Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[Terri O]

Good morning! Everyone but Dan must be sleeping it today! I had to get up early because the chickens and chipmunk were all alarming and I could hear it moving through the yard. First under my window, then by the milkhouse then over in the driveway. Got up and went out and didnt see anything....maybe it was a cat. I was going to go back to bed but as soon as the dogs and cats see that I am up, well, let's just say that that isnt an option!

Cind--what's with your computer? Needs a tune up maybe? I know that I get all kinds of chit on here...the kids use mine too when they are too lazy to go and get theirs. DH is always accusing me of clicking questionable links etc and the only place I go is here and FB and my email! I hope there isnt anything there...especially if I am just reading! Who knows with all those people trying to destroy others' computers with viruses and the like? I suppose if folks can just go and kill strangers that=n killing computers in nothing!

Dan your set up sounds really neat. A farm near here that does a CSA also has a high tunnel. Weird to look at but it sure gets the job done! So it makes a micro climate for your plants then? THe frost cant get in? Can you grow cooler weather stuff all winter or does it just extend your season? Is it clear plastic? I need to plant some spinach again since mine didnt come up and I am missing the fresh greens in stuff for sure. I actually have SO MUCH to do outside and it just isnt getting done! Mostly because I keep answering ads and doing stuff for other people! Yesterday there was an ad for help to transplant some irises. The woman was very nice and not too much older than me but was disabled in some way so I went there and dug out a huge clump of Siberian Iris(?) and transplanted it for her. It was very nice to work somewhere where there werent weeds to contend with first!

I suppose if I stopped coming on here and chatting with you guys all the time I might get more done...but what would be the fun in that? Hey Bigz--I told DH (when we passed the local FFF place) that you should be on later with your FFF report on what fish were made etc. He was disappointed that you didnt say last night! So you'd better post what you had so I can tell him! LOL! I made some delicious sliced tomatoes with fresh Mozz balls and sweet onion, basil and EVO. MMMMM!!!!!!!! At Sentry they had the fresh Mozz in "pearl sized." It was adorable and so yummy...a real treat though cause $$$.

THe girls just came down and I somehow I got roped into making deviled eggs and sloppy joes for their Lia Sophia/Mary Kay party this afternoon! Now I wish I didnt have to work the afternoon! Oh well, I suppose I can simmer the sloppy joes and fill the eggs at Bill's house! LOL---maybe he will like to help...DD is looking for the Manwich sauce right now. We both could swear there was a can in the cupboard...much easier that making it from scratch!

OK I have to show you all a picture on my chickens having a Jimmy John's party! There were sandwiches left and I gave them to the chickens (man, I feel like I already told you this...) weird! Well, here they are:

Sorry--kinds blurry but those birds were really enjoying this feast! I guess I better stop rambleng and get on with the day here...just got a call to make sure I was still planning on meeting the Chicago chicken coalition lady in Milwaukee to pick up that barred rock roo. I guess he started practice crowing in her apartment this morning! Yup--we shoulda met on Thursday!

Have a good one! Terri O

ETA: I just studied my picture a little closer and there is duck "hanky panky" going on in the background!

 

[vickiw]

TERRI~posting duck PORN ???? This early really???

Seriously, good looking ladies

(and roo and some VERY happy ducks

)

 

[Angiebubs]

Ang, the only true way to know is when they either crow or lay an egg.

Sorry! Hmmm...... you should pretty well know at 12, I'm thinking, but I'll have to look back at pics to be sure. The boys combs should be getting a lot redder. My boys were crowing at 5 months, I think. And so far, they are all really good as far as temperament. Hope it stays that way. I make sure to hand feed them treats daily. As far as laying, I think my girls started between 18 to 20 weeks. HTH

CC: How old are your boy(s)? Do you have more than one?

I have 2 LO and 1 mottled that I am thinking are boys....and don't want to get rid of any. However, I also don't want fights in the middle of the winter!!!! I will have 17 LF hens. 2 banty/LF hen mixes. and 1 banty hen. So aprox 8 hens per girl if I kept them-but it doesn't make any sense to hang on to 3 roos ANd I have a "Farmer Steven" as he called himself, respond to my craigslist posting.

BBP: My oldest LO seems to have some of that lacing on edge of his feathers-trying to remember what you called it "lacing"? "Partridge"? and his new head feathers have a lil beige/lemon coloring. The other LO is a gorgeous light soft gray...and "Suzie" the mottled? is ending up mostly dark gray/black with a few white speckles....and some white on head and legs....darker than I originally thought.

 

[tiki244]

Vicki trust me you do not want to see the chick moving,

If there was fresh blood than the chick was alive.


With the very dark eggs I am suspecting the Black Star is the mother. As far as candling I think you have had enough of that!!! Now just stay away from the eggs Mama knows best!!!

! And when you think they should have hatched but havent~~~~~WAIT another 10 days. You will be happy before the 10 days are up.

 

[tiki244]

Hi All,

This computer is dying! I got it kinda working tonight but last couple of nights I couldn't even read the posts! Sorry, didn't take the chance of trying to read too far back.

Weather has been great, wish I had more time to work outside. I have got to get those chickens moved around and set up better. Got to sort out the cockrels and fatten up to butcher too! Vicki... a couple of drops of food coloring on the vent works well.
Grrrr... it's screwing up again!
Night

Cind~~~Sorry to hear about your computer

. Mine will not be too long for this world but I share your frustrations!!!!! Big Time!

 

[tiki244]

I want to make a small greenhouse with 2 cattle panels and some rr ties. And then I here you can put small cold frame boxes in there too to up the temp some more if you want. I have a book that the author lives in Maine in the same climes as we do and grows some things all winter. Unkadan your awesome growing that stuff. Our very own gh guru! Anctiously(sp? ack) awaiting your answer to terri. Terri what kinda rooster is behind the white nird with the black tail>? It looks like my bw ameraucana.

Postponing the inevitable~ too many roos were causing too much of a ruckus in the coop at bed time last night.

 

[MustLoveHens]

Afternoon All!
Didn't get the chance to check in this morning. Typing on a bear since I have a dog half on my lap and half on the lap top!!

The chickens and rabbits are all fine. Cleaned the rabbit abodes and did two trash runs-no three. The first one was for all crap-o-la from the garage cleaning event and the next one was regular trash and recycle stuff. The third was rabbit shavings and an old ancient dresser or cabinet that was left over from the previous people who owned the house. The thing must have been old and antique. It looked like cherry and was built like a brick house. To bad the previous people took it down in the basement and let it rot is places. I hate when old furniture is treated like trash. Some one but their heart and soul into making it at one point. But it was beyond salvaging and just to get it the stairs we had to bust it apart.
The next items on the list to move out of the basement are the old oil tank and a cheese-y desk. That desk is vintage 1970's chic and it's gonna be a bear and a half to get out of the basement. Think I'll call a scrap hauler.....
I tell you! The next house I buy, I'm gonna go through with a fine tooth comb and no money will exchange palms until all the previous owners crap and trash is gone. This is the second house where we had to deal with trash and old useless objects left behind.

Other then that, Albion is having their annual craft fair today. I got two scarves and a cute rooster themed towel with knitted yarn on the top made into a hanger. Very cute! I also got a new apron. It is so cute. blue and while kitchen theme going on with a little pocket. pockets on the right but I'll live. It's so cute I got a nail to hang it when I'm not using it!

What else! Oh so I completely splurged the other day. I know I should not have because I really did not need another one. A while back I decided that I wanted to get a left handed revolver. I have a .357 but it's hard for me to work quickly since it's all right handed and I'm not. So after scouring to find out if there are any left handed revolvers, I found that there is a company that makes a true left handed one. Charter Arms. It's called the South Paw. So, I ordered me one as an early birthday/Christmas gift. It's a .38, 5 round barrel. Charter also makes one in *gasp* pink! But no pink for me! I figured if I ever had to sell it, it would be hard enough to sell a left handed gun let alone a pink left handed gun. The good part is DH is left handed too!
So, I have yet to test it. I'm hoping maybe this week I can get to the range to try it out. Depends on DH's schedule.

So, yesterday morning I went to feed the cats. I opened up the cat food container and was busy tossing kibble in their bowl, when Ichabod comes flying around the corner with a cute little "Mrrow!" and launches himself...right smack dab into the cat food container! LOL!! He was so shocked! I think he thought the lid was down like normal and wanted to use that to jump on to be a pest while I get their kibble together. But nope! he jumped into the cat food. Sent some flying. The dogs thought that was cool though!

Well, that is my news. I'm doing laundry and sweeping the floors....oh joy!!! I think it's a Mac and Cheese kinda night....

 

[Hens and Roos]

Afternoon All!
Didn't get the chance to check in this morning. Typing on a bear since I have a dog half on my lap and half on the lap top!!

The chickens and rabbits are all fine. Cleaned the rabbit abodes and did two trash runs-no three. The first one was for all crap-o-la from the garage cleaning event and the next one was regular trash and recycle stuff. The third was rabbit shavings and an old ancient dresser or cabinet that was left over from the previous people who owned the house. The thing must have been old and antique. It looked like cherry and was built like a brick house. To bad the previous people took it down in the basement and let it rot is places. I hate when old furniture is treated like trash. Some one but their heart and soul into making it at one point. But it was beyond salvaging and just to get it the stairs we had to bust it apart.
The next items on the list to move out of the basement are the old oil tank and a cheese-y desk. That desk is vintage 1970's chic and it's gonna be a bear and a half to get out of the basement. Think I'll call a scrap hauler.....
I tell you! The next house I buy, I'm gonna go through with a fine tooth comb and no money will exchange palms until all the previous owners crap and trash is gone. This is the second house where we had to deal with trash and old useless objects left behind.

Other then that, Albion is having their annual craft fair today. I got two scarves and a cute rooster themed towel with knitted yarn on the top made into a hanger. Very cute! I also got a new apron. It is so cute. blue and while kitchen theme going on with a little pocket. pockets on the right but I'll live. It's so cute I got a nail to hang it when I'm not using it!

What else! Oh so I completely splurged the other day. I know I should not have because I really did not need another one. A while back I decided that I wanted to get a left handed revolver. I have a .357 but it's hard for me to work quickly since it's all right handed and I'm not. So after scouring to find out if there are any left handed revolvers, I found that there is a company that makes a true left handed one. Charter Arms. It's called the South Paw. So, I ordered me one as an early birthday/Christmas gift. It's a .38, 5 round barrel. Charter also makes one in *gasp* pink! But no pink for me! I figured if I ever had to sell it, it would be hard enough to sell a left handed gun let alone a pink left handed gun. The good part is DH is left handed too!
So, I have yet to test it. I'm hoping maybe this week I can get to the range to try it out. Depends on DH's schedule.

So, yesterday morning I went to feed the cats. I opened up the cat food container and was busy tossing kibble in their bowl, when Ichabod comes flying around the corner with a cute little "Mrrow!" and launches himself...right smack dab into the cat food container! LOL!! He was so shocked! I think he thought the lid was down like normal and wanted to use that to jump on to be a pest while I get their kibble together. But nope! he jumped into the cat food. Sent some flying. The dogs thought that was cool though!

Well, that is my news. I'm doing laundry and sweeping the floors....oh joy!!! I think it's a Mac and Cheese kinda night....

Afternoon

working on catching up with the garden, picked cucumbers yesterday and beets this am. Working on making pickled beets right now- have enough for 38 quarts so just waiting for the brine to boil and then we can fill jars and process. DH and DD are happy, we didn't make any last year and we ran out. Probably start working on making some hamburger dill pickles- at least 1 batch. Have to go through and count how many empty jars we have left.

Enjoy the rest of the day, going to get something to eat before having to fill jars.

 

[vickiw]

thank you Tiki. I am leaving well enough alone now that I am fairly confident that there is at least a chance these would hatch. I still feel bad about the almost baby

My plan B was if it didn't look like these had a chance I was going to get some fresh fertilized ones from my neighbor (I can have all I want now that she's sure I won't give them back after they've hatched~long story. Hubby's going YES! she's going NO! because he's not home all week, works out of town, and leave her to take care of all the critters!) and see if Broody Butt would sit them. Glad tho, because Broody Butt has lost a lot of weight with this terminal brood. I was kicking her out whenever I could because she just WOULD NOT leave the nest no matter what even when she had nothing to sit on! But, I just wasn't always able to do that every day because it required locking everybody out of the coop.

I'm leaving her alone for now (not making her leave the nest) but she has water and pellets within reach if she wants them and room enough in her cage to get off the nest and do #3 if she wants to. She did nibble the fresh greens I put in her box today and yesterday she ate some egg. I know their metabolism changes when they are brooding but I'm thinking she's going to have to get up and poo pretty soon!

 

[bigzio]

Beautiful Evening To All...so many good folks on the cheeseheads, and we have a bash that brings us all together...Life is good!

Sorry TO, you missed walleye and catfish (my fav) with ho-made fries, and ho-made onion rings...the new Kwik Trip was giving away a lb of onions for free...we decided to turn them into free rings...LOL! It was delicious.

MLH...you are a women that most men would die for.....Way to go...You Rock! It's the best Christmas present of all. Have fun with it....Charter also offers a 40 cal revolver....the 40 is a rimless bullet for auto's, and the designed a special cylinder...just sayin!

The garden requires a bushel basket now to pick maters every other day...I love my antique baskets that I was smart enough to save and take care of.

Tonight it's sweet corn on the grill, and our famos maters and onions....so much butter, that we use the drippings for the grilled corn...not heaven, but almost!

Good luck with the flocks...nothing but the best for all of them....always a challenge when you have more than a few.

bigz