Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Dreamzchaser]

That chicken is a Necked Neck, which is a breed. Sparse feathering all over too, nice for plucking as they are mostly a meat type. Either love or hate the look...
Coyotes have taken small dogs out of fenced yards in suburbia, seen by dog owners in suburban Detroit. The ones who live here are very shy of humans, as some neighbors do shoot them. It's good that we have a couple of coyote families around here, or we'd be hip deep in rabbits! They 'sing' at night, nice to hear.
Mary

Sophia a meat bird? No, she is skinny because she is always running all over the place,lol She can be inside and runs as she watches bugs outside,lol She is a trip. She runs after my dog all the time.

 

[TheDandyLion]

What varieties did you plant? And have you tried them before?

For tomatoes, I wash, slice a cross at each end, then drop them in boiling water, just long enough for them to start to crack at the cuts, then drop them in an ice bath. The skin slides off. I have 25 planted, 4 roma varieties and one beefsteak.

Tried the freezing trick, and didn't like it.

 

[Dreamzchaser]

I am so tired it is not even funny. Tried mowing the front of teh house with the push mower and left half of it. However, worked all morning inside the run. I took soem space from teh Wyndottes and gave it ti Pitbull and his chihuahuas. Where they were before, it is still open but ready to make it a brooder when I need one. Baby mama is still broody. I took her outside and she found 3 regular eggs in the coop and sat on them. Took her out and she got pissed at Pixie(dog) and went after her with all her might. I had to kick her a few times she charged at her. Pitbull just complained but he did not dare come at me. They are all behaving.

My pain is anoying but have so much to do. No garden yet. Have not even taken my BP today. If dyas keep like this, not too sunny or windy and just cloudy, hub said he can try re-doing the run roof to fix the leaking. I could care less. I can caulk it from the inside,lol But I was able to hang water and food as well and leaving a wire down to hang lettuce or cabbage that they so much love.

Well, Gotta cook today. Have skipped it a few days but after the "tablazo" (high bill) from the truck yesterday, I need to save money.

Og, saw a 2011 Kubota B 2920 tractor but the lady said that it will be via ebay and ebay will send me a link to pay. Smells like rotten fish. I have been on ebay for decades and never heard of this. $1200.00 was nice but my gut is not too clear about this.

 

[uchytil]

Oh gosh, here we go! The ducks were out running around being chased by a BABY MALLARD! The baby showed up from who knows where and my flock was terrified, lol. So now we have to raise this thing and integrate until it either flies away or stays. Yay. I have NO idea where it came from but it must of heard my flock and headed our way.

 

[saysfaa]

What varieties did you plant? And have you tried them before?

I'll be planting whatever I can find at the greenhouse. Hopefully, they have some determinate varieties.

My tomato seeds failed this year. I don't know what happened, the two previous years I had really good success until they were transplanted into the garden and pots. We have several walnut trees and it turn turns out tomatoes are very sensitive to them.

I liked Big Mama and the currant tomatoes best of the six or eight I've tried. I don't think it was a fair trial, though, since none of them did well.

My parents/family grew Sioux. I probably will too if I order seed. So far, I've been learning on what I can get in person.

 

[1muttsfan]

Best to grow or buy canning varieties, as they have the proper acidity level to be safely canned. Canners also usually are fleshier, with less moisture. Beefsteaks and other sweeter varieties have a lower acidity level.
I've been canning tomatoes since I was young, helping my mother every year. We do about 10 second boiling water bath and into a pan of cool water, and the skin should slip right off.
Follow guidelines from a reputable source -
https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/canning-tomato-products-safety-guidelines

and do NOT cut corners.

 

[1muttsfan]

Sand Hill Preservation has seeds for an incredible number of different tomato varieties
https://www.sandhillpreservation.com/

 

[rjmyooper]

That chicken is a Necked Neck, which is a breed. Sparse feathering all over too, nice for plucking as they are mostly a meat type. Either love or hate the look...
Coyotes have taken small dogs out of fenced yards in suburbia, seen by dog owners in suburban Detroit. The ones who live here are very shy of humans, as some neighbors do shoot them. It's good that we have a couple of coyote families around here, or we'd be hip deep in rabbits! They 'sing' at night, nice to hear.
Mary

Wow, those are rare indeed. Even Cackle Hatchery doesn't have any.

 

[Dreamzchaser]

I do nkt remember the types of tomatoes I had 3 years ago. Apparently someone was selling plants under the bridge that crosses KY to Indiana and we spent the afternoon there with my son and grandkids. By 8pm we began heading back and they were left there. I brought them with me and oh boy, I had so many tomatoes. I made sauce and even sent to Fl and PR. That same year 2020, I was given apples and peaches by the numbers and made cinnamon apple sauce, apple jam and peach jam. I had a ball doing that. Never sold any, just gave away to everyone I could,lol even to the girls at the bank.
I think I will have to buy the plants this year and see if I can transplant them into my garden. My bell peppers seeds are dried after getting them out of the peppers. Wonder how long they can last.

 

[Sally PB]

Speaking of tomatoes, I'm really hoping I get a good crop this year. I'm doing a few different things to "help" the soil. I moved a huge pile of thatch and leaves onto the garden for mulch. I have 50 lbs of rabbit poop that will be mostly for the maters, and I have 50-60 starts in the green house. I've been saying, "Next year, I want to can just MY tomatoes and not have to buy any," for 3 years now. Will this be the year???

The seeds that have sprouted the best last year and this year were the saved seeds from my own Amish Paste tomatoes. Maybe they "know" it's home.