Official Squatch Watchers

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I kept goats in my bath tub in TN. Bottle babies. Much easier to feed frequently that way.

But soooo loud. Mine were in to warm up because they were always born in the middle of January on the coldest days, because I was too dumb to separate out the buck in the fall.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I'm gonna lurk around for a while. I am definitely considered weird by some.

Don't lurk, join us! You know you want to ya weirdo!

I am in and out today. Getting stuff done in the garden.

Ok gardening questions!!!!!

Sheep, horse or composted cow manure for heavy clay soil???
I can get all 3 at different places.

Buckwheat as a cover crop?
Chop it at ground level and let it lay or lightly turn it in?
Run a mower over it and top dress or do the mower and lightly turn it in?

It's to cold yet to even plant THAT!


I have 26 angry birds this morning. It was to cold yesterday to treat the mites. It's sunny today so they all for sprayed. Jazzy was a challenge. She is my biggest Brahma and cannot be turned upside down. It causes serious breathing issues.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I'm gonna lurk around for a while. I am definitely considered weird by some.

For those who have not met you yet.....

OHLD and I have been BYC friends for YEARS. She is a really nice gal!
I am hoping she finds a nice spot on the roost with all of us.

Not next to the window....that's my spot.

 

[ronott1]

Don't lurk, join us! You know you want to ya weirdo!

I am in and out today. Getting stuff done in the garden.

Ok gardening questions!!!!!

Sheep, horse or composted cow manure for heavy clay soil???
I can get all 3 at different places.

Buckwheat as a cover crop?
Chop it at ground level and let it lay or lightly turn it in?
Run a mower over it and top dress or do the mower and lightly turn it in?

It's to cold yet to even plant THAT!


I have 26 angry birds this morning. It was to cold yesterday to treat the mites. It's sunny today so they all for sprayed. Jazzy was a challenge. She is my biggest Brahma and cannot be turned upside down. It causes serious breathing issues.

Try to add structure to the soil and be sure to adjust ph level. Clay soils can be off that way.

Disk in some straw and sand. It would need to be treated that way at least yearly becuse the sand has a tendency to sink deep under the ground.

I would use steer manure because you can but it at Walmart for a low price

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Don't lurk, join us! You know you want to ya weirdo!

I am in and out today. Getting stuff done in the garden.

Ok gardening questions!!!!!

Sheep, horse or composted cow manure for heavy clay soil???
I can get all 3 at different places.

Buckwheat as a cover crop?
Chop it at ground level and let it lay or lightly turn it in?
Run a mower over it and top dress or do the mower and lightly turn it in?

It's to cold yet to even plant THAT!


I have 26 angry birds this morning. It was to cold yesterday to treat the mites. It's sunny today so they all for sprayed. Jazzy was a challenge. She is my biggest Brahma and cannot be turned upside down. It causes serious breathing issues.

I'm here until someone runs me off.

I gotta give my old dog a bath today.

Any manure should work fine. It took me a few years to get better soil with compost, grass clippings, and fall leaves. I think of myself as a worm farmer first. I take care of the worms and they take care of my plants by feeding them and aerating the soil. So any rich organic matter works.

I have never used a cover crop, only a thick layer of fall leaves and grass clippings in the late fall followed by some manure to hold it down. When I'm ready I just peel this layer up and plant, than use it as a seed cover.

I can't plant anything yet. My yard is still a wet spongy mess.

Have fun wrangling chickens.

 

[apryl29]

@apryl29 I have been messaging the previous owner and he was getting irrate with me for calling his chicken “sick.” This is what I came up with out of his texts: they didn’t look like that last Spring, he treats them with natural stuff, we had a long harsh winter (no we didn’t), he is dusting them for mites (because of the long harsh winter), she is molting and she didn’t look like that when he put her in the cage yesterday for me to pick up , and He insinuated I put her in the pen with the other chickens and they stressed her out and pulled out her feathers

I thanked him for his time in hopes we are done. I will treat her today, she has a nice warm breakfast of cooked salmon, chicken livers, eggs and feed. I left her in the garage overnight.

Do you think I should bring her inside where it is warmer and quiet? I can put the cage in by bathtub.

@Chickassan I am so excited about your babies!!!

Not sure I can make a suggestion.. x2 21 on not bringing her in. You don't want mites in the house. The injury could just be her trying to get out and not liking her current home. Hopefully she calms down enough that you can take a good look at her. I mean.. it *could* be stress, she's been taken from her home and tossed in a cage.. but if she's covered in dander that makes it sound like she's got feathers coming in. You should be able to see if that's the case when you get your hands on her. I know one of my amberlinks had a bald bottom and I thought it was b/c she was having problems, but she'd just molted out all her butt feathers & they hadn't come back in yet. The extra protein will help her with the feather growing process. Let us know if she lays and egg. It could be a while, but she might have one in the chute.

@apryl29 let us know how the appt went.

I would hate to be burned alive. I don’t want to drown either.

Same. I just hope that the smoke killed them off before the fire got to them. It's such a sad situation.

I'm gonna lurk around for a while. I am definitely considered weird by some.

Lurk away, but do jump in if you like! We pretty much exclusively deal in weirdos.

We all get considered weird because we are bird folk. What's so weird about 13 quail in the bathroom?

And who hasn't slept w/ a chick(en) in their bed?

Don't lurk, join us! You know you want to ya weirdo!

I am in and out today. Getting stuff done in the garden.

Ok gardening questions!!!!!

Sheep, horse or composted cow manure for heavy clay soil???
I can get all 3 at different places.

Buckwheat as a cover crop?
Chop it at ground level and let it lay or lightly turn it in?
Run a mower over it and top dress or do the mower and lightly turn it in?

It's to cold yet to even plant THAT!


I have 26 angry birds this morning. It was to cold yesterday to treat the mites. It's sunny today so they all for sprayed. Jazzy was a challenge. She is my biggest Brahma and cannot be turned upside down. It causes serious breathing issues.

No idea about the garden stuff, best of luck to you. Is this the 2nd round of treatment for the birds? Ya'll are making me paranoid about bugs... I've got some butts that need poop soaked off so I guess I'll be doing bug checks too.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Try to add structure to the soil and be sure to adjust ph level. Clay soils can be off that way.

Disk in some straw and sand. It would need to be treated that way at least yearly becuse the sand has a tendency to sink deep under the ground.

I would use steer manure because you can but it at Walmart for a low price

I am finally after almost 20 years seeing structure and happy worms in the main garden.
I was hoping the buckwheat could help loosen up the 6x23' bed that hasn't been worked much.

I'm here until someone runs me off.

I gotta give my old dog a bath today.

Any manure should work fine. It took me a few years to get better soil with compost, grass clippings, and fall leaves. I think of myself as a worm farmer first. I take care of the worms and they take care of my plants by feeding them and aerating the soil. So any rich organic matter works.

I have never used a cover crop, only a thick layer of fall leaves and grass clippings in the late fall followed by some manure to hold it down. When I'm ready I just peel this layer up and plant, than use it as a seed cover.

I can't plant anything yet. My yard is still a wet spongy mess.

Have fun wrangling chickens.

I will be gathering leaves again this fall. I hope the neighbors don't mind me taking theirs.

I may need help out of their tree.

Seriously, I will see what I can get for organic matter and sands to turn in. It is going to be a challenging area.
Last year I put tomatoes in there and seriously amended those holes. They still struggled.


Ok so, amend with sand and organic stuff, do a soil test before and after, adjust as needed.

My little tiller was lent out 3 years ago. It has never run since.
Gonna be me and my shovel.....again.

 

[ronott1]

I am finally after almost 20 years seeing structure and happy worms in the main garden.
I was hoping the buckwheat could help loosen up the 6x23' bed that hasn't been worked much.



I will be gathering leaves again this fall. I hope the neighbors don't mind me taking theirs.

I may need help out of their tree.

Seriously, I will see what I can get for organic matter and sands to turn in. It is going to be a challenging area.
Last year I put tomatoes in there and seriously amended those holes. They still struggled.


Ok so, amend with sand and organic stuff, do a soul test before and after, adjust as needed.

My little tiller was lent out 3 years ago. It has never run since.
Gonna be me and my shovel.....again.

When I lived up north in California, There was a place by the river that sold worm casting. I bought a couple of yards of it and roto tilled it into the soil for the front lawn. I also bought red wrigglers to add to the mix. It was Awesome!

Adding straw and sand will give the wrigglers something to eat! After they get going, there will be a huge improvement in the soil.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Not sure I can make a suggestion.. x2 21 on not bringing her in. You don't want mites in the house. The injury could just be her trying to get out and not liking her current home. Hopefully she calms down enough that you can take a good look at her. I mean.. it *could* be stress, she's been taken from her home and tossed in a cage.. but if she's covered in dander that makes it sound like she's got feathers coming in. You should be able to see if that's the case when you get your hands on her. I know one of my amberlinks had a bald bottom and I thought it was b/c she was having problems, but she'd just molted out all her butt feathers & they hadn't come back in yet. The extra protein will help her with the feather growing process. Let us know if she lays and egg. It could be a while, but she might have one in the chute.


Same. I just hope that the smoke killed them off before the fire got to them. It's such a sad situation.


Lurk away, but do jump in if you like! We pretty much exclusively deal in weirdos.


And who hasn't slept w/ a chick(en) in their bed?


No idea about the garden stuff, best of luck to you. Is this the 2nd round of treatment for the birds? Ya'll are making me paranoid about bugs... I've got some butts that need poop soaked off so I guess I'll be doing bug checks too.

Yup round 2 on bug treatment. The ones that had them look a lot better. I didn't find creepy crawlies this time. I will be doing a round 3 next week.
I need to do a hail off of my tough grasses that I trimmed. Then get Pete moss and sand for their dusting areas.....and shavings for the whole coop clean out this afternoon.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Thanks Ron!
I think I can order red wigglers from uncle Jim's worm farm.......