Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[babylady4]

I think my hand is going to be permanently clenched....

Annarie; the calls from AlpineRanch have chest feathers and they are starting to get the back feathers. The coloring is very different, sort of mallard with some grey/black tossed in. OH and I finally heard a quack! My big GIRL gave a good quack today; I am still thinking the one with the dark head is a male....

Brought out the babies and introduced them to the bigger ducks...... can we say mayhem??!!!!! Those two stinkers from Alpine were going after the babies like they were posessed! Cleared that up really fast by removing the babies!

I am going to get a run set-up tomorrow for the bigger ducks, put the dog crate in for shelter and have them enclosed in 1"x1" chicken wire covered with netting. Sound good or should I make changes?

Dr. H, take better care of yourself. What would we do without your daily banter!

 

[Sweetfolly]

Well, we had fun at the fair today (except when a bull got loose for a second and caused a little ruckus) - the poultry and rabbit shows are tomorrow (they're not set up to keep birds there for the duration of the fair, you just take them in for the day), so I'll take some pictures tomorrow if I see anything exciting.

Yep, babylady4, those Calls had to be a little over a week old when we got them, judging by how many feathers they have already. The color is definately Blue Fawn Pied (on my three at least) - it will look a little funky until their first molt when they're 2 or 3 months old. My poor little Puddles, he managed to scrape some duckling fuzz off his head a few weeks ago when he made a great escape from his brooder, and now I don't see any feathers coming in on his little bald spot at all!

I do still think that Puddles is a boy, and the other two (Sprinkles and Dewdrop!) are girls - they're not really quacking yet, but I can hear it just under their peeps, trying to come out. They both definately sound much different than my quiet, monotone little Puddles.

That run you're going to set up for them sounds great - pretty much exactly what I do for the growing ducks - I just whip something up with some steel fence posts, chicken wire, and flight netting. They're so messy and tear up the grass so bad that I want to be able to tear it down quick and move it to a fresh spot every week or so.

Older ducks can be MEAN to the little ones, can't they?! I had some little tiny Welsh Harlequins out in the yard earlier this year, and my bigger ducklings were trying to chase them down and get them through a fence that was separating them!

I got my Shepherd, Theo, listed on the German Shepherd Rescue Alliance of Wisconsin website, but no inquiries so far.

 

[Dr HaHa]

Good Morning Everyone! BL4 More like dailey blather. Gonna pay the price for going to bed early. Eyes popped open at 4. But slept like a rock. I should know better but had to give it a shot. I was out putting the kids to bed last night and I turned around and here was a skunk digging for grubs about 30 feet away. Went in the house and got a shotgun. I walked up on it and at 20 feet it saw me. Instead of turning and running it came straight at me didn't like that. Not a normal response, thinkin rabies or distemper. Tried to manuver for a head shot but that didn't happen so now the yard smells like skunk

The lady at L's work who's son I get my straw from wanted to give her a porcelin roo that was her favorite but she can't accept anything from the residents. She has quite a few in her room. So she gave it to me. It now adorns the top the of the TV. She really loves her chickens! So now I have 2 things that will remind me of her when she's gone. One on top of the tv and one in the pen. She wanted me to name one of the chicks Deet which is her nickname. Her love of chickens is passed on to the next generation. I went to let Bob in this morning and WOW it's humid out there also see there's puddles in the driveway. Never heard a thing last night. The doe is in the yard right now she came in yesterday afternoon to eat some salt/dirt and on her way out walked within 3 feet of Peaches when she was 15 feet away he reared up and flapped his wings she ingnored him and walked on by. He stood his ground. That is a possibility TO with more than one roo

Amyable When are you due? I used to tease prego friends about it's going to be a long hot summer. BL4 stretch that hand till you cry! Have to get the dishes out of the way then on to bread making.

 

[beckyschicks]

Hello everyone! TO- I have 4 roosters and only one is very protective. He takes his job seriously while the others take advantage of him. Maybe it just depends on the roo. I also have noticed the line up too. I always make them stop if I see it. Poor hen.
Amyable- Thanks it is very frustrating dealing with people sometimes. Maybe I shouldn't be so picky with who they go too, but it's my first time and I guess I'm alittle over protective. My MIL told me that the first time she sold any of her's that it was to a women that she thought was nice and when it was time to collect them, she took a sack out of the trunk and put the chickens in the sack and stuffed it back in the trunk. She said she was horrified. I don't know what I would do. But I do know that I would have taken the chicks back.

Maybe next year I souldn't have any chicks. That might be easier. I'm to soft hearted.
DrHa- Glad your better. I love how everyone gets worried about you. Take it as a compliment. I guess we all like you.
H&R-

So sorry. Losing a animal member is as hard as losing a human member sometimes. Heal fast!
Annarie- Talked to DH and he said maybe next year we could have ducks, but not this year. He says he is to busy with work and can't build me anything for them any time soon. So now I just have to plan what and where I want it for next year and also just drool over your guys pictures.

Fordmommy- Die squirrel! I greatly dislike them as well. Good luck with you TV!
BL4- congrats on finishing your tile job. Isn't it great when you can stand back and say I did it and it looks great!
I think I covered everyone. I am making coffee cake for breakfast and then DH and I are going to summerfest to listen to a band we like tonight. Should be a good day if the rain holds off. I got 3 eggs yesterday!!

Pretty sad that, that is exciting. I also seperated the boys, to give the girls a break for awhile. Looking to get rid of 3 of the boys and stick with just one for awhile. It's funny how the group changes when the boys are gone. I found out that my smallest hen is a brut! She is constantly putting everyone in their place. Well take care everyone and have a great day!

 

[Dr HaHa]

Still morning all! Letting the bread rise a little more but it's almost ready for the loaf pans.

Bec I would have done the same thing. I have no tolerance for people like that. Be picky!!!! I'll take it as a compliment but I don't know why? I'm just me and not everyone agrees with you! And I can understand why. But as I said I'm me. Thanks for being in my army! 3 eggs is way cool! I have pics of the first one and my first dozen would you like to see them? H&R it's a very hard thing to do! But you know it's for the best. So sorry though! Been there. I have a hickory nut tree in my yard that has dropped a seed in many years. The tree rats clean them off. I love animals as a whole but when they start takin possible additions to my pastries oowww that just gets me goin. I used to run em down with threats of death but gave up. Enjoy your band? Bec and DH! Bread to make.

 

[Sweetfolly]

Well, a skunk visited my duck pens last night too, Dr.H! I could smell it when I had the dogs out for their last walk, I checked on all the birds and everything was quiet, got up this morning and something had dug underneath the fence into one of the runs and found the last of that giant, nasty nest of Pekin eggs I must have missed! It left behind a few empty eggshells, and all of my birds are fine, thank goodness. You may need to practice your aim a little and then come visit here if it sticks around, Dr.H!

And then, I ran home from the fair this afternoon to check on all the critters, and ALL of my Dark Campbells were out of their run, wandering in the woods! While I was trying to catch them, I spooked one of the girls enough that she managed to fly over the fence into the Indian Runner pen, slip through a hole where the flight netting is torn, and my Runner drake got to her before I did - I know which one she is (white legband), so now if I want to ship any purebred Campbell eggs away in the next three weeks I have to separate her out of the Dark Campbell pen.

The Dark Campbells are all locked up inside now, because I cannot, for the life of me, figure out where they managed to slip out of their run.

On a happy note though, I got my financial aid award notice for school this fall in the mail today - I was awarded enough in grants alone to cover ALL of my tuition, with enough left over for textbooks and then some - it's almost twice the amount I got last year (I guess there's a new grant this year that I'm eligible for)!

 

[Terri O]

Great on the grant thing Annarie! Doesnt it feel good that you are paid and done? My oldest sure wishes she would have paid more attention to that...she is drowning in student loans right now!
Went to a gardener day today and made a garden fountain, a hypertufa trough and a leaf sand-caste to use as a birdbath. It was fun but really HOT! I have new respect for cement workers. When I got home a couple of the bricks were down from the tortoise wall and---you guessed it- Stuart is missing!!!!!!!!!!

It is starting to look like I am not meant to have tortoises! I love them so much but they hate to be indside so I put them out and they disappear. I am mad and very sad too. I have continued to look for Monty every day sice Memorial Day and now will have to look for Stuart too.
I do not feel very good today...I slept badly last night...the storm was a windy one and the tree kept hitting the side of the house. That and I was worried because (wouldnt you know it?) I had just put the little turkeys outside and I kept thinking about them! Geez--why do we do this to ourselves with pets and animals? They were all fine this morning so maybe they did go into the dog kennel. I cannot imagine that the duck on eggs let them come into the shed with her!
Well, I believe that I am going to go outside and sit in front of the barn fan....I am really hungry but I dont know what for...maybe eggs? Goodnight! TErri O

 

[WildWoodsWoman]

I'm feeling sooo out of the loop. Computer issues kept me offline for a few days and I've been crazy busy building new facilities for my flocks and gaggles. Lots of fun, but lots of work too.

Hope everyone is having a great summer so far!

 

[babylady4]

I am such a wacko. I spent a hour and a half building an outdoor pen for my 3 big ducks. Where do you think they are sleeping tonight?????







IN THE HOUSE.

Mamma duck here thought the big bad thunderstorms would be too much for them, and I want to get some sleep instead of worrying if they are ok all night long.....

What a weirdo......

 

[Dr HaHa]

Another good wet morning all! Holy cow did the cin/raisin bread turn out good! Ate half a pan of of the rolls already doesn't even need a glaze. WOW! BL4 how are you able to keep ducks and not chickens? Quieter? Shhh! TO sorry to hear about Stuart! Maybe he went to look for Monty kind of like a tortise bloodhound. AOOO! AOOO! Hope you hear him doing a tree'd howl! Think maybe some welded wire around their enclosure would help. annarie my aim was good but couldn't get a head shot it kept turning towards me and huntin me down. It was a young one and not very big. Buried the parts and pieces yesterday. Looked at the casing it was a high brass that my ex father in law loaded suspect it was a duck load shot through my turkey choke. Like I said pieces and parts. Looks like were in for a nice stretch of drier cooler weather. We could use it. Back in the woods tomorrow. Have to do a few dishes and then on to buns and rolls and clean the house. Hope everyone has a good day!