Surviving Minnesota!

[I Love Layers]

Good morning!

 

[jerryse]

I did not get any pumpkins this year. The plants grew but no pumpkins on them. The butternut squash are only about 3 inches long and we got only 2 watermelons about 3/4ths the size of a bowling ball. Not sure what we did wrong. Zucchini only produced one round and then died. Normally the zucchini are a shoe in producer until I pull plants. Rough year here.

This is usually caused by squash vine borers . For the other problem of small size check fertility . Could need some fertilizer . Butternut squash makes a good pie . It is in the Cucabrita Moschata group as is the Dickinson pumpkin that the canning factories use

I have Zucchini that is borer resistant . My own creation . I can share seeds if any of you are interested .

 

[lvie]

I need some help... I am having trouble with my big rooster cutting up the hens really badly... This is the worst yet and I have no clue what to do about it... I'm starting to think this roo is just to big to breed these little hens of mine

What can I do about that big cut other than keep it clean? I am gonna figure some stuff out this week to try and prevent this. I have never had issues with this in chickens before but have with turkeys.

Thanks for any advice.

Now what I am about to say relates to this so bear with me. Abbey, our black lab, has this thing about what is mine is mine and don't go near it or come near me because I will think you are wanting what is mine. Hence, she gets no bones, no chewies, and no special treats. What that chicken looks like is what one of my ankle bitters looked like after Abbey tore him apart because he was trying to walk past him to come to me. 15 seconds and BAM! That is a bad tear. For my dog, it took many stitches to correct that wound. I realize you are not going to take the hen to the vet to be stitched. Something needs to be done with that roo and I am not thinking peaceful retraining. LOL. Good luck Holm.

 

[lvie]

I did not get any pumpkins this year. The plants grew but no pumpkins on them. The butternut squash are only about 3 inches long and we got only 2 watermelons about 3/4ths the size of a bowling ball. Not sure what we did wrong. Zucchini only produced one round and then died. Normally the zucchini are a shoe in producer until I pull plants. Rough year here.

I wonder what happened in years past when gardens had a lousy year and that is what sustained families throughout the winter. But then I am like that . . . .the wondering part.

 

[lvie]

Quote:

Quote:
I am interested! And jerryse - thank you for all your knowledge. I am going down the road this week to begin hauling back the rabbit dung from the pile in the back yard of a friend who raises and shows rabbits around the states. I will lay that on top of the garden as I clean the different areas and then let the fallen leaves stay over the winter. Next spring I will dig it all in. I hope that will fertilize that dirt well. This year I had one of the best gardens I have ever had so maybe it will continue next year. Plus it is a raised 10 x 20 garden bed. I think that may help in draining it.

 

[I Love Layers]

I need some help... I am having trouble with my big rooster cutting up the hens really badly... This is the worst yet and I have no clue what to do about it... I'm starting to think this roo is just to big to breed these little hens of mine

What can I do about that big cut other than keep it clean? I am gonna figure some stuff out this week to try and prevent this. I have never had issues with this in chickens before but have with turkeys.

Thanks for any advice.

My hens were getting a little beat up, just losing a few back feathers so I trimmed my roosters spurs and everything was good after that. Granted yours is a lot worse then mine

 

[duluthralphie]

Good Morning all!

Jerry, really, you raised zucchini that is borer resistant. You amaze me with everything you do. I think you have to be the genetics expert of our times.

How about some polka dotted tomatoes for next year?

I have been forced to move my sauerkraut outside. Judy claims the "stench" was making her ill and demanded I move it out. I tried playing the "I am the head of this household" card. Apparently I was wrong. That card no longer exists.

I have not figured out what I am going to do today. I will most likely figure out something, considering I have a list about 6 ft long that needs to be done.


Have a great Labour Day. Notice I am using the Canadian Spelling to help the youngsters here learn the alternative spellings incase they need to enter a Scrabble Tournament.




Holm I trimmed Bert Jr's spurs the other day, but I see I have to bring them back more. I used a Dremel on them. I thought I had rounded them enough, but I saw Bertha had a new cut last night. I might have to take Bert oot of the pen again, " more legal Scrabble words"...... Bert is so happy with the other birds, I think he was depressed living in the brooder and being my pet.

 

[duluthralphie]

I wonder what happened in years past when gardens had a lousy year and that is what sustained families throughout the winter. But then I am like that . . . .the wondering part.

I think what happened was extreme weight control dieting followed by population control.

 

[duluthralphie]

I am interested! And jerryse - thank you for all your knowledge. I am going down the road this week to begin hauling back the rabbit dung from the pile in the back yard of a friend who raises and shows rabbits around the states. I will lay that on top of the garden as I clean the different areas and then let the fallen leaves stay over the winter. Next spring I will dig it all in. I hope that will fertilize that dirt well. This year I had one of the best gardens I have ever had so maybe it will continue next year. Plus it is a raised 10 x 20 garden bed. I think that may help in draining it.

I also had the best garden I have ever had, I think we finally got enough rain to allow this sand dunes we live on to produce a garden.

I know water is water, but rain seems to be better for my garden than well water. I know that makes no sense, but I think it is true.

 

[lvie]

When I first began reading this thread there was this contributor that sat at his computer early in the morning with his cup of coffee in his hand. I say 'his' only because he has a male name on this thread. He would conjole his fellow chickeners to get up out of bed or to get signed on to contribute to the conversations of the morning because he was bored, or waiting, or accusing each of us of not doing our share of the conversation. Hmmmm. . . . .

It was good and it was fun.

I began hoping out of bed in the morning, throwing on something warm and then heading for the computer to sign on to read what he had to say that morning. Kind of reminds me of 'You've Got Mail' Some mornings that other chickener wasn't on the computer yet, or was on but had not posted so I became hurried to get on before him just as a tease. Come on . . . . where are you? MY coffee is already made and I am waiting.

'I am first' and good morning is a fun game and thank you for participating. It is going to be cooling down here and there are cold winter mornings acoming. I predict that this game will pick up this winter and we will have many laughs about it. I think we should create some new ground rule to go with it. I dunno what that could be but . . . . . . you may have suggestions. Just ONE new item to add for the first one on in the morning. LOL - a selfie to show them at the computer first - NO WAY! I was just kidding. I certainly would never want to be first if that were a requirement.