Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[FrenchToast]

Ghost,
What kind of chickens do you have? The ones of mine that have the mites are silkies. They are especially prone to the Northern Fowl Mite. I need to redust again and change all of the litter !!! It sure is a pain the @SS !!!

Sounds like the hay could be the culprit but you'll never know for sure.

TO, glad you caught the possum. Even if it isn't the critter that killed your chicks you still don't want it near your horse hay. They can transmit the virus or whatever it is that can cause moon blindness in your horses. Possum an I think it may be Raccoon urine.

CC We all wanna know if your eggs are developing !! What the heck did you buy a candler for then ???

 

[GhostRider65]

I have large fowl, BO, SS, Rocks, Dels, Ee, BSL, SLW......mixed flock. No silkies... I seen a zillion on poor Fred and am not finding many or any on my girls, even after dark during roost with a flash light... will check and treat everyone anyway. They are indeed Northern Fowl mites, and my sparrows could have very well passed them along. No matter really I just want the little nasty crawly things GONE! ASAP.... I figured I would treat tomorrow, do the coop run, pick up any hay laying anywhere in the run.. dust everything....heck I bought 20 lbs of the dust. If anyone else is got a bunch they will be brought in and bathed in flea and tick shampoo, then blow dried and treated with the dust. argggg i hate these things.
They just gross me out and I have been itching all day tho have seen nothing on me even showered and I'm still itchy... just thinking about them, happens every year when the kids bring the lice up with them as well. 7 years in a row ya know I ought to be an expert by now...

Will keep ya all posted Hope no one else s chickens get them they sure suck... No pun intended......Kim

 

[Cindlady]

Hi All!

DrH.... I'll buy you 4 bags as "trade" for the furnace. Let me know what you want! If you want to load the furnace on a pallet that would be great. I can even bring up a few replacement pallets! DH gets them free. If you want more than 4 bags of grain let me know today (Tue.) You can pay for the extra when we come up, or you can sent a check.

TO... I feel for your plumbing issues....been there, done that, got the wet T-shirt to prove it!

FT... 2 girls

raim.... good luck with the bugs!

GR65.....When she gets good 'n broody shell's flatten out in the nest and get what I call "the broody trance". She'll only get up once or twice a day (if that) for maybe 15 - 20 min. I prefer to give them their own area or room. Less stress all around.

Nothing more going on.... night all!

 

[Bigfamily4me]

FT... I'm thinking boy and girl... And what are their names? Ham and Swiss?

 

[Bigfamily4me]

Had the new Brinsea working yesterday. I noticed the thing is cracked! Down on the side by the egg turner sprocket thing. But it's the clear case part. I guess I'll contact them and see what they say.

CC, you're probably smarter then me by not candling! But since I DID buy the candler, and the eggs are at school for the kids, I want to make it as educational as possible.Honestly, the eggs are so much safer at school since I CAN'T touch them all the time!!

But Robin... You know it's so hard to wait... Not knowing if anything is happening... Little veins as signs of life... Beautiful little lavender babies... Wondering where's their CC momma... Why hasn't she checked on them... Peep peep peep

(I refuse to admit any evil influence capability.)

TO... I know you're just hopelessly patient and don't candle. SIGH... No fun trying to corrupt you!! Although, I was reading on Bev Davis website she DOES have wheatens. All those beautiful Davis and WJ Marans... Growing little veins... Blood pumping to the fancy little embryos... Don't you WANT to know something is at least growing already...?

 

[Dr HaHa]

Good Moring Everyone! Cind your going to have enough expense in traveling. I really don't have a set up for extra grain but I would like a bag of that cracked corn which I'll gladly pay you for, I was thinking about it and would like you to do the surgery on Peatwo's bumblefoot. That would be the greatest possible exchange! I really don't have a use for the pallets hoping the one that the stove is on is intact and will be able to use it. If not I'll have you bring one with. I'll let you know. I'm just glad your taking the stove hate to have it just sitting around in my way.

Too many pages to remember today. Everybody SHUT UP!

Guess my question to TO is who unbuckled the seatbelt? FT I'm betting 2 girls too? All this talk of bugs has me wanting to check all the kids again. Up since 4:30 stoves comin today

lots on the todo list.

 

[Bigfamily4me]

Where's pictures of ugly babies Doc???

 

[jvls1942]

good morning, Robin, did I get a rise out of you? and then you said such a nice thing about me, I take it all back.. I meant to say, FT..

I have/had two big time bee keepers within a mile of me.. one of them hauls 4 semi loads of bees to Texas each year.. the bee population is in serious danger in this country.. so the more people who get into keeping bees, the better.. I do not have bees anymore, but , let me tell you. If you want bumper viney crops like cukes and pumpkins, and squash, get some bees close to your garden.. find somebody who raises bees and ask them to place a hive for you..

chickens do love the tiny morsels, so place the hive as far away from the chickens as you can..
but do not let that stop you from having bees..

my son was about 11 when we got bees. he was a natural with them.. he could go out with no veil or gloves and work with them..

TerriO, you might have caught the culprit with that possum.. but there might be some coons there also.. maybe rats? I think a rat got the goose eggs.. they just broke into the shells and cleaned out the inside.. I have a trap set for the rat, but he changed his route. I will have to find another hole.. a little fresh snow would help that cause..

...........jiminwisc.........

 

[Apyl]

Another question , I know this forum is all about chickens but does anyone have experience with dairy goats ? My oldest Daughter is in 4-H and doing the dairy goat project. We are almost ready to purchase but need to decide on breed and age. So any suggestions? Also does anyone know of any farms near Juneau county where they sell goats ?

Oh and as for the chicks, I decided to cut it back to 16 chicks. 8 hens for eggs and 1 rooster, then butcher 7 . I'm also upgrading our coop lol , after checking out all the pics on the site I really want to add on to it now. We have TONS of wood so it wont cost anything We had a shed (20x40) collapse last year so I am reusing all the wood I can. I drew up the plans and my husband said not a problem.

Oh one more question, we are getting the fencing next week. We have dogs so I want to keep the chickens in a fence, but how big should I make it. My intial plan was an area thats 20x20 ( 400 sq feet), is this adeqaute space? Oh and how high?

 

[jvls1942]

vermiculture .......... I don't know these big words.. but one times I did read about a guy who raised rabbits and worms.. he put his worm boxes underneath the rabbit hutches and let the worms compost the pellets.. something I have contiplated doing, but just never got a round tuit..