13 Jul Mon 2009
helping the beez when no rain = no nectar flow
here are the goods
hood - hive tool - bee brush - smoker - matches - jar with sugar water - bee gloves
white board for stacking supers - frames - top board and such while i am working
lighting the smoker
notice that i have elastics around my wrists - this keeps the suit bee free
pouring sugar water in my sprayer
- candy for the babies -
keeps them occupied while i am working
readied in the top left of the picuture you can spy a small grease patty. ingredients inlcude - sugar - eucalyptus oil - crisco. the eucalyptus oil fights off the small hive beetle of which i have spotted lurking around my hives. i will place this on top of the frames in the top super.
securing the hood - very important
my sliced finger is healing up nicely - it's not perfect but working plenty fine for me
hello in there!
smoking each level before moving in
my gloves are wayyyyyy too big!
time to take a look
prying out a frame - bees incredibly calm today
excellent
this frame was nearly full with honey - no brood here
back into the hive
two pulled supers and the queen excluder
still a few bees flying around - i tapped them out once all was said and done
remaining bits of sugar water - i'll drench the hive so as not to waste it
peeking in at a center frame
this is a nice strong hive - lots of bees moving about
this frame is full with brood and pollen stores
baby bees in the making
- good - good - good -
i have got to get smaller gloves, clumsy fingers just don't work well in the hives
- everything back together - less house to keep clean -
- happy hippychick -
hippychick's victory chickens - rare and heritage breed pullets -
Here are the updated available baby chicken pullet girls by breed - most babies are at four weeks old. i was able to pick up a few welsummers, ameraucanas and marans last minute - they are at two weeks of age.
i will not release the girls until they are at least five to seven weeks of age. this ensures that they are indeed girlygirls and that they have made it through their largest growth spirt in good health.
if you are interested in reserving one of the girls - contact me at hippychickenfarmer@gmail.com. a deposit may be required.
* speckled sussex - developed in the county of sussex in the early 19th century. layer of creamy to light brown eggs - 5 babies ( 2 claimed - 3 available)
* dominique - developed in new england in early 19th century. not distinguished from the barred rock until apa standards were developed. most modern dominques may be traced to stock developed by a. q. carter after 1900. layer of brown eggs. - 3 babies (2 claimed - 1 available)
* appenzeller spitzhauben - developed in switzerland centuries ago. layer of white eggs. - 5 babies ( 1 claimed - 4 available)
* golden laced wyandotte - developed in new york state and wisconsin in the late 19th century. layer of light to rich brown eggs.- 2 babies ( 2 claimed - 0 available)
* barred plymouth rock - developed in america in the middle of the 19th century and was first exhibited as a breed in 1869. layer of brown eggs - 3 babies ( 0 claimed - 3 available)
*ameraucanas - south american breed. layer of blue green and tinted eggs. - 3 babies ( 3 claimed - 0 available)
* cuckoo maran - developed in france in the early 20th century. layer of dark chocolate brown eggs. - 3 babies ( 1 claimed - 2 available)
* welsummer - developed in holland in the 20th century. layer of terracotta colored eggs. - 3 babies ( 1 claimed - 2 available)
and a few who are not rare or heritage in breed but are great egg laying birds to add to your flock
* black sex link - is the result of crossing two purebred standard breeds; the rhode island red rooster and the barred rock hen. - 3 babies ( 0 claimed - 3 available)