Tips for Aspiring Beekeepers

Last year was our first year keeping bees. We did pretty well (knock wood) and made it through winter with three out of three hives. We have two hives of Italian bees, and one of Carniolan.

We had four hives at the end of summer, but lost one to robbing in the late fall. Italian bees tend to rob a lot, and I learned from the experience, so won't let it happen again.

A number of people are interested in getting into bees it seems, so I put together this list of tips for the aspiring "beek."

In no particular order:

1) Order your supplies/hive components in late fall. This will allow you to assemble and paint etc. with plenty of time. If you haven't ordered things yet, do it right now, this minute.

2) Plan on having at least two hives. That allows you to compare them and their progress, which will help ensure your success.

3) Order your bees in Dec/Jan, depending on your location. Don't wait until spring when bee supply houses are crazy busy. Again, do it now if you haven't done it already.

3) Get at least one good book (I liked Beekeeping for Dummies.)

4) Watch videos on YouTube! You can't watch too many, really.

5) Join a local beekeeping club, take a class, see if you can find a local mentor. They will be invaluable when you have questions and need to see things hands-on.

6) Having done both, I suggest buying a nuc. Packages are slightly cheaper, but nucs will put you farther ahead in less time, and are more than worth it.

7) Plan your apiary location based on local weather. You want some basics: facing east/southeast, easy to work around, raised to keep predators at bay (skunks and the like). Far better to get the location right the first time than have to move the bees.

8) Learn when your local main nectar flow is. Ideally, get your bees well established before it is over, if you can.

9) Learn about what trees and plants provide nectar in your area. You'll want to think about planting some (especially trees) if you can.

10) There are a lot of good online groups and forums about bees, many of which are filled with helpful people. But also, be aware of the adage "Ask ten beekeepers a question and be prepared for at least twelve answers."

Good luck to you! I have found this a wonderful project, and bees fascinate me.

Birder Ethics and Etiquette

I'm in a very bad mood today. Yesterday something happened that I had feared would happen for about a week.

Last week a Snowy Owl was seen in southeastern Ohio, and the birding community in the area was hugely excited, naturally so.

While Snowys aren't really rare, they are unusual to find this far south, and when they are it's called an irruption. Irruptions of birds are when they're found outside of their normal range. When there is an irruption of Snowys, it typically is linked to the availability of their usual prey, lemmings.

When the lemming population booms, adult Snowy Owls will raise more young. That means more juvenile birds competing for food and territory when winter arrives. Which leads to them ranging further south than they normally do, and some lucky birders getting to see them who normally would not.

As well, being a huge, gorgeous raptor, these birds have major eye appeal, and that's not even taking into account the popularity of Hedwig, the owl from the Harry Potter series.

So it's natural that people are excited when a Snowy is spotted locally, and birders will "twitch" to see the rarity. Twitching means dedicated birders will travel quite a distance to see the bird which is out of its normal range. Often distance, money, and time are no object to the Twitcher, with the goal being to a) add the bird to a Life List, and b) take a fabulous photo (which you can then post online and earn the accolades of all your friends.)

I have been interested in birds since I was a young child. I have early memories of lying on the floor of the living room of my childhood home, listening as my mother played records of bird songs so that she could learn to identify birds by their songs alone. My mother was an avid birder ever since I can remember, and she and I both come from a long line of conservationists.

As well, my grandfather was known for his love of owls, (he had one as a youth), so much so that over the years, all anyone gave him were owl-themed gifts, and he even named his country cottage Owl House.

So the owl as a genus is near and dear to my heart, even more so than other birds. And when I heard there was a Snowy in SE Ohio, the message filled me with dread rather than joy.

Why? Because I knew that Twitchers would be coming from near and far to photograph the bird and view it. I knew that despite the best efforts of responsible birders, the bird would likely be harassed. You see, these birds who are far out of their normal range are usually under or malnourished, and need to be left alone so that they can hunt in peace. Every time the bird flies it's using energy that could be saved, and over time this can lead to illness and even death.

This is not an unknown problem, especially among birders. I mean, even the Huffington Post did an article about this just six days ago. So my fears are far from unjustified.

Did I go see the bird (which would have been a lifer for me)? No. Did I go to photograph it (I am a professional photographer, among other things.) No. Why? Because I felt my very presence would have the potential to harm the bird. In science, the term Observer Effect refers to changes that the act of observation will make on a phenomenon being observed. And so I decided not to go join the crowds who were observing the bird, despite wanting to see it very badly.

I also took one further step. I am the founder and an Admin of the Kentucky Birders group on Facebook. As such I posted the link to the article above in the group, and told members that I did not want posts giving the location of Snowy Owls in the group, as I didn't want to add to the throngs already doing so in other Facebook groups. And I didn't want photos being posted in a competition of sorts, to see who could get the best close-up shot of the bird.

Yesterday, to my extreme dismay, what I and others feared came to pass. The owl was killed by a car. Now, no one can say for sure that it was killed because of all the people who were watching it day after day. It may just have been a young, dumb bird which roosted and flew about in a dangerous place. That's Nature, and I get that. But we do also know that on Sunday there were people who were harassing the bird, getting too close, and ignoring other birders who pleaded with them to stop.

Is one bird dead really a big deal in the overall scheme of things in the world today? Of course not. But the intense desire of humans to capture a trophy (photo) and bragging rights of seeing a "lifer" does disturb me. There was quite a lot of discussion online about it last night, and I finally wound up leaving one group because my point of view wasn't overly popular, and I didn't feel like having to defend myself. I hope that if nothing else, I was able to get the Admins of that group to consider their policies about allowing posts and photos of this type.

I don't really know what the answers are. Do I think everyone should have an opportunity to see a magnificent bird outside of its usual range? I will answer with a qualified yes, because clearly we can't all control the environment, and ultimately the bird pays the price when things go wrong. People can post teary emoticons all they'd like, but that doesn't bring the bird back.

Perhaps all birders, new and experienced, need to think long and hard about their ethics and behavior, and consider Cornell University's eBird's Guidelines For Reporting Sensitive Species. It's what I follow, and I encourage other birders to do the same. I think we should all consider whether adding a life bird to our list is worth endangering the bird itself's life. I know I don't think so.

Shipping Chicks - Baby Chickens in the Mail

For the past five years or so I've shipped day-old Buckeye chicks all across the US, about 400 or so a year.

This year I'm taking off, for several reasons, and encouraging others to pick up the baton and run with it, to get some of their lines out there. One of those is my friend Sharon Fildes, who lives in Ohio, and who has a ton of various rare breeds of poultry and waterfowl. She also has some great Buckeyes, in both large fowl and bantam. And this year she's ramping up to hatch and ship a lot of large fowl Buckeye chicks at a very reasonable price.

She has a Facebook Page you should check out: S.M. Fildes Rare and Endangered Poultry, which she's still working on, but which will soon have her price list and photos of her Buckeyes. You can also email her to get on her waiting list, the time to do so is now if you want chicks in the spring! You can also find other breeders of Buckeyes on the American Buckeye Poultry Club website.

And for those of you who haven't shipped chicks before because you weren't sure what it entailed, I encourage you to do so. It's much more efficient and cost-effective than shipping hatching eggs, due mostly to the damage eggs receive during shipment which prevents them from hatching. If done right, shipping chicks is safe, easy, and gives one a much better base of stock to work with.

When I ship chicks I buy several items from Cutler Supply: 25 chick shipping boxes, sisal mat box liners, heater pads to ensure the chicks stay warm, and Grow Gel Plus, which keeps the chicks hydrated during their journey (I usually buy the larger bag of it to ensure I have enough in each box.)

Where I put the heater pad depends on what the temperature is out when I ship - when it's very cold I will put it on top of the sisal mat, when it's warmer I put it underneath the mat. But I always use one, as you never know where a box of chicks will wind up. I stop shipping in early June, as it's too hot to do so by then here in KY.

That's really all you need. Oh, that and a spreadsheet to keep track of your wait list, which if anyone wants they can send me a message and I'll be happy to share the one I have made up so you don't have to reinvent the wheel.

Your next step is to get your birds into breeding pens, make sure they're getting a good quality breeder ration, and collect eggs several times a day (eggs which get too cold lose fertility.) Do a test hatch or two to make sure your fertility rates are good, then hatch away!

I like to set hatches on a Monday afternoon or early evening, which means the majority of the chicks are hatched out by 21 days later, ready to ship by a Tuesday. I don't ship on Mondays, because there's often a lot of mail going out on Mondays and I want the birds to get where they're going with no delay.

I always ship chicks via Express Mail. It's just not worth it to to me to take the chance with Priority Mail, although I know some folks do. I generally include the cost of the shipping in the per chick price, so it's a flat rate for everyone.

I also have a roll of Express Mail tape that I convinced my local USPS to give me (they're really great in Grant County!) and I use that to put the boxes together. Once the chicks are hatched they get popped in the box and off to the PO I go.

I know some people print postage labels online, and while I do that for work, I'm more comfortable having the Posties do my labels for chicks, although I do get copies ahead of time and fill them out before I go. I also have some plastic envelopes that I use to attach the NPIP paperwork right on the box, in case the state to which I am shipping requires it.

Be sure to get the phone number of the person to whom you are shipping, as Express Mail labels require it, and then call or email the buyer to let them know when you shipped and what the tracking number is. That way they can be sure to make arrangements to either pick the chicks up at their local PO or to be home for delivery. Its generally easier on the chicks for the buyer to pick them up, just tell them let their local Postmaster know they have chicks coming and they will get a call once the box arrives.

That's really all there is to it folks. Easier than it seems, and a great way to get your customers the birds they're clamoring for. If you have any questions, send me an email, or stop by the Facebook Page for the American Buckeye Poultry Club and give me a shout, happy to help!

Two Knives and Some Fat*

I have always loved pie. I love making it. I love eating it. But I have never gotten the Holy Grail of crusts down perfectly, and in my mind, that's a lard-based crust.

I want to be the Empress of Pie Crust. I want to be able to whip a perfect pie crust together with nothing more than two knives, some fat, and some flour. Come hell or high humidity. No food processors. No tricksy vodka recipes, just the basics, like our grammas used to make.

I told A today that I was going to make a pie a week for a year until I got it right. She said (and rightly so) "That's a lotta pies!" Well, that's a price I'll have to pay I guess. One hopes it won't take a year...

Like my friend Julie, I'm going to work my way through some pie books until I get it absolutely right. And I may blog about it, in the most blantantly copying way (that girl had a bestselling book and a Nora Ephron movie, all I want is perfect pie crust.) Right now I am using Southern Pies by Nancie McDermott, and started with her lard recipe and a buttermilk pie.

A friend commented on Facebook "Must be something to do with leftover holiday provisions. Or so said Mrs. McGuiver when she made the same yesterday." And well, yes. There was the larger part of a quart of buttermilk in the fridge about to hit its expiry date, so buttermilk pie it is.

Never made it before. Have made all sorts of chess pies, most especially my Chocolate Chess Pie, but hadn't tried buttermilk before.

I will note that either a) I didn't roll the crust out thin enough or b) the recipe needs expanding a bit, but I didn't get enough crust along the top to make it purty and fluted, so it looks rather ragged. But I picked a wee bit off the edge and it tastes divine!

So I'm going to do some math (argh) and increase the recipe about 25% before next weekend, when I'll try again with a different filling. But for now, here's the Buttermilk pie as it cools:

*And thanks to my friend Melissa, who says "Two Knives and Some Fat" would make an awesome book title." Or, at least a good one for a blog post to get started, anyway. Thanks Melissa!

The Book Bag

I have always been a voracious reader. As a child, I preferred reading to almost any other activity (except maybe riding horses.) I remember one time my father came into my room (which faced the street), pointed out the window and said "Why don't you go out and play with the other kids?"

"But Dad, I'm reading!" I replied. I couldn't grasp how he didn't understand that sometimes there was nothing more absorbing than a good book.

I was lucky in that regard, because I come from a long line of dedicated readers. My mother's family all read, all the time. My Aunt D jokes about how boring we are when we're together on New Year's Eve, because we're all typically absorbed in books, and it takes a real effort to rouse oneself in order to get champagne and drink toasts.

One of the best things my Mom did when I was very small was create two things: The Book Box, and The Book Bag.

The Book Box was a large metal storage box that lived under the bed in the guest room, and which locked. In it were all sorts of amazing books, which she doled out as needed: when one was ill, if one had done well at school; if it was a week of rain on a vacation, that sort of thing. They were always special; perhaps fabulous picture books of Russian Fairy Tales; one of a series of books like the Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder, things like that. I was never disappointed with anything Mom gave me from the Book Box.

The other wonderful tradition she created was The Book Bag. The Book Bag was always the very best part of Christmas, and was opened last. Mom was a master shopper, and was able to find a bunch of books that were just the perfect thing for each of us. Fairy tales, SF, and fantasy books for me; mysteries and puzzles for G; history and biographies for B.

It became such a cherished part of my childhood that when I had children I continued the tradition (bolstered by books Mom sent for the girls, of course.) Even now, the girls say it's the best part of Christmas, and we always open our Book Bags last. You know if you picked the right things, because everyone goes silent as they delve into their books, and wander off to chairs around the house to settle in and read.

Or, in the case of my cowboy husband, he and A set up a rope-tying practice session with a set of halter rope and a dining room chair, after he got Ashley's Book of Knots in his Book Bag this year. You know you live on a farm when...

I feel my Mom's presence often, but never more so on Christmas morning as everyone is opening their Book Bags. It's a tradition I know my own girls will pass along to their children, and I am already making lists of books to buy for them (in good time, all in good time.)

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a very Happy New Year to everyone from us at the farm.

Beware: The BYC Owns Your Photos

Yes, that's right. The BYC owns whatever photos and messages you post in their online forum, but it wasn't always that way. I will explain.

I joined the Backyard Chickens Forum back in 2008. At that time, when I signed up, the Terms of Service (TOS) said one thing. Now, it says another. And in the interim, changes have been made to it, which were not sent to members, and which significantly impact how one should post things there.

A little background: I am a professional photographer (among other things.) I have a BFA in photography from Syracuse University. I had my first photo published in 1980, as the cover of a national magazine (National Fisherman.) I have sold my photographs on and off since then, and value the copyright on my images.

I am also a freelance writer, have been for many, many years. Had my first article published in a book in 1990, and I hold copyright on my articles as well.

I would never willingly sign away copyright to any photo or article to anyone for free without some sort of benefit to someone. For a number of years I have written articles (and submitted photos) to Backyard Poultry Magazine (which has no connection to the BYC, by the way), in exchange for a free advertisement for the American Bantam Association. For most of that time, I received no payment for those articles, but I do now due to a change in ownership.

But I digress. The point of this is, as a professional, I would never sign a TOS in which I would agree to turn over the rights to the things I posted, photos or other content, to a forum website. So when I joined the BYC back in '08, I am certain no such provision was in their TOS at that time.

Not long ago I decided to leave the BYC (why is the topic for another blog post.) Before I did, I had asked a Moderator there to just delete my account and all my photos. Here is his reply:

"As for deleting an account, BYC has no delete option.  All photos and content forever remain property of BYC.  Just part of the signing up, user agreement."

You can imagine my surprise and dismay. WHAT?! I emailed back for clarification. No response. I emailed one of the Admins, asking to be sent the TOS as it existed when I joined the BYC back in 2008. No response again, and when I tried to log in subsequently, I found my account had been banned. 

Wow. Just wow. And here's the thing: most websites, when they change their privacy policies/TOSs, send out an email at least annually to their members, letting them know about the changes. Major changes will often get a separate email. So that if a member disagrees with the new TOS, they can remove themselves from the site. The BYC never did this, ever, in my entire time there. Pretty sneaky, IMO.

I actually queried several lawyer friends of mine, and the response was, even if it's a bad agreement, if you agree to it, it will likely stand up in court. So despite me never giving the BYC permission to own my photos and articles when I joined, because they changed their TOS on the sly, now they own my stuff. And they can use it any way they want, for whatever they want.

I will note that the BYC has a calendar they produce, which I presume is made with members photos. And I also presume, due to the TOS, none of the members whose photos are used get compensation for their pics. Which to me is just despicable.

So I warn all of you who are members of the BYC, don't post anything there that you want to retain copyright to, not photos, not articles, nada. Because once it's on the BYC, they own it forever, and you'll never get a dime out of them. And if you ask for clarification on this change, they'll ban your account forever.

Charming business practice by arguably the largest chicken related forum on the Internet.

I will note that the ShowBirdBid forum has no such draconian policies, and is filled with excellent information and knowledgeable people who are more than willing to help folks learn more about poultry. I encourage anyone who is seeking a good online source for poultry info to check it out today. As well, there are a number of good groups on Facebook in which you can participate, not the least of which is the Show Poultry Group, and for those interested in Buckeyes, the American Buckeye Poultry Club group.

And in those places, you'll have no worries that your photos will turn up in a calendar or book or something, and you won't be paid for their use. Just good people and great info.

Color in Buckeyes

The proper color for Buckeyes has been a bone of contention between breeders for a number of years now. A lot of people think that the Standard of Perfection for Buckeyes, as it is written today, is wrong, and hearken back to the words of the founder of the breed, Nettie Metcalf.

In an article she wrote for Poultry Success Magazine in 1917, Nettie stated "The Buckeye should be as much darker in color than the accepted Rhode Island Red as the Rhode Island Red is darker than the Buff breeds. Their plumage should be so dark as to male as to look almost black in some lights, garnet red being as near a description as I can give."

And until now, I had never had any images from that era to go by, to determine the actual color of the RIR's she was comparing them to. But I found one! This plate is from a book from 1912*, by F.E. Wright, and shows a number of different breeds of the time, including the RIRs at the middle right.
(Note this image has not been color corrected in any way, what you see is what was scanned. Just a small amount of retouching was done to remove extraneous dirt.)

It's fascinating to compare the color of those birds with that of the other Buff birds on the page, as they really aren't that much darker!

But then when we look at the BB Red Game bird (yes, in that picture it's a bantam, but shows the accepted color for what were then called "Indian Game" birds, which she says she used to create the Buckeye.)

That color is a darker, glossier red than the Rhode Island Red of the day. And that may be where Nettie got the color she was looking for at the time for her Buckeyes, that "garnet red" color she loved.

Currently, some folks are, in my opinion, going off the deep end when it comes to color. They have pushed their Buckeyes to get so dark that they lose that lovely glow, and turn a muddy brown.

Yes, in some light, properly colored Buckeyes look almost black. The photo at the left (not the best focus, because I took it with my phone) shows a cockerel of mine at a show this past fall. He looks "almost black" in that light. But in daylight he is a lovely, glowing red, just like the garnet Nettie was striving for.

It's also important to note that the Standard of Perfection of today calls for a color that is "rich mahogany bay." Certainly, the old RIR's were nowhere near that color. They were much lighter than the "garnet red" Nettie bred for. And just because RIR's have gotten darker over the years, doesn't mean the Buckeye should go any darker than what the Standard calls for now, despite what some folks say is "Nettie's vision." We can see illustrated above what she was striving for, although bear in mind there are different colors of garnets out there too, all you have to do is Google "garnet red" and click the Images tab to see the different shades available that all fall under "red."

But I think it's important for folks not to get lost in what they think Nettie wanted, after all, no one has a Ouiji Board they can use to talk to her and get a photo of an exact bird she'd like. But we can use illustrations from the time she was creating and breeding the birds to guide us, so we don't lose our way.

*Note, the original of this image is no longer under copyright, but my retouched version now is under my copyright. Please do not right-click or otherwise "share" this image. Thanks.