Bee's Guest House

[Farmfresh]

I always raise my turkeys and replacement pullets in the Spring and then order my meaties in late July or in August. That way I really don't have to provide much heat for brooding, they can go outside sooner and it is nice and cool when they are big and fat.

I have raised a batch in the dead of winter before as well. Brooding was hard and they took a long time to get feathered enough for outside but once out the tolerate cold very very well.

 

[Beekissed]

I'm thinking that would cut down on the smell also, wouldn't it, Farm?

I will tell you this...as soon as my meaties were gone from my coop, the smell disappeared! I was intent on cleaning out the old bedding this evening and starting with fresh due to the smell but found, when I entered the coop, that the flies and the smell was just gone. Weird.

So..I will be leaving my bedding in place but will be adding some fresh and spreading it out more evenly and will monitor the smell factor.

Now, I've let the chicks and broody out for the first time today...what a rodeo!

We are in a serious drought here and haven't had rain since I don't know when. My entire garden is a brown, crispy mess, as is all the grass. It actually crunches when you walk upon it...

The next few days it is supposed to reach in the 100s and no rain in sight. Looks like I won't be able to put anything in the cellar at all this year unless I travel to where they irrigate and buy straight from the commercial farms.

I can't even bear to look at the garden now, as it makes my heart ache.

 

[Woodland Woman]

Thank you so much for posting these pictures and your experience processing your meaties. I have always wanted to try doing it myself but it is one of those things where you need to see someone do it first. Unfortunately I just don't know anyone who does it. So I am really looking forward to seeing the rest of your pictures.

Hey! Long time no see! I have many pics of the internal organs and such to download when I have the time. I took them to include in my book as I figured folks would like to know what they are looking at when they get in there.

Woodland, if you would like to read about the whole experience, I have a thread on BYC about letting my broody raise my meaties where I have documented the experience. I will be finishing that saga as soon as I download these last pics there and describe each one.

I will definitely go look for that thread!

 

[lorihadams]

Everything's crispy here too, Bee. I'm almost glad I didn't get to put in a garden this year cause it would have just been a waste. Yesterday it got up to 104.

 

[Beekissed]

Its very sad...I drive around the countryside and see brown fields and spindly corn that is dark green and rolled to a point. Grain and hay prices are going to soar to the skies here.....

I have started watering my one garden plot with a sprinkler after the sun goes down and it looks like it has helped a little. I don't know how much latitude this well has in dry times so I'm trying to be careful.

We are supposed to get rain in the next few days but it won't be enough to recover the grasses and crops, I'm thinking. We are in a serious drought here and its the worst I've seen in my lifetime this early in the year.

I have started to feed hay.

Thank God that I found some really good first cut square bales for $1.50 ea. and I don't know why he was selling it so cheaply as it is very good and green and the sheep are loving it. I think that was God watching over me right along...I've never seen good hay that cheap around here and surely not in a drought year.

I have been praying for rain.

 

[justusnak]

Bee, Im so sorry about your garden. For me, it was lack of care. I have replanted the green beans, and hopeing for the best. Peas will go in late July. For us here its too much rain, and heat. Everything is green alright, a nice moldy green. I just bought hay for the goats....$3.00 a bale, and its NOT the best I have seen, but they aren't picky. We just got dumped on with rain here....I wish I could send it to ya!

 

[Farmfresh]

Wish I could mail you a bit of rain.

Ended up losing my nectarine crop. Well part loss and part let it go. The fruits were tiny, and just molding on the tree. I probably COULD have salvaged some of it but I was too depressed to sift through the goo. :/

 

[TanksHill]

Sorry about the garden Bee.. I know how frustrating lack of rain can be. I think the weather is just off this year. The jet stream has shifted. Not in a good way.

I hope you get some rain soon.

g

 

[Old Sew'n'Sew]

Hi Sis,

It is bad here too. I only grow in pots and stuff and we are carrying water from the spring but the heat is taking a toll.

We are just above 3,000 ft. here so we are about 10 degrees less than below, here it is now in the 90's for days, but this is highly abnormal for our area. I don't even own air conditioning because we never needed it before.

We usually get too much precipitation year round. Our snowfall last winter was almost 300 inches. Now this opposite! It is alarming to say the least.

Try this, I go to thrift store or yard sale and get some white sheer curtain panels or nylon netting and tie them like a tent over the garden rows in the hottest part of the day, so as to bring the temperature down around the plants without filtering too much of the sun, and also sprinkle at night.

I have put some over my red lettuce and it does not wilt down as much during the day.

(The good news is I have'nt seen any of the slugs that usually overrun my yard every summer.)

 

[Farmfresh]

That shade cloth is a great idea!