Consolidated Kansas

[22qZoo]

Wow, Lizzy . I haven't seen any yet this year, I usually see a few when I start to dig around in the flower beds but not like that ,seems kind of early for them too. Weird. We had a millepede out break here a couple years ago, eew...I thought I was going to go crazy. I put DE in an old baby powder container and poofed it all over it worked, but now when I see one I still get a little twinge of crazy for just a second. Are your birds eating them ?

 

[TheDownyChick]

I hope we do not get a cutworm epidemic. I love tomatoes, as do my chickies, and I think cutworm love to cut off the tomato stalks! Besides, they creep me out!

We had a huge grass fire Thursday. Hubby and I are on the volunteer fired department and both left early from work to help. This was onky me second grass fire. The first one I manned the tanker and refilled trucks. This time I drove a grass rig and hubby sprayed the water. He has years of prior experience, but not me! I hit a hidden gully and bent the grill guard. I feel horrible! But another member of our department ran out of water and was turning around and got stuck! The fire got to him before he could get away, and the truck got burned. He had escaped with onf minor burns, thank God! Right after that happened, another truck got stuck. We went to go help them and it scared the beans out of me! There was fire on three sides! They climbed on board and we hightailed it back along the fire line and others came to help but the fire got past anyway, because of that dang strong wind. Why do people burn when it is so windy? The paper said it was 5,000 acres lost. I believe it. Several houses were in the path, but I think only a barn and a pickup was lost.

So yesterday I felt like a zombie, and there was ANOTHER fire when we got home from work! Thankfully they had it almost out and didn't need me! I feel only slightly better today. I am praying for pain relief, strength and energy, for I have much to do! And please, no more fires!

 

[Trish44]

I hope we do not get a cutworm epidemic. I love tomatoes, as do my chickies, and I think cutworm love to cut off the tomato stalks! Besides, they creep me out!

We had a huge grass fire Thursday. Hubby and I are on the volunteer fired department and both left early from work to help. This was onky me second grass fire. The first one I manned the tanker and refilled trucks. This time I drove a grass rig and hubby sprayed the water. He has years of prior experience, but not me! I hit a hidden gully and bent the grill guard. I feel horrible! But another member of our department ran out of water and was turning around and got stuck! The fire got to him before he could get away, and the truck got burned. He had escaped with onf minor burns, thank God! Right after that happened, another truck got stuck. We went to go help them and it scared the beans out of me! There was fire on three sides! They climbed on board and we hightailed it back along the fire line and others came to help but the fire got past anyway, because of that dang strong wind. Why do people burn when it is so windy? The paper said it was 5,000 acres lost. I believe it. Several houses were in the path, but I think only a barn and a pickup was lost.

So yesterday I felt like a zombie, and there was ANOTHER fire when we got home from work! Thankfully they had it almost out and didn't need me! I feel only slightly better today. I am praying for pain relief, strength and energy, for I have much to do! And please, no more fires!

I had read about that grass fire, I'm glad you're both OK. That must have been frightening, I know that grass fires & wind can get out of hand pretty darned fast. When I still lived outside of Derby I had a next door neighbor who wasn't the brightest star. He burned off his field right next to ours & didn't make sure everything was out before nightfall. Well at 11:00 that night I had another neighbor pounding on my door, he had been driving by to go home & saw that the wind had kicked up the embers & the hay bales that the other neighbor had sitting by the trees had caught on fire. When I went to the door the guy told me that my yard was on fire & it was coming right for the house! We had to hurry outside & hose down the yard & get it out. It did take out some young trees we had planted, but thank goodness our house was OK. We had called the fire department so most likely the neighbor got in trouble for it. He was always doing stupid stuff.

 

[chicken danz]

I have spring fever SOO BAD right now. Have some items started in the greenhouse since farmers markets will be here before we know it, i think i might cry if it snows AGAIN!

I do too but when I go outside and get cold it sure slows me down!!! I feel behind already as far as the garden goes. But looks like we have another week of cold temps coming.

We are planning on Jersey Giants, Dominiques, Plymouth Rocks, Orpingtons, and possibly buckeyes

I just hatched 5-6 Jersey Giants from donated eggs. They are the BBS ones. I'd be more than glad to sell them as soon as I can confirm which ones are them and not my orpington chicks. I wasn't expecting them to look so similar. These are supposed to be heritage stock and I don't intend to raise them. I had figured I'd just eat the boys but if I can rehome them then that would save me some time and feed and housing them for months.
I also have heritage barred rocks and orpingtons. I have a friend in Oklahoma that raises some of the best buckeyes you can find but not sure how you would get them without a drive. It's great you have an awesome land lord. They are hard to find.
Downy Chick I saw that about the grass fire on the news last night. Unfortunately farmers burn this time of year and even if it isn't windy that day, hot spots can last for days....I'm sure you know that though. Thank God no one was seriously injured. There's been so much hay cutting recently that I haven't had to burn off my pasture in the spring. I'm glad. It always makes me nervous...not to mention drives my allergies insane.
I guess I just have to deal with my sinuses and a sore throat until spring is over. I normally just flush my nostrils with salt water for relief and it will clear up eventually. Moving to the country has done wonders for my allergies but I still have major problems with the tree pollens and rag weed.

 

[naturalgardener]

[COLOR=0000FF]I had read about that grass fire, I'm glad you're both OK. That must have been frightening, I know that grass fires & wind can get out of hand pretty darned fast. When I still lived outside of Derby I had a next door neighbor who wasn't the brightest star. He burned off his field right next to ours & didn't make sure everything was out before nightfall. Well at 11:00 that night I had another neighbor pounding on my door, he had been driving by to go home & saw that the wind had kicked up the embers & the hay bales that the other neighbor had sitting by the trees had caught on fire. When I went to the door the guy told me that my yard was on fire & it was coming right for the house! We had to hurry outside & hose down the yard & get it out. It did take out some young trees we had planted, but thank goodness our house was OK. We had called the fire department so most likely the neighbor got in trouble for it. He was always doing stupid stuff.[/COLOR]

 

[naturalgardener]

I am still getting used to doing this with my phone, so if I post something and it doesn't make sense that is why. Downychick, glad to hear that no one was seriously hurt. I was a firefighter for over 10 years and loved grass fires. Chickendanz, keep me posted how it goes with your chicks. I was thinking of getting my chicks from purely poultry. Except for the buckeyes the rest are sexed.

 

[sharol]

Sorry to post the same thing twice. If anybody can tell me how to delete I would appreciate it. Thanks!

AS near as I can tell, all you can do it edit it to say something new. Sorry

 

[chicken danz]

I am still getting used to doing this with my phone, so if I post something and it doesn't make sense that is why. Downychick, glad to hear that no one was seriously hurt. I was a firefighter for over 10 years and loved grass fires. Chickendanz, keep me posted how it goes with your chicks. I was thinking of getting my chicks from purely poultry. Except for the buckeyes the rest are sexed.

I'm not trying to be critical but if you are planning to raise true heritage breeds you won't be able to get them from Purely Poultry or any other hatchery. Hatchery birds are not true heritage birds and are often mixed with other breeds to get more egg production, meat or whatever traits they want to enhance. True heritage poultry adheres to the standard of perfection and can be traced back to the origins of the breed. In most heritage birds you won't even see the same birds you would normally see from hatchery stock or even a lot of back yard breeders.
If that is what you choose that is fine, but if you do desire to raise true heritage breeds you need to start with the real thing.

 

[naturalgardener]

I was wondering about that and even asked if the birds on there rare list were the exact same as what was on the livestock breed conservancy and they said yes. I will do so more checking. Thank you!

 

[chicken danz]

They will tell you they are the same but they won't be. For one their prices would reflect the difference. There's other people on here besides myself that can explain this as well. Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with hatchery birds vs true heritage. But if you are going to claim raising heritage you need to have the real thing.
I took a picture from the internet of a hatchery barred rock.
Also could be the shading in the picture off the web but the legs should be yellow.
Now here is a picture of a couple of my heritage barred rocks.

There is a monstrous difference in size which you can't see in the pictures. but look at the difference in barring. You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.