NY chicken lover!!!!

[vmdanielsen]

I'm spending the day washing all pillow casings from our couch (not an easy chore) and spreading borax all over anything that can be vacuumed. Letting it sit for a few hours and hopefully dehydrate whatever's biting me! No new bites since yesterday morning, but I have made sure to apply neem oil on my lower legs every time I go outside. I smell.

For anyone who lives in Tully or surrounding areas...
Just got a FB message about an elderly woman in that area who has lost her African Grey. She is desperate to find it and there have been a few sightings of it. Keep your eyes in the trees for an unusual bird and if spotted, contact me? The bird will NOT approach a man, but may be convinced to come to a woman.

I always have a piece of flea collar in my vacuum, so the little buggers die when they are in the vacuum cleaner bag. Doing this has greatly reduced having to use flea products on my animals and in my home. I get a cat one(sometimes dog anti flea products are toxic to cats) at the dollar store and it lasts a long time. I throw
out the piece that is in the bag and put a new one in every time the bag is changed.

Good luck!

 

[ChickPrincess]

Just wanted to share...
Been a lot going on with me lately, maybe some major changes coming. It won't be for a couple years (maybe less), but we're looking into moving to western NC. NY is too hard on small business and we're sick of it. Not to mention the winters that drag on forever.
The other major change... I'm looking at a career change. Teacher aide positions are few and far between in NC and what there is pays squat. I'm looking into getting my CNA (certified nurse's assistant) and then possibly going further into nursing. Big change, seeing as I'm a teacher aide for primary school kids. Maybe I could eventually get into pediatrics. Looking into courses and may be starting in a few weeks.

Only 2 eggs were laid so far when I let the chickens out this morning, but so far no sign of mites.

They were funny last night. I used my red headlamp light and some of them didn't even realize I was in there. Slept right through their dose. lol

 

[stonykill]

Not that I'm that dense but I never thought about using them for pies. lol. I have made crabapple jelly before and it is delicious!

these are chestnut crab apples

http://adamapples.blogspot.com/2009/09/chestnut-crabapple.html they get only at the largest a little smaller than a tennis ball.

these are wild American Apples. They are larger and coloring is different. Sometimes some red but usually either all green or yellowish. Some tree's get a little red and look a little like a Macintosh. Most don't.

http://pickleproject.blogspot.com/2012/09/out-of-this-world-apples.html

mix the 2 together for apple pie, baked apple etc and you will have the best apple baking ever.

 

[Glasshen]

I sympathize with all who have itchy dogs. My Bella is 7 and has had skin problems all her life. Lots of allergies, we use Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach, it is primarily salmon, and has no corn or wheat. She also has had lots of ear problems, and earlier this year went to the vets for weepy ears...lots of money and chemical meds. Afterward her ears seemed to be getting red again, so I gave her a bath with the shampoo I make for her and carefully washed the ears with it, drying carefully...much better. She doesn't spend much time outside in summer, but loves it in the cold weather.

My old uncared for apple trees are producing lots of apples, and I'm finding some pears that have dropped. Gave the girls a few yesterday, they were a hit.

Rancher, sorry to hear about your BRs. Hope you will find them, or at least what happened so you can take action to prevent.

Well, off to weed! There is lots to do.

 

[Lynzi777]

Morning!
Sorry to hear of everyone's troubles with the dogs this summer. Knock on wood, this has been pretty good summer with my dog, haven't been seeing as many ticks as we were in the spring, no fleas, no skin irritations. I guess some dogs are more prone than others. WE have a longhaired dachshund so he's low to ground and I always assume he'll pick up more from the grass just because of his body type but he's been good this year.

I'm getting really excited for these eggs in the bator. All of them are still looking great, lots of movement and growth. Pretty soon I wont be able to see anything in there. Fingers crossed all goes well!!!


Rancher - I hope you find those BR hens! Any sign of them this morning?

ChickPrincess - Those are certainly some big life changes! I wish you well with everything you are hoping achieve!

 

[LuvMyChicks1491]

I'm pretty sure that my Speckled Sussex is a rooster. Didn't really want a rooster this year, was thinking about it for maybe next year. I'll have to wait and see how he ends up. Right now he is on the bottom of the pecking order and is still super shy. If I have to get rid of him, I'm not sure what I'll do. The kids and I really like him so far. I'll have to wait and see.

Do any of you have veggie gardens? How are yours doing. Mine this year isn't doing well at all. I start most of my plants inside and most died so needed to replant and got off to a late start, then we had a stretch with really hot and dry weather which stunted them. And then in the beginning of July we got a flood that went right through it, needless to say that our garden isn't doing well. Looks like I'll be buying more veggies this winter. I get so sad when I'm out there. By this time last year I had a ton of veggies in the freezer and a few batches of pickles and tomatoes canned. I was out there yesterday and I finally have 2 little pumpkins starting to grow, but not much else is happening. The only thing that is growing well is the dumb weeds. It is discouraging. I was looking to double the size of my garden next year and now I'm having second thoughts.

 

[armorfirelady]

I'm pretty sure that my Speckled Sussex is a rooster. Didn't really want a rooster this year, was thinking about it for maybe next year. I'll have to wait and see how he ends up. Right now he is on the bottom of the pecking order and is still super shy. If I have to get rid of him, I'm not sure what I'll do. The kids and I really like him so far. I'll have to wait and see.

Do any of you have veggie gardens? How are yours doing. Mine this year isn't doing well at all. I start most of my plants inside and most died so needed to replant and got off to a late start, then we had a stretch with really hot and dry weather which stunted them. And then in the beginning of July we got a flood that went right through it, needless to say that our garden isn't doing well. Looks like I'll be buying more veggies this winter. I get so sad when I'm out there. By this time last year I had a ton of veggies in the freezer and a few batches of pickles and tomatoes canned. I was out there yesterday and I finally have 2 little pumpkins starting to grow, but not much else is happening. The only thing that is growing well is the dumb weeds. It is discouraging. I was looking to double the size of my garden next year and now I'm having second thoughts.

I say double it.....seems I know a lot of folks with poor gardens this year. But next year could be the year for an awesome crop

I just plan on adding lots of compost this year after my cover crop is finished

 

[JLaw]

Well we stoped the leghorn from laying in the barn. We just dont let the girls out till she lays. There is only one problem she doesnt get off the nest when she lays. She guards the eggs untill we let all the other girls out and then she will get out once all the others are out. We left for like an hour she was in the nest box like 30 min before we left. We got back and she was still in there so i open the door and they all run out she stands up looks around the coop to make sure it's clear then runs out. She had her egg and 2 other eggs under her. Wonder if thats why she was laying in the barn. When we took the eggs out of barn next day she looked in her spot for them and then looked at us like where did they go?

When we open the coop i have a silkie that is the roo in a nest box and the other silkie poking head in it. Also the silkie we think is a hen is acting kinda wierd. She does a little chicken dance when we come into the coop not sure if we took the role of rooster or what cause we moved the mean roo to small coop. But she sorta ducks down and spreads wings alittle and stamps feet. Sound like a mating dance to ya'll? Still no eggs from her though unless she is laying normal sized eggs in the higher nest boxes.

 

[ke5hde]

I sympathize with all who have itchy dogs. My Bella is 7 and has had skin problems all her life. Lots of allergies, we use Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach, it is primarily salmon, and has no corn or wheat. She also has had lots of ear problems, and earlier this year went to the vets for weepy ears...lots of money and chemical meds. Afterward her ears seemed to be getting red again, so I gave her a bath with the shampoo I make for her and carefully washed the ears with it, drying carefully...much better. She doesn't spend much time outside in summer, but loves it in the cold weather.

My old uncared for apple trees are producing lots of apples, and I'm finding some pears that have dropped. Gave the girls a few yesterday, they were a hit.

Rancher, sorry to hear about your BRs. Hope you will find them, or at least what happened so you can take action to prevent.

Well, off to weed! There is lots to do.

We used to use Purina Pro Plan until the dogs got sick, and I mean horribly sick. We didn't think my wife's pekingese was going to make it. Lots of vomiting and bloody stools. We switched over to Nutro minimal ingredients and have had no problems since. Almost all of the random itching has gone away and everyone's skin and fur are great.

Chris

 

[miquwid]

Hope everyone's dogs get better, I dusted my 3 with DE the 1 who's always a bit itchy I used a flea treatment. I vacuum the house a lot but I haven't seen any signs. My cats never show classic signs, but they get treated as well. I would normally treat everyone with a preventative but the DE seems to work and cats are so sensitive to everything.

Chick good luck small business in NY right now is rough. a career change wow good for you!

Luv I had no idea what I was doing when I started my garden, I ended up with lots of herbs and beans. Our squash plants are insane I'm going to try and revive my pumpkins. My tomato plants is starting to produce some tomatoes, my cantaloupe is climbing all over not sure if