Helpful hints for building coops

[jvls1942]

Thank you for your info. I will go with the 2X4 with a "T" support below.

that is a good choice.

 

[Sally PB]

I went with a 2x4, edge up. I've seen my chickens hunker down and keep their feet warm with their feathers, no problem. I'd read about chickens getting a breast blister from their keel bone rubbing on wider roosts, so that's what made me decide to put it narrow side up.

 

[jvls1942]

I went with a 2x4, edge up. I've seen my chickens hunker down and keep their feet warm with their feathers, no problem. I'd read about chickens getting a breast blister from their keel bone rubbing on wider roosts, so that's what made me decide to put it narrow side up.

I never heard about those blisters. but I can understand it I guess.
birds have a tendon in their leg that clamps their toes around a branch without exerting any force from the bird. i imagine chickens have the same tendon? so a narrow edged roost would be normal .

 

[Sally PB]

I never heard about those blisters. but I can understand it I guess.

I learned about breast blisters here on BYC. People have posted a picture of a chicken's breast area, around the keel bone, asking, what is this thing sticking out of my chicken? It was a finger-sized bit of pus from the keel bone rubbing on the roost. Not really common, I guess, but it convinced me that narrow side up was better for my situation.

 

[jvls1942]

neither my first nor my second planting of corn came up. yesterday I picked up all the tools and cleared the patch for plowing. naturally, shortly after i did that, it began to sprinkle. so i put the tractor into the garage and waited for the rain. it never rained, but it sprinkled for a couple of hours until dark.
today i will drag the weeds down. i don't care if it is a little wet,. as long as the tires don't spin i will drag
my late planting of bib lettuce and carrots are coming along nicely. so far the deer have not bothered the raised beds. they are sleeping in the front yard often.

 

[Molpet]

neither my first nor my second planting of corn came up. yesterday I picked up all the tools and cleared the patch for plowing. naturally, shortly after i did that, it began to sprinkle. so i put the tractor into the garage and waited for the rain. it never rained, but it sprinkled for a couple of hours until dark.
today i will drag the weeds down. i don't care if it is a little wet,. as long as the tires don't spin i will drag
my late planting of bib lettuce and carrots are coming along nicely. so far the deer have not bothered the raised beds. they are sleeping in the front yard often.

I only planted low glycemic potatoes, a few onions, 2 peppers, and half a dozen tomatoes. Garlic from fall has been harvested.

 

[Sally PB]

I have my garlic drying out on the porch. When we need garlic, I go out and grab a bulb, brush it off, and bring it inside. It will take a few hours to clean it all and get it ready to store. That's ok, because it means we'll have plenty of garlic.

 

[jvls1942]

all i was going to plant this year was 4 big boy tomaoes. i ended up with 5. the fifth one was supposed to be a cherry tomato.
then i wanted some buttercup squash. so i planted 3 plants from my daughter. i had a tub of dirt, so i planted 15 everbearing strawberries. found three more tubs in a shed, so i planted beans, peas and 8 peppers.
then i found a tub of compost in the compost pile, so i planted beets. Annie wanted some lettuce. no more tubs, so I bought 2 more. now i had an extra one, so i planted carrots. the peas are done, so i will plant some radishes in that tub.
today i got an early start. took the tractor and dragged the corn plot. went a little wider and dragged all the sod around the edges . it went super well. have a few rocks to pick. will drag once or twice more in the next few weeks and then i will plant oats and tillage radishes for a cover crop. maybe i will get corn to grow next year.
made a kettle of bison hamburger chili.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I only planted low glycemic potatoes, a few onions, 2 peppers, and half a dozen tomatoes. Garlic from fall has been harvested.

Where did you find low-glycemic potato starts? Or did you just plant ones that you bought in the grocery store for eating?

I like them, but my store is very erratic about keeping them in stock. I wouldn't mind growing my own.

 

[Molpet]

Where did you find low-glycemic potato starts? Or did you just plant ones that you bought in the grocery store for eating?

I like them, but my store is very erratic about keeping them in stock. I wouldn't mind growing my own.

I started growing before I seen in the store. I have gotten the seed potatoes online. I don't remember where but I have seen at several websites. Fedco, bakers creek and some others.
The first I found was huckleberry gold. It's a very good keeper. Purple skin seems to slows the flesh turning green.
Striking (Huckleberry) Gold | Tellus https://tellus.ars.usda.gov/stories/articles/striking-huckleberry-gold

Then I found Nicola. Not a good keeper. Yellow skin. Looks like a oval Yukon, longer than round.
Discovery of a low-glycaemic index potato and relationship with starch digestion in vitro - PubMed https://share.google/sNOy5MH2VkjAgBeIy

Both are medium to small tubers. Yellow flesh . Low yield, which is probably why they are expensive and rare in stores.

These are ones I am planning on eating first, the best are packed away or still in the ground.