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rachels.haven
Herd Master
More campines.
rachels.haven's Journal
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rachels.haven
Herd Master
Well, mold season in the horse barn has officially begun. Time to clean everything and defend self with disinfectant.
I'm looking forward to the medicated feed being gone so I can evict the doelings from the stall and not just during the day like I have been doing.
Garden has failed. Plants are too stunted from lack of nitrogen and not worth weeding. Even the weeds were sort of slow. Oh well. Part of me wonders if our property was originally part of the sod farm down the street. I know it was probably also a tobacco farm at one point. Double oh well. I may put in raised beds with goat manure here and there from here on out.
I'm looking forward to the medicated feed being gone so I can evict the doelings from the stall and not just during the day like I have been doing.
Garden has failed. Plants are too stunted from lack of nitrogen and not worth weeding. Even the weeds were sort of slow. Oh well. Part of me wonders if our property was originally part of the sod farm down the street. I know it was probably also a tobacco farm at one point. Double oh well. I may put in raised beds with goat manure here and there from here on out.
SageHill
Herd Master
I had a similar problem in my raised beds. You mention goat manure - which I'm guessing will be great for it. In my case the sheep were picky about the alfalfa I gave them so I shredded what they didn't eat and put about 1/2 a bushel in each 4x4 garden box. It made a HUGE difference, I also gave a lot away and everyone else had great results.
After a few years of this I'm noticing that the sheep are picky in a seasonal way - not 365 days a year. Strange - only in the late winter and early spring. Works for me.
After a few years of this I'm noticing that the sheep are picky in a seasonal way - not 365 days a year. Strange - only in the late winter and early spring. Works for me.
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- #5,944
rachels.haven
Herd Master
Sigh. Last night after I cleaned the co-op Mark respectfully asked me to please get rid of this batch of chicks. They chatter, fly around the cage, fight, and squawk at each other LOUDLY all night long and have been keeping us up from across the house. We had fourty something chicks in the house in the same cage including a good number of campines (from MN) and they didn't make half the noise this batch of pullets from Iowa does. They're louder than my commercial leghorns were. So I obliged and put them in the chicken coop I'd just cleaned (it's hot now and they'll be the wildest, most flyin'est things in there so they should be fine and hopefully less crazy) and listed them. Mark also kind of sheepishly suggested I look at which breeds I wound up with are winter layers and maybe focus on what we need as a household. Gotcha. I did a stupid. Time to rework things.
Baymule
Herd Master
How many eggs does your family require? When we lived in town I had a coop in the backyard. I got 6 red sex links. They started laying in the fall. Next spring I got 6 black sex links, they started laying in the fall. The red ones molted and quit laying. No problem, we still had eggs. Next spring, third spring) I bought a white breed chicks, they started laying in the fall. The black sec links molted and quit laying. The red sex links, the first spring chicks, molted too and quit laying.
So now I had the first and second batch molting. I butchered the first batch, on their second molt, they would slow way down on laying, but still eat as much. The second batch would go back to laying after their first molt.
So each spring I added 6 chicks of a different color, each fall I butchered the oldest batch. This kept me in eggs year around.
So now I had the first and second batch molting. I butchered the first batch, on their second molt, they would slow way down on laying, but still eat as much. The second batch would go back to laying after their first molt.
So each spring I added 6 chicks of a different color, each fall I butchered the oldest batch. This kept me in eggs year around.
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- #5,946
rachels.haven
Herd Master
Based on before 4-8 Australorps, leghorns, or red stars would cover us...if the boys eat the same as a year ago. I'll make sure to watch those breeds and look for an opportunity to add that many to whatever we have when its a bit cooler.
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- #5,947
rachels.haven
Herd Master
Well poo. Nope, i do not recommend McMurray's Iowa origin campines (actual hatchery's location). They are isolating themselves in the corner with food and water and scalping eachother as they fight and squabble now. I would not have believed it if i had not seen them doing it in the house. We are one chick down, another has a head completely scalped. If this keeps up i may just euthanize them. I've never seen anything like it.
The older chicks are ignoring the drama and are not aggressive, sort of avoiding the crazy.
If it ever stops raining its time for me to net fence the coop, make it hot, and put a chicken door on the coop wall and let the bigs come and go.
Here's a pretty pic of the MN origin McMurray campines. I really like looking at them. Reminds me of...leghorns, lol. And they love looking at people back. They're super friendly and they help the shier bantams be bolder. (I'm not taking pics of the crazy chicks in the crazy corner, i feel like a failure there)
It's hot now so I've been slowly grim reapering through the extra cockerels to keep things lower stress in the coop. The two d'uccle males, even though they're a little mean are going to be sad soup next. So cute! So bite you, but so cute! I'm planning on leaving the cochins for now. They're not mean and are also too cute .
Getting bit or mini-flogged really helps get them in the pot. 
Such is summer.
The older chicks are ignoring the drama and are not aggressive, sort of avoiding the crazy.
If it ever stops raining its time for me to net fence the coop, make it hot, and put a chicken door on the coop wall and let the bigs come and go.
Here's a pretty pic of the MN origin McMurray campines. I really like looking at them. Reminds me of...leghorns, lol. And they love looking at people back. They're super friendly and they help the shier bantams be bolder. (I'm not taking pics of the crazy chicks in the crazy corner, i feel like a failure there)
It's hot now so I've been slowly grim reapering through the extra cockerels to keep things lower stress in the coop. The two d'uccle males, even though they're a little mean are going to be sad soup next. So cute! So bite you, but so cute! I'm planning on leaving the cochins for now. They're not mean and are also too cute .
Getting bit or mini-flogged really helps get them in the pot. Such is summer.
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- #5,948
rachels.haven
Herd Master
Watch, i would not be surprised at all if all the second batch if campines wind up being male "pullets" or grow up looking like game bird crosses (and also male!).
Mini Horses
Herd Master
Does this mean your reducing numbers by 1 or 2 at a time, as chicken is on the menu? 
Sound like "back in the day"..... Go get me an old hen paw, company is coming for dinner
Sound like "back in the day"..... Go get me an old hen paw, company is coming for dinner
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- #5,950
rachels.haven
Herd Master
Yep, my daddy taught me right! I did four this morning. We have 6ish extras left.Does this mean your reducing numbers by 1 or 2 at a time, as chicken is on the menu?
Sound like "back in the day"..... Go get me an old hen paw, company is coming for dinner
