Surviving Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

Never thought of it, thanks, Jerry.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Well. It is good hearing that undie runs to the coop are still the fashion for my hardy lot here on the minnesota thread. Wait... that could be interpreted differently. Running to the coop door.
Ahhh I do miss the refreshment of that. Shoot..
. life seems to have filled in the space alotted for chicken duties. College kids home from thanksgiving through mid January. Covid worries by school officials on the back and forth s. That’s ok by me.

Dog and new cat getting along. And finally getting DH onto the basement finish. It’s only been 15 years. Pine paneling is going up. Going to be purty.

I’ve missed all your shenanigans.

 

[bobbi-j]

We had some mysterious deaths on the farm last week and this week. Last week, DH and I were working outside near the chicken coops. Nothing was amiss. We went up to the house for lunch, and when we came back saw a dead pullet in the run to one of the coops. Upon closer inspection, we noticed its head was gone. The exposed meat had cooled down by the time we found it, but it was still warm in the cavity (didn't process it - just investigated). I noticed that a hole had been dug under the coop into the run. The carcass was placed in a live trap, and the next morning there was a mink in the live trap. Poor thing looked like it was suffering from lead deficiency. It was cured shortly thereafter. Yesterday morning, DH called me at work and said, "You're not going to be happy." (We have had a similar conversation a few years ago, so I knew what was coming.) I asked, "How many?" Twelve of my 15 young birds. I had 13 pullets, many of which had been laying for several weeks, and two cockerels. There were two pullets and a cockerel left. They got moved into the coop with the older hens (some of whom were still laying, so we hadn't processed them yet.) DH put the carcass in the live trap and put that in the pullet coop, rignt in front of the pop door. Then he placed 3 leg-hold traps in the run, right outside the pop door. When I checked this morning as I was leaving for work, there was another mink - just sitting complacently in the run. It somehow sustained a severe concussion and sadly didn't survive its injuries. If this keeps up, I may be able to make myself a pair of mittens in the spring!

 

[duluthralphie]

We had some mysterious deaths on the farm last week and this week. Last week, DH and I were working outside near the chicken coops. Nothing was amiss. We went up to the house for lunch, and when we came back saw a dead pullet in the run to one of the coops. Upon closer inspection, we noticed its head was gone. The exposed meat had cooled down by the time we found it, but it was still warm in the cavity (didn't process it - just investigated). I noticed that a hole had been dug under the coop into the run. The carcass was placed in a live trap, and the next morning there was a mink in the live trap. Poor thing looked like it was suffering from lead deficiency. It was cured shortly thereafter. Yesterday morning, DH called me at work and said, "You're not going to be happy." (We have had a similar conversation a few years ago, so I knew what was coming.) I asked, "How many?" Twelve of my 15 young birds. I had 13 pullets, many of which had been laying for several weeks, and two cockerels. There were two pullets and a cockerel left. They got moved into the coop with the older hens (some of whom were still laying, so we hadn't processed them yet.) DH put on carcass in the live trap and put that in the pullet coop, rignt in front of the pop door. Then he placed 3 leg-hold traps in the run, right outside the pop door. When I checked this morning as I was leaving for work, there was another mink - just sitting complacently in the run. It somehow sustained a severe concussion and sadly didn't survive its injuries. If this keeps up, I may be able to make myself a pair of mittens in the spring!

Wow! Sorry for all the losses. I am glad you got them.

My neighbor has gotten a mink, a possum and a fisher this fall. Seems the critters are hungry for chicken.

I have those two coons hanging around that aren’t reaching into my Chinese finger trap.

Also our huge tom cat got killed on the road last week so I only have the two females left, I am not sure they can ward off the critters as well as the big tom did.

 

[bobbi-j]

Wow! Sorry for all the losses. I am glad you got them.

My neighbor has gotten a mink, a possum and a fisher this fall. Seems the critters are hungry for chicken.

I have those two coons hanging around that aren’t reaching into my Chinese finger trap.

Also our huge tom cat got killed on the road last week so I only have the two females left, I am not sure they can ward off the critters as well as the big tom did.

Oh, I'm sorry you lost your tom cat! We have a large slough across the road from our place. DH used to trap it, and always caught mink out there. But no one traps out here anymore, and there are no muskrats in the slough. The two mink were small females, so we're thinking young ones, maybe getting pushed out of the slough and found an easy meal on their way through. Thought we had the problem taken care of, but the second one dug a new hole. I will have that problem hopefully solved before the chicks I ordered tonight arrive next May.

 

[jerryse]

Well. It is good hearing that undie runs to the coop are still the fashion for my hardy lot here on the minnesota thread. Wait... that could be interpreted differently. Running to the coop door.
Ahhh I do miss the refreshment of that. Shoot..
. life seems to have filled in the space alotted for chicken duties. College kids home from thanksgiving through mid January. Covid worries by school officials on the back and forth s. That’s ok by me.

Dog and new cat getting along. And finally getting DH onto the basement finish. It’s only been 15 years. Pine paneling is going up. Going to be purty.

I’ve missed all your shenanigans.

Drop in more often .

 

[Bogtown Chick]

So sorry Bobbi. I hope you put the pelts on something nice for yourself. Mittens do sound lovely. Or maybe a cowl. I saw one like that a couple years ago. Elegant!

DH was talking to some neighbors down the highway who are big trappers. They said this winter they will be putting a beat down on our coyote population. I am even more certain it was coyotes from these reports but I think DH saw bobcat this fall. Momma cat we got some time ago probably has grown babies still know these trails. Hard to say really. I just know it was a heavier. Decisive, efficient, predator. By the lack of feather struggle.

Snowing like crazy out there now. Maybe a white Christmas....

 

[duluthralphie]

So sorry Bobbi. I hope you put the pelts on something nice for yourself. Mittens do sound lovely. Or maybe a cowl. I saw one like that a couple years ago. Elegant!

DH was talking to some neighbors down the highway who are big trappers. They said this winter they will be putting a beat down on our coyote population. I am even more certain it was coyotes from these reports but I think DH saw bobcat this fall. Momma cat we got some time ago probably has grown babies still know these trails. Hard to say really. I just know it was a heavier. Decisive, efficient, predator. By the lack of feather struggle.

Snowing like crazy out there now. Maybe a white Christmas....

No no... you can’t have snow!

I want a brown Christmas so I can get into our cabin for New Years.

 

[jerryse]

Cold air coming Christmas Eve and Christmas Day . Polar or Arctic

 

[MNChickMom]

We are watching the Christmas Eve forecast closely. 4 Degrees F is not acceptable for our holiday plans.

Our children along with their cousins who live next door are planning a Christmas Caroling Extravaganza. We will be riding around in the back of a 1950 GMC pick up and a 2 cylinder tractor with buckboard seat wagon to go caroling to 2 different neighbors that are shut in. The nearest neighbor is 2 miles down the gravel road. All would be fine and dandy except that I am not old or young enough to ride inside the cab of the truck. Grandma's denim blankets will be put to good use.

May the week leading up to Christmas be uneventful and bright! May the cleaning elves pay you an overnight visit.