Surviving Minnesota!

[lvie]

Hi everyone! The past two days I have gotten ALOT done! Ralphie, you know my 'tractor' coop that I wanted moved to a location behind the pole shed.
Well, my son and four grandkids were up (as I said before) and helped move it before we went to Duluth for our day trip. It was not leveled (and still is not
level as it is higher in the front than the back but not by much and not worth more effort on my part) so it was leaning quite a bit.
Today I leveled it with 8" blocks on the river side and small pavers on the shed side plus I did some hardware wire for some digging protection from predators.
It is actually starting to look visually better and I want to cutesie that up alot more. But that was a big deal today.

Well, I took a P&J break around 2:00. I could hear a beep coming from the front of the house. The DH had returned home and Tom heard him pull in and was waiting for him. I had gone out, barefoot and with my sandwich in my hand, to investigate the 'beep' and the DH was waiting to be rescued. Keep in mind the barefoot and half eaten sandwich in my hand. Plus a fourth dog from next door - Chocolate Lab - that we have been watching. I stood between DH and Tom as DH entered the pole building. Tom went running past me and as the DH was closing the door Tom was up in the air to spur him and in that door with the DH. It all happened so fast that the door was closed, with Tom and DH INSIDE the PS together. I am laughing. Hilarious. That door got whipped open and both of them came out flayling. I grabbed Tom around the neck but could not pick him up (because of the sandwich) and when I grabbed him the Choc Lab decided to attack Tom to help me out. I am struggling with a kicking roo and a choc lab and my husband stands there! For maybe 7 to 10 secs. That _ _ _ _ _ _ me off so I am yelling at him to get the _ _ _ _ into his shed! While I am loudly telling the dog NO and holding onto to Tom's neck. The DH could not walk through the congloberation to get into his shed. LOL.

Wife logic: GO AROUND ME! Ugh! Hilarious!

 

[Cebarmlds]

What do the other 6 kids in North Dakota do if not 4H?








Actually grats on the ribbons.   I hope I get something other than a ribbon for participating this year.

Ralphie are you taking some birds to the state fair?

 

[NathanZee]

Well, it was a busy past few days around our place. The first duckling clutch finally hatched and are already at their new homes. I should have two more clutches hatch in the next few weeks. I'll hold onto a few of those. My broody BCM also hatched a little chick. The egg was given to me to after an incubator mishap. I think it's a blue brahma....possibly partridge.

One of my BCM hens has gone missing. All 5 were accounted for Saturday. I think she's been laying elsewhere, so I hope she's broody on some eggs somewhere. We'll look more tonight. We didn't find any obvious predator signs anywhere - I like to keep a little hope because of that. Those are my favorite girls. At the end of the day, I'd rather see them outside running around free ranging than cooped up because I'm afraid to lose them. It's a tough balance that we all understand.

Those are adorable! What breeds are they?

 

[duluthralphie]

Ralphie are you taking some birds to the state fair?

I am thinking of taking some to the county fair.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Ivie I'm dying here....! Too too funny!!!

 

[I Love Layers]

What do the other 6 kids in North Dakota do if not 4H?








Actually grats on the ribbons.   I hope I get something other than a ribbon for participating this year.

no idea!

I thought there'd be one other kid. But that's fine with me

 

[MinnesotaNice]

Those are adorable! What breeds are they? 

Muscovies! You should probably get a few =) And bonus, my missing BCM hen was waiting outside the coop for me when I got home. I've never been so happy to see a chicken before.

I have a surprise pipping in the incubator tonight. I must have marked something wrong whether the date or egg. According to the date, it shouldn't be hatching for 28 more days or so. Eh, I kicked up the humidity, so hopefully it pulls through okay. Nature....hmph.

 

[NathanZee]

Muscovies! You should probably get a few =) And bonus, my missing BCM hen was waiting outside the coop for me when I got home. I've never been so happy to see a chicken before.

I have a surprise pipping in the incubator tonight. I must have marked something wrong whether the date or egg. According to the date, it shouldn't be hatching for 28 more days or so. Eh, I kicked up the humidity, so hopefully it pulls through okay. Nature....hmph.

Oh really, amazing how similar they look at that age. I don't know, maybe.... Do they get along with your Campbells? That's great you found her! I wonder where she was!

What? What kind of egg could be hatching now and you thought it would be 28 days from now? Did you mistake the date by that much?

 

[Dandelioness]

yea, I am contemplating just surrounding the entire lower fence with chicken wire solely to keep the chickens in.  I definitely have to keep them in because of my dogs.  The dogs respect the hot wire and will not try to enter the pasture but if the chickens start roaming the driveway and yard outside the pasture, it's only a matter of time before one of the dogs has a chicken dinner.  They have never been around chickens and one of my dogs will chase the rabbits and kill squirrels when ever she gets the chance so I am betting she will kill a chicken. 

I think a fence is always a good thing.
Just in passing, I should tell you I've rehabbed two chicken killers. One is still alive (the other died of natural causes,not the rehab program!), and I can trust her around the chickens with no problems. Our dogs eat wild birds and wild rabbits, but they leave our stuff alone - I've even had rabbits show me the problems in rabbit cage design and found, very happily, that they leave the rabbits alone, too. I even raw feed them culls and offal.
There's always a possibility that a gate or door will be left open or birds will get out. It's a real comfort to see a good dog laying down, keeping an eye on things when a chicken or bunny is sitting right in front of them enjoying some bugs or clover.

One of my rabbits was pregnant and escaped recently, and I couldn't catch her until after she kindled a litter somewhere under the feed shed (smart girl!). So, she has another couple weeks of freedom until the kits are hopping around and we can catch everyone.

No losses. I had the best chicken sitters ever. My nephews checked them every evening. (In exchange they needed to keep our 90 cc kid's 4 wheeler...you never now when their Mom's 4 wheeler might break down and they would have to walk the 1/4 mile to our house. My father in law checked (feed/cleaned) them every morning. I found the wrappings of meal worms, empty lettuce containers and a note that said we picked your strawberries and fed them to the chickens. This was in addition to the big 30 lb flock block I bought for a treat for them to set out one day. Needless to say....the flock block was barely touched. Spoiled CHICKENS!

That's great! Good chicken sitters!

 

[Dandelioness]

So, my homemade incubator still won't hold a high enough humidity level for lockdown. No broody in sight, so I asked my friend if I could borrow hers. She said she'd set it up and I brought the eggs ready for lockdown on Friday. TWO keets have hatched!! One more has pipped and zipped! I have 12 more guinea eggs and several BCM and silkie eggs in there. I staggered the incubation, so they should all be hatching within the next few days!
With all the trouble I've gone to, do you think I setup the brooder yet? Of course not LOL

Big gardening day tomorrow and I'm getting ready for the new arrivals. Wish me luck!

Best wishes for all the fair people!