May 16, 2019
I tried 3 times last year to start some raspberries here.
Attempt one: I bought some discount raspberries, at a not great time of year to start them. They seemed to die :(
Two: A friend let me get starts from her bed. I think the chicken manure was still to hot in the bed and they fried.
Three: They seemed ok and I had high hopes, but when a friend offered me other starts I realized hers had leaves all over and mine did not and figured I had killed the third one, so we got more to try again. A few have leaves so I thought I would get just some. I had left the old ones from last year, not sure why. This week I was prepping the beds by the house for strawberries and herbs and realized that one of the raspberries I had planted on the North side of the house (yes I know not a great place for Raspberries) had leaves on it. Today I was working on the beds again and pulled up one of the canes I thought was dead and was shocked to see new growth on it. Yeah! I realized that the canes from last years third try were actually alive and well. I moved more over to the North side and now have 18 plant starts there. And about 20 in the main garden area (I need to re-work the raspberries there to give them more room). I am so excited!!!!!
Next year we should have a great crop of Raspberries!!!!
Thursday, May 16, 2019
Sunday, May 12, 2019
War of the Thistles
Last year we discovered many thistles on our land. We worked to remove them from the yard area. We dug up some on other parts of the land but focused on the yard. This year we have worked to remove them from the middle yard, chicken yard, and area by the creek. Yesterday we finished by the creek and earlier in the week we finished in the chicken yard. Some regrow and some may have been missed, but for the most part they are gone there. Next we need to work on the perimeter by the trees and on the other side of the creek. It is nice to walk the land and only see an occasional thistle, rather than having them over take the land.
We can enjoy the flowers they make on other peoples land without having to worry about stepping on them on ours.
We can enjoy the flowers they make on other peoples land without having to worry about stepping on them on ours.
Friday, May 10, 2019
Black sex link
Not sure -- coloring is like a Colombine Wyadotte, but I am not sure Might be a white leg horn but she is calm and that breed is typically high strung
Looks like a Golden Wyandotte, with Brahma feathers on her feet and smaller like a Brahma
Not sure Best guess White Rock
I have been calling this one Red Sex Link but I think I was wrong and it is a Rhode Island Red, and I think ours that we named Buffalo is also a Rhode Island Red.
We also got a Buff Orphington, but I did not get a picture of her.
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Chicken Trading
May 7, 2019
Last week a neighbor offered us 13 one year old chickens (12 hens and a rooster). We like the idea of younger hens, but did not necessarily want that many. We offered to split them with a friend, and give her the rooster. We just gave away 6 of our hens on Craigslist. Maybe we did not chose the wisest way, but we picked 3 that were Barred Rocks, 2 that never fit in well that we got from a friend last fall, and the Silver Wyandotte that fights with the rooster. We kept two Buff Orphingtons, a Rex Sexlink, 2 ISA Browns, and 2 Australorps. Only one is young enough to likely lay much. It will be interesting the next day or two, to see how many eggs we get, but we have high hopes the 1 year olds will lay a lot so we will be fine, but might choose to give away a few more, or at least put them in the separate coop and test their egg laying prowess.
I also just saw a thing about saving eggs in a "water bottle" solution. One lady online says she kept hers for 8 months. I want to try it. Using Pickling lime or Calcium hydroxide in a water solution. Eggs all winter would be cool!
May 9, 2019
Tonight we picked up the chickens.
We got a Rooster, 2 Barred Rocks, a Black Sex link, A Wyandotte, a Red Sex Link, and a Buff Orphington for our Friends that gave us our Rooster and an Australorp.
We got for us: A Red Sex link, A Buff Orphington, A Black Sexlink, 2 white ones we are not sure about -- one might be Might be a Austra White or a Columbian Wyandotte, the other might be the Autra White or a white leghorn.. not sure, then one that looks like a golden and white Wyandotte.
The smallest white one escaped as we were putting her in the coop, we had to catch her and put her back. That was exciting... I feel bad for her, she was scared, but they are all settled down for the night. We all (Matt, Me, Tober, Wyle, Emma and Avi) went to get them. Matt and I put them in boxes and the children loaded them into the car. ...
We have 13 chickens again and a rooster. I hope that this was a good choice and that they all settle into their new homes well.
Last week a neighbor offered us 13 one year old chickens (12 hens and a rooster). We like the idea of younger hens, but did not necessarily want that many. We offered to split them with a friend, and give her the rooster. We just gave away 6 of our hens on Craigslist. Maybe we did not chose the wisest way, but we picked 3 that were Barred Rocks, 2 that never fit in well that we got from a friend last fall, and the Silver Wyandotte that fights with the rooster. We kept two Buff Orphingtons, a Rex Sexlink, 2 ISA Browns, and 2 Australorps. Only one is young enough to likely lay much. It will be interesting the next day or two, to see how many eggs we get, but we have high hopes the 1 year olds will lay a lot so we will be fine, but might choose to give away a few more, or at least put them in the separate coop and test their egg laying prowess.
I also just saw a thing about saving eggs in a "water bottle" solution. One lady online says she kept hers for 8 months. I want to try it. Using Pickling lime or Calcium hydroxide in a water solution. Eggs all winter would be cool!
May 9, 2019
Tonight we picked up the chickens.
We got a Rooster, 2 Barred Rocks, a Black Sex link, A Wyandotte, a Red Sex Link, and a Buff Orphington for our Friends that gave us our Rooster and an Australorp.
We got for us: A Red Sex link, A Buff Orphington, A Black Sexlink, 2 white ones we are not sure about -- one might be Might be a Austra White or a Columbian Wyandotte, the other might be the Autra White or a white leghorn.. not sure, then one that looks like a golden and white Wyandotte.
The smallest white one escaped as we were putting her in the coop, we had to catch her and put her back. That was exciting... I feel bad for her, she was scared, but they are all settled down for the night. We all (Matt, Me, Tober, Wyle, Emma and Avi) went to get them. Matt and I put them in boxes and the children loaded them into the car. ...
We have 13 chickens again and a rooster. I hope that this was a good choice and that they all settle into their new homes well.
Sunday, May 5, 2019
May
April showers Bring May flowers
It is now May 5th --Cinco de Mayo -- Who needs an excuse to eat Mexican food? I love it anyway
May the 4th Star Wars Day
We worked together on a variety of projects. Put tin on the new Hay/Straw shed, Moved composted straw from the floor of the old Hay Shed to the garden area, worked on the fencing around the Broody coop, dug thistles, took apart pallets for the flood bed...
Earlier in the week our eldest son mowed, and mowed and mowed some more while I puttered on other projects. I was really grateful! He also helped put up and build sections of the flood bed. We are now at 44 of the 100-150 feet we are looking to build!!! Not bad since this is our summer goal and it is almost 1/2-1/3 complete before summer vacation begins.
It is great seeing the green grass, trees and shrubs grow new leaves...
This week we might be getting some new chickens. A neighbor up the road offered us his younger chickens. We are splitting them with a friend who gave us the rooster in the first place, then later gave us one of their hens. We hope to give away a few of our older, less appreciated hens so we can keep the younger ones to lay for the next couple years. We have been getting 6-8 eggs a day, not bad for a mostly older flock. We are so blessed!
It is now May 5th --Cinco de Mayo -- Who needs an excuse to eat Mexican food? I love it anyway
May the 4th Star Wars Day
We worked together on a variety of projects. Put tin on the new Hay/Straw shed, Moved composted straw from the floor of the old Hay Shed to the garden area, worked on the fencing around the Broody coop, dug thistles, took apart pallets for the flood bed...
Earlier in the week our eldest son mowed, and mowed and mowed some more while I puttered on other projects. I was really grateful! He also helped put up and build sections of the flood bed. We are now at 44 of the 100-150 feet we are looking to build!!! Not bad since this is our summer goal and it is almost 1/2-1/3 complete before summer vacation begins.
It is great seeing the green grass, trees and shrubs grow new leaves...
This week we might be getting some new chickens. A neighbor up the road offered us his younger chickens. We are splitting them with a friend who gave us the rooster in the first place, then later gave us one of their hens. We hope to give away a few of our older, less appreciated hens so we can keep the younger ones to lay for the next couple years. We have been getting 6-8 eggs a day, not bad for a mostly older flock. We are so blessed!
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