The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[brucifer]

Our garden did great last year, but between the chickens taking a fancy to the cherry tomatoes, and the rain, rain, and more rain, the garden hasn't done as well this year. What has done best are the sunflowers that have volunteered. The chickens missed some BOSS, and the seeds were planted by the scratching and the rain.

Being a Southerner, I love Swiss chard or just about any kind of greens. If the rain holds off, I will do my 4th cooking (and eating) today, and that will include collards and cornbread. I helped a friend harvest and dress some cortunix quail on Saturday, and he was kind enough to give me a few, so I plan to stuff those today and put them in the smoker.

 

[speckledhen]

It's actually the Mexican bean beetle. I found that out. https://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/garden-pests/mexican-bean-beetle/


Here is the critter:

Lizzie is still trying to kill herself in the heat. I put her up in the hospital cage with 2 of Jill's eggs and Jill is in the nest now to give me another one. At least there, I can train a fan right on her. The nests are perpendicular to the fan path when she's in her preferred last nest against the outer wall so I felt if she breaks, fine. If she doesn't, at least I can monitor her better. She's not as mean as Tessa on the nest.

ETA: I placed Jill's egg in front of Liz and she rolled it underneath her. If she sticks, the three Hector chicks will be due to hatch July 23. I honestly wish someone would buy the BR extras I have now. I really didn't need more chicks.

 

[1muttsfan]

Bleah. Looks nasty.

Who NEEDS more chicks?

 

[speckledhen]

Bleah. Looks nasty.

Who NEEDS more chicks?

It is nasty, even the chickens won't eat them. I powdered the plants with their hitchhikers with DE since I have no poison, but it's going to rain again this afternoon so not a lot of good it will do unless it can start its work before it gets wet. The article says they like bush beans more than pole beans and it does seem that way. The Greasy Shortcuts have almost none of the critters (though Japanese Beetles are having a party with those) while there is not much left of the Romano or Contender beans.

At least with the three chicks Lizzie has, no question they belong to Hector. Out of the five 8 week old BRs, I am only completely sure of one chick, Drea/Drew, who is either Dru's or Wynette's. The others could belong to either Jill or Wynette (or Dru, depending on which Stukel hen is the mom of Drea/Dru), though I sort of see Hector in one of the cockerels, judging by the comb alone. The Stukels do have a slightly more refined comb, less base to it, hugs the head more at the blade.

ETA: Apparently, my Rogue is ready this late afternoon, but I can't go get it because it's an hour away from here. DH has a dr appt in Jasper (same town as dealer) early Wednesday morning so it looks like I'm going to have to go with him and he can drive the Rogue back to be sure it's okay and I'll have to just drive the CR-V back. Been without my vehicle for 3 weeks as of today.

 

[speckledhen]

This morning, Day 2 with Lizzie's eggs, she's already calling chicks to eat. Good girl! And it's raining today, again. I'm SICK of rain!

 

[brucifer]

This morning, Day 2 with Lizzie's eggs, she's already calling chicks to eat. Good girl! And it's raining today, again. I'm SICK of rain!

Cyn, we were supposed to get the rain today, but it went north to your neck of the woods. The good news for you though is that it's moving quickly and should end in a couple of hours. Hope you have a happy 4th!

 

[speckledhen]

Cyn, we were supposed to get the rain today, but it went north to your neck of the woods. The good news for you though is that it's moving quickly and should end in a couple of hours. Hope you have a happy 4th!

I hope it's gone soon. White fuzzy mold is popping out of the ground everywhere there is no grass. And no way to weed the garden, not really, not without getting soaking wet wading through the vines, etc. Maybe all the rain will drown the Mexican bean beetles.

I'm just doing research online today, wondering if I want to let go of more cash and trade in my Rogue or just drive it until it's not worth anything. It should bring $8000 trade in right now, +/-, but I have a hard time letting go of cash and an even harder time thinking of payments on anything. I really don't want that. Cash plus perfect credit talks at car lots, I've found, even if you are not borrowing anything, but I like having cash just to have it. You never know what will come up later. I wanted a small truck, but the trend is those big-butt crew cab things, not what I need. They should not have quit making the Ranger. The ones you do find are way overpriced due to the scarcity of them.

 

[brucifer]

I hope it's gone soon. White fuzzy mold is popping out of the ground everywhere there is no grass. And no way to weed the garden, not really, not without getting soaking wet wading through the vines, etc. Maybe all the rain will drown the Mexican bean beetles.

I'm just doing research online today, wondering if I want to let go of more cash and trade in my Rogue or just drive it until it's not worth anything. It should bring $8000 trade in right now, +/-, but I have a hard time letting go of cash and an even harder time thinking of payments on anything. I really don't want that. Cash plus perfect credit talks at car lots, I've found, even if you are not borrowing anything, but I like having cash just to have it. You never know what will come up later. I wanted a small truck, but the trend is those big-butt crew cab things, not what I need. They should not have quit making the Ranger. The ones you do find are way overpriced due to the scarcity of them.

I've thought about getting another small truck. I had a Nissan Frontier that I paid cash for at a dealership in 2000 and gave to my son a few years ago. It was super dependable, and I miss not having a truck.

I love sales, but NOT dealing with car salespeople and the games. Cash speaks though, and I do my homework ahead of time. For example, when I couldn't reach a mutual deal when negotiating for the Nissan truck, I told the dealer what I would pay TT&L out the door for the truck and that he could call me if he changed his mind, but I would be visiting other dealerships that day and that I was also buying a truck that day. As I turned and was about to walk off of the lot, he said, "Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Okay!" It was great not having to deal with the nonsense and dickering surrounding financing, a trade in, or an extended warranty.

BTW, you can still get a good deal on a 2-door Chevy Colorado pick-up. Also, the Ford Ranger is back in a new iteration.

 

[speckledhen]

Seems the trucks, even the 4 pr 6 cyl ones smaller ones have sucky gas mileage. I can't even find a Colorado or a GMC Canyon used-no way I can afford a new truck that is as much as we paid for our first house. What I would want in a truck is an extended cab, not a crew cab. But, I think I may end up with another small SUV.

I also loathe the games dealers play. At least with this dealership, they give their own warranty on all their used vehicles, which is what is paying for this transmission in the Rogue. I'd buy another one if I could avoid the CVT trans. It's fine driving a CVT, I have no issue with that part, but has terrible longevity and I've heard is very prone to overheating. We drive very limited miles, though, less than 5000/year normally, so whatever miles anything has when we get it slows way down on accumulating mileage from then on.

 

[speckledhen]

And, at 8 weeks 3 days old, I'm still not sure about Drea/Drew. The other two are crowing and I keep watching to see if "it" crows; so far, nothing. If it does crow, that cements the conclusion about him. If not, I'll continue to be confused a bit longer. Maybe I'll go out there tomorrow and he'll have a big, honking red comb. Nah, that would be too easy.

I did notice one thing that is interesting, though. The two pullets, MaryJo and her smaller sister, both have lots of black on the top beak. The two known cockerels have only minor streaks, but basically, yellow beaks. The "IT" child has a black top beak exactly like the other two pullets. Now, I've never used beak color as a sex clue, but I seem to remember someone on BYC saying that was a sex trait. Have you heard that? I can't recall who said it or what the reaction of the membership was, though. I think I've heard it, but dismissed it as something that you can sometimes use as a clue, but not something you can count on.