The Old Folks Home

[ronott1]

transferred the bird I had hatch at the end of august it's about 5 to 6 weeks old to the quarantine pen getting it use to the main pen and other birds, night time transfer so hope the stress is less on it

Quarantine does not work if the other birds can see the ones in Quarantine. Airborne viruses and such.

 

[ronott1]

Ron, getting any rain?? Man, we got pored on today. Wasn't expecting that. Plus more tonight and tomorrow, the a day off, then two more days if it. So needed! The mountains were beautiful today with the clouds hanging over them after the rain. I took the photos from inside my car .. son driving us back from my neurologist visit. View attachment 2857914View attachment 2857916View attachment 2857917View attachment 2857918View attachment 2857919

We have some clouds but no rain. We might have a 24% chance of rain on Friday.

 

[ronott1]

Hi guys. Busy all day today but only I know what I did sort of work. One thing we did get done was we went out after dark with head lamps on and started picking apples. It had rained earlier and we were hoping the yellow jackets would be less active with it being dark. They were.

So with 75% of one tree done and afraid that they were going to start rolling off the wagon if we piled them too high, here is our first haul.

View attachment 2857939
Tomorrow I will sort them out into a box that be for apples being turned into applesauce for the freezer, another for eating apples for us. Box 3 for the neighbor to the east of us and box 4 for the neighbor to the west of us.

Paying blessings forward.

Then this afternoon I looked out the kitchen window and saw this.

View attachment 2857944

Those are Jack O Lantern mushrooms. Inedible but pretty and the picture doesn't do their bright orange color justice. Fall is definitely here.

Those are nice looking apples and the mushrooms do look like pumpkins!

 

[silverhair67]

Quarantine does not work if the other birds can see the ones in Quarantine. Airborne viruses and such.

true enough, guess it's more of a get use to each other pen

 

[ronott1]

true enough, guess it's more of a get use to each other pen

Yes! Letting them see each other before integration helps with them not killing each other when you combine them.

 

[silverhair67]

Quarantine should be away from any other birds

 

[microchick]

Thanks Ron. We don't spray our apples. If we did we wouldn't have the yellow jacket problem but we don't want to take the chance of harming pollinators while blooming and we don't want to eat the chemicals either.

The apples have some marks but the ones that have the most imperfections will become applesauce or put in the dehydrator for apple chips.

 

[getaclue]

Yesterday evening when I came in from the patio, I felt something on my back. I went to brush at whatever it was, and got stung twice on the same finger, by a wasp. I jerked my hand away so hard, I heard the wasp hit the floor, but didn't see it. Awhile later, my grandson saw it on the floor, and stomped on it. It wasn't dead, but had hit so hard, it couldn't go anywhere.

I put cold water on it, and a dab of lidocaine cream on it. A couple hours later, it still hurt like the dickens, and was swelling, so I did a tobacco poultice on it. That took care of it.

 

[Sally PB]

The apples have some marks but the ones that have the most imperfections will become applesauce or put in the dehydrator for apple chips.

We have wild apple trees here. It's a rare apple that has only "some" marks. Do you use any organic sprays or treatments to keep the bugglies out? We've planted some apple trees and would love to get some decent apples out of them in a few years. Does neem oil work?

I put cold water on it, and a dab of lidocaine cream on it. A couple hours later, it still hurt like the dickens, and was swelling, so I did a tobacco poultice on it. That took care of it.

Like a drawing salve?

 

[CSolis]

Morning OF! Yesterday was partially sunny but no rain! YESSSSSSSSSS! Didn't get much done outside but it sure was nice to see the sun for a change. Now a week of dry weather ahead. Time to rake leaves as they dry out, and finish mowing the back yard before it gets too tall. Leaves for for flowers beds that have been weeded, and places I don't want washing out this winter. I use them on the dirt driveway too. I call it red neck paving. When I first got here the driveway was washing out, so all the smaller stones and old bricks I found and crushed were thrown into the bad spots, then covered with dirt from the culvert and topped with leaves. I haven't had a problem with washing out since, and there's grass growing there too. A good root system will hold the soil better than anything. Did the same for a bunch of places in the yard, sans crushed bricks and they have all grown grass and weeds now. Filling in a bit at a time until it's all level.
I got a surprise when I went out to feed last night. My little pullets that are pure Bielefelder and Bielefelder EE crosses are now 21 weeks old, and one of them left me an egg in the nesting box. One adorable little eggsie. They are all getting red combs but determining who dunnit is impossible unless I sit out there all day and watch. I did spot Turtle Dove in the little house checking things out a few days ago. She's really come into her own. Doesn't let the others pick on her any more either. Go girlie Go!