Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[Mskayladog]

 I would take it back. You certainly do not want thistles coming up in your yard. The flax seed may have the DEA down on you too....Maryjane. I'd stick with scratch or a less exotic bird seed.

 I would take it back. You certainly do not want thistles coming up in your yard. The flax seed may have the DEA down on you too....Maryjane. I'd stick with scratch or a less exotic bird seed.

Is flaxseed pot? I thought it would have to say hemp seed

 

[Seslar]

Flax is not related to marijuana. It's the same as linseed. I think you might be thinking of hemp?

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Quote:
"Hello, 911. what is your emergency?"

"My neighbor raises backyard chickens. I think she is growing weed to feed the chickens!"

My Grandma had some in a flower bed by her front porch years and years ago. None of us knew what it was but our neighbor was a highway patrolman....



He knew.

"Mrs Gray? What is that in your flower bed?" "I dunno Mr. Coake, it was growing out by the road and I moved some up here. Sure is purty ain't it?"

I don't think she ever did really believe that was what it was.

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

Newbie here in sunny San Diego Ca - Are squirrels in the chicken run bad? From what I have read they will get to the eggs.. My flock have not yet started laying - should be any day now. Got started with them 2 months ago. Until yesterday I did not know a critter was actually in with the chickens. (did see what I assumed to be gopher hole or possible snake holes so I have been proactive and looking for other threats) Today the little snot was in and out of there like he owned the place. Short of sittin with a bb gun ... well you know. In the mean time am working around the outer perimeter and other misc prevention options to my disposal. The varment acually climbs the wire up to the section of wire it will fit thru. My chickens tollerate other birds in the run too. That is until "bed time" then all are chased out.

I have about 10 squirrels at my house that eat from our bird feeder. They take food from the chicken pens but they have never messed with the eggs. My concern with squirrels is that they eat my wood posts. I don't know why, they'll just be in the coop chewing on the wood. I don't really mind, though. I leave them alone. They are fun to watch at the feeders. I do have a bantam rooster that likes to chase the squirrels off.

 

[thedragonlady]

My Grandma had some in a flower bed by her front porch years and years ago. None of us knew what it was but our neighbor was a highway patrolman....



He knew.

"Mrs Gray? What is that in your flower bed?" "I dunno Mr. Coake, it was growing out by the road and I moved some up here. Sure is purty ain't it?"

I don't think she ever did really believe that was what it was.

There was a sweet little old lady in Ga. who raised canaries. Every morning she blew the seed hulls of her canaries seed cups standing on her back steps. Un begeknownst to her, Pot was thriving at her back step. The neighborhood boys offered to trim her yard for her. She was delighted, until the DEA showed up, and slapped handcuffs on her. The little devil kids had been selling the pot. Absolutely TRUE story.Canary grasses?? What's that?

 

[JustFeathers]

I have about 10 squirrels at my house that eat from our bird feeder. They take food from the chicken pens but they have never messed with the eggs. My concern with squirrels is that they eat my wood posts. I don't know why, they'll just be in the coop chewing on the wood. I don't really mind, though. I leave them alone. They are fun to watch at the feeders. I do have a bantam rooster that likes to chase the squirrels off.

Thank ChickenLover - so far the chickens don't seem to mind the company - probably bothers me more - the critter seems most interested at the stuff on the ground - I have metal posts for the chicken tajmahal of coops siding and all - DH is a carpenter and framed it as he would a house etc... Kept tellin him they are just chickens - He's a perfectionist in this area and I am the worry wart - go figure thanks again

 

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

Thank ChickenLover - so far the chickens don't seem to mind the company - probably bothers me more - the critter seems most interested at the stuff on the ground - I have metal posts for the chicken tajmahal of coops siding and all - DH is a carpenter and framed it as he would a house etc... Kept tellin him they are just chickens - He's a perfectionist in this area and I am the worry wart - go figure thanks again

Your welcome. Enjoy your squirrel. Mine are really neat, I prefer watching them to the wild birds anyday. The squirrels will fight over feed rights and get to puffing up, growling, and barking.

They really think they are something.

 

[Gold Griffin Chicken Mom]

 There was a sweet little old lady in Ga. who raised canaries. Every morning she blew the seed hulls of her canaries seed cups standing on her back steps. Un begeknownst to her, Pot was thriving at her back step. The neighborhood boys offered to trim her yard for her. She was delighted, until the DEA showed up, and slapped handcuffs on her. The little devil kids had been selling the pot. Absolutely TRUE story.Canary grasses?? What's that?

OK, your interesting stories aside, let us focus on "hemp" versus "flax" a second.

I met my husband doing re-enactment events. As part of the SCA (www.sca.org), we are required to "make an attempt" at clothing from pre-1600 AD and someplace in Europe. Linen and hemp were two very popular fabrics. Both fabrics are made from "bast fibers". Today we also have Rayon, which in essence is artificial cellosue (sp?). A linen and Rayon blend will give you the breathe-ability of linen with less wrinkles.

Some ladies make "supporting garments" (not all are corsets!) and fill the channels for boning with hemp rope instead. It allows you to bend and move while the garment resists big wrinkles on the torso. Never having made one of those "rope" thingies, I do recall that others have had to order hemp rope from Canada or Europe.

Likewise, hemp cloth (commonly called sailcloth) has to be ordered from abroad. Hemp plants look exactly like pot plants. The chemical that makes you high is a trace amount in hemp.

Can you imagine the DEA nightmare? "Hello and welcome to my hemp farm. Feel free to test a leaf off each plant. I'm weaving hemp rope and sailcloth..." They would literally have to test each and every plant. I cannot SWEAR all of this is true, but this is the nugget of the argument against restarting a hemp industry in this country.

But anyway, I never was comfortable feeding bird seed to my chickens. I mix my own scratch in a metal trash can from 50 pound bags of single grains that I choose. Whole oats, barley, and millo is the smallest I go.

The question that nags at me: did the canaries sing differently?

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

probably just the same note, over and over again, then they forgot what they were doing in the first place.

 

[Mskayladog]

I'm returning the bird seed........not because I think flax is hemp......but because I want what is best for my chicks. I figure I'd rather be safe then sorry.


Gold griffen chikenmom that was very interesting what you posted.