Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[tiki244]

Where am I? Where are you! Where IS everybody?

 

[Terri O]

Good evening! I just got my pickles processed! Yeah...they are not staring at me any more. I got 6 quarts and I had some spears left so I quickly looked up a recipe for refrigerator dills and had the PERFECT amount for the jar I had!

Gotta love it when it works out like that...too bad I dont know where the lid is! By the time we start eating them I hope to find it.

It will be interesting to compare the taste of the pickles when they are ready.

I had a crossbeak in one of my Blue Ameraucanas. It lived for about 2 months and the beak continued to get worse daily. The weird thing was that I never noticed it until someone called and said one of theirs developed a cross. I went to take a look at my chicks from the same hatch and sure enough, I could see it starting! I think it would have lived longer had I not moved it into a pen where the food wasnt as deep. It was already smaller than the rest. I will have to ask my friend if hers is still living. I will say though, it is easier to put them down the smaller they are....

An ambulance just cruised by...I always say a prayer when I see one speeding along; for the people helping and for the people getting help!

DD just came down and we are going to catch up on Breaking Bad. (finally!)
Have a great night! Terri O

 

[babylady4]

One of the EE's I hatched out had a very mild crossbeak; she is still kicking as far as I know...

THIS is what I was doing this afternoon....



The clambake was a success!!!! Oysters on the half shell, littleneck clams, and LOTS of Lobster! Of course there was corn and potatoes, and cheesecake for dessert. Unfortunately for me, I was unable to eat any of the seafood

due to my supposed allergies.... Overall it was a terrific event, and a wonderful fundraiser for the Theater. I even managed to get a few fantastic photos.

Pretty pooped out, I was running all day before the event and really did not rest or eat much all day.

Later all!

 

[ElaineS585]

Hi, everyone.
Not much new here, made some bread and butter pickles and have 2 gal. of spicy garlic dill pickles fermenting. It's fun! I've also made two types of pickled eggs for the first time, one a garlic recipe and one with sweet spices, both w/onions and beets. They're pretty wild!

Anyhow, the reason for this note is to mention to BabyLady4, et al, an article I just read in Backyard Poultry Dec 2011/Jan 2012, p. 24, "One Dozen Tips to Legalize Chickens in Your Community. (I got the mag from the library.) Maybe there's a tip or two here that will be helpful, at the very least it should make you feel good about your efforts so far and to know that others have had to go through similar roadblocks and succeeded. It's a 3 page article, but here are the highlights:
1) Don't assume it will be quick and plan to work closely with those who will be framing the proposal.
2) Your chances are greatly improved if you have supporters inside the system
3) Make contact with media early and not just the news staff. -- be sure to court the editorial boards.
4) If opponents have a valid concern, address is -- don't ignore it or engage in personal attacks.
5) As part of your reasonableness be willing to compromise.
6) Find every ally you can.
7) Get names and contact info for everyone that attends a meeting, they have already proven they are willing to leave home to support chickens.
8) Whether or not you own a computer, find at least one supporter who is computer savvy and use the Internet to your advantage.
9) All politics is local, so collect whatever geographic data you can about your supporter.
10) In every organization and every neighborhood there is at least one person, and usually more, favorably disposed to backyard chickens. Your job is to find them and learn how to call on them when they are needed.
11) There are people in your community who will benefit financially if backyard chickens are legalized. Secure their support.
12) Having a few gorgeous, mellow hens that can go to neighborhood meetings is a great idea.

Have a good one!
Elaine

 

[Celtic Chick]

Finally got caught up on the last 5 pages, now CRS!

I do remember somebody having quite the dirty mind, though. Gee, wonder who that was?

Tiki, I guess we were all out enjoying the beautiful weather today.

DH & I did get a lot accomplished today, thanks to the lovely break in the heat. I didn't get the coop cleaned out, though. I should be going to bed so I can do it early. I did have the 4 youngsters locked out of their area so they could mingle with the rest of the flock, but the adults spent the entire day outside enjoying the cool breezes while the kids hung out in the carport. Oh well. There is always tomorrow.

Another Moosette decided to go broody on me. Geez! I've been waiting forever for a broody, now they're coming out of the woodwork. I did get 11 eggs out of 13 hens the past 2 days in a row, though, so I guess I can't complain too much.

Oh yeah, I remember Jim picking on me again. So

I'm feeding the fur balls & headed to bed. Sweey dreams, all!

 

[Cindlady]

Hi All!
Taking a break from cleaning the mouse cr@p out of my cupboards!

Going to try the dryer sheets this time, heard they should keep them out. Cornstarch tracks all over my spices!

The cats try, but in the cabinets they just can't get 'em.

vicki... hope you can get those combs cleared up!

Jim... Hope your mom was a bit better today. Try to keep some money in your pocket after poker... you have LOTS of mouths to feed!

tiki.... neat about your X prize roo!

Gaelio....I have a cross beak roo that looks worse than that. I just trim him once a month or so, he's over a year old now. I won't breed him, but he dose watch after a few of the "lower order" girls which is nice. Lately he's taken to fallowing me around the coop. So I guess it depends on how bad you want him.

BigZ... Old Fashions used to be my drink of choice... as long as they aren't too sweet.

Bl4.... That looks awesome! wish I could have come! How much did they charge?

I'm working on converting part of the feed storage area of the coop to a small mini coop. I'll put the 4 roos I'm going to keep there. Then I'll have the small coop area open for anything else I need... maybe. That's the plan for now anyway.

Water heater went out out again... maybe the thermocouple?

Well, back to the mouse cr@p

.... night all!

 

[Dr HaHa]

Beautiful Morning Everybody! 46* here. Almost makes me want to cut wood, almost. Cind that sounds like a good possibility on the heater. Hope it works! Jim I agree with everyone your a good son! Vic was just thinking the other day about spicy dills then remembered I have a hot fridge pickle recipe. I'm with you on the swimming thing where the heck do they draw the line at things being a sport? If physical activity and skill are the only requisites then I say tree felling, weed eating, and gardening be a sport.

DrH just grabbed the gold in weeding for the US!

Bl4 Man that looks good!

TO DO NOT MAKE ANY CUTS IN THE CUKES UNTIL YOUR READY TO PUT IN JARS! Think saran wrap and a rubber band for your lidless jar would work. Bigz we had a great supper too. Taters with onions, grn pepper, and spices in foil on the grill and rib steaks to wash them down.

tiki cool about your roo!!!!! Busted butt yesterday and planning more of the same today. Drug the 2 broodies out yesterday and they both took turns tearing up the same patch of irritating ground. It was hilarious! Ah chicken humor!

 

[jvls1942]

good AM, Yeah,,, nice and cool out there .. I was going to sit on the deck and have my cuppa.. But it was too COLD !! I'm dressed for 80* not 40*.. and the chairs are those old metal ones with the bent frames.. Brrrrr

I made it to both places for cards yesterday.. both places kicked my @ss..

Cross beak is a muscle thing.. I would imagine that if you pinched the beak a LITTLE each day, like braces on teeth, the beak might straighten some..?? I never had the problem on a chicken, but did on a duck.. I sold the duck, so I don't know how it turned out.. I never treated the duck..

I have a hot lead on a male Maremma . we are going to skip when Dora comes in heat this month. the next time she is due is in Feb./13..

I am going to work on jug #5 today.. Annie picked the berries yesterday.. I fed the leftover Rhubarb wine to the company yesterday.. Nobody guessed what kind it was..

have some google searching to do..

bbl...........jimintimbuctu.........

 

[Terri O]

Good (dare I say chilly) morning? Felt really nice to sleep UNDER the quilt last night. The pig roast went well...I brought the ears home for my dogs; they were eaten in seconds!
Elaine--that was really nice of you to post that! Glad to see that you are keeping up with us even though you dont post much. I will have to make another trip to your place next spring...with the drought we had earlier many of the plants I got from you expired.

I think the pampas grass survived--at least some of it, and that interesting spotted plant. Even the thyme dried out...but I never seem to have too much luck with it anyhow. THe oregano is good!

DrH I could just see Olympics featuring your events! Maybe I would watch it more then. Might be kind of boring watching someone's garden growing...but it could be like a series and it would be on once a week instead of on every channel, every day, all day and night!
Too funny about your broodies...I can see you watching them and laughing--it makes them all the madder ya know!
Maybe that was the problem with my pickles last year! I had trimmed off the flower end before soaking...maybe they took up too much water? We will see what happens this year I guess. My own plants are starting to fruit now so there are many more to make I am sure! The peppers that everyone has had such good luck with are doing not much in my garden. One nice one per plant it looks like...

Vicki on the blue comb thing...is it over the whole comb? I have some on a few of my birds (Tommy included) but I was figuring it was related to their hearts and circulation. It seems like when he is stressed or too hot his comb goes more blue. CHickens are odd arent they?

Well I am having much difficulty typing today...my fingers must not have gottten their quota of coffee yet! I need to go to work anyhow...have a great day everyone!
Terri O
(PS) I hope you get back from Timbuktu soon Jim!

 

[vickiw]

Morning everyone!

beautiful cool morning here too! I just love high 40's in the morning

Strange start already. Just sat down to check in with you folks and the dog starts going crazy at the back screen door. I go to check thinking she's seeing the turkeys again and there is my gentle little kitty sitting there staring at a a tiny sparrow on the porch floor in front of the door surrounded by a a lot of feathers! Poor little bird! Have no idea what happened, seriously doubt my "if I had to hunt for my dinner I'd starve" kitty caught it. Maybe she brought it to me?

Wouldn't be the first time she brought me an injured critter.

Yes, I have a "Dr. Doolittle" cat.

Ok, scooped it up, took it out to my little workshop and made a "nest" to put it in and then covered it so it was in the dark and left it to either recover from the shock or pass in peace. The crazy way things happen around here it's a good thing I did a stint as a vet tech in my younger days!

Speaking of strange things, that reminds me. Some of you may remember the story I told of my trouble maker chicken, Crockpot, getting out of the run, somehow then getting out of the garden fence and coming and getting me so I could open the pop hole so they could get back in the coop to lay their morning eggs? I still have NO idea how she got out of the run, let alone the garden but she has not gotten out again even on days when I have not been able to let them out to play in the garden, which they get really upset about!

This place gets waaayyy too strange sometimes

Did we choose to move here? OR, were we summoned?????

Hmmmmmmmmm. Definitely need more coffee now

And the wierd goes on~ neighbors came over yesterday to share in the garden bounty (they love my cricket bat zucchini's) and she tells me she has a crazy broody duck. She just hatched a couple little quackers, kicks them out of the nest, climbs up in the hay mound where she immediately takes over a clutch of chicken eggs! She's decided to let the crazy duck sit and see what happens. (Tried to get her to give Broody Butt some of her eggs to sit on a few weeks ago and she said she didn't want to fool with chicks). Told her she'd better keep a close eye because if they hatch the crazy duck is going to take them to water!

. Told her I am no longer getting new girls right now after all and she said, "I have no idea what these will be but if they hatch...............saw that one coming. Looks like if my girls pull thru whatever this is I may be adding to the flock after all. Baby chicks in September.
Poor city boy hubby has no clue

.

I think I had better get outside and check on the little sparrow now and make sure Dr Who's Call Box hasn't landed in my pumpkin patch!!!!