Michigan

[BobBry]

Last night i made sure to close and lock the pop door in the hen house. Also re secured the hardware cloth covering the front window. We lost our SS and one of the BOs the night before. One body gone and the other in hen house with a couple of puncture wounds that likely hit the brain and spinal cord. Observed chicken suggested mink type critter, but no surface water within 4 blocks, and can a mink drag a full grown SS off? i don't think so. Could have been injured, run off, somewhere else i suuose. Any there went 40 % of our flock. Did find the other BO at the bottom of the uncovered well pit. That's the second time she ended down there after being injured by a predator. First time twas one of our dogs. The CMarans and Australorp are still broody so I really want to get fertile eggs for them. I'll drive an hour or two, maybe three away to pick em up. The Buff Had piled into the nesting box with the other two last nite when i put them to bed. Don't think they roosted. Sure looked funny with all 3 in that compartment. Didn't''t see one of the black hens at first. So that set off another fit of panic. Found her by groping in the darkness. Something i don' often do. Let me know if you have some hatching eggs for sale or free. SS, BAstrulorp, Buff O, Wellsummer, all fine . Prefer mix. of eggs. but desperate.

thanks,

bob

 

[Opa]

What a Great morning. I wish that we'd known earlier that Hope didn't have to babysit today as I would have gone fishing. I think we will go later this evening.

Got Granny up early yesterday and took her for a MRI. After sitting there for 1 1/2 hours they informed us that the couldn't get the machine to boot up so we had to reschedule for next Thursday. Her condition isn't critical so all the delay will mean is a couple of week delay in starting the treatment of the nerves causing the pain in her arm and shoulder.

David and I were looking at my garden last night and he is wondering how I am going to be able to pick my tomatoes. I placed the plants in rows over 4' apart but they have grown so much that there is no longer any spacing. All of them are over 4' tall but the amazing thing is how wide they have gotten. One plant is over 10' wide and I'm using 5 tomato cages to support it.

 

[NovaAman]

Bob, I am in Holland, and though I can not guarantee the fertility, I can guess on which eggs are whose today, and pick you out the eggs from the girls I know are being covered. Only they would all be mutts at this point...

 

[vjwilmoth]

Well after a brief BYC search it appears a hair cut is in order for Polo. Really never thought I'd be trimming a chicken in this way.

 

[RaZ]

82g seems massive compared to this little egg! I weighed it on my cruddy kitchen scale which isn't digital so I have to guesstimate... It looks about 12g.

And just for entertainment....our resident roo...Polo. He really can't see. Dumb question but do you leave the feather around their eyes alone? He only sees what's right under him and runs into things all the time. And while this is great entertainment for US, I feel a little sorry for him. Oh...as a side note I am NOT choking this chicken. Lol

12 grams is an under-estimation, I think. My Bantam Lavender lays a 33 gram egg. That is a pee-wee size egg according to the chart I have. I think you have a bigger/heavier egg. I do most of my measurements using the metric scale, so some of you Yanks have conversion issues.

My kitchen scale also does ounces, but I can't re-weigh that 82 gram egg, because I ate it late night.

For those interested, I found 6 scales at Meijer's , priced between $12 and $30. Harbor Freight had them for around $14. I find it interesting to weigh the eggs that I get. It started as a class project last term but now that I done with school, I'm still weighing and logging the data.

Does that make me a chicken nerd?

I've heard that some people trim the feathers around the eyes of those heavily feathered chickens so they can see better.

 

[RaZ]

David and I were looking at my garden last night and he is wondering how I am going to be able to pick my tomatoes. I placed the plants in rows over 4' apart but they have grown so much that there is no longer any spacing. All of them are over 4' tall but the amazing thing is how wide they have gotten. One plant is over 10' wide and I'm using 5 tomato cages to support it.

Wow. There was a well defined path between the rows when I stopped by after CS.
What are you putting on those 'maters?

 

[jrsckn]

What a Great morning. I wish that we'd known earlier that Hope didn't have to babysit today as I would have gone fishing. I think we will go later this evening.

Got Granny up early yesterday and took her for a MRI. After sitting there for 1 1/2 hours they informed us that the couldn't get the machine to boot up so we had to reschedule for next Thursday. Her condition isn't critical so all the delay will mean is a couple of week delay in starting the treatment of the nerves causing the pain in her arm and shoulder.

David and I were looking at my garden last night and he is wondering how I am going to be able to pick my tomatoes. I placed the plants in rows over 4' apart but they have grown so much that there is no longer any spacing. All of them are over 4' tall but the amazing thing is how wide they have gotten. One plant is over 10' wide and I'm using 5 tomato cages to support it.

My tomatoes are the same way. Last year we had some trouble getting around them so I planted rows 4-5' apart and plants 3' apart and I can't get to the middle row and they're starting to grow outside the electric fence and are almost 5' tall. There are sooo many tomatoes that I'd need to hire a staff to process the first batch and I only have 16 plants lol. I already have a watermelon the size of a soccerball and it's supposes to be a crimson sweet which is only supposed to get 9". Now, if only my green beans would catch up.

 

[RaZ]

The whole garden situation has been strange this year. The cherry tomato that I have in a pot is about 2 feet tall and I just plucked 2 ripe ones that were very sweet. The full size plants that I have in the ground are less that 18 inches tall and don't have any blossoms.
The peas, squash and egg plant are just starting to look like they have life in them. Still, they are way small for this time of year. All of my melons look like seedlings still.

I bought some sweet corn and cantaloupe at Birch Run yesterday and it was all delicious.

 

[vjwilmoth]

12 grams is an under-estimation, I think. My Bantam Lavender lays a 33 gram egg. That is a pee-wee size egg according to the chart I have. I think you have a bigger/heavier egg. I do most of my measurements using the metric scale, so some of you Yanks have conversion issues.

My kitchen scale also does ounces, but I can't re-weigh that 82 gram egg, because I ate it late night.

For those interested, I found 6 scales at Meijer's , priced between $12 and $30. Harbor Freight had them for around $14. I find it interesting to weigh the eggs that I get. It started as a class project last term but now that I done with school, I'm still weighing and logging the data.



Does that make me a chicken nerd?

I've heard that some people trim the feathers around the eyes of those heavily feathered chickens so they can see better.

Well, it isn't a good scale. I took a picture of what I'm seeing and you can be the judge. I'm going grocery shopping today and may go to Meijer so I'll have to look at digital scales.




Also, Cuddles got in the nest box this morning and left us another tiny egg! Much less speckled though which makes me wonder if someone else is laying too or do Isa Browns lay smooth brown eggs AND speckled eggs?

 

[Opa]

Something that I have never done but may have to try this year is pruning tomato plants. Initial research indicates that it may be quite beneficial and result in larger fruit. Anyone ever tried it?