Surviving Minnesota!

[Bogtown Chick]

Destiny if you are near stearns county at all there was a huge mink farm release.

At my work we have people turning in paperwork last minute and griping they didn't get in on something. Most are humble by their lateness. But still annoyingly beg for stuff in a semi not sorry tone. It's for anything. Birds, service of any kind. Unorganized last minute people are my Bain. McDonalds society. My way right away.

"Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."

 

[holm25]

Just figured I would post a pic of one of our old ladies... She has quite the set of spurs on her...

 

[holm25]

This one shows her spurs a little better

 

[destiny_56085]

I'm hours from Stearns county thank god! Our mink attacks started about 2-3 months ago down here.

 

[duluthralphie]

Hi all..

I am feeling better, I putzed outside for several hours yesterday. Judy keeps saying I need to take it slower. She just wants to make me dependent on her so I don't dump her for the beautiful rich songbird Eileen.....


I have decided to not do any fairs this summer. I am just too far behind and not up to it. So I lose the fair contest to the MnchickMom kid's by default...BUT that gives them a year to try and beat me next year...OR I can whoomp their behinds at Hutch or New Ulm....


I really appreciate the offers for help, but I will manage on my own. I am always up for a visit though. I have new pens and cages to build. I have securing of old pens against the new critters two legged or four, but that is bull work and I kind of putz when I do those things. I have baths to do but I have a couple months now that the fairs are out. Maybe if I get real ambitious I will do the state fair, but I doubt that, too many people there.

I am still working on getting a cream legbar pre-qualifier at the Hutch show. I hope I can pull that off. I am going to be close on the number of birds. I thought I had enough to make the pre-qualifier my self. But after the attacks I might be short on pullets and cockerels. I knew I was one rooster ( I know they want me to say cock) shy.

I am working on a bumblefoot on the one cock, he is my best creamiest cock. He was the one as a cockerel that was 24 hours from the nice Asian lady's freezer in St.Paul. He has turned into a great bird. His sons are decent and his daughters are super. I hope to have 50-60 cages inside the pole barn come fall. I can then cull and actually keep must my birds in the barn over winter.

Andy might make a show this year, if I can see what the judge will do with his winter dubbed comb. He actually has a crest back this year. I will enter him as a cream but in actuality he is closer to gold creole.

Destiny the predators are terrible this year here. Not counting the real mystery was it Mom, a crook or a critter ones. I am going to lie a second ground wire (hardware cloth) around the main array of covered runs and an electric poultry net around it. Expensive but cheaper than losing all these birds.

I have decided to only hatch about 30-40 birds of each species early on next year. I will not be selling to the general public, and when I do they will pay in advance like at a real hatchery and not be getting TSC prices. I will still have the cheap chicks for all my friends and the 4h kids in the area, I want to encourage the kids still.

I know I had more I wanted to say, but it is gone now..Fleeting thoughts.

OJ, aka the ex-next Bert, is still alive, he seems to be getting better with me. I might try and remove his spurs and see if that makes him gentler. I really want his color, but not his attitude. I find a small isolated cage can change their appreciation for my wonderful personality. They look forward to my 5 minute a day visit. Otherwise he is perfect size for Thanksgiving.

Talk to you all later...

 

[duluthralphie]

I'm hours from Stearns county thank god! Our mink attacks started about 2-3 months ago down here.

I have thought it could be mink her by the lack of squirrels and chipmunks, but it could also be the fantastic barn cats I got from Holm. They are constantly killing mice and dropping them in the barn. We have seen them going into the field to kill them and bring them to the barn. I have live traps in the barn and have not had a mouse in one in 3 months! I recommend barn cats to anyone.....Which I might have to give away soon. GC seems to have that pregnant gut look.....

Judy has ruined OC. He now wants to be held and petted all the time. She refused to leave him alone. Why do women always ruin the greatest plans of men????????

 

[jerryse]

Some pictures .

 

[holm25]

It's looking good Jerry!

 

[I Love Layers]

State Fair was awesome! I had so much fun up here at Minot!


4-H SHOW
Severus was in the top 3 cockerels, and in the top 12 overall
BLF-3 was the top pullet, and was in the top 12 birds overall
OPEN SHOW
Severus got Reserve Champion Asiatic, and possibly RB or RV. The judge didn't write anything on the tags so I have no idea
BLF-3 got possibly Reserve Champion , or maybe she was just given the ribbon because shes a great bird but she was the only blue


Two people who have been showing up there for a long time both thought that Severus should have won at least Overall Asiatic. But I'm glad he even got Reserve!

The judge definently wasn't my favorite, he didn't give any reasons for picking birds in 4H and his showmanship judging was a bit off. Either way I definently won't complain as my birds did good

 

[duluthralphie]

Grats Layers!!

Nice job.