Wednesday, September 23, 2015

I Hate Burr Comb





Now that the hay is all put up, the chickens are more or less settling in to a routine (although they still are not giving many eggs for their numbers and cannot seem to agree on a roosting order yet) and the grass has almost stopped growing. I am beginning to actually catch up on some things I put off for far too long. I even got what I hope is the last pasture brush hogging finished yesterday too.

The yard no longer looks like my tool shed and tractor implements exploded all over it. The first two loads of firewood are in and stacked, even the trailers are empty for a change and parked where they are suppose to be. I was even able to add some much needed expansion supers on to the new hives that I ignored for far too long.

Back in July these newest two hives had not even built out comb in their one brood box more than the four inside middle frames. Today when I opened them up they were both completely built out and full tot he brim and the bees had started building burr comb all over the top of the frames. It was so full of honey that the stuff started dripping everywhere when I pulled the top off.

Luckily I got there just in time because the hives were not yet honey bound but the queen had no open cells to lay eggs in either. I added a medium super to each hive that included three frames of already drawn comb. This should give them plenty of near term expansion and also something to work on until Winter hits.

It was a good thing I managed to get to them today though.

The Goldenrod flow is just starting to slow up a bit now. Some of the early blooming plants are turning dry and brown so next week I will get the last honey pull out of the way and then start rearranging the hives for Winter. I try and make sure as many of the medium frames as possible are back on the hives after the Fall harvest so the bees can get the remaining honey out of them and give them a little comb for whatever else they can store before it gets cold.

The Asters and some small Sunflower varieties will continue to bloom well into October and beyond and believe it or not as dry as we have been over the last few weeks the Dutch clover is still blooming here and there as well.

These cool nights have really made the flock of sheep happy too and they are prancing around once again instead of looking all hot and bothered. I even caught one of the yearling ewes teasing the new ram through the fence this morning.

She didn't seem to understand when I told her she had at least another year before she needed to worry about such things.

The Small - Hold is rapidly reaching the point where the general daily chores and maintenance is taking up almost as much time as projects do though. I hadn't really planned on this like I should have. It means now when I estimate completion times I have to extend them out because there is less overall time per day to work on them.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!!!!


13 comments:

  1. For me Autumn is time of slowing down and getting ready for the winter hibernation, then it willl be spring and it picks up a pace ready for the roller coaster ride of summer :-)

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    1. Dawn - I usually can get some good clearing or fencing work done up until December. I also wait for the cold nights to move bee hives around at dawn when the bees won't come out pissed off.

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  2. Your last paragraph says it all.........we are finding that 'daily chores and maintenance' take are now taking up so much time that projects take forever to get done, such as the permanent chicken hut. If this is not done, then the chickens are going to have to spend another winter roosting up in the fig tree, which they would still prefer to do despite having a snug hut to sleep in. It is their eggs though. We don't have any because they lay where we can't find them, which is why they need to be contained in a proper hut for at least part of the day.

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    1. I understand and am right there too. I been wondering if some of my hens have been laying somewhere I can't find them as well.

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  3. I was still half asleep when I read your title and had a mental picture of you trying to comb your hair after cutting cockle burr or something.
    They were trying to sell local honey for $32 a quart here last weekend and the only thing that I can figure is that it is because of the huge number of losses they have. I can buy a quart of honey from else where in the state for less than $10 at a local store. What is the price out your way?

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    1. Sf - A quart is usually around 12 to 15 dollars here more in some places. Some of the farmer's markets are real yuppy traps though :)

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  4. PP,

    The work never stops however, the time continues to fly. Meaning the clock never stops ticking. Just keep doing what you can:-)

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    1. Sandy - Ya. It's just the more I add like chickens the more it cuts into my project time. I spend a good hour each evening now on feeding.

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  5. +! to you and everyone else...the work never stops. When we have the summer garden gone, now the fall one is in full swing and providing abundantly.

    PP my chickens were much like yours and not laying much. Then an elderly woman told me to get them on "Laying Mash" and once I did.. BAM! the eggs started pouring out. my girls average 7-8 per day. And just now my Jersey Giant girls are starting to produce... I tried the pellet version of it, but all they did was ignore it, then I switched to the crumbles which is easier for them to peck at... I also throw in fresh greens from the garden..they love okra, green beans, collards, turnips. Heck we even feed them scrambled eggs...chickens will literally eat anything thrown at them..

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    1. JuGM - I tried the crumbles and am now trying the pellets. I also have oyster shell for them at all times too. I am hoping it's just 90% of them are just not old enough yet. Today we actually got three eggs so maybe things are improving.

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  6. The crops are drying out here, and the seed trucks are unloading daily. Full harvest should start very soon

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    1. Rob - Not much Corn or Soybean got put in close around me and what did was late so the main harvest will be a few more weeks yet I think. Hay cropping has been going full tilt for several weeks though and it looks like a bumper year.

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    2. Our apple harvest is going to be huge. I saw some at the store that looked almost double in size from past years.

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