California - Northern

[OR4-hmom]

Outdoor work planned up here also, after the frost clears. Trees to prune, raised beds to spruce up, wait for the roofer to come back for the 4th time.

Ordering our spring seeds this morning also. Maybe it will give DH incentive to help me get the plywood out of the breeder pen so I can finish it up. If not,hes going to have chicken dust on all his seedlings.

 

[PetRock]

For those of you who are planting a garden and looking for non GMO vegie seeds, check out this Mother Earth News article with their top 15 vegetable seed companies:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/orga...-seed-companies-zm0z11zsto.aspx#axzz2KVpiLIFZ

 

[chickee]

Chickee,
do you have any 4 to 5 week old chicks? of those crosses?
I have 6 rooster chicks I am getting rid of today. so I will have 1 little girl and boy so would like to get a few more pullet chicks to add with them.

I'm sorry I don't. All I have is one 17 week old pullet that is buff with a sprinkling of partridge markings.

 

[debs_flock]

Pens are finally finished!


Now I just need to backfill the dirt & cobbles on top of the wire surrounding the outside edge, and put sand inside each pen.

I WANT that, pass it over and no one gets hurt!!!!

Quote:
I swapped for some cayuga eggs from a SQ line.

Just right click on it and save it as a picture. Then when you want to use it, insert a picture instead of the insert a smiley button. I've been swiping and saving every one I like for weeks now, LOL

Quote:
I can't wait to see their cute little duckie faces. I might feel different when I see how messy they are to raise. When my son was in 4H, we'd let all his WF swim in the bathtub everyday until they were old enough to go outside. And of course you had to float grass clippings in the water for them to dabble at.

Tilled the garden today. The chickens were going crazy over all the worms etc. We're getting ready for spring DH bought me a rototiller for a early Valentines day present. LOL, so far a presents over the last few years... I've gotten a lawn mower, a leaf blower, weadeater, and shop vac. I love getting useful gifts that make my chores easier. Who needs cut flowers, jewelry and chocolate

I want this too!!! Come and put in the retaining wall and rototill for me NOW! Of course, you have to stay to run off all the stinking deer too.....



Deb

 

[capayvalleychick]

really nice. is there runs attached to the back?

No. I want to put one big run attached to the entire front, so that I can let some or all birds in these pens have some exercise during the day. Individual run fencing for these are out of my budget. These pens were intended to be a place to keep extra roosters. I may have to use them as breeding pens, until I get those built. I don't like to keep chickens cooped all the time, so I will probably rotate the roosters from here to the mobile pasture coop. That way they all get some free range time. I wish that I could still let them all free range together, all the time, but now that I'm doing more selective breeding- plus all the males don't get along- that's no longer possible.

I was thinking about you, yesterday. A pair of redtail hawks swooped down over my Delawares, closer than I've ever seen. They were beautiful birds, such vibrant color. They flew only about 8 feet above the Dels in their run. One flew up into the trees and the other circled back to fly over my front yard, where I let my young chickens range. They both flew out to the pasture and met up over the pasture coop, briefly circling, then flew away. They were obviously checking out each of the chicken areas. That was the first time I've ever felt that they might be a threat. There is a resident hawk, who roosts on the telephone pole just outside the pasture, who never bothers the chickens. I'm wondering if this was him, with a mate, or some migrating hawks. I hope that they prefer squirrel & rabbit to chicken!

Debi, I wanted to say that your sister is in my prayers.

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Pens are finally finished!


Now I just need to backfill the dirt & cobbles on top of the wire surrounding the outside edge, and put sand inside each pen.

Congrats!! I LOVE it!

 

[PetRock]

Debi, I wanted to say that your sister is in my prayers.

Thank you, Kim. She is having surgery on Valentine's Day. I guess no one else wanted surgery on that day so they were able to get her in earlier than would normally have been possible. She has opted for major surgery rather than just a lumpectomy so the reconstruction process will take a year. It was a tough decision for her. I can't imagine having to make that kind of decision. I admire her so much!

 

[capayvalleychick]

She has opted for major surgery rather than just a lumpectomy so the reconstruction process will take a year.

That is a brave decision. I have a friend who has been a breast cancer survivor for decades. The disease is very prevalent in her family. She chose to have the surgery, total mastectomy including removal of the lymph nodes, but refused radiation treatment. She is doing great. Her only issue has been that she can't lift heavy things any more (ie a Geman Shepherd up onto a table etc.)
My sister had a simple lumpectomy and radiation. No family history of cancer. A few years later, she became ill from leukemia and died 6 months later.

I know that everyone is different, but as terrifying as it is, from these experiences I think surgery is the safest option.

 

[WildflowerJLH]

For those of you who are planting a garden and looking for non GMO vegie seeds, check out this Mother Earth News article with their top 15 vegetable seed companies:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/orga...-seed-companies-zm0z11zsto.aspx#axzz2KVpiLIFZ

Be careful with this list. After the article was published, one of the big name companies (Burpee, FM, Johnny Select) said that they do have some seeds that come from Monsanto. I will see if I can find that article again.

 

[PetRock]

That is a brave decision. I have a friend who has been a breast cancer survivor for decades. The disease is very prevalent in her family. She chose to have the surgery, total mastectomy including removal of the lymph nodes, but refused radiation treatment. She is doing great. Her only issue has been that she can't lift heavy things any more (ie a Geman Shepherd up onto a table etc.)
My sister had a simple lumpectomy and radiation. No family history of cancer. A few years later, she became ill from leukemia and died 6 months later.

I know that everyone is different, but as terrifying as it is, from these experiences I think surgery is the safest option.

I'm so sorry about the loss of your sister. I lost my mom to pancreatic cancer in '95 but I still miss her. I think that the loss of my mom factored into my sister's decision to go ahead with a double mastectomy. She didn't want to have it come back and to put her family through this whole thing again. She is hoping that her lymph nodes are not involved and she won't have to have radiation or chemo. She is the first person in our family to have breast cancer and we are thanking God that she doesn't have the gene mutation because that would have meant an even higher risk for the rest of us. There are 3 of us sisters and between us we have 7 daughters.