Surviving Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

I had my first bowl of Blackberries last night!!


The berries are small but hmmmmmmmm so good!


The mosquitoes and deer flies about carried me away out there. I am going to try a fogger before I pick next time and just wash the berries really well.

I swell up so badly from the deer fly bites. It is amazing how large the teeth are in a little deer fly.

 

[I Love Layers]

Sitting in the yard, stealing my older sisters internet

My dad got angry at me last night because I have to many unproductive birds. Which is partially true, I only have 3 hens who are over 2 years.
But then there's the roosters. I only wanted to keep RJ out of the big roosters but when I mentioned selling Buckbeak my dad was like you can't sell him etc. Along with a rooster who I hate, George.
My younger sister has some silkies, I'm ok with the hens but hate the rooster!! But she won't let me get rid of him!!
If it was my choice I would have RJ and Fluffy or Buckbeak and Fluffy. None of the other roosters...
He also made some comment on how if I really want to pursue breeding cochins' that we can put up some cages in my current coop.. I don't get why I can't spend my own money and just build another coop!!!! And not have to deal with them in my layer coop!!!

I know he's going to flip in the spring when I show him the price for the Isbars and BCMs..
So I'm debating on whether to not get them at all next year.
He then flipped out because I'm using woodchips in the coop, saying that I should be using hay. I hate cleaning up hay! I use it in the winter cause it offers more insulation but seriously! Why would I want to get hay fever more then I already do in the summer because of hay in the chicken coop!
Last year with hay in the summer I had to clean the coop out 6 times!!! This year with woodchips 2.

The only good thing that came out of last night was him saying that we will sheetrock and insulate the coop..


I honestly just wish that one of my parents supported me on my chickens... My mom always says whatever and my dad flips out about anything

 

[duluthralphie]

Sitting in the yard, stealing my older sisters internet

My dad got angry at me last night because I have to many unproductive birds. Which is partially true, I only have 3 hens who are over 2 years.
But then there's the roosters. I only wanted to keep RJ out of the big roosters but when I mentioned selling Buckbeak my dad was like you can't sell him etc. Along with a rooster who I hate, George.
My younger sister has some silkies, I'm ok with the hens but hate the rooster!! But she won't let me get rid of him!!
If it was my choice I would have RJ and Fluffy or Buckbeak and Fluffy. None of the other roosters...
He also made some comment on how if I really want to pursue breeding cochins' that we can put up some cages in my current coop.. I don't get why I can't spend my own money and just build another coop!!!! And not have to deal with them in my layer coop!!!

I know he's going to flip in the spring when I show him the price for the Isbars and BCMs..
So I'm debating on whether to not get them at all next year.
He then flipped out because I'm using woodchips in the coop, saying that I should be using hay. I hate cleaning up hay! I use it in the winter cause it offers more insulation but seriously! Why would I want to get hay fever more then I already do in the summer because of hay in the chicken coop!
Last year with hay in the summer I had to clean the coop out 6 times!!! This year with woodchips 2.

The only good thing that came out of last night was him saying that we will sheetrock and insulate the coop..


I honestly just wish that one of my parents supported me on my chickens... My mom always says whatever and my dad flips out about anything

I hope it all works out, but I am not going to take sides in a parent/child thing. If I did I doubt you would like the side I took......

Just be respectful and present your reason logically and accept what your parents say.........


They may have reason you do not know about.

 

[jerryse]

Jerry: It is usually later up here. And for everyone of us looking to pluck those berries there are about 10 different other species in the woods vying for those precious fruits. Bears, raccoons, Birds of all types. In my yard, this includes savvy chickens making purple poop. It could be that they are crossed. But I will tell you that I see the raspberry ripen sooner and long gone well before the blackberries ripen...so is that indicative of their bloom time as well....? I haven't paid attention to that. I would say last weeks of August and even into September. I would think with all the rain we've got the berries should swell to pretty good size? We've had some dry years where they were very small and not worth the work and bug bites to get. After seeing those blooms this spring and the supporting rainfall with adequate amounts of Sunshine...it should be a bumper year with these berries. I did pluck a blackberry last week. It needed another few days to ripen. There were not many others behind it. I think also the deer forage the more tender fruit bearing ends of these bushes. And deer can really make a dent on any under story.

I think the early blackberry I sampled could have some red raspberry in the family tree . The reds were still blooming and ripening . These later ones were not as nice usually . Since the reds grow everywhere it is not unreasonable to think at some places they grow together . With the extended bloom time of the reds crossing could occur . Possibly explaining the early and late patches . Here the wild blackberries ripen together in my experience . We only have black raspberry wild here . Canning tomatoes . Got to go .

 

[I Love Layers]

Don't worry I am respectful to them. I talk to my chickens about it

I guess it just bugs me how my parents would rather give my oldest sister money to buy things cause she didn't have a job until last week, but they won't even help me do what I know I want to do...
They probably have a reason. But I would appreciate if they would tell me..

 

[Cebarmlds]

Please do not take this wrong,,,

But those are so gross!!!! yeeeeech

I wonder if my guineas would eat them?




Also I am glad the hawk left hungry! Too many hawks and not enough good baked hawk recipes is the problem.

You can think they're gross if you want. I think they are cool. I held my finger in front of it and it climbed on, I didn't post that picture because my nails need some work

LOL
I wouldn't let a spider walk on me those are gross!! I'm pretty sure your guineas would eat them. Do guineas eat daddy long leg spiders? the chickens won't.
I would kill a hawk if I had the opportunity to catch it but don't tell anyone.

 

[jerryse]

5 quarts processing now . This is how I do mine . I use the turkey fryer and burner . I use the tall pot and basket to blanch . You can heat water fast with these . I them plunge into cold ice water and slip skins and remove core . Heat the tomatoes to a boil add acid and salt first . Then into jars and back outside to process in the water bath caner on the turkey burner . The quicker heating time speeds up the work .

 

[Cebarmlds]

5 quarts processing now . This is how I do mine . I use the turkey fryer and burner . I use the tall pot and basket to blanch . You can heat water fast with these . I them plunge into cold ice water and slip skins and remove core . Heat the tomatoes to a boil add acid and salt first . Then into jars and back outside to process in the water bath caner on the turkey burner . The quicker heating time speeds up the work .

What do you mean by acid? I use vinegar 5% acidity.

 

[jerryse]

What do you mean by acid? I use vinegar 5% acidity.

I use vinegar . They say lemon juice also works . Mom used to open kettle but that is no longer recommended .

 

[Cebarmlds]

I use vinegar . They say lemon juice also works . Mom used to open kettle but that is no longer recommended .

OK, same thing. Yes I've heard lemon juice too.

A few years ago I bought a steamer canner, uses less water. I think that would be similar to the open kettle canning method? except it's covered so that may be the only difference. IDK, if the ingreds. in the jar are boiling and the lids seal I'd think that is what matters.