New member

[mrscluckingham]

Hello, I'm a new member, but not new to the site. I read all kinds of blogs, forums, and articles about chickens for 2 years before I even took the plunge into chicken keeping. I've been keeping chickens for a year now; and I'm addicted! I've often found great info on this site, so I finally decided to join. I have 6 Rhode Island Reds, 2 Easter eggers, and a beautiful silkie. I guess she closely matches the Google search results for a blue. Well, we are hoping she is a girl; we're not supposed to have roosters in our "hood". Katie was given to us as a chick, so she is our little illegal; since we are only allowed to have 8 chickens. :-( hopefully she proves to be a she because then that would make her (him) twice the illegal. lol I'd love to have more, but I don't want to push it too far. We have 4 bee hives, and that alone is enough to get your neighbor's panties in a wad. lol I look forward to learning much more from you all.

 

[N F C]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Chickens sure can be addicting...that's how so many keepers end up with a 'chicken math' issue. Start with a few, see other breeds you want to try so add more, want to hatch eggs so you end up with more...it just kind of escalates.

So how much honey do you average in a year with 4 bee hives? That's something my husband and I would like to try our hand at someday.

It's nice to have you here, hope you enjoy BYC!

 

[mrscluckingham]

Well, bees are kind of like chicken math...You start with one, then they die because you had them in a mostly shaded area and you're hit with one of the coldest winters ever for your state. So the next year you get 2 because hey, if one dies you still have another, right? Well, you feed them sugar water throughout the winter because you're determined to keep them alive, which is a bad idea being the south, and winters here last about 3 whole days. lol Come spring, the 2 hives not only over wintered, they reproduced at break neck speed and swarmed on you more times than you care to admit. So, after catching more swarms than you'd ever imagine you start giving them away because you thought 2 hives were too many; 4 is absolutely too many. Especially since you don't even live on 1/2 an acre. lol Long story (response) to your question, there is really no average. Nature will give you a great harvest, or you'll end up scratching your head as to why you put yourself in harm's way every Saturday opening up a hive (or 4) to inspect the health of the colony. Though, just like chickens you don't do it for the money back guarantee.

it is great fun, and I've only been stung 4 times total in the 3 years of beekeeping. We got 19 pounds of honey last year (from one hive) but could have gotten double. We just didn't want to be too greedy. Typically though, you shouldn't expect to harvest the first year. I encourage you to search out a beekeeper association and join. There's a wealth of info, new friends, and great fellowship to be gained. Oh! By the way: The chickens and bees don't bother each other either.

 

[sunflour]

so glad you have joined us.

Will keep my fingers crossed that Katie turns out to be a gal.

I envy your beekeeping, but have no plans to attempt that. Just wish I could entice more in my garden

I find it curious that there are quite a number of wild honey bees here during the colder months. Let Collards & Cabbage go to flower and they cover them. But come spring and summer they are scarce. Guess they find more pollen closer to their home?

 

[mrscluckingham]

Thanks, we are crossing ours too. She is the sweetest little thing! She will go to sleep while I blow dry her after a bath! Poor girl has to live alone because the others won't accept her. I've tried keeping her in a cage inside the coop with the others so they get used to her, but nothing worked. Right now she's in the house at night and free ranges during the day. I may need to get a few babies for her to raise, so that she isn't lonely. Oh boy, then that will make 3 illegals... Perhaps I can convince my county that I'm a "sanctuary city" for rejected chickens?

 

[N F C]

Well, bees are kind of like chicken math...You start with one, then they die because you had them in a mostly shaded area and you're hit with one of the coldest winters ever for your state. So the next year you get 2 because hey, if one dies you still have another, right? Well, you feed them sugar water throughout the winter because you're determined to keep them alive, which is a bad idea being the south, and winters here last about 3 whole days. lol Come spring, the 2 hives not only over wintered, they reproduced at break neck speed and swarmed on you more times than you care to admit. So, after catching more swarms than you'd ever imagine you start giving them away because you thought 2 hives were too many; 4 is absolutely too many. Especially since you don't even live on 1/2 an acre. lol Long story (response) to your question, there is really no average. Nature will give you a great harvest, or you'll end up scratching your head as to why you put yourself in harm's way every Saturday opening up a hive (or 4) to inspect the health of the colony. Though, just like chickens you don't do it for the money back guarantee.

it is great fun, and I've only been stung 4 times total in the 3 years of beekeeping. We got 19 pounds of honey last year (from one hive) but could have gotten double. We just didn't want to be too greedy. Typically though, you shouldn't expect to harvest the first year. I encourage you to search out a beekeeper association and join. There's a wealth of info, new friends, and great fellowship to be gained. Oh! By the way: The chickens and bees don't bother each other either.

Great info (and I enjoy the way you write)! We actually attended an all day class on beginning beekeeping put on by the local association but didn't have the cash to pursue our interest. We'll get there, it's just going to take time to do all we want.

The class got a chance to see a hands-on demo of how to care for the hives and the speaker was saying how in so many years of doing the demonstrations no one had ever been stung. Right at that point, DH got stung. LOL, my guy always did have good timing!

You actually said almost the same thing the head of the association told me...you don't get into beekeeping for the honey, you get into it for the bees. Very true, gotta keep them going for everyone's sake.

Thanks for sharing some of your experience with me.

 

[mrscluckingham]

Haha, the poor stung fellow. I hope he didn't react too badly. Yes, it is an investment; but any real hobby worth doing is going to cost you. Bees are as entertaining as chickens to watch. We feed both, Both feed us, so a win~win!

 

[N F C]

You're right @mrscluckingham !

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[mrscluckingham]

Quote: It is very possible that they find pollen elsewhere in the spring. Perhaps you live near a beekeeper, and those bees you see are foraging on your plants? Maybe you should check into that. Trading a few dozen eggs for a quart of honey may be the start of a sweet relationship?