***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[bardies]

I don't have a garden this year but given the last few years I would say it's too early to tell.

Feeling slightly sick tonight. My 2 year old slipped into the incubator/egg room last week and cranked the Sportsman all the way up. I have no idea how long but it was at 105 when I realized it last Thursday (a week ago). I candled tonight and pulled out probably 85% of my eggs. I probably tossed 150 eggs. Interesting though that a few breeds had very low losses compared to the others: Ameraucanas, EEs, sexlinks (BCM X CL), and Exchequer Leghorn. I guess they are just very hardy breeds! We'll see how many hatch.

So very sorry to hear. You have had a rotten time lately with chicks and eggs, I think.

 

[artsyrobin]

Just saw this on The Chicken Chick and thought of you guys. I just love this

i just love chickenchick!

I read a few days ago someone on here had birchen Cochins. I have a questions. Can I breed a blue cochin to a black birchen cochin? What about a blue cochin to a red cochin? I have teenager Cochins and only want to keep a trio. My blue roo and two girls for him. My choices of girls are black birchen, red, and buff. The birchen and red are already best buddies with the roo so that's why I picked them

the fact that they are bonded is wonderful! be interesting what colors you would get? particularly a red, i know nothing about genetic, but interesting to consider



glad i didn't plant yet, ordered some heritage veg seeds, well the area i want to make the garden would do well with rice, it is underwater again..can't complain we need the rain

 

[artsyrobin]

Quote: I am so sorry! I have heard of things like that, and the chicks surviving it- interesting those particular breeds- guess the 2 year old was trying to copy- she saw you adjust dials, so she wanted to too...

 

[NanaKat]

Mimosas are notoriously difficult to transplant, I'd say 50% success rate. Do it when it's cool like in the morning, put it in a bucket in the shade if you can't plant right away, disturb the roots as little as possible, keep well watered for a few weeks. Same tips for the other trees. Prep the soil well with equal parts compost, peat moss, and vermiculite and make the hole twice as large as the root ball.

Really? Shoot I would love to move some of these and have them make it. I need shade by my chicken coop

I would love to have a Catawba or catalpa tree i think they are so pretty

Ok I give up on transplanting trees right now. Even though we got a little rain today the ground was so hard I couldn't dig very deep at all.

After this rain the ground will be easier to dig.
The crape myrtle can be transplanted now in ground prepared as Rinda suggested. Plant your crape myrtle a little higher in a small mound and leave a moat around the trunk about 24 inches in diameter, mulch your shrub. I like pine needles but straw works too. Keep the soil moist but not excessively wet.

Mimosa are a very fast growing tree and often non forgiving. Transplanting when the ground is wet is helpful. Seedlings and young trees up to 3/8 inch diameter can be transplanted. Prep a very deep pot if you have one or use a three gallon bucket with holes drilled in the side up 1 inch from the bottom. Prep a mixture of soil and compost and fill it half full reserving the rest. With a sharp shooter, dig a trench around the tree leaving a root ball that is about 10 inches. Wrap the root ball with several layers of newspaper and tie it securely with twine. Use the sharp shooter to undercut the root mass and free the ball. You will loose some of the roots but the root ball should hold. Place the ball in the pot and back fill with the reserved soil. Remove lower branches on the tree...some should easily rub off in your hand or clip close to the trunk. Water the tree and cover the entire pot and tree with a clear dry cleaner bag and tie it to the pot with your twine. Set the pot in the shade check the soil twice a week for the next two weeks. There will be some condensation inside the bag but not soaking wet. Add water if the soil is drying. After two weeks, you can remove the plastic and keep watch on your tree. Keep removing side shoots to let the roots grow. Leave three to five branches on the top of your tree as these will be the scaffold for your tree. Transplant to its permanent spot in early fall.

Oak trees if less than 1/2 inch in diameter will have roots a minimum of 18 inches deep. So better to dig them in the fall. Anything smaller...you might be able to transplant. When digging, you can cut the tap root back to 16 inches but keep the lateral roots as long as possible....18 inches or more. You may have to cut the leader back by 1/3. Pick a new leader for the tree and train it vertical. Oaks are very slow growing so offering shade will be years down the road.

 

[bardies]

Kass, and you whovians out there, I have just chanced upon the beginning of an episode, there are masks and tents and figures in boths, and giant scorpion tails. I'll give it a chance.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

I am so sorry! I have heard of things like that, and the chicks surviving it- interesting those particular breeds- guess the 2 year old was trying to copy- she saw you adjust dials, so she wanted to too...

Yes, she is my chicken helper- sometimes a little too much. She insists on checking for eggs every time we go outside. She is usually VERY gentle with the chicks but I caught her this afternoon swinging a 4 week old around by it's neck! Gosh scared me to death, but the chick was OK. She was banned from the chick yard for the day! But how can you say no to this little face?

 

[ashtree]

Just saw this on The Chicken Chick and thought of you guys. I just love this

Love this!!!

 

[ashtree]

Yes, she is my chicken helper- sometimes a little too much. She insists on checking for eggs every time we go outside. She is usually VERY gentle with the chicks but I caught her this afternoon swinging a 4 week old around by it's neck! Gosh scared me to death, but the chick was OK. She was banned from the chick yard for the day! But how can you say no to this little face?

OHHH too much cuteness!!! I have a two year old girl that also considers herself a chicken "helper" She may be cute but helpful???…not so much! Mines wild and unruly tho (has 4 brothers-need I say more?) so Im sure yours is quite the helper in comparison!

Very sorry about your eggs tho

How many do you have left from the original 150? I would surely cry! ALOT

 

[artsyrobin]

Maggie aka spit- now 3 1/2 weeks- cracks me up- first pic after hatch, and this one- very vocal little thing

 

[lonnyandrinda]

OHHH too much cuteness!!! I have a two year old girl that also considers herself a chicken "helper" She may be cute but helpful???…not so much! Mines wild and unruly tho (has 4 brothers-need I say more?) so Im sure yours is quite the helper in comparison!

Very sorry about your eggs tho

How many do you have left from the original 150? I would surely cry! ALOT

Oh she can be wild- She's #4, I have 2 boys and 2 girls 8, 6, 4, 2.

It was pretty well loaded, I think there were about 225 eggs in there total, the ones that were about to hatch when the spike happened fared better than the ones that were 10 days into incubation. That's a rough time to have a spike that high.

Yep it's been a rough chicken month.

Good note- closed on our old house today- yippee!!! No more double mortgage and utilities! And tomorrow's my bday, so perfect timing!