Michigan

[M.sue]

Generally speaking, I would wait about 3 months before adding fresh compost to a garden.There is a carbon to nitrogen balance to consider. A bigger pile will "cook" faster than small piles but I still like to wait. Again, this is my opinion and you will find folk that disagree with my method. If you can grind up the big pieces and turn it often, then you can use the compost sooner.

When I took the Advanced Master Composter class, I was told that there was no way I could hot compost given the scale of my piles. Even though my pile cooked at 150 degrees for nearly 60 days. Go figure.

So my pile from last summer & fall I should be able to use in the garden but the straw & bedding from this so called winter would still have to breakdown before adding it. Correct?

 

[RBahmer]

Ours keeps them separated and they go pretty fast. My CX's are a few days old. Try the belly rub also, hold chick in palm upside down and rub belly, if one leg stretches out and the other curls in it's (supposed to be) a girl. Both legs out it's a boy. The wing feather supposedly is for 24-48 hour chicks only?

It is for longer than that. I can go out and sex every one of mine by that method and they are older than 48 hours.

 

[NovaAman]

OK! I am glad I found that out about the composting! I was going to turn in the bags of straw and poop from the coop, but I won't now. Just the duck leaves and the rabbitty doo..

Juise, it was a perfect day for visiting. My mom was in good form in comparison to how she's been lately. She's having a really good day. She normally can ask you questions that have you asking what the... Or totally say things that make you wonder what bus she stepped off of. I guess you'll see for yourself sooner or later. Strokes and epilepsy is all I can say... And YES it was nice having a conversation with another person who is over the age of "MOMMY, MOMMY MOMMY MOOOOOOOOMMMMMMYYYYYY!" I was just happy that Jace kept his clothing on. I am surprised that Kaia and Aiden didn't kill themselves. Here's what I found out they were doing with the Clifford toy box... Getting it to the top of the slide, getting in it, and going down the slide! SO, was that your kid's idea or mine? Aiden keeps talking about her too.

Anyway, I need to get to bed. I have to work tonight. YEAH! 18 degrees tonight is the forecast temp. My toes are going to be nova flavored Popsicles.

 

[RBahmer]

b737drvr, I would not mix them if they were more than a couple of weeks difference in the ages. They grow so fast that the size difference would the biggest issue. You may have to just keep them seperated till they were close to the same size.

X2

 

[teeville5]

What do the rest of you urban farmers do with your piles of poop and bedding?

We put ours behind the pig pen in the very back far corner of our yard right where it starts to be the weedy, scrub brush back acres of our property. We don't see it or smell it at all. The pigs, however.... pee yew

 

[RaZ]

Raz - You seem to know your plants, what is the trick to growing Freesia?

As I recall, these are African native plants. I don't know much about them but I found this link.

http://www.sherrysgreenhouse.com/oldsite/GHfreesias.html

Perhaps it will help.

 

[teeville5]

Had a few ups and a down today. Started out good with a morning shopping trip that included a stop to Family Farm & Home on Plainfield. And lo they had jersey giants. Yay me! They only had 5 left and I wanted 4, but took all 5 so the last wouldn't be left all alone. Then I met sj and picked up her roo, Neil. He is quite an awesome boy. And so big! I didn't think he'd be that big so it was a good thing I went with a rubbermaid tote instead of a cardboard box. He barely fit in it. We got him home without too much fuss and he's been doing good all day.
I will post a pic of him with his first girl (my daughter-she loves him!) as soon as I can. I can't right now because the cord that connects my camera to the computer seems to be not working. Either that or the port on my camera is no good anymore. I really hope it's the cord.

Now for the down. Upon returning home, my daughter noticed that our small temporary brooder had been tampered with and we were missing an 'aracauna/ee' chick. Quick search on the floor provided nothing. We feared the chance that one of our 2 cats might have gotten the chick so my daughter went upstairs to check her sister's room where the cats tend to hang out. Almost immediately she cried out and came flying down the stairs crying. She found what was left of the poor baby. I feel so bad about it and have yet to tell my oldest daughter. I'm not looking forward to doing that as this one was her favorite. And for whatever reason, it always seems to be her favorite that has an unfortunate end. Really not looking forward to telling her. But she just got back from stage managing a radio show at school so I have to do it.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

RaZ I'll just play along with the immaculate deception but maybe it will be easier to explain the dozen new chicks

That's priceless.


Hillbilly Hen HaHa! It was my bedroom

I KNEW it! ha ha ha. If i had a "real" house too i would do that

On the blisters/boils, i wonder if you guys drained them, then put something antiseptic in there? I read once that honey is good for bed sores, i wonder if that would help?

We may get a few extra kids next week. Went to hospital to see sister in law, she is still not recouping well. I really wish someone would have told us the situation a little sooner than the night before. I guess no one made plans other than to have her on her feet in 4 days. Uugh. Poor girl needs soup and spoiling.

 

[RaZ]

I am putting in a "lasagna" bed this year, which I am too lazy to explain right now, so here's a link if you are interested.


And some plants like a lot of nitrogen, and some hate it. I fried a couple plants before I realized I really need to find out which ones wanted it instead of dumping coffee grounds on everyone.

I think it's fine to add compost in general sooner than a year, it's just the chicken poop specifically that I would wait for. Aside from the good possibility of burning your roots, if you are using it on food plants, bacteria can also be a problem.

P.S. you took a what class!?

I mean, really, I would probably enjoy it, but I had not heard of an "Advanced Master Composter" class. And then I would fail it because that's how I roll.

In my experience, I've "failed" most classes because I have questioned the status quo "answers" that are expected. I have also "failed" some of these classes because my plants thrived in spite of what the "experts" have said that I need to do.

Yet I can't grow an African Violet to save my life.

All I can say is that if you want to grow something outdoors, then take a soil sample and have it analyzed. Your county extension will run a test for about 12 dollars. That will tell you what kind of soil you have and the nutrients that you need for your crop.

And not to provoke an argument, bacteria is not necessarily a bad thing in the soil. Same goes for fungi.

 

[chicken grandma]

b737drvr, I would not mix them if they were more than a couple of weeks difference in the ages. They grow so fast that the size difference would the biggest issue. You may have to just keep them seperated till they were close to the same size.

X2 I did not reply because I knew my answer would be a downer B737drvr. I really would get them all at once. Not only for their physical safety of all being the same size/age but it also solves a biosecurity/quarantine issue (makes it unnecessary) and if you get several chickens of a few breeds, you will find that everyone gets along better also. Might as well start out right. It will pay off in the long run. Also, I would get a few extra chickens when you get them. As you can see from the thread, sometimes we lose one.