What did you do in the garden today?

[TJAnonymous]

So I've been a bad chicken mom... Normally I clean the coop every weekend, sifting poop out of the sand, clean nesting boxes, etc... Well due to various reasons, I have fallen really far behind on my duties. To be honest, I don't even remember the last time I cleaned the coop... Maybe a month ago? Maybe longer. Anyway, I've been tackling that chore this afternoon and I'm barely a third of the way through. We had bad storms last week which blew in the coop windows and got the sand all soaked on one half of the floor. I've been trying to turn it so it will air out and dry. I pulled all of it to the center so I can sift through it, redistribute, and layer dry, clean sand to mix. It's taking forever. This is clearly going to take a few days and it's going to rain again tomorrow...

The good news is the nesting boxes are now clean. Although I must have chucked out 7-8 dozen eggs in the garden compost (buried it in a separate corner) that were never collected so I had no idea how old they are. But now I can start fresh...

The girls are happy...along with my 4-5 broody hens.

This does solidify my resolve to take the top off these nesting boxes and replace it with new roosts over a poop board! This SHALL be done soon!

 

[Sally PB]

I think it's official.... I have a broody. I'll get the broody breaker out tomorrow.

Sure wish I could have her hatch chicks this year, but the timing is not good right now. Next spring would be better, but the eggs would have to come from somewhere else.

 

[igorsMistress]

Good afternoon all. It’s almost 100* here today, add in the 3% humidity we had last night, and today a few things are looking sad so I’ll have to water early in the morning. I’m not even looking outside again today let alone going out there, I’m just not ready for triple digit temps I ordered some fresh corn seed and some pole beans for a three sisters garden in late summer. I might try squash in one and pie pumpkins in the other, but I’m planning for two separate mounds. Next Sunday is coop painting day, the following weekend I’ll freshen up the whitewash inside. Hubs needs to cut and mount a new roost still too. Poor guy, he’s home today with a low grade fever. No symptoms really, just feeling run down without much of an appetite. I made him do a Covid test this morning, thankfully it’s negative. That’s it for me. Take care all

 

[Iluveggers]

I think it's official.... I have a broody. I'll get the broody breaker out tomorrow.

Sure wish I could have her hatch chicks this year, but the timing is not good right now. Next spring would be better, but the eggs would have to come from somewhere else.

I ordered some shipped eggs from Meyers this year. Will let you know how to goes in case they have any breeds you might want! They were very reasonably priced, and only $10 shipping!

 

[Sally PB]

If I hatch, it's going to be next spring. At the very earliest, this August. But thank you!

 

[WthrLady]

So DS tried XYZAL last week as his regular prescripted meds weren't cutting it this season. He had an allergic reaction to it. He became unfocused and extremely fatigued. I mean standing and just staring into space tired.
So his doc put him on claritin D. He's been on it since Friday. Today he came home all watery eyed from work on the verge of tears, red eyed and pale. He said he only slept 4 hours last night and he never stopped working today and was exhausted. Talking to him was like talking to a stoner, he just zoned out (THANK GOD DH was the one driving today). I told him to go lay down and he ACTUALLY DID! I don't think he's napped since he was 4! (maybe in college, but I wasn't there)
OMG my anxiety is off the friggen charts.
No more of this stuff for him.

 

[igorsMistress]

So DS tried XYZAL last week as his regular prescripted meds weren't cutting it this season. He had an allergic reaction to it. He became unfocused and extremely fatigued. I mean standing and just staring into space tired.
So his doc put him on claritin D. He's been on it since Friday. Today he came home all watery eyed from work on the verge of tears, red eyed and pale. He said he only slept 4 hours last night and he never stopped working today and was exhausted. Talking to him was like talking to a stoner, he just zoned out (THANK GOD DH was the one driving today). I told him to go lay down and he ACTUALLY DID! I don't think he's napped since he was 4! (maybe in college, but I wasn't there)
OMG my anxiety is off the friggen charts.
No more of this stuff for him.

That’s crazy. I hope he feels better soon, poor kid.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Well, my feet hurt so badly that I feel like I got a lot done today....

I got half the coop cleaned out including the nesting boxes which were the most important thing. I have 3 broodies using some old nesting boxes inside my goat house.
This morning I swiped (3) day-old Marans-cross babies while mama was out eating. I brought them inside to the brooder with the new chicks (now up to 10 total). This way I can legitimately say that I swiped the chicks from the coop and I wouldn't be lying. Anyway, a little while later, I heard peeping. Mama hen had hatched yet ANOTHER baby. I left this one there. Bad call on my part....Another hen kept trying to crawl into her nesting box and in the tussle, they killed the new baby. Soooo....I moved a brooder pen in the goat house and moved mama and the rest of her eggs into a nesting box there. I was a little worried that she wouldn't sit on them but she did after eyeballing them for a few tense minutes. That doesn't solve potential issues with the other 2 broodies but I'll solve that problem later.

I sowed more San Marzano seeds since my two starts are practically kaput. I also sprayed for pests since they are getting chewed up. In order to hopefully stop the bug feast, I also sealed the gap around the door so they shouldn't be able to get in now unless they are small enough to get through the netting (such as thrips). Took some DE out to kill fire ants in the hoop house and some of my planters.

I forgot to mention that I had DH build me 3 frames wrapped with insect netting that I can use as row covers over my broccoli. I'm hoping this will keep the worms off them. Anyway, I got 2 of the 3 totally finished and put out in the garden. I still need to wrap the 3rd in netting and attach the hinged top.

Left on my To-Do List: build more raised beds, re-till half the garden and finish covering with cardboard, add wood chips over the cardboard, and still get at least a dozen plants in the ground & seeds sown.

Oh yeah, and build new roosts with poop boards in the coop! I swear...farm work is NEVER done!

 

[pennyJo1960]

So DS tried XYZAL last week as his regular prescripted meds weren't cutting it this season. He had an allergic reaction to it. He became unfocused and extremely fatigued. I mean standing and just staring into space tired.
So his doc put him on claritin D. He's been on it since Friday. Today he came home all watery eyed from work on the verge of tears, red eyed and pale. He said he only slept 4 hours last night and he never stopped working today and was exhausted. Talking to him was like talking to a stoner, he just zoned out (THANK GOD DH was the one driving today). I told him to go lay down and he ACTUALLY DID! I don't think he's napped since he was 4! (maybe in college, but I wasn't there)
OMG my anxiety is off the friggen charts.
No more of this stuff for him.

Both those he took are labeled for for depression..
He cannot use the benedryl?

 

[chickengr]

Raw carrots? What do you mean by air dry?

I chopped raw carrots and let them dry as I do with hot peppers. didn't work.