[Ag-eq] Tomatoes and Chickens

nfoster at extremezone.com nfoster at extremezone.com
Thu May 2 12:04:56 UTC 2013 

Some friends of mine have been in parades and they say you spend more time
waiting than any thing else.

Unless Cruiser becomes a little more predictable, we won't be in any parades.

Nella
Quoting Susan Roe <dogwoodfarm at verizon.net>:

> Nella,
>
> The horses did fine.  I was a bit surprised with Beau because he could be
> rather jumpy at times, but since he was with my sister's horse Princess, he
> stayed pretty calm.  These parades weren't very long, probably about a mile.
> As soon as they were over, we road them straight home to keep them away from
> the fire and rescue sirens.  We were lucky that we were not put close up to
> any of those trucks.  Beau would not have stood for any of that racket up
> behind him like that.  We were riding with a group of riders called the
> Western Riders Club.  They were the outfit that ran all the horse shows in
> about 8 counties.  That is who Wes roped with and did barrel racing, pole
> bending and key holeing with until he went professional.
>
> Susan
> dogwoodfarm at verizon.net
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <nfoster at extremezone.com>
> To: "Agricultural and Equestrean Division List" <ag-eq at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, April 26, 2013 11:07 PM
> Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] Tomatoes and Chickens
>
>
> >
> > Susan:
> >
> > I used to think I would love to ride side saddle in a parade, but after
> > going to
> > some parades and watching the horses I'm not sure.  I dreamed of doing
> > this on
> > my mule Allie; she is the one I practiced side saddle with most.  Sadly I
> > had
> > to have her put down and now I don't have a side saddle mont.  Cruiser is
> > a bit
> > to jumpy for the side saddle and parades!
> >
> > How did your horses act?
> >
> > Nella
> >
> > Quoting Susan Roe <dogwoodfarm at verizon.net>:
> >
> >> Hi Nella:
> >>
> >> The Hanover Tomato Festival started at our local fire department about 36
> >> years ago and has outgrown our little community to where the county has
> >> taken it over and our fire department receives donations.
> >>
> >> They will have about 100 venders that will sell tomatoes and other
> >> vegetables, food venders, crafts, commerse businesses promoting their
> >> services, political parties, a kid's area and displays and demenstrations
> >> from the county's fire departments, rescue squads and sherif's
> >> department.
> >> They will have groups representing different historical groups and areas
> >> and
> >> believe it or not, even our own Richmond paranormal group has a booth
> >> where
> >> they sell books and invite people to check out their web site.  There is
> >> also a Little Miss Tomato contest and a Miss Tomato contest.  They also
> >> do
> >> several different tomato judging, tomato eating contests and even a
> >> pumpkin
> >> chunking contest.  It lasts from about 9:00 to about 5:00, rain or shine.
> >> In our younger years, we had to help work several booths because our dad
> >> was
> >> the local fire chief for about 15 years.  It is always the first weekend
> >> after the 4th of July and normally hot and humid as you know what!  Some
> >> years have been better than others and we try and go every couple of
> >> years,
> >> avoiding years when the heat is just way too much for me to handle.  They
> >> provide little seating and no shady areas.
> >>
> >> I liked it much better when everything was located at our fire department
> >> which was only 1/2 mile from our house.  Before I lost my sight, my
> >> sister
> >> and I even road in the parade on our horses, Beau and Princess.
> >>
> >> It is not unusual to find a hen dead like that.  One problem hens will
> >> have
> >> and it can kill them is to be egg bound where she can't lay an overly
> >> large
> >> egg or an egg brakes inside her before she can lay it.
> >>
> >> Susan
> >> dogwoodfarm at verizon.net
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: <nfoster at extremezone.com>
> >> To: "Agricultural and Equestrean Division List" <ag-eq at nfbnet.org>
> >> Sent: Friday, April 26, 2013 6:32 AM
> >> Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] garden, chicks, horses
> >>
> >>
> >> >
> >> > Susan:
> >> >
> >> > What all happens at the tomato festival?
> >> >
> >> > Yes, the chicks are getting quite curious.  They swarm me when I come
> >> > in
> >> > to feed
> >> > and I'm very careful not to step on them.
> >> >
> >> > Yesterday when I went in to refill the water in the big hens run, I
> >> > found
> >> > my
> >> > Golden Comet dead.  I think she was 4 years old and I don't think she
> >> > had
> >> > been
> >> > laying much.  She seemed fine Wednesday evening when I fed, so I don't
> >> > know
> >> > what happened.
> >> >
> >> > The broody hen is still sitting on the nestand fluffs up real big when
> >> > I
> >> > reach
> >> > in to get the eggs.  Yesterday she even tried to peck me.  I thought
> >> > she
> >> > wasn't
> >> > laying, but there were 4 eggs yesterday, so I guess she did.
> >> >
> >> > The girls have 3 nice nest boxes up in the coop, but 1 likes to lay her
> >> > eggs in
> >> > the corner underneath.  The other all prefer the same nest box.  More
> >> > than
> >> > once
> >> > I've found 2 hens in the nest box at the same time.
> >> >
> >> > Who knows what's going through their little chicken brains!
> >> >
> >> > Nella
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Quoting Susan Roe <dogwoodfarm at verizon.net>:
> >> >
> >> >> Hi Nella,
> >> >>
> >> >> Your tomatoes are far ahead of anything around here.  Even the
> >> >> commercial
> >> >> growers don't have plants in the ground yet.  Our tomatoes don't ripen
> >> >> until
> >> >> early July.  That is when we have our anual Hanover Tomato Festival!
> >> >>
> >> >> Your chicks are at a real fun age.  You can go in their run, sit on
> >> >> their
> >> >> crate if it is not too poopie (LOL) and they will be all over you
> >> >> checking
> >> >> you out.  When my second flock of black austrolorps from Austrailia
> >> >> were
> >> >> about that age, I had 15 hens, they just walked all over me.  I would
> >> >> have
> >> >> to be careful not to step on any of them because I always seemed to
> >> >> have
> >> >> 2
> >> >> or 3 on my shoes after my shoe strings.  "Oh boy, big fat white
> >> >> worms!"
> >> >> They would even run up the latters to the outdoor perches and try and
> >> >> stand
> >> >> on my arm holding their scratch bucket up.  You will see them quickly
> >> >> develop their own personalities from here on.
> >> >>
> >> >> Your older hen that wants to set her eggs is what we call a broody
> >> >> hen.
> >> >> This is very common whether you have a rooster or not.  She'll snap
> >> >> out
> >> >> of
> >> >> it and not be such a fussy layer.  Sometimes I think those hens are
> >> >> trying
> >> >> to glue their bottoms on top of the eggs.  I have found that sometimes
> >> >> scooting up under their bottoms from the back end makes it easier to
> >> >> sort
> >> >> of
> >> >> tip them forward and scoop up the eggs from between their feet.  That
> >> >> coop
> >> >> has hen box access from the back of their hen boxes and you do not
> >> >> have
> >> >> to
> >> >> go inside their coop.  Of course this does not help when you have a
> >> >> hen
> >> >> or 2
> >> >> that insist on laying on the floor in the corner under all the nest
> >> >> boxes.
> >> >>
> >> >> Susan
> >> >> dogwoodfarm at verizon.net
> >> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> >> From: <nfoster at extremezone.com>
> >> >> To: <ag-eq at nfbnet.org>
> >> >> Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 10:26 PM
> >> >> Subject: [Ag-eq] garden, chicks, horses
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Yesterday while watering my cherry  tomato plants I found several tiny
> >> >> green
> >> >> tomatoes. The rest of the plants are growing and look healthy.  I'm
> >> >> always
> >> >> so
> >> >> excited about the progress in the garden.
> >> >>
> >> >> The little chicks are now 7 weeks old and no longer little.  They are
> >> >> growing as
> >> >> fast as weeds!  They have their own 6 by 12 dog run to chicken around
> >> >> in.
> >> >> They
> >> >> also have a big wooden crate, which they like to get on top of.
> >> >>
> >> >> One of the big hens has decided that she wants to hatch out some eggs.
> >> >> She
> >> >> sits
> >> >> in the nest box most of the time and complains when I gather the eggs.
> >> >> We
> >> >> no
> >> >> longer have a rooster, so she's wasting her time!  I wonder how long
> >> >> she
> >> >> will
> >> >> keep this up?
> >> >>
> >> >> On Sunday I rode Cruiser in a 3 hour, horse and rider communication
> >> >> clinic.
> >> >> I
> >> >> was really nervous because there were more people than I like in the
> >> >> arena.
> >> >> Horses and riders kept stopping in front of us and I was worried that
> >> >> we
> >> >> would
> >> >> get kicked.  Cruiser wasn't relaxed because I wasn't relaxed.  The
> >> >> instructor
> >> >> spent a lot of time yelling at us; she's known me for a long time and
> >> >> has
> >> >> no
> >> >> problems pushing me when I'm being wimpy.  Half way through I relaxed
> >> >> and
> >> >> everything got better.  We spent a lot of time practicing smooth turns
> >> >> at
> >> >> different speeds and transitioning between gaits.
> >> >>
> >> >> One of the horses in the clinic was an 18.1 hand warm blood.  He is
> >> >> probably
> >> >> the
> >> >> biggest horse I've ever seen.  His owner had to use the mounting block
> >> >> with
> >> >> 3
> >> >> steps instead of the 2 step one.  I was so worried about him kicking
> >> >> us,
> >> >> but
> >> >> he
> >> >> seemed like a big sweetie.  There were also 2 Tennessee Walkers, a
> >> >> Quarter
> >> >> Horse
> >> >> and a Thoroughbred.
> >> >>
> >> >> As usual I loved Cruiser even more by the end of the clinic.  He has
> >> >> come
> >> >> so
> >> >> far
> >> >> in the 2 years that Mike and I have owned him.  He would be an even
> >> >> better
> >> >> horse
> >> >> if I were a more confident rider, but we are learning and becoming
> >> >> more
> >> >> confident together.
> >> >>
> >> >> Well I got all the electric fence up, with the help of my wonderful
> >> >> neighbor.
> >> >> Monty hasn't been out of the yard since the installation.  Yesterday I
> >> >> walked
> >> >> down the street and he stayed in the yard; usually this is more than
> >> >> he
> >> >> can
> >> >> handle.  I will try it again tomorrow.  On Friday we will start
> >> >> obedience
> >> >> classes.  Hopefully Monty can be turned into a law abiding citizen!
> >> >>
> >> >> What is everyone else up to?
> >> >>
> >> >> Nella
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> _______________________________________________
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> >> >>
> >> >>
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> >> >
> >> >
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