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Post by grey areas on May 15, 2020 14:44:49 GMT
I'm sad to say that the mushroom experiment flopped. Some type of brownish mold too over and I wasn't gonna eat those shrooms anyhoo, so just chucked it all. Sterilizing the coffee grounds is tougher than I expected. Even baking the next batch of spent grounds in my oven for an hour at 500 degrees didn't accomplish that goal. Still tinkering.... I'm using wood chips to speed aeration of my soil and give it a bit more body, as the straw was taking forever. I began digging from the pile of chips yesterday and was rather surprised to find that there was/is still about a foot of snow under the woodchips.
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Post by grey areas on May 15, 2020 14:53:28 GMT
ah yes, my poor bees. They all winterkilled over the winter. Between the smoke from all those early wildfires (Couldn't even tell if the sky was clear or cloudy most days, until around june) and then all the rain we got for the rest of the summer, the poor bees couldn't gather a tenth of the pollen they need to maintain a strong healthy hive. They were nothing but a disheartening mess to clean up once spring sprung.
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Post by hou on May 16, 2020 0:04:15 GMT
Howdy Grey!!! So good to see you posting; missed you sweetness. hugs ox' So sorry to hear about your bees. The one's at the preserve up in NY did not fair so well over the winter either. The one's that did make it through to spring, left with their queens :(
Im having eye surgery on the 3rd (right one has major issues, and a bad cataract), and the 17th (left has a simple cataract). Maybe I will see well enough to put in a garden next year. Stay safe my haiku Canadian.
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2020 21:31:21 GMT
Thanks for the update on the mushroom experiment Grey. Sorry it was a bust. The ads for the logs make it look so easy~
Would you try it again?
Unfortunate about your bees, too. Bummer. Sigh.
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Post by grey areas on May 20, 2020 1:19:23 GMT
Howdy gals, and I hope all is well in your little pieces of this big ole rock that we live on. With the mushroom experiment, I do plan to try and get it figured out, but I need to research methods of killing mold spores as they're everywhere, even the air we breathe. It sounds like maybe if I take the grounds and-bake, freeze, (then put into jars with filter lids) nuke, then bake again, I might be in business. Too busy with the real veggie garden for now though. ...and yeah, bit of a bummer with the bees, but I already have a new colony growing gangbusters. If the weather cooperates I should have 3 or 4 strong hives before winter, and maybe even finally get a bit more than just a wee sample of the local honey
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Post by grey areas on May 25, 2020 21:53:25 GMT
...another addition to the fold too that I never mentioned, but this is an apt thread. I got 26 peepers (baby chickens:) a week or so ago, and they're growing like crazy. Never lost a single one this time and they're due to become outside birdies by next week. (weather depending of course) I decided on a mix of breeds this time, and WHAT a MOTTLEY FLOCK!!! ..... and oinkers! Man they can eat and drink a lot for such little peepers. lol The bees will likely be getting spit into 2 hives tomorrow, depending again on the weather, and what things look like once I open up the hive and have a good close look at their progress thus far, but they seem busy enough that I predict quite positive results. Shrooms are on hold for a while yet as my garden takes an awful lot of my summer time, and I don't wanna be spread too thin
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2020 21:11:46 GMT
^^^ Not being a farm girl myself, I used to think 'a chicken is just a chicken'~ Then one day I saw a picture of an outrageous looking bird with big hairy spurs---WOW! Opened my eyes to the world of chickens in all their diverse glory! I was truly humbled. ;-)
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Post by hou on May 28, 2020 15:45:28 GMT
Our neighborhood farmer behind me had quite a few chickens. They love to visit and eat the buggies in my grass. I love the noise of life listening to his horses, rooster, and critters roaming around. He has quite a large spread, spanning through and across the road way down yonder behind us both. Its nice to visit and remember I have the freedom of few responsibilities. I miss fresh eggs, milk and meat though. Reminds me of visiting Greece / Europe as a kid and spending time with my cousins.
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Post by grey areas on May 29, 2020 18:00:17 GMT
All 26 of the wee peepers became big chickens yesterday, and got moved to the little coop and pen outside. I moved the heatlamp out there fro them and have it on for now, but next week they'll get weened from that dependency as well. They're usually just in rip'n'tear mode since moving to the great outdoors though.
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2020 21:54:08 GMT
Sounds like they grow pretty fast! Kind of like starting seedlings for the garden in the house. Start out so sweet and tiny, soon crowding a person out of house and home!
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2020 22:41:25 GMT
gray, I've always admired your pluck.
hou, have you made friends with the neighbor who's chickens roam in your yard? Maybe they'd sell you fresh eggs? Before this virus one of my friends that keeps chickens would occasionally bring me eggs. I miss fresh eggs too.
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Post by hou on May 31, 2020 13:55:49 GMT
His wife uses them every morning to feed those in their employ whom are in need of a meal :)
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2020 15:43:45 GMT
^^^ Not being a farm girl myself, I used to think 'a chicken is just a chicken'~ Then one day I saw a picture of an outrageous looking bird with big hairy spurs---WOW! Opened my eyes to the world of chickens in all their diverse glory! I was truly humbled. ;-) I used to work with a man at a dealership that had the most beautiful exotic chickens you ever saw.Amazingly beautiful.I had never seen chickens as anything but fried. A family about 2 doors down has unusual chickens that came and pecked at my grass seed, but havent seen them in a while. I found this handy for my dwarf apple and pear trees. Very informative.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2020 15:47:01 GMT
gray, I've always admired your pluck. hou, have you made friends with the neighbor who's chickens roam in your yard? Maybe they'd sell you fresh eggs? Before this virus one of my friends that keeps chickens would occasionally bring me eggs. I miss fresh eggs too. Dont make me want to raise chickens right now.
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Post by grey areas on Sept 24, 2020 14:09:07 GMT
Following the loss of my hens this summer, I got some replacement chicks, (22 of which vanished at the hands of thieves, if you can believe that) I had to buy store eggs for the first time in many years. I regularly kept an eye out for a few hens that were already laying to tide me over til the young'uns started laying in september ish. I came across a very good deal on some hens in july (albeit, from a commercial producer) and grabbed 30 birds for 50 bucks. Predictably, I have eggs everyplace now, and several happy neighbors, but need to trim the flock soon with winter looming. It'll be a notable chore, (though I just do minimum and mainly make ground chicken) and I'd wager I'll be sick of chicken burgers before spring.
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