Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[Wishing4Wings]

Ladyerat, look into trellis gardening if you have limited space. Grows things up instead of spread out on the ground. Same idea for strawberries. You can get some ideas from vertical gardening too. Most fruit trees come in dwarf varieties or you can try espalier along a fence or wall. Not good to have those kids messing with your stuff. You are right to keep it low key with them, though. Don't want to become their target.

MC, I put in some strawberries last spring. Got some fruit, but it never got sweet enough for my taste. They don't get enough sun, so considering moving it to another spot and trying something vertical. Also, I got everbearing types, so I don't get enough at one time to really do much. Rethinking that decision too. Really just wanted to have a handful now and then to put on my cereal. I will give them another season before I decide.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Belle made it through her spaying, but can't reach food or water with the Cone Of Shame on, so I cut it down, sanded it smooth, but she still bumped into everything, because she really only has one eye, it was too much. besides, the other 2 knuckleheads need cones to keep them off of her, so I took it off period. she wouldn't eat or drink yesterday morning - I tried her kibble, kibble with chicken broth and rice, her favorite biscuit, Boar's Head turkey, scrambled egg... when she snubbed the meat and the egg, I called the Vet. they had me bring her in right away at no charge. Dr. Diane said she looked great, temp normal, tail wagging, incision good... so she went to get some wet food. she snubbed that too, so Diane pried her jaws apart and forced a blob in there. that did the trick! after that, Belle was happy to eat from our fingers and what a mess! all over her face and cone... but we laughed and laughed and wiped her up. she gave me 2 cans and told me that this food is almost 90% water, so if she refuses to drink, it's fine, as long as she's eating.
this morning, she's back to herself! ate her breakfast of kibble mixed with some of that good wet stuff and an egg on top (it had frozen and didn't seal up, so it had to be used asap) she took her pain pill without spitting it out as well, and is snoring very loudly in my lap.
the other 2 dogs have finally gotten the message to leave her alone, or at least be extremely gentle.

in chicken news, the flock is doing great, temps are rising, the sun is shining, and we dodged that crazy storm. not one flake flew here! for once... such a relief. we do have some snow on the ground, but it will melt over the course of the week, as temps rise to the 40's by Thursday. Mrs. Nosy's son stopped by yesterday to let me know a red fox has been prowling around her ducks and geese. he was off to hunt it, so free range is likely off the table til he gets it or drives it off. it's not the only one, so vigilance is still priority #1, and I have more fresh coyote tracks in the way back of the property...

for frostbite, I prefer Bag Balm. less water than plain Vaseline. sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. good luck! the real treatment is to block all drafts, eliminate any condensation... and if necessary, bring them inside to a warmer environment.

Poor Belle. She does not look happy.

Hate those cones. If I am home and can watch them, I always take them off. Does Peri have much more growing to do? She seems so much smaller than mama. Guess she will grow out as well, though I like the slimmer look she has. Glad the snow missed you. I was wondering!

 

[BullChick]

Lr, I avoid shipping. My post office isn't nice to mail or packages of any kind.

W4w, I had the everbearing too. This year, if I do it, I may get two kinds. I actually have a fenced area just for the strawberries. It is getting covered with the duck bedding. I should have cleaned out the chicken pen in the fall, because that needs time to decompose before planting. Duck poop is safe for plants when fresh.

 

[Ladyerat]

W4W, I'm def going to have to give the vertical thing a go this year. If not for the kids or lack of space then for my little flock! Little boogers are VORACIOUS! Denuded my accidental pumpkin patch faster than a pack of piranhas!

MC, that's a shame. My post office was the exact opposite. I called ahead when we were waiting for them to arrive and when I couldn't get home from work in time to get them before they closed, they put the babies under a lamp for the night to keep them warm. The company's really good (CFB). Two years running they've been great.

Oh, and btw, had to share... Today is officially...
First perfect day!
First perfect day!
Fourteen ladies
And everybody laid!

Really surprised considering all the snow but not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, lol. Or a gift chicken for that matter!

 

[BullChick]

W4W, I'm def going to have to give the vertical thing a go this year. If not for the kids or lack of space then for my little flock! Little boogers are VORACIOUS! Denuded my accidental pumpkin patch faster than a pack of piranhas!

MC, that's a shame. My post office was the exact opposite. I called ahead when we were waiting for them to arrive and when I couldn't get home from work in time to get them before they closed, they put the babies under a lamp for the night to keep them warm. The company's really good (CFB). Two years running they've been great.

Oh, and btw, had to share... Today is officially...
First perfect day!
First perfect day!
Fourteen ladies
And everybody laid!

Really surprised considering all the snow but not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, lol. Or a gift chicken for that matter!

First, congratulations on the perfect day! Those are nice eggs!
I went into my post office, three days in a row, and reminded them to call me as soon as my chicks arrived. I reminded them that my phone number would be on the top, and that it would even tell them to call me immediately. They refused, saying that they had a policy to not call before 1 o'clock. They claim they didn't want to "wake anyone up"! I sat at the post office from 6:30 that morning. The delivery guy assured me that they all sounded like they were alive, and that he kept his truck warm for them. Unfortunately, they were not actually inside the post office where it was warm. They were in a locked up section of the dock. Half an hour later, when an employee showed up I told her I wanted my chicks. She said that they weren't there. She hadn't even gone inside yet! She eventually came out with them, and said that I was "lucky" that I was right. Eggs were worse. $300+ loss. No insurance on them.

For gardening, I sometimes use buckets. No bending over, and no weeding!!

 

[cheeka]

Lr, gorgeous basket of eggs! love all the colors!!!

I got my first green egg in 4 months! 9 bantam, 3 large fowl. that big brown one was cracked, so I fed it to Chester, it was a single yolk.


Peri is as tall as her Mom, but yes, still the slender puppy build, they are supposed to be barrel chested with tiny hiney's. so, she has some filling out to do. she's only 7 months old, still has some growing to do. Mama Belle is back to herself today, and it's taking all my energy to keep her from being too active or having the other two bug her too much. I took the cone off. I'm pretty sure she can't reach the incision at all, the others can, so that's the big deal. thankfully, because she did have a litter, her tummy is a bit loose, and folds over the incision when she lays on her side. they can't really get to it

 

[XxMingirlxX]

W4W, I'm def going to have to give the vertical thing a go this year. If not for the kids or lack of space then for my little flock! Little boogers are VORACIOUS! Denuded my accidental pumpkin patch faster than a pack of piranhas!

MC, that's a shame. My post office was the exact opposite. I called ahead when we were waiting for them to arrive and when I couldn't get home from work in time to get them before they closed, they put the babies under a lamp for the night to keep them warm. The company's really good (CFB). Two years running they've been great.

Oh, and btw, had to share... Today is officially...
First perfect day!
First perfect day!
Fourteen ladies
And everybody laid!

Really surprised considering all the snow but not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, lol. Or a gift chicken for that matter!

What chicken gives you that beautiful grey egg!

 

[Ladyerat]

What chicken gives you that beautiful grey egg!

Ming, those lovely dove-grey eggs come from my darling Cayuga duck hens, Glossy and Glimmer. If you think the eggs are pretty, you should see them! They're all black (supposed to turn somewhat white as they age) and their feathers have this gorgeous puple/green/blue shine to them. Oh, if you think the grey eggs are neat, check this out! Charcoal grey! Yep, Cayugas lay anything from a soft dove-grey to an almost black! The pic is two duck eggs just from dif days!

 

[Ladyerat]

 

[BullChick]

First, I put two dozen EE eggs in the incubator on Friday. It would have been sooner, but I messed up by playing with the temp when it was almost perfect.
Second, I ordered a new automatic incubator last night. It should be here in a few days! It is plastic, not styrofoam. It has an auto turner, fan, temp and humidity control, stops turning the last two real days, and has alarms for way off temps! I even got a $12 cord for plugging it into a car battery!

Duckling did a little poo in the toilet tonight (the rest later in her diaper. At least it wasn't right away!) and... She is asleep without even an empty bottle!!!

Less than five minutes of tired crying, followed by silence, another minute or two of trying to get my attention, then she was asleep. I was going to give her an empty bottle, but only if I had one in her room (I had pre-filled some bottles with water last week).
When dropping her off tonight, her mother said again how it takes over an hour to get her to sleep. I am telling you, I don't understand my husband's family! Or my husband. Or his friends...