Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[BlackBrookPoultry]

Bantam favorelles have pipped! Hopefully I'll have a couple of chicks by morning. I'm going to have house chickens when my husband gets home from Colorado. I also set up a grow light for my pepper, tomato, lettuce, parsley, cilantro and basil plants. He'll be so pleased. LOL!

 

[Terri O]

You are too funny BBP! I think that is why my DH wanted to stop traveling...he never knew what he was going to find around here when he got back!
Congrats on the new Grandbaby Deb! She is adorable. Cant wait to see more pics!
FM--looks like you did quite a bit of dancing...yup--you can stop now! e have about an inch or so remaining from our snow showers this afternoon--plows went by twice. Maybe they were practicing for when there is really enough to plow?
hope you got enough rest today Jim. I am going to make a shelter with bales like you did too...I had some wet and miserable birds today.
Made meatloaf, mashed potatoes, squash, peas and bread for dinner. The bad thing is that when we went out to move vehicles the dog took down the loaf of bread (GF no less) and started eating it. There was not any to salvage either...the chickens got what was left. So I didnt get to taste my bread...it looked like it was a good recipe...maybe try it again tomorrow. I also made some GF choc chip cookies--YUK! Dry and crumbly--Carol and her DH liked them...she took the rest home!

So now I am heading to bed. Did a ton of work today with FL Bingo. I am really tired and I am sure I will sleep well...hopefully tomorrow will be sunny

according to the weather it wont be but I am keeping my fingers crossed. I cant take too many cloudy days without getting really crabby!
Sweet dreams everyone! Terri O

 

[bigzio]

Glad the snow storm is over. We ended up with close to 8" of the heavy wet stuff. One fatal crash just East of here with 3 dead and another taken to the hospital. May they RIP. Whole bunch of folks without power from the heavy snow breaking lines.

Congrats on the new grandbaby Deb. Cutie for sure.

Preparing for the broasted chicken dinner tomorrow. Suzie baked 5 pumpkin pies and 2 apple pies. We need prolly 75 pies to have enough to go around. Hope we have enough. Good thing the snowfall was today....woulda prolly hurt the turnout for sure.

I don't think you had bread for dinner T...the dog ate it, eh! Supper sounded good. We had tacos with home made tortillia shells. What a pig I've become 6 tacos later.

Be Safe.... bigz

 

[Cindlady]

Hi, going to start early tonight then pack up garbage for tomorrow.

KNA... Good luck on the little peepers!

DrH.... May your egg dreams come true!

FM... If you want to snow dance... do it for your own house ONLY!!! Some things we don't want you to share!

Deb...Congrats on the new grandbaby!!!! Love the description of the birth!

BBP... wish I could help out on the guineas but I need more room as it is

Congrats on the new peeps!

Well, today is going to be my picture day!
Remember thees kids?

And a few months ago when I asked what you thought they were? (hen or roo)

Look at them now!!

Pretty Boy

George

I'm trying to keep them fairly tame. I was not going to keep roos but ......

Of course pictures don't do them justice, you can't see the green and copper sheen on the black feathers. I was told the blue eggs they hatched from were Ameraucanas but what ever they are they turned out beautiful! Pretty Boy has so much color!

 

[Dr HaHa]

Good Morning All! We got about 4" here.

Congrats G'ma Deb! Cind wish I could see all the colors on those birds they look really cool! Bigz sounds like your busy with the supper food and dealing with 8" of wet stuff.

TO I found out yesterday that if I have a cuppa after lunch I get more done

really don't want to make a habit of that. BBP hope you have chicks this AM! I'm jellyous wish I had room in the house for a winter garden. Jim thanks for reminding me that you have 2 tractors, I feel better! Always nice to have options. Might head back to the woods today if I get that chain sharpened would really like to get that pile split. Then I think I might be done for the year. My dream didn't come true but Btwo gave me an egg yesterday.

She lays such huge eggs for a small bird. I'm really fighting the urge to put a heat lamp out there for them. And a heating pad for Peatwo

I watched several of them come to the run door and look out but that's as far as they went

As long as their in jail think I'll give them some fresh straw to occupy their tiny little brains.

 

[1purplehorse]

Thanks for the warm welcome!

I've found a nearby chicken lover, so am venturing out today to see her birds and her set up. I'm looking for ideas for a barn conversion that doesn't cost a mint. The snow is still here...not sure inch-wise what we got, but I'm not shoveling this time! Warm up and melt!

My 6 younger birds (an assortment- 2 RIR, black sex-link, easter egger, barred rock, and a half-breed surprise) have been in the coop now (separate, caged) for 5 days after a 12 day confinement when I brought them home. It seems the resident layers have accepted them. Can I just let them out to mingle with the layers? Will I need to worry about letting them outside?

I appreciate any helpful ideas.

 

[kristip]

Congrats Deb- beautiful grandbaby there! How fun.

BBP= what kind of grow light setup do you have? I am looking at what we can put together for my Xmas present from DH so i can get things started for spring. fingers crossed.

Cold day- kids loved teh little snow we got. Now I am bundling them up for school for first time- who wants to bet that the snow boots get left at school???

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

I have a Sun System New Wave T5 florescent fixture with blue spectrum bulbs that I will change to red later on. I also have a 400 watt HPS set up and a 1000 watt HPS with an electronic ballast. I have a nursery dealer license so I get all the stuff wholesale. I grew tomatoes and peppers, along with herbs with just the T5 last year but if my husband makes me move everything to the unheated utility room I will have to break out the hps. They create a lot of heat.

If anyone is interested in any grow supplies let me know. I can quote you a price and it can be drop shipped to your house. This includes fertilizers, hoods, ballasts, ph testers, mylar, pretty much anything related to growing plants. Here's a picture of what I set up on Tuesday. The plants are looking rough because I just had them in a window. They'll do better now that they're under a light. Also, this houses 4 bulbs. I only have 2 on in the picture. I just refuse to buy peppers from the store. They are the worst for synthetic pesticides and herbicides.

 

[Terri O]

Good morning! BBP that sounds like quite the set up! Can I send you some weed seeds so you can grow some tortoise food for me?

Weeds sure grow readily where you dont want them but just try and plant 'em! I had one of those plastic greenhouse table thingies a few years back and while it kept my houseplants gorgeous (and safe from the cats) the things I planted to sprout did not do well. I think our house gets way too cold at night for growing little plants.
Kris...Carol took some of my eggs for your hen last night. A pink, a white and a terracotta with spots! She said you only wanted 3?

What is wrong with you? You gotta push those hens to their hatching limit!

BigZ--I hate hearing about crashes on the road...always makes me feel so sorry for the people that are left. DD25s BF was killed in a crash. His best friend was driving; (of course they were under the influence) and DD didnt get over it for a couple of years--and that's not even family! Such a tragedy for sure.

What little snow we got yesterday is pretty much gone. Just a little stuck here and there. The leaves on the lawn sure were crispy underfoot last night! I have to get those squash in off the trampoline and pick some brussels sprouts too. I forgot about the hubbard on the vine so gotta get that in too!
The coop was really warm inside when I went out yesterday...I might have to open a corner of the window for more ventilation. Still hoping to be able to get leaves in there...maybe?

THe quail are liking the downstairs room a lot! I opened the kennel and hung another light and they are flitting all around chasing each other and having a general good time. The ones outside are a bit shivery so I guess I will bring them in too. I am getting only 7 eggs a day down there and there does seem to be a disproportionate amount of roos...quail for dinner?

I guess I better go outside and let everyone out and get them fed. I am working today taking a lady grocery shopping. Wish I had some $$$ to buy stuff at the store. Maybe she can pay me before we go shopping?

Have a fantastic day everyone! Terri O

ETA: forgot to comment about your birds Cind! I like that EE roo with the beard! I know what you mean about the iridescence not showing in the pics...I always try to get it too but it rarely shows up! I say keep the roos!

 

[Angiebubs]

First snow of the season! Funny watching the "girls" reaction to it this morning.....quick peck, head shake and ran back into the coop. Im sure it will melt off within the hour.

My 3 1/2 month old BR roo was definately crowing this morning (Originally thought it was a she)-so I kept telling "her" "Debbie" what a good girl LOL and she crowed a few more times. Do their crows "Man up" a lil as they get older? Sounded a lil sick towards the end of each crow LOL

1purplehorse: I converted part of our mini horse barn into a coop-so far it seems to be a good set up. Ran 2 x 4 fencing up the 2nd stall to the ceiling (partially covered in chicken wire as a 2nd barrier), created a door into it as well as the bard door out into the run (Inside is aproc 12 x 24). Fenced off a area aprox 25 x 35 for a run with bird netting over the top. Curious to see how the bird netting holds up with snow/for how long. This weekend, we are putting up plastic over the inside coop wall-that opens into the rest of the barn as an additional wind barrier.