one that had the real bad waddle freeze. He follows right with Me , next to Bert when I am doing chores.

I think some of you should try them again. (hint BC). I know some of you want larger eggs but the good size Medium eggs are not bad.

@Cluckies ....THANKS. Wow! Do you hire out? I pay in room/board....homemade wine....homegrown beef....and of course free eggs!!!

I wish she would! That coop of hers is amazing. I have ghetto birds compared to her mansion birds.




BTW Cluckies I sure do not remember that you were wearing, and I doubt I ever did notice. My lack of style bothers Judy some. Oh well, us old time Orrock families are not known for being stylish.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Most of us would not stop for the back straps. When I came up to mushroom hunt with you and hit that deer, I did not even stop for 20 miles until I could pull into a gas station that was open. I have seen too many people stop and not be able to move ending up stranded in the middle of no where..



However, BC, being from the "roadkill stew" capital of Minnesota was shocked. As I recall she asked about a dozen times that day. "You didn't stop for the back straps?"

If I am ever hit by a car crossing the road up there, I plan to run for the woods or drag myself into the woods, incase a local stops to try and get my "backstraps". It is a bad place to be a car hit wounded animal!

Oh my gosh I am so bad.

All I cared about was getting the back straps that day....Not that you possibly wouldn't make it back home or couldn't stop at Erli's for a Henry's....Just if you got the dang backstraps.

We are a tick off the beaten path here.

The kids run small on the BB team. I tell DH it's because they eat Veni instead of beef. LOL. Veni eaters: Small and Fast.

I was wondering the same thing. We are definently colder and windier then SD. And I know most days we arw colder then MN. But hey we can claim the most extreme temperatures state.

Me too...I bet the Chinooks screw up the #1 listing.

I may have to keep watch in july, I hear you about the wind up the back!

16 in the run, 11 in the henhouse, -2 outside. I love it when there is sun on these colder days. Heats up that run due to the greenhouse panels, then I don't worry so much.

150 Watt Radiant panel heater, 250 Watt Red light Lamp secured, Silver Bubble Wrap. 11 chickens in 7 x 6 coop. (yes I know I'm over capacity by 1/2 chicken) -26 F outside. 5 degrees F inside the coop. Poop Frozen as poop can be. The poor things are getting grumpy though...you can tell. I can't wait to let them out into the run.

I have carhartts because I am fashion snob!



On the way in I went back to the layers and the Legbar pens. I had 2 good eggs in the layers boxes and 5 in the legbar nest boxes! I did not want to take my mittens off the mark the legbar eggs for hatching. So I slipped all 5 eggs into the carhartt bibs pocket. Judy told me to never put them in my jacket pocket and I listen to her, especially after the fuss he made last time I broke an egg in the jacket pocket.

It is only 50 steps to the house from the legbars.....And I am going to get chewed out a tad tonight when Judy gets home. on the bright side 4 made it.


I think I was too harsh on the legbars when I first got them. I really like them. I do not have the flightiness my first ones I got from Heidi had. They are calm and really do not eat much. The forage well, they are just a good all around bird, if not for the comb, and once that freezes off the roosters seem ok too. I have one in the pole barn, the one that had the real bad waddle freeze. He follows right with Me , next to Bert when I am doing chores.

I think some of you should try them again. (hint BC). I know some of you want larger eggs but the good size Medium eggs are not bad.

BTW Cluckies I sure do not remember that you were wearing, and I doubt I ever did notice. My lack of style bothers Judy some. Oh well, us old time Orrock families are not known for being stylish.

Cluckies and Kloppers...I bet your snow pants get the job done. DH's Carharts are from a garage sale. (We lucked out) We've had them for 10 years and they are washed to softness perfectly faded...little fringy on the sleeves. You could put them on buck nekked and still stay toasty doing the coop run. Not that I've done that...Underwear--yes. I had a pair of plain denim Dickies Bib overalls I LOVED for gardening. I wore holes in them before I finally pitched them. I should get a replacement. They were pretty strong as I remember. Good quality.

Ralphie I love that you will be doing laundry for Judy today! Better hide that egg yolk....she'll never know what happened.

 

[duluthralphie]

Ralphie I love that you will be doing laundry for Judy today! Better hide that egg yolk....she'll never know what happened.

I am laundry challenged, besides If I did the laundry she would lose all sense of value and self worth. I could never do that too her.


I have dickie coveralls and jean jackets. I actually like them too, I have never had their knockoff carhartt canvas stuff.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Oh I forgot to put this in the last post. Hearing you @duluthralphie talk about the CLB's makes me think I should try those little road runners again. They sure are pretty with their little crests. Wild as March Hares. I did enjoy them. Maybe for Shannon's class room hatch we'll do those (6) , some Doms (6), I'll get 1/2 doz Buff Orpington eggs from @MNChickMom and then I'll throw in some Wellies from my Junior and Patsy Cline.

 

[EMorical]

I wish she would! That coop of hers is amazing. I have ghetto birds compared to her mansion birds.

I guess the only good thing about starting with a 'blank slate' for housing is....starting with a blank slate! Just found the "poop board" forum. Woooooooooow.... add that to the list. I'm still trying to figure out what "DH" means. Doorknob Husband.... Dear Husband....?? Both?

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Well in our house @EMorical that would be the first choice...most days.

 

[EMorical]

Hahaha! Well, I can't take the credit, my DH did most of the work, i'm just the idea person (I did the block work though and put up the hardware cloth) But basically I would say, I want something that will do this, and then he would have to come up with how it would work well. The roof on the second section and how it would work with the first section took me the longest to try and explain, he didn't understand what I was talking about and how I wanted it to be, but once he understood, he was able to make it happen. also, like the green house panels, I said I wanted greenhouse panels around my run, he came up with the idea of how to put them on and take them off easily without tools. He is wonderful! But I doubt i'd ever get him to build another coop, that took muchl his time for quite a while! He says we have the most expensive "free" eggs he has ever seen, lol

About those green house panels - did your order them online?

 

[jerryse]

Well got the feed stored . Hey BC Fedco has a Nelson blackberry that should grow in your area . Something with bigger berries than your local wild . I think I will order some .
https://www.fedcoseeds.com/trees/?item=343

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Well got the feed stored . Hey BC Fedco has a Nelson blackberry that should grow in your area . Something with bigger berries than your local wild . I think I will order some .
https://www.fedcoseeds.com/trees/?item=343

Mmmm. Sounds delicious. I was thinking about Apple Trees down where my old garden was...but maybe I should do canes of Blackberries and raspberries.

 

[ejb3810]

Ralphie, my friend Dan Powell was the creator of the Maiden Rocks and could tell me how to duplicate. He moved to New Zealand I believe and so I have lost communication with him.

He gave or sold the flock to Nathan Z's brother as he was selling his farm and liquidating livestock but apparently they all died or something ?

I guess my 1/2 Norwegian blood is mostly immune to the affects of cold. I wear no Carharts or any such thing just wranglers and no long undies. The only part of me which occasionally gets cold is finger tips. I feel bad for the members from the Banana Belt who need to get all bundled up to go out. It must restrict your mobility ? I do look forward to Spring and warmer temps, as the birds are much more comfortable and the daylight stimulates egg production.