Maine

[ashandvine]

I don't like transplanting to bigger pots either, MustardTiger. This is normally the weekend I plant peas, but the garden still has patches of snow, thick ice and mud. I'm hoping this is an excellent thawing and drying week. The onions looked really cramped in their cells. My tomatoes are just sprouting and I will start brassicas today.

I did my first candling (day 7) and discovered it is really, really hard to see through Marans, Ameraucana, and olive eggs. It does look like something is happening in most. The Basque eggs you can see veining. I have two broodies but don't dare give them eggs. They are in the hoop coop and that coop needs to be moved before the peas can go in, so hopefully soon.

My brassicas are all up again after the chicken feast but I am still waiting on true leaves. I only have two stawberries coming up :[ I put peas out. I bought onion sets and I swear to you that the chickens smelled them or something. They went in there-- despite the mocked up fence I put up, and I can't see any in there now. I am fated to have to trade something for onions this year. I also put in turnip seeds. I wanted to put in carrots but the package is missing so I broke down and ordered more. My kids eat more carrots than a pack of rabbits. I was delighted that my apple grafts all survived the winter. Now if I could just graft the ones I still have in the frig.

Yey Bucka on your candling. Marans are impossible to see into but I have a GREAT little mag that I can see into OE and Am eggs without much trouble at all. If you visit again I will try to remember to show you. It was something silly like 20$ for this little thing but its been great! I am crossing my fingers for your hatch. And my own. I found a sneaky Marans hen in the back of the barn TOP today by chance with three eggs hiding behind her and one more being laid. Ah ha! These birds sure are sneaky!

 

[lazy gardener]

Re: Peonies. I don't think they are terribly fussy about when you divide or plant them, as long as you keep them well watered. If you plant the eyes too deep, you'll get plenty of shrub growth, but never see any flowers. I don't remember how deep they say to put the eyes. But if any of you gardeners have peonies that don't bloom, either they're planted too deep, or they don't get enough sun.

I stopped at the Bangor Blue Seal. They had a nice shipment of Buff Orps in, also some meat birds, turkeys, and ducks... both black and white. I tried to convince myself that I needed a buff orp to add to my flock, but the realization that there was a 6 bird minimum brought me quickly to my senses.

 

[Widget]

Re: Peonies. I don't think they are terribly fussy about when you divide or plant them, as long as you keep them well watered. If you plant the eyes too deep, you'll get plenty of shrub growth, but never see any flowers. I don't remember how deep they say to put the eyes. But if any of you gardeners have peonies that don't bloom, either they're planted too deep, or they don't get enough sun.

I stopped at the Bangor Blue Seal. They had a nice shipment of Buff Orps in, also some meat birds, turkeys, and ducks... both black and white. I tried to convince myself that I needed a buff orp to add to my flock, but the realization that there was a 6 bird minimum brought me quickly to my senses.

Thanks.

The TSC in Scarborough has straight run Buff Orps for $0.99 ea. I did not look too closely to see if I could pick out any roos since, while tempting, I have ducks and turkeys coming next week and more chicks soon too. So I really did not need more. Plus the Speckled Sussex and White Leghorns are already in the brooder. They are almost 4 weeks old now and are growing like weeds.

 

[lazy gardener]

Speckled Sussex and white Leghorns... Now, those will be some nice looking lawn ornaments mixed together!! What you getting for duckies????

 

[Widget]

Speckled Sussex and white Leghorns... Now, those will be some nice looking lawn ornaments mixed together!! What you getting for duckies????

I have 5 Khaki Campbells coming next week or perhaps May 9th since it is hatchery choice this coming week because of Easter. I know Longhorn tried ordering some for this week but Rob realized that they could not guarantee specific breeds so he did the same order for May just in case. And I am also getting some Muscovies and hopefully Saxonies from RMT Farm at some point this Spring/Summer. Not many but enough to satisfy the duck breeds I want.

 

[buckabucka]

Ash, your talk about flashlights got me thinking.... We have 3 identical small led flashlights here, and last year when I candled Marans I could at least make out movement. So today I shined two of them at the wall, and picked the brighter of the two. Then I went up where the incubator is and compared that light to the brighter one, and I definitely did not use the brightest light we have. Maybe I will check a few of them again tonight. After that, I will try to hold off until day 14. I know it is better not to handle them a lot (although I do wear gloves). I love candling and would be up there compulsively checking eggs every time darkness fell if I did not enforce a little discipline.

 

[pamspets]

Hello Mainers, just moved to Windham and have 6 little chicks inside waiting to grow bigger to move to their new coop. Always interested to read how others have handled issues as this is my first time raising chicks.

 

[Widget]

Hello Mainers, just moved to Windham and have 6 little chicks inside waiting to grow bigger to move to their new coop. Always interested to read how others have handled issues as this is my first time raising chicks.

I worked in Windham for 10 years. And shop in the area quite frequently.

 

[quailtrail]

@pamspets Welcome! I'm in Poland - practically neighbors.

 

[pamspets]

I'll be watching for your posts