The Old Folks Home

[Cynthia12]

SCG, have you seen this yet? Was thinking you do bees? Maybe not. Interesting anyway.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I do bees, yes. I think this is a bad idea for a couple reasons... but the biggest one is there is NO WAY that you'd be able to siphon off honey from a hive without drawing 30,000 bees almost instantaneously to the flowing honey.

Not to mention how do you know the honey is capped inside and ready to go (otherwise if uncapped it has too much moisture content, isn't "real" honey and will spoil)? How do you not crush bees working?


Not to burst your bubble... it does look like a good idea up front and then you start to think about it...

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I do bees, yes. I think this is a bad idea for a couple reasons... but the biggest one is there is NO WAY that you'd be able to siphon off honey from a hive without drawing 30,000 bees almost instantaneously to the flowing honey.

Not to mention how do you know the honey is capped inside and ready to go (otherwise if uncapped it has too much moisture content, isn't "real" honey and will spoil)? How do you not crush bees working?


Not to burst your bubble... it does look like a good idea up front and then you start to think about it...

I'm not trying to be a jerk... but bees hardly ever finish up 100% of a frame...



These are what "real" honeybee frames look like (in the back, laying down after being harvested). You can see the frame isn't homogenous all the way through - they've been using these frames for pollen storage as well as honey. When I uncapped the honey I was careful to leave the pollen alone.



We did have a couple frames that were 100% capped pollen (as you can see BF here uncapping, above) but most of them looked like the other frames.

 

[Cynthia12]

Hey, I wondered. Sounded to good to be true. You know your stuff. Good job.

 

[chickadoodles]

I lost one duckling this morning, another is looking bad, and the rest seem okay.

I took them out of the brooder and put them on the ground outside the coop (as usual.) They made a bee-line for the spring (as usual) and began puddling (as usual.) About an hour later, I was cleaning out their brooder and noticed that they were back up near the coop (not usual.) I looked around for something that could have spooked them, but didn't see anything. They waddled back to the spring, so I went back to cleaning the brooder. Two of the ducks came back up toward the coop a second and I was watching them. One started looking up and weaving it's head from side to side. It got worse until it fell over and onto it's back. I picked it up and brought it into the coop and put it in the brooder. I gave it some vitamin drops (thinking it might be a "Stargazing" type deficiency and noticed a second one was acting off. I brought it in and gave it some drops, too. In the meantime, the first one appeared to seize and then slowly died. I got the others in and they started drinking immediately but not the one that was acting off. It just sits on it's butt with it's head straight up. I forced it to drink some water with a dropper and left it alone. I noticed that a couple of the others were staggery but not much.

I have no idea what happened. It looked like poisoning, but the spring comes out of the ground just 50 feet from where they were. We have not used anything like chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, etc., and I don't think anyone up hill from that spot has either, It is hundreds of acres of hunting land on that side.

I'm stumped. Anyone else have any ideas?

Oh Wisher I am so sorry. It does sound like poison somehow. Ducks are immune to most illnesses.

 

[vehve]

Wisher, I seem to remember reading something about ducks eating snails and that leading to health issues, don't remember what the reason was, but it's an idea at least.

 

[LindaB220]

Beer Can, this is one woman who didn't bounce back fast from a c-section was 38 and dumb enough to think when the stitches came out that it wouldn't hurt anymore.HA!!
Also thought with the baby out, I would be able to wear my regular clothes. HA HA!!

I came under attack by relatives, friends, strangers that 'why the heck did I need one?' My mother was tiny and had 3 kids and NO caesarian. Etcetera ......When a woman becomes pregnant she is fair game for every busy body on the planet who makes her their BUSINESS. I never managed to loose the 23 extra pounds and they seemed to attract more every year.

Maybe I had a twin in there and the doctor didn't notice. That's my story and I am sticking to it.

Exactly what my Mama said about my strapping daughter. But after 19 hrs of labor there comes a time to listen to the Dr and do it. Ignore the ignorant.

 

[LindaB220]

I think Wisher answered this... but Each State is much like its own country they follow a general set of guide lines and tweak as they feel is appropriate. There are Federal laws and State laws sometimes they counteract each other but most times they go together.

Thats why there is Highway patrol, Local Sherifs, City police and even police in a township... Then there are Federal Marshals and FBI or Federal Beaurau of Investigation. Even the Forest Rangers for Federal parks fall within this group because they are allowed to carry fire arms.

Then there is the Border Patrol and ICE (ICE's primary mission is to promote homeland security and public safety through the criminal and civil enforcement of federal laws governing border control, customs ...)

I go through a Border Patrol Check point every time I go to my house. they can arrest you for traffic violations, drugs and other stuff... but they will call the appropriate agency to haul you away for anything other being smuggled into the country. But thats California I dont know how it is in Arizona and Texas...

deb

The Wildlife and Fisheries fellows do the same here in La. Call the sheriffs office if out of the city limits or cops if in.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

My Dear Diva,

You need to check out Ben & Jerry's Hazed & Confused.

Chocolate and hazelnut ice cream with fudge chips and a hazelnut fudge core.


Yes. It has a nutella core.

That is all.

SCG

 

[Wisher1000]

The smaller duck that was acting strangely seems to be back to normal. I have not seen any more of the wobbling.

SCG - We do have Polk Weed (Polk Salad) but it is only about 6 or 7 inches tall just yet. I guess they could have eaten some, although I have never seen anything eat it other than southerners! Have you heard of ducks getting sick from it?

Bamadude - There is no algae of any colors that I have seen. It is a natural, wet weather spring that is filtered through and flows over sand. I would be surprised to find any algae. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

They have become accustomed to playing in the spring, and the goats drink from it. How would this group suggest I proceed? I am worried that it is something I am not seeing.