Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[bigzio]

Just came home from the feed mill....the layer is $9 a bag. I only picked up 4 bags cause that's all I can safely store without the mice getting into it. Hope I can rid the coops of the dang rascals.

Another cold day here. Prolly just as bad for you'all too.

Hanging close to the wood fire. Just feels like the right thing to do .

bigz

 

[BayBay Peepers]

Does anyone add things in or around the coop in winter time? The only thing I've done so far is put some straw under our snowmobile trailer so they had something to kick around and I try to toss out some extra food.

I'm not sure if the straw was a good move as my co-worker informed me that every time they used straw they would get rats. The only good part is I've never seen a rat in our area and they'd have to brave some pretty open spaces to reach the straw.

 

[bigzio]

Never heard of that before...they are freeloaders cashing in on spilled feed. Chickens are great at spilling feed...so the rats and mice take advantage of the good opportunity for a free meal.

Sad day here..one of my best friends lost his wife...I'm not liking this short end of the stick situation we are in....sure is nice knowing we have salvation," I believe ".... It's so sad, I love them both so dearly... Life is short...enjoy every day.

bigz

 

[jvls1942]

good afternoon,, at least time wise it is.. it sure is getting dark early..

I spent a good deal of time in the shop.. got a lot accomplished .. now I am paying for it..
I don't know how to spell sciatica for sure, but my back sure has it ..

kitchen drain is frozen,, I told Annie to leave the door under the sink open and maybe that will prevent it in the future .. In the mean time I will take the heat gun and thaw out the elbow where it always freezes.. but never froze this early in the season before.. maybe once or twice in January is normal.. going to be a long winter for sure..

how would you like to be in that town up New York way ? 70 inches of snow before this storm is done,, and then another foot about a day later ?? don't bother shoveling, where could you throw it ?

Sorry to read about your friend's wife Brent..

straw does not draw rats,, food draws rats..and mice..

I found 3 mice in the feed barrel the other day.. I tossed them to the dogs.. they all got away..

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

 

[chikenscratch]

Jim-can you imagine how cold February will be if we are getting February weather now??? Yikes! I can't even imagine. The Pike River is frozen over in parts and Lake Michigan is cooling at an extremely rapid rate.

Chickens have reduced their laying due to cold temps I'm assuming. I better up the lighting cycle out their to accommodate the new light hours (or lack there of). I also need to get a bunch of straw into the coop and Theo's house. If it's gonna be a very cold winter they are all gonna need any help to stay warm that they can get!

 

[delisha]

Jim-can you imagine how cold February will be if we are getting February weather now??? Yikes! I can't even imagine. The Pike River is frozen over in parts and Lake Michigan is cooling at an extremely rapid rate.

Chickens have reduced their laying due to cold temps I'm assuming. I better up the lighting cycle out their to accommodate the new light hours (or lack there of). I also need to get a bunch of straw into the coop and Theo's house. If it's gonna be a very cold winter they are all gonna need any help to stay warm that they can get!

I am not looking forward to this winter. February and March will be brutal. I just picked up two more bales of straw to help..it is coming in wicked. I wish I would have covered the north sides of the coops with insulation or at least plastic. Brrrrrr..It is hard to get going in the morning. I feel like an ole cripple till I get going.

 

[chikenscratch]

Vic-where are you getting your straw?

 

[BayBay Peepers]

Sorry to hear about your friends wife.


I am relieved about the rats and straw. There's no food in the straw and what I do pass around for them gets eaten before nightfall so we got that going for us. I do keep a feed block several yards away under a tree. I'm sure there's mice around there and I see rabbit tracks, but neither of those bother me as much as the idea of big, ugly, wild rats.

 

[Hens and Roos]

Never heard of that before...they are freeloaders cashing in on spilled feed. Chickens are great at spilling feed...so the rats and mice take advantage of the good opportunity for a free meal.

Sad day here..one of my best friends lost his wife...I'm not liking this short end of the stick situation we are in....sure is nice knowing we have salvation," I believe ".... It's so sad, I love them both so dearly... Life is short...enjoy every day.

bigz

Sorry to hear about this

 

[babylady4]

BigZ,

I use straw to block the wind for the ducks. They are in an elevated pen so I build up a straw wall on the North and NW sides. Never had an issue with vermin.

Cuties, do you have a female call you would want to part with or trade a male for? The baby that hatched out this spring is a boy, and having two drakes and one hen is NOT a good idea come this spring.Those two boneheads will be fighting constantly.......

Nothing new to report here.