Surviving Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

All this talk of fairs and L and M has me wanting to go to the county and state fairs AND go shopping....

That said, I am thinking I might have 30 chickens this winter. My coop is 8x12 and there is a 3 sided attached porch open to full sun on the south side that is also 8x12. In winter the chickens spend all day in the porch. Anyway, this doesn't seem to be enough space for 30 chickens...right?

Will they be able to get outside? How tall are the structures, with birds Height counts too.

 

[I Love Layers]

If you get "certified" or become a NPIP breeder, you can have a second flock that is not "clean" they have to be kept separate.   I had an issue with some eggs I got this spring, the guy was NPIP but had not done his testing for the year and failed to tell me that little tidbit.  I was required to hatch the eggs in a separate hatcher and keep the chicks separate from my other birds until the guy tested and my new birds became clean.

They mean no contact whatsoever!  They need to be completely separate.   Most people test everything just because of the hassle of keeping 2 flocks.

If you have "meat" birds they do not have to be tested either, but they also can have no contact with others.

Oh!! That makes sense! Seems like it'd just be easier to get them all tested

 

[duluthralphie]

Oh!! That makes sense! Seems like it'd just be easier to get them all tested

That's what I did. Next year I only have to test 100 of them and not all of them. There is a percentage also involved but I do not remember it offhand.

 

[I Love Layers]

That's what I did.  Next year I only have to test 100 of them and not all of them. There is a percentage also involved but I do not remember it offhand.

I will definitely have to get rid of my flighty roosters first

they would take all day to catch even locked up in the coop!!

 

[Minniechickmama]

Glad your grandpa did well.

I had to "separate" a EE cockerel last night. He is in my newest Teen pen I moved outside about a week ago. Judy and I were sitting watching the SS babies and them as we enjoyed a Mike's. The cockerel decided to start and keep jumping one of Bert Jr's babies. They are like Bert and very timid birds. In addition, the heat yesterday is not good for them, so they just sit in the corner of the pen and pant.

I moved him to his own pen, Ethel's Guinea's playpen. I am not sure what I am going to do with him. He is a very pretty guy, and will most likely turn into a good rooster. The sad part is I had just told Judy, I might keep him and replace Sven with him. He has a better Body type than Sven. He has a better tail set and a longer body. He has a "partridge" color to him. I know when the testosterone hits them they can act like little rapists. If anyone wants him they can have him. He is a son of Sven, Grandson of Ole. It's anyone's guess who is Mother is.

I tried to get a picture of him, but he refused to stand for his mug shot.



This is the best picture I have of him. I am going to move the 4 meat birds out of the pen today. They are just too mellow to exist in a pen of teens. I will put them with the older Bert babies and Bertha. Bert is still recovering in a hospital bed. He is doing great. I doubt there will be any fighting. They are not fighters.

Still leaves me to figure out what to do with this guy. so.... SAVE HIS LIFE and take him...or he will become a non-Cornish, non-hen Cornish game hen.


Tonight we are going to the Fair in Sauk Rapids, ( I know I say St Cloud, but it really is Sauk Rapids.)....

Maybe he is a good candidate to try caponizing? I have my share of poophead cockerels here this year, and I am about fed up with the whole lot of them.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

The coop is cleaned out. New shavings. Spider webs brushed down. Nesting boxes got new grasses and nesting herbs. I put in mint, lemon thyme, lemon grass, echinacea, yarrow, oregano, bee balm and marigold. Topped off the feeder. Will do waters in the AM. Also hung a bunch of mint and lemon thyme upside down in the coop to help repel bugs/ Mosquitos. I think it did help. Mosquitos seemed less tonight.

Junior went to bed in the little broody coop again. And June and Patsy still like the front step nest box. A few extra steps for my chicken sitters but I think they will handle it ok. Drug them all into the big girls' coop. Will keep doing it until they learn.

The Illini are roosting right up with the big girls. The little lavender tucked between the bigger blues. They are really taking shape and looking beautiful.

 

[Cluckies]

 
We have trapped a few skunks here, and we have shot them in the trap because they tend to sleep during the day.  We have used poison in the bait, but not since we have other critters we don't want to get poisoned too.  I shoot through the heart since the brain is where the rabies virus is harbored in them if they are infected.

You make a good point. The rabies virus can be transmitted by the blood too so be careful when handling them. Not that I know anyone that handles them.  Latex gloves is not a bad Idea. if you do shoot one in the trap leave the trap lie in the sun for a few days so the UV rays kill the virus...

We trapped a skunk many years ago, it sprayed my dogs twice, that's it! We shot it, then We buried it, trap and all, right where he landed. Terrible.

Been so busy, can't get caught up on reading! So mother ripped her outside toe nail on her left foot off. Terrible bleeding mess. But as soon as I our her in a pan of tepid water, it stopped bleeding. I cleaned her foot and put come foam stuff on it for scrapes and cuts. 2 days ago. So far so good!

 

[Cluckies]

I had an Elmer Fudd moment tonight.

We are going to the Benton County Fair to look at the birds.   My DW the WWD was working and when she got home she had some charting to finish. I was putting the birds away.

My main concern is the turkeys as they do not always like to go into the coop.  I brings some corn/oats and BOSS into the run and dump it. I have 9 adult turkeys right now.  I thought I had them all in the run. I counted heads, I only got 8. I counted again, 8.


I went looking all over the farmyard, no turkey hen.  I looked in all the normal spots no turkey.   Judy came out of the house and asked what I was looking for.


I told her, "I am missing a hen, I suppose she has decided to go broody on a nest somewhere".

She asks me " You're missing a hen?"    

I said "Yep, I have spent 20 minutes looking for her and cannot see a sign of her".

Then she says " Does it happen to be the one following you?

I turn around and there she is 4 feet behind me. Just following me around the yard.  Stupid bird!

hilarious!

 

[Cebarmlds]

Good morning

 

[cottonlouie]

Will they be able to get outside?  How tall are the structures, with birds Height counts too.

They can get outside because the porch is open but the few we had last year never went beyond the porch unless the snow was melted. The coop and porch are about 10 feet high. We are trying to figure out a cheap way to extend the porch ...