I just found out I'm bout to be known as PaPa With the Chickens!!!! My daughter is pregnant and I can't wait to teach'em bout chickens, shooting, fishing n hunting and stuff woohoo
Congratulations!

A few years back my flock was hit by fowl pox and before I could identify it had run rampant, I lost my best and favorite hen that I had had for at least 10 years, it hurt so bad I am still missing her as she was my baby. Any how if you are not quick enough to vaccine your birds I found out later by accident if they develop the wet pox the deadly kind, you can mix 2 ounces of ordinary store bought apple cider vinegar into one gallon of their water and it will get them through it but you must catch it before it stops them from drinking. I have had excellent results with this. It also works well to de-mite pigeons especially feather mites which I have spent much money on cures that don't work. Hope this helps someone. Darrel PS I keep apple cider vinegar in my birds water at all times for safety insurance.

This has been a really strange gardening year! My green beans didn't even start blooming until mid summer, and didn't seem to be setting. However, NOW they are producing quite a bit. I don't have a very big garden, but have picked two 5 gallon buckets of green beans and three dozen tomatoes in two pickings this week. I didn't heed NanaKat's advise about preparing tomato plants for fall tomatoes, but just left both tomatoes and green bean vines in place. Haven't even been watering. The green beans are really very nice--much nicer than in the correct season last year. The tomatoes are smaller, but more flavorful and prettier (less broken skin because of too much water) than they've been all season. They've produced quite well. Imagine what they would have done if I'd followed Katheryn's advice! I'm amazed at green beans in October--sown in early spring!
It's your green thumb and Mother Nature teaming up!