Michigan

[fuzzybutt love]

what were the breeds you chose? Hmmm. a difficult case. i wonder what's spooking those chicks?

 

[EeyoreD]

HA! That's a SASSY little chick!

 

[ladyfeather]

Rhode Island Reds, Easter Eggers, silver laced or barred rocks, buff orpington. I am going to try bringing them into the livingroom for an hour or two everyday to get them used to us. Next treat to try is meal worms and I have grit all ready.

The ducks seem OK with us until we handle them. They chirp when they spill their water and need more. One of them has a hoarse chirp so we think that is the boy because they were a straight run.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

hmm. those are decent breeds, the easter eggers can be timid, but i have had good luck. Yes, i do think if they were able to see you more often it would help. Just keep being quiet and calm, you will win them over!

 

[RaZ]

From Oregon State University. The half-life of the herbicides commonly used in weed and feed products.

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/nursery-weeds/feature_articles/herbicide_carryover/table.pdf

In my opinion and experience, the weed and feed products are a waste of money.
Mow the grass high (3 - 3 1/2") and the grass plants will shade out the weeds.
Top dress with compost any time and top dress with shredded leaves in the fall.

I don't use any chemicals on my lawn or garden.

ETA: Forgot the first page of the report.
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/nursery...s/herbicide_carryover/herbicide_carryover.htm

 

[Olive Hill]

It's always fun when there are a few pages to catch up on. I get to the end, hit "Post a Reply" and get to be surprised all over again by what I clicked "Multi" on.

Yikes Olive, sorry about your toe!


My clovers taste like goose poo...

Thanks.

Mmmmm, goose poo jelly.

Olive- Sorry about your toe. Hope that sow does better next time, what breed is she? Gert's and Maisy's tummies are getting bigger each day! We lost one piglet a few days ago, it had just disappeared. We looked everywhere for him.

Thanks. I'm so sorry to hear about the piglet... and very surprised. Jasper is usually a ferocious protector of his herd. Maybe it was an aerial predator? He wouldn't have been able to attack one of those before it swooped in and out. Have you been able to feel any piglets kicking in Gert and Maisy's belly yet? That's always my favorite part. Right at the end you can feel them dancing around inside there. It never gets old.

As for the sow, she was wonderfully behaved for tonight's dose. Of course, I restrained her in a chute so she didn't have a lot of choice. LOL!

Whoops! ETA: She's a Tamworth. She's normally very good. She's one of my favorite pigs. She was just absolutely full of it earlier. May be partly my fault because she's been allowed to have fence line contact with a young boar all along since being weaned. Sometimes that can contribute to an unwillingness to stand.

Opa, I agree! When we first moved into our house the "un-used" house down the road had a bunch of feral cats breeding in it...I used a similar product to rid myself of issues cats cause...can't remember the brand but it was a 22gauge strength.

Hubby prefers the 9 millimeter variety, but I'm with you, 22 strength seems plenty to me.

Thanks for the info guys...but maybe I didn't explain right?

The chickens aren't out in the lawn. They are in a pen that is at the edge of the lawn, where I keep my veggie garden. I was just wondering how close to that area we could go w/the fertilizer but I'm figuring as long as we stay a few feet back it should be ok. We do the lawn every year but this is the first time there's chickens nearby.

And 1.5 acres is way too much lawn for 6 chickens to fertilize in the time period we'd like it done in. And it's more for weed killing than fertilizing...I don't know how effective chicken poop is at eliminating dandelions.

I really want to believe this whole fertilizing the lawn business is a joke. Really, really, really want to believe. I guess I'll go with my standard answer for everything lawn related -- mowing, weed whacking, etc -- if you need to fertilize your lawn you either have too little garden or too little livestock.

I have eight cats and STILL get mice in the house. Much easier to deal with than these stupid ants that are taking over.

Wow. Sounds like your cats need some of Opa's handy, dandy cat remedy. Don't you give them the "everyone pulls their own weight or else" chat? You know, it's like the chicken soup chat for hens. Only, more chinese flavored -- sweet and sour, general tso, teriyaki... take your pick, just be sure to pair it with an egg roll.

 

[EeyoreD]

Quote:
I wonder if I could start a version of the U-Pick places. Rake your own fertilizer.

I have the rake, come on out any time.

 

[Olive Hill]

I wonder if I could start a version of the U-Pick places. Rake your own fertilizer.

I have the rake, come on out any time.

Hahaha! Oh, how many times I have thought the very same thing. You just need a big ol garden!

 

[Olive Hill]

Made the mistake of telling the hubby and the kids I'd "be fine" going to town and going to a few stores tonight. Oldest child has been working hard and saving cash for quite some time and has been asking for the past couple weeks to be taken to Petsmart to look for toys for the new pup. Figured we could obliged, but youch! Was okay through the first store, by the middle of the second I was white knuckling the cart as I hobbled along. After that we grabbed some dinner and came home. And I generally have a high pain tolerance. Really never realized how much you USE your big toe.

 

[EeyoreD]

Hahaha! Oh, how many times I have thought the very same thing. You just need a big ol garden!

I have that! But doesn't the crap have to age a bit first?

Next year going to have some awesome compost for sure!