What did you do in the garden today?

[microchick]

Don't feel bad. I reduced my flock size this year from 80 birds down to 30. Some went to a neighbor for layers, the rest went to freezer camp. Of those 30, about half were 'pet' roosters and the rest young pullets and about 8 mature layers. Yeah, you guessed it. All 8 layers went broody like dominoes. I was so frustrated with them, especially when two of them likes to stay with her chicks for 4 months or longer. Now it's rolling into winter and I have three hens who still have mostly grown chicks following them around and sleeping with them at night.

On the bright side though, my 4 Fayoumi hens are laying. And while they aren't egg producing dynamos they are giving me enough eggs for my husband and myself, and baking. The broodies are slowly starting to lay again so I hope I won't have to freeze eggs again this year.

As for what I did in the garden today, I dug up my gladiola bulbs, which for the first time, did really well this year. About the only thing I have left to do is pull out my zenia plants and then the winter can come on whenever it wants.

 

[Acre4Me]

Warm enough and windy enough to water the baby grass seedlings! Got the mums in pots up front - finally! Then worked on the pile of garden dirt that was pushed to one side...moved some into raised beds, but still more to do (and 4 more raised beds to build and fill).

 

[Sueby]

LOL @ Daisy! She sounds like she takes her job seriously!

We were supposed to start the fence on Sunday but it looks like rain. & a lot of it. I'm bummed, want to get it up & get the new pen up for the girls!

I'm going to repot a cactus I have & take out the 3 remaining tomatoes, compost & mulch the garden & put it to bed for the winter this weekend. My first side of the compost bin is full, time to start on the other side. DH thinks I'm crazy because I bought some paper bags to stash some leaves in for the winter. He really won't be happy when he finds out they're going inside somewhere.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good morning gardeners. OMG @Sueby too funny about the leaves. I'm still waiting for the rest of the leaves to fall out of my mini forest. Glad I'm not the only one thinking of bagging up some of the leaves and storing them. The rest will be blown out of my fenced in area back into the woods. We had a light frost this morning, however it should warm up close to 60F today. The weather is supposed to be comfortable temps and dry until Sunday so I'm hoping to get some outside work accomplished. The heather plants I ordered will be here either tomorrow or Saturday so I can get them planted this weekend. The last frost we had finally wiped out the zinnias in the front yard, however I still have a couple of flowering plants in the herb garden that are blooming. Not sure what they are but they're pretty. The lavender plant I dug up and brought inside is starting to bloom. Who needs Airwick when you have rosemary and lavender growing indoors. Good luck with your garden chores everyone and have a great day.

 

[chickmom3941]

Daisy drives me BOnkers. She'll start laying with everyone else in the spring. Lay for two weeks and go broody. It takes a solid 7-10 days to break her. She'll not lay eggs for two weeks, then lay one or two and then go broody again. Rinse and repeat....alll....summer....LONG.

I think she likes the workshop hen spa in the summer. little booger.

What kind of hen is Daisy? We lost our reliable broody last year, but I'm hoping at least one of our hens will go broody next summer so we can add a few more chicks to the flock (I want a HEN to raise them, so I don't have to - lol).
I picked some tomatoes from the greenhouse yesterday. They are actually still ripening, so that there are very few green ones left. They are smallish and have slightly tougher skins than normal, but they're still tasty and sweet!
I also need to dig up my dahlia bulbs once we get a freeze here. Things are cooling down quite a bit, so it should be soon.

 

[WthrLady]

What kind of hen is Daisy? We lost our reliable broody last year, but I'm hoping at least one of our hens will go broody next summer so we can add a few more chicks to the flock (I want a HEN to raise them, so I don't have to - lol).
I picked some tomatoes from the greenhouse yesterday. They are actually still ripening, so that there are very few green ones left. They are smallish and have slightly tougher skins than normal, but they're still tasty and sweet!
I also need to dig up my dahlia bulbs once we get a freeze here. Things are cooling down quite a bit, so it should be soon.

Daisy is a Light Sussex. White medium sized bird with black tail tips and black tire tracks around her neck. (looks like she's been run over by a motorcycle)

 

[chickmom3941]

I googled Light Sussex, and they're very pretty. The markings are quite similar to our Buff Brahmas, except white instead. We have never had any Sussex hens, although I've been thinking about adding a few Speckled Sussex to our flock. I've heard they are a very nice breed to own.

 

[pennyJo1960]

It is the speckled sussex I have growing up here but the breed that caught my eye is a blue cochin full size birds very pretty but made in different colors all of these are pretty cool .. @karenerwin I am sorry for your Mom she handled allot over the years I recall this is toughest thing to face for her or you

 

[WthrLady]

I googled Light Sussex, and they're very pretty. The markings are quite similar to our Buff Brahmas, except white instead. We have never had any Sussex hens, although I've been thinking about adding a few Speckled Sussex to our flock. I've heard they are a very nice breed to own.

And I've alwanted buff bramas!

 

[pennyJo1960]

had white brahmas did not like them sold them hope I like cochin better
three of the birds from auction are being bought by some nice folks that usually buy eggs from me he has done this before he will buy birds breaks their necks makes dinner of soup two of them are quite young sold one at auction only got three bucks out her they are pullets but look like cockerel they are not 7 months yet the white one is barely able to walk very plump looks like a refuge off a broiler truck to be honest was with 4 others I bought he is giving me 5 each