Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[fordmommy]

I also have both dirt and floor in different coops. The one that has a floor is off of the ground about 2 feet or so so that critters can't brake in. But also so I had storage under it in the winter if I needed it. Or it could be a safe haven for the birds out of the wind and rain or snow, whatever. But....I stapled down some linolium over the wood. Easy cleaning.

The dirt floor....I actually hauled in sand on top of the regular ground. Wow! Is that nice! But I need another load or two for winter. I put it in last fall and what's left of it, is hard now.

Been very busy canning tomatoes. Today I'm taking a brake.

Sorry Bigz. I can't find the phone # to that processessing place. I'll still keep looking. Just know I didn't forget. I gotta ask around. I know it's on hwy 54. Just don't know the name.

Anyway. School starts in 3 days!

.....but....

. I sure miss them when they are gone. I love having the help.

But man-oh-man are they fighting lately.

I swear they just don't hear my "angry" voice anymore.

Enjoy the sun. It will be gone before we know it. I think this week will be the last days of heat. Now bring on the snow!

I've been thinking of Halloween lately!

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
Exactly.

The Blue Fawn color (the one with the eyestripes that sort of looks Mallard-ish) isn't common in many breeds. Call ducks and Indian Runners both come in that color...I think someone might be working with it in Mallards (they would have had to have out-crossed to another breed to introduce the Blue). I can't tell from the pictures, but your ducks look like they're about the size of a Khaki Campbell or a Buff duck, and I can't think of a pure breed of that size that comes in that color, which is why I pegged that one as a mix. By the way - he's in either juvenile or eclipse plumage right now - he's going to molt into something more like this:

And then, as far as the Buff having some Blue visible on her... you are going to tend to see a lot of Blue shading on the wings and around the tail on Buffs...I guess that's just where that specific gene is expressed most strongly. You'll notice that's where you can see the most Blue on the Blue Fawn male as well.

I hope you do hatch a few of their ducklings some day! I hypothesize that there are about 24 different colors you could hatch from them - because you're playing with the Blue, Brown, and Buff dilutions, and the offspring could get either a Mallard or Dusky patterned base!

AND, two of the colors that I'm pretty sure you could get are the exact same colors I'm working on in my Indian Runners right now: Blue Dusky and Apricot Dusky!

Phew. Now my brain hurts!

I hope AlpineRanch doesn't mind me posting this picture, but here's her latest batch of Call ducklings - I'm going to pick up three of these guys this afternoon! I get first pick, and she's going to keep the rest. I think there are three Silver/Splash ducklings, a Gray one, a Blue Magpie one, and a Pastel one. It's going to be really hard to choose!

I promise I'll have pictures of the newest additions later tonight! I'm thinking I'm going to go with two Splash ducklings and then I'm going back and forth between the little Pastel or the Blue Magpie.....

 

[Terri O]

Oh FM SHAME on you for thinking s&*$ already! You can have it! Fall will be nice...the darn mosquitoes will slack off a bit, I prefer to wait for snow until the beginning of December sometime. Then it can be nice ans snowy until March...maybe the middle then bring on SPRING! Well, that is my ideal year...wonder why I live in WI!?

Moving DD in yesterday took WAY longer than I expected it to...only was able to tour one coop and I was late to that! The people were very nice though and Cheri showed me the coop and the chickens. Excellent coop! It was Amish built and dropped on site. About a year old and still smelled like fresh wood (love that smell!) She had a very nice run built outside too with cover and open topped parts. That was about 7' high and 10x15 or so. It had a people door too and the girls can go out to range when they are home yet are protected when they need to be locked up because the run is predator-proof too. They designed it this way so they can leave for a weekend and they can still go in and out. She collects eggs from inside the building. The building is quite large--she says that is the best part about it collecting eggs from outside the pen area but still inside the building. She can even close the pop doors from outside the pen! There is storage above the coop area inside and also a loft area on the opposite side. (I will say I was extremely jealous of the set-up!) I invited Cheri to join us here...she had no idea there even WAS a cheesehead's board! We need to get on the stick and promote our wonderful little place on the web!

Raiquee--when you said you were making your pen you mentioned that you were burying wire on the inside perimeter, I hope you meant the outside. Then you said wire up the side. That is what I did on my outside too. Most attackers will try to dig at the edge of the fence. The other problem is if the ducks sleep at the side of the pen...critters sometime like to reach their clever little hands INTO the pen and grab the inhabitants! This is what happens at my neighbor's place often. Also I would not worry about that duckling with the older ducks...he was used to being with bigger ducks and if they didnt mind him under their wings or lying over them I really doubt if they would hurt him...that must have been tough to hear him crying! I would put him right outside with the others...maybe their duck noises will lure the others home!

Potatoes--I will take some more pics today when I dump the last barrels. I think I need to get them in-besides I am REALLY hungry for parsley buttered potatoes! MMMM! I planted in barrels and in rows this year so I will attempt to show both results...if I ever get outside. The 5 gal pail yielded about 3 pounds of whites with NO WORK. The reason you hill them is because all the tubers grow along the stem ABOVE the potato seed. So in theory the longer the stem, the more potatoes that can form. THat is why I planted some in 55 gal drums this year and kept filling until I got the compost all the way to the top. The seeds are 6" from the bottom of the barrel! When you hill in a row if you can use a tiller with a hiller attachment it is easy. When you hill with a shovel it is a little harder! In my garden I have to use a shovel! There...potato 101!

Now I am out of coffee so I can type no longer! The only thing I have yet to say is that WISC Mitch's coop is looking GREAT! The people wont know if you have roos until they crow...so you could always get straight run chicks and send the roos to freezer camp when they are old enough. Then you wouldnt have to pay for sexing and would have the fun of lots of chicks too! There have been lots of posts on here from folks that have bought "guaranteed" pullets and have ended up with roos anyway...just beware I guess.

Annarie...you keep saying you will stop NOW...

I am thinking that I am NOT going to believe you!

Have a fantastic day! Terri O

 

[babylady4]

Thank goodness the fair ends today!!!! No more Carnies walking around and no more noise! The constant traffic gets old FAST! Tomorrow it will be all the semis with the rides.....

Since I am now at home, I decided to finally tackle my house..... as in clean it..... Terri come on over!!!!!

I was the nasty slave driver to the kids!!!! I am happy to report all clutter has been contained, all floors were vaccumed, all surfaces dusted, cobwebs removed, and all the little odds and ends projects completed. We have to put the closet doors up on the coat and linen closets and finish some trim yet in the bath and back hall, but I have my dining room back!!!!!

Dr. H, I think I have to drop my pickles into a water bath for 5 min next time. I have had 7 of the 14 jars pop their seals so far...... and BigZ I wish I could get up to where you are for the cukes and dill...... I just don't travel up that way ever. The cooking wrecks the crispy factor so that is why I think a quick dip into the hot H2O will do the trick.

After looking at the calls at the fair and the ones I have here, I think ours are a bit on the big side. I guess I will just have to weigh them all up and see if they fit into the breed standard. That light buff one is looking so pretty!!!! I cannot wait until next spring when they have all molted out into their adult plumage! Annarie I am so jealous of you being able to go and get more calls from Alpine!

I can't move soon enough!!!!

 

[Terri O]

Okay guys...the potato trial is OVER! I will now post results to interested parties...
The red pontiac potatoes were planted in this container and I got about a 3 pound harvest with No digging and NO sweating (unlike today)

They were also planted in these containers and you can see the harvest in front of the container:

Yup--that's right...4 measly reds from the trash can and a BIG ZERO from the blue barrel!!!

So much for believing everything you read on the internet and BELIEVE to be true because it makes SENSE!!!

Then I went to the garden and I shoveled a few plants up from the Kennebec spuds. I hilled these to about 18" and covered one side with carpeting and the other with black carpet backing.

I had similar results in another area that I dug with these potatoes. Now to the next row of Yukon Gold....

Same amount of digging and in the same garden as the Kennebecs. The dirt was much harder, was hilled to only 6" and not covered (except by the falling brussels sprouts plants!) I dug the whole 12' row and got barely enough for supper tonight! No potato was bigger than a large lime and only a few of those! I know Kens get bigger that Yukon but that is ridiculous! My largest Ken (so far) is just under 2 pounds!

The verdict: I should have had better controls by planting all varieties in all areas. I maybe will only try one barrel next year and will cut it in half. I need a bigger garden to have enough space for all these experiments!

Questions: Do reds not like to grow in containers? Where are the reds that I planted in the garden--they are not on the map?! Was it the added height or the covering that made the Kens get so big? Why cant I ever grow Yukons satisfactorily and would they grow better in a bucket?

Oh there are so many more Questions! As a Master Gardener I am advising to only grow potatoes in containers where the plants are not hilled more than 20". If you like to dig spuds in 90* humidity, go ahead and plant them right in the garden. Do not plant Yukon Golds unless you are NOT me!

Sincerely--Terri O

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
Leaving right now! Just had to print out directions and phone numbers again - it's going to be a LONG trip down to Brooklyn, and then we'll hop on 151 towards Columbus on the way back home, cut over to AlpineRanch's place, and then take 16 home.

I'm giving my little sister an incubator of her own to play with the Call eggs next spring, so you know AlpineRanch and I will both have more!

 

[WiscoChiko]

Thanks Terri O. !! And everyone else, after I get settled in with my coop and chicks I will stick around and talk a lil more on a personal level!! Uh Oh

and keep everyone updated on the progress what's going on... Smile and Be Happy, Mitch or W.C. Whateva works for ya

 

[bigzio]

Afternoon All...I'm a grow the spuds in the ground guy. I assure you with my yeilds, that you won't change my mind. They love fertilizer and room to grow. Like I said before more than one variety works best, and if only go with the one that was superior the year before, you will wish you didn't.

I'm digging prolly 3 to 7 lbs per plant...four or five plants to fill a 5 gallon pail...equal to 1/2 bushel.

The pontiacs are always a good variety, along with yucon golds ( mine are huge) but don't produce the higher yeilds. The russets, more of late spud still alive and growing, that will make wonderful bakers and frys. One can try different stuff...but results are king...I say in the ground where they belong. In my opinion, the red pontiacs are superior to the red Norlands that have smaller eyes, smoother skins and loved by grubs. Not bragging, just saying that spuds are grown here by the 100's of lbs...I'm not planting in containers, unless the soil jumps in there on it's own....seems like more work than just plantin and workin the garden. Please don't hate me for that potatoes hands on lesson.

Nothing but the best.... ~bigzio

 

[beckyschicks]

Hello everyone! You all have been very busy! WC the progress looks great. Was reading your other thread and still hoping you get some cochins.

Sorry I love my cochins.
Anniarie- you are to funny with "this is it for the year." We all know you better then that.

Your a sucker for a sweet face, thats ok so am I.
All the ducks and chickens pictures are nice. Thanks for sharing everyone. Everyone also sounds busy getting everything out of their gardens.
On a sad note, the little girl that was attacked last week turned out to be my parents neighbors granddaughter.

Very sad. They babysat me and my brother when we were little and also their daughter(the aunt of the little girl) watched us for a couple of years until we were old enough to stay home by ourselves. I feel so bad for the family. They are really good people and we played at their house a lot growing up. I don't know why things like this happen, but it is so very sad and heartbreaking when they do. I'll be going to the funeral with my parents on Monday. Told DH the he didn't have to go and I wasn't taking the kids.
Otherwise life here is good and hot. Went out on our friends boat yesterday and DH go burnt. Just laughed at him and told that he should have put sunscreen on. Didn't have the kids so it was a nice relaxing time. Well have to go. Take care everyone!

 

[Dr HaHa]

Wasn't going to get back on here till the morn. TO I scrolled down your pic's and was looking for your harvest then did the reading and scrolled back. Chock it up to an experiment. Read about doing taters that way in Mother Earth News a few million years ago and was interested. Sorry it didn't pan out as hoped ! Or should I say barrel out. Those Kennebecs look delish though! WC is working for me right now Mitch but that could change. Nice progress on the coop! Your going to have some happy hens! Liked the new age hippy in the signature. Always glad to see/hear of people doin it right! Eh Bigz? By the way you do know that you are my hero. Doing things the way you do. I'm working on it. And Raimnel it's true I do love the man for what he does and how he does it. He walks a righteous path! So pay attention! It's all about details. Nanner peppers are soakin, L's marinara is chillin, cake is ready to come out of the oven and I've been counting our good fortune all day. WOW what a year!