What did you do with your flock today?

[Shetland lover]

No slugs or dirt with hydroponics, or weeding and mulching! Just have to keep an eye on the nutrient solution. Found some leaf holes yesterday. Bugs are out! I started with about 11 liters in these 3 meter downspouts. No refill yet in 3 weeks. Babies don't need much. After a glorious 20 - 23 degree few days, we're back in the teens. Finishing dahlia planting today, and transplanting my collards and kale, of which the girls get all the trimmings. If the stems and roots get maggots, that's dessert for them. I got some bonus carrot seeds with an order, just not sure where to plant them. Darn carrot maggots.

I'm planting carrots in deep containers this year (some tubs I've saved once they're empty of chicken food) raised up on bricks. Carrot flies can't fly any higher than 3ft so I reckon once there's some garden fleece around the top of the tubs, it *should* stop the flies - and therefore - the maggots. That's the theory anyway. Think it's worth a try - that and sowing more thinly so I don't have to do as much thinning. My grandad used to grow show carrots in drainpipes in a low nutrient silver sand and compost mix. It was sieved very well and produced great long, tasty carrots so I know it can work. I'm also planning on growing Mexican marigolds with them too. The roots are supposed to repel the maggots and the scent of the plants confuse the flies. Funny thing - my little reprobates cannot bear carrots but let them get at the freshly sprouted seedlings and watch them go!

Today, I'm trying my hand at building forage boxes for the chickens. I intend to sow a mix of grasses in one and medicinal plants and herbs in the other. I have plenty growing at the allotment I can transplant too. The only problem I forsee is my general ineptitude at DIY

 

[Shetland lover]

Happy Thursday gang. I have been doing just the minimum chickening lately, so not much to mention about them on this end.

I did lose Nina (my blind adopted chicken) this morning. I saw that coming as she slowed and then just stopped eating all together this last week. I told myself when she got depressed I would cull her, but I did not have the courage. She did not seem in pain, I did not note anything obviously wrong with her and I was not going to prolong her already prolonged life anymore. I think she was 3, I had her for 2 years as a blind chicken when her person was not willing to care for her after the problem he created. Anywho, I enjoyed her a lot and aldo felt sorry for her.

Mazzie has slowed too, and Beetle keeps picking on her, scaring her away from any treats. He obviously does not except her as part of his flock anymore. She was a pretty big butthead matriarch when she reigned, but now I can't help but feel bad for her. I will seperate her into the mini coop if this gets to be a problem, and not just an annoyance.

I ordered chicks back in February, I think, or maybe March... but they won't get here till October. 5 SLW & 5 EE. I was hoping to have chicks for when my grandkids and families came to visit us in early June. So, I will dust off the incubator and hatch a few eggs for them (and me). I'm hoping that will be fun. Chicks, some art projects, a kiddy pool and squirt guns to keep us cool and engaged.

Been doing lots of clean up plus prep still, along with re-engaging in cat world. Last week we were able to work on the yard. That is always awesome in spring . Been letting chooks freerange 3x per week or when DH is not looking. Yesterday was the first day in awhile I only got 5 eggs! Probably because I need to do a nice coop and run clean plus refill oyster and grit. Fresh nesting material ot to keep them from an egg boycott.

awww, so sorry you lost Nina. You gave her a great life