The Productive Back Yard July - Dec. 2012

A place to share garden and outdoor spaces plans and activities.
User avatar
Nancy
Member
Posts: 23441
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:52 pm
Location: Washington state in the Pacific Northwestern part of the USA.
Contact:

Re: The Productive Back Yard July - Dec. 2012

Postby Nancy » Sun Sep 02, 2012 9:39 am

Went for a walk w/ dgd and got a rake for cleaning out the chicken run.

I talked to the gal that I've been watching chickens grow and she is changing breeds and has a hen and her young just getting feathers I can buy! Yea they will be my bday chicks! They lay the really dark eggs called Morans the hen i and mystery roo for the father. Escapees have been causing havoc in neighbor's gardens but forage well they have a incubator also and eggs for us to try to hatch out when ever h. get the run done. The chicks are just getting feathers and have learned how to forage! :idea: They also have an incubator for me!

Yesterday we got the next box frame redone and it's ready for the siding. I'm thinking of what kind of box to slide in and out maybe cardboard. Dgson said he could come by after school to collect the eggs at least once a week or every other day or so!

He helped me move ladders and the younger two helped to pick Italian plums. We got a bucket full they are really nice this year.

Yesterday I realized how great the playhouse will be for young chicks later one with the split doors and for views from outside!

This chicken venture seems to have a life of it's own dgson is going to do a poultry project this year now I just learned and :idea: he's going to keep a hen here!

User avatar
Nancy
Member
Posts: 23441
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:52 pm
Location: Washington state in the Pacific Northwestern part of the USA.
Contact:

Re: The Productive Back Yard July - Dec. 2012

Postby Nancy » Tue Sep 04, 2012 9:10 am

Been laboring all weekend on the hen pen and it's still not done had to go get a doz. more 2" x 4"s h. finally agreed his plan is over kill. I'm SO ready to be done with building this!

I was gardening and redid a planter h. put the dirt around the patio Got had to get a doz. more 2'x4's today. Hen pen is still not done. We have a couple walls ready for the netting aka chicken wire. Doors still to make and two more nest boxes. [I'm having 2nd thoughts as in what was I thinking wanting chickens for my bday!] I thought we could have a chicken coop raising party well that did not happen.

I think I did not get enough water today. Speaking of water I watered the back yard and garden areas next to the fence. Around the patio want to get this going! H. said I could to get this going after all! :mrgreen:
Seed n feed will go on in the spring. But might need to wait on at least some as we will be working by the patio so that part might need to wait.

[One good thing about working outside all weekend on the hen pen I'm more than ready to do some inside stuff now!] On the bright side we sure are enjoying the patio when we need a rest break!

I took out a planter we redid the support for the vines & roses over it glad to have the dirt to fill in around the patio. That is the next project getting the cooking work space support built h. wants a cupboard under it so there is not end in sight for building projects outside!

Q. what's the bad thing about growing a very big squash? You can't lift it to take it to the fair! LOL!
Last edited by Nancy on Tue Sep 04, 2012 4:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Harriet
Moderator
Posts: 16504
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:48 am
Location: The Carolinas

Re: The Productive Back Yard July - Dec. 2012

Postby Harriet » Tue Sep 04, 2012 3:04 pm

Nancy, that's great you will have one more and a very good reason to keep her with yours. I wish someone around us would offer one more to us through the cold months. Friend whose son was going to give his up never got back to us. Cousin I asked didn't seem to realize I was serious. I didn't mind paying for these last ones - certainly the lady deserved to be paid for her trouble in rearing them - it was the trip so far to go get them that made it tough.

I would love to plant some pansies this fall. It will take some time I probably don't have, though. One problem is that the large bed I'd like to include them in has an azalea at one end that has just grown so much (it's beautiful) that the root system has traveled all through the bed. If I dig in to cut the roots back, I'm afraid I'll lose the azalea, which was planted by my late husband.

User avatar
Nancy
Member
Posts: 23441
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:52 pm
Location: Washington state in the Pacific Northwestern part of the USA.
Contact:

Re: The Productive Back Yard July - Dec. 2012

Postby Nancy » Wed Sep 05, 2012 9:54 am

The library called my book was in "A chicken in every yard" By Robert & Hannah Litt and we found one for dgd too Franklin's thanksgiving.
I could not find the book thread so just putting these in here.

That chicken book has great info. and I learned a lot just browsing through it. Like how much to feed them! And I learned what "scratch" was! I did not know home grown eggs had 1/3 -1/2 as much cholesterol in them! I knew they would be better for you but not that much better yea!

User avatar
Nancy
Member
Posts: 23441
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:52 pm
Location: Washington state in the Pacific Northwestern part of the USA.
Contact:

Re: The Productive Back Yard July - Dec. 2012

Postby Nancy » Thu Sep 06, 2012 10:03 am

We got some progress on the nest boxes the back door is on it, next is the front facing final boards on the nest box then the back wall studs go up;
and drum roll please finally the netting aka chicken wire. Sigh and oh yes the doors they will be split. Two more nest boxes under the current one this will take a while --- I'm not very patient and actually was discourage at how long this was taking yesterday thinking I may have to wait until spring to get chicks. I hope that is not the case time will tell.
:idea:
Over the weekend cleaned out a half whiskey burrell planter and hosed it out moved it yesterday and have put in some grass leaves that will be for hens to scratch and peck at hoping they like it!

Learning a lot from the book how to handle chicks after they have settled in, that they can fly after the first week! :shock: And about fed. Now I'm doing a bit of research about breeds some are too aggressive to have around kids the roos anyway.

User avatar
Nancy
Member
Posts: 23441
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:52 pm
Location: Washington state in the Pacific Northwestern part of the USA.
Contact:

Re: The Productive Back Yard July - Dec. 2012

Postby Nancy » Fri Sep 07, 2012 10:28 am

Hen pen update; Nest box for four is complete, we just have to do the one for two underneath it now. I learn paint needs to be applied hey this is not what I signed up for I just wanted to collect eggs and feed chickens! LOL!

User avatar
Nancy
Member
Posts: 23441
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:52 pm
Location: Washington state in the Pacific Northwestern part of the USA.
Contact:

Re: The Productive Back Yard July - Dec. 2012

Postby Nancy » Sat Sep 08, 2012 12:10 am

Got a chicken coop tour of the ones up the road that had hen & chicks on the loose and they do not come in to the roost at night as they were raised in the other location before the new coup was build, they are roosting 30' up in the tree. So getting that batch is out. Did not look like she had eggs to share yet, and doesn't look like I'll be getting the incubator any time soon. Oh well trying not to be discouraged by this.

Another person beat me out on some in our area on Craig's list, feed store is out and only doing special orders. So the elusive hunt is on. I learned quite a bit today talking with that gal so that helps. Another squash or striped pumpkin is getting more orange and looking great!

Don't give up! There must be a reason.

Apples are about done falling from the tree.
Plums need to be done up.

User avatar
Nancy
Member
Posts: 23441
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:52 pm
Location: Washington state in the Pacific Northwestern part of the USA.
Contact:

Re: The Productive Back Yard July - Dec. 2012

Postby Nancy » Sun Sep 09, 2012 3:58 pm

Tired of waiting! So guess what drum roll ''''\\\{_}///'''
@ Church I got fertile eggs that had not been in the fridge for hatching I came home put a nail up and hung the heat lamp put straw and eggs in a basket so they are in hoping for chicks in 3 weeks give or take a day or two! Such a blessing! :mrgreen:
So welcome to my hatch diary! LOL!
:idea:
The guy at church worship leader said you don't need an incubator just a box straw and a light so I had all that! I've not hatched any before.

I called the guy that is in charge of chickens at the farm where the eggs came from and they are leghorn mostly! Yea! Just what I wanted a hint of brown in these eggs mostly lt. biege. One white one full size chickens.

Mystery leghorn mix from local farm eggs I got at church today! He did say something about having banty hens. So might
have some of those in the mix, dgson will do good with a banty hen I think smaller and easier to handle for 4-h at the fair.
I need to get starter food next time I'm down town.

Eggs are under the light in the big shop hoping to be a chick mama in apx. three weeks.

Called the gal that had the ones that laid green eggs but she was not at home. Sent off a mess. to the gal that has barred rock about eggs to hatch no response.

User avatar
Nancy
Member
Posts: 23441
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:52 pm
Location: Washington state in the Pacific Northwestern part of the USA.
Contact:

Re: The Productive Back Yard July - Dec. 2012

Postby Nancy » Tue Sep 11, 2012 6:19 pm

Called feed store for info. and to get a list going.
Got some starter chick feed today
plus a couple of thermometers.
It's exciting & exhausting h. thinks I should check 'em in the middle of the night now too. :roll: I don't think so!
Called found a couple of folks with a hen in 2 of the breeds I want.

User avatar
Harriet
Moderator
Posts: 16504
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:48 am
Location: The Carolinas

Re: The Productive Back Yard July - Dec. 2012

Postby Harriet » Wed Sep 12, 2012 5:43 pm

Nancy, your posts remind me to keep checking craigslist here in case any pullets come up for sale. So far, not this autumn. There are odd breeds I already know I don't want, like game hens or feather-legged. There are bantams, which I would fear are not hardy enough, or hen/rooster pairs only. I found one today that made sense except at the end of the ad it explained that you had to take their three ducks, too. LOL. I don't want to get into that.


Return to “Outdoor Spaces and Gardens”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests

cron