Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[jvls1942]

good evening,
I have been sort of waiting for someone to post.

I got a good start on making the forms for pouring my concrete slab and then I got rained out.

I need to get a new cord on my skill saw.
it is worn and frayed and a real hazard to use.
my garden is a mess. weeds everywhere
.except in the corn.
I have often had nice corn, but this crop is the nicest looking. IDK how it is going to produce, but the ears are forming nicely so it looks hopeful ..
there are tons of beans waiting to be picked.. lots of weeds in them, too.
the tomatoes are barely keeping ahead of the weeds..
the potatoes are looking good, but they were hilled, and that helps keep the weeds under control.

I almost have a guy from the restaurant willing to take my 5 roosters . they are free to anybody who wants to come get them.
first come first served..

I don't know how many hens I have left.
I only see three at a time. there are supposed to be six.
people have come and bought 3 here and 2 there. they always pick out the best looking ones. LOL
our egg production hasn't dropped off at all. the beat up ones with the bare backs are the best layers.
one guy said, they are too old..
WTH ?? they are all the same age..

..........jiminwisc.......

 

[GranolaGirl72]

I bet you get a good laugh every time someone gives you chicken advice...
Things are pumpin here as far as veg goes, I have had pretty steady sales and now I have someone coming this week for a bulk purchase again. Pushing beets.... fortunately, she is interested. The very first tomato is ripe also. Usually we get the "seconds" of everything but since these are small salad ones and there is only two ready I think we will all get a taste.
5 pullet eggs in the last 3 days but with the timing of finding them I am not sure if I just missed seeing one or if I have 3 laying. I am betting the former. Yesterday brought the first one in the nesting box. Before that they have been in random places in the coop and the run. It is almost like they are surprised when the lay. There is not much variety in the color, was kinda hoping there would be but it is all the same dusty blue-green that my older girl lays. Good timing for them to start as I anticipate a molt for the other 8 girls in the next month or so. The original ones will be 18 months in September and I am betting my Wyandottes are about the same age.
I've got a hankering for some beans today, may have to stop by with the troops.

 

[chickisoup]

Good "crispy" 39o F Monday morning everyone

Sorry, I am so far behind again that I am not going to attempt individual responses, just congrats on all the harvests and work completed and my condolences to the loss of the little pet hen.

Definite snap in the air this morning, feels good. Looks like two days of no rain so I might finally be able to get some more painting done. The coop remodel is finally complete and I expanded the grow out pen a bit. The littles are growing so fast! I can't believe the quality of these Hoover's Hatchery chicks!

Fall has been giving us a preview this past few days reminding me I have to get moving (when the rain will let me) and finish up the projects because the ground freeze and that nasty 4 letter word are not that far away

Have a blessed week all my peeps!

 

[bigzio]

Afternoon to all. Hope things work out for you bl4, no matter which place it is.
picked our first maters today! I had to harvest one head of cabbage that split from all the rain....might be doing kraut early this year.
Keep havin fun...this is as good as it gets.

bigz

 

[kokosmom2]

My garden is like yours jim...full of weeds. I really screwed up and should have put newspapers down then mulch when I planted. I can't even find my peas. Pumpkins are growing, I found a watermelon and a bunch of cantaloupe growing in the weeds. Starting to get some nice tomatoes when I can dig thru the weeds and if the rabbits? didn't eat them. The chickens still aren't laying yet...they are 16 weeks old tomorrow

cheri

 

[jvls1942]

good afternoon,
I just grilled some jumbo shrimp.
never did it before. they turned out great.
but I think they could be even better if put in sauce and baked in the oven.

I got the second long side of the forms fastened in.
then I tried to back the tractor in to scrape the dirt down. the back blade is a 7 footer.
I was an inch under 7 feet. so that was a fizzle. I tried the front bucket. it worked, but not as well as I hoped.
I guess tomorrow I will go at it with a shovel and rake. I try to avoid manual labor as much as I can.

had a nice lady come and pick some beans. she even picked a batch for our supper.
yellow beans, yummmm..

all of the puppies got out of their pen and roamed the whole yard for a couple of hours. they went back in when we fed them. I am glad I taught them to come when I whistle.

I whistle to them every time I take feed to them..

......jiminwisc.....

 

[wyoDreamer]

I just about have the tomatoes weeded so they can get some light ... A couple of the onion sets took so I may get an onion or 2.
DH finally told me he fixed the roto-tiller. It has been fixed for over a month. It would have saved a bunch of hand weeding if I had known.

The lean-to sounds like it will be really useful for you Jim. Hope you have someone coming to help pour that floor. We have a bunch of concrete to pour around our place, too. But we don't have a concrete mixer. DH is wishing for a large on that will work off the PTO on the tractor. I have to agree that it would be handy to have around.

 

[speckled6]

Hi all,
Everyone is so busy with gardens pushing out produce!
Sorry to hear about the little hen that died, hope you can figure out the cause so it doesn't happen again.
I hope something comes together on a property for bl4...and soon!
Been busy as always here. Concrete slab is in for the wood burner, trench is nearly completed (dug it by hand, woot!), DH is doing a roofing job this weekend to help pay for the line to run to the house, haven't been out to get wood in ages, rabbits are ok so far, started my new job today and...got our first egg day before yesterday! Here's a pic:

No idea who laid it, no egg yesterday, then another almost just like this one today. Kokosmom...my chickens are 17 weeks today, so yours should be laying soon too!
The first egg was on the floor, the 2nd one was actually in a nest box...I feel so triumphant!!!
That's all for now.
Take care all,
jean
*tried to post this last night, but I guess it didn't work, so everything is now a day later, gah

 

[jvls1942]

good morning,
I am in here taking a break.
I took the tractor, again, and lined up real straight between the cement forms.
I had a few inches of wiggle room.
I went as slow as the tractor would idle, and made one push through to the other end.
lots of stopping and adjusting the pitch of the bucket.
success !! i am within a half inch of being to the proper depth.
I raked the whole area smooth.
next I will make a gage and get it raked exactly to the correct depth.

I have to take some up to date pictures of the pups..
they are at about the peak of cuteness right now. soon they will hit the awkward stage when their legs will look too long for their bodies. (teenage phase)..

No, I don't have anybody lined up to help with pouring the concrete.
If I have to do it one batch per day, it will get done.. LOL

I have a good mixer. trouble with having one, it sits sometimes for years between jobs..
I suppose I could rent it out, but then it comes back with bits of concrete stuck to it.
then the next time more bits. and before you know it it is caked with concrete.
I hose it off between every; or every other batch.

.jiminwisc/////

 

[chikenscratch]

Jim - Congrats on getting the lean to down. I know that has been on your to-do list for a while.

bl4-sorry the house hunt has been problematic for you all.

Went on vacation and have returned to a weedy mess. I've got tomatoes and peppers ready, but haven't checked much else. The mosquitoes are horrible here and I can barely get out the door before having to run back in!

Here is a picture of a dog, now spoiled by grandpa! This was taken by our son last night after I had crashed from cleaning the house.