carmen is right. They sound like textbook Cornish X. They need to have their feed rationed, you cannot leave the feed in front of them all the time. If they were on their way to the slaughterhouse, they must be old enough to process--if you keep them alive much longer, their bodies will get too heavy for their legs to support and they will either go down on their hocks, or their legs will break. Because of this, it's cruel to keep Cornish Cross birds alive past their slaughter age. The messy condition, poor feathering and jammed-together-like-sardines thing is VERY typical of Cornish X birds, that's how they are raised, and have been specifically bred by humans to be this way--lots of meat in the shortest amount of time. They ARE very sweet and docile birds. More info and pictures of the breed here: http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Broil/BRKMeat.html Best thing to do for them is to continue their trip to the slaughterhouse. Thank your fellow humans for creating these monsters. :( Velvet ~:>

Sure you can compost salsa. You can compost ice cream, yogurt, orange juice, chocolate (although composting chocolate would be a crime), brownies, rotten eggs, etc. The only things a home gardender should not compost are things that are poisonous/toxic like the eucalyptus or coral tree/plant, oleander, any plant that has the word poison in it (poison ivy/oak) etc.; meat products like leftover hambergers that did not get eaten for dinner; bio sludge (human or animal waste); or anything that has a needle or thorn like cacti (cati are also toxic), roses, bougainvillea, etc. It takes a long time for the needles to decompose. I do not want to reach into my compost and get stabbed by half decomposed thorns. I heard of a guy who tried it and it was a disaster. Many types of thistles are both thorny and toxic so I stay totally clear of these as well. When it comes to toxicity there are gredations - from 1 (major toxicity) to 5 (animal toxicity). If a plant is toxic to humans it should be assumed it is also toxic to animals even though not all plants that are toxic to animals are toxic to humans (chocolate is deadly to dogs, but a ambrosia to humans). Some plants like the oleander are very toxic (roots, stems, and leaves) while some are only mildly so (hollyhock). But just to be cautious I don't compost any of them. For most of the really toxic plants composting does not inactivate the poison. As long as you have a pile that has a good mix of nitrogen to carbon with good air flow and the right amount of moisture you can compost anything. The bacteria and fungi don't care what it is - if it is organic they will break it down. Tom

Hi, Some vines have tendrils, like Clematis for example, that grab onto a trellis, fence etc and grow up. Others like virginia creeper have disks that adhere to structures. Some need to be trained and mounted to the trellis, like climbing roses. It all depends on which vine you get. You may have to start it out by training it around, or it will do its own thing. the little wood trellis is just to support the small vine until you plant it and it has something bigger to climb. Good luck, and let us know which vine you choose! Bet it will be beautiful. Jen

They should be fine stored for several months in the ziploc. If you live in a cold climate you could always keep them in the garage. My garage in the winter is like one big frig! If you don't have a garage, then choose the coolest cupboard you have.