Idaho?

[La Casa de Pollo]

Huckleberries! I do not know if they sell them up there, in Utah, we get the starts in April, plant them as annuals and they are like tomatoes, they go crazy and they are ripe at first frost. They turn purple the first of Aug but taste nasty, have to get the first frost to sweeten them up. I usually have several pop up in the spring from the last fall's harvest, I don't know if the roots come back up or if they are growing from seed that dropped, but I buy them one year and will have them there for a few years until I need to buy new starts. I made huckleberry syrup last year, i really liked it, that is the first time I tried making anything and preserving it. Daloorashens if you want me to bring you some starts next spring I would be glad to if they are not available there

 

[Daloorashens]

Oh Lisa, that would be awesome!! I wonder what variety they are... up here they only grow in the mountains, and from what I understand, they do not well domesticated... but I would love some of the kind you have!! How tall do they get??

Was just at the nursery and am considering planting a grape vine on the wire of the run, it's sturdy wire, so I'm sure it will hold it... I would have to get the seeded kind, though, so it's hardy enough for here...

Lisa, I was thinking about you just now... I just let the girls out so they can find the coolest spots in the yard they can, it's HOT out there!! Amazing how some days it seems hotter than others, even when the numbers say otherwise... Anyway... I was looking at them all and thinking about how you said you have a lot of black ones... I have 6: the 3FBCM's, 1BA, 1OE, and 1 BSL, but I have 12 that are white: 8 Leghorn EE's, 2 Delawares, 1white bantam cochin, 1 Light Brahma... kind of funny=)

Oh, and Michelle.. was looking at your website again... would LOVE to see pics of those black-tailed Marans!!

 

[Chickenhill]

Huckleberries! I do not know if they sell them up there, in Utah, we get the starts in April, plant them as annuals and they are like tomatoes, they go crazy and they are ripe at first frost. They turn purple the first of Aug but taste nasty, have to get the first frost to sweeten them up. I usually have several pop up in the spring from the last fall's harvest, I don't know if the roots come back up or if they are growing from seed that dropped, but I buy them one year and will have them there for a few years until I need to buy new starts. I made huckleberry syrup last year, i really liked it, that is the first time I tried making anything and preserving it. Daloorashens if you want me to bring you some starts next spring I would be glad to if they are not available there

Hmm never heard of buying a huckleberry bush starts. They sound great! When I researched them online to see the wild variety took up to 10 years to reproduce. That nixed the transplant idea....

 

[Chickenhill]

Wow, chicken, those huckleberries look YUMMY!!! I was asking at the market today, and they said the huckleberry season wasn't as good this year, especially at the lower spots, I'm scared of bears, so we probably won't go hunting this year, if there aren't many lower=)

And what pretty birds!! I love the wyandottes, too, such pretty feathers and fluffy birds... someday I'll have some of those, too (wink,wink) Pics of mine are in my siggy... I should probably take some more pics again...

Becca, so sorry you can't find that bird, maybe it was the hawks... darn things, sheesh!!

Michelle, do you lose any of the cockerels you let out to free-range during the summer to hawks or anything??

P.S, would love to see pics of your RIR's chicken=

You have some beauties! Wouldnt it be fun to have one of every breed and color! Working on it haha
Just learning about the BYC, I will post my pics in my profile from now on....

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

They come in little 4 packs, about as big as peppers, then get big like tomato plants, really fast, and have tons of berries. They are the size of a large blueberry. Andersen Seed here in Logan sells them every April. I will grab some for you next spring and bring them on one of my Idaho trips

 

[pawtraitart]

Wow, chicken, those huckleberries look YUMMY!!! I was asking at the market today, and they said the huckleberry season wasn't as good this year, especially at the lower spots, I'm scared of bears, so we probably won't go hunting this year, if there aren't many lower=)

And what pretty birds!! I love the wyandottes, too, such pretty feathers and fluffy birds... someday I'll have some of those, too (wink,wink) Pics of mine are in my siggy... I should probably take some more pics again...

Becca, so sorry you can't find that bird, maybe it was the hawks... darn things, sheesh!!

Michelle, do you lose any of the cockerels you let out to free-range during the summer to hawks or anything??

P.S, would love to see pics of your RIR's chicken=)

I lose a few cockerals to predators here and there, but so far, none have gone missing this year. Nobody bothers the turkeys that are loose 24/7.

 

[BeccaSmith]

Good news! Our missing hen re-appeared this evening! I was so excited to count 4 buff opringtons, I was in disbelief! But on the downside, she has snuck away again somewhere! We have a large brush pile in our field that the quail and other birds like to hide and hang out in, but we have checked every spot possible that looks like she could have gotten into and we can't find her. We even got a hose out to it and sprayed it down thinking if she were in there she would come out. The brush pile is made up of old tree trimmings, rose bush trimmings, old corn stalks, a christmas tree...etc. Some of the stuff really looks to knarly for her to get into....but she's gotta be hiding in it somewhere, it is the only expanation, unless she is hoping the fence and going home with the neighbors rooster that hangs out on the other side of the fence but doesn't come over, but our girls are so well behaved and we never see them go over! Well at least I know she is alive, I let one of our neighbors know so that if they see her running with the rooster to let me know!

 

[Daloorashens]

Chicken... love seeing pics on the thread... I just didn't want to drive you all crazy putting them all up on the thread again and hogging the whole thing=) Yeah, that sounds right about the wild huckleberry's.... I'm looking forward to spring now and some of those starts from Lisa!! Yay!!

Becca... yay for you, too!! If she's hiding in there, still makes ya wonder if she's broody...

Michelle... I bet no one messes with the turkeys!! haha!!

Okay, here are my pics...looking for some input.... just for my own info and education...

This is my blue orp, Blue (kiddos named her, she's the only blue one we have, right now anyway=)



Here is that spot on her neck with the gold, well, I guess it's kind of copper leakage... how does that happen??

 

[BeccaSmith]

Chicken... love seeing pics on the thread... I just didn't want to drive you all crazy putting them all up on the thread again and hogging the whole thing=) Yeah, that sounds right about the wild huckleberry's.... I'm looking forward to spring now and some of those starts from Lisa!! Yay!!

Becca... yay for you, too!! If she's hiding in there, still makes ya wonder if she's broody...

Michelle... I bet no one messes with the turkeys!! haha!!

Okay, here are my pics...looking for some input.... just for my own info and education...

This is my blue orp, Blue (kiddos named her, she's the only blue one we have, right now anyway=)



Here is that spot on her neck with the gold, well, I guess it's kind of copper leakage... how does that happen??

Beautiful! You can hardly see the gold leakage!

Yep my little hen must be broody even if she is a little young for it. I'm pretty sure she has been, seemed my BO's started laying early around 19 weeks....I got them as day old chicks on February 14th. I'm definitely going to get some more Orpingtons next time I get chicks but in different colors other then the Buff's, I love all the colors!

 

[lilwhispers]

The huckleberries that grow like tomatoes are not a true huckleberry they are a cousin of the tomato therefore they were given the name that is why they are annuals. Huckleberries require an acidic soil but the "fake" ones do not. I have some fake ones in my garden this year they are not so good fresh they need to be made into pies or something similar. If I think about it when they ripen I will save some seed. I have two different varieties one is called Garden Huckleberry and the other is chiquillette (not for sure on the spelling). I get the seed from Bakers heirloom seeds and from seed swaps. I also will be selling some banty chickens soon if anybody is interested I will try to get some pics.