Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[Apyl]

Huntress -- Our Pointer mix points our chickens and shakes the entire time lol. I wouldn't call it OCD just being a dog. Its in his jeans to view birds as prey. I think its funny, but if he stands there to long I just tell him to go lay down. He also had anxiety when left alone, but once we got the cat he is fine left alone with the cat or TV on.

CS- not sure about the eggs , I dont feed comercial feed anymore ( for the last month) and I'm still getting eggs with no issues, now my chickens are soley free range and scraps . As for calcium I just throw egg shells outside to them to eat.

Good Morning everyone. Well just spent the last hour outside looking for my Ancona. And sure enough as soon as I turn my back she appears. The little brat keeps laying in the thorny brush and she doesnt make any noises when she lays. So the kids and I were outside silently listening and couldnt find her. Go figure. Tomorrow she's getting locked up till I get an egg lol . Well nothing new going on here. There is a nice overcast so the temp is staying nice for now. Everyone have a great day

 

[jvls1942]

good AM, Annie was out early, (after the rain stopped) and picked about 22 pounds of blackberries.. enough for a 5 gallon batch of wine..

I would think that rubbing a chicken with salt would draw the moisture out, like salting a hide ?

we tried the brining on a turkey.. DD#1 thought the bird was too salty.. I thought it was OK..

I think marinating in some sort of citris solution would help with the tenderness ??

the type of corn I grow only gets one ear per stalk.. so I sort of know how many seeds to plant..

our beans are going great guns.. we are telling many people to come and pick.. only one has showed up.. Hey people !!! they won't stay small and tender forever until you are ready to pick !!
I just don't understand people..

My nephew came to pick yesterday.. He came back to the house and said that he couldn't find the beans.. I told him.. two rows, from the end of my tomatoes all the way to the neighbors' yard.. he still couldn't find them.. I just gave up.. A blind man could have found them.. maybe an idiot WOULD have trouble..

I moved 19 keets and 4 poults to the spare pen..

I have lots of feed bins to fill today.. a couple of days ago I washed all of the waterers

DD#1's mechanic friend is supposed to come and take a look at my tractor today.. I have to remove the loader somehow.. It has to be raised straight up a couple of feed to clear the front axle.. maybe I can fit it into the garage and hoist it from the beam..

I had another comment, but you know the drill ,,,,,,,,,,,,,

ETA: Now I remember.. I had a beagle Brittany mix dog who would point cotton tail rabbits.. and those rabbits would hold real tight. I actually touched one to make it run.. the dog had no interest in chasing.. If I shot a rabbit, he would run right on past it and start on the next one..

ETA ETA : It is a first for me this summer.. I just got rained out..
was working on getting the loader off the tractor .. I don't think this little break will last too long, though..
..............jiminwisc..............

 

[ElaineS585]

"....I had one of the Bleeding Hearts in my flower bed kick the bucket so I need to dig that up. I think even with watering, the drought was to much for this one. ...."

Don't dig up the bleeding heart! They go dormant this time of year. It'll completely die back on top of the soil, but the rootball will be fine and will send up another plant next Spring!

Hi, everyone. Not much new here - just trying to beat the heat like everyone else. I think Madison has gotten about 2" of rain in the past week and things are really starting to green up which is just beautiful. (Guess the mosquitoes will be coming back, too!!) I hit Shopko's 90% off garden sale on Monday and got a lot of blackberry and grape plants for under $2 ea., a bunch (15?) of small arborvitaes for $1.09 ea, and 8 beautiful hydrangeas of the new types for $1.89. Estimated I purchased about $700 worth of plants for $70 -- Score!! Hope I figure out good times to plant & baby them. I planted 3 cherry trees (2 sweet, 1sour pie) in the last couple of weeks during the one evening that it wasn't roasting -- and so far they're looking pretty good. We're going to IL tomorrow to visit family at a baby shower and I'm taking a truckload of plants to my sister for an early birthday present: she's getting a peach tree, a sweet cherry tree (to pollinate the one she got last year), a pie cherry tree, 2 types of grapes and 3 types of thornless blackberry plants. I bought them all at either 75% or 90% off -- and she's all excited & can't wait to get them. We are each other's enabler when it comes to plants especially with us both establishing "orchards"... As long as we get them planted and keep them watered good they should do just fine - which is great 'cause Stark Brothers doesn't ship fruit trees to WI in the Fall because that's too risky (I guess) in getting them established before winter.

I need to figure out how to make some fruit tree cages or something -- the squirrels and the chipmunks got all my fruit this year with the exception of apples (which haven't ripened yet.) I had one lousy plum left on one tree and just today I noticed that's gone, too! I didn't get any raspberries this year - they all fried up. Fingers crossed for next year! My garlic is wonderful this year!! We had a 50+ year silver maple removed from the backyard (rotting trunk) and it has made a big improvement in how much sun my garden gets! Really looking forward to next year when I'll have a full garden growing year of sunshine!

Something killed one of my ducks so now I'm contemplating hatching a few more so I can get another female started so hopefully she'll be an egg layer next year. Not sure if I'll do it or not as I hate having extras and trying to find them homes/give them away, etc. It's a long time before they can finally be sexed.... we'll see. I saw some runner ducks on Craigslist that I was thinking about, but saw them described as "nervous" "high-strung" and I just don't want to deal with it. (I have Peking hen and a Rouen drake, now.) If anyone around Madison has a solo female duck they're looking to rehome, please let me know. No muskovies, though - don't want to have to trim wings - so nonflyers only...

Husband and son went on an all guy camping trip up by Door Co. and came back with some delicious salmon, part of which they had smoked. It's divine! And I found an exquisite smoked salmon dip recipe and a delicious Asian ginger, cabbage salmon salad recipe that is outstanding, too. I'll be making both for the baby shower tomorrow... speaking of which, I better get moving!

Stay well!
Elaine

 

[CasieD]

Have any of you been to this small animal auction in Amherst before?? Just wondering if it's well run and worth going.

http://wausau.craigslist.org/grd/3152618015.html


I'm looking for some Ameraucana chicks or hatching eggs. All I'm finding are EE's so far.

 

[babylady4]

I am SO happy to be home! No more airplanes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today, they had fighter jets doing demos; when those things fly right overhead it sounds like the building is collapsing. I went up on the roof to watch, we had one fly right over our heads: he was so close I could have waved and I would have been able to see the pilot wave back! And the noise!!!!!!! WOW!

Elaine, glad you caught that on the Bleeding Heart.

Casie, I have been to the PK auction..... and I just do not like them. Of course that IMHO..... there are PLENTY on here that can get you whatever you are looking for.....

We are off to visit the ducks. I need to do some wing clipping and we are going to take the mortar tub so they can splash around for a bit.

Later taters!

 

[tiki244]

Jim that dog musta really had a good dose of Brittany genes!!! not much beagle lol

MLH what an interesting night at your house with all your fur children!

I got into poison ivy for about the third time this year. Or I should say the dog and chickens did and then transferred it to me. It's on the palm of my hand this time. The air broke a couple days ago and the landlady had to come over and yell at me again today. I was supposed to ask her permission to use the shed that they had told me I could use when I first moved in. (I had put a large Ken- Aire in there with a mama banty and a couple babies). Then she had to go through her list again. Kinda feeling rotten today after her visit.


ETA Speaking of airplanes and jets there is some guy who has been practicing going up in a ballon? and then diving at a phenominal heigth and parachuting at the end to land. It takes him 15 minutes for the trip down I believe. Anyway, next time he is going to try and break the world Record and at the same time break the sound barrier. Does that mean he will cause a sonic boom? And, if so, how will this affect his downward fall?

 

[Terri O]

Its in his jeans to view birds as prey. I think its funny,

So Apyl--what color were his jeans?

(had to do it!)

And Elaine! I was going to tell MLH that very thing...in fact I was so worried about her bleeding heart plant that I almost called her on my way to Milwaukee! Yes they do die back when it is too hot and sometimes you can even get a second bloom...I think that might happen this year. What a weird year for sure...good luck on your fruit trees! Walmart had their perennials at only 50% off...I was there the day before yesterday and of course I had to stroll through the plant area! (even though I dont think I planted the last ones I bought!) So I got a Penstemon Red riding hood and also a Blue riding hood (I think that was what it's called) Maybe I will plant them tomorrow...

SO today my son and I unloaded some hay into the barn...I told him I would take him back to school if he helped. I was glad--only 155 bales but 3 is really the smallest number of people to do it when putting it in the mow! It was still hot up there!

Well, DD26 is looking for dinner and I offered to make her an omelet so I guess I better get to it!
Maybe back later! Terri O

 

[jvls1942]

Jim that dog musta really had a good dose of Brittany genes!!! not much beagle lol

MLH what an interesting night at your house with all your fur children!

I got into poison ivy for about the third time this year. Or I should say the dog and chickens did and then transferred it to me. It's on the palm of my hand this time. The air broke a couple days ago and the landlady had to come over and yell at me again today. I was supposed to ask her permission to use the shed that they had told me I could use when I first moved in. (I had put a large Ken- Aire in there with a mama banty and a couple babies). Then she had to go through her list again. Kinda feeling rotten today after her visit.


ETA Speaking of airplanes and jets there is some guy who has been practicing going up in a ballon? and then diving at a phenominal heigth and parachuting at the end to land. It takes him 15 minutes for the trip down I believe. Anyway, next time he is going to try and break the world Record and at the same time break the sound barrier. Does that mean he will cause a sonic boom? And, if so, how will this affect his downward fall?

I heard about that guy.. I think he was on Jay Leno or something like that.. He jumped from 11 miles high and reached speeds of around 500 mph? isn't the sound barrier like 580 mph? I used to know these things about 60 years ago..

I went to a PK auction about 6 years ago.. I thought it was alright.. I made some cheap buys..

got a real good rooster for $3.oo.. had a few toes missing, but the most important appendage was well intact..

/////////////jiminwisc...........

 

[MustLoveHens]

Hi all!
Well, got some chores done and made a beef stew for dinner and cup cakes for dessert!

Elaine, TO and BL4-Thanks for the info on the Bleeding Heart! Of the three I have, one is great, one is starting it's second bloom and the third did indeed kick the bucket. The roots were very brittle in places, and mushy in others. It was looking sickly for a few weeks before the rain. I have a guarantee on it so that's good. You win some and you loose some! I but a blanket flower plant in where the Heart was. Once all the plants go dormant for the winter I'll add some more mulch to give them a nice padding for winter.

So, I have emailed a few of you that I though might be interested, but I though mention it here. Dh also made a post of his Mad City Chickens forum too.
I am contemplating having some feed custom mixed. With the feed prices expected to go up, I was thinking I might be a good idea. I have to order a minimum of 2 tons. While I cannot feed 2 tons in my chickens lifetimes I was thinking that if I got some people who would want to go in on the feed order, I could swing the minimum.
The feed I want to mix, is a non medicated 18% Layer ration, with all the probiotics and good stuff. The main thing though is it will have meat and bone meal in it so it won't be a vegetarian formula. I also would have it come in a mash/meal. It is cheaper then having a crumble made and my girls don't like pellets. The reason for the meat and bone meal is that it helps lower the price of the feed. I can take it out if I have to though. The bags would come in 50#.
If your interested let me know. Taking a rough guess-ta-mate the feed would be ~$12 ish give or take for a 50# bag.
I can't sell the feed for a profit so the cost will be the price divided by the bags per ton.
The Nature Wise layer is a 16% ration and does not have meat and bone meal in it.

 

[vickiw]

Hi Tiki

so sorry you are still dealing with that crazy landlady

I hope you are able to find a better place soon.

About the guy "sky diving" from space. The jump he did this week was the test run for when he jumps next month from a "lot" higher, the edge of space, that's when he will reach speeds fast enough to cause a sonic boom.

Oops, Olympics are on!

TTFN!