Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[babylady4]

EL, a Mink weighs around 3 pounds, a Mink (Ermine) weighs about .5 lbs. That should clear it up for you.

Thank MxM, I am finally feeling better. I sound HORRIBLE but I feel much better. I might actually get back to doing my nightly walking/running again tomorrow night! (Knock on wood). Where did you find info about the s. attempt? I was trying to find a link online.

Made an attempt at fishing tonight, yeah that was a big waste of time. Too cold, windy, and crabby kids.

Boy my yard is SO much quieter! I forgot how quiet it is with only 4 ducks!

Say TO, any GF recipe suggestions? I thought I would make something for my BIL for Easter (I have no idea WHY I would want to since he has been an ***** to me lately). He was mopey about never getting to have bread again.

I found a recipe for overnight oatmeal on pinterest using steel cut oats. I love the steel cut variety but have stopped making them since they require such long cooking times. Well NO MORE! I love making them in the fridge overnight! It is a little bit of a different flavor but nothing you cannot get used to. It gets me out the door in the morning and is much healthier than adding a granola cereal to my yogurt and fruit in the morning.

1/4 c steel cut oats (I toasted mine for added flavor)
3/4 c vanilla yogurt
1/4 c milk
dash of salt (optional)

Mix together in a pint canning jar or a bowl you can cover. Let sit in the fridge overnight (at least 8 hours). Next morning add fruit and enjoy!

Now how easy is that!

 

[mazojoe]

Actually BigZ, I was passing through on my way to Wittenberg to meet with Jim and Frenchie for a bird/egg exchange. They are now on my list of people to tap when I do get out of town and need birds!

And apparently Monday is wash day in the Amish community. I love seeing all the different clothing put out to dry in such pretty pastel colors.

An hour lunch turned into a 3 hour lunch! All of you will need more than 3 days to get all of your chit-chat in at this rate!

Mazo, I would be a softy and let the critter go. Letting the babies possibly starve to death would bother me a whole lot more than that critter killing a bird for food. My fault for not protecting my birds from critters doing what they need to do to survive.
I take it you have a Fox?

Kids want to take a stab at fishing tonight so I better get moving and make something for dinner. Nice meeting up with you Frenchie and Jim! We have way too much fun!

Honestly and crazy as it sounds, I wish I had fox around here. Although there were a few a couple miles down the road towards a country developement, there are none around my place. Every night i can hear 3 different packs of Coyotes. ONE of the land owners that owns a lot of land around my house like to watch the coyotes and will not let you shoot or trap them, but when they start getting his renters calves that will be a different situation, I will be the first one down there. (my neighbors calves are not tied up in huts but allowed to range, part of the organic thing now).

 

[mazojoe]

I made it home just as Annie was leaving for work.. our timing today was like a military maneuver .. are you ready for this? FT was even on time..- I found out that Wittenberg is larger than I thought.

I was going to drag the garden when I got home,, but dang it, it is cold out.. I am what you would consider a woosie farmer..

I would be more inclined to release a mink before letting a weasel go.. prolly because I never had any problems with mink.. how would you know that an animal had young ? I am not about to flip one upside down and check for swollen teats..

Do the wild mink males help feed the young? I mean after they are older than nursing age ?

Now, I have had my java, Dan, nice roo..

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





Jim,
most animals you wouldnt be able to tell without some kind of check underneath. I was basing my question more on time of year and know that animals are having babies about now.

Mink on the other hand you may be able to tell because the female is just a little bigger than half the size of a male mink. Also mink are solitary animals, so I do not believe the males to be anywhere near the babies, in fact I think they may eat them if found.

 

[mazojoe]

How can you tell a mink vs weasel? I've looked at online pics and I think this thing could be either based on pics. So, how do you know?

weasels are much smaller than a mink, bout the size of a rat. Also weasels would just be coming out of there white winter phase and have a black tip on there tail. Based on the size of the pan underneath the animal, I'm guessing 3" x 6", a weasel would fit completely on that, and the animal in the pic does not.

I am going to try fresh fruit on my trapline next fall though for sure! lol

 

[jvls1942]

MazoJoe, could you please tell CC what an ermine is, and what it looks like ? she doesn't believe what I told her..

be careful what you wish for,, foxes can really raise heII with your chickens..

I forgot to ask Melissa , how long do Calls have to incubate ?

and everybody, Melissa has no trouble talking.. her voice was a little weak at first, but it got stronger as the hours flew by.. she is very competitive and with Frenchie there as competition for speech making, it was non-stop.. I merely had to sit back and listen..

tomorrow is egg setting day again.. the Call eggs will be going in .. Annie asked me if I still had room.. sure do,, if I run out of room in #1, I will start up bator #2........

 

[babylady4]

Call incubate for appx. 26 days. Stop turning on day 23-24.
If anyone would like info on Calls, our friends across the pond have a great site about them.

http://www.callducks.net/index.html


I talk a lot????? I seem to remember sitting back and watching you two battle it out more than me! Actually I think Frenchie had us both beat with the jaw flapping..... no biggie, I love to hear the stories!

Mazo I wondered if it was a Fox since I have seen a few hit on the roads lately. Frenchie has a bunch of extra roosters she can bring to you to feed to the coyotes..... or perhaps that would bring the Foxes.....

Picked up my White Elephant gift today!

 

[mazojoe]

MazoJoe, could you please tell CC what an ermine is, and what it looks like ? she doesn't believe what I told her..

be careful what you wish for,, foxes can really raise heII with your chickens..

I forgot to ask Melissa , how long do Calls have to incubate ?

and everybody, Melissa has no trouble talking.. her voice was a little weak at first, but it got stronger as the hours flew by.. she is very competitive and with Frenchie there as competition for speech making, it was non-stop.. I merely had to sit back and listen..

tomorrow is egg setting day again.. the Call eggs will be going in .. Annie asked me if I still had room.. sure do,, if I run out of room in #1, I will start up bator #2........

Ermine or short tail weasel is about this long ( im holding up my hands if you couldnt see) bout 6 to 9 inches long not including tail. During the winter they are white and brown during the summer. hope our stories are the same...Oh and we do have the long tail weasel in WI also

I can raise hell with some coyotes, and a fox is just a dumb coyote when it comes to trapping them!

 

[Celtic Chick]

Quote:

MazoJoe, could you please tell CC what an ermine is, and what it looks like ? she doesn't believe what I told her..

Hello? Me? What did I say now??????????

 

[mazojoe]

Call incubate for appx. 26 days. Stop turning on day 23-24.
If anyone would like info on Calls, our friends across the pond have a great site about them.

http://www.callducks.net/index.html


I talk a lot????? I seem to remember sitting back and watching you two battle it out more than me! Actually I think Frenchie had us both beat with the jaw flapping..... no biggie, I love to hear the stories!

Mazo I wondered if it was a Fox since I have seen a few hit on the roads lately. Frenchie has a bunch of extra roosters she can bring to you to feed to the coyotes..... or perhaps that would bring the Foxes.....

Picked up my White Elephant gift today!

The coyotes eat well around my house, not my chickens but a lot of carcasses. I think I need a gentleman rooster for my ladies, they seem a little lost or scattered without one. I lost my rooster to the road a couple of months ago and was just going to wait till some of my chickies grew up to be roosters, but not sure if I can wait that long. Everyone I send a e-mail to on craigslist doesn't respond or my email gets kicked back. I would like to see a pretty boy struttin through the yard.

 

[Cindlady]

Hi All,

Jodi... Young roos a clumsy...he's figure it out. Just make sure the girls have a place they can get away if they need to.

DrH... Yep It's been a couple o' days since I set mine, and still nothing!

Guess time goes real slow when your hatching!

Jack sure looks interesting, should be quite handsome when he grows up!

mxm... Good progress on the tractor... how are you going to move it around?

Bl4... No cooking with the oats? They just soften in the yogurt?

mazo... SOMEONE on this thread MIGHT have a Rooster or 2 or 3 or 5 you could have. LOL

I have 8 myself up for grabs! Just have to figure out how to get them to you!

Have to brag about supper tonight! I made the PERFECT 1/2 turkey on the grill!!!

It was golden and crispy on the outside, very moist and tender on the inside. Easy to pull off the bone without falling apart. It was seasoned perfect with just the right smokiness! Perfect! I sure hope the next one turns out that good! Home canned sweet potatoes, corn and crescent rolls to go with YUM!

My wayward guinea came home!

Yesterday I cleaned Storkey's brooder box. This afternoon when I looked she had pushed allot of the straw out (probably trying to go deeper but it spread instead) 6 of the 10 eggs got pushed out too.

I fixed the nest and made it so it shouldn't spread, and put the eggs back. I hope they weren't out too long. She seemed OK setting on them again. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

FT.... OK, it's after Fools day.... what's the secret/news???

Night All! (Maybe)