The Productive Backyard - 2015

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Nancy
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Re: The Productive Backyard - January to June, 2015

Postby Nancy » Wed Apr 01, 2015 10:09 am

Hens are kicking back into production 14 eggs yesterday. 2 were thin shelled I wae able to use one cooked in with grain for them. Made deviled eggs from our I own eggs too this week.

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Re: The Productive Backyard - January to June, 2015

Postby Harriet » Fri Apr 03, 2015 12:18 pm

BookSaver, I hope there is a good hatch of strong biddies so that maybe next year, if she is so inclined, she will have another generation to bring. I'm sure that makes memories for the children.

Nancy, it must just be the frustration of having the bottle in the nest - the tip I'd read suggested hens would be spooked by a shiny bottle like a plastic soda bottle with label. But I think it has to do more with whether they can easily kick it aside or not, and the bottle I used last time probably just rolled back into place or was heavy enough. A lightweight can is just too easy, so whoosh, across the henhouse. :lol: Not a surprise when I watch them scratching in the grass - they are strong girls. Whoosh, whoosh, scratching through anything around them, grass flying.

I don't know why thin shells happen, but we do get one every once in a while. Makes no particular sense that it's the diet - all the other shells are thick.

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Nancy
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Re: The Productive Backyard - January to June, 2015

Postby Nancy » Fri Apr 03, 2015 1:02 pm

I think when hen restart laying thin shells happen or they might be picky eaters.

H brought home dryed peas & lentals and chick peas from work someone left thinking they would be a treat for the hens he hurries out to feed and said they are spoiled the split peas are still on the ground this morning. The ones I soaked a bit are gone :roll: might be cooking pea soup soon!
Last edited by Nancy on Wed Jul 15, 2015 11:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: »-(¯`v´¯)-» Pet Show 2015 »-(¯`v´¯)-»

Postby Harmony » Mon Jul 06, 2015 11:39 pm

I spent some time working in the vegetable garden this afternoon. I have decided and convinced DH to cut its size by 2/3. At least. DH has decided to resod the bare spots in the lawn as it is taking too long for any seed to grow. I want him to resod the place where the garden used to be so I had to get that ready as he said today he's going to start that work tomorrow.

I got all the old dead plants out first. Then I went back out and got all the weeds out. Then I moved the row of green pepper plants moved over and replanted. It's all that's alive in the garden right now.

Plan is to shovel all that dirt out in the part I'm not going to use any more and use that dirt in places where the dirt has washed away and curbing has settled, sagged, and/or split. Then reset the curbing.

It was very very hot hard work for me. I used to be able to do this stuff and not feel like this...but I can't any more and that's why I'm cutting it back.

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Re: »-(¯`v´¯)-» Pet Show 2015 »-(¯`v´¯)-»

Postby Harmony » Wed Jul 08, 2015 8:51 am

We are knee-deep is a mountain of outside work right now. I don't have time for anything else...

We are shoveling dirt out of the raised garden and putting where the foundation plants are since that level is down... and sheesh what a big job it all is. We are cutting out the plastic from underneath and have to change the board border. DH got a sod cutter and cut out the places in the yard we are resodding and helper has been raking those places clean.

Yesterday besides all this we laid new sod, a big heaped up truck load full and this morning DH went out and got another truckload. We think we will need 1 more before we are done. Just an awful lot of hard work going on and I am grateful to have helper here...but I am also helping with it all because the labor charge for all this is mounting. Hopefully we'll never have to do this again!

Today's work is finished. We put down 4 pallets of grass, which is 2 big trucks full stacked all the way up past the top. DH gets up in truck and puts the grass pieces down onto tailgate where we grab them and "plant". The vegetable garden is pretty much done, with a new border board and the extra dirt all shoveled out. This is not the pretty thin rolls you see on HG TV programs. This is big thick heavy pieces, the way sod is done in the south. We reset some of the curbing which was sagging and cracking. There's still a ton to do, probably 1 whole truck load of sod to finish. I did start to water, but stopped when it appeared we were going to get rain. We only got a spit, so I'll have to put the sprinklers on tomorrow for sure.

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Re: The Productive Backyard - January to June, 2015

Postby Harmony » Thu Jul 09, 2015 10:40 pm

Well it appears I've been posting in the pet thread instead of the backyard one. Egads. Sorry, gals.

Anyway, all the grass is done now. Another big truckload planted. Then DH rented one of those roller tractors, which looks like a Zamboni with 2 big rollers instead of wheels. After all the watering and some rain, the roller made everything much smoother. I am glad it is done. We're still growing grass seed and that should be ready to cut in a couple weeks. I'm sure the neighbors will be glad to see that!

I'm very pleased with the new size of the vegetable garden. I still have room to plant quite a bit of stuff but it won't be so overwhelming now. And the lawn tractor can get around it better, with more room between it and the side of the house. It was the right thing to do.

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Re: The Productive Backyard - 2015

Postby BookSaver » Fri Jul 10, 2015 11:06 pm

Since this thread isn't particularly long yet, I have edited the main title to include all of 2015.
Carry On.
8-)

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Nancy
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Re: The Productive Backyard - 2015

Postby Nancy » Wed Jul 15, 2015 11:26 pm

Planted a winter garden and only one bean sprouted!

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Re: The Productive Backyard - 2015

Postby Twins' Mom » Thu Jul 16, 2015 9:27 am

My backyard is only marginally productive. We just picked our second squash of the season. Last Sat a.m. I picked a couple of small peppers and gave first squash and peppers to the couple next door, since we were nomads until we checked into the time share on Sunday morning. Yesterday got several tomatoes, but all but one had blossom end rot or other issues. I do have some cherry tomatoes coming along that s/b okay. Has not been a good year for my little garden, between all the rain early and then the heat.

Ah, but basil is going great!
Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better [wo]man. Ben Franklin

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Nancy
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Re: The Productive Backyard - 2015

Postby Nancy » Thu Jul 23, 2015 8:58 pm

Broody hen is hatching chicks this week 3 so far!


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