***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[Kassaundra]

Good advice from, Betsy. And her handwarmers saved a few of my chicks at the Pryor show. I'm going to get some onhand myself.

@mjgigax is this what I think it is ?!?!?! This is where I planted the black and blue salvia last year (you can see some of last year's dead stems on the left). I thought for sure I had killed it!

Sure looks like mine.

 

[BetsyOK]

Looks like mine too---got it from MJ! It is really nice.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Yay!

 

[Okla-doodle-doo]

Well I enjoyed being in OklAhoma last weekend. And the weather was beautiful! So glad because we were there for my daughters outdoor wedding. It was held at natural falls state park in Delware county. It went off great! But dad did shed a few tears!lol.
Got back home and my new Ancona duck is makeing her a nest. Was so hoping she would lay another round before summer. Still waiting for my bantams to go broody. So far they just keep filling up the nest box!
Wow Kass that's a lot of canning! Nana sounds like you will be haveing those gardening aches and pains we know so well , lol. I've got seeds comming up that I got from you. Everyone take care and have a great week.

 

[mjgigax]

Good advice from, Betsy. And her handwarmers saved a few of my chicks at the Pryor show. I'm going to get some onhand myself.

@mjgigax is this what I think it is ?!?!?! This is where I planted the black and blue salvia last year (you can see some of last year's dead stems on the left). I thought for sure I had killed it!

That's it!

It may have had a slow start this Spring but it is almost invasive once it gets going. My plants grow nearly 4' tall each year and each plot is 3'x3' only because I keep them contained. That is how I get all the plants that I share.

I love the color of the leaves - almost chartreuse.

My DH imagines that our garden should have lots of colorful blooms but annuals are more expensive in the long run. I prefer perennials and I choose plants for their foliage color and textures and even their smells. I love Anise Hissop. It smells like rose/mint. I buy some plants nearly every year but they hardly ever make it thru the Winter. I am going to try to water them a little later into the Fall this year. Hope that helps. I often have trouble keeping Lavender going more than one season too.

I have been reading about putting dried herbs in nest boxes and with other chicken beding to keep parasites away. I am trying to grow more Marigolds, Sage, Rosemary and Lavender this year along with the Basil and Mint that I always have a lot of. I want to dry both the flowers and leaves for bedding. I have a crazy amount of blossoms on my Chives this year. I wonder of they would be good to add to bedding? The Chocolate Mint that I planted in front of my large pen last year has already filled the 16' long front and is already overgrowing the 2' deep bed. In that location I don't mind if it is invasive. If it dares to grow into the pen the birds prune it fast.

 

[STFires]

Hello everyone. Kinda new here to the BYC and was wondering if there's any shows/swap meet that are coming up anytime soon here in Oklahoma? ?

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Hello everyone. Kinda new here to the BYC and was wondering if there's any shows/swap meet that are coming up anytime soon here in Oklahoma? ?

Welcome!

Coweta Poultry Swap is Saturday May 16 at Wagoner County Fairgrounds in Coweta. I don't think there are any Oklahoma poultry shows scheduled until fall. www.poultryshowcentral.com is a great place to keep track of the shows, you can sort by region or state.

 

[greenbeetle]

How old does everyone wait to put chicks outside. I have some 9 week old orpingtons that are fully feathered for the most part, they would have a coop and everthing at night.. Thanks

 

[TipihlowLadies]

How old does everyone wait to put chicks outside.  I have some 9 week old orpingtons that are fully feathered for the most part, they would have a coop and everthing at night..  Thanks

4-5 weeks old in the coop is what I do if they are mostly feathered

 

[NanaKat]

Okla-Doodle-Doo, so happy the wedding was such a sweet visit. I'm enjoying watching seedling grow from your seeds too.

MJ, I love flowers in my garden too. Lavendar is one herb I have had no success with at all. As for drying for nests...instead of drying in the traditional hanging bouquet...perhaps draping shocks over a five gallon bucket would make forming nest rings easier. Many herbs are a bit coarser texture than hay. Layering the herbs with grasses would certainly offer herbal scents to the nests.

The calf Little Joe has been refusing his bottle periodically because he was sneaking milk from a young mother with a calf near weaning age. We had a cow lose her calf yesterday shortly after birth. We think it fell into one of the ponds and drowned. We started grafting Little Joe on her yesterday afternoon by putting her in the squeeze chute for him to nurse. She hasn't accepted him completely but stays with him everywhere he goes. She won't let him nurse unless she is in the chute...for now.
Looks promising.
Chicks are hatching under hens and in the incubator today. Roger will be caring for my flock while I'm on my trip....and we have rain predicted for Monday thru Wednesday...2 to 4 inches. So I cleaned the big brooder in case he needs to pull chicks from super wet pen conditions.