Jay Angler

master steward
+ Follow
since Sep 12, 2012
Merit badge: bb list bbv list
Forum Moderator
Biography
I live on a small acreage near the ocean and amidst tall cedars, fir and other trees.
I'm a female "Jay" - just to avoid confusion.
For More
Pacific Wet Coast
Apples and Likes
Apples
Total received
In last 30 days
282
Forums and Threads

Recent posts by Jay Angler

Sooooo... The babies really don't like my average house temperature, but I was pretty sure they wouldn't.

Quite a few babies haven't made it, and, many of the ones that are alive, are sitting there, doing absolutely nothing.

The web did say that it could take 3 weeks for them to get the beginnings of their first true leaves (and spikes!) Two of the oldest ones are definitely doing so, and one slightly younger one is showing signs it's at least thinking about it. I will just have to be patient and keep watching them.

I also read that "yellow" dragon fruit is tastier than the large red ones. The red ones have stronger roots, and the yellow ones can be grafted to the red ones. So.... my wonderful DiL, bought me a yellow one and now I've got those seeds on the hot water heater to see if they will germinate. The yellow seeds are noticeably larger. I had found the red fruit quite bland, however, I'm not sure if the yellow one truly had more flavour, or just more sugar?

The experiment continues...
2 hours ago
Wisteria Goose Lays the First Egg of the Goose Reproductive Season

Last fall, we sadly lost a couple of our oldest geese to a racoon attack. It has left the rest of our goose family struggling a little. That's what makes today's first egg, so special. Wisty even laid it in a laying cube, so I was able to lock her in safely for the night, even though she was busy fretting over getting her nest *just* right.

Hopefully, our future will hold some healthy, fuzzy goslings in a couple of months!
3 hours ago
Have you considered making biochar? Yes, it's a form of burning, but the result is microbe hotels and carbon that will stay in your soil for a very long time.

This forum https://permies.com/f/190/biochar will show you a bunch of ways to make it and some of the pros and cons.  
23 hours ago
I've seen tomatoes like that, but not apples and I have 3 apple trees.
23 hours ago
... when the "baby pictures" your friends send to you, are of baby plants.
1 day ago
On a less serious note...

Middle C, E flat and G walk into a bar.

“Sorry,” the barman said. “We don’t serve minors.”
2 days ago
Middle C, E flat and G walk into a bar.

“Sorry,” the barman said. “We don’t serve minors.”
2 days ago
What do you call a raccoon with a lot of money?  

A cash panda!
2 days ago
You've come to the right place to find all sorts of suggestions!

First, I will agree with Jackson - find out what works well in your ecosystem. Here on permies, giving us your grow zone, your typical highs and lows, and general storm patterns, will help us give ideas that are applicable. That applies to breed of chicken too. There are some breeds I'd never raise on my Wet Coast Farm, that I *know* are recommended to people who face very cold temperatures (which we don't get.)

Second, I can't recommend enough that nest boxes and perches be removable for cleaning. It's a lot easier to give them a really good scrub if you can tip them this way and that, and then dry them in the sun to disinfect them. Definitely think cleaning while designing.

Third, you may have never seen _____ (insert predator name) on your farm before, but get chickens and they'll show up to check out how easy it is to break in. I'd never seen an owl, but when a friend of a friend gave us some starter chickens, the owl showed up the very next day. So please research local critters that are attracted to chickens, and build to protect your birds.

Forth, rats and mice will absolutely show up and get into any feed that's not protected. I hang my chicken feeders above my perches to make it harder - simple, cheap and amazingly effective. Extra feed is in a closed bucket inside a garbage can.

Fifth, quality housing is expensive. We no longer by "chicken wire". 1/2" Hardware cloth (the welded square stuff - different names in different ecosystems) will keep many more wild creatures out, but it's much more expensive. It's cheaper by the 50 Ft roll, and it takes a far amount if you find you need multiple secure runs. I am a great fan of upcycling, but only if the results will be safe.

Sixth, have a back-up plan for emergencies. People give us dog crates they no longer need, and they can be used to quarantine a sick or new bird for short periods, but not for very long. I try to always have at least a 4'x4' secure cube in case an injured bird needs recovery time.

Lastly, enjoy the journey. "Chicken TV" is a thing... For many permies, Chickens are "pets with benefits". They get you fresh air, exercise, and entertainment. They eat your weeds and bugs. And they give you awesome eggs and useful manure. Often they don't save you money, because Industrial eggs from chickens in huge barns are too cheap, but on a nutritional level, bug and weed eating chickens lay healthier eggs.
3 days ago