Hookin' up with Verde Farm today for their Farm Friend Friday.
This weeks post is going to be short on words and cute on pics. Last week I was asked if I could recommend a book or two for beginning beekeepers. When I took the beekeeping class in 2003, this book
was in our beginners kit. It is still available through Dadant company. I like it because it is nothing but questions and answers from beginning beekeepers. That's it. A book full of questions and answers. You can read it in bits and pieces.
The other book I was given in our kit, which I cannot seem to find right now, is How to Keep Bees and Sell Honey by Walter T. Kelley, which is available through Kelley Bees. It's only $6.75 and a great resource for beginning beekeepers It was written by a beekeeping expert. There are a lot of books available and if I were thinking about beekeeping, the first thing I'd do is check out the library, and order those catalogs I told you about last Friday. The catalogs are a huge resource for beekeeping equipment and beekeeping books!
I got this book from the library.
There are two magazines available in the bee world as well. Bee Culture and American Bee Journal. They can be found in the catalogs as well. Also, Bee Craft America, is an online magazine.
Now for the cute pics.....for all of you chicken keepers, and us non chicken keepers that go to Rural King and look at the new chicklings and ducklings....here they are!
I took these pictures with my phone!
It's the first time I've ever downloaded pics from my phone.
I want some of these cute little ducklings....who knows anything about keeping ducks?!?!! Do I dare get some? I have a huge pond/creek that I think they would be happy in when they get older, but there are a pair of Canadians that live there. They've lived there since we bought the place - Noah and Allie - more on them later....would they get a long with the ducklings?
I love the look on the face of the one on the food trough, peeking over the edge.
They have more varieties this year than ever before. I've been going to look at them for years.
These guys were adorable!
NOT Easter pets....
And speaking of books - After my last post, I'm going to have to get serious about this book.
Cindy Bee
PS - Please keep Japan, and all of the other places about to be hit by the tsunami, in your prayers.
We are going to learn so much from your Friday post. I am sitting here hearing duck and birds talking. I would love to get a couple of chicken just for eggs no rooster....
ReplyDeleteWay to up the "Awwwwwwww" factor! We are still reading up on chickens before we decide what kind to get and we have to get the coop fixed up first. I asked the hubs about beekeeping....he said he'd move if I took it up as a hobby. Yeah, I probably never mentioned my husband is INCREDIBLY afraid of bees. Not allergic, just afraid.
ReplyDeleteNoah and Allie....someone is a fan of "The Notebook" right?
oh the chicks are so cute. B
ReplyDeleteso ...you know how i want a couple of chickens? I read a blog about it and they talked about how ya have to keep them inside for awhile, and then they dont even lay eggs for a year or so.......What the?????
ReplyDeleteI decided against it, but if i lived out in the country and had a heated pole barn ....i would do it.
I knew someone that had a pet duck once. They kept it outside and it just kinda hung out in the back yard and swam in a little baby pool. It followed ya around like a puppy.
It pooped alot though...........
Aww sweet...I'm going to have to go visit them...no beekeeping for me, I'm allergic. But I can't wait for you to have some honey..have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteYou must not have pick one up or you would probably be home sitting up a brooder. I resisted at the tractor store but I am leaning toward a couple of bantoms but want to wait until it warms up here a bit more. Last year I got up 2-3 times a night to go to the garage to make sure the chicks were not to cold or hot.
ReplyDeleteDucks are great! Just remember they shouldn't get in water unless they are fully feathered. They won't have their mom's oils to keep them warm and dry. The geese would probably chase them, but depending on the time of year, size of pond, and such, you could probably integrate them.
ReplyDeleteAwesome post! I am so glad you shared this for FFF. The books are great--I am going to get some of them for my beekeeping journey. I bought Beekeeping for Dummies --have you looked at it and is it a good resource? Love the chicks and ducks. I have ducks--they are easy to care for and they would love that pond/creek :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the book suggestions Cindy! It will help me to get further down the "keeping bees" road! Have a great weekend! xo Caroline
ReplyDeleteHi everyone,
ReplyDeleteWanda - I hear them calling too, only at Rural King you have to buy 25! Gads...what would I do with that many little ducklings running around my back yard - in town!
Vintage farmhouse - My husband took the original beekeeping class with me and even helps me now and then. He doesn't like beekeeping because when he gets stung, he swells up a lot. Maybe if your husband took a class..... and YES to the Notebook. OUR Noah stays on our property with Allie all year long. They never leave like all of the other geese, because Allie has a broken wing. She can't fly. It reminded me of Noah in the movie when he wouldn't leave Allie's side. Beautiful love story. And who doesn't love James Garner.
RJ - Even if they do take a year to lay eggs, so what. You'll still be around in a year, hopefully, and you'll have eggs! And that might have been a certain kind of chicks...I know nothing about them except the eggs are way superior to grocery store eggs. Read Harvest for Hope by Jane Goodall then go get you some chicks.
Brenda - There was a sign...DO NOT handle the chicks. And you had to buy a minimum of 25. I reckon that helps keep the Easter pet people from buying one on impulse.
Teresa - thanks for the advice. I bet I could have bought just a couple of ducks. I'm a little nervous about it though. The pond we have is big, a creek runs through it. Sometimes there are just two geese, sometimes 50.
Verde - I didn't recommend that book because the guy that I took the class from, years ago, said there was some erroneous information in it, but I cannot remember what it was. But, they might have updated since it first came out, AND everyone does things differently with beekeeping. If you ask five people a question, you'll get five different answers, and they probably are all working for those people. I want some of those ducks...they are so cute. I want some white geese too, like Beatrix Potter had!
Caroline, Good luck!
Cindy Bee