Abigail Vera

So we are prettty laissez faire when it comes to our animals but I just wormed our chickens after seeing live worms in their poop (roundworms I believe). We also did our dogs and cats for good measure. We also decided to worm our pig we're raising for meat. We used a conventional wormer ( wazine which is piperazine) and this morning our pigs poop was like spaghetti- tons of roundworms (ascarids for sure) up to 8 inches long. So clearly she had a load. I know the chickens have had worms before.


This is pretty hard for me. We don't have pastures so keep these animals on. And in our situation the chickens can't even free range (we are an unfenced lot near a lot of truck Traffic and we have a bird killer dog). I have already done my research into a more holistic way of keeping the worm load down which I would like to do but my real worry is for US.

Earlier in the year I had to treat my 2 year old son for ascarids. Again I did in conventionally - I was in a panic after finding a for inch worm in his diaper. Horrifying.

Are worms just a fact of life? Forbid our son from being barefoot ? Is it unsafe to allow him in the coop? He loves to collect eggs and play without shoes and just be a dirty boy but I don't wanna put him at unnecessary risk. But it seems like between the dogs and cats licking themslves and him... it's gonna be impossible to keep him totally parasite free around here. The dogs poop in the yard where he plays occasionally and although I remove it ascarids eggs can last up to 10 years in ideal conditions!!  I just get a little panicky thinking about it all. Plus I'm pregnant and I can even think about trying natural antihelticis lrobably until I'm done nursing (a couple years).

How do you reconcile these things? Hygiene? Dietary changes?

Small kitchen gardener in Southern California here and I have this problem big time especially fall/winter planting a where seedlings aren't growing as fast and our winter birds are in full force. I never learn and always kick myself for not doing something , anything! Today I got out an old roll of tulle fabric for decorating the church and my wedding and just laid it down in stripes where I have down some peas and lettuce. Not exactly a large scale method although obviously you can purchase row covers. This is just what I had on hand ... We'll see

I had an injured bird that died of heat stroke (in pretty sure) I dissected her to make sure there wasn't anything super funky and fed her to our hog. I don't know if this was a good decision. But the hog is perfectly fine and really enjoyed himself eating it, feathers and all.

Thanks Rebecca. It's a grafted variety. Early Elberta I believe. Had great fruit in the past so unknown it's possible. Thanks for your suggestions. We may try the fruit leather!

I am so disappointed: my peaches are ripening and beautiful and abundant. BUT they have no flavor, no peachy smell and a mushy texture. They are sweet but that is their only redeeming quality. They are even excessively fuzzy. Is that a thing? The tree was planted three years ago bareroot and the last two crops were obviously small but so much better flavor.
The tree has grown rapidly. It's huge and green with no apparent disease. It probably should have been pruned more heavily but I did prune it some. It is getting residual water from a leaky irrigation line (not mine we live on a ornamental tree nursery) and the occasional deep water from me. Soil seems moist - too moist? I fertilized in early spring with cow manure - could it have been too much? Not enough? Too little too late?
The winter was warm and the spring has been warm. The last few days have been a massive heat wave with temps over 100 degrees!

Any ideas what could cause this?

Broken hearted in Ventura, California

There is a company called Azure standard that ships groceries. Mostly bulk and dry but some refrigerated too depending on your area!

Daniel, is it possibly the canary island pine he was talking about. I heard once that is used as a water source