Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[Daethen]

End of the school year is upon us. They are having a pet parade and MY daughter wants to take our silkie roo. So, I just got done making a chicken harness for her. Am I nuts????

 

[corewassen87]

I had you pegged for nuts long ago.....

 

[brentonc]

End of the school year is upon us.  They are having a pet parade and MY daughter wants to take our silkie roo.  So, I just got done making a chicken harness for her.  Am I nuts????

ok I think that requires pictures!

 

[brentonc]

Serious question - what age do you all put your broilers out in the chicken tractor overnight at this time of year? Searches of the forums are all over the place. It's going to be in the 40s and 50s overnight the next several nights. Thanks in advance for your experience...

 

[Celtic Chick]

Serious question - what age do you all put your broilers out in the chicken tractor overnight at this time of year? Searches of the forums are all over the place. It's going to be in the 40s and 50s overnight the next several nights. Thanks in advance for your experience...

I imagine the answers are all over the place because the weather is all over the place this time of year? Plus the temps differ in different regions. Last year I put my chicks out as soon as they were pretty well feathered out. I think they might have had a bit of downy feathers on their heads maybe? Anyway, it was lows in the 40s & 50s and they were in an uninsulated coop. They huddled in a ball on the floor at night nestled in the thick layer of wood chips. They never peeped like they were distressed or acted like they were cold. I am not sure if it makes a difference but these weren't broilers.

I suggest you check on them a few times the first evening & watch how they react.

I agree with Babylady that it sounds like a weasel attack.

@Cindlady many hugs to you. Stay strong. We miss you & are grateful for the update.

 

[jvls1942]

there is no formula for this. You have to learn how to recognize when your chicks are uncomfortable.

put your chicks out when they are fully feathered and look like miniature chickens and no longer look like chicks.
they are at the "ugly" stage of growing up. .

I do mine differently that most.
I do not use a tractor, I have a brooder hood that I put on the floor of the coop. I leave the door to the chicken yard open. the chicks can choose when they want to go outside.
when some of them jump up on the roosts at night, I turn off the heat.
I can't tell you what age they are because I usually have so many different ages at a time.
but at 4 weeks, I would guess they are ready fo go. providing the nights don't take a drastic dip in temps.

;like CC said, watch the weather.

 

[corewassen87]

So I'm finally getting to do some work in the asparagus patch. I've cut a couple times so far but it's very over grown. Could I still (tonite or tomorrow) now it really short and cover it in straw to help eliminate weeds or am I best off to wait til next spring now.

 

[jvls1942]

So I'm finally getting to do some work in the asparagus patch. I've cut a couple times so far but it's very over grown. Could I still (tonite or tomorrow) now it really short and cover it in straw to help eliminate weeds or am I best off to wait til next spring now.

Corey, I used to mow mine each time I harvested the asparagus.

You could put some good decomposed mulch on it.

one thing that you will run into is bent asparagus tips.
this is caused by running them over or stepping on them while you are mowing. by "them" I mean the tips that are just poking up and you don't see them.
this doesn't harm them much, it just makes them look bad.

after the harvest is done for the summer. and the asparagus is growing into shrubs., give the ground around the shrubs a good raking, take it down to bare ground and then do some deep mulching ..

Or wait until fall after the shrubs dry up. then mow it, rake the heII out of it and fertilize and mulch it.

OR.

at this time you could even take the rototiller set very shallow and work up the top inch of soil real good. then rake the weeds out and mulch it.

I used to have a nice 50 foot row of it, but the black walnut trees killed it off ..

then I started a new patch, but the raspberries over took them,,

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

 

[bigzio]

Here are some pictures-





These are some Morels that I picked and my Buckeye rooster.
~Bigz

 

[mophead]

Mmmm, morel omelet.