Colorado

[urbanfarmer101]

Hello everyone! I'm from Alabama but living in Pueblo now and boy do we love us some chickens! My husband is in the military and actually from Pueblo, while I am Alabama born and raised. We have us a little farm going with 4 ducks, 2 goats, 2 bunnies and 11 chickens. We just got our order of 21 one day old chicks! It is nice to move across the country but stull have the farm life I did back in Alabama.

 

[onederchick]

Welcome!

 

[trochefarm]

Hi, and welcome to all the newbies!

On another note:

I read somewhere that spots in eggs (brown spots/red spots) is usually a result of stress. I have one or two girls that seem to consistently lay eggs with these spots. I can't see why they would be stressed. The heat is one thing, but it doesn't seem to matter what the weather is.

Question to all the experts:

Is there some other reason, besides stress, that causes this? Is there anything I can do/change to prevent it? I have friends who are "buying" eggs now, and I hate knowing they're getting these. I know it isn't harmful, but still can be unappetizing!

 

[Ginger Assassin]

Hi, and welcome to all the newbies! 

On another note:

I read somewhere that spots in eggs (brown spots/red spots) is usually a result of stress.  I have one or two girls that seem to consistently lay eggs with these spots.  I can't see why they would be stressed.  The heat is one thing, but it doesn't seem to matter what the weather is.

Question to all the experts: 

Is there some other reason, besides stress, that causes this?  Is there anything I can do/change to prevent it? I have friends who are "buying" eggs now, and I hate knowing they're getting these.  I know it isn't harmful, but still can be unappetizing!

maybe they are near the bottom of the pecking order.

 

[trochefarm]

maybe they are near the bottom of the pecking order.

That would probably do it, but these guys are all very docile. Never any feather pecking or anything. The only two that even "might" cause a problem (RIRs) are in a separate pen. There are only two adults in this pen that are laying, no roosters.

 

[Denverchickee]

to all the new friends here this week!!!

this has been a popular spot the last couple of days. Good to hear most of you got rain. Sorry for anyones loses and congrats on the accomplishments!
got spoiled by the cool weather we were enjoying here in Denver for a few days. I was hoping it may brings some my girls back to laying status but seems no such luck.
I am 16 days into switching to a all organic food, no corn, soy or gmo, was feeding a home mix of a friends but it was corn and soy based. I was mixing the two for about the last 12 days and now feeding all organic. Really hoping for a improvement in production.
I have a blue Andulasian who I am expecting to lay any day, poor thing is scared of everything seems like. So I don't know how that is gonna take a role? Then I have a Buff Cochin and Egyptian who should be laying very soon. This Cochin is huge! She is bigger than my RIR & NHR. She is the youngest and I think she trying to make a stand for herself. She is brutal to the poor lil Egyptian girl. Holds her down with one foot and pulls feathers out of her neck.

I am still holding out for the EE girl (15 months old) who has never laid a egg, pays no attention to nesting boxes, and barley makes a noise. Think I am wishing on a miracle for that.
On a side note.....any gardeners? Anyone else having trouble with tomato plants and blooms? My plants are huge....over 6' tons of blooms, lacking the fruit. I am quite the gardener and have not seen this? I feed on a regular basis, awesome dirt, water at the base of plants every night. I have one that is just starting to wilt from the top down?? like it got too much water with all the rain or too hot? I have another friend who is experiencing same thing was just curious if anyone else was. This is really putting a damper on my canning this year. I harvested over 200# of tomatoes last year from a urban small backyard, I was really going for a record this year!!

Happy chickening & gardening to ya friends!

 

[snyderg08]

Have any of you grown gooseberries or currants sucsessfully?

I have both growing in my backyard here in the Springs.

 

[trochefarm]

On a side note.....any gardeners? Anyone else having trouble with tomato plants and blooms? My plants are huge....over 6' tons of blooms, lacking the fruit. I am quite the gardener and have not seen this? I feed on a regular basis, awesome dirt, water at the base of plants every night. I have one that is just starting to wilt from the top down?? like it got too much water with all the rain or too hot? I have another friend who is experiencing same thing was just curious if anyone else was. This is really putting a damper on my canning this year. I harvested over 200# of tomatoes last year from a urban small backyard, I was really going for a record this year!!

Happy chickening & gardening to ya friends!

I'm having problems with most of my crops this year. Last year everything got wiped out by the hail, and I still got a ton of veggies without even trying. This year, I have odd (different from last year) microclimates ... and things are just not producing. Except for the volunteer lettuce and spinach. I had a lot of non-starters (carrots, "planned" lettuces, corn), and slow growing tomato plants.

I was also hoping to get enough to can again this year, but I don't see that happening, yet.

I'm super impressed with your harvest from last year! I can't claim anything near that. You'll need to tell me your secret.

One thing I have noticed is that things grow better in Aurora and Denver than they seem to in Parker. For me, at least. (I have a community garden plot in Aurora, and it's doing better than my garden in Parker.) Frustrating year, to say the least.

 

[FrogEggs]

no way we have the same post cout we'll I not anymore.

Lol, how random/funny! (And now we do again)

Thank you! I'm still learning the area. We just got stationed here in January so I have no idea what all is west of me besides Pueblo West! Lol

Ding ding!!!

 

[urbanfarmer101]

Gardening is making me weep. I have minature plants this year. They just are not growing. They have blooms but are only 6 inches tall.

I think it has been too cool here at night. I need a greenhouse. Maybe I had best wait to spring that on DH until next spring. Chickens this year have been enough to make him think I am crazy.