HOW TO GROW RUTABAGAS

Step 1: Purchase the Seeds
Rutabagas are often confused with turnips because both are root vegetables, but rutabagas are larger, sweeter and have a less intense flavor. The most popular variety grown in this country is the American purple top.

Step 2: Prepare the Soil
Rutabagas like soil that is loose, fertile and slightly alkaline. If the soil is more acidic, work some lime into the bed a few months before planting. Enrich the soil with compost, turning it into the bed with a rake. Remove any large rocks that might impede the growth of the roots. Finally, add a half cup of 5-10-10 fertilizer for every 20 square feet of garden space.

Step 3: Prepare the Bed
Rutabagas mature into large, round softball-size roots, so they need some room to grow. Use a hoe to create rows of small raised hills, spacing the rows 10" apart. Once formed, be sure not to compact the soil in the hills. Lay down a thick layer of mulch between the rows to hinder the growth of weeds.

Step 4: Plant the Seeds
Time the planting so that the harvest comes at or around the region’s fall frost date. Rutabagas mature in about 80 to 100 days, so use those figures when deciding when to plant. Sow the seeds 1/2" deep in the rows and 2" to 4" apart. Gently press the seeds into the dirt and cover them with soil. Carefully water the seeds and place a garden marker to indicate the crop.

Step 5: Care for Plants
Maintain constant moisture until the seeds germinate. Rutabagas sprout in about a week. A couple of weeks after the plants have sprouted, thin the seedlings down to just one every 8". Add a thick layer of pine mulch around the base of the plants, but do not let the mulch come in contact with the stems. Rutabagas need a steady supply of water to encourage steady growth of the roots. For an added boost, apply a dose of liquid fertilizer to the young plants.

Step 6: Harvest the Rutabagas
Harvest rutabagas when they get slightly larger than a tennis ball. Like most vegetables, they are more tender the smaller they are. Rutabagas are very hardy and will easily survive frosts, especially when well mulched. Many gardeners leave the roots in the ground well into winter, pulling only the plants they want to eat. Others store them buried in sand in a cool, dry and dark place.

How to raise EMU chicks

Raising emus can be a profitable enterprise but should not be undertaken without careful research and consideration. Even though these birds are considered friendly, in certain circumstances they can be quite dangerous due to their large size and considerable strength. Make provisions to successfully raise emu chicks by following some basic procedures, which will ensure an optimal chance for maturity and good health.

Instructions

1. Visit other emu farms. Ask for handling demonstrations and request a hands-on experience with the birds. Many emu farmers share a sense of camaraderie and will be very helpful, however, they may decline your request for physical contact with the birds due to safety and insurance concerns. Make certain you are comfortable with your knowledge of the handling procedures. There is a risk of being injured by these large ratites. Take time to feel at ease in the presence of these birds before undertaking the responsibility of raising this breed.

2. Check with your local farm bureau or local governing board to determine if there are any restrictions or certain requirements in your area for raising emus. Draw up your individual farm plan. Construct an adequate shelter for your emus before purchasing them. Build a fenced area 25 feet wide by 100 feet long for a single pair of emus. Make this out of no-climb horse fencing 5 feet tall or higher. Chain link fencing is more expensive but works very well for the enclosure if your budget allows. Keep in mind that the adult birds are very strong, so the enclosure should be sturdy. The curious nature of these birds may cause them to become injured or entrapped. Check your enclosure for any areas that may create a potential hazard for the emu chicks. Provide a shelter for the birds. Make this shelter adequate for the climate you live in. It should be able to provide warmth in the winter and protection from the elements.

3.Take your new emu chicks to a veterinarian for a complete health check. A doctor that specialises in exotic animals is a good choice. Many farm veterinarians are becoming familiar with these ratites due to the increasing popularity of emu farms. The price of these birds ranges greatly depending on the location they were purchased from, but the cost for a pair is often more than £3,250, so make sure you have a healthy pair to start with. Your veterinarian will also give you a schedule of necessary inoculations and list of possible health concerns. Ask questions regarding symptoms you should watch for in observing the continual health of your chicks.

4. Introduce your young chicks to their new environment. The chicks are normally very curious but may be overwhelmed and exhausted from their trip. Reassure the pair by staying with them until they are comfortable in their new surroundings. Show them to their food and water. Allow them to stay inside the shelter if they want. They will explore their new enclosure when they are ready.

5. Begin handling your baby chicks as soon as you get them. Set up a schedule to physically interact with your birds on a regular basis. Show all family members the correct way to approach and handle them. Spend as much time with them as possible when they are young to create tame adult birds. You can handle emus fairly easily for the first two months of their lives. Be aware of the strength in their legs and make it a practice to stay clear if they begin kicking. Aggression is rare in emus and they will try to avoid hurting you. Most accidents occur when the birds become scared or stressed.

6. Provide plenty of food for the growing chicks. Many emu farmers use a packaged mix made specifically for emus. They will eat between one and three pounds per day, depending on the quality of the mix. Contact your local farm supplier or feed store. They can special order the feed for you if they do not normally stock it. You can supplement the diet with some fruit, berries and vegetables. Emus also graze on grass and ingest bugs and worms. They will also eat up your flower beds and gardens if allowed to do so. Provide adequate water at all times. They can drink up to four gallons on a warm day. Continue to handle the birds as they grow. They enjoy being talked to and handled. It is common for these birds to live to be more than 25 years old.

How to Feed and Water Turkeys

Learning how to feed and water your turkeys properly can help prevent a lot of problems as well as save you money on feed. Although it may seem simple, there are many different choices of types of waterers and feeders, and different ones may be appropriate for specific situations.

Feeding and Watering Turkey Poults

When you first get your turkey poults, you will want to have feeders and waterers set up and filled, ready to go. This way when the poults first arrive, you can dip their beaks in the water and make sure they start eating soon after settling in.

For these baby poults, a one-gallon chick waterer is the best option. Avoid open dishes, buckets or pans of water, because poults may fall in, get chilled and die, or even drown.

The bottom half of an egg carton makes a good first feeder for poults. Another option is red plastic chick feeders that have oval-shaped openings through which the poults can reach the feed.

After a few days, a metal or wooden feeder can be used. Hanging feeders tend to conserve feed. Just make sure that the bottom of the feeder is within comfortable reach of the turkey poults' beaks. Avoid open pails of feed as well, because besides spilling it, the poults can all climb in on top of one another, hurting themselves.

Feeding and Watering Turkeys

As the poults grow, you can switch to a five-gallon metal waterer, or a nipple watering system. Make sure your waterer is sturdy and rugged, as large turkeys are quite strong.

For feeding, a large hanging feeder that can hold most of a 50-pound bag of feed is ideal. Some turkey farmers use a range feeder that is a trough-style. In either case, ensure that the edge of the feeder is at the level of the turkeys' backs so that they can reach the feed easily, but don't waste too much on the floor.

Once they're on pasture, you will need to make sure the turkeys have access to coarse sand or fine gravel - the grit that they need to digest their food. Most likely they can find this right on the ground mixed with the soil.

Beekeeping Tasks by Season

Beekeeping tasks can be divided by season. Checking on your bees frequently is a good idea, but can be overdone: you don't want to disrupt their hive building and daily activities too much.

Spring Tasks

Spring is definitely the time to get new bees and start a hive! Read up in late winter on beekeeping, plan your hive, buy or build it, and start going to those local beekeeping clubs.

Start a new hive.

Feed the bees if necessary.

Harvest honey from an established hive: when flowers are blooming, harvest any honeycomb not used over the winter.

Complete any needed miscellaneous tasks: take care of any health issues, and do anything else needed: requeen, add room, etc.

Summer Tasks

During the summer your bees will basically take care of themselves - you just check up on them and head off any problems before they balloon into big issues.

Enjoy watching the bees as they work: building comb and brooding comb, bringing nectar back to the hive, etc.

Make sure combs are hanging straight if you're using foundationless or top bar methods.

Harvest honey.

Autumn Tasks

Now it's peak honey collection time, and also time for making sure your bees are prepared for winter.

Harvest honey, but make sure to leave enough for the bees for food for winter.

Reduce the hive entrance, put on mouseguards, ensure adequate ventilation. Complete any treatments for diseases and pests.

Winter Tasks

Before winter, you'll help your bee colony get settled and snug for the long cold spell ahead.

Cover the hive with a jacket - you can use a heavy-duty plastic bag lined with a strip of R19 insulation. Staple along the bottom of the hive. Or use black tar paper.

Make sure all treatments are complete.

Happy New Year

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Protect Your Chickens From Predators

There's nothing worse than having your chickens or other poultry attacked by a predator - and it seems that nearly every wild creature, and many domestic ones, can appreciate a delicious chicken dinner. So, how do you protect your flock so you don't have to worry about losing hens to raccoons, dogs, weasels, hawks, and more?

Potential Poultry Predators
If you're new to raising chickens, you might not even be aware of just what predators are around. Or you may think that since you live in the surburbs or within city limits, you don't have to worry about predators. But domestic animals can be chicken killers, too.
So, who are you worried about?
Here are the most common chicken predators:

neighborhood dogs
chicken hawks
weasels/ermine/minks
foxes
raccoons
coyotes
feral and domestic cats
bobcats
owls
snakes (chicks)
rats
fisher cats
Some predators, like snakes and rats, are only likely to eat baby chicks or half-grown pullets, not full-grown birds. Others, such as skunks, will just eat chicken eggs, leaving the hens alone.

Coop Security
There are some simple steps you can take to protect your precious hens from predation. The first order of business is to have a secure coop with a door that shuts securely at night. Some other tips:

Dig a trench 12 inches deep around the entire coop and bury hardware cloth there. This will prevent digging predators.

Elevate the coop off the ground to help prevent mice, rats and weasels from getting into the coop.

Inspect the bottom of the coop and patch any holes where predators could gain entry.

Put lights around the coop at night; motion-sensor lights work well.

Keep your compost pile far away from the coop and don't allow food scraps to linger - clean up any food scraps that the chickens don't eat before nightfall.

Keep the area around the coop mowed and clear - an open field without cover is a deterrent to predators.

If you have serious problems with hawks and owls, consider covering the chicken run with hawk netting.

Poultry Protectors

There are other ways to protect poultry and some of them will work for any animal on the farm. Dogs are great protectors of the small farm or homestead, and will keep everything from sheep to cattle to baby chicks safe from marauding predators - usually including other dogs.

Still, there's a catch: some dogs just love to chase and tease chickens. They will often kill them without even realizing or intending it. If you get a livestock guardian puppy, be sure to supervise its interactions with your chickens when it is young, and deliver a correction any time it gives chase to your feathered farm animals.

If you're not up for getting a dog, guinea fowl are also great guardians of the flock. They will chase off everything from the mailman to coyotes - but beware, their protection comes with a noisy price. Guineas are not quiet animals, and you can't just train them to pipe down like you can with (some) dogs. Still, they have an added benefit: they'll eat every bug you can imagine that might plague the garden and barnyard, from ticks to flies.