The 8th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!!!!

[ShrekDawg]

Yes, the different nectar sources available, changes the taste and color of the honey. This is clover honey on the left:

Wow that's so interesting and awesome! So stupid question but what honey is in the stores?

 

[Beer can]

I bought some local buckwheat honey once, didn't care much for it, kinda tasted like grape-nut cereal. Not bad but I'd never buy it again. Clover honey is what's usually around here.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

My chickens don't bother my bees, and the bees drink out of the chicken waterers. I give them their own waterer, and they still drink out of the chicken waterers. I love sitting by my hives and watching the bees come and go. When the yellow jackets come out, they will steal your bees. This was my swarm last summer. It was fascinating to watch. This was a small handful of them. And them going into the bait hive.

That is absolutely incredible! We have 2 hives set up and baited. We're hoping to catch a wild swarm. When do they typically swarm?

 

[ronott1]

I bought some local buckwheat honey once, didn't care much for it, kinda tasted like grape-nut cereal. Not bad but I'd never buy it again. Clover honey is what's usually around here.

My favorite is star thistle honey

 

[casportpony]

There is a gal near me that has "poison oak flower" honey.

 

[casportpony]

Here's a link:
http://www.thehoneyladies.com/purchase-organic-honey-san-jose.html

 

[elizabethu42]

I have a quick question, does candling prevent hatch? Because I have candled about 3 times and I'm only on day 8. So far 12/12 have growth

 

[ronott1]

I have a quick question, does candling prevent hatch? Because I have candled about 3 times and I'm only on day 8. So far 12/12 have growth

I try to candle less during the first 7 to 8 days. The embryos are a bit more fragile then.

Still, candling will not normally hurt them if you are careful.

 

[BantyChooks]

Because rats have bad PR.

I have culled my fair share of chicks, and I cry every time. It's painless for them, but not for me. If I have to put an adult down, my husband or step dad do it for me. I'm too afraid of not getting an instant kill.

I am slowly changing my mindset on that sort of thing. Never, ever easy, but I am accepting it as a part of chicken raising.

Chicks are the hardest for me, because the human mentality steps in and I feel terrible that such an innocent life won't know the pleasures of racing about after a bug outside or a good long dust bath.... Silly, I know.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Wow that's so interesting and awesome! So stupid question but what honey is in the stores?

Usually clover. But my clover honey has flavor.

That is absolutely incredible! We have 2 hives set up and baited. We're hoping to catch a wild swarm. When do they typically swarm?

Here it's usually summer. It can happen under strong nectar flow when the hive gets crowded or backfilled with honey. You have to stay on top of them when the nectar sources are heavy. It's amazing how fast they can fill up the supers.

I just looked and my swarm was June 4th last year.

Did you bait with Lemongrass oil?

My favorite is star thistle honey

It's good, but I will not support the growing of that pesky weed.

There is a gal near me that has "poison oak flower" honey.

I wouldn't support the growing of this pesky weed either. We have LOTS of poison oak around, but the bees tend to prefer other sources.