Denim Deb Hay, hay, hay. Thank the Lord!

[Denim Deb]

It's moving day! Or, at least I hope it is. I have everything I need to finish the pens-including the chain and clips for hanging the feeders and waterers. The labels are off of them (vegetable shortening works GREAT for getting glue off of plastic), the screw eyes are in place to hang them, so it's just a matter of figuring out how long to make the chains and cutting them.

I plan on getting to the farm at around 9:00. Then, I'm going to get the cable ties on the fence I just put up, then work on getting the dirt on the rest of the inside of that pen. Then I need to get up the rest of the fence, and get the cable ties on, then the dirt. I have some 2x4s to put along the top and will get them up. I don't have enough, but I can get them later and get them in place. In places, I used longer 4x4s, and some of them are up more than 6 ft., so I'll have to cut them a bit. Then, I'll make the gates.

Hubby is planning to stop after work to help me get the gates up. I'm using piano hinges and he prefers to help me cut them. If I don't have the mesh up by then, he can help me w/that as well. Then, I can bring the chickens down! I'll probably make several trips, but that's OK. It will be easier to get them if it's a bit later. They'll be roosting, so I can hopefully grab them w/out much trouble.

I get that done, and I can finally get the fence done and get the goat and the sheep out. That will be so nice. I don't want them, and the goat will eat feed if I don't keep an eye on it.

Then, I'll just need to get my RP up, and get my shed moved down. Everything else I need to do down there can be done little by little as I have the time and money.

 

[Denim Deb]

I got to the farm all set to really get a lot done and get everything all ready for hubby to help me w/the gates. Then I walked into my area. And, the area where I need to unroll the fence was just too wet and muddy for me to do anything w/the fence! It was so wet, it had puddles! Not exactly what I wanted to be working in. So, Moving Day has been pushed back to Saturday at the earliest, Monday at the latest. It's going to depend on how long it takes for it to dry out there. (Plus, I'm not sure where I put my bolt cutters.)

Since there was just no way I could work on getting the fencing up, I worked instead on stuff I'd planned on doing later. When I put the fence up, I had just too big a space between posts. Because of that, I could not get the fence as tight as I wanted it. Plus, I want to put 2x4s all along the top so I can staple the mesh down. I may eventually put furring strips on top to hold it down even better. So, I cut some shorter 4x4s to 6 ft., then put them up where I should have put posts. I couldn't put them in the ground, but I did staple the fence to it. Then, I started working on putting the 2x4s on top. I hadn't bought any, but had some that I got years ago, and never used. They had been out in the weather for awhile, so they weren't in the greatest shape. So, I figured this was a good way to use them.

I had 1 that was 10 ft. long and figured that that was the right size for going along the front to the opening to the gate. Only problem being, 2 of them didn't have a wide enough opening. So, since the ground was so soft, I was able to pull those posts out, and make the opening wider. Then, I took a short piece of 2x4 and screwed that above the opening for the gate. That way, when I put the fence up, I shouldn't have to worry about the fence pulling the 4x4. I may, as an added precaution since the ground is so wet, screw another piece in down lower, then remove it once the fence is up. I ran out of 2x4s B4 I got done. But, I only need to put up 6 more-including 2-10 ft. ones and one small piece about 5 ft. for the one pen. Other than the 10 ft. ones, I think I have what I need to finish.

I also need 3 more 2x3s for the gates. I thought I had enough small piece, but don't. So, I'll be going to Lowes hopefully tomorrow and getting what I need to finish. I'm going to work on my goat/chicken house tomorrow. That way, I'll be able to see if I have everything I need for that as well. I don't want to go to Lowes until I know if I need anything else.

 

[Denim Deb]

Today was a do almost nothing day. Hubby and I went out to breakfast, then went to Harbor Freight, Dollar Tree, then home. It was colder, breezy and cloudy, so I didn't feel like going out in it. So, I stayed in the house until hubby decided to go out and work on my truck. He thinks he's finally figured out what's wrong w/it-it needs a new carriage bearing. I don't have a clue as to what that is, but he should be able to replace it, so hopefully I can get my truck back soon.

While he was working on the truck, I split up some wood and filled the wood holder, then fed the animals and went to the farm and fed.

I don't know what all I'm going to do. I'm hoping to get up early and do most, if not all, of my chicken/goat house. It's going to get cold next week, so I need to get this done as well as finish my chicken pen out at the farm. At least w/the colder weather and the wind we're supposed to be getting, it should dry things out at the farm.

 

[Denim Deb]

It's cold out there! It got much colder than they were calling for, 23*! I'm waiting for it to warm up just a bit, then I'm going out. At least if I get cold, I can come back in the house.

Hubby is waiting for it to warm up as well. He needs it warmer than I do since he'll be on the ground. It would be nice to have my truck back today. I may wait until Monday to worry about the fence. By then, w/the colder weather, the mud should be pretty much dried up and I'll be able to do the fencing w/out any problems.

 

[Britesea]

Hope you can get that fence done soon!

 

[Denim Deb]

You and me both!

I didn't get as far as I would have liked to. I got out later than I'd planned to because of how cold it was. Then, I had some problems. First off, I needed to move a cattle panel so I could get the house where I wanted. It wasn't easy. And, the goats got out while I was attempting it. I was finally able to get the back in the pen. Then I had trouble getting the framing done. It wasn't until after I had part of the framing fall apart that I realized how I should have done it. I tried screwing the 2x4s for the bottom frame onto the 4x4s I'm using for uprights. Only problem being, I couldn't quite figure out how to get them on. Hubby suggested going from the sides rather than the bottom like I was trying to do. So, I tried to stand up what I had-only to have the screws pull out and some bend. That's when I came up w/the idea of screwing the bottom frame together, then toenailing the 4x4s onto it. The front "wall" had stayed together, so I used this method for the back "wall".

W/that done, I went in for a minute, then helped hubby w/the truck for a bit, then went back to work. W/the bottom, the back and the front framed out, I got the top of the frame on both the front and the back. I have a small window to put in, and I started working to get that framed out when I ran out of screws! It had taken me longer to get to this point than I'd planned because of the late start and the trouble I had in the beginning. So, I packed everything up. I needed to go to TSC for feed and hoped to get more screws. They were out of what I needed. So, I don't know what I'm going to do.

Got out to the farm, got the horses fed, found my bolt cutters, got the feed in the can and bagged feed, then went to take care of the chickens.

Since it had been so cold this morning, I had told KN to let my chickens out so they could get some water instead of ice. By the time I got to them, they were roosting. And 3 of them were on top of the pen again! I had a horrible time getting them off and getting them where they belonged, but finally did it.

I'm hoping that hubby has some screws of the size I need. If he has them, I'll do as much as I can tomorrow after church. If he doesn't, I'll have to wait until later in the week to work on this. It's going to be too cold on Monday and Tuesday to caulk and paint, so if I don't get done tomorrow, I'd have to wait until Wednesday.

I may have my truck back tomorrow afternoon. DS is supposed to come over tomorrow and help hubby. I hope he does. Monday morning I'll be heading to Lowes early to get the 2x3s I need. I should be done my pens then.

 

[Denim Deb]

As much as I want to get done the goat/chicken house, I think I'm going to wait until later in the week. First off, I don't have the screws I need. 2ndly, I looked at the forecast. After today, we're going to have 2 days that are close to freezing. So, I'm thinking the ground is probably going to freeze. And while it will be warmer later in the week, I don't know that it will be enough for the ground to thaw out. So, I'm going to work hard in my garden and flower garden this afternoon. Then later in the week, I can finish the goat/chicken house. I can work on getting it all ready for painting/caulking and work on the fence.

So today after church, I'll come home and work on getting the gardens weeded and stuff moved around. I'll leave for the farm around 3:30. I have to dig a trench so I can bury the tubing w/the electric fence in it that I'm running to the chicken pen, so I need to get that done today.

Then tomorrow, first off, I'll be running to Lowes and getting the wood I need as well as the screws. I'll finish the chicken pen first off-I hope. Tuesday after Bible study, I plan to go to a tack store that's closing and seeing if there's anything I need. Then come Wednesday, I should be able to get back to a regular schedule of cleaning, etc. I don't know that I'll get to the fencing and RP now or not. It's going to depend on what the weather is like for next week.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Hope it all works out for you! Stay warm!

 

[Denim Deb]

I worked on transplanting my asparagus today. I've been wanting to do it for years, but was never able to. I never had the time at the right time of the year, so what I tried to move didn't grow. I'm hoping I got it all. It is now in my flower garden and the roots look nice and healthy. I still need to do my rhubarb. I've moved some, but again, it was at the wrong time of the year, so it didn't really grow. It will give me more room to plant other stuff.

 

[Denim Deb]

Going to be a busy day. I need to fix Misty's blanket B4 I leave. It's going to get cold, so I want to groom everyone and put their blanket on them. I need to do dishes and put away a ton of laundry.

Then, I need to grab my tools and take them w/me. I need to head to Lowes and get the wood I need. I'll be measuring the jeep and seeing if I can put 10 ft. 2x4s in it. I probably can't, but I can at least check. I'll also stop at TSC and see if I can't get 3 of the black, rubber bowls. They work great for water at this time of year as long as they're in the sun.

Once I get to the farm and have everyone fed, I'll get right to work on the chicken pens. My hope is to have it all done today. If I do, I can move my chickens down today! If I have enough time when I get home, I can move my rhubarb. Then I have to do a little bit of wood so I can fill up my wood holder in the basement. I think I'm going to be tired.