Sally's GF3 thread

[fuzzi]

They liked it! Yay! The oyster shell was in visible flakes. Interesting.

I don't know if ALL of the oyster shell is big flakes, or if there are smaller pieces. I picked out half a dozen of them, put them in a spoonful of feed, and gave that to Pip while she was on my lap. She picked up a couple of the flakes, dropped them, looked at them, then ate them. I think I'll look for a flaked oyster shell to give them on the side. I've never seen one that style. Anyone have any brands they can recommend?

I order mine online.

 

[Sally PB]

^^That's the same stuff I ordered. It should be here tomorrow.

 

[Sally PB]

Today is day 7 of the lotus leaf treatment.

That's the length of the study I read about, so today is the last day of the green pills. Pip takes them readily, so if I need to do this again, it should not be a struggle.

Now I wait to see if more calcium in their feed and/or providing flaked oyster shell will help her lay normal eggs. I've been giving her calcium carbonate for the past week. As much as I can get down her, anyway. ALL the chickens like pills with peanut butter on them. Pip is picky about the size, so if it's too big, she takes it, drops it, picks it up, drops it, and another bird gobbles it down.

If she ends up with another bout of salpingitis -- and from what I've read, chances are she will -- I will treat her with just the lotus leaf.

As I said, sample of 1, no control. And for all I know, she didn't have any infection, having been treated with amoxicillin before I started this experiment. So I may have learned nothing, except that Pip will take the green pills.

 

[Sally PB]

This is the biggest compost pile I've ever had to start the season. I think it's also the earliest I've turned the pile. Turning it from the collection bin (not in the picture) into the middle bin (right side of the picture) doesn't count as a "turning." I had to do that because the bin was full.

I don't need to worry about it being too dry. It's very wet and very smelly. There's plenty of poop, lots of leaves (I added a layer of dried grass in the middle), and you can almost see the kitchen scraps that are left. It needs to be mixed/turned, and I'll be doing that when it's a nice "work outside" day.

We're headed for a cold spell, so it may sit for a week.

 

[Sally PB]

https://www.greatgardenplants.com/p...MI1JGTxvb5hAMVFFNHAR3u0As4EAQYASABEgI5NfD_BwE

I just ordered 4 of these. They bloom in late summer, when there isn't much else on offer for the bees.

Our local bee club is having a "bee tree" sale, and I wanted to buy from the club, but seven sons bush sold out fast, and I was too late. I got some crabapple trees instead, because I can't have too many pretty trees to look at, and the bees like them too.

 

[Sally PB]

I put some of the flaked oyster shell in the OS/eggshell holder. So far, I think the girls have ignored the OS and are going for the eggshell. We'll see. They didn't seem to like the pelleted calcium supplement much, but must have been eating a little of it, at least.

I have one hen who occasionally will drop a soft/no shell egg overnight. I think I know who it is, but I'm not sure. It seems to be a one-off, every few months.

Pip is the one I'm still concerned about, in the shell department. I have not gotten an egg that I'm sure is hers for a few weeks. I've seen her in one of the nests, but I don't find an egg. If I see her there, I go out every 20-30 minutes to check. I also feel the shavings to see if she's laid a soft/no shell egg, and check her bum for egg-mess. She roosts in the same spot at night, and I always check for egg-mess around that area.

 

[NanaK]

So far, I think the girls have ignored the OS and are going for the eggshell.

If given the choice, my girls will go for the egg shells every time.

Was wondering how Pip was getting along.

 

[Sally PB]

I roasted some sweet potatoes today. A couple of them have tiny little sprouts, and I cut off a chunk and suspended it in a glass of water. We'll see if I can grow my own sweet potato slips this way.

I don't want to repeat the debacle from UPS last year. They were a "0 out of 5" star rating for how they handled my shipment of sweet potato slips. They inspired me to make a new swear word to handle the invective I wanted to spew.

The slips did grow, obviously, else I wouldn't have sweet potatoes to roast. But I can do without the angst that situation caused.

 

[Sally PB]

...and the basement pantry is done! A good use of the wasted space under the stairs. The other side is a mirror image.

The basement gets cold, but doesn't freeze. All the canned tomatoes, salsa, applesauce and jam can sit down there. The white boxes on the floor hold 15 empty quart canning jars.

Tomorrow is chiropractor day, and also a visit to Costco. I'll be adding a few things to the pantry!

 

[fuzzi]

View attachment 3776356
...and the basement pantry is done! A good use of the wasted space under the stairs. The other side is a mirror image.

The basement gets cold, but doesn't freeze. All the canned tomatoes, salsa, applesauce and jam can sit down there. The white boxes on the floor hold 15 empty quart canning jars.

Tomorrow is chiropractor day, and also a visit to Costco. I'll be adding a few things to the pantry!

That is beautiful!