Month: April 2015

mites on the chicken

The Ameraucana has been less energetic lately.  Though she eats with relish there is little determination and if even a junior hen approaches her bowl she moves away.  Therefore she eats separately from the others.  She has been looking bedraggled and this morning she was in the nest box though she no longer lays eggs nor was she being pestered by the rooster. Time for an epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) bath. But why so many brown flecks of dust in the water?  Or I assumed they were Read more [...]

what to do with surplus eggs

Spring is production season and my hens are producing 6-7 eggs a day.  Although there are 10 hens, 2 are retired (Gimpie and Ameracauna) and 2 are matrons (Onyx and Lady MacBeth) so the main producers are the 6 offspring. My running group certainly enjoy the free range eggs with deep orange colored yolks, as do my neighbors who watch out for me when I am elsewhere.  But we had 5 dozen extra and this morning we tripped to CARES (Community Assistance Resources and Emergency Services) a local charitable Read more [...]

Bose Wave Radio/CD – quick repair

In July 2014 a power surge incapacitated a bunch of electronic equipment - see my tale of 2 destroyed desktops.    One of the affected items was our Bose Wave Radio - a small package with good sound, for which Bose is well known. I stored the radio in the basement until I was ready to work on it.  Caution - if you are not competent working with electricity, leave well alone.  I was prepared for the worst - having to test and replace defective components but was hoping for the best - a Read more [...]

2 simple lessons learned – garlic and the chicken coop

I first planted garlic in fall 2010 - 4 varieties 1) organic California Early White – softneck ($4.99 lb); 2) Elephant garlic – very mild like a leek ($4.99 lb);  3) organic Music Garlic – hardneck  ($12,99 lb.) – the only reason I bought this more expensive variety is because my family is into music; 4) organic Dujansky  – hardneck ($9.99 lb).   They grew well, I harvested them and each fall I planted out the cloves for the next year's harvest.  In fall 2014 I must have planted out Read more [...]

the beautiful and the ugly

This time of year we have at our feeder the residents (northern red cardinal, blue jay, mourning dove, chipping sparrow, indigo bunting, tufted titmouse, and our state bird the brown thrasher which has as many calls as a mockingbird) and the visitors (dark eyed junko, white breasted sparrow).  And this year a striking new visitor - the rose breasted grosbeak. I count the grosbeak and buntings among the beautiful. Next to the chicken coop is a mulberry I planted some 4 years ago and, tho Read more [...]

new gable fan for coop – problems and savings

With temperature in north Georgia back in the 80's it was time to summerize the coop.  On the south and west facing sides I atttached the pre-cut tarp pieces from prior years, silver side facing the sun to reflect heat away from the building.  Then I plugged in the cord to the gable fan - and there was no response.  I examined the cord from the power socket to the thermostat and noticed that the white (neutral) line had been chewed by rats (now why didn't they chew on the positive line?).   Read more [...]

spring activity and some lessons learned

The garden is beginning to respond to spring.  Interestingly my diary (postings on this website) indicate activity is about 2 weeks behind where it was in 2012 - see my post on March 26, 2012 where growing was further advanced.  Attributable of course to the unusually cold periods in February and March. Last year I cultivated a strip between my apple trees for corn.  Not very successful but in the fall I seeded with turnip and clover and winter pea and it is thriving now. I am learning Read more [...]

the Takeuchi bobcat saga (part 3)

Caution - this is a long tale and will only be of interest to those who have similarly suffered from malfunctioning engines! In my November 25 post I described how I replaced the starter and that the bobcat started fine but then would not switch off.  Sporadically during the subsequent months I tried diagnosing the problem but it was only with the return of spring and serious bobcat chores awaiting, that I focused on the issue.   The immediate bobcat task was turning and consolidating  my Read more [...]