Fugly Farm

[igorsMistress]

Do you plan to replace him with a "not jerk"?

I’m going to give him a chance. He’s a beautiful boy and I’d like to keep him. Hubs put him in his place over the weekend.

2 of the girls went over the wall to the front yard. After we captured them I put them back in their yard and he was really mad at me. You would think he’d be grateful!

 

[janiedoe]

I’m going to give him a chance. He’s a beautiful boy and I’d like to keep him. Hubs put him in his place over the weekend.

2 of the girls went over the wall to the front yard. After we captured them I put them back in their yard and he was really mad at me. You would think he’d be grateful!

Uh, no I wouldn't think he'd be grateful. Rooster experience tells me otherwise. Picking up hens is the one thing my roosters get upset with me over.
I have a broody hen who thinks I'm trying to murder a chick every time I "rescue" a lost one. She is a real Kathy Bates.

 

[igorsMistress]

Uh, no I wouldn't think he'd be grateful. Rooster experience tells me otherwise. Picking up hens is the one thing my roosters get upset with me over.
I have a broody hen who thinks I'm trying to murder a chick every time I "rescue" a lost one. She is a real Kathy Bates.

I have been there with a broody before. Perfect analogy.

I know the roos really don’t dig having the ladies touched, and I’m quite happy to respect that. He’s just so over the top. The girls aren’t laying yet, their combs are relatively small and light pink, but he’s all about being in charge. The thing that’s most likely to earn him a trip to the cook pot is that I’ve seen him be a real jerk to one particular girl. Not a lot, but a couple times that I’ve seen.

 

[janiedoe]

I have been there with a broody before. Perfect analogy.

I know the roos really don’t dig having the ladies touched, and I’m quite happy to respect that. He’s just so over the top. The girls aren’t laying yet, their combs are relatively small and light pink, but he’s all about being in charge. The thing that’s most likely to earn him a trip to the cook pot is that I’ve seen him be a real jerk to one particular girl. Not a lot, but a couple times that I’ve seen.

That's a no-no around here too. I want mine to be good to the girls. Of course, my little man (only 8 lbs) is not good with the females, but he is so people friendly that I've let him become a yard rooster. I'm such a sucker for the roosters.

 

[igorsMistress]

Today is day two with the feeder and no supplemental food except the wet mash tonight. I definitely see a reduction in the feed bin, but there are NO PIGEONS in the yard.

 

[springvalley123]

Today is day two with the feeder and no supplemental food except the wet mash tonight. I definitely see a reduction in the feed bin, but there are NO PIGEONS in the yard.

NO Pigeons! That's GREAT!

 

[igorsMistress]

NO Pigeons! That's GREAT!

You have no idea! This thing is going to save me some serious bucks.

 

[Shadrach]

I have been there with a broody before. Perfect analogy.

I know the roos really don’t dig having the ladies touched, and I’m quite happy to respect that. He’s just so over the top. The girls aren’t laying yet, their combs are relatively small and light pink, but he’s all about being in charge. The thing that’s most likely to earn him a trip to the cook pot is that I’ve seen him be a real jerk to one particular girl. Not a lot, but a couple times that I’ve seen.

He'll grow up hopefully.

 

[igorsMistress]

The chickens have definitely figured out the feeder, I can see the food level dropping on an almost daily basis. They seem to be getting used to the evening routine. I went to feed them some wet mash and fresh water and they were already in the coop. I’ve been sprinkling a little hemp seed into their mash the last couple of days.

Hubs put together a new storage cabinet for me yesterday, consolidating two into one, making the old available for other things. I finally got a bunch of stuff organized and went through the pantry, but still have more to do in the kitchen. I’ve also picked out the permanent location for a couple of platforms for my solar cookers. My plan is to use them exclusively from July 1 through September 30 for all of our cooking needs. Unless we have storms or clouds.

I found some tree ring soaker hoses so may get a couple of those. The long hoses are good for things like the shade garden, but the rings would work better around a few shrubs and the fruit trees. Also easier to manage.

Since we aren’t building a run, putting up rain gutters and a few barrels are my next major project.

 

[igorsMistress]

Garden update. This morning I cleaned out the shade garden and moved a grow bag with EWO to a new spot as the hibiscus isn’t happy with all the water. The herbs are a few years old and struggling so those are next. I moved my small lilac to a pot and put it in there as it has been struggling in full sun. I found it was infested with ants below the surface so I put out baits, but I’m going to have to move the compost pile, it’s definitely too close to the garden. Ordered a ring style soaker for the trees and shrubs so I can use the soakers I have in the gardens rather than shrubs. The shade garden will get a rest until next year.

The fruit trees are doing better, I think I was over watering. The lemon tree has so many lemons on it that its limbs are touching the ground, that’ll get a trim as soon as the lemons are picked. The Vitex are both blooming, the Arabian Lilacs are doing very well and the olive tree is happy. Lemongrass is starting to get thicker blades but I have to keep the wee fur baby away from it or she eats it. The sugarcane are growing like weeds and the grass in the dogs yard has almost completely filled in.

Flock update. The rooster crows too much so he may have to go. He’s mean to humans and a jerk to the girls. I’m wondering if a couple more pullets might help with the mean part, I may talk to my son about taking a couple of his recent hatchlings. My girls have bigger combs that are starting to darken so I’ll be setting up the nest boxes and putting out the oyster shell this weekend. We’re excited for fresh eggs, store bought doesn’t cut it.