The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They do sometimes start laying weird eggs as the season winds down, do they have a yolk.

 

[jockeyeba]

oldhenlikesdogs I don't know, tomorrow morning I'll find out

 

[JanetMarie]

Anyhow, I avoid corn, soy, beets and canola unless they are organic.

There's not such thing as organic canola oil. It is grown as rapeseed and has to be irradiated to change the structure of the fat molecules to become canola. What I find interesting is that many certified organic companies use "organic canola" oil in their food production. So, obviously those companies didn't do their homework on what is really organic.

 

[JanetMarie]

Restricted openings also reduce - or eliminate - wattles hanging in the water. When the wattles can get into the water it becomes a venue for almost instant frostbite as well.

That happened to one of my roosters. Fortunately for him I went back in their house shortly afterward and brought him in the house immediately, and he stayed in our house the rest of the winter.

I am going to try the heated dog bowl with the chick waterer this winter. Thanks for the pics.

 

[shortgrass]

Are you sure you're not my twin sister?  Or perhaps your hubby is somehow related to mine... Nah!  Mine is a city boy.  But he does love his lawn mower.  I have to strategically place huge rocks and other obstacles around any vegetation that I don't want him to level with the lawn mower.  He's mowed down:  high bush blue berries, rhubarb, takes special delight in mowing down zucchini, routinely mows any flowers that stray an inch or two outside of their border.  Well... perhaps I exaggerate... the flowers stray a lot, perhaps a foot or two!  I once caught him trying to mow down a cherry tree.  He's not related to George Washington, but I call him Mr. MowsItAll.  What other attachments does that BobCat have???  I have dreams of what I could do with a machine with a bucket and a few other attachments.  

Ha! It sounds like it! my EX used to mow down everything under the sun, then blame it on being "colorblind", although I never understood how being colorblind had anything to do with mowing over obviously difficult to mow grass (a row of boxwood bushes), then rose bushes... He even took a bush hog to a lilac!

Does your DH have a particular distaste for zuchinni?

Needless, to say, this one doesn't go NEAR anything gardenwise with his mower, which yes, he loooves.

I admit, the bobcat is a great tool; I joke about how for a year now, I've needed a new wheelbarrow, and he just says, " Why? We have a mower with a trailer AND a BOBCAT!"... Well a BOBCAT IS hard to get between the tomatoes

He's looking at a mower attachment for it (big surprise lol) but we have a bucket, a fork, the tiller, and 2 augers. The augers! Oh I love the augers! Need a hole for axtree? He can dig me a foot or a 3 foot diameter hole, up to 8 feet deep, in about 3 minutes

Oh and setting fence posts us a snap, no more wacking myself on the head with the post driver; he just pulls up and pushes the post in with the bucket.

He's the big machinery operator lol


I had to go take a snapshot for you @speney... Here's my winter pea plot. We had some corn stalk bales fall apart on us, so we dumped them on a spot, I'd say maybe 1000 sq ft... And yes, DH was like a puppy with me holding a ball, so I said "go till it!"

He tilled in the stalks a little, then I seeded the peas. I didn't drill them in, just broadcast and watered in. That was about 2 weeks ago, and they're up and looking good... Except for the ones struggling to emerge in the bobcat tracks lol...

 

[beginnergirl]

There's not such thing as organic canola oil.  It is grown as rapeseed and has to be irradiated to change the structure of the fat molecules to become canola.  What I find interesting is that many certified organic companies use canola oil in their food production.  So, obviously those companies didn't do their homework on what is really organic.  

Good to know! That is why I've never seen it. Canola oil is in everything.... Means I avoid packaged foods more and more.

 

[Leahs Mom]

What's interesting is trying to find a salad dressing that doesn't use canola or soy oil. I pretty much make my own now.

And why does "whole foods" use canola (or soy) oil in almost all their prepared foods on their food bar....

 

[lazy gardener]

Ha! It sounds like it!

my EX used to mow down everything under the sun, then blame it on being "colorblind", although I never understood how being colorblind had anything to do with mowing over obviously difficult to mow grass (a row of boxwood bushes), then rose bushes... He even took a bush hog to a lilac!

Does your DH have a particular distaste for zuchinni?

Needless, to say, this one doesn't go NEAR anything gardenwise with his mower, which yes, he loooves.

I admit, the bobcat is a great tool; I joke about how for a year now, I've needed a new wheelbarrow, and he just says, " Why? We have a mower with a trailer AND a BOBCAT!"... Well a BOBCAT IS hard to get between the tomatoes

He's looking at a mower attachment for it (big surprise lol) but we have a bucket, a fork, the tiller, and 2 augers. The augers! Oh I love the augers! Need a hole for axtree? He can dig me a foot or a 3 foot diameter hole, up to 8 feet deep, in about 3 minutes

Oh and setting fence posts us a snap, no more wacking myself on the head with the post driver; he just pulls up and pushes the post in with the bucket.

He's the big machinery operator lol

I had to go take a snapshot for you @speney ... Here's my winter pea plot. We had some corn stalk bales fall apart on us, so we dumped them on a spot, I'd say maybe 1000 sq ft... And yes, DH was like a puppy with me holding a ball, so I said "go till it!"

He tilled in the stalks a little, then I seeded the peas. I didn't drill them in, just broadcast and watered in. That was about 2 weeks ago, and they're up and looking good... Except for the ones struggling to emerge in the bobcat tracks lol...

Yes, he hates zucchini unless it's in muffins, bread, or cake! So... just go buy yourself a wheelbarrow! But, IMO, don't waste your money on the typical single wheeled ones with the 2 handles in the back. Buy a 2 wheeled one with pneumatic tires. And be sure to take it for a test drive before purchase to be sure it's well balanced. Some of them are horrid, and you know the minute you test drive them that they'll be a pain to maneuver with!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Hey...wheelbarrow experts ( @lazy gardener )

I was debating on getting a "dump wagon" type wagon rather than a barrow. Any comments on advantages/disadtantages? I like the idea of having something firmly on 4 wheels with double duty as a wagon...

Something like this except NOT PLASTIC.

 

[Leahs Mom]

And with sides that drop so I can have a flat platform wagon.... triple duty!

Similar to this: http://www.amazon.com/Gorilla-Carts-GORMP-12-Removable-Convertible/dp/B00814KE5I