Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[jvls1942]

good morning, it's 5 AM< where is everybody ? I have been up for over an hour.. whenever I get to bed before midnight, I wake up really early.. hence, here I am ..

Cind, 5 gallons of water weighs roughly 40 pounds.. I don't think a rock would do much to help..

If they continue to push the waterer off, I think I will build a surround of some sort ..

UnkaDan, weatherman says it is minus -20 F up there by you.. are you having any hot flashes ?

tonight will be a good test for the waterer heaters, eh ?

yesterday I picked up 6 eggs.. then I dropped the small pail and broke 4 of them.. I stepped on the cracked ones and let the chickens clean them up.. then in the afternoon, I picked up 7 more eggs.. that is a record 13 high from a previous 8 high.. I hope it continues to rise .. we are pushing 50% ..

that Barock rooster that I just started playing with a couple of days ago jumped off the roost and came right over to me today.. I am going to try to teach him to fly up onto my shoulder.. I will need some treats for him.. I first will have to find out what he likes.. I am not going to buy worms..

......jiminwiscwaitingfordaylighttogooutandcheckthewater............

 

[unkadan]

Brrrrrr

 

[mxmarg]

Hi guys! It's been about a million years! Jim yr at post #6000!

Have been thinking about everyone and their chickens in this weather.

Speaking of waterers, Jim, I just discovered an iceberg under my heated waterer.... looks like water has been leaking from the plug underneath. The plug that remained in the ice when I took the waterer off its hook to refill it. Feh. Sorry Chickies. Looks like a trip to Farm and Barn is the order of the morning. that and coffee.

Hope everyone is warm... later!

 

[jvls1942]

mxmarg, a few pages back from this one I posted pictures of a simple heated base to set a waterer on...

last night it was about minus -15 F .. none of the water in either of the two coops froze..

IDK how that base would work with an open pail or pan of water , though..

I just made the heaters a couple of days ago and I am still testing them out..

someone suggested to me that I should put two 40W light bulbs in the heater base.. that way, if one bulb burns out, there will be a back-up one..
that sounded like a good idea, but I am going to run with what I have for now.. how often does a light bulb burn out ?.. yeah UnkaDan,, I know, "just once"..

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

 

[Terri O]

mxmarg, a few pages back from this one I posted pictures of a simple heated base to set a waterer on...

last night it was about minus -15 F .. none of the water in either of the two coops froze..

IDK how that base would work with an open pail or pan of water , though..

I just made the heaters a couple of days ago and I am still testing them out..

someone suggested to me that I should put two 40W light bulbs in the heater base.. that way, if one bulb burns out, there will be a back-up one..
that sounded like a good idea, but I am going to run with what I have for now.. how often does a light bulb burn out ?.. yeah UnkaDan,, I know, "just once"..

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

Funny you should talk about light bulbs Jim...mine in my cookie tin waterer burned out yesterday. Lasted about a month. Is anyone else finding out that the bulbs now dont last too long at all? I think they are making them cheaper on purpose so people start buying those swirly fluorescent ones! DH says that they REALLY are going to stop making incandescent ones January first--think it's true this time? What will we put in out water heaters then?

Deli--I sure hope Casha is doing better today! Poor little girl. Our Liza is on steroids right now--the vet thinks she is having an autoimune response in her blood or something. She is very anemic. The blood test last week showed she is heading in the right direction but it hasnt changed how she is acting at all. We were thinking the same thing, that she had had a stroke because she was so wobbly in the rear end. It's so hard when our pets get old isnt it?
Speaking of dogs...how is Dora doing Jim? When I was there I think you said she was nearly back to normal? Is she 100% by now?

Well I suppose I need to brave the elements...BBRRRR is all I can say. It was -1 on the porch at 9AM. I dont know how cold it got last night, the neighbor thought -3.
Have a good one and stay warm! TErriO

 

[jvls1942]

Terri, Dora is greatly improved, but not 100% yet.. she is still stiff in the joints, especially her hips.. but she is eating well,, and begging for treats quite often.. and she begs to go outside a few times a day and once more just before bedtime.. when she comes back in she is all smiley and her tail is all wound up..

I just mentioned to another friend about the light bulbs.. they just don't seem to last very long.. the one I put in the guinea water heater lasted less than a day .. I think they are made in china, really..

I think we are finally above zero.. we got 13 eggs yesterday,, I suppose today will be half that.. that is how it usually goes..

........jiminwiscchoresaredonehavetogogetmorelayercrumbles.........

 

[delisha]

I was pretty excited when Casha did her business late last night.

Who would think excitement over a dog pooping? I celebrated since I used that as a determining factor in putting her down today. Joe stayed home to take her in for me. She is very wobbly and walks in circles on three legs..pitta full really if you think about it and so sad for me to watch. As long as she is eating and pooping and improving with manageable pain I guess I can deal with it.

Chickens are doing well and the ones who lay threw the winter are laying. I might have to jack up my winter layers next year. Maybe two more pullets I need to keep next year. AM's are not very good winter layers and Marans are not the best either. I really need a quality male AM next year. Anyone have one?

 

[mxmarg]

Hi Delisha, So sorry to hear about your doggie.

Folks, what chickies seem to lay eggs well in the winter?

Jim, checked out your water heater, neat-o! The nearby Farm & Fleet and Tractor Supply were out of water heaters. I was in the middle of jury rigging something when the hugsband decided to try and fix the seal on the old waterer. We'll see!

What a nice welcome Terri girl! Hope things are well at the farm! If you have a supply of eggs and want to sell any let me know! Oh sure, let me get a swimming pool of coffee and I'll get started reading the 2000 pages I missed!

 

[irishrovr]

I was pretty excited when Casha did her business late last night.

Who would think excitement over a dog pooping? I celebrated since I used that as a determining factor in putting her down today. Joe stayed home to take her in for me. She is very wobbly and walks in circles on three legs..pitta full really if you think about it and so sad for me to watch. As long as she is eating and pooping and improving with manageable pain I guess I can deal with it.

Chickens are doing well and the ones who lay threw the winter are laying. I might have to jack up my winter layers next year. Maybe two more pullets I need to keep next year. AM's are not very good winter layers and Marans are not the best either. I really need a quality male AM next year. Anyone have one?

Excrement excitement! We who have children and critters all have it every now and then! Nice job Casha!

 

[RBerryChicks]

I'm normally not interested but it's -20º wind chill again,,,,you gals wanna tell some more hot flash stories?

delisha: Casha is lucky to have you . . . very tough decision

They had a pile of pants only in my size for 5 bucks each so, I scored 3 pair and some ear warmers that go over a ball cap. All for less than 20.

speaking of ballroom. when I need more, My wife has to buy a bigger purse.

You and Connie did well, love those deals. Let's see . . . a deal on "ballroom" jeans, you picked up "ear" warmers to go over your "ball" cap . . . ok picking the mind up out of the gutter now.

babylady4: Meet up at Cluck was fun - we may do it again in Feb or March so if you happen to be down in the area - there's room at the table for you. Great job with the Springer !!

chickenscratch: you're not alone, we gave up on the game too. But you see I'm convinced that is why they won. When ever we tune in they seem to do badly. So from here on out, I'm taking one for the team on not watching