Coffee's ready...

[rngrbill]

Q., Like a 4 hole outhouse. I'm going for a 4 x 8 footprint for the coop portion and an 8 x 10 for the run including under the coop. going to order the wood today. My roofing is going to be corrugated polywhatever. 2 clear sections and 2 colored sections over the coop and all colored over the run. Of course pictures and I hope along the way.

Rngrbill

 

[Stumpy]

quercus21, ouch! I feel for you with knee pain.

We got almost three inches of rain here last night, so it will be a bit too muddy to work outside for a while. I think I will be daring and bring most of my house plants and citrus trees outside tomorrow. I think I may give most of them away. I don't have a good place to keep them and don't have the time to spare for their upkeep.

 

[quercus21]

Morning people,

They are calling for 1 - 2" of rain tonight, but the sun is rising and it's 45 F outside. The furnace is turned off till November/December....

Rngbill: Sounds like I have something you are making. Come to think of it, it does look like a 4 seater. I'll snap a few pictures of it. The run is about 8 x 16(?). I have 2 nest boxes in it.

Stumpy: We can't comfortably bring house plants outside till the last full moon in May (mid to end). It's the same with our warm crops, tomatoes etc.

Has anyone have experience in growing herbs (rosemary/thyme) inside?

Enjoy the day, it's the only one
Kaj

 

[Stumpy]

Even though we've had temps near 80, it's still not officially safe for houseplants outside until mid April here, but I am gambling. Another 3/4 inch of rain last night -- muddier than ever.

My experience with growing thyme and rosemary inside hasn't been good. It all depends on how much light you have really. There is a variety of rosemary called Arp which can withstand some pretty cold temps and gets huge in the yard.

 

[rngrbill]

Coop materials will be delivered next Thursday. Tried to get them to do 2 deliveries 1 lumber and one for roofing but they would have to charge me a delivery charge for the second drop off.

Q My rosemary has done well indoors and a cool house in winter. 55° and in a big window. Does better outdoors. Likes to be slightly root bound. My DS had great success with putting it in the ground for summer and taking it in onto a sun porch for winter. Every time I tried to transplant I killed it so I just put it out in the pot. Used some clay pots so I didn't have to concentrate on watering so much. They like water, "a dry rosemary is a dead rosemary". When in doors Misting is a must. Thyme I started in house and lost every winter till I realized the grass around the garden was mostly thyme

Got an imitation whiskey 1/2 barrel at Costco yesterday to put some fish in until I can get my pond built, probably next year. We will see if the 3 hawks in the neighborhood pay them any mind. Prefer to loose some 15¢ fish than my chicks.

 

[rngrbill]

Morning friends,
coffee is good. I love my keurig. What a day yesterday! after church family over to do yard work. Pulled out several fence post, had to side dig them out all the way with a post hole digger. Then wiggle them out. DW and DD helped rolling up the fence fabric, looked like chain link but was welded wire. Put one of the holes down to 3' when I hit water. Putting a 2" PVC pipe painted green in to mount the bird feeders on. Keep enough little birds around and subsequent squirrels and mice and hopefully it will keep the hawks busy so they leave my chicks alone when the time comes.
Got a batch of Irish stout started last week will put into secondary fermenter this week.
Have to get outside and take a lot of pictures before much else changes.
Coop materials arrive on Thursday, can't wait. The girls have started tipping over their water bottle. I need to get them out of the brooder.

Have to go get my eggs for breakfast.
Oh! almost forgot for my friends and old neighbors up north there. going to be 71° and partly cloudy here today.

Have fun all

 

[quercus21]

Morning people,

Rngrbill: sounds like you are moving along there, good for you. I can't help but not notice, but you haven't mentions anything about a "grill"......

. My better half tells people "it's all about food with me". I'll be grilling tonight....... What kind of soil you have? We live on molding clay. Anyways, here are a few pictures of the coops I have. One is for the layers, the other are for meaties and chicks.

Layers Coop - NHR




Meaties/Chicks Coop




I use poultry netting so the meaties have a larger run area. The layers get to roam a couple of times a week.

If this weather keeps up, I'll be starting some plants soon. This years project, growing rosemary and thyme indoors.

Enjoy the day, it's the only one
Kaj

 

[karl E lutz]

Good morning chicken wranglers,
Q Rngr you guys are on a roll. Q that is quite the set up My old barn is nothing compared to the handy work of your runs.
Rngr you are making me jealous/! we will have no 70 degree days for the rest of this week and not even the first one until the 11th if the forecasts are to be believed.
I would like to till up the garden before June but on this wet clay I've learned that patience is the best policy.
Y'all seem to be settling into spring very well. Keep us all posted!
God Bless!

 

[quercus21]

Morning People,
The place was starting to turn into a "Chicken D'Villie". The ladies wanted at least another one built

. It's on the list, right after ............................

Karl, I know what you mean with the clay. I have given up on putting spring crops in the in ground garden and switching over to raised beds. I am still keeping the in ground garden for squashes, mellows etc. I grew up in a area, when you poured water on the ground, it would soak it up. Here, it just sits there. Then in the summer, when it does dry out, turns to rock.........

Anyways, how's your mud doing? Looks like the frost is out of the ground here.

Enjoy the day, it's the only one,
Kaj

 

[RichnSteph]

Good morning folks.

Coffee is still as good as always although it's about time to switch to iced tea in the mornings since the temps are starting to climb. No new news on the chicken front other than we finally closed on a home and will be closing on some land at the end of the week. Hopefully by this time next month we'll have moved in and started clearing land and getting the place ready for all the animals.


RichnSteph