Surviving Minnesota!

[Bogtown Chick]

I like the bullhead idea and when you're done put them back in the river until the next spring. Since my pot hole freezes out every winter. Live fish are not an option. I do not want dead fish by freezing on my hands. Lol. Dunks work.

The description mentions safe for wild life and birds. I had some trepidation about it last year-- because guess where my birds are drinking water? Out of the low spots. But everybody seems well.

Ralphie I think you need a Diana, fergie, Kate, & Camilla as well.

 

[duluthralphie]

I have been having problems trying to get PC chicks. The PC eggs never develop, they are always clear. I thought it might be Ed, but it is not all his fault, maybe.

I just moved eggs into the hatchers, not one PC egg went in. They were all clear. I have 2 EE in with Ed, I decided to mark those eggs PE so I would not confuse them with the regular EE. 5 of them are hatching. So Ed is not infertile. I am thinking now Ed is either such a gentleman he will not mate with the hens until they beg him too. OR He thinks the broody PC hens are ugly.


It is truly disheartening with all the other chick drama I am having.

 

[duluthralphie]

I like the bullhead idea and when you're done put them back in the river until the next spring. Since my pot hole freezes out every winter. Live fish are not an option. I do not want dead fish by freezing on my hands. Lol. Dunks work.

The description mentions safe for wild life and birds. I had some trepidation about it last year-- because guess where my birds are drinking water? Out of the low spots. But everybody seems well.

Ralphie I think you need a Diana, fergie, Kate, & Camilla as well.

I know it says it is 100% natural, but what isn't?

If you stretch the truth enough Mustard gas is 100 Natural.

 

[holm25]

Holm, what do you guys do with all your bulls?  

They get banded tagged and let back with the cow. Then in the fall the white steers stay here for butcher and the rest go to the sales barn. Black cattle bring alot more in the ring than a white steer. Theres two cows who calf white so if they have bulls the bulls stay. If one has a bull and the other a heifer we will keep the steer and a baldy steer.

 

[KlopKlop]

Score!  I have been eyeing those.  It would make my chicken tractoring much easier if I didn't have to remove a 5 or 7 gallon fount every time I moved them.  I was going to get one or two this year before the broilers arrive.  Good for you! 

And the field station idea is brilliant, too. 

If you don't want to spring for the bells try these
http://www.cornerstone-farm.com/equipment/poultry-production-equipment/300-cup-drinker/
I use those drilled into 5 gallon pails for my broilers and hang them from the tractor in the corners. The birds do really well with them and figured them out in less than an hour.

Interesting.  Any particular kind of fish do better in the tank than others??  I am thinking a sucker or catfish or those brown glass suckers for aquariums, a plecostomus?

Any catfish or bullhead would do fine as long as the water doesn't get foo warm. Panfish would probably work too

 

[Violetsfeathers]

I am not sure what I will do with her tomorrow.  I might have to clean out the ICU and put them both in there.  Do they have to be alone to break broodiness?  If they see or hear chicks will that prolong it?

YES! Hearing chicks will only make a hen more broody.
In the winter I threw my broody in a snowbank to break her, and I kept her in a wire bottomed cage. After a while I gave up and she now has four chicks.
Another broody I had HATED being caged so I blocked off all her favorite nesting boxes (leaving one open for the other hens) and she went around the yard like a normal chicken for a few days until she stopped making broody noises. That worked better I think.

 

[I Love Layers]

Anyone have a guess to what breed this rooster is?

 

[Violetsfeathers]

Ooo! I love guessing breeds! But... I really have no idea, my closest guess would be shamoo.

(Edit) nope, not shamo, they're legs are way longer

 

[Dandelioness]

We have a big plastic stock tank. You're right, Bogtown, ACV is a big no-no for any metal waterer.

From what I've read, the goldfish are cold hardy and can stay in a big stock tank all year, but the sucker fish will die in the cold.

I've been putting the vinegar in the stock tank to prevent algae build up, and we just keep topping it off. I could bathe in the thing with a couple friends, it's huge.

I think I'll try the goldfish now & the sucker when it warms up. The kids like petting the cats and rabbits, so it helps with chore time - I've always got a buddy. I think the fish would be fun to watch. From what I've read, they eat up larvae plus random leaves and straw that fall in there.

Thanks for the mosquito dunk idea, everyone. I'll keep that in my back pocket, too.

I like the idea of bullheads, too. We have a little river nearby where they are prevalent. Might be good to see if they'll eat up that algae & goldfish poo.

Holm, you must have a great water setup! But I suppose you'd need to with that many cattle! I can't imagine lugging buckets or even running the hose every day for so many.

Klop Klop, I used those cup waterers last year (love Cornerstone!) and they kept leaking, from the bucket where I installed them. How did you prevent that? We tried a few things and went back to those heavy waterers, white & red with the black handle. No biggie to order the bell type, we're small scale commercial & will make it back.

Glad to hear about all the healthy calves. We may get a steer or two this year. No milk cow yet, we need to get a milking facility set up. Plus a dedicated rabbit colony. And those bee hives to build. We love the sheep so much, I hope to get a couple pregnant ewes soon, we just have wethers for meat now.

Ralphie, with so many eggs and a new bator, you should be seeing some good hatches soon. Too bad about the PCs.

Good night, all!

 

[Dandelioness]

Anyone have a guess to what breed this rooster is?

The coloring reminds me of the brown leghorn roo I used to have, or maybe welsummer, but the body type is wrong, too deep and meaty.

When you get a few ideas, pull the breeds up on feathersite dot com, they have some good ID photos, but some breed suggestions would narrow your search quite a bit.