Surviving Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

As a wife of a former dairy farmer now steer farmer....lets not get started on this topic....I will be blacklisted!

Never!

No matter what you think you would not get blacklisted here..

My Brother in law raises 30,000 hogs at a time in confinement and I still like him. I know my way cannot work for the world population.

 

[MinnesotaNice]

@Momof3plustwins , fun setup you have there! I also noticed that my SLWs feathered in much more slowly than my GLWs. Must be normal....who knows...

And WELCOME, by the way =)

 

[duluthralphie]

I got pictures!

So here comes a Holm's style photo bomb!


I wish I could get the chickens to stand still for the pictures.


First we have some Dominique pictures.











Next we have my "Minnesota BA" I really like this one.







And the following is my EE/PC crosses. I used A partridge EE and crossed it with Ed the PC rooster of the year in Orrock twp.









Finally I have my cross bred rooster. His mother was 1/2 EE and 1/2 CLB. He is grandson of Ole'. Son of Ed making him 1/2 PC, 1/4 EE and 1/4 CLB. I think he is just one cool bird. but he has no useful purpose so he is headed to the table. I am guessing he would have an Olive green egg like his sisters do.

 

[bantiesrule]

I am glad the neighbors have not "ratted out" the illegal rooster. I can't help it I prefer a rooster crowing to a yappy dog.

I know the factory farms are needed on the macro scale. For me on my Micro scale not so much. However, not everyone lives in a place they can get meat the way we can. I know when figuring all the costs, including freezers, it is not cheaper.

Do you think I will get out without another black mark?

Can not agree with you more.....hate them yappers.

I have to agree with you. Everyone should be given the opportunity to "try" roosters. We had a few hatchery mistakes and a straight run that turned out to be 75% cockerels. I would not trade the experience for anything. We had 10 of 57 were cockerels. I have successfully rehomed 4 of them, 5 will be dinner and 1 is an outstanding keeper of his ladies. We were able to review tempers, and watch as they fought for dominance, laugh at how they tried to "shmooze" the ladies. It was highly educational because we as a family were able to say, "I don't want to breed his temperment", so we got to talking about genetics....(thanks to a few people on this thread). Everyone should have the opportunity have a rooster or multiple roosters at least once.

Did you keep all 47 hens? You might want to keep more than just one rooster.

 

[duluthralphie]

Can not agree with you more.....hate them yappers.

Did you keep all 47 hens? You might want to keep more than just one rooster.

She wants to keep the rooster henpecked and tired so he can't crow too early in the morning....

 

[lvie]

Hello and welcome to this thread Momof3plus twins.

Well, Rhetts? I seem to remember a contributor named Rhetts. Its good to hear from you again.

Lets see, I am forgetting the returned chickener that lives up by Thief River Falls. I do not believe I knew you when . . . . however I am getting older and more forgetful all the time and I will say - welcome back to surviving Minnesota.

BC - yes, he is 13 now, diagnosed at twenty-two months. No one else with type 1. Lottsa type 2 as people age. I mentioned it in a text to my son, his dad, and they will do with it what they need to. They are very informed on the disease.

Lot of processing today. I looked at canned tomato in the store and wonder why bother doing any? The store does the same exact thing and isn't expensive compared to the time it takes to process the tomatoes. I just made zucchini this and zucchini that and am wrapping them good and throwing them in the freezer. Alot with all the peppers I sliced and diced. You guys are crazy! its alot of work!

My hens wattles and combs are fire-engine red - all overnight. That little California White, Betty White is her name, should be singing a chicken song with the size egg she has suddenly decided to start laying. She is tiny and they are huge eggs.

 

[Rhetts]

No animal pics today. Cows were uncooperative and decided to high tail it out to the furthest pasture when they saw I had a camera in tow and not grains. I am assuming tomorrow will be a better pic day if it cools down some. They were hot and bothered anyway. Ducks with their babies have been out on the pond all day too. Oh well. Can't blame them.

DS learned a valuable lesson today. He had put an egg in his pant pocket for safe travels from the coop to the house only to have it smashed by the dog when it jumped on him. I told him it might be better just to carry it in his hand next time but we can't always avoid losing an egg here and there.



Thanks all for the welcome back!!

 

[duluthralphie]

No animal pics today. Cows were uncooperative and decided to high tail it out to the furthest pasture when they saw I had a camera in tow and not grains. I am assuming tomorrow will be a better pic day if it cools down some. They were hot and bothered anyway. Ducks with their babies have been out on the pond all day too. Oh well. Can't blame them.

DS learned a valuable lesson today. He had put an egg in his pant pocket for safe travels from the coop to the house only to have it smashed by the dog when it jumped on him. I told him it might be better just to carry it in his hand next time but we can't always avoid loosing an egg here and there.



Thanks all for the welcome back!!

We all need to learn that lesson for ourselves, several times over.

 

[Rhetts]

We all need to learn that lesson for ourselves, several times over.

I didn't tell him I still carry eggs in my pockets. It is only a matter of time I suppose that I am picking out smashed shell from my pockets.

 

[MNChickMom]

She wants to keep the rooster henpecked and tired so he can't crow too early in the morning....

We split the flock with 15 hens going to father in law and 6 to a neighbor. A few more will be rehomed this weekend. So AJ will only have to put up with 15 or so ladies.