What did you do in the garden today?

[igorsMistress]

Poultry keeper's lung, it's a thing, and I'll be sitting right next to you in the waiting room.
I specifically did the poultry house on a windless day to cut down on the blowing, but the dust and dander just hung there in the air, mocking me.

N95 masks help a LOT.

 

[igorsMistress]

@pennyJo1960 ive never heard of someone using spent coffe grounds on their coop floor! If it works, that’s awesome!
Yesterday I worked some more of trying to dig out that huge pear tree. This time I found a salamander !
View attachment 3659995

Today I harvested almost all of the remaining Lima beans.
View attachment 3659996
Started with this and ended up with …
View attachment 3659997
I have come to the conclusion that I am very slow at shelling Lima beans.
My friend will be happy though, she and her daughter love them!

Hey, are you the one that stole my gloves?! I had some that are in the same condition but I can’t find ‘em

 

[pennyJo1960]

We don't have salamanders here. Just garter snakes harmless.
I wear a particular glove out to clean coops.
Bamboo Gardener made with rubber type palm or neoprene have like 6 sets.

 

[gtaus]

I specifically did the poultry house on a windless day to cut down on the blowing, but the dust and dander just hung there in the air, mocking me.

Yeah, chicken dander and dust is a thing to consider when cleaning out the coop. I always wear a mask, too.

Having said that, I switched over to using paper shreds in the coop a couple years ago. Paper shreds are a lot less dusty than the other types of litter I have used including wood chips and dried leaves. You still have the chicken dander, but there is less dust from the paper shreds.

But, still, wear a mask and protect your lungs.

 

[gtaus]

I use sand in the coop on the floor and poop boards. I created a custom scooper to sift the poop out of it but it creates an INSANE amount of dust.

I live on a lake. When I first got poultry about 30 years ago, I used my free sand in the coops. But I found it required too much maintenance, never really got clean except by replacing it, and always smelled bad to me.

Anyways, I was off in the military for years, then back home without poultry. About 4 years ago got into a backyard flock of laying hens and went with the deep bedding litter and only cleaning out the coop twice a year. First, I used wood chips, then dried leaves, but the last two years mostly just paper shreds which I find works the best for me.

There is no dust with paper shreds compared to the other methods of litter I used, but you still have chicken dander no matter what you use. Wear a good mask to protect your lungs and ignore others who might make fun of you.

 

[gtaus]

I do love how the raised beds are easy access for folks with bad backs.

As an RN, I have had many patients with bad backs. I did not want to end up like them. I started moving all my in-ground gardening to raised beds, at first only 6 inches high, but now all my raised beds are 16 inches high.

I don't have a bad back, but I don't want to end up with a bad back either, so I do lots of things to proactively protect myself knowing that I am not getting any younger. If I find a way to reduce the stress on my back or make a job easier by doing it at waist level instead of bending over, then I go for that option.

Lots of people with back pain issues don't get much relief. Many doctors are afraid of prescribing medication for back pain. There are too many people hooked on pain meds seeking more prescriptions. Also, doctors have to worry about someone getting hooked on their pain meds. Nobody wants to lose their license, so it's much easier for the doctor not to prescribe heavy potentially addictive pain meds and risk losing their license.

I know of a guy who had a history of drug abuse but also had a bad back. He wanted pain management but not addictive drugs. He got no help from his doctor. I found out, at the end, he was literally crawling to the bathroom because it was too painful for him to stand up and walk. He could not handle the pain and took his own life. I am sure his family would have preferred to deal with an addiction over death, if that was the only choice. My hope is that someone out there is successfully treating pain without getting patients addicted to the meds.


I hope you are in a better place and are managing your back pain so you can have a good life. But I truly understand the problems people face with back pain and how many people don't get the care they need.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good afternoon gardeners. My garden is done for the season. I haven’t done any garden cleanup yet. I’m leaving the kale alone. I actually got a nice big handful a few days ago so I’m hoping the cooler temps will chase the bugs away so I can harvest a little more. Trying to work on the new chicken coop. I’ve decided the metal “walls” are only fit for siding. I believe I have enough supplies to build the coop out of wood and use the cheap “coop” materials as siding. I got the floor framed out, just need to get started nailing and screwing things together. I had to slow down after my first visit to the physical therapist last week. In addition to the bone spur on my knee cap I have a tear in my meniscus. I had to rest for two days after that initial visit. It’s feeling better now and I will have time on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Maybe Saturday if the weather holds up. I need to get my soil tested this year for sure. I want to plant a lot of beans again next year so they may go into the two gardens I built in the back area on the slope. Although I didn’t have a bumper crop of squash this year I didn’t have any squash bugs. It’s been seasonally cool and comfortable here. I turned my pellet stove on last Monday. All but one of my chickens are in some stage of molting so no eggs for now. Thanks for the posts with pictures of fresh gardens growing. They will be much appreciated when the snow starts flying here.

 

[jerryse]

Sunshine did not last long. Clouds moved in. Worked outside for a while. DW is getting over her cold.

 

[fuzzi]

We had homecoming and first day of revival at church this morning, then dinner with everyone at the church including guests, so I didn't get home and out to the yard until about 1pm.

It's damp and cool, jacket weather. I thinned the carrots, and one turnip, fed the greens to the flock, ooh ooh ooh! They also got pieces of grapes, and pear cores. One of the Dominiques LOVES the pear cores, will grab one and run to the other side of the coop to enjoy her booty away from the rest. I noticed Samuel (runner up roo) tidbiting some of the flock. I didn't notice any evidence of a physical altercation, so maybe the two boys are just getting along with 7 pullets?

No frost, yet. We usually get one about November 1st. Tomatoes and peppers still producing fruit.

Day lilies are blooming again, and Tithonia (Mexican sunflower) is refusing to quit blooming even though it blew over in a storm.

And a pretty weed...spot the spider!

 

[CNJ]

I roasted a skin on slab of pork belly from Costco and felt guilty about eating the fat, so I did a search and found that it's not as bad as I thought it was. It's actually kind of healthy.

https://discover.grasslandbeef.com/blog/pork-belly-the-worlds-most-popular-food/