Surviving Minnesota!

[jerryse]

I did not realize the raspberry needed the warm/cold element. How interesting. I always knew that alot of dispersion is done by birds of course ...but I did not realize there was another physiological process happening with the seed...or that it was needed.

Jerry I have my one thing for the day! Ha!

Yes very complex seed . Do not let them dry out as it triggers another type of dormancy that could last for years . A lot of misinformation out there on these . Some say sulfuric acid but that is lab grade and hard to get . Battery acid is not strong enough or a least no one knows the length of time to soak in this dilution . Pure bleach for 8 hours is reported to work well . Nicking the seed did not work . I have spent years trying to find the right method .

 

[Bogtown Chick]

To those considering straw bale gardening, My wife has a customer that she has done several projects for. The woman is an avid gardener and went to a seminar which included info on straw bale gardens. She was very enthused to give it a try, but after the first year had enough of that novelty.

Bogtown, if you were at the Jack Meade gun club for the trap competition I likely heard every shot your son took. It is approx. a mile and a half from my place with the wind normally in my direction.

Ralphie, depending on how late you are hatching those EEs this spring I may be a buyer for some of the pullets?

Oh I'm so sorry Ed....Yes that was us.

. DS shot 75 times. His team has 28 boys and 2 girls. Some shot 100 times. And I believe there was 15-20 teams there. 75-100 x 30 (on average) x 15-20. That's alot of noise. All day long. LOL. Avid as I am for my son to be in this ...I would not want to be neighbor to a gun range. So with my Sincerest regrets we added to the mayhem....that day. And the Wind was blowing holy H-E- double hockey sticks off the lake.

Well that's what I'm a bit worried about...is these decomposing bales the next year and it not being such an elegant way to garden...I must say...the bales seem a tidge unsightly. And around my house I do like a few aesthetics...if I'm putting in the effort of a garden for yard improvement AND food. Maybe I'll just do those raised beds up in my retaining wall that I talked about last year.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Yes very complex seed . Do not let them dry out as it triggers another type of dormancy that could last for years . A lot of misinformation out there on these . Some say sulfuric acid but that is lab grade and hard to get . Battery acid is not strong enough or a least no one knows the length of time to soak in this dilution . Pure bleach for 8 hours is reported to work well . Nicking the seed did not work . I have spent years trying to find the right method .

Wow...it is a tough little wonder. Mother Nature is so amazing sometimes.

 

[Dandelioness]

I've been considering the straw bale method, too, Bogtown. But I do some hugelculture and "back to eden" things - it seems like the straw bales are a similar concept, but I would have to buy bales rather than use organic "refuse" I've got around here.

Thanks for sharing your wife's experience, EJB. I may still try a bale or two just for the novelty. We are so sandy, any organic matter that would get scattered around after the first year will help improve my soil.

Holm - that is a lot of beef!! How many acres do you pasture them on?? And I love the idea of frozen minnow treats. I suppose your hens started copying your waterfowl & a couple found they like it.

Thanks for the explanation, Jerry. I crossed some barred hens (cuckoo marans) with an EE roo (had a red-breasted black pattern) and all the cockerel offspring has barring, but the females were all black with maybe a little gold around their necklines. So kind of the opposite of what you're doing, I was trying to make some olive eggers. Would the pullets be barred in your cross?

Sounds like everyone is enjoying the day - back to mine.

 

[jerryse]

Thanks for the explanation, Jerry. I crossed some barred hens (cuckoo marans) with an EE roo (had a red-breasted black pattern) and all the cockerel offspring has barring, but the females were all black with maybe a little gold around their necklines. So kind of the opposite of what you're doing, I was trying to make some olive eggers. Would the pullets be barred in your cross?

Sounds like everyone is enjoying the day - back to mine.

Yes the hens are barred and the pullets that hatch will be . Due to barring being on one of the sex chromosones hens only get one copy that they pass only to their sons . That is how you got sex link barred cockerels . Males can have 1 or 2 copies . So to breed true for barring the males need 2 copies and the hens must be barred .

Barred breeds based on black like your cuckoo Marans are considered semi auto sexing and can be sexed by the Barred Rock method .

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/798635/sight-sexing-barred-plymouth-rock-chicks-at-hatch

 

[lvie]

Morning vent/rant . I have a person wanting eggs on BYC . I notified here that I was going to offer some of the auto sexing EE . She wants minty green layers and she can not have roosters .She wants to rehome the male chicks . She now wants me to send a couple of eggs so she can decide if the color suits her .

Time to be a bellybutton I guess . Ever year I get at least 1 PITA . Not good when it is the first potental sale .

OMGosh! That is too funny. I actually did LOL. So when are you sending them? LOL

Morning vent/rant . I have a person wanting eggs on BYC . I notified here that I was going to offer some of the auto sexing EE . She wants minty green layers and she can not have roosters .She wants to rehome the male chicks . She now wants me to send a couple of eggs so she can decide if the color suits her .

Time to be a bellybutton I guess . Ever year I get at least 1 PITA . Not good when it is the first potental sale .

 

[duluthralphie]

To those considering straw bale gardening, My wife has a customer that she has done several projects for. The woman is an avid gardener and went to a seminar which included info on straw bale gardens. She was very enthused to give it a try, but after the first year had enough of that novelty.

Bogtown, if you were at the Jack Meade gun club for the trap competition I likely heard every shot your son took. It is approx. a mile and a half from my place with the wind normally in my direction.

Ralphie, depending on how late you are hatching those EEs this spring I may be a buyer for some of the pullets?

When will you want some? I am not able to sex mine, and Unless Jerry sends me some eggs so I can check the color and see if they really are autosexing I am afraid you get run of the mill EE's. BUT I will have some EE/PC (ed) crosses, I have some of those in the incubator now.


I will have some of Ole's grandkids hatching later as both my EE roosters the pure EE and the half Creamette one are Ole's kids. He got around...

 

[jerryse]

When will you want some? I am not able to sex mine, and Unless Jerry sends me some eggs so I can check the color and see if they really are autosexing I am afraid you get run of the mill EE's. BUT I will have some EE/PC (ed) crosses, I have some of those in the incubator now.


I will have some of Ole's grandkids hatching later as both my EE roosters the pure EE and the half Creamette one are Ole's kids. He got around...

If you use your creametts with your EE or PC roosters you will get sex link barred cockerels . Those can be sexed at hatch .

 

[lvie]

Quote:

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Of course, this make perfect sense to me Jerryse. LOL

 

[duluthralphie]

Jerry, You have to slow down on the knowledge you pass to us. You sometimes teach us 2 or 3 things a day. We have limits on what we can learn..


I did not know a raspberry had to pass through the birds digestive system. I did know some seed did. There is a name for that, but my mind is too far gone to recall it now.

I wish sandburs had to go through an animals system to germinate. I have 44 yards of compost coming this spring, so I should have a decent garden for a change.

I have a half Creamette Half Ole hen in with Ed. She lays the prettiest blue egg I have ever seen (which is my proof Ole had the blue egg gene). Way bluer than the Creamette eggs, but it is small.

I have a 2nd EE in there that lays a huge Green Olive Green. (like South southwest) What color eggs can I expect from those chicks?