Thursday was such a long day with doc appointments and errands in town, so I didn't have time to care for my chicks properly or my soon-to-be-seedlings.
Chicks did fine. I had left plenty of food and water, and had put down fresh paper so they had a nice quiet day of growing and exploring without these human giants peeking at them.
The started peat pellets, however, didn't fare so well. I wasn't there to put the top on or move it off throughout the day, which they need at this point. And after my exhausting Thursday, I really didn't think about it until Friday morning.
So I checked them early Friday. Took off the tops. First thing I notice was the fuzz growing on the peat pellets. Oh, great, mold. Wonder if I need to re-start. Then I noticed green.... a couple of cucumber sprouts and some cabbage sprouts! What? Already! Woohoo! MOUTH IS WATERING!
I kept the tops off the containers and they are starting to look good. If I need to re-seed, I have plenty of time. No problem. Oh, and I also started some greens and radishes.
The chicks look great too! Today we'll re-band everyone, fix the brooder coop in the garage and move the bigger chicks there. Also need to pick up a load of hay. IF we have time, we'll get to work on the new coops for the adults but aren't gonna push it.
We're all tired!
Showing posts with label Garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Garden. Show all posts
Adding to our Farm Family
We really miss that fresh raw goat milk that we got used to so quickly. So, when a neighbor told us about another neighbor who was selling off her farm animals (her hubby is making her ... good grief!), we called her. Stopped by yesterday to took a look.
She has a black nubian goat who kidded in March and puts out 1/2 gallon of delicious creamy milk a day. Neighbor willing to share ownership with us for some of the milk. No problem. We're bringing her home this weekend.
She also has lots of chickens so we're bringing home 5 of them ( 2 buff orpington hens, 2 white plymouth rock hens, 1 delaware hen ) and putting them in with the goats. Or maybe 5 of our black australorps in with the goats and the new ones with the other 5 chicks. Hope having chickens in the goat pen will help keep the fly population down in there. Plus ... hmmm... more eggs!
We've had lots of rain lately so our garden is finally growing! I **have** to remember to take my camera out so I can brag because ... wow ... we have a cantaloupe vine that has suddenly decided it wants to reach across the world! Ok, that's an exaggeration, but still... it's finally started to grow.
Onions I had planted in with the potatoes have suddenly sprung up too. Beans all over the place. Yellow squash and zucchini. Tomatoes.
Yup. Gotta remember to take the camera with me this weekend as we do our chores.
Happy weekend, all.
She has a black nubian goat who kidded in March and puts out 1/2 gallon of delicious creamy milk a day. Neighbor willing to share ownership with us for some of the milk. No problem. We're bringing her home this weekend.
She also has lots of chickens so we're bringing home 5 of them ( 2 buff orpington hens, 2 white plymouth rock hens, 1 delaware hen ) and putting them in with the goats. Or maybe 5 of our black australorps in with the goats and the new ones with the other 5 chicks. Hope having chickens in the goat pen will help keep the fly population down in there. Plus ... hmmm... more eggs!
We've had lots of rain lately so our garden is finally growing! I **have** to remember to take my camera out so I can brag because ... wow ... we have a cantaloupe vine that has suddenly decided it wants to reach across the world! Ok, that's an exaggeration, but still... it's finally started to grow.
Onions I had planted in with the potatoes have suddenly sprung up too. Beans all over the place. Yellow squash and zucchini. Tomatoes.
Yup. Gotta remember to take the camera with me this weekend as we do our chores.
Happy weekend, all.
The Rain Came!
It's been scorching here ... high of 102 degrees F. the other day. Yesterday started off a little cool as a cold front blew in. Drizzled off and on all day, and last night I heard lots of downpour with bursts of lightening and drumming of thunder.
We had dug a new trench around the goat pen so it didn't flood real bad during the night. At first light, I saw them out and about, bleating for breakfast and jumping up on their spool-toy. Good. I'm glad. We do plan, however, to make more modifications to their house to give them more ventilation and less roof drips.
Sweet things.
We're letting the chicks out more often. At least every day, but not for long. They are little scaredy-chickens! Silly things dart back into their coop at the slightest perceived threat, even an airplane overhead! As for them AND the two adult chickens, it figures that we have the only vegetarian chickens on the planet. Not even ONE will go after the millions of grasshoppers we have jumping around here. Aw, come on!
Despite the grasshoppers, we're finally starting so see some growth in the garden. I've really got to take some pictures soon. Little yellow pear tomatoes bursting out of the yellow flowers. Squash blossoms. Onions stretching out from between the potatoes. Cantaloupe vining down the sides of the pool. This year has been a struggle, dealing with horrible soil (read: sand), the bugs, the rabbits, etc. ... but finally, things are turning around.
Hope hope hope we get enough food to put up for the winter.
How is YOUR garden doing?
We had dug a new trench around the goat pen so it didn't flood real bad during the night. At first light, I saw them out and about, bleating for breakfast and jumping up on their spool-toy. Good. I'm glad. We do plan, however, to make more modifications to their house to give them more ventilation and less roof drips.
Sweet things.
We're letting the chicks out more often. At least every day, but not for long. They are little scaredy-chickens! Silly things dart back into their coop at the slightest perceived threat, even an airplane overhead! As for them AND the two adult chickens, it figures that we have the only vegetarian chickens on the planet. Not even ONE will go after the millions of grasshoppers we have jumping around here. Aw, come on!
Despite the grasshoppers, we're finally starting so see some growth in the garden. I've really got to take some pictures soon. Little yellow pear tomatoes bursting out of the yellow flowers. Squash blossoms. Onions stretching out from between the potatoes. Cantaloupe vining down the sides of the pool. This year has been a struggle, dealing with horrible soil (read: sand), the bugs, the rabbits, etc. ... but finally, things are turning around.
Hope hope hope we get enough food to put up for the winter.
How is YOUR garden doing?
Olla and other waterers
I read about olla waterers for gardens .... basically big clay pots that are buried where you want constant watering. Like a drip irrigation system. Only you need to keep filling up the clay pots.
Question 1: Is it possible to use the small (empty/clean) plastic gatorade bottles for this? Or maybe even 2-liter plastic soda bottles? Hubby drinks lots of the individual gatorade but not as much 2-liter sodas, and we don't buy gallon milk very often.
Question 2: In a 4x8 foot bed, how many bottles (assume 2-liter) would we need to "plant" in the center of the bed. Three?
Question 3: Would we need to replace them each year since plastic does (eventually) degrade?
Question 4: How big would we make the drip holes ... a pin prick? Maybe on all 4 sides?
Question 5: Shouldn't I keep the top screwed on so bugs can't get in, drown and clog up the drip holes?
Remember... I'm cheap! I don't want to spend $25 for a clay pot waterer!
= = = =
We still don't have the baby chicks. Supposedly today. We'll see. If they don't come in to the feed store, I might cancel if I can find them from somewhere else.
Yesterday (or was it the day before?), Hubby and I decided to hold off on getting more quail and a boyfriend for our angora bunny. We need to work with the chickens and goats and garden and so forth. We're still getting about 5 eggs a week from our pair of quail but still...
My hands still hurt. Started taking water pills yesterday just in case it's due to water retention but doesn't seem to help yet. Need to remember to pick up some arthritis med (OTC) before I get the chicks.
Finally finished my chocolate birthday cake and sent the plate with Hubby today to give back to his mom when he goes over this afternoon after work. I haven't done anything at all with my diet for months but I'm feeling worse so I'm gonna start back on it.
We're eating some greens from our indoor garden and they are very yummy! Sure wish the weather would cooperate so I can get the outdoor garden planted! Yesterday, before the snow, I broadcast some "green manure" over the area where we're gonna build the goat and chicken pens... hoping they will find their way to sprout from the snow-moisture and start growing for when the goats and chickens move to their new homes.
Need to remember to contact our new "handyman" ... he lives in this area. Need him to get started on building the chicken and goat pens in our dog run/backyard. Hope to move both goats and all chickens to those pens by Memorial Day. Need him to rototill the 3 areas where I'm planting (1) corn, beans, pumpkins/squash (3-sisters), (2) sunflowers, cucumbers, watermelon, and (3) amaranth. That's in the back. There's also a spot in the front that he needs to rototill for another 3-sisters patch.
= = = =
Please plant a nut or fruit tree today.
Question 1: Is it possible to use the small (empty/clean) plastic gatorade bottles for this? Or maybe even 2-liter plastic soda bottles? Hubby drinks lots of the individual gatorade but not as much 2-liter sodas, and we don't buy gallon milk very often.
Question 2: In a 4x8 foot bed, how many bottles (assume 2-liter) would we need to "plant" in the center of the bed. Three?
Question 3: Would we need to replace them each year since plastic does (eventually) degrade?
Question 4: How big would we make the drip holes ... a pin prick? Maybe on all 4 sides?
Question 5: Shouldn't I keep the top screwed on so bugs can't get in, drown and clog up the drip holes?
Remember... I'm cheap! I don't want to spend $25 for a clay pot waterer!
= = = =
We still don't have the baby chicks. Supposedly today. We'll see. If they don't come in to the feed store, I might cancel if I can find them from somewhere else.
Yesterday (or was it the day before?), Hubby and I decided to hold off on getting more quail and a boyfriend for our angora bunny. We need to work with the chickens and goats and garden and so forth. We're still getting about 5 eggs a week from our pair of quail but still...
My hands still hurt. Started taking water pills yesterday just in case it's due to water retention but doesn't seem to help yet. Need to remember to pick up some arthritis med (OTC) before I get the chicks.
Finally finished my chocolate birthday cake and sent the plate with Hubby today to give back to his mom when he goes over this afternoon after work. I haven't done anything at all with my diet for months but I'm feeling worse so I'm gonna start back on it.
We're eating some greens from our indoor garden and they are very yummy! Sure wish the weather would cooperate so I can get the outdoor garden planted! Yesterday, before the snow, I broadcast some "green manure" over the area where we're gonna build the goat and chicken pens... hoping they will find their way to sprout from the snow-moisture and start growing for when the goats and chickens move to their new homes.
Need to remember to contact our new "handyman" ... he lives in this area. Need him to get started on building the chicken and goat pens in our dog run/backyard. Hope to move both goats and all chickens to those pens by Memorial Day. Need him to rototill the 3 areas where I'm planting (1) corn, beans, pumpkins/squash (3-sisters), (2) sunflowers, cucumbers, watermelon, and (3) amaranth. That's in the back. There's also a spot in the front that he needs to rototill for another 3-sisters patch.
= = = =
Please plant a nut or fruit tree today.
Colorado Home and Garden Show 2010
Saturday was a busy day. We picked up mom-in-law, parked at a light-rail stop (kinda like our above-ground subway), and took the light-rail to the Colorado Convention Center. It's said if one walks the entire conventionl, it's a 3-mile trek. We came close.
We meandered through many of the booths, collecting information we'll need for house repairs and improvements: roofing, solar panels, wind turbines, decks, energy audits, sheds (we could use for barns - cheaper), and much more. I was disappointed that I didn't see any greenhouses - were there really none there? And sunrooms don't count!
There was a moment that I lost my family. We separated so I could listen to Michael Weishan from the Victory Garden PBS show give a talk about starting gardening. More about that in a minute. When it was over, I went to find my family. Up and down the aisles, past prodding exhibitors and throngs of people. Standing on tiptoes. Searching and searching. Then my phone beeps. Didn't hear it ring. It was my 13 yr old Kid who had gotten separated from Hubby and Mom-in-Law. Now I started to panic. I could barely understand his message so I grabbed someone with a nametag and had him listen. Just as he finished, the phone rang again. It was Hubby who had finally located his phone (was in his coat in the coat-check area). He found the Kid and were staying put until I found them.
I tell you... I cried. When my son was 6 years old, someone tried to steal him (I'm a fighter) and a year later, he wandered off in a bookstore. This time was just as frightening.
= = = =
I attended the Victory Garden talk because I wanted to ask him about the changes in the Victory Garden show. Very little discussion about edible landscaping, and lots of talking about decorative plants, etc. NOT what a Victory Garden was. Michael Weishan was nice and gave a good talk. Basically for a beginner so I just sat there, listened, and waited for my time. After the lecture, I approached him and asked him the question: how come the show, that's name after a specific way to garden to feed families during the war, has deviated from edible landscaping? He said: don't get me started. One of the reasons I left. Ooops. I don't think he wanted me to type that. That's ok. He said that he's starting a new PBS show, I think he called it "Garden Earth". Will deal mostly with edible landscaping.
Good.
He also said that there haven't been any more Victory Garden shows filmed in a while.
Double Good.
= = = =
Valentine's day: We didn't do much. I made finally a lasagna (since I won't be able to eat today), but didn't like it much because I forgot 3 key ingredients, and didn't add enough onions and garlic. What the hairy heck was wrong with me?
We watched a rented DVD: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It wasn't as good as the previous films, but then, the books had also gotten darker by this one. I was the only one who'd read all the books, so I had to keep shutting my mouth so I wouldn't give away who really died and who didn't. Who was good and who wasn't. Argh.
The Kid watched the cartoon movie of Watership Down which he felt was ok but a little violent. He wants to write his own book series but wants to be careful about what he includes so that he can get a good rating, like G or even PG.
Hubby and I, by the time we got done with the Harry Potter movie, had pretty much run out of time so we just swung over to the Outback and picked up appetizers and dessert. V-Day isn't such a big deal for us. It shouldn't be for people who should show their love and respect for each other daily. Heck... last year we went to Walmart, found special cards for each other, met in the middle of the section, exchanged, laughed, hugged, kissed, and returned them. Cheap but effective!
I gotta go get ready for my root canal. I probably won't blog again today because I KNOW I'll be in pain. I really hate going to the dentist, am prone to panic attacks, and, well, I have a very low threshhold for pain. Plus it takes a lot of numbing agent to numb me.
Help?
= = = =
UPDATE at 12:48 p.m. on Monday 12/15/10 - got to the endontist for the root canal, and after careful examination, new x-rays and a freezing-cold-on-the-tooth test, he declared that I DON'T need a root canal. I just have a crown (installed only 2 years ago) that had started to come off. The gooey-center of that tooth wasn't covered or protected at all so even simple swallowing was causing pain. I need it repaired. Still a painful procedure but... thank goodness! Now I need to track down the dentist that did the work 2 years ago, and get them to redo it. For free. THEY screwed up!
I'm so happy!
We meandered through many of the booths, collecting information we'll need for house repairs and improvements: roofing, solar panels, wind turbines, decks, energy audits, sheds (we could use for barns - cheaper), and much more. I was disappointed that I didn't see any greenhouses - were there really none there? And sunrooms don't count!
There was a moment that I lost my family. We separated so I could listen to Michael Weishan from the Victory Garden PBS show give a talk about starting gardening. More about that in a minute. When it was over, I went to find my family. Up and down the aisles, past prodding exhibitors and throngs of people. Standing on tiptoes. Searching and searching. Then my phone beeps. Didn't hear it ring. It was my 13 yr old Kid who had gotten separated from Hubby and Mom-in-Law. Now I started to panic. I could barely understand his message so I grabbed someone with a nametag and had him listen. Just as he finished, the phone rang again. It was Hubby who had finally located his phone (was in his coat in the coat-check area). He found the Kid and were staying put until I found them.
I tell you... I cried. When my son was 6 years old, someone tried to steal him (I'm a fighter) and a year later, he wandered off in a bookstore. This time was just as frightening.
= = = =
I attended the Victory Garden talk because I wanted to ask him about the changes in the Victory Garden show. Very little discussion about edible landscaping, and lots of talking about decorative plants, etc. NOT what a Victory Garden was. Michael Weishan was nice and gave a good talk. Basically for a beginner so I just sat there, listened, and waited for my time. After the lecture, I approached him and asked him the question: how come the show, that's name after a specific way to garden to feed families during the war, has deviated from edible landscaping? He said: don't get me started. One of the reasons I left. Ooops. I don't think he wanted me to type that. That's ok. He said that he's starting a new PBS show, I think he called it "Garden Earth". Will deal mostly with edible landscaping.
Good.
He also said that there haven't been any more Victory Garden shows filmed in a while.
Double Good.
= = = =
Valentine's day: We didn't do much. I made finally a lasagna (since I won't be able to eat today), but didn't like it much because I forgot 3 key ingredients, and didn't add enough onions and garlic. What the hairy heck was wrong with me?
We watched a rented DVD: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It wasn't as good as the previous films, but then, the books had also gotten darker by this one. I was the only one who'd read all the books, so I had to keep shutting my mouth so I wouldn't give away who really died and who didn't. Who was good and who wasn't. Argh.
The Kid watched the cartoon movie of Watership Down which he felt was ok but a little violent. He wants to write his own book series but wants to be careful about what he includes so that he can get a good rating, like G or even PG.
Hubby and I, by the time we got done with the Harry Potter movie, had pretty much run out of time so we just swung over to the Outback and picked up appetizers and dessert. V-Day isn't such a big deal for us. It shouldn't be for people who should show their love and respect for each other daily. Heck... last year we went to Walmart, found special cards for each other, met in the middle of the section, exchanged, laughed, hugged, kissed, and returned them. Cheap but effective!
I gotta go get ready for my root canal. I probably won't blog again today because I KNOW I'll be in pain. I really hate going to the dentist, am prone to panic attacks, and, well, I have a very low threshhold for pain. Plus it takes a lot of numbing agent to numb me.
Help?
= = = =
UPDATE at 12:48 p.m. on Monday 12/15/10 - got to the endontist for the root canal, and after careful examination, new x-rays and a freezing-cold-on-the-tooth test, he declared that I DON'T need a root canal. I just have a crown (installed only 2 years ago) that had started to come off. The gooey-center of that tooth wasn't covered or protected at all so even simple swallowing was causing pain. I need it repaired. Still a painful procedure but... thank goodness! Now I need to track down the dentist that did the work 2 years ago, and get them to redo it. For free. THEY screwed up!
I'm so happy!
Feeding Goats from the Farm
I did a lot of research over the past few days, and found that with the exception of giving purchased feed during milking time (a small amount once a day), the Nigerian Dwarf goats can do well on forage and what I grow in our little garden. So yesterday, I placed an order for some seeds at http://www.heirloomseeds.com/ for some of what I'll grow for them AND for us (and, well, for my father-in-law's holiday gift).
Buy as needed for the goaties:
-timothy and alfalfa hay
-goat feed
-worming medicine
-molasses for kidding does
Here's what we'll grow for our goaties:
Grow to Store:
-jack-b-little pumpkins
-sunflowers
-rutabagas
-turnips
-carrots
-apples
Grow in the Pasture:
-clovers (several dif kinds)
-soybeans
-fescue
-wheat
-rye
-timothy hay
-alfalfa
-bluegrass
Other:
I read that they love to strip bark, so next year, we'll collect Christmas trees after the holidays, and stack them up. One at a time we'll throw them into the pasture and let the goaties gobble them up. I understand maybe a toothpick will be left! We'll also let them into the corn-patch part of the garden after all the harvesting is done for the year... let them clean it up!
Note: we'll buy dairy-goat feed when we're ready, and yes, we'll research the brands. We will NOT buy sheep feed because it doesn't contain copper, and goats really need copper.
Another thing that I read is that jack-b-little pumpkins can keep for a really long time, and I certainly believe it. I still have one out on a bookshelf from **2** summers ago! It's just barely beginning to get a little bit soft. I also ordered seeds for turnips and rutabagas and carrots that store well for the winter. Considering the goats we'll be raising will be quite small, giving each a jack-b-little pumpkin a day, along with half an apple, a carrot or two, and alternating turnips and rutabagas... quite a healthy little meal! Then they get forage in our 2 small pastures... well, I think our goaties will be quite happy.
Don't you?
Buy as needed for the goaties:
-timothy and alfalfa hay
-goat feed
-worming medicine
-molasses for kidding does
Here's what we'll grow for our goaties:
Grow to Store:
-jack-b-little pumpkins
-sunflowers
-rutabagas
-turnips
-carrots
-apples
Grow in the Pasture:
-clovers (several dif kinds)
-soybeans
-fescue
-wheat
-rye
-timothy hay
-alfalfa
-bluegrass
Other:
I read that they love to strip bark, so next year, we'll collect Christmas trees after the holidays, and stack them up. One at a time we'll throw them into the pasture and let the goaties gobble them up. I understand maybe a toothpick will be left! We'll also let them into the corn-patch part of the garden after all the harvesting is done for the year... let them clean it up!
Note: we'll buy dairy-goat feed when we're ready, and yes, we'll research the brands. We will NOT buy sheep feed because it doesn't contain copper, and goats really need copper.
Another thing that I read is that jack-b-little pumpkins can keep for a really long time, and I certainly believe it. I still have one out on a bookshelf from **2** summers ago! It's just barely beginning to get a little bit soft. I also ordered seeds for turnips and rutabagas and carrots that store well for the winter. Considering the goats we'll be raising will be quite small, giving each a jack-b-little pumpkin a day, along with half an apple, a carrot or two, and alternating turnips and rutabagas... quite a healthy little meal! Then they get forage in our 2 small pastures... well, I think our goaties will be quite happy.
Don't you?
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