On the home front, our two-year old hens have been molting and egg production has gone right down the tubes. (Unfortunately, not the egg tubes.) I don't remember when I've had such a pitifully small back log of eggs in the refridge. But, joy-oh-joy (and surprise), our new chicks who we hadn't counted on starting to lay until December, presented us with our first two pullet eggs last Thursday. (Precocious little birds, they be.) Only one more pullet egg since then, but I'm hoping they will really kick into production soon.
I can hardly believe it, but I'm still harvesting green peppers from the garden. About half of the bell peppers look great on the outside, but when cut open they have a great deal of mold in the center. I haven't found this to be true in any of the Sweet Italian Pepper variety.
I don't have my Halloween decorations out and in place yet. (Call the Seasonal Decoration Police!) Running a little behind schedule this year, it seems. If all goes well, I think I can get it done today yet.
Our day time temperatures are remaining warmer than usual, and we've yet to have a killing frost. Every extra day we can get for this year's apple crop to mature is a very good thing and much appreciated.
We have two chickens that have been put on my Black List. They've been escaping nearly every single day from the poultry pasture to scratch around in the garden. This time of year it didn't initially seem like a terrible, awful, bad thing, and I kind of ignored them . . . until we discovered they were scratching in the potato hills enough to uncover potatoes and leave them lying exposed to the sun. Nope, can't tolerate that. I'm hoping we've got the escapees contained now.
We're still putting off harvesting our root crops because the temp in the root cellar, which we checked this morning, is only down to 52°-55°. We need to find a way to incorporate more thermal mass in there which will hold the cold better. (Another little item added to The List.)
This has been a catch-up, organizational day for both me and Papa Pea.
Remember that every day is a fresh start, a new beginning. So gather all your vim and vigor and hit tomorrow running with a smile and determination to do what needs to be done!
16 comments:
I think maybe your new pullet layers have jinxed mine. I should have had eggs for 2 weeks now but dry as a bone. I sold my 3 yr old layers in anticipation. Good thing I kept enough in fridge for our use while waiting.
It's always fun to hear what you've been up to. Glad you incorporated some fun with your brother and his wife into your busy work schedule. No killing frost here yet either. Hooray.
xo, Rosemary
Lisa - Don't cha hate that in-between period when older animals (including birds, too) have "stopped" before the younger ones "start?" If our new girls start laying like gangbusters, I'll send you a couple dozen. ;o}
Thanks for your always kind words, Rosemary! Hard to believe that in a month it would be possible to have s-n-o-w, isn't it? (Shhhhh . . . )
feather everywhere here major moult time, I wish they would all take turn about, we are down to 2-3 eggs a day, youngster no yet come into lay, I have put them a light in the coop to see if it will bring them on with the days shortening
Your last paragraph gave me a much needed boost ..... "to start the day fresh......" I have been doing this for the last few days, and been very pleased with what I have achieved during the day, but today, instead of getting up at six am and hitting the day at a running gallop, I went back to bed. Oh dear. I shall be fighting off slothfulness all day! Not to worry, I shall remember your words and try again tomorrow to hit the day at a running gallop!
You could keep those runaway hens contained in a stew pot.............
;)
We are in an egg drought, too. Molting continues, making the inside of the coop look like there was a pillow fight! We've had our killing frost so that's it for the garden. It's always good to interject fun into all your hard work!
Interesting about the peppers. I have never had that before.
So far, our two- year- olds are still laying enough that I can share every couple of weeks.
I liked that last paragraph.
Ive been having chicken problems, having to house some in a greenhouse! I'm still harvesting chillI peppers but never grow many sweet ones as they don't ripen that well here (or at least not for me ).
Dawn - And, my goodness, the days really are shortening, aren't they? It seems we're shutting the birds up for the night so, so much earlier. The change of seasons . . .
Vera - I love your "running gallop!" Not so easy to do some mornings . . . ;o}
Sue - If the birds only knew just how many of them are going into the stew pot soon! :o/
Susan - We had temps in the low 50s again this morning! Doesn't Mother Nature know it's mid-October?? Also lots of rain which is keeping me from doing what I could do as far as putting the garden to bed. Rats.
Glenda - No, I've never seen it with the peppers before either. But, then, we usually have a frost earlier that takes out the whole plant.
Tell your hens they're doing good. Sure wish ours were.
I really do think it's mind over matter that keeps us all going. If we can just keep the ol' mind strong enough . . . ;o}
Kev - If any of our chickens got to spend the day in a nice sunny greenhouse, I'm sure they'd love it! Lots of gray days and rain here lately. Fall weather, I suppose.
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