Met Winter 2021 - 2022 Banter

[Brewbeer]

55 minutes ago, Baroclinic Zone said:

Dare I ask how much that ran you?  I had to replace my engine way back on my '-02 Subaru Outback after head gasket blew.  Cost like $4,500 to replace.

It was 6 grand.  2k for the remanufactured engine (delivered from California), 3k in labor, and another grand in various parts and pieces that needed to be replaced (timing belt, motor mounts, suspension linkages/bushings, engine sensors, and other stuff that broke when changing engines).  This is for a 97 accord.  Always garaged, no rust, one owner (my in laws bought it for my wife after she graduated from college, and I got it when we married), everything else works great, even the AC.  With the new engine and new suspension bushings, it like a new car, but I don't need to worry about dings or dents, 'cause its already got those. 

The other piece of the puzzle is I have 3 teenagers, including 2 boys who are on the verge of getting their drivers licenses.  With insurance costs so high for new male drivers, having a cheap car makes that bill more manageable.   

[PowderBeard]

12 hours ago, weathafella said:

Don't trade it in with the dealer!  Sell it-they're bringing top dollar and make your best deal with cash in your hand.

Seriously. When looking for a "new" truck the dealer offered me $500 for my old one. I listed it on CL on a Saturday for 5k, had about 15 emails about it. First person to see it Sunday morning was a rep from a used auto mall. Gave me over 4k cash the for a 2005 Silverado with 163k miles, rocker panel, cab corners, bumper, and tail gate rusted out, airbag, check engine (needed a new Cat), and brake lights on. I paid 6k for it in 2017. Had an hour chat with the guy after the deal and he broke down all the numbers for me, he planned on putting $3000 - $3500 into it. I watched their website and they re-did it all, listed it for 11k, and it was gone in a week. If they can safely make 3k or more on a vehicle they jump on it. Plus, I just wanted it gone, would have been happy with 2k for it, had no idea how nuts the market was in Mass for trucks. 

[klw]

Good Dog:

https://www.wcax.com/2022/01/04/police-dog-leads-troopers-serious-crash-scene-help-save-owner/

 

Quote

 

On January 3, 2022 at approximately 10 PM, Trooper Sandberg of #NHSP #TroopD responded to a report of a loose canine on the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge located on Interstate 89 at the New Hampshire/Vermont boarder in Lebanon. 

#Trooper Sandberg and Officers from the Lebanon Police Department located a large German Shepard on northbound Interstate 89. When Trooper Sandberg and the Lebanon Police Officers attempted to get close to the canine, it continued to run northbound on Interstate 89, crossing into Vermont. A short time later, Trooper Sandberg and the Lebanon Police Officers located a damaged section of guardrail near the Interstate 91 and Interstate 89 junction.

Trooper Sandberg and the Lebanon Police Officers observed a badly damaged pickup truck that had rolled over. As the Officers investigated further, they realized that both occupants of the pickup truck had been ejected from the vehicle and were hypothermic and seriously injured. Trooper Sandberg and the Lebanon Police Officers were able to quickly call for medical assistance.

While at the scene, Trooper Sandberg and the Lebanon Police Officers learned that the German Shepard, named Tinsley, belonged to one of the injured occupants of the truck. It quickly became apparent that Tinsley led Trooper Sandberg and the Lebanon Police to the crash site and injured occupants.

Additional NHSP Troopers, Lebanon Police and Fire Department and the Hartford, Vermont Police and Fire Department assisted at the scene. The crash investigation is being handled by the Vermont State Police.

Tinsley did not appear to be injured in the crash.

 

 

[tunafish]

@dendrite

This is my first winter with chickens.  I have buff orpingtons and lavender orpingtons.  Do you do anything for your flock when it's as cold as it looks to be early next week?

We do the deep litter method in their coop, so that gives off a little extra warmth at night, and they're a cold-hearty breed, but sub-zero lows give me some concerns.

[dendrite]

12 minutes ago, tunafish said:

@dendrite

This is my first winter with chickens.  I have buff orpingtons and lavender orpingtons.  Do you do anything for your flock when it's as cold as it looks to be early next week?

We do the deep litter method in their coop, so that gives off a little extra warmth at night, and their a cold-hearty breed, but sub-zero lows give me some concerns.

They’ll be fine as long as they’re dry and there’s no wind/drafts. Make sure they have ventilation. Mine handled a week of highs in the single digits and lows in the -10s with no problem in that cold stretch around New Years 2018. Even if it gets a little below zero in the morning I let them out into the run. They’re birds…they can adapt to relatively slow changes in temp. You have orpingtons and mine handle it better than most of my other birds. Like I said though…the big thing is ventilation as it can lead to respiratory problems over time. The front of my coop is 8ft and I leave the eaves wide open so their heat and moisture can escape up and out. I don’t do the deep litter method in the coop…they’re in the run all day and I just pick up the poop in there daily. They roost in the coop over a poop board which catches their poop like a litter box. So you definitely want to have a place for the moisture to escape aloft if you’re doing DLM. Like you said, the decomposition will provide some heat and convection for the warmth to rise.

I do have a barred rock hen with a large comb that has occasionally gotten frostbite on it, but she’s the exception. All of my orpingtons tend to have smaller single combs. Also keep in mind that people keep chickens in the upper midwest and Alaska where it gets -30° to -40° or lower. Keep’em dry and with no air movement and they’ll be fine.

[tunafish]

25 minutes ago, dendrite said:

They’ll be fine as long as they’re dry and there’s no wind/drafts. Make sure they have ventilation. Mine handled a week of highs in the single digits and lows in the -10s with no problem in that cold stretch around New Years 2018. Even if it gets a little below zero in the morning I let them out into the run. They’re birds…they can adapt to relatively slow changes in temp. You have orpingtons and mine handle it better than most of my other birds. Like I said though…the big thing is ventilation as it can lead to respiratory problems over time. The front of my coop is 8ft and I leave the eaves wide open so their heat and moisture can escape up and out. I don’t do the deep litter method in the coop…they’re in the run all day and I just pick up the poop in there daily. They roost in the coop over a poop board which catches their poop like a litter box. So you definitely want to have a place for the moisture to escape aloft if you’re doing DLM. Like you said, the decomposition will provide some heat and convection for the warmth to rise.

I do have a barred rock hen with a large comb that has occasionally gotten frostbite on it, but she’s the exception. All of my orpingtons tend to have smaller single combs. Also keep in mind that people keep chickens in the upper midwest and Alaska where it gets -30° to -40° or lower. Keep’em dry and with no air movement and they’ll be fine.

Very helpful, thank you.  The ridge of their coop is vented - there is about a two inch gap between the peak of the roof and the front/rear coop walls, so hopefully that's good enough but I will definitely keep an eye on it, probably do a test, to make sure there is enough ventilation.  

When we had that misery mist last weekend long they did get pretty wet one of the days, actually Sunday right before the front blew through.  I was concerned so we took them in the garage, gave their feet and bottoms a wash, and dried them off with a light/low hair dryer.  Threw some fresh straw on their "inner" enclosed run to make sure it was dry enough before the front came through.  They seemed happy (and dry)

Thanks again!

[dendrite]

50 minutes ago, tunafish said:

Very helpful, thank you.  The ridge of their coop is vented - there is about a two inch gap between the peak of the roof and the front/rear coop walls, so hopefully that's good enough but I will definitely keep an eye on it, probably do a test, to make sure there is enough ventilation.  

When we had that misery mist last weekend long they did get pretty wet one of the days, actually Sunday right before the front blew through.  I was concerned so we took them in the garage, gave their feet and bottoms a wash, and dried them off with a light/low hair dryer.  Threw some fresh straw on their "inner" enclosed run to make sure it was dry enough before the front came through.  They seemed happy (and dry)

Thanks again!

The important thing is to not overthink it. It they have good shelter they'll be okay. I let mine out all of those days and they were fine. I wouldn't want them out there in the 20s with wind and puddles, but that's not usually a problem until late winter or if there's a strong cold front. I've let them free range in the evening in light snow, 10s with little wind, ice packs, etc. Some won't touch the snow, others walk through it. Some come out when it's 15F and others say "no way" and stay in the run.

I'd be careful about washing them in the winter. If they have protection from the rain/drizzle they'll go back under when they've had enough precip. Their outer feathers keep them dry really well. But if you get those down underside feathers wet that's when you can be dealing with hypothermia. So wet/dirty feet I don't worry about. They sit on their feet on the roosts anyway which will keep their feet warm and able to dry. Any poopy butts I leave alone in the winter...in the warm season sometimes I'll wet them and try to pull it off.

I worried about a lot of things my first winter as well. Someday you'll look back and laugh at some of the things you worried about. Now that doesn't mean I'm cheering the cold on...lol. They're a lot easier to care for in a tame winter. They survive fine in deep winter, but obviously they're not thriving.

Good luck and feel free to ask me anything anytime.

[tunafish]

1 hour ago, dendrite said:

The important thing is to not overthink it. It they have good shelter they'll be okay. I let mine out all of those days and they were fine. I wouldn't want them out there in the 20s with wind and puddles, but that's not usually a problem until late winter or if there's a strong cold front. I've let them free range in the evening in light snow, 10s with little wind, ice packs, etc. Some won't touch the snow, others walk through it. Some come out when it's 15F and others say "no way" and stay in the run.

I'd be careful about washing them in the winter. If they have protection from the rain/drizzle they'll go back under when they've had enough precip. Their outer feathers keep them dry really well. But if you get those down underside feathers wet that's when you can be dealing with hypothermia. So wet/dirty feet I don't worry about. They sit on their feet on the roosts anyway which will keep their feet warm and able to dry. Any poopy butts I leave alone in the winter...in the warm season sometimes I'll wet them and try to pull it off.

I worried about a lot of things my first winter as well. Someday you'll look back and laugh at some of the things you worried about. Now that doesn't mean I'm cheering the cold on...lol. They're a lot easier to care for in a tame winter. They survive fine in deep winter, but obviously they're not thriving.

Good luck and feel free to ask me anything anytime.

Thanks again.  They definitely have their own personalities, but so far all 6 haven't minded walking on the snow pack, though only 2 of them have eaten it.

That's good advice on the wintercare.  I'm definitely more concerned since it's their first winter and real cold coming in next week.  Appreciate the advice!

[IowaStorm05]

I know it doesn’t really snow below the Mason Dixon line, except when it does.

Really, though, some of these locations enter into winter wondering if it’s going to snow at all. What’s going on here is no guarantee not even once…. Per year.

Illinois is known for some brutal winters. But not that part of Illinois.

 

[QCD17]

12 hours ago, tunafish said:

Thanks again.  They definitely have their own personalities, but so far all 6 haven't minded walking on the snow pack, though only 2 of them have eaten it.

That's good advice on the wintercare.  I'm definitely more concerned since it's their first winter and real cold coming in next week.  Appreciate the advice!

We're going on winter 2 with our chickens and they are pretty tough.  Started with 12 in march of '20, down to 4 thanks to my bright idea to put them in an enclosed outdoor pen the first summer, which resulted in various bobcats/foxes/weasels/hawks breaking in and eating them.  Now they stay in the coop/run and only free-range when we are out in the yard with them.  Their coop is an 8'x12 shed with a ridge vent and then I drilled six 2" holes at the top of either side and covered with metal mesh for extra entilation.  They have a small door that is just big enough for them to walk out to their run.  I have the whole thing raised up on 24" posts so that they have a covered area underneath to stay dry, and to prevent the bottom of the coop from getting wet/flooded.  If the temp gets really cold at night, I usually close the door, so that there isn't a blast of cold air coming in through the door all night.  I also do deep litter method.  Another trick that I do is to get a bunch of hay bales and stack them inside the coop all winter along the walls.  This takes up space, and creates some insulation against drafts.  The hay also provides some warmth.  The other night it got down to about 11 here and I didn't close the door and they were fine.  But they refuse to go out in the snow!  This spring I'm going to get another flock of chicks and try and integrate them into the existing group.  Most expensive eggs I've ever eaten!

[dendrite]

3 hours ago, QCD17 said:

We're going on winter 2 with our chickens and they are pretty tough.  Started with 12 in march of '20, down to 4 thanks to my bright idea to put them in an enclosed outdoor pen the first summer, which resulted in various bobcats/foxes/weasels/hawks breaking in and eating them.  Now they stay in the coop/run and only free-range when we are out in the yard with them.  Their coop is an 8'x12 shed with a ridge vent and then I drilled six 2" holes at the top of either side and covered with metal mesh for extra entilation.  They have a small door that is just big enough for them to walk out to their run.  I have the whole thing raised up on 24" posts so that they have a covered area underneath to stay dry, and to prevent the bottom of the coop from getting wet/flooded.  If the temp gets really cold at night, I usually close the door, so that there isn't a blast of cold air coming in through the door all night.  I also do deep litter method.  Another trick that I do is to get a bunch of hay bales and stack them inside the coop all winter along the walls.  This takes up space, and creates some insulation against drafts.  The hay also provides some warmth.  The other night it got down to about 11 here and I didn't close the door and they were fine.  But they refuse to go out in the snow!  This spring I'm going to get another flock of chicks and try and integrate them into the existing group.  Most expensive eggs I've ever eaten!

Your setup sounds like mine. An 8x8x8 coop elevated 30”. My run has a portion covered with a metal roof and I enclose it with fiberglass panels for winter. On nice days I give them the option to go out into the large outdoor portion of the run. Then in May all of the panels come down. 
 

And yeah, not many people save money doing this. Most of the cost is up front, but it still isn’t cheap. I enjoy the hobby though, and their personalities and the flock dynamic is definitely fun to watch.

[dendrite]

Can anyone else confirm this? I find this many strikes near the pole hard to believe.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/05/world/lightning-increased-north-pole-arctic-2021-climate/index.html

 

[powderfreak]

4 minutes ago, dendrite said:

Can anyone else confirm this? I find this many strikes near the pole hard to believe.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/05/world/lightning-increased-north-pole-arctic-2021-climate/index.html

 

Sensor malfunction?  I honestly have no idea how those lightning sensors work to begin with.  We watch them a lot at the ski resort in the summer and they do seem to like phantom strikes sometimes.  “Like well that one looks on top of us but no one heard or saw anything.”  Then again they are correct a lot of the time.

[dendrite]

Really hope this storm fails up here…woke up with flu like symptoms and currently have a temp near 103°. This is 15 days after getting my booster so I assume it may be the flu? Sucks.

[kdxken]

2 minutes ago, dendrite said:

Really hope this storm fails up here…woke up with flu like symptoms and currently have a temp near 103°. This is 15 days after getting my booster so I assume it may be the flu? Sucks.

I hear there's a nasty version of the flu going around. Good luck with it.

[BombsAway1288]

23 hours ago, dendrite said:

Can anyone else confirm this? I find this many strikes near the pole hard to believe.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/05/world/lightning-increased-north-pole-arctic-2021-climate/index.html

 

Yeah, that's a strange one considering the 80th degree latitude just encompasses the northern 8th of Greenland and some Canadian islands. I could see that area get a few dozen strikes a year but not thousands upon thousands. It's either correct but my money is on faulty equipment 

[BombsAway1288]

Hi /r/boston! I completed my cross stitch temperature chart of 2021! : boston (reddit.com)

This is pretty cool. Wish they used some more contrasting colors though. 

 

 

[PhineasC]

4 hours ago, dendrite said:

Really hope this storm fails up here…woke up with flu like symptoms and currently have a temp near 103°. This is 15 days after getting my booster so I assume it may be the flu? Sucks.

That sucks. Like half the people I know are sick right now. Nasty things going around. I wouldn't rule out COVID or the flu or a combo which has been happening too.

[IowaStorm05]

I learned about this product on the news when a man saved a baby with it. I think everybody should have these, it’s designed for someone to use on you if you’re choking…

a lot of people die suddenly and needlessly from choking… it is a type of death that breaks my heart that it even ever happens

https://www.amazon.com/Anti-Choking-Choking-Portable-Suction-Clearing/dp/B09MJXSR5V

[DavisStraight]

6 hours ago, dendrite said:

Really hope this storm fails up here…woke up with flu like symptoms and currently have a temp near 103°. This is 15 days after getting my booster so I assume it may be the flu? Sucks.

Didn't get the flu shot?

[DavisStraight]

22 minutes ago, IowaStorm05 said:

I learned about this product on the news when a man saved a baby with it. I think everybody should have these, it’s designed for someone to use on you if you’re choking…

a lot of people die suddenly and needlessly from choking… it is a type of death that breaks my heart that it even ever happens

https://www.amazon.com/Anti-Choking-Choking-Portable-Suction-Clearing/dp/B09MJXSR5V

My mother in law who's 90 has recently had a problem with choking, I'm going to order this for her, thanks. I guess when you get older your muscles get weaker and your throat narrows, she choked on a piece of fish at a restaurant last month and we had to give her the heimlich. She's having a procedure next week where they put a balloon down her throat and widen her passageway.

[IowaStorm05]

2 minutes ago, DavisStraight said:

My mother in law who's 90 has recently had a problem with choking, I'm going to order this for her, thanks. I guess when you get older your muscles get weaker and your throat narrows, she choked on a piece of fish at a restaurant last month and we had to give her the heimlich. She's having a procedure next week where they put a balloon down her throat and widen her passageway.

I’m propagating the awareness for this product because aside from heimlich, I am imagining that it is probably very effective… of course I bet you have to pinch the victims nose to complete suction… but it is my hope people get this and learn to use it properly. I posted this because I have a personal fear of other people choking esp loved ones… I’m OCD about it so when I learned this existed I was excited.

Im glad I posted this so you can get one!!!

[Whineminster]

6 hours ago, dendrite said:

Really hope this storm fails up here…woke up with flu like symptoms and currently have a temp near 103°. This is 15 days after getting my booster so I assume it may be the flu? Sucks.

It could be 'Rona anyway.    get a test for both flu and vid?

[weathafella]

7 hours ago, dendrite said:

Really hope this storm fails up here…woke up with flu like symptoms and currently have a temp near 103°. This is 15 days after getting my booster so I assume it may be the flu? Sucks.

Sorry to hear this Brian.   Keep your fever down with Tylenol if you can

[dendrite]

2 hours ago, weathafella said:

Sorry to hear this Brian.   Keep your fever down with Tylenol if you can

Fever broke on its own a couple hours ago. Just body aches and a bad headache now.

[weathafella]

glad the fever broke-hopefully you’ll feel well soon!

[dryslot]

4 hours ago, dendrite said:

Fever broke on its own a couple hours ago. Just body aches and a bad headache now.

Sounds like a friend of mines symptoms and he has covid.

[TauntonBlizzard2013]

Anyone want to guess why a 1 year old snowblower that’s been used 2 times would only run on choke?

starts right up, but when I turn the choke off, it stalls out. Interestingly enough, if you keep pressing the “prime” button, it will stay on for a few more seconds. 
 

 

[JC-CT]

8 minutes ago, TauntonBlizzard2013 said:

Anyone want to guess why a 1 year old snowblower that’s been used 2 times would only run on choke?

starts right up, but when I turn the choke off, it stalls out. Interestingly enough, if you keep pressing the “prime” button, it will stay on for a few more seconds. 
 

 

Did you use fuel stabilizer in your gas last year?

[TauntonBlizzard2013]

Just now, JC-CT said:

Did you use fuel stabilizer in your gas last year?

I did… I didn’t drain the fuel from the tank but did put stabilizer in the tank and ran it. 
 

I also started the thing like a month and a half ago and it fired right up and ran fine