Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[ElaineS585]

Jim, how long ago did you try to grow pears? Maybe you had the wrong variety for the area you're in? They say pears grow in Minnesota so perhaps a different variety would be better? It might be worth a shot? See: http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/M1157.html

I got my pears from someone whose house is my way to the library. They had 2 trees in the front yard and it was making me crazy to drive past it and see all those pears going to waste - gazillions on the ground. I finally couldn't take it anymore and left them a note asking if they weren't going to pick them if I could pick some and in exchange I'd share my pear sauce with them. The guy called me back delighted with my offer. So I went and picked up a huge bag of windfalls (which ended up composted because I burned the batch!) and 2 grocery bags full off the trees. I'll be checking his trees out (and asking every year if they continue to go to waste) until my pear trees start bearing fruit... I hate seeing good food going to waste like that.

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
It WAS a long time ago.. the specs said that they were for this growing area.. I have planted and lost at least 40 pear, and apple trees here.. It was not always from the weather.. we had deer, mice, goats, rabbits.. they all love apple trees.. Now I am too old to wait too long for a new tree to mature.. last year I bought a plum tree, and it didn't even make it.. I have hundreds of trees on the yard that did grow, but I just don't have much luck with fruit trees.. there was not a tree on this place when we built our house.. It was a cow pasture..

 

[ElaineS585]

Quote:
Sorry to hear this, Jim, I can see why you don't want to try again! That's a whole lot of trees (and time & effort & $$) to lose repeatedly! We have a terrible time with rabbits particularly in winter and they love EVERYTHING -- they are the reason I didn't get very many raspberries this year. (Reminder to self - get that rabbit fencing in around the raspberries.) To stop the girdling of the trunks, I slit drain pipe up the side and cut off a piece long enough to go from an inch below the ground up to the first branch. I had no losses this year and was very pleased. Since we're in the city (with a conservation park across the street) we've only had deer in the front yard a few times and fortunately I was home and could chase them away... Glad to hear you had hundreds of trees that did grow -- that'll be part of your legacy!

 

[bigzio]

Beautiful morning everyone!!

First off... like usual can't remember but someone asked about nest boxes. The empty whole chicken cardboard boxes from Aldi's are the perfect size. That's what we are using and the price is right! FREE

Fill with favorite bedding and they work fine.

CC...the cranberry beans are heirloom variety of shell beans. Like pinto beans, etc. But they are red . Excellent for beans soup or baked beans.

Kris...Your daughter is so darling. You shoiuld send that picture to Backyard Poultry, for their photo contest. Ya never know her picture could get selected for the cover!!

TO...You aren't the only one that has weird dreams

(me suzie)!!!

With all the talk about pork, we took out loin chops for supper. Gonna wrap them with Nuskes bacon and grill them. YUM!

Going out now to finish digging the last 9 hills of potatoes. Yeah!!! Have a picture to post but will do that later. DD27 came up last night, so she uploaded it for me. I still have to learn how to do that. (me suzie) She'll have to write it down for me as my memory is going down the tubes.

Have another wonderful day!

Brent and Suzie

 

[Dr HaHa]

TO it can't be FT seeding feathers she needs them for her transformation.

Wouldn't that be a hoot if she showed up in a chicken costume next bash? I left my phone in the house while cutting the last of the shelves. Donny called and needed a qt of oil for his truck, he's hauling a couple of heifers to Stratford this morning. Told him he should have just come over the oil supply just got restocked.

Well got the the b'fast sausage cooked, burritos are in the Norge, and the shelves are getting stuff put on them. Already had to do a little rearanging. Put some boxes where the A/C is gonna go. Already seeing potential for more good stuff on them.

Good thing I made them sturdy! Jim think that wine would make a good pass around bottle at the bash! Grape/ blackberry sounds like one could get sick on it! But really excellent going down! But I'm sure there's a Enjoy in moderation label on it. What beautiful day! Back to work.....

 

[WIChookchick]

Quote:
WCC I'll have to meet up with Jim to get the Ameraucana's. The bantam lav split roos I have are cochins not orps.

Sure with the glass on our truck cap didn't shatter !!! I'm going to have to take the car down to Racine and put the chickens in the back seat!! I figure I would bring them to Madison with me on Friday unless I leave early enough on Thursday and meet up with you or TO on the interstate to drop off the birds. I still wanna meet up Friday to see your critters though.

Well, just got done with ham, tatoes and corn for supper, now time to tend to my silkies. Tomorrow another long day. My Aunt and Uncle want to meet up in Rhinelander for Lunch, 30 miles one way, then come back home, then go pick up chicken feed 45 miles in the opposite direction !!

I really didn't want to go to Rhinelander tomorrow, with the weather being so nice I'd like to just stay home but they are in their late 80's and he is 90, still drives. I hate to not go, you never know !
So Thursday and Friday I swear I'm staying home !!!! I'll have to disconnect my own car battery. With my memory these days I'll forget that I did it and won't be able to go anyplace !!!

Oh and I've got a new trend to start too. How about feathers sticking out of the bottom of your pants leg ???? Yes, I tucked some feathers in my pants again tonight !!!

Ok Jim, the reason I did it in the first place was after I pulled the whole rear end feathers off the guinea by accident I wanted to save the feathers but didn't want to break the quills or damage them by putting them in my pockets. Remember it was a huge huge hunk of feathers !!
And I had to start rounding up the guineas for the night so that is why I tucked them between my undies and my jeans !!! After all the running around chasing guineas I forgot about them and later that night found them everywhere !!!

Anyway tonight I saw some beautiful stripped feathers, pokadotted guinea feathers on the ground so I started picking them up. Then I decided to start picking up apples on the ground to give to the chickens. Well didn't know what to do with the feathers again so in the pants they went. Being very careful to put them on the outside of my undies and inside my jeans.
So I'm picking up apples and as I was walking I see a beautiful feather that I thought was stuck to my shoe !!! I bend down to get it and it wasn't on my shoe, it was sticking out of my pant leg !!!

Wondered how it got there until another one appeared. Kinda like those plastic bag dispensers that you make where you shove the plastic bags in the top and pull them out the bottom !!!

Well, now I guess I am a walking feather dispensor !!!

Reminds me of a girl I worked with. We were sitting at our desks and I looked over at her and saw something sticking out of her pant leg. Luckily for her it was just a sock and not her dirty laundry !!!

Chased Guineas around all night AGAIN, those white ones I got from Jim I think are the instigators !

Caught a few with the big fish net, a couple of others gently by their legs while they were roosting. Carried 5 at a time in the net !! AhhhHHH ! Guess you can call me the Guinea Whisperer !! I gave them all a kiss and a talkn to before I threw them into Camper #3 !!!

ETA After I dispensed the feathers out my pant leg I decided to shove them in my bra, they ought to stay there !!!

OMG FT You are hilarious!!

Now if you can do that with chicken feed you can do away with feeders!!!... And I am guessing you don't wear bikini briefs if you can stuff that many guineas and feathers down your pants... I can just see you with you rpants pulled up to near your bosom.. with tape on your glasses and saying "Did I do that??" in an Urkle voice!!

So You may be bringing more than one chicken down with you for me.. I am gonna have a word with Jim about his Ameracaunas.. and I would take a lav split of any breed of chicken!!

Quote:
Jim... how much money should I send with FT for more than 1 of the Ameracuanas?? How about 2 or 3?? PLS!! I need colored eggs...
Let me know.

I am off to do laundry.. yippee?!
Carol

 

[FrenchToast]

Quick Afternoon all,

Didn't have time to read all of the posts yet. I was downstairs tending to my silkies til 6am. Doing laundry at the same time. The last load we put in the dryer yesterday and when I went down at 2am (yeah I know) the dryer was still on !!!

Could have started a

Anyway speaking of lavenders !!!!

A lavender split silkie hatched from my lavender silkie roo and I think the buff hen. He is also in with two black silkies. The baby is adorable. Nice dark skin, and chipmunk coloring !!! No vaulted skull, sure hope it is a hen !!!!

Well, got a splitting headache, since I didn't get to bed til 7am and now have to rush to town and meet up with Aunt & Uncle. Then to town to get feed. And as long as I'm in town have other errands to do !!

Sure hope I can stay awake during the show Revenge tonight. It's a great show. Anybody watch?

WCC Yep I'll bring you some split (at least that is what they say they are) to lavender bantam cochin roos !!

Later

ps Jim I might want hen or two also, pretty please !!! I'll no doubt have to get hay before I down so I can get them then ok?

 

[Hens and Roos]

okay for those of you who process birds, what do you use to wrap them in or bag so you can freeze them and prevent freezer burn?

 

[Brooster's_mom]

Hens and Roos,
We put ours in the Seal-a-Meal bags (the one's that go with the vacuum sealer thingees) then put that bag into gallon-size Ziploc freezer bags. So far, so good. No problems as of yet. Good luck!

 

[Terri O]

Good fabulous afternoon! It is 84 here

My BFF and I went to the dog park before lunch. Had a nice walk and then went to that Mexican place and ate out on their patio...so beautiful! I am waiting for the towels to get washed so can hang the outside. I am so stuffed from lunch and can hardly move...

Took some mealworms out to the birdies...I had a catastrophe in my colony. Looks like the zucchini I gave them last week molded so I fed all the worms there were, about 30 only and redistributed the beetles to make more...I hope it works!

Here s one of the Blues saying, "what do you mean you are out?"

I agree with you Jim; these birds are awful slow! I still dont have any eggs from them either. All I can say is that they better be as good of layers as my other Ameracauna! 6 eggs a week from her!

Look what else I saw this morning...

I almost dropped my teeth! (granny used to say that) This is that hen from yesterday, I think when I first saw her only two must have been down and then I assumed when I found the one in the hay rack that it was the last chick so I just popped it under her without looking...she must have had the rest jump down before I discovered the nest! Tricky girl! THis s the Mom that hatched Turk's baby. I looked back in my pics and that was her second bunch. What I really like about this hen is that most of her babies are girls! At least that is how it is this year. Is it like people that the male decides gender or is it the opposite in chickens? I think I knew once...

Well I have to make some pizza crust and get those apples done and into pie crust! I am going to try one GF crust...the rest will go into the freezer as regular pie for the fam. I know what you mean about seeing fruit just lying about Elaine. THose people need geese! Well, then you wouldnt get any pears so maybe not? I picked up all my apples on Blackhawk Island in Fort. I got them there for 3 years now. Not a thing wrong with them except for a bit of bruising from falling! I cant believe that a tree that gets no care whatsoever makes such good wormless apples! Must be one of the really hardy old trees...I live in fear of the day that the county decides to take down the house and bulldozes the tree right along with it! It will be a sad day for me...
Have a great night! Terri O

(PS) caught it before I sent it this time...H&R, I have used paper and then plastic, still got freezerburn; freezer bags and foil, same result; now I use my vacu-sealer and am very happy with it! The bags are pricey but the food stays very well! I have an old one if you would like to try it out sometime. I bet the kids would get a kick out of it!