Surviving Minnesota!

[Cebarmlds]

I forgot to shut a coop door and lost chickens . No bodies or feathers so maybe a fox . Next night raccoons broke into a pen and ate eggs I was leaving so the hen would go broody . So likely young coons .

Sorry how many chickens did you lose.

 

[Cebarmlds]

Rained all day here but tomorrow looks decent. The garden will be growing.

 

[Tfred1399]

Rained all day here but tomorrow looks decent. The garden will be growing.

Was hoping to get ours planted today. I guess we'll shoot for tomorrow.

 

[Tfred1399]

Had most of the chicks and the big flock out in the yard together today. A little pecking, but not too bad.

 

[jerryse]

Sorry how many chickens did you lose.

6

 

[Cebarmlds]

I saved out two of the golden pumpkins to plant on the other side of the property so maybe the seeds from them will be true? In the pumpkin patch I have squash and sugar pie pumpkin also and it’s not a very big area, part is took up by comfrey which is great for fertilizer among other things....

 

[jerryse]

I saved out two of the golden pumpkins to plant on the other side of the property so maybe the seeds from them will be true? In the pumpkin patch I have squash and sugar pie pumpkin also and it’s not a very big area, part is took up by comfrey which is great for fertilizer among other things....

They are in the Hubbard group C. Maxima . You are probably safe as I think sugar pie is in C. Pepo group . Not sure what else you have . I often plant squash from different families in the same garden and save pure seed . This year I have Cushaw , Golden Delicious and Zucchini . I could also do butternut or Dickinson pumpkin . All would be pure seed as each is in a different group .

 

[Cebarmlds]

Golden Hubbard is my squash
Zucchini nearby in the main garden and some Chinese gourds.

 

[jerryse]

Golden Hubbard is my squash
Zucchini nearby in the main garden and some Chinese gourds.

Well it will cross with Hubbard . Not sure what group Chinese gourds are in . Edit to add . I had to look the gourds up . Bottle gourd group . Night blooming . Safe there .

 

[BantyChooks]

Figured I'd ask here, since there's probably more real breeders here than anywhere else on BYC. My Silver Ameraucana is rapidly setting himself up for a one way trip to the crock pot, but I was going to breed him for another season at least to try and preserve maximum genetic diversity. Could I use a son of his back on the original hens without backing myself into all sorts of bad corners? I realise a lot depends on bird vitality and how good the line is. He is a fairly decent bird in looks, nice wide set legs and better back than most of the hens, but boy, is he a jerk. I'm not all that inclined to put the work into re-training him but I will if needed.