Garden Update

Back in the first week in May, I planted some tomato plants, a few pepper plants and a couple of squash. Oh, and one eggplant. But then I had to have mulch over that so I went and raked up pine straw and leaves. This is where I got it; next to the woods.




There is a brush pile and Oscar is in there barking at something. I don't know what it is, but I hope he doesn't catch it.

This is my load.

This is what it looked like around the fifteenth. There was some black on the top of some of the tomato plants. I don't know what is wrong with them.

This was last week. The ones that had the black and small leaves are looking a little better; like they might grow out of it. Hope so. I planted lots just in case some died. Plan ahead. This is the new bed. I hope it works out okay.

Remedies

This was the problem. A chicken SNAKE. I DO NOT like snakes.

This was the remedy. This is my little Browning 22 pistol. This was my second chicken snake I have killed with it. I bought it several months ago; it has already paid for itself, as far as I'm concerned.

While the snake was still curled in the nest, which this nest is on the ground and under a piece of plywood, and I shot it right where an egg was. Wierd to see egg yolk oozing out of the snake. Have I grossed everyone out? Not my intention. I'm just proud I can kill a snake with my pistol. It's too hard to use the rifle in the hen house.

Abandoned Baby Chicks

This is the mother. She is a golden sex-link. Very poor mother. The baby chicks are only three and a half weeks old and she just left them.

They kind of hang close to the wyandotte with the one little chick. This was the first day after the mother left them. The wyandotte lets them stay a little closer now. She even lets them sleep in the nest with her and her baby.

Here they are out in the pasture, pretty much all by themselves. I don't know why she felt she had to leave them so early, but I won't let her hatch anymore. She has started laying eggs again also. She was looking for a spot in the first picture. Maybe that is what determines it.

Let's Watch Them Grow

As you can see at the bottom of each picture, it gives the date and time, etc. I've been hoping I will be able to get pictures of the horns growing. This one looks pretty big. Look how wide the base is. He looks thin. Down right skinny

Here we have some does who haven't had the babies yet. Pretty plump.

These aren't bad, but I don't think they are the big boy.

We have a crowd tonight.

My brother said she is pretty late. Most does have their babies in April or earlier. She was hanging around last night also, so, not yet.

Here is our big boy again. Those horns are coming on out.

I hope he keeps coming around all summer so I can see just how many points he will have.

We're Free

Starting yesterday afternoon, I let the little girls out to mingle with the big girls and boys. They had a big time.

I am afraid the little black and white one is going to be a rooster. The little comb is redder than the others. Not good. He is a pretty thing, though.

You would think she would be use to the camera. Safety first.

Remember Mating Season

This is one of the adults at feeding time. Really, two. One is to the right and lower; you just can't see her well.

The pictures I took of the eggs were frog eggs. And I have lots of little tadpoles in the pond.

But, I also have some baby fish. Do you see this one? If you enlarge the pictures, you can see them a lot better.

This is really a challenge. There are three tiny fish in this picture. Or shall I say, at least three.


These two are larger and easier to see.

And this one. I think I have seen at least ten babies. We will see what I end up with. But for sure, we know a few of the eggs survived.

Poor, Poor Chili; Again

Poor little Chili is having to wear a cone around her head because she has gnawed a raw spot on her back. My fault; I didn't give her the flea medicine and she had to gnaw them off.

This picture is today where it is healing. You should have seen it before. I have left the cone off all day and she hasn't touched it. I put the cone on at night just to be sure, but I think we are on the mend.

New Garden

I decided to put my little garden in a different spot this year. My old location was in my backyard, but it was getting to where it didn't receive morning sun and all afternoon sun. So, new location. I have put this one down close to the barn. There is also a water spigot close. A MUST! I tilled it up a couple of weeks ago and then tilled in some chicken house fertilizer.

This space is about what it looked like before I tilled it up.

Oscar decided he needed to rest in the cool ground.

When I started planting my tomatoes, I found a problem. Clay ground underneath. I am not starting over. Hopefully something will grow.

I have my tomatoes and bell peppers planted. I am going to plant one squash and jalapeno pepper plant.

I still have move work to do on this. After I get everything planted, then I have got to put some pine straw over this so I won't be fighting weeds every minute. Time to say a little prayer.