CntryBoy777 - The Lazy A** Acres Adventures

Oh man!!....I certainly don't miss those things. They will strip the paint right off the vehicle, too......if ya don't wash em off...and empty the washer fluid container very quickly....

Latestarter said:

Oh jeeze... I remember them too well from when I lived in FL. Not to mention the mess they make all over the front bumper, and grill work... I got to experience them again here just a short bit ago when I went to Shreveport. I went to HEB in Carthage on the way home. They thickened as I went south of I-20 to Carthage and diminished once I got back to I-20.They didn't seem to be much north of I-20 however, which is just fine with me! I still haven't cleaned the windshield... they weren't that thick, but they left their marks.

Click to expand...

I have found, that the stains they leave behind are somewhat corrosive to paint, especially on plastic bumper covers, mirror covers and other grill parts. The lovebug entrails should be removed as soon as you can.
For windshields, Mr. Clean Magic Erasers work pretty good to remove the stubborn 'remains'. (Don't rub too hard with the erasers..they are made from melamine fiber which is a mild abrasive.)

I don't miss lovebugs. Some friends that live in Livingston said they are really thick this year.

I thought about this for a bit, and since we all learn from other's experiences here, I decided to share my findings about the khaki hen....there are no pics to share, and I'm no anatomy expert....so, ya will get the "Country Explanation". We don't change the ducks tub water out but every other day....the day after I had found her I went to empty and refill their tub and on the other side of it I saw something that looked like an egg in a casing, so I investigated and it was a thin shelled egg in the egg-chute that had broke/torn off out of the duck....it appearred twisted on one end, so not sure if it was a kink in it or exactly what, but it wasn't an oversized egg and the thin shell had not broken and lacerated it. Knowing this I wish I had found her much sooner and we could have at least harvested her....but when rigors sets in I just bury them. I wasn't glad that she died, but am glad that it was an internal issue. We wouldn't have been able to save her if we had been standing there when it happened....but, we know it wasn't from something we did.....

Ahhhh, it only makes it a tiny easier when you know there was nothing to be done.

A while back on another "Thread" there was a discussion of different types of grass, but then the storm hit and I didn't feel it appropriate at that time to post this amongst the important turn that was made in keeping up with the storm, predications, changing conditions, and such....so, I have held this til now and I think it will give those affected something to get their mind off the persistent threats being faced at this point.
This certainly isn't all inclusive, but will give some identifying points to a few things that can be found in a pature here and in other similar areas. The first pic is of bahia grass seed head.... ...it has a very distinctive "V" to it and the blade is of a medium width. This one is of a dalis grass seed head.... ....this has the "Curb-Feeler" look to it and is what most may remember as the stem with the white at the end that many would chew on....I did...the blade is a little wider than bahia. When the seed head on both are matured the seeds will be the black specks that will line the heads and dangle with the wind. Dalis grass seed head can be problematic towards cattle during the late season if the seed head turns sticky....it will not out-right kill them, but will cause a condition that the effects of can....called "Staggers"....if affected they can recover from it, but must be penned and watched. Bahia can affect horses, tho not as familiar with the specifics of it. These conditions can be avoided if late season seed heads are monitored and controlled by cutting. This last pic is of chickweed.... ....it has a short medium width blade and has little white blooms that appear on it. It seems to grow in mats and when cut is very wet as it stores water in its stem....it is edible and is a natural diuretic....mainly used in salads, but it is such a low grower that it isn't usually eaten by much and will choke out the more desirable grasses for livestock. Again, I am not an expert but have been around these for most of my life and am just attempting to inform others of what I do know in what can be found or identified in a pasture....there will be more in the future shared. If any know of anything posted here as wrong...please let me know, because I want solid info passed on and would feel just awful if any harm came to another's animals because of my wrong info.....

My chickens eat the heck out of chickweed. I have it show up here in the early spring, chickens, horses and sheep all enjoy it. It's gone when the heat arrives. I've been digging Bahia sprigs on the side of the road and sprigging in my new "pasture". As far as I know, horses like it and mine have never had any adverse reaction to it. Bahia hay is brown and ugly, but they like it. My sheep snip off the seed heads first, then go back and actually eat the grass. I haven't found any Dallis grass here.

I also have crab grass and all my animals like it. It is hardy and it spreads. I am going to plant several different types of clovers and grasses to give a variety of plants for my animals.

I have that Dalis grass in my yard. It's a royal pain to cut, but the horses love it. Their favorite thing is for me to let them graze before I mow it down.
Their pasture has mostly bermuda type grass, short and low thick stuff. It's not chickweed. That and weeds. I don't know what these things are but I hate them. Big tall heavy stemmed weeds with big white globs of flowers. The goats like them, the horses won't touch them.

I also found the biggest mushroom I"ve ever seen in some of those weeds on a pile of horse manure. The head on it was bigger than my hand, like a giant portabello.

We have plenty of bermuda here too, but the goats don't eat very much of it, because they prefer the wider leaf grasses. They love the dalis grass and will eat the bahia, but would much rather be eating leaves and vines most of the time. I have a few patches of lespedeza that they really enjoy and being a natural dewormer really helps the parasite problems. I'm trying to get more to grow in their pen....I cut the plants with seeds at the pond and shake them around in their pen before offering it to them....

We did vet some work done today ahead of the rain....we tackled the duck pen today.....boy! was that some work...here it is before..... ..... ...this is the after.... ....Joyce went in and cleaned out most of the eggs and I uncovered a few more. Some were matted in with the hay, but we got a tote tub full of them.... ...I emptied it in the ditch and with the rain coming they'll get washed down. I'm certainly glad to get that out of the way and swear to ya that it will Not happen again.....