Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[BlackBrookPoultry]

Kim - great! we were going to raise pigs next year because I thought that was the one thing I could raise, have butchered and not want to puke when I ate it. Now with what you said and someone the other day saying "pigs are so fun" I'm not sure I'll be able to do it.

Jim - I get mine processed a Koenings in Clear Lake. Its $2.50 for broilers, $3.50 for heritage breed and freedom rangers. An additional $1.00 for them to be cut into 6 pieces, $1.50 for 8 pc. They only cut up the broilers though. Apparently the bones are too "hard" in the other breeds. I got mine back today and they weighed in at about 4 lbs. Not too bad for young cockerels. I held back my silkie mix just because I refuse to eat a chicken with black skin. Plus, I'd know who I was eating and I would picture his puffy little face as I chewed on his flesh. Had to pass on that one. He gets along with my main rooster just fine so he can stay till I find him a home. I have a mottled lavender in with my cochin roo and tried to put him in the butchered bunch but he was so thin yet. So he stays too. I just had them kill the 3 bantam cochins I brought in. I told them to throw them. They didn't charge me anything for it.

 

[vickiw]

HO HO HO ~ whoopie we have snow, sigh. Well, at least so far it's just the fine stuff. Wish the wind would lay down, I'm getting tired of chasing things all over the property. If they make it to the field they are staying there til tomorrow, just hope whatever blows out there won't be covered in snow. Chookies coping well so far. Have to go lock them in soon. Not heating tonight but might plug in the waterer for tomorrow night as it is supposed to get REALLY cold up here then. Oh well, house is all warm from the roast I made for supper and about to make my poor hubby a batch of brownies. Silly boy went out with a sickle early in the week and decided to attack the sweetfern and screwed his back up and finally gave in to the pain and has been on the heating pad for the past 3 days. Giving him the weekend and if he's not 100% he's going to the doctor!!! Men.

Well, got to go see if any of my girls got blown away. snuggle in everyone!!!

I'm baaaack, wow is that wind cold! The coop is well insulated but didn't get much sun to warm it today so when I just went out to lock the girls in they were all already up on the roost and puffed up so round they looked like a line of black bowling balls and one little white lump trying to wiggle under momma's wing

.................................vickiinhersnuggieswithhercoffee.....................................

 

[bigzio]

Windy Fish Fry Friday To All....no hunting today due the the relentless strong winds. Don't need to fall out of a tree again. Once was enough to cure me LOL!

Tonight it's surf and turf....baked talipia in butter, seasoned with parsley and dill weed and a sprinkle of old bay blackened seasoning, baked to perfection. The surf is venzun meatloaf topped with provolone cheese, onions, green peppers and tomatoes, with a baked potato and fresh sweet corn....Old fashoned for wash. Sounds wierd maybe....but heaven on a big plate and a big glass!

Time to start a fire in the fireplace. Only thing missing is Friday Night Football...prolly have to watch sharktank and my favorite show...Blue Bloods. The real McCoys is on now...gotta love that show.

Later...bigz

 

[otonoh]

Evening all. Chilly evening. I plugged in the ladies heater, I think their water will be fine tonight. no snow yet and hopefully not for 2 months, The boys and i were planning for a hike on Rib Mountain but with the wind, I wonder how many leaves will be left. We went to Eau Claire Dells, and it was beautiful. This winter, I plan on doing major research on Bantys mixing with full size chickens.
I found good homes for the ladies. I know that in this group, they will be taken care of until it is their time for the table. I will miss them but not the 5:00am morning chores.
stay warm

David

 

[Terri O]

Good evening all! Interesting day here...I went to work and had to stay longer because my client's wife didnt get back at the right time! So then I went to town to put $$ in the bank, go to the mill and head off to Milw. I visited with my Mom and Dad and picked up 200# of potatoes from them! I had my Dad get them from the potato guy near their cottage. I get them every fall...I am wondering how many pounds I will get from my garden? I have 3 16' rows to dig yet...I am hoping I can keep these OK in the back hall of the basement for a while....until it freezes that is. Hey Vicki--how about you keep that chilly air up there for a while yet? (please?)

The bird with the chicks will be fine as long as she can get somewhere out of the wind. My super Mom raised all 15 or her chicks in the barn in that coldest January a few years back. I sure didnt see them much, but they were some of the healthiest chicks I have ever seen! They should be fine!

I invited another person to join us here...she has 3 silkie roos to rehome. She told me that 2 are show quality and 1 blue has bars so he's not? Anyhow...I hope she does come on here...I will do more talking if we end up riding together on Sunday....

Tomorrow we are riding at Palmyra/Eagle on the obstacle course. One thing I will say is that I certainly have gotten my use of my Bridle tag this year! There have been years that I have used it 2x...this year has been the exception for sure! I might be wearing my coveralls though...I hope it's not too chilly!

I hope your Tat turns out like you want it Kim. I had a girl that used one of my horses one year for 4H whose Mom was a tattoo artist. Cant say I am a fan, but some of them are sure cool looking. I always wondered if she was going to tattoo her own daughter when she turned 18-or before?

When I went out to feed today Commander was SHIVERING! I told him he better grow some balls cause it was going to get a lot colder! I sure dont want to blanket him now...he needs to grow a winter coat. A thoroughbred we had never grew a really good coat and did the same thing for the first winter we had him. He got better over the years but it sure is hard to watch an animal shivering when you could put a blanket on them to stop it....I have been giving him some of the Senior feed that I got from MLHs DH. He LOVES it! He is not a senior horse yet (he is 10) but I figured that the beet pulp and extra fat will help him get a bit fatter for the winter. I have been giving a few handfuls to my Rocky too. He is known to drop quite a bit of weight in the winter also.

OK--I guess I am done rambling ...maybe someone else will have posted something I can reply to by now....
TerriOwonderingwhyDHhastheballgameonwhenheisplayingEuchre

 

[babylady4]

What a day!

I get to work (on time for once!) and about 45 min after I get there (my boss wanted me to finish my coffee) I get the surprise of having been chosen for a random drug test! YAY. So, jump in the car, drive to the clinic, register, sit in the waiting room..... blah blah blah glad I was getting paid for this. Since I was out I stopped and picked up dog food so I could save myself the trip later this evening. Total time gone from work was a little over an hour. A nice break in the day! Now all I need to do is pass the test.....

Since we have the outlet mall right up the road, I popped in there tonight and picked up a few items from the Under Armour shop (ouch), then headed over to the Nike store and bought my very FIRST pair of Nike's. I really NEED to get off my rapidly expanding derriere and get back to doing my run/walk 'thing'. I am signing up for swimming lessons in a week or so.... I need to work on my swimming so I can do the Triathlon I promised my friend I would do with her. Not a full Tri (I am not completely loco), just a short course. I think I can manage a 1/4 mile swim, a 12 mile bike ride and a 5K run. A good goal to have and something to scratch off the Bucket List.

Since I need to be up at the ungodly hour of 4, it is time to bid you all good night.

 

[Angiebubs]

BBP: That really sux-Hope your doing ok!!!



Otonah: I have had bantys and LF together for over a year now and no problems. In fact its kind of amusing to see my big LF roos running from my banty hen!! Just introduced a new tiny banty to the flock a few weeks ago and shes fitting right in. She has her places to run to (only she can fit) if needed...knows who is nice to her and who isn't.



I have several hens going through a pretty intense moult right now-coop is closed up pretty well but no insulation-Think they will be ok?



Opinions on best heated waterers? I have both the dog dish and the plastic heated one. Pros and cons with both. Dog dish-gets filled with pine shavings & plastic one-multiple times last winter it came apart and dumped water in my coop! Never used the heated bases? These have to be used with metal waterers? Any problems with them getting wattles wet and sticking to the waterer? Are there any other suggestions? (I cant just give the fresh water morning and night as I leave at 7 and get home at 7)


Hmmm It shows I have mutiple spaces between paragraphs but when I post its all run together-WTH?

 

[unkadan]

Angie, I used a heated metal base with a homemade 5 gallon plastic waterer all last winter, no problems. I plan to use an aquarium heater in one of the waterers this year we'll see. Also just had an email on specials from Premier, they have a heater unit on closeout for $32 for those looking.

bbl

danpracticinghishunkeringdownbeforethesnowhitsasthewindcontinuestoBLOW

 

[kristip]

Thanks Terri for confirming my chicks will be ok. Someone talked me into a panick, but I thougt they were ok... then I started second guessing. O- I have both large fowl and bantys together. Find that it is a little better if the roo is banty too, but either way works ok! Mine get along great. Actually have 2 large fowl (wyandotte and EE) that curl up with the silkies rather than roosting. Figure it keeps those little silkies warmer too!

 

[jvls1942]

good PM, If the water is not frozen, the chickens cannot stick to the pan,
If you plan on heating your coop, concentrate the heat toward the water.. If you can keep the water from freezing, it will be warm enough for the chickens in the coop , just by default..
Angie, you must be using one of those plastic waterers that the top sort of twists into the base ?

the larger volume of water you have, the longer it takes to freeze..

I would think that you can apply some heat to the plastic waterer.. If you think it would get too hot, put non conductive spacers under the waterer..

I checked up on the new mother in the brooder pen.. she is not under the brooder, but she is snuggled up against it in the corner of the pen.. I gave her a nice thick layer of hay earlier, and she made a nice cozy nest out of it..

the young guinea keets quit the roosts and are back under the brooder..

tomorrow I am going to spread a thick layer of hay all over in that pen..

My brother got booted out of the woods that he has been hunting for many years.. somebody told the owner that bro was baiting with corn.. NOT .. but he could not convince her that he was not.. Annie and I both told him that the lady would turn on him some day.. She invited him to hunt there in the first place because the deer were eating everything in her yard.. She claimed that there were no deer left,, bro saw 7 does the day that he shot his deer.. His stand is only a couple hundred feet from the edge of her yard.. Well, at least he got some venison ..
He is looking for a new place to hunt.. might try it here behind our property..

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