Good Morning! <=2017

Post by **WLLady** » Sun May 22, 2016 9:15 am

Hi folks!
Did i mention i love long weekends! we took the day yesterday to go and visit SandyM. She's had some just awful coyote problems. So we packed everything up and landed on her deck and in the woods out back. and....didn't see anything. LOL. Oh well. it's called hunting, not catching. If they had showed themselves i have no doubt that they would be "scared off forever". Loved just watching the little chickens run around thinking they're big birds, and poor silkie mom trying to corral the masses at sunset. she's pretty amazing that silkie mom.
It was a great visit, a late night getting home...why is everything so far away??! LOL and i hear the yotes were back this morning...sigh.

today i'm planning on working some in the garden. my summer squash appears to have self seeded and the plants are GORGEOUS, so i'm going to move them out of the big lump of them and plant them into a row. my peas and lettuce are finally up and need mulch, then to plant the next set of peas. need to mulch the strawberries, weed out the grapes and blueberries and mulch them too. and kick the starlings out of the propane tank lid again.
then some cleaning up in the barn, and count heads for who is going to wyoming next weekend, and make sure i have enough crates etc. then grass cutting (aka, close the fence on the driveway and let the horses out)-at least i can just watch that happen LOL. so. a puttery kind of weekend for me. One step at a time, and lots of breaks.

we'll get there.

Congrats on the all the broody moms and all the kids! This custom hatch i'm doing right now has just muscovies left to go....went to lock them down on friday and some were already pipped! they sure are taking their time. 4 hatched as of this morning. unreal lemon yellow ducklings! so fingers crossed for a pile more during the next couple of days. there are a lot of pips, just hope they're strong enough to get out. then monday and tuesday i have my last hatch of cornish, some wheaten and blue wheaten ameraucanas and easter eggers hatching to fill some orders. been a really busy spring this year! it's awesome! and all my fingers are crossed for those of you incubating! i'm watching my last turkey jenny who is sitting - she should be hatching sometime this week....all going well....

have a great day folks!

Post by **Killerbunny** » Sun May 22, 2016 11:41 am

Have you tried calling them in with a domestic cat yowl? This is working is some populated areas because they are learning how to get an easy kitty meal.

Post by **WLLady** » Sun May 22, 2016 12:17 pm

apparently they have been visiting multiple times a day going after the free ranging chickens, so we opted this time to just hang out and see if they showed up with everything else being the same....chickens out free ranging, and since they had been by while people were out, i just sat up on the deck..lol. my hubby hit the bush, and set up with a turkey decoy, we've had yotes go after the decoys before, and the night before the neighbour saw them stalking turkeys up in the field....
wish i lived closer, it's a 2.5 hour drive up there...best hunting times are early morning and late evening, would love to try it again-this time i would hide out under the porch, all quiet, and maybe try my injured bird/animal thing that i have - it screams like an injured animal....or i would let out most of the chickens and not a couple so they'd call and call, being "lost", but i really don't want to sacrifice the chickens or stress them too much. i'd park our car further down the road, since that might have clued them in....
but better for sandy to just get a crossbow or her own firearm and sniper them off the deck, they don't seem to be afraid of her or josh or lou. we are different from normal so maybe they figured that out....who knows. so i suggested a crossbow, she has her PAL on the way, but can't purchase a rifle until it's in, or she at least has a permit number from the RCMP. so...soon....the rooster is amazing, he watches every day, all day. really good to the girls, although he has an infatuation with the wheelbarrow...um....

ross · Post by **ross** » Sun May 22, 2016 1:04 pm

TSC has these combos on special right now for 69$ online . Just set up in yard & leave for them to get used to seeing /smelling .
Sit inside in chair . Out of sight out of mind . Always happens soon as your hunting anything they disappear heh Kathy ? luck

ross · Post by **ross** » Sun May 22, 2016 4:32 pm

Does she have her "small game " permit yet Kathy . A 495 fps air rifle doesn't need a PAL & she could pepper their a$$ to teach um to stay away . No real harm done just a sting . Yep I've felt it . Quit me stealing apples as a kid in the orchard . Lol luck

Post by **WLLady** » Sun May 22, 2016 6:15 pm

i think she has all her hunting stuff done.....

she doesn't need a PAL for a crossbow either and i do believe some shopping is in the future.

well, pens in the barn loft all clean, the fans are keeping it nice and cool up there today. birds are all happy kicking through the new shavings. love when they are all happily rooting around. tonight i'll throw them some sunflower seeds and make them work for them in the fluffy shavings. Hubby was a wonderful help, he did half the pens, i did the other half...sure goes faster that way. Still awfully sore afterwards...but doing the physio religiously. I did find sitting in the car for a couple hours yesterday it was VERY hard to walk afterwards...so i guess if i drive distance i better take some breaks....

One of our local farmers lots one of the covers off his seeder-somewhere between our back 40 and the next block over....so checked the field by atv, didn't find it. must be on the road somewhere. ah well. hope he finds it. Gorgeous day out there. nice sun but not too hot. tomorrow is garden....so all in all a good weekend.....saturday = camo, sunday = chicken dust and monday = garden dirt. my idea of an awesome weekend. So far 10 muscovies, i think...maybe 11....have to pull them out to the brooder soon.

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Mon May 23, 2016 8:56 am

All hunting, gun courses, outdoor card, tags etc. are done. Just waiting on PAL number. I have the 'restricted' license in there as well so the process has a longer turn around time I'm told.

I will be CrossBow shopping ASAP. I wanted one anyways, just thought I had to have my PAL # for it. When speaking with my Hunter Ed instructor late last week, with Kathy reaffirming, I learned that's not the case. Hate that because I could of been dealing with this a while ago.

A huge thank you to Kathy and Martin for coming to spend they day. Martin reminds me of Rambo. That's all I'm saying LOL!!

Love the tent with chair idea Ross. Unfortunately I can sit on my deck or be in the gardens and they come for easy pickings. They haven't gotten any in some time, and my new rooster is da'man!!! He's a real champ. On guard all day. My other rooster was amazing as well and I know he sacrificed his life for the girls but when I lost him it all had just begun and I was unsure of what was what. Both of my roosters have come from GoatGirl35 and they are excellent boys!!!

My rooster still has a fascination with the wheel barrow. Not sure why, but yesterday he layed down and sun bathed in it. It's quite the visual to see and guide the obsession for him.

I think I have the best silkie broody mom there is!!! Thanks Doug The Chicken Man for her. She has about (yes about) 25 babies and at night you can barely see her, if at all when she finally rounds them up for bed. They pile under, on and around her. It's really neat to watch her with them.

Well I'm off and running, hope everyone has a great day!!!

Post by **WLLady** » Mon May 23, 2016 9:21 am

Welcome back sandy!!!!

Looks like a beauty day again...need to get myself going. Have at least 18 muscovies in the brooder and a few more in the hatcher. Man they are messy when they hatch. Much more mess than chickens....but very cute....lol

Today is garden day. Gotta find some sunscreen. And a hat. It was 5c this morning and now its 21 already. Will open the barn doors up and let the breeze go through.

Seed planting day today. And mulching. Bug plants will go in next weekend just in case. I dont trust this weather yet. Hope everyone has a great day!!

Maximus · Post by **Maximus** » Mon May 23, 2016 4:58 pm

Ross, Kathy??

Coyote worthy?? Is this what you meant when you said no PAL# required?

WaupoosCowgirl · Post by **WaupoosCowgirl** » Mon May 23, 2016 8:15 pm

Back from my first camping trip of the season! The weather was great and loved being outside with no connections to anything but nature.
For the first time ever came home and Hubby didn't have anything die on him! hope everyone else had a great long weekend.