Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[jrsckn]

Awesome links, Thanks!

 

[Elliemae 77]

Thank-you chickflick, I'll check it out.

 

[gladahmae]

So, I have a wintertime question. What do you all use for waterers, so you aren't hauling buckets out to the coops multiple times a day? (Aside from the hanging electric waterers from TSC, since I'd probably still have to fill that up 2x a day for the number of birds we may have this winter.) I got some of those nipple waterers, but then realized that attaching them to a smaller pipe, fed by a larger bucket or whatever would just feeze even faster since the pipe would be more susceptible to temp. swings.

 

[Wynette]

glada - I use these:

http://www.jefferslivestock.com/heated-plastic-poultry-fountain/camid/LIV/cp/5F-H4/

I see they don't have great reviews here, but I have purchased 1 or 2 per year for a few years now - and they have vastly improved the design of them from past years. They work great for me. I feel much safer with these than the heated bottoms that you place the waterer on top of for whatever reason.

ETA: I just read some of the negative reviews, and they state they think the design is poor due to having to flip the waterer over after you fill it. The most recent version has a rubber plug in the bottom allowing you to fill it via that plug - you don't need to remove the base. Not trying to sound like a commercial, but they work for me.

 

[chickflick]

I use heated dog water bowls. Worked great for me. Every couple of days, or whenever they got dirty, I just took a bucket in with me, dumped the water and used a paper towel to wipe the bowl clean. Easy.

Hi Wynette!!

Back to weeding!

 

[1muttsfan]

Gladhae, Rhubarb takes a long time to become established. Recommendations include not harvesting any stalks for the first full year, then only a small amount the second year. That allows the plants to develop properly. I would (from personnaly experience) also recommend a heavy top-dressing of well-rotted horse manure. I planted mine last year, and this year they were waist-high with leaves 32" accross.

 

[Wynette]

I use heated dog water bowls. Worked great for me. Every couple of days, or whenever they got dirty, I just took a bucket in with me, dumped the water and used a paper towel to wipe the bowl clean. Easy.

Hi Wynette!!

Back to weeding!

HIYA!!

You know, someone else was talking about this awhile back - the heated dog water bowls do work great, but they don't hold as much as the heated poultry waterers - also, long wattles can "drag" into the water & cause frostbite - not a long-term major ill effect, just know about it going in.

I'm actually probably going to use a 5 gallon heated horse waterer for my ducks, and block off about half of the opening at the top to reduce the amoutn they can splatter around as they drink.

 

[SillyChicken]

i use these: I like them because they have multiple uses if you need it for something else, like dogs or goats etc.. http://www.tractorsupply.com/allied-precision-heated-bucket-2-25-gal-capacity-2170071

 

[NovaAman]

I got my veggie garden worked on today. I ended up having to rip out all the zuc plants. I was hoping that they'd be ok after trying to stand them back up 2 weeks ago. Nope.. They were rotting from the bottom where they had half broke off the main root. GAH! Looks like I will not have any more large quantities... I do have one plant left though, and it looks like it is about to spit some more off it.

I ended up taking out the watermelon also. For some reason, it started out grand, then just started getting black spot on the leaves, the leaves and vines were pretty much in a state of death, and yet, there are small watermelons still ripening. So, does anyone know if they will at least finish ripening on the wall? Or should I just toss them to the chickens? SO ANNOYING!

My green peppers are good though. Got a few ripe romas today. And for some reason my cherokee purple has completely gone bust.

I have to take my mom to the pediatrist. I refuse to cut her toe nails. There is just something nasty about feet when they are not your own... LOL

 

[teeville5]

Seems like my garden is following a few of yours. We're getting lots of cukes and zucchini right now. Our pepper plants are falling over like Nova's and we pick them daily, but they just don't want to stand upright again so I'm thinking of staking them next year, too. And our tomato plants? There all as big as bushes and we have only picked one ripe tomato off of them. We have tons that are green still, but that's it. I haven't had any pest problems, but I did catch one of the jerseys sticking her head through the fencing and helping herself to some cukes.