BYC Café

[DobieLover]

I'm still trying to teach Piper to use the bell when she needs to go out. She instead tends to pick it up and carry it around the house.

But, she rang the bell about 10 minutes ago so I jumped up and let them all out.

I happened to notice a crow sitting on the coop roof over the corner where the hanging basket with the junco nest is. I had checked the nest yesterday and the eggs had hatched and it looked like the 3 chicks were about 5 to 7 days old.

I went out to check not only the nest but Astrid's chicks. Astrid's chicks are fine. The junco chicks are gone. That junco pair has been nesting in the hanging baskets I place on that side of the coop for the last 3 years. I wonder if they will abandon the site now that it has been attacked.

 

[DobieLover]

This makes me nervous after the crow attack. Maybe Astrid's big black self is enough of a deterrent to stop a crow from attacking one of her chicks.

 

[aart]

I'm still trying to teach Piper to use the bell when she needs to go out. She instead tends to pick it up and carry it around the house.

I hung mine on the wall(screw and string) by the door.

 

[Mtn Margie]

No, I think the crow can figure it out...
Good morning! Sun and no rain for a few days.
Time to scrape off the fungus amongus!

 

[sourland]

Good morning, and thanks for the coffee.

Pretty scary things those frogs.

Dogs are very aware/leery of amphibians and reptiles. That's how my dogs generally react to turtles or toads.

I was once running dogs with an older friend (yeah, a long time ago) when his dog rolled out in a big loop from a deer trail and about 30' ahead came back into the line. I asked what that was all about, and Bert said, "between where she left the line and recovered it there will be a snake." He was right - Susie had been bitten by a copperhead in the past and was apparently very snake aware.

 

[aart]

Cool Cooler day reprieve, hot tomorrow with copious rain to follow.

Hoping to get some whacking done today, lotsa saplings growing near the septic tank.
Need to get that cleared then edge in some copper sulfate all around the tank.

Cooler, not really cool, especially with any physical activity.
Got a bunch of saplings, and very tall grass, whacked down.
Edging the septic tank is going to be more difficult than it was a few years ago, soil has built up deeper and is hard as rock with the drought. It might have to wait until after the rain storms forecast(if they actually happen). I am drenched in sweat and breathing hard.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I was in the garden, feels like 91°. Picked peas, beans and tomatoes. And pulled weeds. I was in shade and still covered in sweat and bug bites. Ugh.

 

[Sally PB]

I don't go anywhere without my bug net over my hat. Very hard to do anything with a deer fly buzzing around your head. I got bit twice on the back of my right hand yesterday. Dang, those bites itch!

We're supposed to get rain Sunday and Monday, and possibly into Tuesday. Please...? Oh, please....

Ionia County is in Extreme drought right now, 3 of 5 on the drought scale.

 

[CapricornFarm]

There are biting flies in the barn and the goat house. I put up sticky tapes, but i think i will take the chickens out and spray in there. Tired of getting bitten.

 

[DobieLover]

biting flies

They are the worst.