Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[dkvart1]

Carol, that craigslist ad was hysterical! And the poster is right, those folks scare me too!

CC, your description of all the tasty berries, etc has me drooling! This week they should be doing the survey on our tiny little postage stamp of a lot and then I will start laying out my plans for garden, orchard, flower beds, etc. for next year. What are seaberries btw? Never heard of them before.

Once again glad I was not drinking reading about the marshmallow dog, not Ken

Gaelio glad Mr. Roo got his groove back and I bet that mixed up group of little chicks will all turn out adorable! Great pic of the mamma and babies!

Dornes I see why the judges liked your bird photo...it's awesome. Love the farm shot too, very pretty!

MLH, agree with Kristip especially as you can get more, more, more!!

TO

yep, gotta laugh from me!

Looks like tonight will be the third night of not enough sleep... can't seem to fall asleep tonight.... 2nd interview went good, want a 3rd, me in scrubs for one hour on Saturday to see how I interact with customers and staff and if I know their financing plan, warranty and return policies, Mgr said she's sure there will be no issues with me. So if I pass Saturday I have a part time job. STill going to call the company tomorrow I sent resume to and see if they recieved it, etc... fishing for that interview! LOL

Well, maybe after catching up with everything I can get some shut eye..off to try.

Nighters all
Deb

 

[Hens and Roos]

Quote:
Our turkeys were about 5 months old-they are the meat breed ones- we get them for the kids to raise for fair and then take them in after fair. Will know this morning a bit later what they dressed out at.

 

[MustLoveHens]

Morning all!!

H&R-let us know when you want us to come get that turkey. Just give a ring to Twain-I think you have his work #. I can email you the info too....Can't wait ti see what that tom dressed out at! The guys at the mill are all excited to either bbq him or deep fry him! It's quite the discussion apparently!

Raim-your son cracked me up with his cake hunting! Please take a pick so we can drool over it!!!

Gae-I scramble eggs for my dogs to!! I put a little parsley in it too! My dogs are all expert egg suckers. When I come into the house from collecting them, they all mob me at the door trying to get a little bit of the golden goodness. I might just have to give them a raw egg tonight!

Kristi and Dk-If i had my way, I turn the whole garage into a coop including the car port and have a bunch of hens!!

But, since I'm technically a Chicken Outlaw, I have to be less blatant about my set up! Which sucks.....I so want to get that electric poultry fencing, and have the Girls roam the garden....but that won't happen any time soon.

I have to watch how many chickens I have. The Township is cool with my hens as long as no one complains. The girls at the Township said that the complaints would probably be from someone who wanted chickens and was told no, so I don't really advertise that I have them.

The dairy next door knows but they don't care and the family across the street knows since I gave them eggs and they don't really care either.

CC-yes what is a seaberry? Also, where did you get your pawpaw trees? Dh wants some real bad...

well, I best be off. The rabbits need to be feed and watered and I've got to clean their cage area....

Buzz is doing much better btw, so thank you for all the well wishes!

Chat soon!

 

[Gaelio]

Must Love Hens, I know what you mean about laying low with the chickens.

Although I live on a once-was-a-farm, there are subdivisions cropped up all around me and I was changed from 'agricultural' to 'residential' which changes all the rules. So, I try to be nice to my neighbors who are tolerant of my chickens when they sometimes roam out of my yard into theirs.

I give them eggs and keep the rooster population low so that the neighbors aren't woken too early in the morning from competitive crowing.
I've heard that there are people in cities now who raise chickens, so we have that on our side.
I've always enjoyed my chickens (and I've had a flock for over 30 years) by watching them peck around loose in the yard. I can't bring myself to keep them locked in a coop - although, there's nothing wrong with that - it's just not my thing.
One upside of the neighborhood population increase is that there are fewer predators, ie: fox, around. But, I still have to watch out for hawks, owls, coons, and dogs.

 

[Terri O]

Good morning! That is exactly what I though about the caterpillars BL4! (OH NOOOOOO!) Maybe you relocated them Brent? I used to grow a patch of extra dill just so I could see those amazing larva. THat "tongue" they pop out is really a thing that comes out of the top of their head when they are disturbed and is supposed to make you think it is a snake. Guess it worked hey? Well, you thought it looked like one anyhow!

It seems a bit cooler out there this morning....I got called in to cook so I wont get to enjoy it.
RAIM--your goats should eat thistle if that is what you mean by "pickers" Burdock is supposedly toxic for them but they do like to eat it. I guess maybe it just is if they get too much? Just watch out for Black Nightshade...that is what killed my first goat...bad for everything--even chickens! I would think you could get together with other HS'ers and do an art class at somewhere like a craft store?It would be good for the kids to see others working on stuff and a good fieldtrip too! Or maybe you can find something on line?
Gaelio--you make your dogs OMELETS?

I sure am gald my dogs cant read...they would all be headed over to your place...oh wait, "now look, this is and O and it sounds like..."
I agree with you on cooping the chickens G. That is the best thing about them is that you can watch them "doing their thing" all around the yard. I kind of hate that I keep mine behind a fence so they stay out of my flower beds...and are somewhat safe from the dogs. They can and do hop over but when I want to watch them I just go out where they are with my coffee and have a seat! I feel very bad for the ones that I have in a pen in the barn because they are not getting out to roam...but I have a plan...
Well, gotta run to work! Have a great day and enjoy the slight coolness! Terri O

(PS) Carol I sure hope you feel better soon...Hop-a-Long still needs his surgery!

 

[raimnel]

Hey Bigz, you ever get feed from here? ad says that it's $20 but for how much IDK lol
http://appleton.craigslist.org/grd/2502607923.html

ya TO pickers/thistles what ever they are called lol those things that bite! lol I'm glad to hear they can eat them cause they have them striped. lol what made me question it is that they just now started eating them?? guessing they (either the goats OR the thistles) were to young before? lol

 

[MustLoveHens]

Quote:
Back in Cali I lived on a fenced quarter of an acre and I was in the "county" so zoning was by county rules/laws/regs and not city ones. The county was very loose in livestock regulations (horses/cows were the only "farm" animals that had regs as far a land space) so I had loads of chickens. I had about 200 to 300 show chickens kept at the barn where I boarded my horse and about 75+ lay hens/pets/ entertainment peeps! I had a huge open coop that was a very sore subject at our place-still is. I think that is why I'm looking at "real" coops as opposed to a cool shed and modifying it. Had a friend/employee who needed extra cash so he volunteered to build my coop. Planned it, got all the materials (I bought) and he started work on it. It was supposed to take 2 weeks max since the design was a big covered box that was made in segments that could be dismantled to clean or move and he was the only one (mostly) building it. We gave our friend time off from the feed store for two weeks to make the coop and paid him extra wages as an incentive to get it done. Well......6 weeks later, I had to trade parrot feed to one of our contractor customers for him to complete the coop. Took him one day. That was probably the most expensive coop ever made. That was the short version of the story....
The coop was in my fenced yard, so the hens could roam the yard. The Ladies loved it! Dh and I used to sit on the front steps of our house and watch the Girls roam, dust bathe, scratch, beat up the frizzle roo Curly, ride around on the goats back, and just do normal chicken stuff! In the summers when it got over 100, the chickens would stand in their big but shallow water pan, all mantled out, panting and complaining and giving me the stink eye for not keeping the water cold. Hilarious!
Predators were in issue but my Aussie was up to the task and between him and my lead hen Crankie they kept the flock safe for the most part. Coons were the worst, but they met the shot gun and hawks met the Game Fowl hens. The hawks were rough on the pigeons more then the hens since the hens were to much work. Owls were around but not to plentiful and we had no mink, we had foxes, but in all my years in Cali, I never saw one. I think the were rather rare where I lived. I saw bob cats, mountain lions and a bear, but they just moved on to the sheep across the creek and one night my dh swears he saw a hare.
Now, I hate having to keep my Girls in a chicken yard when all that lovely grass needs trimming and de-bugging. I agree, chickens are a ton of fun to watch. But, I have to do what I have to do....The Girls I have now, know no different so they don't really know what they are missing although I do! If I would have tried to corral the flock in Cali, it would have gotten ugly!

 

[ElaineS585]

Hens and Roos, where do you get the birds processed if I may ask? The closest place I could find is on the other side of Janesville. If your place processes for the public, could you please pass on that info?

Thanks very much!
Elaine

 

[Raiquee]

Hey guys! Long time no chat! I don't remember the last time I posted, or what I said sooo:

I got the job in Sheboygan, and am now on my shift which is second (230-11) so I am leaving home at about 1, and getting home at about 1230. It's killing me! I don't see my husband but on weekends, and the drive time is just getting too much.

SO.

We went looking for houses closer to my job. It will still be around a 45 minute drive, but we realize if we want to live off the beaten path, we are going to have to commute. So, probably if you can figure out we found a house we adore. A old farmhouse, 3,000 sqft. On 5 acres, the back 3 acres are being rented out for hayfield so it would be already tilled and ready to be planted for pasture. Has a barn set up for cattle (woo!) a garage (not including the attached garage) and a shed that I will probably use as my garden shed. We are surrounded my 100s of acres of corn and hay, without a house in site which is what we wanted! It also has an enclosed sunroom, which would be perfect as a "greenhouse" during the winter

So, the realtor is coming over tomorrow to look at our home, figure out what we can put it on the market for, and then we are going to put it up! If that house is still there, that will probably be our home we choose. If not, well at least it lite the fire under our bums to get going! I'm so sick of driving!! Plus, I would perfer to move during the winter (I know, I'm crazy), because then I won't have to give up a growing season. I will have to give up my garlic this year tho

As I don't want to plant it, and leave 100+ bulbs for the new home owners come July (Sorry, I'm nice but not that nice!!)

We are still looking, but have been smitten.

It's a little above our price range, but we think we can talk them down. And depending how much our home will go for, really depends if we can swing it or not.

(Heres the house!) http://www.realtor.com/realestatean...Road-Rr_Town-Of-Holland_WI_53075_M72444-14971

 

[Dornes]

Raiq - that place sounds heavenly! Good luck to you on the sale of your home and hope that the soon to be purchase works out for you!

Elaine - do you have Amish around you? If you do, ask them if they know of anyone who processes chickens. We have quite a few around us here and there is one not even 5 miles that takes the chickens and processes them one day and you pick them up the next morning from their icebox. I think that is the route I am going to go. It is 1.50 per bird to process them. That includes: killing, plucking, gutting.... the works! Just not cutting them up or de-boning.

MLH - I so agree... I wish I could let my girls wander the yard but there is way too many predators (domestic and non-domestic) that they could come face to face with, and I would much rather have happy alive chickens than chickens that are wandering and I am constantly worrying about them. They know no better... although I do.... but they don't so they are happy little cluckers!

Well, I am off to work in the garden today as well as mow the hay field that surrounds my house..... that we call a yard. Ha!