Surviving Minnesota!

[Cebarmlds]

Ya it's still windy here, but our wildlife are used to it

 

[silly chick]

I'm not in Minnesota but northern Michigan waiting for snow today and probably won't see the ground for a long while..
My chickens have taken to hanging out under the warm furnace exhaust on the protected side of the house
Is this going to poison them with carbon monoxide? Should I fence the area off?
We have propane heat

 

[Bogtown Chick]

If there is a concern for carbon mnoxide - yes- I would move them...

 

[MNChickMom]

Good Morning Everyone!

Welcome Silly chick!

In the northern banana belt territory we have the standard freezing rain turn to ice, covered with blowing snow. Only a heavy dusting (if it all stayed in one place). I drove home from a meeting last night at 10:30 and it was white knuckle driving at its finest.

I am getting fired up about the upcoming hatching season. With a little guidance from Ralphie, my dear husband was able to convert both the hatcher and incubator over to digital. Temps have been holding steady in both incubators for 48 hours now so I am happy! Now if I can just get the humidity adjusted correctly. I am kinda a cheap skate and just stuck some pans of water in to start getting an idea of how much water it is going to take, and which air vents to open and close. So this part is a little unnerving. I may have to break down and buy the 5 gallon pail thingy. My dear husband also wrapped the incubator with reflective bubble wrap and very diligently cut out every hole.

 

[I Love Layers]

It was so windy here yesterday I saw a chicken lay the same egg twice!!!!

 

[lvie]

I picked up 1 hen and 1 roo from Vern this year for breeding. He was very knowledgable and I was impressed by his humbleness to say please have Don help you to critique my birds, I don't want to misrepresent my own birds. ( Don was a former poultry judge.)

ETA: Vern's wife was also very helpful....giving the kids tips and tricks with grooming and showing. Nice People.

so who is Vern?

 

[lvie]

Yep. . your a triple threat . . everyone better watch out

H m m m . . . . doesn't compute. Erlibird posted at 6:something before you.

 

[lvie]

Good Morning Chickeners . . . . I have been stalking you-s but so busy not to be posting. On Sunday my youngest turned 40! Hard to believe I am that old.
This morning the three dogs started going crazy. I looked outside. There was a coyote traveling about 25 feet out my back door, along the river bank toward the property housing chickens. I knew they were all in lock down and shall remain so now. I have one little pullet, Shimmer, that likes to hop the fence and roam freely. Put her back in and five minutes later she is out and about. So I left them locked into the covered run. No outdoor run for them.
I then decided that breaking up frozen water is for the birds. so I am running an extension cord out to the 'little' coop that I re-made last summer so I can plug in a water warmer. DH agrees that this is a good solution. Will be traveling to Runnings today to get the water warmer. That little coop stays pretty warm when they are in it. Its in a protected location plus its 4 x 4 so could fit a few more birds but that is not in the plan. The birds are snug as bugs in that coop.
Ony lives inside in the kennel located in a basement window. I know she is lonely but oh well. . . . I will have to do for company.
Hope you are all doing well. sorry about the eggs you broke Erli. I hate it when I do that.
Good customer service - honest, really - ILLS. My M-I-L could have eggs free from me but says they are cheaper at Kwik Trip at .63 a doz. Whatever. Free vs .63 and healthier vs old eggs. Whatever. Go figure that one.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Miss Kitty, blue Ameraucana, ex-broody has given me an egg the last two days. They are beautiful. I knew I'd get some Christmas eggs.

You know I should have listened to the little voice in my head that told me Sunday not to be lazy. Yesterday in that blowing wind and rain I cleaned out the coop and got fresh dry pine shavings. I knew the temps were going to drop and the humidity in the coop needed poop removal happening. What a difference new clean shavings make on the coop humidity. My goodness. I always am happier with a clean tidy coop. Just need to make time for the fluffy butts.

We got a skin of black treachery on the highways. I hate rain in the winter. I'm a granny white-knuckler with that stuff. No snow accumulation really to speak of. A white dusting on top of the skating rink. lovely.

BB season is in full force. I will try to be diligent reading and typing on BYC. But 'tis the holiday season as well.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

It was so windy here yesterday I saw a chicken lay an egg twice!!!!

Alright Layers in this day and age you must have video proof for such a statement! And then I want some chicks from that hen this spring!