NY chicken lover!!!!

[rancher hicks]

Egg wise I'm doing ok but as usual the Del coop has it. I'm happy with a 50% egg to hen ratio but they do better. The BM are doing good as are the EE hens. Nearly 100%. Considering the EE's are on year three that's not bad.

I dread the winter. I suffer from SAD. Which is why I would like to move to AL. If only the kids had got a house with more land.

I've got plenty of young ones coming up, but I don't plan to get rid of any of the older ones in the fall. So what to do? With broodies I might have even more. I'm not sure which is supposed to hatch next.

I have a Lav orp hen who climbed in with another who has been sitting on eggs, so I moved her to her own box and gave her three of the eggs that have been being sat on. I have a BM hen who is on her second set of eggs after I took the first two chicks she hatched. She wouldn't quit so I just gave her more eggs.

Featherz - you need to find buyers. I got business cards made up and I post them everywhere. I'll send you a pm. They are rather cheap for 500 cards. Well if you don't order a T-shirt and magnets and a mug too. Mine have my Nick on the front. Only things I'll do different next time is the coloring of the lettering and put my e-mail address and member of BYC on the back.

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

Rancher- I have one on my frig.

Left for work and noticed a dead tan dog like animal on the road between our house and the neighbors. I got a closer look when I got home--Coyote. I've been seeing more signs of predators lately maybe the warm weather isn't going to stick around as long as the farmer's almanac says.

 

[Lapeerian]

Garden related inquiry: We seem to be having a terrible time with blossom end rot again on our tomatoes. Everything looks great, then just as they start turning red, the ends rot. We had the problem last year too. I rotate the crops and the tomatoes are in a box that was unused last year, just got the dirt the year before. We don't supplement water unless they are under severe stress. Any ideas how to save them? We planted 4 or 6 heinz, 1 beefsteak, 1 roma style, 1 mountain fresh, and 1 4th of July. They look a little cramped, which I know doesn't help. Last year they were caged and in a single row in 2 boxes. This year they grew quicker than I could cage them, but are all planted in 2 rows in 1 larger box. Most of the tomatoes are off the ground though. We also have 1 cherry in a separate box, but that never seems to have a problem.

 

[marquisella]

Garden related inquiry: We seem to be having a terrible time with blossom end rot again on our tomatoes. Everything looks great, then just as they start turning red, the ends rot. We had the problem last year too. I rotate the crops and the tomatoes are in a box that was unused last year, just got the dirt the year before. We don't supplement water unless they are under severe stress. Any ideas how to save them? We planted 4 or 6 heinz, 1 beefsteak, 1 roma style, 1 mountain fresh, and 1 4th of July. They look a little cramped, which I know doesn't help. Last year they were caged and in a single row in 2 boxes. This year they grew quicker than I could cage them, but are all planted in 2 rows in 1 larger box. Most of the tomatoes are off the ground though. We also have 1 cherry in a separate box, but that never seems to have a problem.

I think your problem is due to the swings of dry weather and then heavy rains...I've copied here an explanation.

"
Often the problem has more to do with the moisture levels in the garden to regulate the delivery of nutrients than the amount of calcium available in the soil, and tomato rot will be more noticeable after periods of uneven precipitation such as when drought conditions are followed by periods of heavy rain.
Organic Control and Prevention of Blossom End Rot

So a better way to combat blossom end rot is to ensure that your growing beds contain plenty of organic matter to help maintain even moisture levels and by watering your tomatoes as needed during periods of low precipitation.
Some gardeners claim that planting tomatoes out in the garden before the soil has thoroughly warmed up can promote the occurrence of blossom end rot. Don’t plant those heirloom tomatoes, peppers, squash, eggplants, and watermelons out into the garden until the soil has had a chance to fully warm up.
Other precautions include avoiding cultivating too closely to the plants which may encourage blossom end rot by destroying the tiny feeder roots that grow close to the soil surface and supply moisture and nutrients to the plants.
Mulching the soil after temperatures rise will help to conserve the amount of moisture that is retained in the soil and prevent or lessen the amount of blossom end rot on your tomatoes and other vegetables."

For the past 3 years I've had early & late blight issues even though I planted in a different place each year. Lost all my tomatoes, so this year, finally, everything looks good....Its terribly frustrating to have your whole tomato crop be destroyed, especially when you are planning on canning & freezing to last the winter...

 

[rancher hicks]

I've had a few tomatoes with this but read that not all of them will. I have noticed a pumpkin that started growing on it's own having something similar. The pumpkins start to form but then just rot.

Only the Amish Paste tomatoes seem to have the blossom end rot though. The Amish Paste is a plum type. I watered every day and excessive watering and the heat may have been the problem. It also mentioned calcium and nitrogen which of course there would be a lot in the chicken poop added.

Keep plants uniformly watered throughout the season. Water deeply; wet the soil at least 6 inches down. Apply mulch to maintain soil moisture. Keep soil pH around 6.5. Some older varieties of indeterminates (vining tomatoes) and plum tomatoes are more susceptible to BER -- make very sure they have adequate soil moisture.

My peppers didn't turn out good and I've read to add some peat moss and reduce the nitrogen there too. Leafy greens can deal with the nitrogen.

I have been getting some Okra though.

 

[Henicillin]

My ladies have dropped back to six or seven eggs a day, as it's Molt City around here. Poor Gladys looks like a little Buff Porcupine. Her bum, breast, back, and shoulders are all covered with new feather shafts, so she looks ridiculous. She's the worst-looking out of the lot, though, so I'm grateful for that, as apparently I'm not going to have one of those poor things that look like a chicken explosion.

 

[ChickPrincess]

Rancher- I have one on my frig.

Left for work and noticed a dead tan dog like animal on the road between our house and the neighbors. I got a closer look when I got home--Coyote. I've been seeing more signs of predators lately maybe the warm weather isn't going to stick around as long as the farmer's almanac says.

Tab,
Dh and I have taken to high-fiving anytime we see a dead raccoon (or any other predator for that matter). Yeah! lol

 

[Lapeerian]

I think your problem is due to the swings of dry weather and then heavy rains...I've copied here an explanation.

"
Often the problem has more to do with the moisture levels in the garden to regulate the delivery of nutrients than the amount of calcium available in the soil, and tomato rot will be more noticeable after periods of uneven precipitation such as when drought conditions are followed by periods of heavy rain.
Organic Control and Prevention of Blossom End Rot

So a better way to combat blossom end rot is to ensure that your growing beds contain plenty of organic matter to help maintain even moisture levels and by watering your tomatoes as needed during periods of low precipitation.
Some gardeners claim that planting tomatoes out in the garden before the soil has thoroughly warmed up can promote the occurrence of blossom end rot. Don’t plant those heirloom tomatoes, peppers, squash, eggplants, and watermelons out into the garden until the soil has had a chance to fully warm up.
Other precautions include avoiding cultivating too closely to the plants which may encourage blossom end rot by destroying the tiny feeder roots that grow close to the soil surface and supply moisture and nutrients to the plants.
Mulching the soil after temperatures rise will help to conserve the amount of moisture that is retained in the soil and prevent or lessen the amount of blossom end rot on your tomatoes and other vegetables."

For the past 3 years I've had early & late blight issues even though I planted in a different place each year. Lost all my tomatoes, so this year, finally, everything looks good....Its terribly frustrating to have your whole tomato crop be destroyed, especially when you are planning on canning & freezing to last the winter...

Thanks so much for the info! We do put a layer of horse manure down in the fall, then till it down in the spring. We don't purchase our started seedlings until Memorial Day, so they go in the ground early June. I'm a lazy gardener, so weeding is done only as needed. Think I only weeded the tomatoes twice; once they are established they choke out the weeds on their own. And I don't like to be messing around the plants more than necessary, I've dealt with blight in previous years. Hubby and I were discussing the need to mulch, so think that will be part of the plan for next year. And I will have some chicken poo to toss in too! All the other veggies are doing fairly well. The single cauliflower succumbed to drought. Broccoli has been wierd, but should be okay once I cut back the old sprouts with the cooler, wet weather. The zucchini is getting the mildew and bugs again, can't remember what they are called, but seems to happen every year. They still produce more than plenty with the 4 plants we have.

 

[rancher hicks]

I moved the RIR hen to the Dels and she's growing back nicely. She may be laying but if she is, it's her what's laying on the ground inside the run.

I have a buff o , who acts broody and is bald on her back but I've moved her to the Del side too. So far she still acts broody. All puffed up and complaining, but I haven't seen her go into a nest box yet.

I did exprinex all the Del coop and the BR coop. Just cuz. I may do the other coops but I've got broodies in those so would rather not right now.

I understand my CR's won't lay til they are a full six months, which should be soon. They are so big I'm afraid they won't fit in the next boxes. They really remind me of the dinosaur connection they way they run. It looks like a scene from Jurassic park. I can't say how friendly they are since I don't spend enough time with them.

Henni , kick up the protien if you can. I feed Agways 21% layer most of the time.

 

[kamir]

Rancher, I have 5 Dels. What should I expect, egg-wise, on average?

Thanks,
kamir