The Old Folks Home

[sourland]

Like many of you, we've been getting way too much rain. Every day or every other day, I haven't been able to plant anything or cut grass in over a week.
It just stopped raining, hopefully for the day. More on the way tomorrow. It will be at least Friday before I can cut grass. I guess it beats drought.

Hayfields here are looking great - only trouble is they can't find a dry spell to cut and bale them. If you're a farmer, guaranteed one way or another you lose.

 

[getaclue]

I am somewhat disgusted, maybe with myself some too. I put 3 viable, and 1 questionable egg into lockdown. I set it up as usual, using the rubberized non slip shelf liner on the wire. This has worked good before...BUT....as you use, and wash this stuff, it becomes more absorbent retaining more water. It did fine when I first put it in, but when I had to increase humidity, it got wet. The moisture spread throughout the liner like a sponge. The humidity soared to 96% or more during the hatch, and I couldn't get it down. I first though the increase in humidity was normal due to the pipping, and zipping of the chicks. Unlike previous hatches, the humidity did not go down after awhile, but the chicks were intermittent in their various stages of the process, so I figured it would eventually go back down. I left the first chick that hatched in the incubator since the other two eggs were pipped, and 1 was zipping pretty good. I went on to bed. (Yes, I know better than go to bed when hatching now, or at least wait until everything is as it should be) When I got up this morning, the humidity in the incubator was at 98%, and had never decreased. The first chick didn't dry out good, and is still having breathing issues. The second chick that hatched didn't dry out good either, but I removed both of them and put them in the brooder as soon as I realized the humidity had remained so high, so the second chick was not in there nearly as long as the first one, and it is doing fine. The other two drowned. When I broke down the hatcher, I discovered that there was a spot where the wire was touching the water in one of the channels, and with the liner on the wire, it was able to wick enough moisture to the entire surface area, and maintain over 90% humidity throughout the entire night.

Has anyone tried screen instead? Will their toenails get stuck in it? I am also going to check out plastic needlepoint squares. They have a variety of hole sizes, so I hope to find that one or the other will work without wicking moisture like the rubberized liner does.

 

[ronott1]

I am somewhat disgusted, maybe with myself some too. I put 3 viable, and 1 questionable egg into lockdown. I set it up as usual, using the rubberized non slip shelf liner on the wire. This has worked good before...BUT....as you use, and wash this stuff, it becomes more absorbent retaining more water. It did fine when I first put it in, but when I had to increase humidity, it got wet. The moisture spread throughout the liner like a sponge. The humidity soared to 96% or more during the hatch, and I couldn't get it down. I first though the increase in humidity was normal due to the pipping, and zipping of the chicks. Unlike previous hatches, the humidity did not go down after awhile, but the chicks were intermittent in their various stages of the process, so I figured it would eventually go back down. I left the first chick that hatched in the incubator since the other two eggs were pipped, and 1 was zipping pretty good. I went on to bed. (Yes, I know better than go to bed when hatching now, or at least wait until everything is as it should be) When I got up this morning, the humidity in the incubator was at 98%, and had never decreased. The first chick didn't dry out good, and is still having breathing issues. The second chick that hatched didn't dry out good either, but I removed both of them and put them in the brooder as soon as I realized the humidity had remained so high, so the second chick was not in there nearly as long as the first one, and it is doing fine. The other two drowned. When I broke down the hatcher, I discovered that there was a spot where the wire was touching the water in one of the channels, and with the liner on the wire, it was able to wick enough moisture to the entire surface area, and maintain over 90% humidity throughout the entire night.

Has anyone tried screen instead? Will their toenails get stuck in it? I am also going to check out plastic needlepoint squares. They have a variety of hole sizes, so I hope to find that one or the other will work without wicking moisture like the rubberized liner does.

The chicks suffocated. Oxygen is decreased with humidity and heat.

I hatch in one of my Genesis incubators on the wire that came with it. I do not have feet issues from the wire.

I am sorry that happened to you!

 

[getaclue]

I did my first hatch on the wire, but was reading on one of the threads here that some people had trouble with their chick's feet, and/or other parts of them getting caught at the edge where it is not smooth, and had used this with good results. The first time I used it, it worked fine, but it was new and still felt like plastic with little to no absorbancy. I won't use it again though.

 

[Wisher1000]

I hatch on the 1/4" wire bottom that came with the stryo-bators. I use a cellulose sponge cut into thin strips to outline and cover the edges, but don't worry if I have to pull some out during hatching. They raise the humidity, cushion the chicks and the edge of the wire. I pop them in a pryrex dish and microwave them to sanitize before and after each hatch.

 

[getaclue]

Wisher, I like that idea. Just outlining the rough edge(s).

 

[Cynthia12]

Wisher, I like that idea. Just outlining the rough edge(s).

X's 2! And the micro wave idea..I've been buying new rolls all along. $$$$$

 

[chickisoup]

How about sending some of that rain up here??? I'm getting tired of dragging out the hoses. It was even supposed to rain at least a little this morning, nope.

 

[CanuckBock]

I have chicken sales this week that I am going will surpass my feed bill for the month for my entire menagerie. If this keeps up I may be able to buy a new buck by labor day. This time next year we will have 75% nubian kids.

Awesome...awesome...AWESOME. Now if only I could figure out how to follow your lead. Ha ha ha...making chooks pay!

No expectation of profit here and at a ton a month...I just hafta suck it up buttercup and drive that cruel bus and work for bird seeds. Black hole that needs filling in and can't help but think the chickens stay up and dig new ones all night! No wonder I find them dozing in the sunshine!

Then again, how can I complain--I am never EVER bored now am I? Entertainment abounds even if I get slower and slower!

mostly Apples,
honeycrisp , fuji , golden Delicious , Granny Smith ( though this one froze do to pushing buds and leaves in our mild winter only to get cold again grrr. , Anna , have a few Cherries , pears , A peach and Nectrine , apricot , Green Gage Plum , Persimmon and a few Pomergranite. Plus a bunch of Blueberries.
This area is mostly for the Apples though. Still Debating on where to put the others.

Wonderful array of fruits--very nice choices you have made. We have pears and cherries also besides crabapples and apples, but what kills it for us is the Chinooks...warms up and the trees come alive waking up in middle of winter and then get hit hard. I am told that further north and east...the trees there stay sleeping because the Rocky Mountains veer away and no Chinooks to be had.

These guys are large but not super large. They don't spend much time eating, mostly gobbling and displaying for the ladies (or whoever wants to look at them). I processed their sister last fall and she was so large she didn't fit in the scalder or cold water bucket very well (in fact, got stuck). How do you scald? Or rather... WHAT do you scald in? I would have done one of these boys last fall had doing the smaller girl been less difficult.

Forget the pot for scalding...I say try DRY plucking. I will NEVER EVER soak a bird as in scald it and burn my fingers and breath in worse than wet dog smells processing again! Choose a calm day, nice shady spot, off with head, drain blood and then plucky pluck...it is peaceful, quiet, non-smelly (I eviscerate inside at the sinks with running water)...it doesn't even feel like you are processing without the boiling water and scald. I'll never go back to that scalding process, blick!

I have a friend that would always answer the door in his underwear. That kept the JW visitations at bay for a long time.

When people want to save my soul, I tell them I don't need to be 'born again' since I never died.

Rick had the JW's swing by and target him every week...until one day he pre-planned their arrival with a visit to the local library (not sure WHAT town he was in, was not with him then)...he took out some "religious" books and placed them strategically on his coffee table in prep for the next visitation. Sure enough, they swung by and he invited them in like he always did for tea/coffee...told them while the water was boiling for the tea...that he was going to EXPLORE some new religions and pointed to the books on the table. He said they vacated so fast the door surely did not swing shut on their exiting feets. He pretty much spoke, turned around, and they were gone!

Bad man had taken out some satanical books and well...I guess them JW's were not up to the task of making that much of a convert outta him. LOST CAUSE--run away!

What did make Rick amused is the same group canvassed the neighbourhood as always but they actually detoured and crossed the street to avoid even walking on the same sidewalk as his house from then onwards! I asked him if they ever burned a cross on his lawn or painted some coded message on the pavement to warn others...he never was bothered again at that place.

Later in our lives, the JW's found him again when we bought our first house but we were so busy, we rarely stopped to chat so we were lonely for outside conversations besides our own--too busy but if people showed up...well they were fair victims! He drug out the one visit while I weeded in the back garden for over TWO hours. He can talk paint off a wall on a good day. They kept trying to leave, walking backwards, and he kept on bringing up NEW topics for discussion (not a thread of religious context in any of the yabbering I fear). When they finally did leave, they never did come back...guess his soul was not worth investing two hours plus per visit on. Heh heh heh....met their match they certainly did!

Like many of you, we've been getting way too much rain. Every day or every other day, I haven't been able to plant anything or cut grass in over a week.
It just stopped raining, hopefully for the day. More on the way tomorrow. It will be at least Friday before I can cut grass. I guess it beats drought.

This winter had moisture every two or three days (as in SNOW)...as did our summer prior after the May heat burn up and the short two weeks in September.

Rain = GREENERY!​

Rick cut the grass for the first time this weekend...not because we have not had those "windows" of two days where you could cut grass...I just HATE to see you fellas devote time to tasks like "vacuuming" the house when you could do something like CONSTRUCTION which has a much more LASTing overall effect on a property.

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I know, I know...it looks GORGEOUS all greened up and mowed and I GET IT but I also like to see the summer projects completed besides the maintenance things! LOL

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Porch plants prospering!

Here's an interesting one for someone to say about...

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Geranuim, not a Martha Washington kind, just a regular one...what is the green funnel shaped leaf? Never noted this before and curious!​

Laughed at the one pair of swans...out having a swim and scared by other fliers...

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Got a raspberry patch there the kid made (in the shape of the province of Alberta) and we stuck a bird house in there.

Whoo...scary swallow...very scary! Swoop down and pluck yer butt feathers,...so watch out!

Cold and cool here also...cold enough I made a nice beef stew on Monday. Don't get cravings much for stews, chili or roasts towards the middle of June, but we are this year! Har har. Cool comfort foods to feed the fire to keep you warmish!

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Once again I am seeing toadstools too. Another tribute to the non-traditional June climate (blame it on the icelandic eruptions from 2010 = perpetual winter? Does ash in the atmosphere explain this topsy turvy WETNESS and COOL?) we are having...use to the rain in June but more like Hawaii...rain with humidity because it heats up and puts the mist on for the moisture about.


So CC, my old and BOLD friend...wanna take a gander at these three pics and guess what kind of fungi these are...two types of 'shrooms I figure...crackly cap on one, smooth on the t'other...

Found growing on the shaded side of the Veg Garden Coop...bit of straw, turkey/chook manure in the mix fer sure...located where the grass line begins to grow back at an entry to the building.​

Not like I am worried if you don't know or if they are edible or not (not Boletus edulis of which there are like 100 species--I am pretty clueless on mushroom types but the spongy bottom of the cap is a clue for me on a good day it might be boletus--waiting for you to say these are boletus too!).

No concerns since I never put any in the beef stew and am NOT typing this from my hospital bed after the stomach pump and outta the coma! LOL

I like mushrooms...my father talks about the fly agaric (likely Amanita muscaria) which us kids saw in the forest...your classic red with white dotties and highly poisonous mushrooms. He says back in the old country (Northern Europe) they use to sprinkle sugar on pieces of this mushroom placed on a plate and it would attract and kill flies at outdoor gatherings like picnics, etc.

Ton of green on the go here...every where is GREEN and not white...wonderful!

Hard to want to spend time inside right now...lots to make you hate going inside but one must sleep...recharge to do it all over again.

Fish pond and waterfall...plants in there greening up and flowering, water is green and the fishes are having tons of fun!
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Moved the two pairs of Tufted Buffs to geese gaggle house (quarantine is over and done--yee haw and let them loose!) ...love it SO much to see them out on the lawns enjoying being silly gooses!

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Today I have all the geese out...out and about on the lawns nipping grass and frolicking in goosey kiddy pools...

Ah summerish type season (warmer than forty below right?)...so much FUN stuff...hard soaking it all in...bubbling on over with good times!


This Dolgo was a stick...hack marks in it from the previous tenant allowing her son to use a hatchet at will...poor thing.

Healed up hack marks - 15 years progress.
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No longer a stick and fifteen years later...l00kit that BALL of GLORY white flowers!​

Rick's approach and pad looks swanky...

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That pile of firewood nags and beckons me...he placed the two cans in their final spots and he will be busy when he is not at work (the official one that pays and don't COST to see thru) loading up the two cans with his stuff so he tells me not to fret that there will be plenty of time to move the wood before the back wall construction begins.


Hatch House is caulked and Rick thought he might paint the evening of the day he applied it but too cool and humid which is fine by me!

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Rick brought me oh, thinking 4 or 5 tractor buckets of three quarter minus as close to the Taj Mahal (Mandarin house) as he could considering all the "getting in the way" foliage abouts.

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So on Tuesday evening...I decided after work that maybe an hour or so would see it moved to the perimeter around the Taj. I was just a little off on the timing but four hours later, I saw the pile of gravel placed.

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Laugh at the OLD dog Fixins...old people want to be noticed too...so why not lie right in the way of construction...the pathway to and from the pile to the area it is to be hauled!

Laughable about her choice of spots BUT all the more reason to keep tabs on her. She will lay where she decides (old being rights!) and we do have to be careful to be mindful of her location.
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Wednesday I moved the landscape ties (got two sizes and green and reddish ones--think we'll use the reddish ones) into place. We have the re-bar already precut and Rick will drill the ties and then we can use the rebar to secure the ties in place. Then just a matter of hauling limerock crush from the pile just outside by the orchard and greenhouse to top the perimeter with.

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Got maybe a tractor bucket er two to complete the back side of the Taj...

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Cheese rock collection...it keeps on growing!

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Basil is up in the greenhouse...Nasturtiums peaking up in mailbox planter. I see down the road they are going to do some more dust control...so maybe the mailbox planter will fair better from now onwards!

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Ruminants on grass...dog playing ball every chance she can convince me to toss it...that old dog! Funny how she is so determined to play and not a limpy leg in sight...till we have to turn for the house and head fer home.

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She has the spirit but that body fails her. Makes me think of myself and other oldsters--we have the will and we find the ways.

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

- Edit to add pics of healing hack marks on Dolgo & Hatch House caulked.

 

[drumstick diva]

Ooh that stew looked delicious! I could almost smell it.