Jest Another Day in Pear-A-Dice - Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm in Alberta

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thanks perchie. I am really interested in them as a novelty. I went to the website but it doesn't mention the kind of soil they need. I have empty space on the south side of my house, that formerly grew "too proflic" winter hardy cactus. After many years, I finally pulled them all out. The soil was amended for them to be gravel, sand, peat moss and some little bit of garden soil. Drainage was fantastic and since the plants were under the overhang of the roof - it also kept some of the heavy rain away from them.

I am hoping I could use that area. I just would like to know if the soil needs to be improved.. If so, what to add?
 
drumstick diva said:
thanks perchie. I am really interested in them as a novelty. I went to the website but it doesn't mention the kind of soil they need. I have empty space on the south side of my house, that formerly grew "too proflic" winter hardy cactus. After many years, I finally pulled them all out. The soil was amended for them to be gravel, sand, peat moss and some little bit of garden soil. Drainage was fantastic and since the plants were under the overhang of the roof - it also kept some of the heavy rain away from them.

I am hoping I could use that area. I just would like to know if the soil needs to be improved.. If so, what to add?
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dont know probably your climate will dictate. at least one of those sites is a gardening site. They look very hearty.

here.... it would be like planting in sand without ammending or at least stirring in some top soil The one plus I do have is it drains extremely well.

I just dont know I do not garden though I would like to learn to at least do some container type plants... Black eyed peas, beans, strawberries tomatoes.... Let me know what you find out.

deb
 
drumstick diva said:
Well done Tara. Now you have me curious about 'walking onions' - do they have to be tethered to keep them from leaving?
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Leash them? Like a dog in the city perhaps?
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All you need to do is buy (yeh, I know, if'n you still had some birds, eh!) a bag of that composted poo...sheep or poultry and mix it in that dirt you got. Onions (of all types and I read the Egyptian ones are a cross of Welsh onions and something else oniony) like composted manure in a well drained soil. Not too acidic but you can add some peat so it can retain a bit of water too...if'n you wanna.

I grew really nice onions (that over wintered even!) last year in the dirt in the Veg Garden that I tilled in composted turkey run bedding into. I do know onions do well in the heat so long as you keep them well watered but not soppy...moist well drained rich soils. Some rotate their onions, we are told we should yet you watch a program like Monty Don's (I think it was in France) gardening show and he visited an area where they have grown onions for generations on the same ground. I would expect they add composted manure and till it up...so to me, that would be like you are using new ground because you replenish it...I suppose!
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I think some lovely walking onions would be awesome for you to putter with.


So I like to compare years...see how the plantings compare to years prior.




Last year...June 9, 2015



Got my peas planted in the soil...



June 9, 2015 ​




July 13, 2015​
For DD...note my onions on the grow...



June 23, 2015 - onion sets peaking up​



Just weeded the onions here - July 27, 2015 ​



Sept 19 2015 - Decent onions harvested​


Planting a garden here has risks...some years like in 2014, we got hit with a decent hail storm...we had more snow than even I prefer and then got a hail storm in August to make sure we did not forget frozen water is possible anytime at all here...
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Here's 2014 gardening...


April 15, 2014 - My ice worm garden​



June 3, 2014 and see my garden is tilled, raised beds with pathways ​



July 9, 2014 - Note the onions above the taters​


Never tempt fate and complain too loudly about the weather...it can turn nastier than you can imagine...in a blink of the eye...oh my eye...
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July 31, 2014 - Onions and carrots...
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One day you are watching your garden grow...and the next...
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August 1, 2014 - Midnight...HAIL! ​

But even with hail...still have a garden to harvest that produces...
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Aug 26, 2014 - Green onions



August 31, 2014 - Stuff on the grow, recovering quite nicely from the hail
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Oct 26, 2014 - Despite any weather related setbacks...onions turned out fine...
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Lovely onions...



August 25, 2014 - For delicious salads! ​

Hope springs eternal...no matter what Nature throws our way, we take it and make good use of it...
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NO, I don't like the weather and what it can do, but like it or lump it, weather happens and you are not going to see me quit doing a garden because one might get a setback or three...


So how busy have I bin? Busy enough to get goofed on by the geese...dang it all.
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We heard a rumour...you like?​


Geese live for a loooong time. I have a gander that is missing his mate, mate died of old age. Kinda fact of life around here...birds don't get predated, so they most often leave on their own accord...Grim Reaper takes the oldsters when its time to get gone.


I'm THE baby...gotta luv moi!
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We have pairs, trios and a quad of American geese (buffs, buff pieds, and buff tufted is the quad...they get along, I've left them together because most often found with geese, only a pair or trio, never more than one male as in gander as they will savagely fight...these ones get along great...wonderbar). The gaggles are all in the Pear-A-Dice goose houses. Again, how busy, yeh...I collect up the eggs of the geese because we don't really, truly need more tho I do think it would be nice to pair up this Pied gander with a girlfriend. I guess the Buff Tufted heard about my wish and well...if'n the dang buggers didn't sneak an egg past me. Busy, sure, that busy, perhaps? Rick is laughing at me since I discovered this yesterday evening whilst filling up goose ponds. So a new one...our first ever tufted buff gosling.



Dang it all...how cute is cute?
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Anyhoo, not that I am overly distressed over it. Afterall, I did say we wanted a female for the Pied...now if'n this gosling is a boy or a girl. I could, I could send off a plucked feather to have it DNA gendered for all of twelve bucks or I could jest wait it out. Not sure...


My tufted head looks like a helmet, eh!​


Oh well, got some hard boiled egg yolks to peel up (did the eggs--now to peel them) and already sliced up some romaine for the baby (AND the two pairs of tufted Buffs...yeh, imagine the fussing over this one baby, eh...four parents...sheesh...there will be NO coming too close to this gosling...go figure!).
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FOUR, yeh 4 doting parents...​

So anyone that figures they are wanting to test their toughness, come on by...I got four, four geese that will bite and whack the snot outta anyone stunned enough to get too close to the baby. My my my...now if the baby don't get smothered by all the attention and they actually let it eat the food stuffs I put out...it may make it. So far, its alive and well...last I saw of it, it was snuggled into the actual hatch mothers downy sides. It needs to be a girl...please be a girl...the last goslings we had the ration was 5 to 1 female...yeh, five males. This one NEEDS to be female...please, please, please be a girl for the old guy...I can always slip in another girl and make trios...an extra boy, sorry, I find that to be a pain in the wazoo...hee hee...be a GIRL since I fudged up and we have a single.
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Checked on the Mandarins like I do ever evening...I count three males (all moulting, so look very girlish) and two females...GOOD GACK...

OK< suppose to be three pairs...where is the third gal. Yup, we had one hen lay a clutch and give up earlier this year...now we have another girl on a clutch. Not sure how many eggs because she was ON the nest when I peaked in. I'll find out soon enough I guess. Good timing tho, much better than early spring when eggs risk being frozen. Good chance she will hatch these boogers out.


Man alive I love my girls...the girl dogs make chores in the evenings of putting everyone away for the night (away from the night evils) so much better.

So after setting up for the new gosling, the girls and I return to put the bird yard occupants all away. YIKES...past few times the Calls have managed to breach the bird yard into the human yard where the fish and waterfall pond is. I put up one big rock under the one side of the chain link gate, but now I have put another on the other side and them boogers still manage to get over here.


Waz this...ducks on THIS side of the fence...not proper!​

Call in the dog forces to assist...


Ever so gentle and patient...these dogs are delish!
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Ducks heading towards the gate​



Em's tail is wagging...she knows they are just where they need to be...jest about! ​




Ducks won't climb over the rock​

Guess I am still needed...to open UP the gate...


I open up gate (leaving it open...) and dogs move the three wanderers back to the bevy ​



Emmest stands and COUNTS HER DUCKS as they waddle back home ​


Good dogs...OK let's get the rest of the birds inside for the night...

Who makes a charge for that OPEN GATE I left...the gander...


Note the huge HISS...and how upstanding and yet reserved the girls are!​


Grown humans run silly nilly when hissed at by a goose...some humans are TERRIFIED of geese and it is true that a wing slam can break bones...scary bird...them gooseys hissing, the wing beatings and oh yes, that bruise making pinch of their bills. A formidable opponent to herd up and I don't recommend people start dogs on geese, geese win and dogs lose...so much so they lose their ability to herd...have it scared right off them.



Gander takes it up a notch and is threatening the girls with a savage WING SLAP next​


Good girls...totally working together to sort this out and get that gander off to bed...



Gander is NOT impressed there are two girls working him...not impressed at all!​


Emmy moves back to give the gander some space and cool his jets. Lacy takes to covering the gate...no exit here Goosey Loosey Gander...Where shall he wander...not exiting this way, eh!
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Lacy approaches gander and he makes a stand​


Lacy walks gently and thoughtfully, carefully forward, making HER point...geese have to listen to the dogs...listen...you loose goose...
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Gander makes a hit attempt on Lacy, Lacy easy avoids the bite and stands HER ground!​


It would take nothing for Lacy to lose her kewl and bite this bird (off with his head in an instant)...I'd have bitten this gander by now but she is ever so gracious and constrained...she is powerful without being violent. Thinking Ghandi like, eh.
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Both girls sweep in and move the obnoxious gander along ​


It takes two girls...working in tandem...to convince this gander that HE IS going to bed...and before the sun goes down, he will oblige them.



Gander gives up on the fight and the dogs know they won for this evening
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Gander high tails himself back to home​


Now it is time to put the new hair sheep flock away for the night...

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Once again, there is confrontation by the quarry but once again, Lacy stands her ground...and she is rewarded for her firm patience

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Them girls, making chore time a breeze...wonderful!
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So got me over the top tater area furrowed up yesterday as planned...made a trip out with the gals to click some pics...before I forget I got it done up.



Plop in tater seed and watch it GROW
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Did the Veg Garden furrowing yesterday too...hear we are to get rain rain and more rain...bring it on!


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There be the dirt...glorious dirt...
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"Mah...these are onions in this pail...from last year...didn't DD just ask about onions?"​

"Yes Em...and those will be going IN the veg garden..."


Tilled up, raised beds and pathways...let the plantings begin!​

Let it rain, save me watering, eh.
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Dinner last night...tres good. ​
Rick cooked the meat...house stayed cool.

Add to the list...weed them beans...always something on the go...har har har
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Beans last evening...soil must be GOOD...too good...lookit the WEEDs...​


Get good soil and everything wants to grow...oh well...sorta like house work...get to the end and begin it all again...nyuck nyuck nyuck!
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Filled up a buncha feed buckets with mixed rations yesterday evening too...guess I could go put the last of that ton of grains away...maybe go do that now that my coffee break is over...later, eh!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada
 
Could they do just local with novacaine or equivalent.? Of course I am not a sheep, at last look anyhow but, I've had abcessed teeth pulled with just novacaine. I guess the main problem is getting her to stand still. Put her in a squeeze pen???

My mother had an abcessed tooth that drained through a hole that developed in her cheek. We were all scared too death it was cancer so happy to just have the tooth pulled.

If I could afford it, I would have the surgery for the sheep. I didn't know it would be an inherited problem. I would think it could just as well be damaged maybe cracked biting something that shouldn't be bitten.
 

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