INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Leahs Mom]

Haven't been on in awhile... really busy with work and getting ready for another trip out of town.

Just wanted to stop in and say that I have a few "just-turned-hens" (1 year old in June) that are laying well that I have available. They're organic-fed outdoor ranged. I'm just needing to reduce my flock size some.

PM if you have any interest and I'll fill you in. Would need to be picked up in the South Bend area

 

[Leahs Mom]

@jchny2000 and all gardeners...

How are your plants doing now with all the rain? It seems like mine are not growing at the rate they usually do so wondering if it's the over-abundance of rain.

 

[TooCheep]

My raised beds are doing well, but then raised beds are good at draining excess water. In-ground plants would have more of a problem.

 

[Leahs Mom]

RIP Charlie
March 2012 - June 2019

A Little Tribute to Charlie
​

Charlie was in our first-ever group of chickens that I brought home as day-old nuggets in a box. She was one of 2 hatchery ameraucanas that laid pretty blue eggs.

Charlie got her name when she was very young. I noticed that when I'd bring out mealworms or raw meat for them, all of them would be going crazy over the meat - except for Charlie. She'd be somewhere else eating clover or grass. My husband (Chuck) tended toward eating very little meat at the time, so I named her Charlie in his honor . Since I was so new at chickens at the time, I didn't realize that she was at bottom of pecking order and was avoiding being chased away from the goodies. As she grew, she learned how to get her share! Last year in June I got 3 ameraucanas that have turned 1 this June. When we got them, we always referred to them as "Charlie-birds" or "little Charlies" as that name has stuck with us ever since.

After having a hen for 7 years they become more of a pet than a farm animal. I could tell Charlie's voice in a crowd of talking chickens with my back turned.

So...Rest in Peace, Charlie. I'll miss hearing your voice and seeing your antics.

 

[Leahs Mom]

My raised beds are doing well, but then raised beds are good at draining excess water. In-ground plants would have more of a problem.

Most of ours are planted so that they have good drainage as well. Where my tomatoes and peppers are this year are relatively new beds that haven't loosened up as well as our other planted areas yet.

 

[TooCheep]

Can't comment on peppers/tomatoes, but everything else I have in my raised beds are doing well- Cucumbers, multiple types of greens, tomatillos, onions, dill, asparagus.

I've had ongoing problems with tomatoes over the last few years due to blight and switched to tomatillos to avoid the problem entirely. They are doing well. I have four types of peppers, but I'm "pinching them back" this year which sets them back temporarily, but makes them more strong/bushy and is supposed to multiply production by 2x-3x.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I'd like to try that with my peppers. I'd also like to try to make the tomatoes more like a "bush" than a vine by pinching back. Not sure if it will work with tomatoes.

 

[TooCheep]

I'd like to try that with my peppers. I'd also like to try to make the tomatoes more like a "bush" than a vine by pinching back. Not sure if it will work with tomatoes.

There are some minor differences, but the main idea is the same for pinching back both peppers and tomatoes. Pinching them back when the they are relatively small is good for making them more strong/bushy. Pinching back tomato suckers later on is good for directing more energy into producing good fruits.

Tomatos: https://homeguides.sfgate.com/should-pinch-back-tomato-plants-57635.html
Peppers: https://homeguides.sfgate.com/pinch-pepper-plants-38089.html

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I was mowing my grass yesterday with all my dogs roaming my yard when a huge dog jumped my fence and came at me. I'm sure the dog was going for the mower not me, but my dog Nova went attack mode instantly. The huge dog was 3 times her size. Once I broke off the fight, Nova was bleeding a lot and limping. I chased the dog off by throwing rocks at it. I carried Nova inside to tend to her wounds. She has a puncture wound on the top of her paw and her skin was torn in a L shape about 1" each way on her right wrist. I wrapped her wrist tight to stop the bleeding. Her torn skin looks like someone was skinning her for her hide.
So far Nova is doing great. I've been changing her dressings 3 times today, and will continue to change them 3 times a day for about a week till her wound is scabbed or skin grown back. I spray her wound with Vetericyn every time I change the dressings. She walks on it like nothing happened but with a slight limp. She didn't whine during the fight or after either. She really amazes me. I have her on house arrest with limited exercise.
Here is Nova with her dressings. Nova's ear is shaved at the top from us removing a tick.
View attachment 1823086 View attachment 1823087

This image has an arrow pointing to were her skin was torn. It was torn right above the pad on her wrist
View attachment 1823088

Please report this. Your dogs have had enough already.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

RIP Charlie
March 2012 - June 2019
View attachment 1822450

A Little Tribute to Charlie
​

Charlie was in our first-ever group of chickens that I brought home as day-old nuggets in a box. She was one of 2 hatchery ameraucanas that laid pretty blue eggs.

Charlie got her name when she was very young. I noticed that when I'd bring out mealworms or raw meat for them, all of them would be going crazy over the meat - except for Charlie. She'd be somewhere else eating clover or grass. My husband (Chuck) tended toward eating very little meat at the time, so I named her Charlie in his honor . Since I was so new at chickens at the time, I didn't realize that she was at bottom of pecking order and was avoiding being chased away from the goodies. As she grew, she learned how to get her share! Last year in June I got 3 ameraucanas that have turned 1 this June. When we got them, we always referred to them as "Charlie-birds" or "little Charlies" as that name has stuck with us ever since.

After having a hen for 7 years they become more of a pet than a farm animal. I could tell Charlie's voice in a crowd of talking chickens with my back turned.

So...Rest in Peace, Charlie. I'll miss hearing your voice and seeing your antics.

Sad to read this, RIP!