Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[WiscoChiko]

Thanks alot everyone, for the high fives on my coop! (Jay did an awesome job wish I could have been more helpful

Dr. Haha I try my brother, I try! Good to know there are other good people close by!
Oh yeah guess what???? I have have 4 chickens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have pics on my other thread, of my coops progress, will post pics of our finished product except for paint and our girls tomorrow!
Thank you for everyones input! I kinda jotted down what im doing(food, water ect) on that thread as well -any input is helpful!
Hey Beckyschicks you gotta check my other thread!
I'll get some garden pics up soon but its dying off quik. Oh the knowledge, stories and ideas we can share! After labor day weekend < my life will slow back down!!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=391883&p=2

Be good!! Mitch,,,,W.C. ,,,Wisco Mitch

 

[Dr HaHa]

Good Morning Everyone! Congrats Mitch on nearly finishing your coop and getting you first birds! Your life will be forever changed for the better. May your journey be a long and happy one! Thanks for the details Bigz! But still would like to know which tater makes the best fries. I've made my own chips many times and like to use cajun seasoning or chili powder on them. Sprinkled lightly right out of the canola oil. I slice them and soak the starch out too. They fry so much better! Was rearranging the canned goods last night and another lid came off a pint of relish begining to wonder if I forgot to wipe the lip or the lids weren't hot enough on that batch.

KAQ glad you chimed in it's been a while. Haven't read that yet but I saw on the news that Medford is trying to outlaw chickens in town. Hope the people fight and win. Have to go pick fresh veggies to send south with Laura this morning. She's going down for a long weekend with her fam. Taking her granddaughter to the fair. Looks like rain today so think it's going to be an inside the garage day. No eggs for the last 2 days and only 1 before that hope it's because of the heat. Mowed yesterday and the chickens ran all over the yard eating squito's!

Noticed that the cuc vines were starting to die. It's that time of year. Better get moving!

 

[babylady4]

Dang it! You beat me again! I should have checked here first instead of FB.........

Not much to report this AM except Sleeping Beauty is still sleeping!!!!

 

[beckyschicks]

Oh DrH I wanted to be first! Darn it! I was looking at WC other thread Had I just wrote I'd be first.
WC-That's nice, If you wait one of my cochin chicks will be ready in a month and you can have your pick. It will only be a chick but you'll get eggs from her in the spring. I like the coop too by the way.
Ok I gots to go! Have a spectacular day everyone!!

 

[Terri O]

Good morning! Had a fun day yesterday going to Milwaukee with my son. Met a friend for lunch (and free pie!

) and then took son to the campus to drop off the rest of his stuff. When he tried to open the hatch on the van he pulled it right out of the door! I guess he is too strong for my rust bucket! I guess I am going to have to cave and get something newer...then I visited with my Mom and Dad until 9 pm! Long day!

I dont have and polish pure chickens Carol...I have rarely sold any pullets--like to keep them for ME! But ya never know...Wisco--that coop looks neato!

So are you not using the shed part now? Where you work can you bring your own horse? I think I saw that Wild West sign when I was heading up to Castle Rock one time to camp with dd18 and our horses. Speaking of horses and camping...when are we going to meet Becky? Do you know when the benefit is for Southern Kettle? I hear they are raising money to put electricity in some of the sites. (great--now we could run a heater and a coffee pot if we wanted!) I really love to camp after the bugs are dead! We really should plan something before the winter. Heck---if anybody else wanted to come we could all have a second "mini chickenfest!" Oh Oh...now the wheels are beginning to turn! So many new folks to meet!

Guess what? Ya know how I have been waiting for puppies from the shelter I originally fostered with? Well, I got a call from them yesterday and they want me to take a JRT with 6+1! I hate to call them and tell them no--but my new agreement states that I cant foster from another organization while I have their dogs. Now I dont know what to do! I guess I have to call and tell them sorry...Maybe I can call my friend and she will take them! Yeah! That's a great idea!

OK--gotta get moving...I have really slacked on the canning this week...I have to get that Chard picked and at least do a few packages for the freezer! Later...have a great day! Terri O

 

[beckyschicks]

Slow day here. Everyone must be doing something productive.

Terri- We were just talking about camping and want to wait until the bugs are gone(or at least less) We were in the south kettles about a month ago and we couldn't even walk down the trails, bugs were so bad. The horses actually put up with it better then I did. I'll let you know, but we do tent it and it's only going to get colder at night.

Maybe next weekend? I'll have to talk to DH, see if he's up to it. Chances are he'll tell me we need to do stuff around the house,

cause we are going away this weekend. We'll see.
Well I suppose I should go do something productive too (like take a nap

)

 

[Hens and Roos]

Afternoon everyone, had to get the kids on the bus this am and headed into town to check out a unit and get it ready for the new tenants moving in today and be back home before DS(5) got off the bus from kindergarten-they have half days until Sept 10th. Good thing the unit only needed a little cleaning and I was home by 11 am! I like units that come back that way! Working on things around the house and paperwork-never ends

Looks like it wants to rain again

 

[Sweetfolly]

It's been a loooong two days.

The four surviving Runners are all okay today - I got up yesterday morning and they were right back where they had been the morning before, barely able to walk - sort of floppy, and drunk-looking. So, I repeated the process - 12 hours of purging with epsom salts, and then a really concentrated dose of electrolytes overnight. This morning, they're loud and obnoxious as usual, and they're walking around - a little wobbly, but they have good balance. The scariest thing is how much weight they've lost in just a few days of being sick! They're eating lots today though, so I think the worst is over. Never did figure out how they got sick - none of the other 40-odd birds are showing any symptoms, and these Runners have been in a raised-wire pen - I'd expect something like this to happen in one of the pens where the ducks are on the ground and there's a stagnant mud-puddle in the sun that they're mucking in all day, you know?

I'm just glad it seems to be over, and they hopped into the water to have a morning bath first thing! They look pretty rough - I think the electrolyte stuff I've been putting in the water affects the oil on their feathers, because their feathers look all ratty...but they're in good spirits!

BL4 - Well, ideally you want a Call that's really small and really round. While the really small ones make great show birds, they don't make good breeders - the really small females lay few eggs, the males are sometimes infertile, and their offspring have a terrible time hatching, you almost always have to help them out of the egg. You should take a look at this website - Dennis Fuller's Calls are probably the best in the Midwest, he wins Champoin Waterfowl at the Portage show every year with his White Calls like clockwork: http://www.wapsiwaterfowl.com/ I contacted him about buying some birds next spring, and for breeder/show quality...well, lets just say the prices were a little too steep for a college student working a really sporadic part-time job.

Raiquee - Eclipse plumage - every summer, male ducks molt out of their bright "nuptial" colors and get in a set of feathers almost identical to the female's for two months or so - that drab set of girly feathers they get during the summer after breeding season is their "eclipse" plumage.

Notice that, around this time of year, you hardly ever see any "male" mallards by the lakes and ponds - that's because they all look like girls right now!

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

look at what I found running around the farm, only 24hour old

13 babies

 

[bigzio]

Early Evening Everyone. Terri, I failed to address the canned spuds...nope nothing is like fresh, however if you use the canned spuds for specific dishes everyone will love them...if you peel and can your spuds whole in wide mouth jars it works great to then rinse them once opened and grate them for cheese potatoes....saves cooking time and everyone loves ours, and asks that we make them! I'll share the recepie if anyone cares.
Doc, we mostly prefer the red pontiacs, however the russets work well too! Some folks like Blatz, some like Bud, some German Beer....I like them all.

Jim offered his plucker to me to use. I told him that me and suzie decided to just get er done little by little. He is the best you know. Said he is going through 50lbs of feed a day...

He woke up the other day and Annie had a guinnea and Delaware roo already processed. Said he needs to get up earlier to save the flock....LOL!

Stay Happy... ~ bigzio