INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[funnyfarmmom]

I pulled the meaties in off the back porch into my bedroom last night because they were too cold even with their lights. This morning they keep flying out of their boxes . They are 2 weeks old. I thought it hilarious, husband was not amused when he nearly stepped on one. Btw, he's the one told me to put them there lol.

 

[tmarsh83]

Snowing here, everyone is hunkered down in the coops. No piglets yet, I hope she waits til the weekend when its a tad warmer.
When does everyone start their tomatoes and peppers? I am wandering all over looking at seed websites lol. I will plant a lot more corn this year. Our new food saver has me so pleased. Cant wait till I put it to some real use.

We've got 5 or 6 inches on the ground and it's not going to let up all day. So, yippee...

I need to invest in a seed starting setup. I buy plants for peppers and tomatoes. I usually buy them early, but leave them in the trays as long as possible, Early May, trying to get the ground warmer.

I got one of the silver food savers at an industry silent auction a few years ago and it has been great. We buy cheese in bulk and parse it out in amounts we use for about half what it costs at the grocery, processing venison in the fall is super fast (for what I don't can), I love it. Couldn't go back to wrapping and bagging everything.

 

[pginsber]

@pginsber ~ Your flock is beautiful — love your photo. Is that a Bielefelder on the bottom right?

The far right hen is a hatchery quality Golden Cuckoo Marans. This picture is a little dated, so some of the girls in it are now in chicken heaven. Our original flock came from a hatchery, so we don't anticipate super-long longevity. We didn't know that at the time we ordered them, but have learned that since joining our BYC group here. We treasure every day with them though!

 

[Hholly]

I am glad to hear that! My poultry love the goats, they catch any wasted grain. Its so hard finding a dependable sitter. Hoping the right person turns up soon.

I am drooling over Bakers and a few other heirloom sites. I love the bicolor sweet corn from RK, It grows no matter what. Am sure its not a non GMO, I still hope to get there soon with all our food. I have a lot to learn for gardening, am really researching it this winter. After our entire plot failed last year I plan to learn a lot more before I plant.
Our plot is still "too new" I guess, we have only planted 3 years. Have still a lot of weed issues, even though I was weeding daily. i really prefer to sow directly but weeds overtake the plot.We may need to decrease it until I can master the most important crops. I do not want to use roundup etc, too many beekeepers locally. I hope more experienced gardeners will post, its a very good way to also feed your flock healthy natural foods. My hogs and goats love the cornstalks and fresh cobs once we have stripped the corn off. Myself I will eat a tomato, pepper or onion whole if its fresh, love veggies. How does everyone deal with weed control in a large garden plot?

We keep weeds under control by planting in a grid, wide enough rows so hubby can run the tiller up and down. Straw around the base of plants helps too. Last year was bad since the rain never let up at one point. Weeds definitely got out of control.

 

[funnyfarmmom]

Ive got automatic weed pullers- 7 kids . They need something to keep busy all summer, so I put them to work pulling weeds and feeding tote animals lol.

I got my first rhode island red pullet egg today! Lol youd think it was my first egg ever the way I carried on at them. But Ive waited for these pullets to lay all winter!

 

[Faraday40]

I've got some test eggs in the incubator & stumbled across this idea:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update

Has anyone here ever tried it in our climate?

I'm hoping our temps are mild this April, so the chicks can move to the garage by then. If I could brood in the garage even sooner, I'd be very happy. Dare I dream to set up a dog crate inside the covered run?? (It's has storm windows like a green house in the winter.)

 

[Hholly]

@Faraday40 I have been brooding my chicks that way. I had them in the house for the first 2 weeks with it and then moved them to my unheated garage 2 weeks ago. They've done fine. Next time, I would start them outside from the get-go. But I was worried to try it this first time since temps were so frigid.

 

[Biddiquack]

We keep weeds under control by planting in a grid, wide enough rows so hubby can run the tiller up and down. Straw around the base of plants helps too. Last year was bad since the rain never let up at one point. Weeds definitely got out of control.

I love gardening too!! My raised beds are made with locust logs (they will outlast me). Every time I go grocery shopping I get cardboard boxes with no print (or just black print) on them. These are taken apart and put down on the paths as weed barriers. I also cut spaced holes in cardboard to use in the bed rows - my seeds/plants grow up through the holes and the rest of the bed is weed free. Composting is just dumping the chicken coop litter in an unplanted garden bed, waiting till it "sprouts", then covering it with cardboard till a crop is rotated into it the following year. My chickens get access to some of the beds in the fall; they LOVE it!

 

[Mishlerfarm24]

@Mishlerfarm24 [COLOR=8B4513]~ So sorry to hear about your handsome Diesel — what a terrible shock! I was just looking online to find info about free poultry necropsies through ISPA and ran across this Purdue DDL article from 2012. It's written by the veterinarian who just did my chicken's necropsy. (The vet who has been corresponding with me assisted Dr. Wigle). Anyway, this article may offer some insights.[/COLOR]

Thank you so much!!! I will look into this! Now that I have collected myself after some grieving, now I'm going to do some research. We did not do an autopsy, we debated it but with the weather being so bad no one was open, plus I finally said no because I would be even more torn if I found out if it was something that I could have done to prevented it and I just know with the way I am (with any animal really) would just tear me up!

 

[Mishlerfarm24]

So sorry for your BIG loss.  He was beautiful!  We owned a blue Dane & we have more stories from her short 5-year life than our Whippet in all his 16 yrs.  They are a terrific, intelligent, loyal, & stubborn breed.

Because of his size, could Diesel have gotten bloat or have eaten something strange? - as many big dogs can do.  I just don't know what else would kill a healthy young dog so quickly.

Thank you! I was so hesitant of getting a Dane because of their size cause I'm used to Labs, but when we got him oh my I fell in love! He was sooooo stubborn but he was getting to the part he was starting to listen to me. I had him sitting, shaking, giving hugs and he started to fetch!
We have no idea what happened. We were going to do an autopsy but with the way the weather was no one was open or would answer their phones, plus I finally said no because I knew it would tear me up if it was something that I could have done to help prevent this tragedy and he still be with us. So we buried him, we put his bed in with him so he would be comfy, his "bear" that was his security blanket, a few tennis balls and a blanket to keep him warm. I kept his collar and tags. So thankful that last month I took his footprint and framed it with all the other two dogs we got. But this was just so hard on me, not only cause of his age, but I have never experienced finding my pet passed away like that. Living on a farm my whole life my dad took 1 dog to the vet to have put down when I was away at college, but the rest of our dogs ran off to die somewhere so I never found them that way, yes I was upset knowing what happened to them just never had to deal with finding them and burying them.