Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[AnneInTheBurbs]

That's would backfire I think. He can't even handle a little chicken poo on his shoes... I'll try to start greasing the wheels and see how it goes from there.

Don't call it "chicken poo", always refer to it as "free, organic fertilizer".

I like to take the brooder "output" with wood shavings and make a big compost pile. Almost nothing makes wood chips rot fast, but "chicken poo" can do it. Next Spring that pile will be great compost. The bigger pens just get spread around the cornfields. I can't think of a better fertilizer for corn than manure, and poultry manure, being extra high in nitrogen (N) is perfect for heavy feeders like corn. Farmers uses to inject straight Urea (the smelly part of urine and bird poop) directly into the soil near the corn roots, it's that good for them. It is very hard to overfertilize corn, you hear about burning plants with fresh manure, but unless you cover up the seedlings, I have never heard of corn getting "burned" by fresh manure.

So start promoting the natural benefits of that chicken poo. If it gets on his shoes, he's just become part of the fertilizer distribution system on your new property.

So I approached my hubby tonight about the turkeys. After he was fed and happy of course . I didn't get a direct no, and I think he kinda liked the idea of "midget" turkeys. How does this work? Do you keep a Tom and a couple hens (poults? What's the correct name for a female turkey?) Can you keep them with chickens? Perhaps just temporarily? Again, I will be keeping the birds in the carport, probably free ranging during the day. I think I should be able put some roosts on the carport also. These poor neighbors have no idea what's coming!

 

[BullChick]

Poult is a young turkey. Jake and jenny are the boy and girl. Tom and hen are adults.

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

New house, new animals. Makes sense to me!

Poult is a young turkey. Jake and jenny are the boy and girl. Tom and hen are adults.

Thank you! Looks like I'll need to know the verbiage soon!

 

[hyzenthlay]

Hi guys, this is my Meyer Olive Egger chick that is supposed to be a female Welsummer x Cream Legbar cross. The first pics are at a couple days old, and the rest are current, at about 3 weeks. I thought on either of these breeds, the breast feathers on a pullet should come in salmon, not dark. Is that true, and would it also be true for the hybrid? Do I have a rooster chick here? Thanks for any help!

 

[BullChick]

I am going with cockerel simply by the comb three weeks.

 

[hyzenthlay]

Yeah, the comb made me a little nervous, too.... I am in the city, not allowed to have roosters, so I'll have to find a new home for this one in a few weeks if I confirm it's a boy.

I got a pure Welsummer from Meyer last year that was supposed to be a pullet and turned out to be a roo--the only sexing error from them so far after many chicks. Seems like too much of a coincidence if this Wellie cross turns out to be a boy, too. I wonder if the line doesn't autosex as well as it should and they are going by that anyway instead of actually sexing the chicks.

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Tall canes like your roses do best when you detach them from the trellis after everything freezes and lay them on the ground. Loose leaves are an ideal protection for rose canes, though "professionals" use burlap to wrap them. The idea is to reduce the drying effects of wind on the canes when the ground is frozen and therefore the roots can't extract liquid water to send up to the canes. Wind can "freeze dry" the canes if the ground is frozen but the canes are not, like on a sunny day that warms the canes up above freezing.

you are awesome..you know that?!

...I just came into some burlap...been thinking who was going to "wrapped" for winter. We also collect leaves around the yard, mainly for the girls in the spring, helps keep the muddy yuck controlled, maybe I will use a bit to cover some plants this year. Tell you what, If I have anymore questions, I am definitely throwing them out here to be answered!

And I miss him!

ya want him back?

...

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

Well, Stake, you were right. I am missing a bird.
I wish I could say what happened. Rather how. The flock was locked up last night. Surely no one doubts that I would lock up the flock.
I had checked for an entry point, but I didn't look everywhere once I found the screen door torn open. I thought I had completely checked that side of the run though.
Another girl was found. She is pulled through. I had to of missed her body yesterday. First, she would have been able to get out last night. She couldn't. Plus she would have had to have a reason. The teens are still relying on the ducks. I can't see her suddenly wanting to walk away alone.
I will stop trying to explain the inexplicable. But there is another oddity. There is a cockerel still alive. One boy, one girl. A girl is missing.

That's would backfire I think. He can't even handle a little chicken poo on his shoes... I'll try to start greasing the wheels and see how it goes from there.

omgosh Anne, you do have an uphill battle..

yes. You could use a quart jar for a tester. That is what it is made in. Pack your raw cabbage in the jar, make hole add salt and put boil water. Turn the ring on really tight. The ring stays on till you use it. You can even use glass mayo jars with their lids or any jars you save that have lids. Rings can get rusty somehow from the fermenting. I've never had a lid come off. I've never had any problems with it except for the time the lids were not turned really tight them it mold/spoiled on top. That's when it drove home point make sure real tight. Unless you want to speed up process you let rings a bit loose but I dont know how long cuz I never did that. I do it all in one easy step and my sauerkraut is started and canned in one easy step. I put it on the shelves right away. I put something under it in case if it decides to make a mess but I think the only time made a mess was when the lids weren't tight. Hope it works for you and you enjoy it's so easy that I never tried the complicated (to me) crock method.

thank you again for this info.!! I am going to be giving this method a try!! For sure!

Part of the reasons to keep chickens is for the free organic fertilizer. I told hubby how sad I'm about losing my chickens. He said: Don't worry, they will bring some eggs to us, and we still can see the girls a few times every year. Me: But I will not get my fertilizer any more. Him: So you are actually sad about no more chicken poop?

..if you really want some poo, I can give you some...we seem to be in the same area..

 

[fisherlady]

I am going with cockerel simply by the comb three weeks.

X2

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

What is meat bird food? What about cat food? Or the feather fixer feed they sell at Tractor Supply or other farm stores? I am guessing it has increased protein.
Thanks for the help!

They don't seem to care much about the CDs, but golfball projectiles do seem to intimidate them. Will have the boys work on their slingshots. Thanks for your help too.

meat bird food is a high protein feed for when you want to raise broilers, (meat birds). They have a different feed, gets them big real fast.It would be availible at TSC, I would think. I haven't looked there for it, I have always bought mine at Calico Creek, or at the Feed mill.
I have heard people useing cat food. I have actually used canned dog food one winter. My dogs are sensitive to it, so could use it for them anymore. Might as well use it for something. I wouldn't give them a lot at once, just a bit at a time mixed in with their normal feed. I also ferment the girls feed, makes poo less mess and smell, less food waste and good stuff for their digestive tracts.
For fermenting...
You just need a bucket, feed, some hot-warm water and a splash or two of ACV with'mother'.
Once you by a bottle of ACV with 'mother', you never have to re-buy. You can make your own. Just mix a bit of your 'mother' ACV with "un-pasterized" ACV and voila..more ACV with Mother.

I did not!

I was there on a strict supply run

Well, looks like I'll be heeding this advice as well since I just spotted a hawks nest with at least one fledgling about 50 yards or so from the coop!

well geesh then, where is the fun in it?!....
we have bald eagles that fly by from time to time. Hawks and Kestrels are everywhere. I keep the girls in their run area. We use bird netting over it. When they are left out to roam, they are always being babysat. Don't want them wondering onto other properties, getting into the many gardens in the yard, or becoming dinner by any number of predators around our backyard..including neighborhood dogs.

So I approached my hubby tonight about the turkeys. After he was fed and happy of course

. I didn't get a direct no, and I think he kinda liked the idea of "midget" turkeys. How does this work? Do you keep a Tom and a couple hens (poults? What's the correct name for a female turkey?) Can you keep them with chickens? Perhaps just temporarily? Again, I will be keeping the birds in the carport, probably free ranging during the day. I think I should be able put some roosts on the carport also. These poor neighbors have no idea what's coming!

so cool!!!