Surviving Minnesota!

[Bogtown Chick]

"What is it? You try it first."
"No you try it."

Kitty and Hattie come along to show the young cockerels that it's delicious and stand aside.

Food lady moves the melon to a new location so the littles can eat too now that they know what it is.

 

[duluthralphie]

I am surprised your new birds even looked at what you offered them. Mine are 3/4 turkey vulture and eat anything we throw on the ground. We are afraid to fall outside as we know we will be devoured in seconds.


Also my chicks have a learning disability. I use self filling dog dishes during the non-winter months. They work great, I just have to move the hoses when I mow. BUT moving hoses twice a year is no biggie.

I had one bunch that had a barrel with the littel red drinking cups that I just filled with water when they needed it. Last Sunday I moved some birds to a different pen, I now have my pullets and roosters kind of separated. The ones from the water cup pen refuse to drink from the dog dish. The stand around the water cups and keep trying to get water from the empty barrel. They will die of thirst before they try the dog dish..........

I gave up yesterday and put a livestock float shut off in the barrel for them....



I am planning to start the heavy cull in a week or two. Any cockerel with a defect is headed to freezer camp. The pullets will be fast behind them. I will be to 50 by Oct, not counting the chicks I am test breeding or the toads.

 

[BantyChooks]

I will be to 50 by Oct,

Famous last words...

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Good for you Ralphie. I'm glad youve set some goals.
I need to set some goals to behead two spent hens. It's a hurdle I haven't climbed over yet! I just hate that job. I can do it but it is down on my priorities when we free range in the summer I guess.

 

[duluthralphie]

I have had so much trouble with predators this year, everything will be inside the pole barn (show birdies) or inside the electric fence protected covered runs.

I just cannot afford to feed birds for months to have just to have something eat them. Also I will not sell as many birds next year. I am not going to sell birds as cheap to compete against myself at the shows.

 

[MNChickMom]

Famous last words...

BAHAHA....I can't wait until another one hops on his lap and says, "Please don't cull me."

 

[duluthralphie]

BAHAHA....I can't wait until another one hops on his lap and says, "Please don't cull me."

The only lap hopper I have left is Cuddles. Something ate Queen Lizzie..

I need to make more lappers.

I think we need a chicken cleaning seminar or party!

 

[BantyChooks]

BAHAHA....I can't wait until another one hops on his lap and says, "Please don't cull me."

It'd probably end up in his house eating better than he does.

The only lap hopper I have left is Cuddles. Something ate Queen Lizzie..

I need to make more lappers.

I think we need a chicken cleaning seminar or party!

Good idea. Care to host it up here? Just load 200 birds into that thar fancy pickup...

 

[duluthralphie]

Morning all..

Not much to say today..

I have no black berries this year, They must have ripened when I was sicker...they are all dried up now.

I have a bunch of work to do this weekend, like everyday, BUT I hope to go chanterelle hunting tomorrow.

 

[I Love Layers]

the hay moved. Usually it would take us a week to move it. Yesterday we let the cows out into our best hay flat, and grazing. We are hoping the calves will hit 400 faster now that they have got alphalfa and greener grass along the creek bottoms easier. Right now 400 pounders are going for $2.00. We have few around 400 but the others are really close behind so hopefully they gain so we can sell them. Still not a singls drop of rain. The creek is so low so we are having to go around to all the crossings, especially the ones where the water is usually 5+ feet deep and put panels in so they cows won't go through the creek.
Yesterday I also went clam hunting while we were putting panels in. Did not find any really good. I found one 2 fulls, neither all there though. Most were average sized or smaller. Although when we were putting one of the panels in my dad heard a crunch and he looked underneath his foot and there was a big clam shell that he had squished. Turned it over and it was pink! Wish we could have gotten it before it was squished.