During the day, yesterday, the wind was all bluster. Big fat round bluster. My hair looked wind -blown -fantastic. The storms came in later, at dusk and without any warning switched feet and kicked from the opposite direction, wooshing the tarp off the chicken tractor, slamming propped doors, scattering sheep. Of course the Tank hens were fine, but I got drenched in the thunder and lightening using the now inclement wind to help me put the tarp back on top of the pen the fattening chooks were in. Dinner began without me as I darted to and fro, opening and shutting doors and gates, annoyed that I had not seen the storm coming. But it is tornado season, though usually here this only means severe storms. I should have checked the weather more often yesterday but I so seldom do and the clouds came in very fast.
I had let the cows out onto the field after lunch. They are free ranging a bit at the moment, I have not started the electric fences, as there really is not a lot of forage, certainly not enough for them to graze 24 hours a day yet, but I cannot bear the terrible looks Queenie gives me when I try to lock her off the fields.
Most of the fields are just closed until I get the required 8 inches.
Daisy came out into the field next to the Queenies Flerd so she could have a proper munch too. Her mastitis is flaring up again so this time we are trying Oil Of Oregano. It comes highly recommended. But this is a chronic condition so we will see. It comes and goes. I just wish it would Go more than it Comes. The green grass will help. For the record last night she gave 55 pounds of milk, a record for her. (There are just over 8 pounds to a gallon).
The cows and calves galloped in before the storm and were safely in the barn.
The dogs and I have been combing the banks of the ditch the last few days and yesterday afternoon before the storms I think I may have discovered the mink burrows. There are three of them. Very close together. Probably connected. Two are fairly new. My research (how would we survive without Google) seems to point to them being Mink burrows. Both the burrow entrance and the scat correspond with online images. The only other rodent living down in the creek, that is really a ditch, is the muskrat (I am rather fond of muskrats and their primary predator is the Bastard mink) but the muskrats seldom burrow in and almost never that high. So I am going to shift the traps closer to these sites and see if I am not more successful there. What do you think? Have you ever seen a mink burrow? Ron?
Well time for me to get to work.
I hope you all have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farmy,
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
56 responses to “Storm Season”
You need a terrier to get into that burrow and clear out the vicious vermin! Fingers crossed you get him/them this time.
I was thinking the same as Grannymar. A couple of Jack Russells would love that job and any rats in the vicinity 😉
i think you are closing in on the minks. it is only a matter of time now! we and you are in for rain for days now i think. we sure need it!
oh the storms are everywhere..its best to batten down the hatches and ride it out..I feel so sorry for those people in Little Rock Ark. having lost their homes and everything they owned….it still puzzles me why people live in such risky places. Like those in Los Angeles….the quake will come sooner or later but they do not think about it…. strange people these Americans!
hope that you survived…lots of love P
Not just Americans. Quakes in the mid east and active volcanos in Italy, Mexico and elsewhere. People all over the world live near big hazards.
Oh C. firtst the winter from hell…without the heat…and now high winds, rain, storms…you need a nice string of sunny, warm days. They will come! It must be a wonder though to watch those storms roll in off the prairie…that is after you have everything all buttoned up! Good luck with those BMT’s!
After reading about your flurry of activity in batting down the hatches yesterday, I appreciated my small trek to gather and close everything up here before the storms hit. I was trimming vine on a fence line and repairing fences when the clouds raced in and the wind hit. Zoe (tiny ranch dog!) and I jumped in the electric buggy and dashed in the barn just as the rain pelted down. There’s something exciting and invigorating about having to scurry around and brace for the storms! I love this time of year… but I never want to see folks suffer damages.
We have been tracking your storm up here.. We are releaved when we hear your have managed to batten down the hatches keeping the inhabitants of The Farmy safe.
I was watching the Decorah eagles ( http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles ) on another screen and had it reduced to read your post… but the wind on the eagles’ site was making a sound backdrop for your post! See, now you have sound effects!
” The only other rodent living down in the creek,”, I must address this, the mink is not a rodent, it is a member of the weasel family and more related to a dog than a mouse.
Oh, thank you for clarifying that. c
Burrowing animals are always hard to catch. They just burrow a new tunnel. My husband was out at the barn later than usual last night and spotted two badgers. He managed to kill them both. They are vicious predators and will kill cats and other animals. One weighed about 35 pounds. Luckily they were not near the chicken coop. Good luck with trapping the minks. I worried about you and the stormy weather. Your energy is astounding!
I kept checking the storm track last night, Celi, to see how things were in your area. Glad to see that all’s well. Good, too, that it looks like you’ve found the minks’ home. Hope you can catch them quickly enough. It’s raining here. The storm started about an hour ago with a very loud thunderclap followed by hail. Even so, it’s in the upper 60s and that makes the rain more bearable. Hope you;re having a good day, Celi.
i have never had a mink problem, so have no experience with them
i used to see some sort of gas bomb that was put into gopher, groundhog holes about 30 yrs ago,at feed stores
am sure it is outlawed for private use by now
possibly pest control, like orkin,or what ever may have something, of course would have to have a licen$ed professional to set off
common rats burrow similar to that in creek banks
my dogs are always digging for them here
i got no idea how far back in bank tunnels would go if you were to use shovel and go mineing for mink
only thing i could think to use would be steel traps, but would have to fasten your dogs up so then not get into trap,that not good idea while they on mink patrol
possibly live trap on each hole entrance may work,baited with raw chicken or fishy stuff
sorry can’t be of more help
Celi, hope you get those Minks! Stay safe in the storm.
I love Google too 🙂 I searched how to trap a weasel and got heaps of hits, one of which is http://icwdm.org/handbook/carnivor/Weasels.asp… apparently you can make a weasel box, into which are set the metal baited traps (safe from dogs). Love the storm pic. Glad you are safe.
Good morning
Never having seen a mink burrow, Alan and I decided that you have rabbits! 🙂
Good luck trapping that nasty slinky rabbit with an unusual menu choice…….could I suggest carrot coated with peanut butter in the trap?
I have put a peanut butter coated camera by the burrow, we certainly have lots of rabbits.. c