INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Greenthumb83]

Wow, had been an incredibly busy weekend, and lots more going the next few days. We finally got a newer truck, a 2010 GMC Sierra 2500HD. We found a "too good to be true" deal on it. Mechanically sound, but the prior owner really beat up the body. DH has the tools to repair the damage, so its already looking a lot better. Here it is: http://www.robycarsinc.com/2010-GMC-Sierra2500HD/Used-Truck/Columbus-OH/7792770/Details.aspx DH is very happy to have a solid, dependable truck again. Makes me happy that it will pull our big livestock trailer! Going to save us a lot on vet visits, now we can take the critters to him again!

We got a 4 wheeler bike ATV thing a month or so back, its now up and running. Fun to ride too, I used to love riding dirt bikes lol! Like having 4 wheels even more. I have a small 8ft trailer I hook up behind it. Come winter hauling feed and water around, Its really going to help. I am using it to collect tall grasses/weeds/tree limbs and load into the trailer. Pull it into the pasture, drop the sides and let my critters eat! My goats and pigs love all the greens! We have looked at what grows here carefully. Aside from 2 Burning Bush left to remove, 3 Japanese Yew the plants are safe. Adding a second hog pen, It will be for my boar, and other sows that are not currently with piglets. Our other pen will be used for the sow that's got a litter at the time, and for piglets growing up. Also hope to get another pasture set up this week. Then move the cows new house into the bigger pasture. Its a large carport, like you see at apartment complexes. Winter months, we will put sides up, and they will be partially removed for summer.

Starting to see relief on predator issues. The chickens certainly are a lot calmer. I am finally getting eggs again, not near what we should be. I can't help but think part of the issue is all the heat and humidity we've had too. I love summer and don't mind the heat. Its been hard on the birds & livestock trying to stay cool. We did need the rain but oh geez, now the mud is terrible! My garden is giving us tomatoes at least. The corn failed terribly, lot of missing kernels on the cobs. Cukes, squash all failed. Going to try using cardboard next year and some other tips folks have suggested. Yellow squash is so easy, having it fail is disappointing.

All of my squash failed this year. Zucchini, yellow summer, and pumpkin. We got one yellow squash. Everything else failed before it set fruit. Aside from that though, it's probably been our best garden year yet. Tomatoes are going like crazy, and my aunt is leaving for a two week vacation soon, and I have run of her tomatoes while she is away. So between salsa, sauce, and diced, i'm going to be trying to put up enough tomatoes to not have to do as many next year.

I have heard that from most other gardeners I know this year too. That wet spell really messed up everyone's garden. My uncle lost all his tomatoes to blight, yellow and zucchini ruined before fruit set. We really struggled, but zucchini came out of it and I got quite a bit before they shut down again. I started an extra plant late in the season for a back up and it is just starting to set fruit. Our tomatoes got hit hard with blight and are just now starting to get new growth, so I doubt I get to can much with them. That really makes me sad. That is our main crop. I threw some roma seeds in late as another back-up. Those tomatoes are just starting to get some color, so we will see.

One thing that has grown well for me, with no real help at all is butternut squash. I bet I have 10+ per plant and all nice and big. I'm glad something did well....now if I can just get my kids to eat it!

Like the new truck Janet!!

 

[tmarsh83]

I have heard that from most other gardeners I know this year too. That wet spell really messed up everyone's garden. My uncle lost all his tomatoes to blight, yellow and zucchini ruined before fruit set. We really struggled, but zucchini came out of it and I got quite a bit before they shut down again. I started an extra plant late in the season for a back up and it is just starting to set fruit. Our tomatoes got hit hard with blight and are just now starting to get new growth, so I doubt I get to can much with them. That really makes me sad. That is our main crop. I threw some roma seeds in late as another back-up. Those tomatoes are just starting to get some color, so we will see.

One thing that has grown well for me, with no real help at all is butternut squash. I bet I have 10+ per plant and all nice and big. I'm glad something did well....now if I can just get my kids to eat it!

Like the new truck Janet!!

I was going to do a later planting of zucchini, but with the surgeries this summer, it just never got done. I am about to do a fall planting of lettuce and kale in the next week or so, which I've not done before, so we will see how that goes.

Also, my melons are going like your squash. I'll have cantaloupes coming out my ears in a week or two, and watermelons a week or two after that.

Watermelons are my favorite....

 

[racinchickins]

Quote: I never separated my Scovies. I ended up with 15 babies total, and they have the prettiest colors and patterns. They range from a hen who is entirely black with beautiful green highlights to a drake that is very light grey/lavendar with a white head. Everyone who visits have been gushing about how pretty they are.

Quote: I think this is mixed up with a number commonly used for breeding. A rooster can usually handle up to 8 hens. If he has more than that, then some of them may not get bred regularly enough to have fertile eggs.

 

[Leahs Mom]

We got a 4 wheeler bike ATV thing a month or so back, its now up and running. Fun to ride too, I used to love riding dirt bikes lol! Like having 4 wheels even more. I have a small 8ft trailer I hook up behind it.

YAY ON THE TRUCK AND THE ATV/TRAILER!

We found a little trailer I can hook up behind the tractor to haul things around. Found the little trailer for sale on the side of the road cheap. I've been using it when clearing some wooded area too.

Love that you can haul the feed and water around. It's a must-have if you have animals far from the house unless you want to pull a wagon around.

 

[Indyshent]

I meant to ask: has anyone seen upper beak injuries to cockerels? I've been hanging on to a lavender Orp boy with a spectacular tail, and after I got back from being gone for two weeks noticed that his beak is no longer smooth along the top. It looks like the top layer chipped away, riight in front of his nostrils. I have 3 boys in that grow-out pen, and he's the only one with this issue. The other boys are two Dorking cockerels that are a bit older, taller, and heavier. They are old enough to be sparring if they feel like it. The lav is the smallest of all of them, and I moved my oldest occupants into adult pens tonight (my three blue Orp pullets).

Wondering if I should try to smooth it out with a nail file, or just let it be? I think I'll put some BlueKote on it tomorrow just to help keep it from getting infected.

Any thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated. In six years, I have not seen this precise injury/issue.

Thanks!

Blu-kote! I wouldn't file it unless it looks like it'll get snagged on something and tear. Their beaks are just too sensitive.

.

Thats great news. The 2 younger hens, Syd and Sweetie both lay well. Syd will go broody fast also just fyi as few as 2 eggs!

I knew she would, but I'm looking forward to it. Saphira wen broody once but crushed her eggs (which weren't fertile anyway).

Wow, had been an incredibly busy weekend, and lots more going the next few days. We finally got a newer truck, a 2010 GMC Sierra 2500HD. We found a "too good to be true" deal on it. Mechanically sound, but the prior owner really beat up the body. DH has the tools to repair the damage, so its already looking a lot better. Here it is: http://www.robycarsinc.com/2010-GMC-Sierra2500HD/Used-Truck/Columbus-OH/7792770/Details.aspx DH is very happy to have a solid, dependable truck again. Makes me happy that it will pull our big livestock trailer! Going to save us a lot on vet visits, now we can take the critters to him again!

We got a 4 wheeler bike ATV thing a month or so back, its now up and running. Fun to ride too, I used to love riding dirt bikes lol! Like having 4 wheels even more. I have a small 8ft trailer I hook up behind it. Come winter hauling feed and water around, Its really going to help. I am using it to collect tall grasses/weeds/tree limbs and load into the trailer. Pull it into the pasture, drop the sides and let my critters eat! My goats and pigs love all the greens! We have looked at what grows here carefully. Aside from 2 Burning Bush left to remove, 3 Japanese Yew the plants are safe. Adding a second hog pen, It will be for my boar, and other sows that are not currently with piglets. Our other pen will be used for the sow that's got a litter at the time, and for piglets growing up. Also hope to get another pasture set up this week. Then move the cows new house into the bigger pasture. Its a large carport, like you see at apartment complexes. Winter months, we will put sides up, and they will be partially removed for summer.

Starting to see relief on predator issues. The chickens certainly are a lot calmer. I am finally getting eggs again, not near what we should be. I can't help but think part of the issue is all the heat and humidity we've had too. I love summer and don't mind the heat. Its been hard on the birds & livestock trying to stay cool. We did need the rain but oh geez, now the mud is terrible! My garden is giving us tomatoes at least. The corn failed terribly, lot of missing kernels on the cobs. Cukes, squash all failed. Going to try using cardboard next year and some other tips folks have suggested. Yellow squash is so easy, having it fail is disappointing.

Yay on the truck and 4-wheeler! The carport is a great idea, too!

Between all the cold stuff this spring and this stupid rain, the garden hasn't exactly paid for itself this year. I've picked three zucchini so far, no other squash, cukes or melons. Most of the blossoms have rotted off because of the rain. Hopefully, once it dries out, we'll get some more. Some of the pumpkins and a few of the cukes look like they may deliver some more this year.

Lettuce hasn't fared well, and my cabbages, radishes and turnips have been attacked by slugs and a horde of caterpillars.

None of my corn ears are ripe enough to check, but I don't suspect anything great from them. The day I rounded up birds to take to @jchny2000 , the rest of my birds managed to get out and ransack the garden area with the corn, amaranth, peas, swan gourds, watermelon and beans... and they've decimated everything but the corn. I have one stalk of amaranth (it's a pretty cultivar my daughter picked out) left after a turkey thought she was trapped in the garden and panicked. Some of the corn even was trampled. All of the peas and beans have suffered greatly, and I don't think they're going to bounce back after being mangled and trampled. I got to pick two green beans out of the whole garden--for the year, most likely!

Some of the swan gourds might come out of it, but I don't have my hopes up (and they're not edible--just something pretty for crafts with the kids).

None of the potatoes ever even tried to live this year. I do, however, have a wild sweet potato plant which has been taking over the yard (and the neighborhood).

I'm still getting plenty of cherry tomatoes, but something's been sneaking into my garden at night and eating the bigger ones, and the turkeys eat them all every chance they get. I planted onions, garlic, chives, a ton of herbs, carrots and more stuff besides with the tomatoes this year. Restaked the 'maters so everything below them could get some more sunlight. Basil and carrots are thanking me.

 

[Lengerich Farms]

Anyone have any advice on good treats for the chickens and ducks? Anything from the kitchen that they would enjoy but won't be detrimental?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Anyone have any advice on good treats for the chickens and ducks? Anything from the kitchen that they would enjoy but won't be detrimental?

For chickens....

Just about everything that you'd put in the compost.

Add to that some raw ground meat from a clean grass-fed source

 

[Lengerich Farms]

For chickens....

Just about everything that you'd put in the compost.

Add to that some raw ground meat from a clean grass-fed source

Awesome! Thanks! Although, I should
Probably leave the ground egg shells out hunh? Don't want her eating MY breakfast when she starts laying hahaha

 

[Jntnrmn]

Awesome! Thanks! Although, I should
Probably leave the ground egg shells out hunh? Don't want her eating MY breakfast when she starts laying hahaha

I give mine egg shells everyday. I rinse and break them up a bit and keep them in a jar on my counte. I couldn't get mine to eat oyster shells but they do real well with the egg shells. I keep a cereal sized bowl out with shells for my 10 hens.I'm not sure how much they should have but they seem to go through that much every couple days.

 

[Jntnrmn]

@Lengerich Farms
Also, mine LOVE spaghetti squash, that's their favorite!
As well as tomatoes, corn on the cob, zucchini...mine won't eat table scraps for some reason except believe it or not, I have seen them steal chicken meat from the outside cats and gobble it up.