The Old Folks Home

[ronott1]

It is time for a picture update for the Pita Pintas. They are almost 7 weeks old and getting big!

 

[Cynthia12]

It is time for a picture update for the Pita Pintas. They are almost 7 weeks old and getting big!

I love the one facing the camera in the last photo. Very pretty. They are pretty, and will keep changing for a while won't they?

 

[ronott1]

I love the one facing the camera in the last photo. Very pretty. They are pretty, and will keep changing for a while won't they?

Yes, they will be nearly completely black with white spots. They are huge! They are standing next to a chick water fountain.

 

[chickadoodles]

It is time for a picture update for the Pita Pintas. They are almost 7 weeks old and getting big!

Ron, They are so beautiful!

 

[chickadoodles]

It takes longer than three years for fruit trees to set fruit.

One must be patient with fruit trees as they are a long term investment.

You should have some fruit on the fourth year and more each year for several years. Another thing is that most fruit trees decline in the amount of fruit after 20 years.

Thanks Ron!
I planted semi-dwarf trees as I had the understanding that I would have fruit in two to three years. But I still never saw a bee around while my trees were all in full bloom.
So this year I will pollinate them myself. I do want to add more fruit trees to our little orchard.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Beautiful birds, Ron. They remind me of something - mottled houdans, or javas, maybe? Something I've had before but that has long since gone to freezer camp. But yours look much sweeter in the face.

I am in no way, shape or form a bee expert. I've had them a few short months. I have done a lot of research on them, though. As far as pollinating goes, they don't pollinate everything. They don't like certain tastes, and the flower buds have to be certain shapes for them to get into them easily. Their tongues are also only so long - so just like you need the right bird beak to drink the nectar, you need the right bee tongue to drink it as well.

Also honey bees are not native to the US. It would be devastating to our crops if we lost bees, because we've imported a lot of crops from areas that need bees, but we have done it in the past with other pollinators and other crops. Granted, we'd probably need to reduce the population here significantly... China already hand pollinates all their crops because they've lost too many bees.

I will be getting another hive next year. I encourage anyone with the room and the desire to get a hive. I can say, that even though they're starving, this is the best garden year for pollination I've had so far. I have only had a few squash drop off the vines not being pollinated, and this is the first year I haven't had to hand pollinate in my garden.

 

[chickadoodles]

I love having the internet-- like having a university library. I want to get back to living off the land and really have no clue. I know bits and peices. but even those skills are rusty. SO much information has been lost. Been a long time since anyone in my family were farmers. So I use the internet looking for information.

Canner arrived this week-- will try canning the extra turkeys from last summer.

would like to grow more off the vegies to feed my family and more for the animals. I"m no longer a fan of commercial dog foods, cat foods and that has led me to wonder about all commercial feeds.

We are getting out of horses, to focus on sheep and chickens and other fowl. And rabbits. Trying to have livestock that our land can provide for.

But I often feel lost-- and I have a degree in ANimal Science. THe problem is that at Univeristy they don't teach how to live off the land. It is all commercial production.

SO I am trying my hand a few things and stumble and fall and learn. THe county extension is geared toward commercial production . Finding the old ways and the old varieties are a challenge. Peice by peice, getting there.

THere is an orchard north of me by about 40 minutes that swlls scions in the spring. NEed the root stock to make use of it. BUt at $5 a scion is pricy. But old varieties of apples maybe worth it. No peaches though. Darn.

I found scions online thru online nursery's and they are not that expensive that way.

 

[chickensnewtome]

I have had the enchiladas with Rooster Randy... they/he were/was delicious.

Had a BYC chicken friend and her 3 kids here yesterday. They got attacked by bumble bees. It was like the bees were just honed in on them. The girl and her two older kids got stung multiple times, luckily the baby didn't get stung (although I do have an epi pen just in case). I have never seen an aggressive bumble bee and couldn't figure it out - thought maybe they had banana extract in their shampoo or something. This evening I was out with the goats taking them on their daily walk (not leashed) I got attacked by a bumble bee around the same area where my guests were attacked yesterday! It followed me (screaming, jumping and hysterical) into the house. I got stung on my hand. I finally found that they have a large ground nest right next to the stump by my main chicken door. I'm not big on pesticides, and I love pollinators, but I RAIDED the heck out of that nest when I found it. Just like an ornery rooster, I'm not keeping (what appears to want to be) an Africanized Bumble Bee Colony. It's so big it looks like a rat hole.

I did a (honey bee) hive inspection yesterday and turns out my bees are starving to death. There have been multiple reports in this area from members of the beekeepers club of that happening, yet I was still shocked to see it happening in my hive. The weather patterns have been really odd this year - my bees arrived late because it was too cold in Georgia to strengthen the hives to take bees from (most of the package bees come from the south) - and then when they got here it was cold cold cold and rainy, and then super hot and dry. Then repeat. Gardens are about a month behind where it should be (we're just now picking blackberries and blueberries). I had stopped feeding the bees on July 18th and put a honey super on the hive, and when I went in yesterday the honey super was untouched and all the food the hive had stored was gone with exception of only a few cells of pollen. I wonder if this is happening in the rest of the country? Or maybe related to why the bumbles are so angry?

Oh no poor things. I hope no one was hurt to bad. I am allergic to any stings and puff up like a mad puffer fish if stung. Now on the bees, This is my first year to see bees at our place and it was at the corn. They have been in the garden every day for a week messing with the corn. I love to watch them.

I"m sure you wer upset that your guests were stung so badly; good thing you found the nest even if you did have to run to the house in near hysterics. WOnder how deep the nest goes?

THe weather pattern was/is strange here this year too. I know we are not far apart, but enough. THe spring rains came very late and I have hoof rot in a couple of my sheep. I haven't had this problem in YEARS. THe perfect storm. I had culled out all breeding stock about 15 years ago with the hoof rot and rarely had it since. This year, UGHHH.

Had my first tomato from the garden tonight. Orange and tart-sour but it tasted like heaven anyway.

LOVE LOVE LOVE Tomatoes! What kind did you plant?

It takes longer than three years for fruit trees to set fruit.

One must be patient with fruit trees as they are a long term investment.

You should have some fruit on the fourth year and more each year for several years. Another thing is that most fruit trees decline in the amount of fruit after 20 years.

We have staggered all of our fruit trees and fruit bushes. We are finally receiving Peaches, and Cherries, We will get Pears and Apples next year and then new plants of those species will produce the years after that. It is definitely worth the wait and time taken to grow them.

I love having the internet-- like having a university library. I want to get back to living off the land and really have no clue. I know bits and peices. but even those skills are rusty. SO much information has been lost. Been a long time since anyone in my family were farmers. So I use the internet looking for information.

Canner arrived this week-- will try canning the extra turkeys from last summer.

would like to grow more off the vegies to feed my family and more for the animals. I"m no longer a fan of commercial dog foods, cat foods and that has led me to wonder about all commercial feeds.

We are getting out of horses, to focus on sheep and chickens and other fowl. And rabbits. Trying to have livestock that our land can provide for.

But I often feel lost-- and I have a degree in ANimal Science. THe problem is that at Univeristy they don't teach how to live off the land. It is all commercial production.

SO I am trying my hand a few things and stumble and fall and learn. THe county extension is geared toward commercial production . Finding the old ways and the old varieties are a challenge. Peice by peice, getting there.

THere is an orchard north of me by about 40 minutes that swlls scions in the spring. NEed the root stock to make use of it. BUt at $5 a scion is pricy. But old varieties of apples maybe worth it. No peaches though. Darn.

We Can without a canning machine, I have never used one so tell me how that goes. I am also new at this living off the land. We get our first pig and calf next spring and when I get back we are getting a milk goat. It is definitely worth taking the time to study up and learn how. Luckily right now I grow such a big garden that I can provide all the squash, corn, tomatoes, peas, and okra, and peppers my family needs thru the winter. Then of course I have the Fall and Spring garden with all the fresh greens and spices.

It is time for a picture update for the Pita Pintas. They are almost 7 weeks old and getting big!

Ron, They are getting prettier and prettier, I like all the black coming out in them. Very nice birds.

Beautiful birds, Ron. They remind me of something - mottled houdans, or javas, maybe? Something I've had before but that has long since gone to freezer camp. But yours look much sweeter in the face.

I am in no way, shape or form a bee expert. I've had them a few short months. I have done a lot of research on them, though. As far as pollinating goes, they don't pollinate everything. They don't like certain tastes, and the flower buds have to be certain shapes for them to get into them easily. Their tongues are also only so long - so just like you need the right bird beak to drink the nectar, you need the right bee tongue to drink it as well.

Also honey bees are not native to the US. It would be devastating to our crops if we lost bees, because we've imported a lot of crops from areas that need bees, but we have done it in the past with other pollinators and other crops. Granted, we'd probably need to reduce the population here significantly... China already hand pollinates all their crops because they've lost too many bees.

I will be getting another hive next year. I encourage anyone with the room and the desire to get a hive. I can say, that even though they're starving, this is the best garden year for pollination I've had so far. I have only had a few squash drop off the vines not being pollinated, and this is the first year I haven't had to hand pollinate in my garden.

Someone close to us has a hive because this is the first year I have seen any honey bees at my garden. We are thinking about getting a hive next year but with my allergies I am not sure I can risk it. Maybe an Epi pen will be good to get and then I will have it just in case.



Mom is not doing good lately ya'll. She woke up this morning not being able to breath and having a panick attack because of it. I only have 3 more days before we are headed on our 18 hr drive. Please Pray for her tonight. And pray for me to have the strength to leave her on Tuesday, because at this point I am certain this will be the last time I see her.

 

[chickadoodles]

Beautiful birds, Ron. They remind me of something - mottled houdans, or javas, maybe? Something I've had before but that has long since gone to freezer camp. But yours look much sweeter in the face.

I am in no way, shape or form a bee expert. I've had them a few short months. I have done a lot of research on them, though. As far as pollinating goes, they don't pollinate everything. They don't like certain tastes, and the flower buds have to be certain shapes for them to get into them easily. Their tongues are also only so long - so just like you need the right bird beak to drink the nectar, you need the right bee tongue to drink it as well.

Also honey bees are not native to the US. It would be devastating to our crops if we lost bees, because we've imported a lot of crops from areas that need bees, but we have done it in the past with other pollinators and other crops. Granted, we'd probably need to reduce the population here significantly... China already hand pollinates all their crops because they've lost too many bees.

I will be getting another hive next year. I encourage anyone with the room and the desire to get a hive. I can say, that even though they're starving, this is the best garden year for pollination I've had so far. I have only had a few squash drop off the vines not being pollinated, and this is the first year I haven't had to hand pollinate in my garden.

We have a bunch of wasps in our shed and around the house. I don't spay them and we have carpenter bees under the other shed like crazy! But I keep them around because they are the only bees we have to pollinate our garden or anything. But when the fruit trees bud out it is still to cold for the wasps to be out. When I do see one it is so cold it cannot move. I don't want to bring honey bees onto the farm because there is nothing else for them around here! And they will starve! I don't want to do that to them.
Since I planted two of the trees for cross pollinating I can just take a small branch from each and dust the other and then visa versa! And I hope to get some fruit this next spring!

 

[chickadoodles]

Oh no poor things. I hope no one was hurt to bad. I am allergic to any stings and puff up like a mad puffer fish if stung. Now on the bees, This is my first year to see bees at our place and it was at the corn. They have been in the garden every day for a week messing with the corn. I love to watch them.
LOVE LOVE LOVE Tomatoes! What kind did you plant?
We have staggered all of our fruit trees and fruit bushes. We are finally receiving Peaches, and Cherries, We will get Pears and Apples next year and then new plants of those species will produce the years after that. It is definitely worth the wait and time taken to grow them.
We Can without a canning machine, I have never used one so tell me how that goes. I am also new at this living off the land. We get our first pig and calf next spring and when I get back we are getting a milk goat. It is definitely worth taking the time to study up and learn how. Luckily right now I grow such a big garden that I can provide all the squash, corn, tomatoes, peas, and okra, and peppers my family needs thru the winter. Then of course I have the Fall and Spring garden with all the fresh greens and spices.
Ron, They are getting prettier and prettier, I like all the black coming out in them. Very nice birds.
Someone close to us has a hive because this is the first year I have seen any honey bees at my garden. We are thinking about getting a hive next year but with my allergies I am not sure I can risk it. Maybe an Epi pen will be good to get and then I will have it just in case.



Mom is not doing good lately ya'll. She woke up this morning not being able to breath and having a panick attack because of it. I only have 3 more days before we are headed on our 18 hr drive. Please Pray for her tonight. And pray for me to have the strength to leave her on Tuesday, because at this point I am certain this will be the last time I see her.

Will continue prayers for your mom and your family!