Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Chicken Rustler]

Quote: No supposedly none of this was detonated.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

so what is this stuff, a weed?

Comfrey has many uses. It is called "the comforter" due to its soothing properties. The root takes the itch and sting out of bug bites (including spider bites) and other skin irritations as well as tissue swelling (including sprains). You can apply a piece wet or you can dry it and grind it in a powder, then add water to make a paste. The dried leaves make good mulch or you can make a liquid fertilixer by fermenting them in water for about 2 weeks. Comfrey fertilizer is especially good for tomatos and peppers. Some people ingest the leaves for digestive issues but I have not tried consuming it myself. If you grow Comfrey in a garden you want to be sure to contain it because it grows like a week and new plants form from small root pieces. The plants get large but you can cut the leaves and they grow right back. It is almost impossible to kill it and the roots spread far and wide.

Comfrey used to be the go-to herbal cure for a lot of issues, but it is a liver toxin when taken internally and should not be ingested, even in tincture form. It's great as a poultice or infusion for muscle aches or sprains, though, and will take down the swelling in varicose veins like nobody's business.

 

[CarolynF]

OK if this don't make ya laugh...................... well then I guess ya didn't find it funny
Chicken Bath Day (and no they are not mine)

Now THAT really made me laugh out LOUD!

My Oh My, what a HOOT!

 

[itsren]

Is there a safe way to remove moss from the grass in an area where the girls free-range? We want to reseed the grass, but I don't want to use moss killer anywhere near the girls.

 

[CarolynF]

I'm new, here, and just got bit by the chicken bug. I was all set to think about it for a longish while, since I'm about broke and all, but then a few chicken tractors came up on Freecycle.org. My wife went and got one, and I have spent the last week in modifications and repairs. So now I'm trying to learn all I can on the subject, like what kind of chickens to get and how best to feed and water them.

I'm about three minutes north of Kelso on I-5. I checked my CC&Rs when we moved in and it appears that we can have chickens but no rooster, which is perfectly fine with me. Not in the city limits, so that is no concern, either.

It's all my friend's fault. he has a few chickens and gave me a couple dozen huge brown eggs over a couple weeks, and got me thinking about it.

Yippee!!! Another convert!!!

If you've read a couple months worth of posts on this thread you KNOW we have LOTS of advice, good and bad depending on your point of view. LoL. And this thread moves at lightning speed. Which means if you respond to a specific post, but sure to use the Quote button, not just the replay button.

You HAVE to go to the chicken show in Vancouver on Saturday at the fairgrounds. It's free. You'll see chickens you've never even heard of! It is so much fun. There are quite a few from this group that are going. We use Chicken Rustler's booth as sort of home base. He's a vendor with wonderful metal art called "Iron Imagery".

 

[FirewifeJess]

Is there a safe way to remove moss from the grass in an area where the girls free-range? We want to reseed the grass, but I don't want to use moss killer anywhere near the girls.

Good question!! WE have SO much moss!! I want it gone like crazy since the girls aren't allowed to range the whole yard now, we are sprucing it up very soon. DH is gonna rototill the garden on Saturday for me!!!!!!!!!

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Is there a safe way to remove moss from the grass in an area where the girls free-range? We want to reseed the grass, but I don't want to use moss killer anywhere near the girls.

They used to make a special blade for lawn mowers that would remove it.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Quote: More correctly getting IN is free. But ya may (feel the) need to spend some $$ to get out ! ! ! !

 

[Slinglings]

Quote: The best way to get rid of moss is to address the reasons why you are getting moss in the lawn in the first place. (not enough sun, too much moisture, trying to grow grass where it can't thrive) In the PNW, it's easier to just live with it than to try to fix it If I got rid of the moss in the back corner of my lawn, I would just have weeds or bare dirt. So I turned that corner into a shade and rain loving garden. The moss is gone there now.

I get moss in the rest of the yard in the winter only. As soon as it dries out, the moss dies off and I can rake it out with a thatch rake or garden rake. However, this year, the chickens have been scratching it up! It's so easy to clean up.



I tried a natural moss killer that had some sort of citrus oil in it once, and I don't remember it working well.

 

[CarolynF]

Is there a safe way to remove moss from the grass in an area where the girls free-range? We want to reseed the grass, but I don't want to use moss killer anywhere near the girls.

A shovel.
Even when you use moss killer you have to remove the dead moss, usually with a steel rake which will leave behind the grass that's still growing. But the moss just comes back a little slower. But it you have lots of grass and just a little moss, maybe just using the steel rake would be enough to "scratch" it out.

Hmmm.... maybe there are other "safe" substances that will kill moss but not the grass???