Surviving Minnesota!

[Bogtown Chick]

GOOD MORNING MINNASOTANS! I am so glad I found this thread!! I am a newbie and got my first 25 chicks just 6 days ago. Lost 2 the first night to the cold (they got pushed out from under the mama heating pad contraption and couldn't find there way back in ) and then lost another the next night (don't know why) found him under the heating pad. But so far the other 22 are going strong! I have 10 Barred Plymouth Rocks, 5 Blue Cochins, 5 Golden Laced Wyandottes and now 2 Australorps left.

I'm in the process of building a coop that is attached to the horse barn. The frame will be built out of pallets and the base is from free cinder blocks from a friend who took down her greenhouse - yay for recycling! I bought 1/4" hardware cloth and will be surrounding the coop and run with it but do I need to bury it or can I just place rocks on top of it...there is no shortage of rocks up here

We have 16 acres up in the arrowhead 10 miles inland from Tettegouche State Park. I have been searching for other chicken owners up here but haven't been too successful. Anyone close to me? I would love advice on what the "do's and don'ts" are in this area as far as predators and such. We don't seem to have any issues right now I think due to our having 3 large dogs that seem to chase everything away. Our neighbors about a mile away have seen wolves near their horse pasture but nothing has popped up here. Their pasture is quite a ways away from their house but our pasture is close to the house and garage. I can post some pics later when I get home from work.

May as well spend the money and make it Fort Knox. Definitely predator country up there. From those walking on 4 legs to Birds of Prey. I would totally bury hard ware cloth around the perimeter. About 12 inches out. under a couple inches of dirt...so you don't have to weed wack...right Ralphie?

You can do layers of predator proofing. Motion detecting Night Lights that will flick on like a porch light. I think there is a predator motion sensor thing that gives off a noise as well. Those are all layers of protection. 4 Square feet per bird on the coop. 10 square feet per bird on the run. So you can accommodate your birds on your long winters.

Welcome to the thread Siggie. (and nice compliments on my coop too...--so nice.)



Holm I'm sorry about your hatch. I think Dixie is going to have only one chick. Last candling I did last night. The Welsummer baby is progressing nicely. Nice big air sack. The Bogtown Special looks clear. No shadow at all. Dixie has not kicked it out though...so tucked it under her. I'm not sure if I can graft chicks to her when I get them from the kindergarten. She refused them last time. But she had set with her chicks for a week before the grafting. I'll maybe try getting those chicks sooner.

Roger has that little respiratory rattle this spring again. Ugh. I hate that. Same time last year. I put Vet Rx in the waterers. See if oil of oregano will clear is passages.

 

[MinnesotaNice]

NO NO NO NO NO NO..

I know big boy that wants him worse and asked for him years ago!!! We would hate to make this big boy cry!

Perhaps we can share custody. You can use him for breeding and then he can come to my house on the wknds to just hang out, get pet, and eat treats.

And the other day when I went to the Dr my blood pressure was 118 over 62, for my age that is way too low, so I am using coffee to get that higher too. I have to learn to take care of myself, Coffee is the drug of choice!

 

[duluthralphie]

Perhaps we can share custody. You can use him for breeding and then he can come to my house on the wknds to just hang out, get pet, and eat treats.

I love this, I am stealing it for the coffee drinkers thread!

 

[Violetsfeathers]

GOOD MORNING MINNASOTANS!   I am so glad I found this thread!!  I am a newbie and got my first 25 chicks just 6 days ago.  Lost 2 the first night to the cold (they got pushed out from under the mama heating pad contraption and couldn't find there way back in   ) and then lost another the next night (don't know why) found him under the heating pad.   But so far the other 22 are going strong!  I have 10 Barred Plymouth Rocks, 5 Blue Cochins, 5 Golden Laced Wyandottes and now 2 Australorps left.

  I'm in the process of building a coop that is attached to the horse barn. The frame will be built out of pallets and the base is from free cinder blocks from a friend who took down her greenhouse - yay for recycling!  I bought 1/4" hardware cloth and will be surrounding the coop and run with it but do I need to bury it or can I just place rocks on top of it...there is no shortage of rocks up here

 We have 16 acres up in the arrowhead 10 miles inland from Tettegouche State Park.  I have been searching for other chicken owners up here but haven't been too successful.  Anyone close to me?  I would love advice on what the "do's and don'ts" are in this area as far as predators and such.  We don't seem to have any issues right now I think due to our having 3 large dogs that seem to chase everything away.  Our neighbors about a mile away have seen wolves near their horse pasture but nothing has popped up here.  Their pasture is quite a ways away from their house but our pasture is close to the house and garage.  I can post some pics later when I get home from work.

Welcome! Too bad you lost those chicks, I have five blue Cochin bantams

 

[MinnesotaNice]

Steal away! It's incredibly funny!

Ralphie, since you own/hatch Speckled Sussex can you tell me about when they start to show sex characteristics? I have three SS chicks that are going on 4 weeks old. I realize that's early to determine sex, but am curious if they show late or early. I was surprised to see little yellow waddles drop so early.

They all pretty much look like this right about now:

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Steal away! It's incredibly funny!

Ralphie, since you own/hatch Speckled Sussex can you tell me about when they start to show sex characteristics? I have three SS chicks that are going on 4 weeks old. I realize that's early to determine sex, but am curious if they show late or early. I was surprised to see little yellow waddles drop so early.

They all pretty much look like this right about now:

hen.

 

[holm25]

hen.

I'm going to be that person amd go with cockerel. I have never had a pullet with such a big comb at a young age.

 

[holm25]

BUT I could be wrong

.!!

 

[MinnesotaNice]

Holm, I doubt you're ever wrong! Let me know if you ever need a compliment, pat on the back, or ego boost. I'm trying to butter you up to gain a step ahead of Ralphie for Mr. T =)

I didn't really know what to think with the comb and waddles. Never owned the breed before. I have 7 chicks with rose combs right now and those are always tough for me. One of my little GLWs already has reddish waddles at 4 weeks. Those I always have to let ride out until I hear a crow or it's pretty dang obvious.

 

[Siggie]

May as well spend the money and make it Fort Knox. Definitely predator country up there. From those walking on 4 legs to Birds of Prey. I would totally bury hard ware cloth around the perimeter. About 12 inches out. under a couple inches of dirt...so you don't have to weed wack...right Ralphie?

You can do layers of predator proofing. Motion detecting Night Lights that will flick on like a porch light. I think there is a predator motion sensor thing that gives off a noise as well. Those are all layers of protection. 4 Square feet per bird on the coop. 10 square feet per bird on the run. So you can accommodate your birds on your long winters.

Welcome to the thread Siggie. (and nice compliments on my coop too...--so nice.)

LOL...no worries with weed wacking, I have two 1,000 lb. weed wackers in the pasture I also have a solar powered motion light on the front of the barn that is always going on and off because of the horses. I think they do it on purpose kind of as a game - ha ha! Wow...I knew about the coop having to be big but 10 sq ft per bird in the run...I have to re-think that one! I can extend it on the side of the coop and get to maybe almost 160sq ft? Back to the drawing board UGH! Your coop is great! And I love that you recycled!! I'm trying to use as much recycled stuff as possible.. because I am a 50 something tree hugging-hippie chick (ha ha) doing this all on a fixed budget! Hoorah for semi-retirement but at least the hours are good and I get to spend more time at the farm I have big plans for my farm. After the coop is complete, I start building my (100% recycled materials) greenhouse, vegetable and herb garden. Goats and bee's are in my future as well. My husband is beginning to think I have gone insane. He keeps telling me we are supposed to be retired and relaxing now...he doesn't understand that this IS relaxing for me!