What did you do in the garden today?

[Rick589]

Usually it's the lowest ranking hens that picks on the littles here. I have 2 chasing eight 10 weeks olds, 3 are CX and bigger than the bully.
I harvested the biggest CX this morning before all this chasing caused a heart attack. She dressed out at 8 lbs 10oz.
View attachment 4193233

I just couldn’t do this. Interestingly enough there isn’t an obviously well defined pecking order.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Usually it's the lowest ranking hens that picks on the littles here. I have 2 chasing eight 10 weeks olds, 3 are CX and bigger than the bully.
I harvested the biggest CX this morning before all this chasing caused a heart attack. She dressed out at 8 lbs 10oz.
View attachment 4193233

Question about CX. Do you breed them to keep the line going? Or do you just buy new chicks each year?

 

[jerryse]

I have this weed or wildflower. Poor pic but any ideas on ID.

 

[jerryse]

First time using a plant ID online. Says American bellflower a biennial native wildflower.

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

Tried very carefully harvesting my first batch of potatoes today. I guess last year wasn’t a fluke; even taking into consideration I may have missed some trying not to disturb the beans they were interplanted with I didn’t get out significantly more than I put in. I’d blame the weather but I thought potatoes liked cooler weather.

 

[Molpet]

Question about CX. Do you breed them to keep the line going? Or do you just buy new chicks each year?

These CX were from extra eggs a friend got from a school hatching. They gave her the extra eggs there wasn't room for.
CX don't breed true and the males chest gets in the way most of the time.
But people have used them.
I was inspired to use a pullet to get some size because of this article.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/raising-large-table-birds.68027/

I bought a half dz CX in March 2016 and kept the smallest pullet. I had a random mixed rooster off FB.
She started laying end of August and I gave 5 eggs to a broody barred rock. The pullet produced laid double yolk. I used 2 of the 3 cockerels over barred rock, black jersey giant, and buff orphington hens I already had.
Most of my flock is from this breeding. I tried shipped standard dark Cornish eggs, but the PO were to rough and I only had one hatch. But I used him on everyone.
Hens from this breeding

Same age can you tell which is full CX

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

My husband, my youngest son, and I made it home from Wyoming last night. Our middle son, and his wife are all settled in their new house apartment. I forgot my camera in the chaos so only got phone pictures.
Now I have to do a ton of laundry, my husband is at the grocery store. Then to getting garden caught up and hopefully more green beans canned.
My oldest son took excellent care of the house, my poultry (lots), my pigs, the cows, the sheep and llama, and our dogs and cats.

 

[muddy75]

Anyone know what this is? It was supposed to be cherry tomato.

 

[MotherofOrpies]

I thought about making shelf stable pickles at one point but went with refrigerator pickles just because I think a non-cooked pickle tastes better. Of course, the downside is that, because we make so many, they take up a lot of refrigerator acreage. But, this is one of several reasons why we have a second fridge.

Now that you brought chickens up. I’ve recently noticed that one of our hens, of course the one that is the friendliest to me, has taken to having an issue with our two new peeps. No issues to speak of when they’re out and about but once they go in for the night she seems to, with intent, go after them. If she’s on a roost and the peeps come in she will, at times, jump off the roost just to peck at them. None of the others do this including the rooster, in fact the rest of the flock acts as if they don’t care that they’re there.

You usually always have one hen who acts as doorkeeper even if you „remove“ that hen, another one will take her place

 

[sourland]

Picked my first six tomatoes today.