Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[FrenchToast]

TO, we have the Firestone 10 ply on there right now. 265/75/16. They read out of the book it takes 245/75/16 which some do but on our door it does reccommend 265/75/16 and that is what we wil be using for a spare.
So two different guys reccommended the 10 ply with up pulling the trailer and bed of the truck filed with hay every two weeks and every two weeks carrying 1000 lbs of chcken food in the bed. Not to mention our trips to Menards with the bed LOADED with wood that it makes the bed sink !!! lol

Plus the said the 10 ply have deeper treads which are better on snow, rain and when we are driving in the muddy yard etc.

SO ???? Waiting to talk to Fleet Farm Manager and in the mean time will call POMPS tires in Rhinelander. I stopped at the Pomps in Antigo just as they were closing yesterday and it will cost about $800 plus tax.

My Roo is sitting in the PO right now in Crandon.

Ordered a shop vac and some cake pans and an inverter from FF for their free shipping offer on Black Friday. Got the box yesterday. The inverter is missing but was charged for it. The Dog treat were on backorer, weren't charged but came in a second box the same day. Was charged for them seperately on the bank statement BUT they Charged me DOUBLE for the SHOP VAC package that included the charge for the inverter that wasin't in the box. Grand Total of $60.88 billed TWICE !!!!! That is part of my TIRE money !!!!!!

Can't make any promises for sure but next Friday I'm going to Madison (for my rescheduled doc appointment) I could stop at TO's and pick up the fish (and see all her animules) and drop the fish off or meet up with you Cind.

Well, gonna let my fingers do the walking on the online yellow pages looking for tire places.

Talk later

 

[jvls1942]

good morning,, how do you spell a whistle souind ? that is what I did when I read $800.oo for tires.. I realize you are talking truck tires so then it is a normal price , I guess.. I am just glad I don't have a truck..

I made mental notes for comments while I read all the posts,, that was not the place to store them..

If adult chickens go into a water dish and can hop out easily , they will not get wet enough to make any difference.. just keep the water depth shallow , like 4 or 5 inches deep.. A rock in the water is OK in the summer outside.. but it is a real PITA to deal with in the coop in the winter.. the chickens will have it all shlt up and that will be one more heavy thing to have to clean..

Dave, put your heat source closer to the water.. do you have a fan on your heater ? direct it at the water.. the coop will warm up as a by-product..

If you give your chickens the choice of going out every day, they will.. turn off the heater during their outside time.. no sense in heating the whole outdoors..

Yesterday I put my heater on a switched recepticle just for the ease of shutting it off during the day.. Otherwise I was pulling the plug every day.. All you need is a plug, a short piece of 14gage wire, an outlet box, a box cover and a combination switch/recpt.. the combo switch/recpt cost about $7.5o at menards.. Very easy to wire it up.. just wire the plug and then run the wires to the silver screws on the switch/recpt.

mount the box to the wall and plug into your present recpt..

a couple of geese headed right for the nests this morning.. so mayby yesterday was just their day off.. I surely hope so, I don't look forward to searching for a nest..

Ken, what was your DD9 doing instead of checking on the W&F? For instance; If she was on a video game, then I would make a rule that no games until the chores are taken care of.. we all know how easily kids can be distracted and forget about real time..

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

 

[Angiebubs]

Jim: you mention a heater-do you heat your coop in the winter? (Sorry if I missed this earlier). I have a converted barn-and am opening the barn door each morning to let them out, then close it up when I get home at 6:30 pm. So far they seem to doing jsut fine. Im trying to figure out when the weather dips even lower, if I should install a lil pet door thingy and if so where to get one that is secure? If its that cold out-will they even want to go outside? Right now I have aprox 280 sq ft of coop space for 15 chickens...and they seem to run out for a few mins here and there but prefer hanging out inside?

 

[otonoh]

Thanks jim. I will try it. It is on a high shelf. I will try lowering the shelf a bit

 

[FrenchToast]

Jim I can hear your whistle now !!!!

Anyway for any horse owners that want a super good deal on Equimax a dewormer that also kills tapeworms go to: http://www.bigdweb.com/EQUIMAX-PASTE-WORMER-BUY-6-GET-1-FREE-PACKAGE/productinfo/5155_PRO/
They have Buy 6 tubes for $59.70 which brings the price down to $8.53 THEN use Coupon Code ESC22 to get another 10% off your entire order !!! They had problems with their cyber Monday sale or Black Friday sale so are offering the extra 10% for todays orders only. With the coupon it brings it down to $7.67 a tube !!

Free shipping if you spend $70. They also have the Fenbendazole liquid worme for Goats that people are using for chickens. Although it won't kill the tapeworm,

Just thought I would pass this along. I called and the Equimax dewormer is dated for May 2013.

I just ordered 14 tubes for all my guys. Tapeworms are a big thing here is WI and can cause terrible colic and blockage. I use Equimax twice a year.


Later

 

[jvls1942]

I'm still here, but I am getting hungry for b'fast..

It is always best to have your heat source as low as you can get it.. heat rises, so if your heat source is high to begin with, the floor will always be cold..

I have never heated my coop before.. this is just something I am trying this year.. I figure that the supplementary heat will let the chickens convert their feed to eggs rather than going to keeping them warm.. and mainly I want to keep the water from freezing.. which will also enhance the egg production..

when it is super cold, I think the chickens will stay inside of their own choosing.. when this happens, I will let the geese stay outside, as they seem to prefer, and keep only the chickens and guineas locked up.. I don't know what the peafowl are going to do.. or the turkeys, either.. we will play it by ear..

I did buy another heater for the guinea coop but I have not hooked it up yet.. after I get the one in the chicken coop perfected, I will tackle the other coop.. so far none of the waterers have frozen except the young turkeys' who are basically outside in a pen..

a pet type door will be ok during the day, but you should still have a secure door for at night to keep the critters from feasting.. I don't know if a chicken will use a pet door.. they are not the brightest bulb on the string..

 

[Terri O]

You are right on that Jim...made me laugh...nice Christmas Joke--not the brightest bulb on the string!

Yeah, the chickens wont figure it out but the racoons sure will!
I have to go into town for feed and I am procrastinating as usual! I am feeling better now that I had some lunch. THis morning I felt exhausted...even after eating some breakfast! (not a very good one) SO I made myself some scrambled eggs with cheese and tomato and a side of sauteed mushrooms, venison sausage and fresh spinach...needed something green I think. I guess I could hang the sheets out before going to town...I have a beef roast defrosting, maybe some parsley buttered reds and some glazed carrots to go along with it? Oh yeah--we have to have brussels sprouts too. Gotta eat those buggers up!

I think I will hang the Christmas bulbs and bows on the little mulberry bush by the drive today...they can join the silver bulbs still on from last year! It works really slick...when the leaves come on you cant see them anymore!
AACK! The hose was frozen today for the first time! Guess I gotta start dragging it into the pit for "warm-keeping" Didnt want to do it until there was snow on the ground...just heard the washer stop...guess I have to move now! Later all! Terri O

 

[Angiebubs]

Jiminwisc and Terri-O: So what exactly are these "pop doors" people refer to? Someone had suggested I put one of those into my barn door to help keep the barn door closed/warm? However, I have the same concerns-I don't want antoher area to worry about things getting INTO the coop when its secured at night?

 

[Hens and Roos]

thought I'd take a moment to jump on! Busy again this week, just finished getting a unit ready for today and will start working on another tomorrow......this one will take a bit longer- I should be use to seeing how others live but it still makes me shake my head in wonder.

As for the kids helping with chores, I figure that I will still have to go and check. DS(6) is a good helper when working with someone. DD(12) does a good job but needs help with carrying feed and full waters, DS(9) is more than able to complete the chores, gets side tracked easily or forgets what has to be looked at on a twice daily basis. I just kind of figure that I will be doing a final checking myself just to make sure, as it's my job

. As I tell my kids if we all work together to get chores done than we get done that much faster. We try not to yell at them but do remind them of what needs to be checked every time- especially the water! In fact I am heading out now to check on feed and water before it gets darker...

enjoy the rest of the day!

 

[jvls1942]

good afternoon, I adjusted the clutch pedal on the tractor.. have about one more adjustment left and then a new clutch will be required.. I just hope it makes it through this winter..

the Asplund tree trimmers brought a second load of wood Chips today.. I brought a good scoopful up and spread them in the chicken coop about 6 inches deep.. there were some pine needles in them,, sure makes the coop smell nice.. the guy said that they might have one more load for me,, and then tomorrow they were headed to Green Bay.. If any of you see the trucks in your area, stop and talk to the guys.. they are usuall looking for a place close by to dump the chips.. it takes awhile, but they do decompose and makes nice soil amendment..

I filled the metal 5 gal waterer and hung it in the chicken coop.. tonight will be a good test to see if the heater is set right to keep it from freezing.. I know the heater went on and off like it is supposed to, last night..

we got 3 goose eggs so far today.. they used the nests.. I am so happy that we don't have to go searching for a wild nest after all..

Angie, a pop door us just a small doorway for chickens.. about (12 inches wide) and (12 to 18 inches tall).. you can attach a door any way you want.. Mine is hinged on the top. some slide up and down or sideways..

I woke up before 3AM today,, went back to sleep, but I feel a nap coming on.. I think working out in the cold air makes you feel sleepy when you come into the warm house..

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