I have it soooo bad.
I want spring, not snow!!! my horses are shedding but
still keeping their fuzzy coats. Nothing is growing here,
I guess the ground knows better than I do.
I just am so tired of not being able to breath outside
without coughing from the cold. and the wind. OMG.
My chicken sign blew down the other day. Now, we
don't have a farm sign, nor a egg sign anymore. The
wind out here is ferocious. I swear it! My word!
sorry about your sign ;0( Its rainy and cold here I was going to repot some of my seedlings but for the life of me I can't find the pots I swear I bought a month ago guess back to the store I go on my day off I hope it warms up soon for all of us
Gloria
its snowing here!! grrrrrrrrr
the ground is just about all white!!!
sorry about your signs sheri-we loose lots of stuff here too becuz of the winds!
WOW wigglypaw, that is quite an operation you've got going there. (your pic above) My horses are starting to shed too.I have to agree with you about this weather, IT STINKS. sorry about your sign.
Yup, way over on this side of the state too...sigh... at least it wasnt as much of the " s " word as they were saying. We got the crusty ice stuff- again!
But from what I heard/read were suppose to be low in the moisture department this season.
I remember back as a young'un there never was any summer until somewhere in the week of the fourth of July. Then after that...it was all down hill and by november 1st we had plenty of snow. I guess it kind of reminds me of how the UP winters still are. All that snow and cold, late thaw and early freeze.
Glad I didn't put up my egg tree early-lol , i would have been chasing eggs clear over to the neighbors and beyond!
We really have been spoiled over the last years-
I too have the BUG and bad! I put on some pounds and am wanting sooooo bad to get out and clean up the gardens- the just one day of nice amoung the 6-7 days of not, just dosen't cut it! To top it all off- all i've been doing is baking cookies..ironic huh? sigh..lol
What do you have growing Wiggly??
Looks like you have a whole acre of planting there!!
Veg. or Flowers??
Julie
P.S. Nice looking growing stands!!
I feel the same way Wiggly. I'm so ready for spring. I will be starting my seeds day after tomorrow on the 1st of April. I have my plant growing unit set up in the bunkhouse. Our baby chicks are coming on April 19th in the mail and they'll go in there in a box under a heat lamp till they're about 5 weeks old. Then they will go into their coop in the old barn. I'm hoping the lights from the plant growing unit will help keep it nice and warm in there. They put out a lot of light and heat. I have 12 four foot grow lamps. I'm growing mostly all veggies except for some sunflowers. Last year the deer ate my sunflowers. This year I'm going to put some chicken wire around them and spray them with Liquid Fence.
We were able to get out and spray all the fruit trees at least. The buds are swelling on them so it was time. I have 5 more apple trees coming from the conservation dept. tree sale. Between the gardening and chickens we'll be busy soon. I guess I should enjoy this down time we're having now.
It's cold and windy here. We had ice on the ground. I think it was only 30 degrees when we got up. burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr......... Sun is out though but the wind............sheesh!
Brenda
Got my veggies and flowers growing out in the bunkhouse. Here's a pic of my setup.
very nice Brenda I wish I had that much room!!
Gloria
loon, what kind of chicks did you hatch? I just moved 34 brahmas out to one of the coops yesterday.
Birdie
I didn't hatch them. I mail ordered them. I bought ten rhode island red hens and ten golden comet hens. They threw in one free fancy chick. I don't know what it is. It's all white. So far they're all alive. They're a week old today. We'll keep them in the bunkhouse under heat lamps for another 4 weeks if we can. If they get too big I'll have to put the heat lamps out in the chicken coop inside the old barn and hope they don't get chilled. I only wanted 8-10 hens. I ordered extra thinking some would die but they haven't so far. I hope I can sell the extras. We'll see. :)
I'm not sure what I'd do with 34 chickens and all the eggs they'd produce. :) I'm impressed.
Brenda
Brenda, your all white could be a sultan, or a silkie. If you got them from McMurry, they throw them in alot.
http://www.healthychicksandmore.com/
This is where I got my chickens from. I'm told I overpaid for them. I ordered just pullets. I didn't want to get roosters. The only rare breed chicks they have are Wyandottes or Brahmas that are white. I guess time will tell. I bought ten each of rhode island reds and golden comets. My husband informed me this morning there are 22 chickens not 21 like I thought so they must have either accidentally thrown in an extra or put one in for good measure. :) I paid $4.50 each for them. I thought I paid $3 but I just checked. OH well. I wanted sexed chickens so I guess you pay extra for that. They are healthy. I didn't lose a one. My neighbor gets her chicks from McMurrays and I know she said she lost half of them last year. It may be they didn't take as good of care of them though. I don't know. We fuss over these like they're fragile china. ha ha ha Hubby changes their water 5 or 6 times a day and changes their bedding every 3 days. We're careful to monitor their temperature too. They are really growing fast. It's been a fun experience.
I'm glad you're having fun! McMurry actually is a excellent hatchery,so maybe your neighbors don't have the "touch" like you do :)
I'm betting your pure white is a brahma.If itis you'll LOVE her!! Great layers,gentle, and wonderful broody hens. You'll get LOTS of eggs from a brahma.
But .............you can never go wrong with a Rhode Island Red!!
Thanks for letting me know that. I just hope it's a hen and not a rooster. I checked the box saying I wanted a free fancy chicken but I don't think I specified I wanted a girl. :) Time will tell I guess.
I also chose not to get them debeaked, vaccinated or wings trimmed. That was only .10 extra per bird. I didn't know what to do. Maybe I should have done that eh? Do you do that with yours?
Brenda
I never debeak and only trim wings after they are grown and then only if they are a flight problem. You only have to clip primary feathers then. On chicks, they actually cut off a part of the wing. Ewww. I've also never gotten vaccinated chicks as diseases usually aren't a problem in small clean flocks.
M.&M. is an excellent hatchery, though a bit pricey. I've always had good luck with their chicks.
Unfortunately the free chick from the hatchery is almost always a rooster. It's a good way for them to get rid of them. It's fun though, you never know what you are going to get.
Rohdies are the best! And commets are nice all round birds. It shouldn't be a problem to sell the extras later this year. There are always people looking for started pullets and I usually get six to eight bucks each for them. I always have extra silkie in the fall if you are ever interested! SInce I got my origional silkies for free (from a fellow Daves), I never charge for them. They are more yard pets than chickens.
I usually move mine outside when they get to be a pain inside. I cover the sides of the pen with sheets or anything handy (clip them up with clothes pins) to block the wind and hang a big lamp that they can get under if they want. Last year I moved everybody out by June and most were about three weeks old.
Just wait for your first eggs. You'll never be able to eat supermarket again. We have gotten so we raise about 25 meat birds along with some fresh hens and about a dozen turkeys, along with whatever my tree ducks produce. Last year we put almost 300 pounds of quality meat in the freezer and sold enough turkeys to pretty much pay for everybody's feed. I replace my hens when they are two (and eliminate any that I am not happy with production) and use the breast meat and make high quality chicken broth from the rest, then can it. I actually had someone pay $6.00 a quart for the broth. We do all this on less than one acre and there is a big garden in the middle.
Thanks so much for all the advice and comments. I'm so new to this. I have tried not to think about the day we have to butcher the chickens. I don't know if I can do that. I know. I'm a sissy. :) I really admire what you've done and am impressed with how organized you seem to be about the whole operation.
I figure my birds will be ready to go out to the coop in the barn by Memorial weekend. That's my goal anyway. We'll keep the heat lamp on it for a while anyway. Depends on the weather. I bought the golden comets because they claim they're good in cold weather and will survive cold winters in unheated sheds. I do plan to keep a heat lamp on for them anyway. We're going to devote one stall in the barn to the chickens for winter exercise in case it's too cold to go in their outdoor fenced in pen. We'll do the deep straw thing and keep a heatlamp or two on them. We hope they will continue to lay in the winter. We'll see.
Do you all have barn cats? I'm debating. I really don't want cats but fear the chickens will attract a lot of vermin. Our friend's ferrel cats are all pregnant and he's offered me some if I want them. What do you think?
Also, do you all feed your chickens any scraps from the vegetables from the garden? What do they like? How much do you give them?
I actually have a small compost pile in one of my chicken pens. I move it every year, and its the best. The chickens do all the turning (by scratching), and love to pick at the fruits,and veggies, and then add their poo along to it. Its wonderful. We usually carry about 50 chickens, 15-20 peacocks, my Narragansett turkeys, Guineas of course for the garden, and my beautiful tiny Seramas (tiny, tiny chickens, measured by their weight in ounces). I am an advocate of vaccination if you show, or your animals leave the farm then come back, so you'll be just fine without. My family farmed all my life, and I worked for Vet's for about 20 yrs. We rarely needed to debeak, and almost never had to clip wings. Chickens tend to want to stay home, for the most part. However there are always exceptions. We have a large barn/horse stable...........so barn cats are definitely a prerequisite. I'll attach a picture my daughter took of one in the barn on Sunday, its 36 hrs old. Birdie
Helooooo
I am in the throes of the last few weeks of school, finals and tests and
reports due all at once. ugh.
anyhow, i have most of my little seedlings out to the gh now, and boy
its getting crowded in there...time for another one!!! LOL. lou is going
to KILL me. no he's not.
I am growing a lot for the Spring Plant Swop in Freeport May 23.
I have tons of seedlings going of veg, corn, carrots, tomato, peppers, brocc,
then, annuals balsam and salvias, and fancy peonies, feathered name ones
like purple peony and danish flag. i have celosias, and clematis, morning glories,
echinaceas, malvas, daturas, you name it, I am growing it! LOL. I have the
touch I think for starting little itty bitty ditty seeds and then pricking them out
into cells one at a time and keeping them from dying, and then repotting,
now into a dixie cup of 8oz. size. My tomatos are already about a foot high
with many thick leaves and flowers coming. the french gherkins are flowering.
I also, cut into a english boxwood and started about 50 slips from a little
plant I bought this year. Its doing fabulous in the greenhouse, just growing
to beat the band. I will have lots of boxwoods!
I am going to make lots of semi hardwood slips this year, its time to propagate
the hell outta my plants that have managed to stay alive through michigan
and chickens digging them up and flingin em to kingdom come.
OH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I dug 10 giant holes, and we put 10 foot wooden poles in to them, and then
4 foot fencing, and additional 3 foot fencing above that,the chickens are in
jail!!!!!!!!!!!!! I saw one today on top of the 6 foot high gate, i threw scissors
at it. time to cut its wings. I know which one it is, and I am going to GET IT.
I planted about 30 Green Giant Thujas on Sunday, these are the ones that
I got from Mike Shades Botany Shop in MO, they are about 14" high now, from
the original 6" when I got them. I have one of my ducks on a nest in a bunch
of them so those I cannot move till she decided to hatch those eggs (Mallard
x Buff Runner) and then I can plant the rest.
I am selling plants this year at the Hastings Farmers market. Every
Saturday, under our little blue canopy tent, with thermos of coffee and two
chairs for lou and I.
Regards to everyone
sheri
Good job Sheri it must be a riot at your house flying chickens and scissors ;0) best of luck catching the the bird wish I lived closer I 'd love to come to your farmers market!!
Gloria
My coleus all germinated and now a bit overwhelmed :) Maybe 300 total plants.
...and my grasses are doing very well!
holy smokes thats a lot of coleus!
I never grew it from seed-heck i just started growing cuttings last yr
that Jazzy brought me
This year dan gave me a flat of them-beautiful they is!!!
great job there Kris
Yes, Kris nice green big toe ya got going there!
Nice Job!
Ladies, your more than welcome to come get some :) AND, all 3 of us on DG that live over here know about all the amazing greenhouses we have. You could easily make a weekend out of it! I have 3 places to visit w/ a huge selection of plants.
Birdie,
That is a sweet picture of that newborn kitten. I am still debating about getting a couple. I'd get them fixed for sure. I just don't want to get attached to them if they're going to be barn cats. I tend to get attached to animals.
Sherri, it sounds like you're busy with your fencing, chickens and plants. That is a lot of plants you've got going on. Wish I could go to your farmer's market. I hope you sell lots. I'm betting the prices at the nurseries will be higher than last year so if you're a bit cheaper you'll clean up.
Kris, that is a LOT of coleus! If you planted all those you sure could make a dramatic statement some place in your yard. :) Good job! Where are you going to plant the grasses? I think you need a greenhouse. :)
Brenda
Brenda,
I am currently accepting funding for a greenhouse. All donations can be made to me in my name w/ no tax credits ot money back :) BUT, my green thumbs and big toes would sure turn out some good stuff! And, I am almost certain my wife wouldn't be thrilled...
And a photo of some buttferly flowers and some other flowers that for the life of me I can't remember their name...but the attract butterfly's and hummers.
Kris,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,VERY impressed. I love coleus.Are you attending the swap in Freeport in May?
Birdie
Kris, fantastic babies! Without a greenhouse, where are you starting all of these? Oh, I wish that you were over here on my side of the state. LOL Have you thought of being a surrogate?
Has anyone planted vines, such as morning glories, in hanging baskets? I was wondering if that would work. I have a big south facing deck that I container garden in.
Mary Ellen
Mary Ellen,
Thanks. I am proud of how the kids are doing so far. If I could fund a garden I would gladly surrogate but what fun would that be for others...I attached a pic of my clearance item greenhouse from Hobby Lobby. It's 5 x 3 x 7. Next year I will be making one from pink foam insulation sheets and shelving w/ the same lighting system. I hope it works :)
Birdie,
Swap would be a great time to go to but simply too far for me. I also have my boys soccer games in the morning. Why dont ya'll come to THIS SIDE of the state??????
Patriotboy the swop is just south of you in freeport. May 23.
thats amazing with the coleus. look for sports and muties, grow those on!
what is with the grasses? will you need a smurf mower to mow those
grasses?
I am trying to grow a hachenechloa from seed. do you have any going?
if you do, can you send me some extra seed from hachnechloas please?
I got the greatest idea from suzieq cut mini blinds into plant labels. i have done
over 500 now, and its amazing great idea. not 500 blinds, but 500 labels.
thats what you see in my pictures above on the plant lighting shelfs.
i have moved a lot of my plants out to the gh yesterday. of course it is
going to drop into the 30's for a few nights coming up. i can't believe it.
i might have to light the gh overnight to keep it above fuh fuh fuhfreezing.
I made cuttings from my English box. I am so happy, I am now propagating.
This is a first here on the farm.
Locusts budding out. cypress and glyptostroboides too. birches popping
elms buds unrolling. my willow withes have rooted from last autumn and
I can dig them up and pot them on. we will have big willow trees down
by the stream! pretty!
have to go look at the maples by the pastures. i think they are budding,
but have to check. my ornamental cherries are budding too. tiny 8" lilac
bushes, the ones that made it through being dug up by the chickens about
20 times, are leafing out. I have 2 left. : (
all my rhododendrons are pretty nearly dead from being chickenized.
if i didn't sell those eggs, i would have some birds in the freezer, i am so
angry at them.
This has been a long spring for us. mostly I can read about other springs
in my garden journals and see that we had snow and wind and torrential
rains and then KABOOM, 90 degree weather and it would dry out. So, this
so far has been a gently occuring spring, conducive to growth. Lou says
the farmers are complaining already about the grey rainy days. too much
rain, too wet. my back pastures are swamps and lakes, I know they will
dry out though.
Sher
Sher,
The grasses are perenials that are supposed to grow up to 3 and half ft. Seeds were to small to put 2 or 3 of in each cell. So, I wont have to smurf the grass. Just seperate it.
What are "sports or muties"? This year is a total learning experience for me. I have learned that I dont have to plant the WHOLE pack of seeds!!!!! Cuz they always all germinate for me!
Yes the mini blind thing is a great idea. I actually got some tags from swappers and they havelasted several years now. Loved learning about all of the birds! I know absolutley nothing about them. Ronna
kris, your talking to a gal who doesn't consider a trip from Jenison to Freeport much more than a trip to the grocery store LOL
BUT.the soccer games does put a bit of a twist on it. I agree the "kiddos" gotta come first. Birdie
Ronna, see you tomorrow?
Ahhhh! Spring has finally arrived!
I CAN'T wait for the moles, Japanese Beetles, mildew, aphids, black spot, weeds and draught to take over my life again....er...ummm...
what was I thinking?!?
cottage_rose.....shhhhh those are bad words...I'm getting the duct tape out ^_^...
I just found out the neighbor 2 houses down has an outdoor cat who like to spend his night's hunting bunnies in my yard...I dont like bunnies to eat my stuff BUT I like bunnies otherwise. Kinda torn, you know?
I hate rabbits who eat my stuff. We have coyotes here who take care of them and hawks. They are cute but destructive. I'd be worried the cat would like to use your flower beds for a litter box. That's about worse than rabbits eating your flowers. :)
If that happens, I will have a polite conversation w/ the owner. Hopefully that will help. Otherwise, I know how to fix that problem...
i hate rabbits-BANG BANG!!!
i even took out the cutest lil chipmunk!!!
