***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[miohippus]

Thank You!


You should try taking each seed and gently scuff one side on a emery board and then soak it over night before planting the seed.

i think i did that but don't rember it was several years ago. i might try it agin maybe it was a bad batch of seed or something.

 

[mjgigax]

how do you get morning glories to grow? i tried from seed one year and nothing grew.

i bought some mammoth russian sunflowers seed and some marigold seed at walmart this after noon, hope the chickens like them.

I have heard of scoring the seeds with a knife before planting them but I planted some about 5 yrs. ago and they come up every year on their own. In fact they are invasive, like weeds, smothering some other plants.

 

[Chickenfan4life]

Thanks to lonnyandrinda, I now have 4 black Ameraucana chicks! Woot! I'm gonna SPAM this thread later on today, with chick pics!

 

[NanaKat]

Ever just have one of those days?
We are currently watching a first time heifer that dropped her calf today in a big muddy area during a heavy rain.
Of course, she chose today and the boys had not put her in the lot yesterday when it was nice.
So, hubby and I went out to the pasture, pulled the calf out of the mud up to a clean grassy area and watched from a distance to make sure she would keep cleaning it. No, the inexperienced mom decided to try following the other cows up the hill to the tree line. She would come back to the calf, trying to encourage it to get up and follow her. But the calf was newborn and cold. When it finally did stand and try to nuzzle her, Mom would back off.
There is a reason for putting a first time heifer in the lot...you can watch her and if necessary, put mom in a tight area and the eager calf can begin nursing. We ended up going back to the house, fixing a covered area in the lot, retrieving the calf from the rain, and rinsing off the mud in the bathroom tub with warm water...making sure not to wash off the amniotic fluids from her back...so mom would recognize her smell.
Then we brought the herd into the lot with the feed truck, sorted out Mom and another soon to pop heifer and kicked all the others out of the lot. Finally, we carried the calf to the shelter and sprinkled cubes near it to draw mom to her calf. Mom has sniffed and licked the calf, but hasn't really claimed it.
We will keep vigil this evening and if the calf doesn't suckle, will tube it again with colostrum formula. Then in the morning, we will go thru the process of putting the cow in the squeeze chute and work with the calf. Once the calf has mother's milk going thru her system, the cow's smell will help the cow accept it.

The chickens are not happy with this rain, but the geese are loving it. I think they have splashed in every puddle in the driveway.

 

[Chickenfan4life]

Ever just have one of those days?
We are currently watching a first time heifer that dropped her calf today in a big muddy area during a heavy rain.
Of course, she chose today and the boys had not put her in the lot yesterday when it was nice.
So, hubby and I went out to the pasture, pulled the calf out of the mud up to a clean grassy area and watched from a distance to make sure she would keep cleaning it. No, the inexperienced mom decided to try following the other cows up the hill to the tree line. She would come back to the calf, trying to encourage it to get up and follow her. But the calf was newborn and cold. When it finally did stand and try to nuzzle her, Mom would back off.
There is a reason for putting a first time heifer in the lot...you can watch her and if necessary, put mom in a tight area and the eager calf can begin nursing. We ended up going back to the house, fixing a covered area in the lot, retrieving the calf from the rain, and rinsing off the mud in the bathroom tub with warm water...making sure not to wash off the amniotic fluids from her back...so mom would recognize her smell.
Then we brought the herd into the lot with the feed truck, sorted out Mom and another soon to pop heifer and kicked all the others out of the lot. Finally, we carried the calf to the shelter and sprinkled cubes near it to draw mom to her calf. Mom has sniffed and licked the calf, but hasn't really claimed it.
We will keep vigil this evening and if the calf doesn't suckle, will tube it again with colostrum formula. Then in the morning, we will go thru the process of putting the cow in the squeeze chute and work with the calf. Once the calf has mother's milk going thru her system, the cow's smell will help the cow accept it.

The chickens are not happy with this rain, but the geese are loving it. I think they have splashed in every puddle in the driveway.

sounds like you had a rough day!

please forgive the undercase typing; i'm holding a chick in my left hand, so i only have one free hand.

 

[erinszoo]

Nanakat - sorry to hear about the trouble with the calf. Raising animals is such a challenge sometimes, but also rewarding in so many ways. Hope baby and mom make up soon.

Our birds are not happy with this rain ... except for the ducks who think they are in heaven and refuse to go in their house at all. Ha! The turkeys on the other hand refuse to come out of their house. Usually they come running when I feed fodder each day but today all I had was a pile of wet chickens. I had to go feed the turkeys in the house.

The rest of us are thrilled with all of the wet we are getting. We sure need it up here in the wheat fields. The cold, on the other hand, could leave any time it wants. I've got to get the rest of the garden beds turned and planted soon. My squash plants are now blooming in the living room. I guess we should be eating the squash blossoms since they are all male and obviously not pollinating anything right now. We'll get some food from them at any rate. Ordered some black carrot seed from Turkey to try. I hope they are the black ones I want and not another version of purple. I'm having to apply for an import permit to get some of the odd things I want from overseas. Who knew it was so complicated to buy a few packets of seed from outside the US?

 

[mjgigax]

Nanakat - sorry to hear about the trouble with the calf. Raising animals is such a challenge sometimes, but also rewarding in so many ways. Hope baby and mom make up soon.

Our birds are not happy with this rain ... except for the ducks who think they are in heaven and refuse to go in their house at all. Ha! The turkeys on the other hand refuse to come out of their house. Usually they come running when I feed fodder each day but today all I had was a pile of wet chickens. I had to go feed the turkeys in the house.

The rest of us are thrilled with all of the wet we are getting. We sure need it up here in the wheat fields. The cold, on the other hand, could leave any time it wants. I've got to get the rest of the garden beds turned and planted soon. My squash plants are now blooming in the living room. I guess we should be eating the squash blossoms since they are all male and obviously not pollinating anything right now. We'll get some food from them at any rate. Ordered some black carrot seed from Turkey to try. I hope they are the black ones I want and not another version of purple. I'm having to apply for an import permit to get some of the odd things I want from overseas. Who knew it was so complicated to buy a few packets of seed from outside the US?

Erin, Yummmmm. I used to get squash blossom quesadilla at a Farmer's Market in San Diego. I envy your garden skills. I guess that since I grew up gardening in Michigan, Oklahoma gardening is hard for me. I am fine with flowers but vegetables.....?

Nana, Hope the new Mama gets the idea.

 

[erinszoo]

I bet that would be a challenge to garden in Oklahoma coming from Michigan, mjgigax. I've never actually done squash blossoms before because I'm usually losing my squash plants to squash bugs by the time I get blossoms. Lol. This year, I started things a little too early though so they are blooming and not planted out yet.

 

[artsyrobin]

Oklahoma gardening is hard for me. I am fine with flowers but vegetables.....?

thats what i am doing this year- i have killed too many vegies in the last few years- so this year is sunflowers, nasturshims, canas... you get the idea

we have a broody duck, she is hilarious waging her tail and grinning like she is so proud!!

here is the little cochin chick of emily's -

 

[mjgigax]

thats what i am doing this year- i have killed too many vegies in the last few years- so this year is sunflowers, nasturshims, canas... you get the idea

we have a broody duck, she is hilarious waging her tail and grinning like she is so proud!!

here is the little cochin chick of emily's -

- should be a very pretty color!