Good Morning!

[Killerbunny]

Glad to see you back Bobbi!

[Bobbi]

Thanks KB!!!!! Nice to be back!

[Blizblaz]

I have heard of the slinky thing. I’ll have to try that. I just wish they didn’t have to chew through every feeder to get the one seed they can’t reach!

[Epona]

First signs that spring just might make it. Ivory out looking for his shadow LOL....and some brave bulbs! Come on spring....I’ll whine later when the mud hits.

[Killerbunny]

Well after 3 days of an occasional red winged blackbird coming through a large flock has arrived and it really sounds like spring!

[Brebis]

Read this morning, curious...funny, I’ve found my brown egg layers to be quite laid back, but then mine have a pretty good life relative to production hens!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/short ... e_btn_link

[WLLady]

the starling descended on our place this weekend. and the red winged blackbirds. and i thought i saw a bluebird....but couldn't confirm that. and huge flocks of swans headed north! AND apparently there are ticks around-our neighbour picked one up on the weekend. YUCK.
guineas are jerks. there are 2 in the woods by the river....hopefully not eaten yet, and hopefully smart enough to come home (not likely). The other 2 boys were "rescued" from the woods on the other side of the property. and the hen (the only "smart" one) stayed in the barn. i had to get them out of the chicken pen because they were picking on the girls. i hate guineas. if the 2 come home they come home. if not. then they don't. someone will eat them.....they are NOT bright.

eggs galore, and some people calling about chickens/hens/pullets/eggs/hatching. guess it has begun! i am fighting the urge to hatch. too many turkeys. some need to hit the freezer or the sales floor. they're laying like crazy right now too. i like spring trying to resist the greenhouse right now too...it's too early yet for me to get going in there. just means i would have to run the heaters.....

[Killerbunny]

Lovely day today. Sat in turkey paddock assessing the flocks (aka napping). Spring birds everywhere and I heard my first spring peepers today. Even the old girls were out scratching around. Tidied up the garden a bit and THE GARLIC IS UP. Hope the predicted -12C for Saturday doesn't harm it.

[Bayvistafarm]

My garlic is peeking too. All the crocus are up... and hopefully soon the flower heads will show! All the snowdrops are out, with their nodding white heads. Hopefully maybe today some will open? Supposed to be 7C today. Going to brave putting my geranium seedlings out in the greenhouse when it warms up just for the day. Hopefully I'm around and don't forget to get them back inside when the sun disappears, like its supposed to later in the day. Laundry in the washer, to be hung out soon. Fingers will freeze right now. Haven't been to the barn, but all I have to do is feed the cats. The barn cats get a can divided between them twice a day, and all the hard food they can eat. 2 are 15 years, and stray boy who wandered in about 9 years ago is 9 I'm thinking. Looked real young when he appeared.

Put 3 new bluebird houses up that Gary made (I helped), and already yesterday a sparrow couple were checking it out. First the male, who was on the stump near it, looking at it forever, before he braved to land on it. He popped in, and immediately out again, and flew away. Soon had a female with him, and now they are both this morning, setting up house. Don't really want sparrows, but they eat bugs too. I think between the 3 we put up yesterday, we have 9 houses up, out the lane, and around the place here. I want more, lol. I'll get a blue bird pair some day I hope!

I cleaned up some of my asparagus patch yesterday. Knees sunk in the 'mud'. Maybe today I'll finish before the rain predicted to come I think tomorrow, or tonight.

Tractor is down that I used to split wood... hopefully the part comes in today. Been down since last Friday. Thankfully we have the 6410 JD to feed the cows. Only other tractor with a loader, but its awful big. Have to be careful going under the shelter where the cows are with that bucket up.

I think we will get one more boil making syrup. The first batch burned of course, the next two were good. However, I didn't use my felt sock to strain the one batch, and there is a lot of sugar sand in the bottom. It had a bit of mould in it, from being stored in a tote... and Gary washed it in bleach. Probably too much bleach. Still smells, so will use it again next year, after a year of 'breathing', lol. Dave bought another, and we used it for the last, and the sample was much nicer. Put 2 paper filters in the felt sock.... took forever to run it thru. Had to do it in batches, and heat it back up each time. (runs thru better hot). AND cleaned the filter out 3 times between! You just can't wring them out good enough, so when the next batch was poured in, I held a jar underneath the sock, and when I felt the water ran thru enough, I took it away. Put it in hot boiling water sitting canning jars, and all of it sealed good. I have some in the basement, some has a skim of mould on it. Probably not finished enough, I know they are not sealed. Going to try and skim that mould off a few jars, reboil and see if it makes a difference. Dave says hes eaten a few jars of it, and it has sort of a sourish after taste. Going to see if it works.

So... with the doom and gloom playing out on the news behind me (thoroughly sick to DEATH of hear about it), I think its time to go to the barn.

I will feed my birds first tho.. the wild ones. Stocked up on bird seed for them, and got a fresh supply of layer and stuff for the hens/guinea's. Saw someone post a picture of walmarts shelves, and all dog and cat food pretty much wiped out. Well, if my supply runs out, I know the feed store has those big paper bags full. Much like I've seen at WLL's place, lol.

[Killerbunny]

Please don't use the mouldy ones @Bayvistafarm in case it's the toxin producing type of mould.
We put up a kestrel box (please don't hate us but they take crikets and things) trying to keep the starlings out, also a bat box. Be interesting to see if they work.