Washingtonians

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

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You and Heather both spoke about giving corn....you mean like cracked corn? Does this help them? Mine have layer and scratch....should I go and get some corn too? Would this help them? We got 9 degrees this morning with 20+ mph winds..making it around -9.

We are sitting at -5 outside right now!!! Yes...whole or cracked. I give both...the smaller birds will even eat the whole stuff. I just buy the bags at Wally World and mix it into their layer feed (which does have some, although not much cracked corn in already). The geese LOVE the stuff and it really seems to help keep them warm.

Where do you buy your feed? You should get it from Monte. If you buy enough (which you might not able to but I'd hook you up) it's only .18 a pound. That's with a minimum of 360lbs though, I think...which lasts me about a month in cold weather. The downside is that it will spoil before a smaller flock can use that much...but I just have my MIL give me one her garbage cans that she stores feed in and then I take it down there for her and she pays me back. Each can holds about 150-175lbs I think...

Thanks Heather, I will go to Wally world and buy the corn. I was wondering about that. I just made some suet blocks for them. They are setting up right now. I bought a few suet blocks yesterday to give to them until I was able to make some.

I buy feed from the feed store. I would love to buy from Monte (when I was young bought my 4-H hogs from him

) but I only have 10 birds. I think that 360 lbs would last forever. I would be afraid of spoilage and where to store it. If you would not mind doing the same for me as you do your MIL....I will so set it up.....gladly give you the cash and I will get a couple of garbage cans. I am sure his feed is much better.

Stay warm.

 

[Cowgirlgrace]

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Welcome wthchristi! Sounds like your birds will be fine. Our temps aren't as low as some. The juveniles have heat lamps but my big birds are doing fine just locked in their coop. Their body heat helps warm it up. Do need to haul hot water down to them to defrost the waterers and warm up the water.

Your hatch is going great. Havn't got a number yet. I hatched them out in the bottom of the Sportsman and it's kind of dark in there. Getting the brooder ready and will get them out soon. I'll let you know.

 

[jbear]

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glad you made it home... did you have to go up Ehli hill?? or Corliss?? I have to go up Corliss hill... I was worried about my son at home, and the featherkins ~ and actually, the hill was not the problem, I made it home fine--even down our freaky scary driveway!

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

So anyone know what sort of wind gusts we got last night? It was predicted that we'd get to -25 with 20-30mph gusts but I bet we had 40-60mph winds!

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

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All I know is that my giant willow tree has been majorily delimbed. My yard is covered in will limbs. I was up most of the night coughing (I've been sick) and I kept looking at the kitchen window at the giant willow tree....all the limbs were almost sideways at times because the wind was blowing so hard.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

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All I know is that my giant willow tree has been majorily delimbed. My yard is covered in will limbs. I was up most of the night coughing (I've been sick) and I kept looking at the kitchen window at the giant willow tree....all the limbs were almost sideways at times because the wind was blowing so hard.

Yeah...it was SOOO cold...it reminded me of when I lived in Montana--NOT fun!

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Oh and my DH tried to burn our house down this morning--so that was exciting...

I was asleep and woke up to a smokey smell...every now & then when we start a fire and it's super cold out, the cold air coming down the chimney blows the smoke back out into the house...nothing major and the smoke alarms weren't going off...so I was trying to sleep through it.

He gets out of the shower and says, "What's on fire?"

I said, "I don't know...."

He swings open the bedroom door and yells, "WE GOT A PROBLEM!! BIG PROBLEM!! FIRE IN THE HOUSE!!"

So I spring out of bed and put on my glasses...the entire kitchen is FILLED with white smoke and a horrible smell....the animals are scattered everywhere.

Then hubby starts cussing and carries the garbage can to the front door, opens the door and hucks it out into the snow.

Turns out he put ashes in there that weren't quite cold enough yet...so the garbage in the can started to burn and it melted the plastic...

To make matters worse EVERY ONE of our windows was/is frozen shut...so we turned on both bathroom fans, opened the front & back doors and put fans around in the house....my hair still smells like melted plastic!

Oh and we tested the smoke alarms--both are working but not sure why they didn't go off? Maybe because it was plastic-filled smoke? I dunno...

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

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Oh my gosh....tell dh to be careful. Was it fireplace ashes or cigarette ashes? I have known of too many homes burned down because of similar stories.....Oh, don't scare me...

I would think that smoke is smoke is smoke. Maybe the smoke had not reached the smoke alarms.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

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Oh my gosh....tell dh to be careful. Was it fireplace ashes or cigarette ashes? I have known of too many homes burned down because of similar stories.....Oh, don't scare me...

I would think that smoke is smoke is smoke. Maybe the smoke had not reached the smoke alarms.

It was fireplace ash...what's even more ironic is that about 4 years ago, I did something similar...I scooped ashes into a plastic tub we had sitting on the carpet. Well, the tub melted onto the carpet and ruined it.

Boy, did I get an @ss-chewing! LOL I'm bundling up and going go to water & feed...bleh!

 

[Chickielady]

Two days ago I was at my parents house and dropped off eggs...and the giant apricot tree in my parents front yard was in full healthy green leaf.
Not one leaf had fallen.
All 20 of my 1 year old fruit trees were the same, full leaf, like it was June.
Then it snowed, and all the spindly fruit tree limbs with full leaves gathered enough snow to droop, some clear to the ground.
Two pear trees were bent over under the weight of the snow.
Then it rained, froze, and snowed again...and the trees continued to drop and not drop a leaf.
Now it is 20 degrees, and I have yet to check on them..but I fear they may all be done for.
CR::: I put the giant pot of turkey and giblet gravy aside, as I decided it was more of a Carol Shelby chili day !
Got some beans simmering, a big wad of lean burger, and a box of Shelby Chili mix.
I can make it from scratch, but Carol Shelby's is soooo awesome good...got some onions and cheese to put on top, and will make some CONE BWEAD to go with it (As my grandson calls it)

Yes, and HOT SAUCE!!!!!
Oh, and about 20 minutes ago my water froze...It was fine all night and this morning, I knew it would happen !!!
I asked DH 2 days ago to please drain the $450 brand new washing machine in a shed outside...and put antifreeze in it for winter...and he did not.
So this morning he finally rolls outta bed and says he is going to town for antifreeze to put in the washing machine.
Silly San Francisco Boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is far too late for that !
I am sure the cast iron motor pump housing is cracked all to h*** !