Surviving Minnesota!

[jerryse]

Hey ! I have seeds sprouting . Either raspberries or blueberry . I was trying for raspberry . Any I put the seeds through a chicken digestive process . Then Collected the poo and hosed it off in a bucket until only seeds remained . Store bought fruit that DH made into fresh fruit salad . Anyway I put them in moist paper towels on 2-1 to warm stratify for a month before cold stratifying . Checked them today and there were sprouts . Probably blueberry but hey it is something to interest me for while .

 

[duluthralphie]

Hi, folks! I'm back in the Backyard - just found out there is a second MN thread.

Ralphie - As I was going through my summer, fall, and most of the winter, I've been thinking about Bert and wondering how long he made it. I spent three weeks trying to catch up on MN BYC happenings and found I still had like 300 pages to go or some such number. I did see when he passed & just wanted to say I was always glad for the life you gave him and enjoyed his antics so much. I understand there are little Berts? Are they still doing okay?

Bert has a son Bert Jr. And a Daughter Bertha. Both seem to be doing ok. Bert Jr has failed to give Bert any grand kids yet. I am afraid it looks bleak. Bert Jr and the girls just seem too big te be able to breed on their own. I have tried to get Holm to take up AI and help Bert have grandkids. so far he has refused.
Jerry, my prize EE rooster was found in the stock tank a couple months ago.

That stinks! Sorry for the loss. Why do some chickens think they can swim?

Well, just wanted to say hello again to everybody. Had a pretty interesting year. Added rabbits and ram lambs to my repertoire. Hatched out some olive egger type chickens. Had a (lost) guinea hen pop out of nowhere with some keets!! That was a real treat! Plus the new little guy - he's all dimples and a real sweetheart. Made some adjustments to my coop with the help of DH and DS. I think we have finally conquered frostbite around here, but I won't know for sure until or unless I have a single-comb type spend it's first winter in there. I'll post some photos and things as I can.

It seemed like I had more coyotes than normal this past summer and fall. How were they in your areas?? I'm by the St. Croix valley, a little north of the metro.

I have had some predators, but it is too be expected. Nothing more than normal.

WB to BYC.

 

[Cluckies]

Quote:

..or the exact turquoise of a tropical caribbean reef.

Just kidding. Just kidding.

 

[duluthralphie]

Hey ! I have seeds sprouting . Either raspberries or blueberry . I was trying for raspberry . Any I put the seeds through a chicken digestive process . Then Collected the poo and hosed it off in a bucket until only seeds remained . Store bought fruit that DH made into fresh fruit salad . Anyway I put them in moist paper towels on 2-1 to warm stratify for a month before cold stratifying . Checked them today and there were sprouts . Probably blueberry but hey it is something to interest me for while .

What am amazing idea. I think I will plant my garden like this, kind of.. Feed the chicken carrot seeds and turn them loose in the garden to plant them! I hate planting carrot seeds they are so small and my hands are so big and clumsy, I get bunches of carrots followed by a foot of nothing and then a bunch of carrots. Chickens could do no worse!

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Hey ! I have seeds sprouting . Either raspberries or blueberry . I was trying for raspberry . Any I put the seeds through a chicken digestive process . Then Collected the poo and hosed it off in a bucket until only seeds remained . Store bought fruit that DH made into fresh fruit salad . Anyway I put them in moist paper towels on 2-1 to warm stratify for a month before cold stratifying . Checked them today and there were sprouts . Probably blueberry but hey it is something to interest me for while .

Do you think the bird digestion gives a seed a bigger advantage?

I suppose the seed shells might get scuffed and scraped in the crop with the little rocks. and Give them a better opportunity to germinate...like what you do with Morning Glory seeds. And then soaked in Nitrogen for a day....I guess is another good thing for it.

I did some major Googling of Straw Bale Gardening last night. A guy is selling the concept with computer videos (for sale) and (book sales). But I think I have it figured out. He likes straw but any mulching substrate without many seeds will do put in a bale of some sort. He then triggers bacteria growth with a two week Nitrogen soak of the bale to get the compost process started. Then you add some weed-seed less soil to the tops. Soaker hoses....climbing twines for tomatoes and it looks slick as can be!

 

[Cluckies]

Have the day off as I got in my 40 hours by the end of day yesterday, and no overtime allowed you understand. So today I am volunteering at FMSC for a couple of hours, 12:30 to 2:30, then DH and I are off to the range (hopefully), haven't been out there yet to try out my new block 43.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Enjoy your day at the gun range Cluckies. DH and DS would be jealous of that.

Speaking of which it will be Trap shooting season for DS again. He's excited about shooting his new 12 GA he bought last fall. We'll see how he does...

 

[Cluckies]

Quote: Thanks for reminding me of the straw bale gardening. definitely don't need a video on it, I still might try it. I think you can get a garden going earlier as it gets way warmer in there way earlier than our soil. more veggies earlier, sounds good to me!

 

[Cluckies]

Enjoy your day at the gun range Cluckies. DH and DS would be jealous of that.

Speaking of which it will be Trap shooting season for DS again. He's excited about shooting his new 12 GA he bought last fall. We'll see how he does...

Saw Rogers high school and another school (can't remember the school) shooting last year at the range, fun stuff, except some girl kept resting the barrel of her gun in the dirt (No, there was no ground barrel rest) couldn't believe her coaches didn't say anything to her... dangerous.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Thanks for reminding me of the straw bale gardening. definitely don't need a video on it, I still might try it. I think you can get a garden going earlier as it gets way warmer in there way earlier than our soil. more veggies earlier, sounds good to me!

Right. I saw a video....must have been free...LOL-- where he stuck a thermomenter in it and the bale was at 140 with the composting going on. You can run poly over the twine climbers too...to tent it up or create a green house affect. It looks pretty cool.