Colorado

[megshenhut]

I bought the Welsummer eggs from BYC member bwalden (Brian).

Ok, I've seen him on BYC. Looks like he has nice chickens and eggs. You must keep us posted on how they do.

 

[WendyGeisler]

Quote: What are you planting this year, Wendy?
HI Pozees,
Well we have a big garden, so i plant a bit of everything. Several types of lettuce,romaines, spinach, I got a bit crazy on the colored carrots. Broccoli, kale, I like lots of varieties of beets, the regular herbs, 3 types of corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, peas, onions, grapes, Our big thing this coming spring, is we ordered 20 types of fruit trees and 10 fruiting bushes for our front yard. We are putting the orchard in! It's been a long time coming. The orchard is across from my bee hives. We are at 6200 feet. And we have had great success with growing corn.

 

[Pozees]

Wendy, how are your bees managing this weather? I am very excited for you as you put your orchard in, and interested to hear how the various fruit trees do - are you putting in big trees or small?

 

[Pozees]

megshenhut, I will definitely keep you posted on how the Wellie eggs do

 

[WendyGeisler]

HI Pozees,
My bees are doing well. We were super overboard crazy in protecting them this fall. We put up insulation around each wall, then tar paper, then 9 bales of straw. They are pretty snug. We also chose not to harvest the honey, since the prediction was to have such a hard winter, and these were first year hives.I have seen a lot of friends who posted they lost their bees colonies after the freeze we had in December. So I guess we will see. I am still feeding them pollen patties. I was expecting this to be a hard winter, and it sure has for the bees.

As for fruit trees... we ordered semi-dwarfs that were about 6 foot starters. We ordered 3 varieties of apple, peach, pear, plum, cherry, nectarine, and apricots. We also ordered bush cherries, blueberries, pink lemonade blueberries, gooseberries, and marion berries. Once it goes in my hubby will electrify the fence around the orchard for the bears. Our land is in a valley so we are fairly protected and get a good amount of sun.
So happy to have a snow day today! Last night was the first time the stubborn turkeys willingly went into their turkey hotel without our assistance.

 

[WendyGeisler]

Here is what we did in the fall, the bales are higher on the north side, and lower on the south side. My dad's best friend in PA sent me photos on how he heats his hives through the winter. i think I will do that next fall.

 

[yawningreyhound]

Colorado Peeps!

Is anyone else as cold as I am?

I just went out to refresh the coop run water and defrost their mash and I wasn't out there 10 minutes and my well gloved hands are getting all stove up with the cold.

But we have sun today! and I dropped the coop run tarps and the 5 girls are basking (well, relatively) in the sun sitting on the straw bales.

Since they're locked in the dry run with this weather, I try to fling stuff around for them to do all day, pecking for it. I threw a handful of their feed out and I swear, the lead girl pecked it, then looked at me as if to say "Really? Chicken chow? Where's that scratch?"

It's up to a balmy -1. Which is better than the -16 I awoke to I suppose!

Hope everyone and all your nestlings are doing alright!

 

[Aacre]

Colorado Peeps!

Is anyone else as cold as I am?

I just went out to refresh the coop run water and defrost their mash and I wasn't out there 10 minutes and my well gloved hands are getting all stove up with the cold.

But we have sun today! and I dropped the coop run tarps and the 5 girls are basking (well, relatively) in the sun sitting on the straw bales.

Since they're locked in the dry run with this weather, I try to fling stuff around for them to do all day, pecking for it. I threw a handful of their feed out and I swear, the lead girl pecked it, then looked at me as if to say "Really? Chicken chow? Where's that scratch?"

It's up to a balmy -1. Which is better than the -16 I awoke to I suppose!

Hope everyone and all your nestlings are doing alright!

It's 14 degrees where I am at. The sun is out, so it feels warmer than when it actually is warmer and no sun. Go figure. But I have left the coop door open to give the chickens a chance to free range if they want to get out of. They have a run, but I didn't cover it this winter, so it's all snowy. I doubt they will step out on the snow. But the sun is out!!

 

[yawningreyhound]

Hey you guys! If I throw out some black oil sunflower seed is that ok if I don't overdo it? I give them a little scratch midafternoon to fill up their crops with heat producing grain, but they so like the sunflower seed. What's overdoing?

I read 1/4 cup of scratch per day for 5 chickens. (the girls think that is inadequate)

I don't care if they're making eggs at this point, I just want them to have the ability to stay warm! But I don't want to screw up their systems with my idea of what they need.

But I did get my one egg today! Amazing that they can make an egg in this weather!

Thanks all!!!!!!!!

 

[Pozees]

We give scratch every afternoon late - ours has rolled oats, whole barley and wheat, cracked corn, and wild bird seed. I don't measure, they just get "some" - this time of year whatever they will eat works for me, as long as they have food in their crops at bedtime I'm happy.