Ameracunas - Meet Blythe and Bonny

The Ameraucana was developed in the 70's by a few people who were trying to standardize the Araucana breed. The Ameraucana is easier to breed as there are no complications due to lethal genes. The best layers are the black and blue varieties. They are good layers and do not drop off in production sharply after their second year like many breeds.      

Chicken Breed Info: Dual Purpose Meat / Eggs     Comb: Pea          Broodiness: Average

Climate Tolerance: All

General Egg Info: Productivity:Medium       Size: Medium      Color: Blue/Green

Mixed Ameracuna flock

Ameracuna eggs

Rhode Island Red - Meet Rhonda

The Rhode Island Red is the State Bird of Rhode Island. The breed was developed in the mid 1840's to withstand the harsh New England winters and be a very hardy bird who produced hens with excellent large egg yields Chicken Breed Info:

Purpose: Dual Purpose   Comb: Rose   Broodiness: Average   Climate Tolerance: Cold

General Egg Info:  Productivity: High   Size: Large Color: Brown

The red should be a deep, dark Mahogany or Rust color, the darker the better. Some birds can be so dark as to appear black from a distance, both sexes have black tails with a "beetle" green sheen.

RIR hen

Andalusian - Meet Fanny

The breed was developed in the Spanish province of  Andalusia. This Mediterranean, close-feathered breed was produced by crossing a black bird with one of its white “sports” (a genetic mutation that produces a different color). It was first shown at the Crystal Palace in 1851. The Andlausian Blue chick we got, Fanny is mostly silver and will likely be what is called a "splash" as shown in picture below to the left which is mostly white with some black lacing instead of a true blue.

When you cross two blues you will get some whites and some blacks and plashed. Because of this true blues relatively rare except amongst poultry enthusiasts and small backyard flock owners interested in preserving heritage breeds.

Here is a "splash"

Here is a "blue".

Hierloom Tomaotes from Seed

Peep Show...

Weather has been very springy. No frost but have had some light hail...the bird bath has not frozen over in about 12 days and we've had generous helpings of rain.

Back in early February, we adopted Molly ( our black Polish chicken ) out to another chicken home because she was being picked on. Last week we lost Penny....one of our Buff Orps...we think she had a run in with a bird of prey or a cat, unfortunate but not unusual. Anyway, we had a couple of  holes to fill and chick season is coming to an end and so we went to see what was available.  Got two Ameracuna's ( easter egger's) .......and a Rhode Island Red and a Blue Andalusian. The little girls are so cute and being in a larger clutch, they should do well when turned out together in a few months with the older ones. We originally had 5, we now have 7 in our flock which will ensure plenty of eggs to use and plenty to share. it will be about 9-11 months before these girls produce thier first eggs.  Here are a couple pics of the new peeps.

Two left are Ameracuna's ( Bonny and Blythe) and they will lay blue or green eggs  ,  the RIR center ( Rhonda) is a brown layer like the other big girls and the white one is the Blue Andalusian ( Fanny) and she'll lay white or yellow eggs .

Blythe and Bonnie

Seedling Success

Got row covers up on two beds over this last weekend and got some drip hoses laid.....4 weeks to last frost! I am planning on transplating the cabbage family seedlings outside this weekend and sowing lettuce, beets and carrot seeds.

Here is some of  whats growing in the basement.

Brocolli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussel sprouts...

Tomatoes and herbs

A new planter...

Our 1st projectof the season... We traded yard work with our friends Tish and Tom a couple weekends back. We delivered garden soil and helped them do some yard clean up and they were able to come help us to tackle a project we've been wanting to do for a while...get rid of the unused hot tub that was taking up half our back patio! It was, believe it or not, a very big job.  The guys had a hay day with the sawz-all! We loaded the tub pieces into the truck and took them to the dump but we decided to save the above gound shell. It is in great condition. The outside is made from cedar and the inside is plywood reinforced with 2x4 and 4x4 framing. The bottom almost completely open save for some of the necessary structural framing. Over all, it is very heavy and very strong and worth a shot as a raised bed versus trashing it, which is what would have happened if we took it apart. It is already filled with 12 inches of soil from the hot house garden bed that was there last year. We mixed some lava rock gravel for added drainage and the top 24 inches will be fresh garden soil and compost.

I am researching small patio trees...I would love to do a flowering crabapple or maybe japanese maple but might just do  flowers and herbs this year until we see how it settles over a season or two. It would be nice to have something that could provide some shade and add interest to the patio area. This area is really great for a raised bed because it offers a garden space that is "easy on your back" that the dogs cannot trample through....

I planted lavender ( started last year from seed ) at each corner and will fill in and cover the ground with cedar bark chips.

What was once desitned for the landfill has found new life! Thats salvage!