***OKIES in the BYC III *** - Page 2607

Mornning All,

   I am back from my visit with my parents in Michigan. It was 80* and sunny every day - very unusual weather for March in Michigan. They had a mild winter too, even stranger than our mild winter. DH did a good job with my birds, I think he secretly enjoyed it. The broodies wouldn't let him check under them though.

I'm really glad I got the leafs cleaned out of mine before the rain hit!  I would of had a mess for sure, there were alot of oak leafs piled up.

How is everyone this morning?

 Robin what you want to get is called garden or ag. lime and can be bought at most garden centers. What you want to stay away from is slaked lime which is also known as builder's lime. When water is added slaked lime really heats up.

  Lime is used to sweeten soil and in the case of chicken runs will help with odor control. I'm told that it's bacteria that creates the odor and it likes a high acid enviroment to really flourish so by lowering the PH you can keep odors down. 
 

Basically Ag. lime is just finely crushed limestone rock.

 How about some Silkies that lay blue eggs or NNs? There is a guy in Australia that has bred the blue-egg genes into these two breeds.

 http://www.reocities.com/Petsburgh/6624/

This is a test, I am trying to figure out how to post pics since they have changed everything, this is supose to be a pic of a painting of a Gamefowl a lady has done on the Show me your Gamefowl forum. Lynn

Morning Chicken loving Gardeners!!! Here is a quote from one of my other pages I thought might interest some of you with small planting spaces!  Lynn

I have been growing potatoes in grow bags for years-it is a wonderful way to grow LOADS of them in small spaces! Rather than buy the expensive ready made grow bags though, I buy rolls of landscapers fabric on clearance at the end of each season, and make my own for the next. I am NOT a sewer, but you can easily buzz up the sides and bottoms of the fabric to form a bag. I roll down the top, add my soil and seed potatoes, and roll the top up as I add more soil when the potatoes show green. When time to harvest, I just tip the whole bag over on to a tarp, pluck out the yummy taters, and put the soil back in the bag ready for the next season (you will need new bags to add the extra soil to that was added during the "hilling" process. I just store the bags up under the eaves of the house for the next season. I grow 9 varieties of fingerling, new, and regular potatoes, and ended up with more out of my compact grow bags than my father in law did in his one acre garden! Also, don't forget about inverted gardening, where you grow plants upside down in hanging containers-does double duty, since you can grow lettuce, herbs, or another plant out of the top at the same time stuff is growing out of the bottom-wonderful use of space!

Brenda
 

It's more like a meeting of extended family that all get along, then throw in the buy sell or trade of all things poultry or poultry related. A good day of food, fun, games, and learning experiences where you you can aquire new birds, eggs, chicks, etc. as well as arts crafts and other products.

 Need to see if we can get smiths poultry to set up a booth.
 

I had only seen the want have list - and it started getting me very tempted!!

Robin - That's a great mom story.  I love it.

I have a mom story tonight too.  I found a box with three kittens in it in the barn yesterday: one white, one black, and one oranged striped.  Two cats are no loner pregnant, and they are sharing the box and the kittens.  The white cat is probably the mother of the white kitten with the black head spot, and the dark cat is likely the mother of the darkest kitten, but which is the mother of the orange striped kitten?

Robin  I think Lea looks like a roo! Love the name by the way!lol

PoCo our oldest cat looks like the dark one only shorther haired. I never knew cats had such personalitys! This one can go from sweet angel to coniving devil! She amases me in that she actually seems to be able to think things out and get what she wants. On the same foot you can just see the wheels turning when she is plotting mischief against the Taco dog or the kitten! They are never ending enterainment!

#1 - Roo

#2 - pullet (almost sure)

#3 - pullet

#4 - roo

#5 - roo

Thank you - so when is it and where is it at? Really excited - sounds like a ton of fun and learning would be an amazing thing.

Looking for - hens only  -  silkie, cochin, brahma, sultan, polish .... get the idea? lol I have a two to trade (rehome etc)- sex unknown pekins was given the ducklings in early Feb.

RetiredArmyWife - cool looking birds. 

Poco Pollo - cute cat pics! It is unusual for the cats to share quarters like that with their kittens but glad it's working out. 

Today the large fowl mama hen took her new Serama babies out for a day in the sun. She's very protective of them and is very gentle with them. I was a little worried about them getting squashed since she's so much bigger than they are. 

Any ideas on what breed this hen might be? I'm going on the guess that she's a mixed breed of some sort, but I really have no idea.

Choctaw, Saturday May 5.   More information and directions will be posted. 

So far about 78 people have indicated they are coming (Okie BYC members and family list). 

There is a list being posted of Haves and Wants. 

Another list is posted for food items and other stuff that is being brought to help in set-up.  

I have a list of things for the raffle. 
 

Rebecca is keeping this list...  send a private message PM  to Muesky to get your items listed.