Auburn Javas?

[henaynei]

you are going the direction I hope to ... I am widowed and trying to support myself on SS and some part time work and still have time for this endeavor
I was going to do a small garden this year but the youngster I had helping me layered with the wood chips from the pine chip pile, mostly short needle pine. Too much tannin for what I need to grow. Limited in what I can grow due to a dearth of sunshine on the open areas of my property.
I'm doing the Back to Eden method and had several good and composting layers I'd started in late fall. I'll just wait until late summer to plant some cool weather crops after the pine needles have had a chance to compost and rinse out with the summer rains Guess G-d was telling me to take small moves.
I hope to get into some simple soap making this summer....

p.s. My eggs are being shipped this coming Monday! Road trip to organic non-GMO feed provider on Monday too. Just to scope them out and for the fun of it! After that we'll have feed shipped.

 

[Tiegrsi]

p.s. My eggs are being shipped this coming Monday! Road trip to organic non-GMO feed provider on Monday too. Just to scope them out and for the fun of it! After that we'll have feed shipped.

I will have to look up the "back to Eden" method...I haven't heard of it. I'm sure your fall garden will be amazing! And next year you will be ready for a wonderful spring and summer garden.

Sounds like you have all your ducks in a row. Timing doesn't always work out well for us, but as long as you keep going forward it doesn't really matter.

 

[henaynei]

I have to guard my back aggressively - I was paralyzed in 1987 a month after I married and told I'd never walk again (am a nurse - work injury).
G-d used a faithful and stubborn husband and a very talented and skilled chiropractor do what 3 surgeons said could only happen and at that only a 50/50 chance, with extensive and risky surgery.

If I am going to make a go of homesteading without putting myself back to bed, this time without anyone to care for me, I have to work smart instead of hard.

So, here is a link to some information about BTE gardening. Paul Gautschi is the man who rediscovered this, and it works as long as we do it AS he instructs. Many people will say they tried it and it failed, but everyone I've seen has modified the method in some way or other that seems better or necessary to them, and they failed.

More resources:
http://www.backtoedenfilm.com/
http://www.backtoedenfilm.com/gardenblog/tour-paul-gautschis-home-garden
https://www.facebook.com/pg/BackToE...ng/photos/?tab=album&album_id=143161515720773

 

[henaynei]

My eggs have arrived! And they appear to have survived the trip. I'm letting them rest for at least 12 hours before putting them in the incubator.
The adventure begins

 

[Tiegrsi]

My eggs have arrived! And they appear to have survived the trip. I'm letting them rest for at least 12 hours before putting them in the incubator.
The adventure begins

That's great news! I hope they turn into lovely little peepers! Please post some pictures once they are hatched.

 

[henaynei]

I will! Thanks!

 

[henaynei]

All the eggs arrived wonderfully intact They were each wrapped in tissue, placed in cardboard 18 count egg cartons and all wrapped and covered in raw wool. Not a single crack.

We rested them for 18+ hours and set in the incubator about midnight on the morning of 4/6, set at 99.5F and about 35-40% humidity. The incubator is at a friend's home as I am absent from home for long periods due to work and have no room closed to my cats. My friend feels the humidity should be and has kept it at least 40%. She feels it should be even maybe 50% for incubation. I'm not sure we are losing moisture at an appropriate rate.

We candled for the first time yesterday. Only 2 clears and 3 with blood ring! About another 5 are rather iffy to our untrained eyes (think we saw veining and dark areas for the embryo, but not sure) and 4 have rather large oddly shaped air cells compared to the rest. Have kept all but the 2 clears and 3 with blood rings and continue to incubate.

Several of the ones we kept have what we think may be rather small air cells for this late but seemed to have good veining and activity of the embryo. But what do we know - it is our first ever hatch!!!

We did not (should have and will next time) weight them before setting to gauge appropriate moisture loss.


Happy and delighted with the high % of potential live embryos at this point - 87%! More than I expected for shipped eggs. But the proof is in the hatching....

 

[henaynei]

Our first 2
One has umbilical cord or other tissue on top of back half and on his bottom - nothing bleeding at this time-his shell was very bloody. They both went from only internal pip to complete hatch in about 4 hours.

 

[henaynei]

Well, about 48 hr after lockdown we have 11 hatched and 2 partially unzipped and still in incubator - will wait another 48 hours before calling it quits on the rest of the eggs given that the first one hatched less than 12 hours after lockdown, thus it will be 4 days after lockdown - unless one of you more experienced folks feel we should give them more time???

 

[henaynei]

I'm Really hoping to get at least 2 decent breeding pairs (dare I hope for trios?) out of this hatch! If so next time I'm going to let the hens incubate! Might even get a couple of silkies for brooding duty!
I know they'll do a better job than me.
Any one know of any Auburn Javas other than Lyle Behl? These are from his wonderful flock but I'd like to add another blood line as well. AND I'd like to avoid shipping if possible....