Surviving Minnesota!

[Cebarmlds]

The radar shows the snow coming from the south...

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[I Love Layers]

We have no travel advised for the western half of the state

 

[CindyinSD]

The radar shows the snow coming from the south...

We had a south wind all day yesterday, but it switched around and now all this nasty white mold is blowing in from the north. Better for us since the open barn and the tur-duck-oose coop both face south.

I think I’m going to order the optional wind strapping for the greenhouse. They said I wouldn’t need it, and it IS still standing (I just checked), but this billowiness going on makes scary noises when you’re inside of it.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

It’s still coming down. Maybe 6 inches or more now. We got the JD walk behind plow (with the new carb kit) tested today and boy does that make a nice chicken path! I’m going to have a dead strip of grass there but that’s ok. No golf course here.

Walking around in the snowy yard getting Xmas decorations up from the shed I stepped in Sadie’s ankle breaker hole twice. She redug one this fall and I didn’t get it filled like I should have. She’s a piece of work.

Floors washed and carpets cleaned Friday. I always love that it’s done. Bought tree at dive bar down the road for $25 again. They are still the best. Tall and skinny. Grand and you can walk around it in your living room.

Chickens. I’m out of oyster shell and will have to spoil with some cottage cheese or something until I get to a bigger town. They are now officially in the run until spring I’m guessing with our inches coming down. They do look cozy and content in the run, I have to say.
Leaf litter and straw still thick and puffy to walk on in there.
Couple things to run by you guys:
Cats and chickens: particularly free range 6-8 week old chicks just released to free range. Is there issues with cats taking out/hunting the young ‘teenager’ birds. I’d like to get an outdoor cat for mousing but in the spring... I have free range chicks. Idk...
DH says no. And another critter is just not what I should do, albeit they are useful.

 

[CindyinSD]

Get some you some Buckeyes, @Bogtown Chick . They’re really nice, friendly girls. More than that, though. Mine love to haunt the areas under the steps and around the back where the mice dig out their colonies. There is nothing quite so comically uplifting as to see a little pullet running full speed, mouse dangling from her beak and the rest of the orange chickens hot on her heels because they think she ought to share.

 

[jerryse]

Morning . Yesterday was yucky , rainy , cloudy . Might get a inch or less of snow this morning . Oh I got my first seed catalog of the season already .

 

[duluthralphie]

Cats are the only true biological mouse and rat protectors.

My cats are excellent at pest control. I have never had one attack a chicken.

They are not house cats, only one wants to be petted or even touched. They are raised like livestock guard dogs, kind of.

They are born in the barn with the chickens and turkeys. I have no idea if that makes a difference. They rub up against the birds like they would a humans legs. Some chickens tolerate them some peck at them, same with turkeys. It’s not unusual to see chicken, cat and dog all hanging out together.

The chickens do not participate in the butt sniffy rituals like the cat and dogs do.

I would never tempt the cats with chicks, but some broodies have and the chicks live.

Teens seem to be safe from cat harassment.

 

[I Love Layers]

I've never had problems with cats taking out chicks, even with chicks as young as day olds. Our cats are like @duluthralphie though, they were raised with the birds. However we did have a stray show up a month ago, he is a small starved little tom cat, and he never touched the young Cochins I have running around, and they would be the perfect size for a cat

 

[R2elk]

I've never had problems with cats taking out chicks, even with chicks as young as day olds. Our cats are like @duluthralphie though, they were raised with the birds. However we did have a stray show up a month ago, he is a small starved little tom cat, and he never touched the young Cochins I have running around, and they would be the perfect size for a cat

I have had feral cats catch a case of lead poisoning while they stalked poults and chicks. A neighbor had a feral cat catch lead poisoning after it killed some of his chickens.

 

[CindyinSD]

Cats may or may not be wonderful, but... when a family member with equal or almost equal rank objects to cats, chickens can be very helpful. Anyway, even cats can be slackers...