Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[beaglady]

For Wing...

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/hydroponics-aquaponics/

 

[zinia8]

Where do you work in Ligonier and how far is Reels Corner from Ligonier?
 Stay Warm,
 Karen

1/2 hr to 45 minutes right down rt 30 to the Ligonier Creamery. I am the grouchy old lady behind the counter.

 

[zinia8]

They weather man says its suppose to warm up after Wednesday all you people in the low lands watch out cause we have 3+ ft of snow up here.

 

[chippysmom327]

Woowee I'm tired. I was out doing chicken stuff for 2 hours today. I know that's nothing compared to what some of you guys do. We have 15 inches here. I measured today. I don't really know if that's an accurate though, I live on top of a really windy hill. Which makes things colder in winter.

Anyway. The wire divider came out of the coop today, since everyone can mingle peacefully with the newbies now. They even sleep on the same roost. I did a huge clean out and sprayed some organic cleaner I made for the coop that I found on Pinterest. It's pinned on my "Useful DIYs" board. The roosts, floors, shelf, etc. all got wiped down. The normal things got done too like new water and food.

In other news. Don't you just love it when your "friends" of 10 years hate you and then embarass you in public and be nothing but rude? Yeah me too! And it's not a little fight that will pass either. It's something I can never forgive. Especially when you don't have any other really close friends... So that's why I've been telling you guys all about my days for the last week or so.

Oh no. So sorry hon. Don't let it consume you. Give yourself time to cool off and forgive, then....move on. This world is chock full of fun, trustworthy people who know how to be kind and are deserving of your friendship. Invest yourself in people like that. Until then, hang with us, we all appreciate you...plus....we speak 'chicken'.

This is why I love you guys Thanks Blarney.

I forgot to say, I just started seeds e


I planted half of an egg carton of basil seeds. I figured it'd be nice to have a few basil plants in early spring to be able to harvest from. They need to grow *checks every hour for a sprout*. Just kidding. I'll water in a few days and check for sprouts in about a week.

Last year I diced and froze about 60 chive cubes. What a treat they have been all winter long.
We have three left. I am a believer and will be processing the whole bed this year. I will be
making frozen  cubes tof other herbs to. How convenient and fresh tasty.
 Best,
 Karen in Ligonier.

I'm going to make herb oils too!! I'll do everything. Dry and crush/add to feed, dry for cooking, freeze in cubes, etc. I can't wait!!!

 

[PAchickenlover]

 

Ok, i have to share this because it is haunting me and i am wondering if it bothers anyone else. What is haunting me is going to auctions, ie; Roots etc. and the birds and animals there in the dead of summer have no water. Am i crazy or does this bother others as well. Cause if it does i have an idea...

This has bothered me. We went to the Lebanon valley livestock auction in June and I would say 95% of the animals were in boxes or such with no access to water. We were there for 10+ hours. The animals could have been dropped off the previous evening too so by the time they actually had access to water could have been in the 24 hour range.

I occasionally stop at the humane society and want to let the cats out of their cages lol.

bothers most of us,,we just do not go to these auctions

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2014...stomers-employees-at-eighty-four-gas-station/

Someone loose a turkey.

that would only startle me once, the second time it would be dinner....wonder what that would be like on a diet of ho ho's

after going back and watching the video, I wonder if anyone checked the top of that sign for eggs....

Ok, i have to share this because it is haunting me and i am wondering if it bothers anyone else. What is haunting me is going to auctions, ie; Roots etc. and the birds and animals there in the dead of summer have no water. Am i crazy or does this bother others as well. Cause if it does i have an idea...

This has bothered me. We went to the Lebanon valley livestock auction in June and I would say 95% of the animals were in boxes or such with no access to water. We were there for 10+ hours. The animals could have been dropped off the previous evening too so by the time they actually had access to water could have been in the 24 hour range.
I occasionally stop at the humane society and want to let the cats out of their cages lol.

My idea to help the birds and animals at these auctions that most of us goes to at some point is.. This..

If we all save 1/2 gallon jugs and then cut them so that one corner is higher than the rest, they can be used for waterers for the animals. The high back can have holes put in it so they can be fastened to the cages with twist tie's. I feel that if enough people donate these to the auctions maybe they will get the message and regularly give the animals water.. If they won't, I am not afraid to open cages and put these in. It's just an idea I had to help "fix" the problem no one else is making a change about.

So, are you saying that you think my idea of providing these auction places with waterers wouldn't work. Do you think they are that stubborn that they wouldn't even use them? I don't like to go either but then again, I know the birds are there and I know what they are dealing with. Ignoring the problem isn't going to solve it.. Any other ideas to help these birds....?

 

[oletymer]

O:

Blarney has a good line of BCMs....my two came from H&H...good also...would've went with B's girls if I had known....Lots of BCMs around....are you looking to show or are you looking for #6,7,8?

Looking for healthy girls with dark eggs,not sure if the hatchery line lays the really dark eggs

 

[PAchickenlover]

Woowee I'm tired. I was out doing chicken stuff for 2 hours today. I know that's nothing compared to what some of you guys do. We have 15 inches here. I measured today. I don't really know if that's an accurate though, I live on top of a really windy hill. Which makes things colder in winter.

Anyway. The wire divider came out of the coop today, since everyone can mingle peacefully with the newbies now. They even sleep on the same roost. I did a huge clean out and sprayed some organic cleaner I made for the coop that I found on Pinterest. It's pinned on my "Useful DIYs" board. The roosts, floors, shelf, etc. all got wiped down. The normal things got done too like new water and food.

In other news. Don't you just love it when your "friends" of 10 years hate you and then embarass you in public and be nothing but rude? Yeah me too! And it's not a little fight that will pass either. It's something I can never forgive. Especially when you don't have any other really close friends... So that's why I've been telling you guys all about my days for the last week or so.

Oh no. So sorry hon. Don't let it consume you. Give yourself time to cool off and forgive, then....move on. This world is chock full of fun, trustworthy people who know how to be kind and are deserving of your friendship. Invest yourself in people like that. Until then, hang with us, we all appreciate you...plus....we speak 'chicken'.

This is why I love you guys Thanks Blarney.

I forgot to say, I just started seeds e


I planted half of an egg carton of basil seeds. I figured it'd be nice to have a few basil plants in early spring to be able to harvest from. They need to grow *checks every hour for a sprout*. Just kidding. I'll water in a few days and check for sprouts in about a week.

Last year I diced and froze about 60 chive cubes. What a treat they have been all winter long.
We have three left. I am a believer and will be processing the whole bed this year. I will be
making frozen  cubes tof other herbs to. How convenient and fresh tasty.
 Best,
 Karen in Ligonier.

I'm going to make herb oils too!! I'll do everything. Dry and crush/add to feed, dry for cooking, freeze in cubes, etc. I can't wait!!!

Question.... how do you get the oils from the herbs?

 

[oletymer]

So, are you saying that you think my idea of providing these auction places with waterers wouldn't work. Do you think they are that stubborn that they wouldn't even use them? I don't like to go either but then again, I know the birds are there and I know what they are dealing with. Ignoring the problem isn't going to solve it.. Any other ideas to help these birds....?

Thats why I take my birds in the same day, and they have been fed and watered before there boxed up, I know what your talking about, 84 auction doesnt even want to listen to the seller and tell the buyers what kind of birds in the box...

just HEN , SPRINGER OR ROOSTER...

 

[galgo98]

There is nothing in the condo... in the main coop we have lamps over the waterers, we are researching alternatives because I don't care for the large lamps because I don't want the light, the lizard lamps aren't quite enough for the 1 gallon water jugs. DH works full days and on days I work it is 10 hours+ before he could change them out and we don't want them going without water that long.  Dog bowls work until it hits about 25 though, so 90% of an average winter we don't have to use any heat. Light is only on as a byproduct of the heat lamp, hence my searching for alternatives so we can let the hen's cycle however they naturally would.

I use an aerator in my small fish pond to keep the water from freezing. The stock tank heaters suck up so much electricity. So far, I only had to break a small dome of ice that formed over top during those sub-zero temps. I'm not sure if there is any way to incorporate them into your set-up. No additional heat or light by-products. Although, not sure if chickens enjoy moving water. Ducks/geese, on the other hand, love when they have access to their very own "bidet"!! : )

 

[dheltzel]

didn't mean to start arguments here,,,just really need to know how doable this is before i turn him loose,,,,,,more of a hobby for him than a money maker.....not sure how much of a problem heating the water would be, he seems to be interested in tilapia, might be cause that's usually what I buy....I keep my ferment right inside the barn door and it does not freeze,,,only after putting it out for the birds does the problem start....so it might be doable to keep water temp inside the barn...

trout sound interesting only because the water temp could be lower,,,,but the only time I ate trout, I picked little bones out of it and it really was not that good,,,in defense of the trout, my sister in law cooked it and she ruins boiled water...

In captivity, trout require very clean water, and cold too, which you won't have a problem with now, but in summer . . .

Tilapia are the "miracle fish" of the tropics, where they provide cheap protein. They can tolerate a lot of pollution and high temperatures. They are great for ponds in Africa for that reason. Fish are cold blooded and when the water temps drop, so does their metabolism. Unlike birds and mammals, they have a much narrower temp range to perform well. Tilapia can survive some cool water (probably species dependent, but 60 F is probably close to the lower limit), but they need 70's or 80's to thrive (meaning breed and grow at their "advertised" rate).

There are some species that are efficient producers at a wide range of temperatures, but they are not very desirable as food fish. Examples are carp (goldfish and koi included here), bass, sunfish, and channel catfish. None of these are desirable for indoor aquaculture as food fish, but if you like the taste of these, they could be raised in large tanks. Outdoor tanks, with plastic over them in the winter to act as a greenhouse, would work the best. In-ground ponds are even better because the temps are more consistent.