Bobby Reynolds

Mike Jay wrote:I was just checking out the YouTubes for dehullers and saw this video.  It made me smile to see how hand built it was.  Some comments suggest the results are fake so I'm not sure it works.  But it very well might.  And the ingenuity in building it made me chuckle.  Take it for what it's worth:

That's awesome! Thank you for posting!

Matt Armstrong wrote:What about sunflower seeds?

I'm afraid I don't have any update to offer. Our season went bonkers last year as we started selling produce and crafts at market. I'm up to my eyeballs in planning the upcoming season.

Even thought I'm not on permies much these days I haven't forgotten about it! When I DO have information worth reporting I will!

Mike Jay wrote:My wild rice dehuller didn't work as nicely as I hoped.  But on the good side, I have a wild ricing buddy now who wants to help build a better dehuller.  So maybe we'll get something made one of these days.  I have three chicken food bags full of parched rice just waiting to be dehulled.....

Awesome! I'd love to hear how it goes!

Andrew Mayflower wrote:The 2 dead chickens were close to if not over 3lbs.  Wife witnessed it killing one of the chickens.  She saw 2 presumably Ravens working together.

Ah, three pounds is bigger pullet/cockerel territory. Yes, they could be easy targets for either crows or ravens. I though you were talking 6-8 lb birds.

Again, netting is the only solution I've found effective. Perhaps others will have different suggestions? Good luck!

From the reading I've done I think the only reason the fermenting (sometimes called "wet processing") of tomato seeds is not REQUIRED but suggested as it simulates the natural path of propagation. If a tomato falls on the ground in the summer of fall, it rots on  the surface of the ground before the seeds contact the soil to germinate in the next spring.

The fermentation simulates this rotting of the fruit. So it certainly can't hurt. But is it strictly required to achieve high germination rates? Only experimentation can can say  

Andrew Mayflower wrote:Lost at least 2 meat chickens to crow (or raven) attack.  Might have lost 1-2 more, can't tell yet.  Getting some netting figured out.  But what else do you all recommend?

Assuming carcasses are not salvageable.  One was definitely too torn up.  Other is marginal but not thinking it's worth the risk.

Sorry to hear of your loss. I've never heard of crows going after adult chickens. Ravens could definitely kill chickens, but they (like so many other things) are opportunists and go after the easiest targets. We have a couple living just across the road from us in a woodlot, but they've never been a threat. However we NEVER leave the hens unattended. If they are they are locked in their run/garden which is protected by both rigid roof and aviary netting.

Using a good aviary netting over the run/chicken area is the only way to dissuade aerial predators in my experience. Again sorry to hear. Good luck

r ranson wrote:

Bobby Reynolds wrote:

Is there a way for me to tweak what alerts show up there? I'd love to have new post alerts on all of my bookmarked/watched threads. But I have not found any way of doing this.

It's on the wishlist of new features.

Perfect - Thank you very much!

I noticed the Permies Forums added an "Alerts" icon in the upper right some weeks ago.

Is there a way for me to tweak what alerts show up there? I'd love to have new post alerts on all of my bookmarked/watched threads. But I have not found any way of doing this.

Does anyone know if that can be done?

Thanks very much!

Coffee residues are very high in nitrogen. Excellent for composting! You'll know you have "too much" when your compost pile starts wafting out ammonia; otherwise you're good to go. If you do get ammonia coming off, you'll want to add carbon material at that point if you want to keep adding coffee grounds