Surviving Minnesota!

[jerryse]

It appears my farm is just outside the mushroom area at the moment...

Yep me too . Closest report I saw is 2 hours south of me . Two weeks for me I think . Still too cool until next weekend . Then it will take several warm days to push them .

 

[KlopKlop]

Good morning all! been up and productive and no time for BYC yet!

I unfortunately lost another CX last night. I knew it was coming though. he wouldnt walk more than a few steps then would lay down and pant it was wierd. the rest are doing well and learning how to do the CX feeding frenzy as they have now moved to a 2x a day feeding starting yesterday. I am thinking the one that didnt make it may have been a glutton while they were on full feed as he was quite plump.

Even down here in the southland we are experiencing chills today. there is still snow on the ground from yesterdays flurries. I am working down my honey do list and trying to stay warm. currently taking a break from installing deadbolts on our doors. After my shotgun haul last weekend DW said with as many guns as I have now she wanted them and that was to be at the top of my to-do list. I think that is a fair thing for her to ask for. Plus it was a good excuse to buy a new hole saw kit as my old ones I got from my grandpa's estate sale are not bi-metal and wont stand up to steel doors.

After this I can get back to finishing my corn grinder!

Cheers all! time to make a coffee!

 

[KlopKlop]

Good Morning Minnesota, Illinois, Dakota, Wisconsin Peeps.

I rose to a bright orange sunrise. It was amazing. I cleaned out the water fount for the chickens. Threw in a little Merrick's Blue ribbon and went down to let out my chooks. Roger chased Lucy out right away...there will be an egg there today I'm sure. and Marigold my baren EE was up in a nest pretending. Dixie is broody in the choice back nesting box. Although she laid for me the last two days. Its just what she does. Little Growler. And while all this was going on Cute Old Sylvia stayed on the roost asking me her questions in her high pitched voice. Later the Ginger Roo came up for his cracker.

Kids are still sleeping in. I've made a batch of Lavender Cold Process Soap this morning. Inspired by all the lavender chatter I'm sure. And I picked up some knitting needles and am going to make a dish cloth today. I haven't knitted in 3 years I don't think. DH is fishing this side of the Canadian Border on the Rainy River and it's too cold out to get in the yard yet...so I'll just futz around the house doing my own things I guess.

Have a great day all!

That sounds like a good use of lavender. DW likes the stuff too. Do you have a good website to share on how to do soap? Can i use it somehow to make candles? DW does that on occasion

This is a cool map! i will have to share this with my mushroom hunting friend

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Kloppers. Go on Youtube and there is some instructional videos (4) on how to make soap and lye safety by searching SoapQueen. This is the founder of Brambleberry. A very wealthy lady who did good on her hobby. You can probably find all the videos on brambleberry.com as well. There is an app for your phone just called "Soap" and it will calculate out your lye solution by what you use for oils and butters. The designs and artistry to this hobby will blow your mind or your wife's mind...and it can be overwhelming. So have her start out simple. I use Palm Oil, Coconut Oil,Olive oil, Shea butter and Castor Oil for good bubbles. I just buy the lye at my local hardware store. It works the same. I wanted melt down and filter some venison lard this year to make sort of a Northwoods version of soap...but my FIL who does the butchering gave me the "You're nuts and don't you have enough to do look." LOL. He's probably right.

Ralphie there are no mushrooms happening up on my farm either. The clay soil out there is like asphalt right now. Frozen hard. We do not have snow like Ed's super tundra near the Great Lake. But may as well for what its worth. Well...I guess I take that back. Chickens can free range on dead grass at least.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Kloppers I am sorry about that first and second chick going. I have to say giving them less feed time seems to be the best and most humane strategy feeding them...doesn't it? Bless you for doing your own meaties...and giving them a good life, as long as that will be.

 

[holm25]

We make soap every year at Rollag aka Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion. Do any of u fellow BYCers go to that??

 

[holm25]

Sorry u lost another chick Klop. Hybrids dont seem to fair as well for some reason.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Here's the lavender soap in it's loaf mold. I did an ombré design with the colorants. The fun part is cutting the bars. You never know what you're going to get sometimes.

 

[duluthralphie]

Okay, I found these on Google,


This is a female, see how the feathers go short, long, short, long? That means it's a female


See how this chicks feathers are all the same length? That means it's a cockerel.

I have a little CLB that is about a week old, maybe that is too old to do this on, but I tried it. It is an ambiguous one. At first I thought Creamer, then as I looked harder I decided creamette. I am still not sure, so I did the feathers. I cannot really tell by them either but they seem to say female. Maybe at a week the primaries are too grown out to tell.

I moved all the creamers that were a week old to a soup tank. I kept this one back. After I got the picture from the guy in Long Prairie of the Hen I sold him as a rooster I am a tad gun shy. If this one becomes a hen like that I will be a happy guy.

I know most CLB people go nuts over CLB chicks that are not autosexing. I guess I di not. if the chick makes a good SOP hen. If not, and it is a rooster I will go nuts over it not autosexing.

I am also starting to mix my older ones.

EJB I have a feeling the inspection will not go well, I am so far behind and unlike most of you I have not done the spring cleaning in the coops. I was actually waiting for nicer weather so I could set my saws up outside the coop and put in different roosts, nest and install poop boards.

I am also going to block the birds from the rafters. I hope that helps prevent frostbite next winter.


The bedding in both coops is dry but they are extremely dusty and need to be blown out. So I expect an F.

 

[duluthralphie]

We make soap every year at Rollag aka Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion. Do any of u fellow BYCers go to that??

I have no idea where Rothsay is, How could I go to it?