Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

Anyone think it would be too early to plant some sunflower seeds? I have this eyesore of an eye outside where the people before us used it as a burn pit. I've been filling the hole back with soil, but I still want to plant some sunflowers there to distract from the ugliness !

Most likely it is too early, BUT..

You are not taking a big area and the cost of the seeds in minimal. So go for it if you have to replant, no biggie.

Are you planting the giant ones or just BOSS?




Dandelioness From what I read on here, it appears it is a guinea Hen and a Chicken rooster. While the results are cool, I am not sure I want one of the offspring. I do not even know how many hens and cocks I have in my 9 guineas.... I know they are a female when they stand up and yell "buckwheat" but a second later they are all mixed up and I have no idea who it was.

 

[rainin22]

I've got several kinds, and they all seem to be GIANT =D which is so exciting to me since I've never grown anything really or anything giant for that matter.

 

[Dandelioness]

I know what you mean, Ralphie. I thought I'd lost my only male guinea this winter to a fox, but the kids keep showing me one they think is another male. So I may have fertile guinea eggs when they start laying. No one has observed any mating, though. Will your fertile guinea eggs have a bullseye, like with chickens?

Rainin - I've had "volunteer" sunflowers (scatteted around by animals the previous season) that somehow sprout quite a bit earlier than I plant my main sunflower crop. They bloom so much sooner than my others. I would try a few. Another thing you could plant for chickens now is a mix of field peas & oats. I just surround the area with cheap step-in posts and deer netting until things are big enough to withstand them browsing the area. The peas & oats will probably do a better job covering that pit from view, but you could add some sunflower, too. Are you doing your first garden this year, too, or just trying a couple things here and there?

 

[Cearbhael]

Just an introduction. My name is Angel, and not new to poultry but never owned my own flock (parents and both grandparents had poultry) I was born in St. Cloud and raised for five years in Foley. My father then got a job on the iron range. Lived in Biwabik, Virginia, then the Tower end of Lake Vermilion.
I am now back in Foley (inherited my grandparents home) have a huge old coop that is probably as old as the house ( built in 1890) I am sprucing it up and intend to breed a closed flock of Isabelle/Crele English Orpingtons. I figure old hens will become stewing hens and extra roosters will be roaster fryers. The eggs are huge and brown. A good duel purpose bird, super cold hardy and docile. Huge birds 8 lbs+. I may sell unneeded hens or roosters that I feel may be breeding or show worthy. But that will only happen after a few years of breeding and culling.

 

[lalaland]

Just an introduction. My name is Angel, and not new to poultry but never owned my own flock (parents and both grandparents had poultry) I was born in St. Cloud and raised for five years in Foley. My father then got a job on the iron range. Lived in Biwabik, Virginia, then the Tower end of Lake Vermilion.
I am now back in Foley (inherited my grandparents home) have a huge old coop that is probably as old as the house ( built in 1890) I am sprucing it up and intend to breed a closed flock of Isabelle/Crele English Orpingtons. I figure old hens will become stewing hens and extra roosters will be roaster fryers. The eggs are huge and brown. A good duel purpose bird, super cold hardy and docile. Huge birds 8 lbs+. I may sell unneeded hens or roosters that I feel may be breeding or show worthy. But that will only happen after a few years of breeding and culling.

jWelcome!

Lucky you to have an old coop ready to go. I would love to see pics of it - there is an old coop on a farmstead close to me that I covet - if I ever build one I am going to use that design I think.
I am totally unfamiliar with Isabelle/Crele English Orps - where are you planning on getting your stock from?

 

[rainin22]

just wanted to show you guys what we've been working on all day today! it is so hot out too and I couldn't find the sunblock.

 

[rainin22]

oh and the garden beds we've not filled with dirt yet! we don't have a truck so we've had to buy bags constantly when we go into town and load up our cars as much as we can

 

[nordicacres]

My DH was out working on the coop/run today and he told me that by his calculations we could fit 71.5 birds comfortably. I hope he realizes that he gave me his blessing to aquire a few more chickens

 

[nordicacres]

Rainin22, love the run and raised beds! You could probably have a truck load of black dirt delivered for a lot less than the cost of buying individual bags.

 

[duluthralphie]

Just an introduction. My name is Angel, and not new to poultry but never owned my own flock (parents and both grandparents had poultry) I was born in St. Cloud and raised for five years in Foley. My father then got a job on the iron range. Lived in Biwabik, Virginia, then the Tower end of Lake Vermilion.
I am now back in Foley (inherited my grandparents home) have a huge old coop that is probably as old as the house ( built in 1890) I am sprucing it up and intend to breed a closed flock of Isabelle/Crele English Orpingtons. I figure old hens will become stewing hens and extra roosters will be roaster fryers. The eggs are huge and brown. A good duel purpose bird, super cold hardy and docile. Huge birds 8 lbs+. I may sell unneeded hens or roosters that I feel may be breeding or show worthy. But that will only happen after a few years of breeding and culling.

Welcome to the site and the thread!

Looks like you have a sound plan...........


Your house is about the same era as mine, we have been remodeling for the 3 years we have been here.