Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[LadyBehir]

Figs grow here in PA? I always assumed they were a warmer climate tree. How far north can they grow?

 

[stake]

Today's Harvest! We've had figs on this tree for the past 3 seasons. We've never harvested any as they are never ripe when the frost hits. My neighbor told me I could pick em and let em ripen on the counter. Hope she's right.

Oh, and made it to the dentist today. Root Canal. She had to stop the procedure half way through as it was too infected. Now not only is it painful, but 1/2 my face is swollen. Blech.

B:

Green with envy about the figs....and not at all over the root canal....Hope you get the infection under control...infections in the teeth really is bad stuff....

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Hello & Welcome to new Peeps!!

.....Hope everyone is doing well.
Have to love this "lake-affect" stuff!!!...putting the girls to bed tonight..started with snow..then sleet..then rain..snow...done..

, that was all in a 15 min. window-tops! crazy!! Being this is my first year with chickens, it is different getting into a 'cold-weather' routine...it was really nice to have the hose to keep things clean during the warmer weather, but now that we have had to un-hook & turn off everything..I am trying to work out a way/system to still keep things clean. Not sure where i am going with the FF if/when it gets cold enough to freeze in the chicken-shed. I have a couple gallon jugs of water out there to rinse/clean with. Right now I have to empty the waters at night, if I don't..they are froze solid in the morning....yeah, had left one out..

.
Was wondering if anyone would like to share some of their ideas..methods of handling things during the cold weather...would be great learning-lesson for all of us "newbies" to hear from you who have been doing this for awhile

.....
***would like to thank you all for the 'dog food' advise. I am NOT going to be fermenting it as it is already the canned stuff, just adding it to their meals little bits at a time. Will add some protein during the cold months. Also, Thank you for the 'pallet' de-construction' sites!! So many different techniques....I like the 'saw-zaw' the best!!! quick & easy!!!
I am behind in the thread... my sympathies to those who have lost favorites. We also have alot of hawks here, the birds of prey numbers are doing very well!! We were going to Lock Haven a week/two ago and there was a BALD Eagle having lunch on a road-kill deer In the Hyner area!!

it was amazing..that thing was as tall as a toddler!!! People have said there was one around, but had never seen it till then! Amazing...Have good night everyone!- Danielle

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

She was 4 weeks on Monday. I think she is starting to show...My hubby just thinks I am crazy cause I want puppies! I am calling the vet this am to set up and appointment to confirm and try and see how many we should be expecting!!!

congrats!! ...puppies!!!

My 8 month old Golden laced wyandotte rooster.




Some of my 3 month old Blue laced red wyandottes.

Beautiful birds Barbie! Got my girls from PeakyBeaky too...she is really nice.

***Blarney..

..hope you can get some relief soon!!!...Are they going to take out the bad tooth?...poor girl!!!

 

[rdilbarova]

About the tick- my family does standard procedure to go get a blood test after each one.

We get red tailed hawks here as well. I was walking home and saw a great blue heron just chilling on my roof!!
Do those things eat chickens? I think not. Hopefully he was just after my neighbor's fish pool (yes, pool) but I do not think that has been stocked for months... hmmm

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

About the tick- my family does standard procedure to go get a blood test after each one.

We get red tailed hawks here as well. I was walking home and saw a great blue heron just chilling on my roof!!
Do those things eat chickens? I think not. Hopefully he was just after my neighbor's fish pool (yes, pool) but I do not think that has been stocked for months... hmmm

they are cool...and huge!! ...I really don't think they eat chicken..but I have been wrong before

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Figs grow here in PA? I always assumed they were a warmer climate tree. How far north can they grow?

I looked on the Starks Bothers site...they have figs available for our area. I guess it would all depend on how quickly they ripen. ..mid summer/late fall for ripening/harvesting...

**Blarney..Please let us know how the figs turn out..ripening on the counter.. I had someone tell me you could pick tomatoes green, before the frost/freeze, and wrap them in newspaper and put them under your bed...don't ask me why 'under the bed'...after a few weeks/month, (keep checking)..they will (supposedly) be ripe. I have not tested this theory..I should have

, maybe next year.
Quote: thought about figs, but I am the only one here who would eat them..and I am not eating THAT many to warrant a tree..

..

This is breakfast with the blue girls...

If you look real closely, the little blue is in the middle, she is almost totally in the bowl

Caesar helping out with the girls in his parka..it has been cold here..19 * the other morning! He is getting up there in years, the cold gets to him more now.


There was a contest on "blue yurt Farms"...and I won this!!!

Every girl needs a HEN bag!! hahha



Thanks for letting me hog the thread..

....

 

[BirdbyGavin1103]

So our birds are either crazy, or we're not going to have as bad of a winter as I thought. One, or both, of the Call hens have begun laying (8 eggs found today), the mallard hen has another nest going, the pekins or scovies (I haven't caught who is laying in that nest) have begun laying (12 found today) and we have two more broody chicken hens...

Welcome to any new people.

Blarney, sorry bout the root canal hopefully they can get the infection under control quickly.

So sorry My Peeps

, we found one of our serama boys dead in the coop a few days ago. They refuse to come in the house now, so I'm hoping the rest'll be ok during the winter.

As far as the ticks, they have been bad this year. I'm taking 2 or 3 off the cats daily. Gavin and I have both been bitten multiple times and our respective doctors have said unless we show symptoms they do not recommend antibiotics or the blood work. I've had the blood work more often than I care for. I see an Infectious Disease Dr. since my blood work almost always flags pos for short term exposure (0-3 months following exposure, if I remember right), even right after 1, 3 and 6 month courses of antibiotics with no bites during treatment, but I have fibromyalgia which can cause those results. (Why they still sent me to I.D. I have no clue

.) Thankfully Gavin has yet to need either.
Brittany has a VERY good point in regards to antibiotics, and it applies to more than just Lyme. Over use of penicillin based meds, and some people not completing their courses, are why we have to deal with MRSA and other antibiotic resistant "super bacteria" now days. If someone's Dr tells them to go to ED or puts them right onto a course of antibiotics that's what their doc says/does, I'm only relaying what our docs have told me regarding myself and Gavin.

 

[troyer]

Very nice looking coop!

Today's Harvest! We've had figs on this tree for the past 3 seasons. We've never harvested any as they are never ripe when the frost hits.

I like figs too.

 

[speedy62]

They're beautiful!