Colorado

[Double Kindness]

Lol @latestarter our beehives got hit by hail in June and we got a $170 check from the insurance company and a new roof.

I'm having this bee guy Michael Jordan coming from Wyoming on Oct 17th (saturday) to teach a 4 hour class on winterizing hives on my property and how to make your own queens and winter feeding. Class cost is $25 a person. Since I'm a newbie and both of my hives did poorly, with 1 colony seeming to have collapsed and the other stuggling (the 2nd deep isn't full of capped honey.. if anyone local has 1 frame of capped honey I can have/trade to try to save my bees let me know) .

I wish we had gotten any type of honey harvest this year from setting up 2 hives!

The crested cream legbar roo was pretty sweet and loved petting and cuddled, I hope he was getting the job done. It will be easy enough to tell in the next couple weeks if I get a hatch.

If I get a good hatch, I will have some available. Right now I have some crested cream legbar x ayam cenani available.. probably 5 of them. The marans looking one is a rooster.. if anyone might be interested in any of my birds before I put the white bresse and svart honas or the crested cream legbar x ayam cemani on rare breed auctions.

I'm looking for registered nigerian dwarf goats in milk. I'm ok with kidding if she's a 3rd freshener or more, must be easy to milk and sweet. I'm looking for 2-3 right now.

My awesome bf is building me a goat shelter in the layers pen and we're re-doing the top protection to get ready for winter.

 

[michaelpivola]

Well, I used to live in South Florida but I left there...

 

[maggiemo]

.. if anyone local has 1 frame of capped honey I can have/trade to try to save my bees let me know) .

Why don't you just feed your hive? I just harvested a little honey. I have 3 hives that did ok, not great. I took a few frames of honey and left them about 50 pounds each. I ALWAYS feed after I harvest. They will move their honey stores around after harvest and if they want more I give it to them.
There isn't much in bloom now and no cool weather in the forecast so they are living off their stored food.
I give them syrup and I put pollen on the landing board.
I have been keeping bees for 4 years now and I have only seen one or two hives make it through winter on their own stored honey. If they make it through the winter they die in the spring because the spring food is so late here.
The stored food acts as an insulator too for the winter cold months.

 

[Double Kindness]

My beekeeping mentor told me the best thing would to find a beekeeper locally to get a frame of capped honey on top of me feeding them so they can survive. But I guess I'm in the wrong place to ask.

 

[maggiemo]

One frame of honey is only 10 pounds. They need at least 60 pounds of reserves to get through the winter. In my experience it is more like 60 pounds to get through the winter and 10 or 15 to get through the spring until the dandelions bloom.
Beekeeping is like chicken keeping, there is no right or wrong. Just keep good records so you learn.
Good luck.
mo

 

[COChix]

 Just a reminder that Bear season is fast approaching, I just did a walk of the (albeit small) property, looking to see where I can move feed, etc to make sure there are no attractants for the final calorie push the bears will be having here over the next month or so. I know we all live here, and this isn't news so to speak, but I hadn't seen this topic mentioned in all the "winter prep" threads and thought it may be helpful. So, make sure all feed is put up, and no feed/treats in the runs, lock the coop securely (admittedly, if a bear wants in, its going to get in, by why make it easy?) NO trash that isn't in a bear proof container, review bird feeders, pet food etc. The Colorado Div of wildlife has great info on the website as well as the Extension office web site.
 Now, if anyone has Mtn Lion tips, other than those that apply to bears as well I would love to hear them. That is one topic my research hasn't uncovered, and a friend whose husband is a CO wildlife officer just said "do what you can and good luck".
 This is my first year keeping chickens, and I admit I worry over the predator issues. I feel slightly envious to those who only have skunks etc.... real threat, yes, but at least it cant collapse coops, break into homes, and remove windows lol.
 Next year I will have electric fencing, but this year the out laying cost was prohibitive. They have wonderful solar powered systems that are fairly reasonable. Thank goodness for my dog, (Great Pyr) he's probably the best protection my little ladies could have.
 Anyway, good luck in your winter preps! And I Love the bears and wildlife, I hope by everyone can do "an ounce of prevention/pound of cure" approach.

           Sorry......            I have been battling the bears since Spring this year.   The Mt. L are not that big of a threat as they generally are not out at the same time.  If you keep the Bobcats and fox/ coyote out, you should be okay.  You also need to think about weasels if you are high enough in elevation, but the bears......,  I suggest ammonia bags around your coop at night and a few unwelcome mats if you do not have an E-fence.  Get some firecrackers in case they break in!!!!!   And a very good flashlight!  I have had multiple bears hit the fence and I would have no chickens left if not for it.  I have never had bear issues until this year and we all carry bears spray out hiking/ hunting because desperate is not even close to what they are going to be.  And they will NOT hibernate if they do not get enough food; they will stay out and forage until they die or they find food. 
Signed,  Veteran Bear Fighter   I have been growled at and lunged at too many times this year.  Not gonna happen again......   

Greeting from North Boulder on the other side of Boulder Res from PC, yesterday on my am walk, I saw a Cougar! Born and raised in Colorado mountain, Aspen, and have never seen a cat until now. Now less just down the street on my am walk. It was in a field and watched me pass down this dirt road, when I turned back around I saw movement in the fired to my left. Something reddish, at first I thought it was a fox, then I saw the tail and ears and knew it was a cougar. It jumped the fence about 60ft in front of me and scampered down a reveen off towards the west of 55th area. Amazing, very fawn in color and I would say young as they were smaller and lean. Beatiful, I am going to start walking with bear spray, don't want to take a dog as I would like to see again. Never say never in Boulder for cat sightings.

Stay safe Mtn!

 

[rf12345]

hawk season. I hear predator alarm going on from rooster and chickens non stop. One dive bombed the coop right in front of me, I mean really.... no shame ... I'm kind of standing right there... that bird was not even scared... maybe did not see me... how likely could that be... it's a hawk, young one it looks like, white-ish belly.
One found my birds and is persistent. I do have netted area, not very large so, 20x10 or so in feet.
Did anyone do something to discourage hawk coming for birds? I have there acres of mice... ok, mice are no fun and birds are looking so much better, I get that,
but maybe there are some reasonable methods, I did hear some use guinea hen for air alarm and dogs. My dogs will try to hunt chickens, so if it's a dog, then what breed has a potential to hurd the chicken and help with air predictors if it is even possible?
Not terriers , they go like ....

IT IS A BIIIIRRRRRRDDDDDDDDDD

and here comes the chaos, not like a small-medium dog can get through chicken wire but they try, chickens are having a time of their life scare.

I was free ranging mine, now it is troublesome, the hawk (or more than one) at it for 3-rd week and persistent.
What do you use? I can hear that hawk from neighbors acres some place where their dead cottonwood is I think...
Once I'm not kidding I hear my rooster going nuts, I come and see that hawk sitting on top of my duck pen/tractor, ducks are oblivious, they are tiny, chickens going nuts and bird kind of thinking how to get in there... Id sounds sort of funny, but chickens can not get out even for an hour, the hawk comes. Must be living somewhere right near.
thanks for any advise

 

[COChix]

hawk season. I hear predator alarm going on from rooster and chickens non stop. One dive bombed the coop right in front of me, I mean really.... no shame ... I'm kind of standing right there... that bird was not even scared... maybe did not see me... how likely could that be... it's a hawk, young one it looks like, white-ish belly.
One found my birds and is persistent. I do have netted area, not very large so, 20x10 or so in feet.
Did anyone do something to discourage hawk coming for birds? I have there acres of mice... ok, mice are no fun and birds are looking so much better, I get that,
but maybe there are some reasonable methods, I did hear some use guinea hen for air alarm and dogs. My dogs will try to hunt chickens, so if it's a dog, then what breed has a potential to hurd the chicken and help with air predictors if it is even possible?
Not terriers , they go like   ....   IT IS A BIIIIRRRRRRDDDDDDDDDD :cd :cd and here comes the chaos, not like a small-medium  dog can get through chicken wire but they try, chickens are having a time of their life scare.

I was free ranging mine, now it is troublesome, the hawk (or more than one) at it for 3-rd week and persistent.
What do you use? I can hear that hawk from neighbors acres some place where their dead cottonwood is I think...
Once I'm not kidding I hear my rooster going nuts, I come and see that hawk sitting on top of my duck pen/tractor, ducks are oblivious, they are tiny, chickens going nuts and bird kind of thinking how to get in there... Id sounds sort of funny, but chickens can not get out even for an hour, the hawk comes. Must be living somewhere right near.
thanks for any advise

Two things, avaiation netting and get a turkey. Our neighbors up the road have lost birds to Hawks until the got turkey's. They say the turkeys are big enough and sound the alarm and the chickens run, since they are so big it deters the Hawks from coming in. If you can't do that then netting in your run with ribbons strung on it or ripped up strands of cloth tied throughout, it is enough of a visual barrier that I am told they stay out. Not sure how accurate that is....

 

[suncatcher]

Yep, predators are trying to put on weight before winter, also their young are starting to learn to hunt too. Nettting is the best, at least that has been my experience......

 

[uzisuzuki]

Two things, avaiation netting and get a turkey. Our neighbors up the road have lost birds to Hawks until the got turkey's. They say the turkeys are big enough and sound the alarm and the chickens run, since they are so big it deters the Hawks from coming in. If you can't do that then netting in your run with ribbons strung on it or ripped up strands of cloth tied throughout, it is enough of a visual barrier that I am told they stay out. Not sure how accurate that is....

Or a peacock/hen. That peacock that adopted me has been on patrol of the entire property the past two months. He chases off the hawks, cats, our loudmouth neighbors...