Marianne
Super Self-Sufficient
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- rural Abilene, KS, 67410 USA
Good points, colowyo and SD.
MyKidLuvsGreenEgz .. .. COLORADO IS BURNING
- Thread starter MyKidLuvsGreenEgz
- Start date
Farmfresh
City Biddy
I am with you on this one Abi... AND I have personally lost thousands of dollars in the past doing just this thing. It is VERY irritating when the vultures come out - not fair at all and totally wrong - still I personally would rather let the vultures feed alone. (If need be I shoot them later!abifae said:
(figuratively speaking ... of COURSE!)
abifae
Abinormal Butterfly
Technically, it's not a loss. It's a lack of potential gain.Farmfresh said:I am with you on this one Abi... AND I have personally lost thousands of dollars in the past doing just this thing. It is VERY irritating when the vultures come out - not fair at all and totally wrong - still I personally would rather let the vultures feed alone. (If need be I shoot them later!
Very different concepts. I'm much more likely to fight to not lose something. But only a potential gain? It doesn't even exist in this here-now yet, so no big.
It's like the difference between cost, price, and sunk-costs
- Thread starter
- #364
MyKidLuvsGreenEgz
Lovin' The Homestead
Hubby wants to wait a week or two before contacting a lawyer. It's his family. His decision. I've resigned myself to the possibility that we might not get even a penny... so if we get anything, we'll be pleasantly surprised.
But I'll fight the second Hubby gives me the ok.
On to other things:
Finally cooling off here. Got some rain last night, so my squash have perked up. Didn't get a regular watering for the last two weeks because my one outdoor faucet started leaking inside the house. Took 2 weeks, with everything that was going on, to fix it. Of course, now the tomato plants are practically dead, and since the goats and chickens ate almost everything anyway, no great big loss. I think I have a FEW squash plants left.
Hubby mentioned hearing somewhere that people who want to earn extra income rent out rooms, like a B&B. There's an annual rodeo nearby, and sometimes a huge golf tournament. Otherwise, wouldn't be worth us to rent out a bedroom. Too much work (finish painting, cleaning, the kid and his meltdowns) plus people seeing my stuff. I like my stuff. I like my privacy.
BUT thinking about a labyrinth. Kinda like a meditation garden. I wanted to use part of our front acre for berry brambles anyway. Wanted thorny blackberries and raspberries. Maybe we could make a maze / labyrinth out of the thorny brambles, with the center being a quiet protected sitting area with a rose bush or something in the middle. Kinda like walking through a thorny maze, contemplating the ouch factor versus the sweet deliciousness of berries. Have to be "in the moment" so you don't get scratched.
Would people drive an hour to go through our labyrinth? They drive out to buy chickens!
PLUS they wouldn't need to come inside. Just drive up, pay a $5 or $10 fee, and enter the labyrinth.
ETA: OR would this be called a maze? (Much less romantic-sounding.)
Surely insurance wouldn't be too expensive for this? Would I even need any more than basic homeowners?
Thoughts?
But I'll fight the second Hubby gives me the ok.
On to other things:
Finally cooling off here. Got some rain last night, so my squash have perked up. Didn't get a regular watering for the last two weeks because my one outdoor faucet started leaking inside the house. Took 2 weeks, with everything that was going on, to fix it. Of course, now the tomato plants are practically dead, and since the goats and chickens ate almost everything anyway, no great big loss. I think I have a FEW squash plants left.
Hubby mentioned hearing somewhere that people who want to earn extra income rent out rooms, like a B&B. There's an annual rodeo nearby, and sometimes a huge golf tournament. Otherwise, wouldn't be worth us to rent out a bedroom. Too much work (finish painting, cleaning, the kid and his meltdowns) plus people seeing my stuff. I like my stuff. I like my privacy.
BUT thinking about a labyrinth. Kinda like a meditation garden. I wanted to use part of our front acre for berry brambles anyway. Wanted thorny blackberries and raspberries. Maybe we could make a maze / labyrinth out of the thorny brambles, with the center being a quiet protected sitting area with a rose bush or something in the middle. Kinda like walking through a thorny maze, contemplating the ouch factor versus the sweet deliciousness of berries. Have to be "in the moment" so you don't get scratched.
Would people drive an hour to go through our labyrinth? They drive out to buy chickens!
PLUS they wouldn't need to come inside. Just drive up, pay a $5 or $10 fee, and enter the labyrinth.
ETA: OR would this be called a maze? (Much less romantic-sounding.)
Surely insurance wouldn't be too expensive for this? Would I even need any more than basic homeowners?
Thoughts?
- Thread starter
- #365
MyKidLuvsGreenEgz
Lovin' The Homestead
Been racking our brains trying to figure out how to keep our bantams (especially the silkies) from freezing to death this winter. Were going to put in the garage but with everything brought back from FIL's farm and our normal junk, don't have room yet.
Did a little more research on keeping chickens warm and found this link: http://groups.google.com/group/Mad-City-Chickens/browse_thread/thread/d37cbd50a2b263c6?pli=1 .. very interesting.
Right now we have the chickens housed in 6x10x6'tall chain link dog kennels (standards) and 6x6x4'tall dog kennels (bantams). We had a few boards and shower curtains on the sides. Tarps across the top, supported (kinda) by boards they don't hold up to rain, let alone the heavy snows we get late winter. Got down to negative 35 a few times last winter. Didn't lose anyone last winter but a black australorp roo with a huge beautiful red comb lost most of it to frostbite.
Had a problem with frozen water bowls tho.
This year we're putting boards ALL around the kennel (but NO board on the chain-link door which faces south ... and ... maybe won't put boards on that front side at all!) Cut a few holes for ventilation, and other holes to hold plexiglas sheets for windows. Then we're putting posts (probably t-posts), 3 to a side, to support a horizontal wood post, to hold up a sheet/board then maybe glue some styrofoam sheets on it (have lots) for insulation, then add tin roofing. Have a natural slope downward to a garden area. Maybe throw a little of the used goat's hay on the floor. Not much. All in all, it should keep them drier this winter.
Hoping to work on this this weekend.
Gonna work on that labyrinth/maze plan too.
Did a little more research on keeping chickens warm and found this link: http://groups.google.com/group/Mad-City-Chickens/browse_thread/thread/d37cbd50a2b263c6?pli=1 .. very interesting.
Right now we have the chickens housed in 6x10x6'tall chain link dog kennels (standards) and 6x6x4'tall dog kennels (bantams). We had a few boards and shower curtains on the sides. Tarps across the top, supported (kinda) by boards they don't hold up to rain, let alone the heavy snows we get late winter. Got down to negative 35 a few times last winter. Didn't lose anyone last winter but a black australorp roo with a huge beautiful red comb lost most of it to frostbite.
Had a problem with frozen water bowls tho.
This year we're putting boards ALL around the kennel (but NO board on the chain-link door which faces south ... and ... maybe won't put boards on that front side at all!) Cut a few holes for ventilation, and other holes to hold plexiglas sheets for windows. Then we're putting posts (probably t-posts), 3 to a side, to support a horizontal wood post, to hold up a sheet/board then maybe glue some styrofoam sheets on it (have lots) for insulation, then add tin roofing. Have a natural slope downward to a garden area. Maybe throw a little of the used goat's hay on the floor. Not much. All in all, it should keep them drier this winter.
Hoping to work on this this weekend.
Gonna work on that labyrinth/maze plan too.
colowyo0809
Lovin' The Homestead
before we gave the ducks away, I was planning on surrounding their house with straw bales for the extra insulation, and then cutting holes in the walls near the roof for ventilation. we don't leave any of the coops totally open because of racoons and such, but it's a good way to compromiseMyKidLuvsGreenEgz said:
- Thread starter
- #367
MyKidLuvsGreenEgz
Lovin' The Homestead
Good idea but the next time the goats escape, they'll find the straw bales and eat them. Down comes the house!
We bought boards and hope to work on the chicken houses in the next couple of weeks.
Took a long look at finances and boy howdy these trips to FIL's farm and the funeral cost us every penny we'd set aside for emergencies, for propane for this winter, and groceries. We're broke, with no influx in sight except normal pays. Tightening our belts. Decided to NOT take the chickens for processing, in hopes to sell the extra eggs we're starting to get. Hoping they'll pay for their own feed and we can save up again for processing.
Two of our cockerels started crowing on the same day although they hatched a month or so apart. One is a black australorp scheduled for the freezer, and another is Stripes, a cuckoo marans who is being encouraged to be head of the meat/dual-purpose group. Stripes is a little shy, doesn't do the rooster "i found food" call and doesn't watch for predators but we're hoping he'll learn. He's the only guy in that group.
On the very same day... one of our silkies must have laid an egg because there was this beautiful little cream-colored egg was in the bantam house, beside 2 green (egger) eggs. So beautiful I almost don't want to eat it.
Decided that we'll sell the "normal" sized eggs, and keep the bantam eggs for us to eat. We have 14 bantam girls: silkies and eggers. That'll keep US in eggs; that's for sure!
With about 35 full-sized girls, we now get about 8-10 standard-sized eggs a day but that should increase as they continue to mature. Soon will advertise eggs for sale on CL.
Fixed Hubby 4 bantam eggs for breakfast this morning, plus 2 pieces of toast. He needed the protein: he's manifesting his grief through lethargy and exhaustion. Forcing himself to do a few things around the house at night but after the light goes off and we do our nightly whispering talk, he usually starts snoring mid-sentence. And doesn't sleep well.
Oh, wanted to mention that we saw some PBS POV show last night on monsanto and industrialized farming of animals and grains. Sickening. I never never never want to eat another burger from a fast food joint, or buy a pre-packaged pound of ground beef. I have some already in the freezer so I don't plan to waste it but ... will definitely try to find a way to have a couple of dexter cattle here and a couple of small pigs. Just 2 acres but if we put the cattle and pigs in the soon-to-be half-acre orchard, should work. That, and eating less meat.
That's it for now. Have lots to do. I'll try to catch up with reading journals next week.
We bought boards and hope to work on the chicken houses in the next couple of weeks.
Took a long look at finances and boy howdy these trips to FIL's farm and the funeral cost us every penny we'd set aside for emergencies, for propane for this winter, and groceries. We're broke, with no influx in sight except normal pays. Tightening our belts. Decided to NOT take the chickens for processing, in hopes to sell the extra eggs we're starting to get. Hoping they'll pay for their own feed and we can save up again for processing.
Two of our cockerels started crowing on the same day although they hatched a month or so apart. One is a black australorp scheduled for the freezer, and another is Stripes, a cuckoo marans who is being encouraged to be head of the meat/dual-purpose group. Stripes is a little shy, doesn't do the rooster "i found food" call and doesn't watch for predators but we're hoping he'll learn. He's the only guy in that group.
On the very same day... one of our silkies must have laid an egg because there was this beautiful little cream-colored egg was in the bantam house, beside 2 green (egger) eggs. So beautiful I almost don't want to eat it.
Decided that we'll sell the "normal" sized eggs, and keep the bantam eggs for us to eat. We have 14 bantam girls: silkies and eggers. That'll keep US in eggs; that's for sure!
With about 35 full-sized girls, we now get about 8-10 standard-sized eggs a day but that should increase as they continue to mature. Soon will advertise eggs for sale on CL.
Fixed Hubby 4 bantam eggs for breakfast this morning, plus 2 pieces of toast. He needed the protein: he's manifesting his grief through lethargy and exhaustion. Forcing himself to do a few things around the house at night but after the light goes off and we do our nightly whispering talk, he usually starts snoring mid-sentence. And doesn't sleep well.
Oh, wanted to mention that we saw some PBS POV show last night on monsanto and industrialized farming of animals and grains. Sickening. I never never never want to eat another burger from a fast food joint, or buy a pre-packaged pound of ground beef. I have some already in the freezer so I don't plan to waste it but ... will definitely try to find a way to have a couple of dexter cattle here and a couple of small pigs. Just 2 acres but if we put the cattle and pigs in the soon-to-be half-acre orchard, should work. That, and eating less meat.
That's it for now. Have lots to do. I'll try to catch up with reading journals next week.
Bubblingbrooks
Made in Alaska
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Be careful on keeping your chickens warm in winter. If you lose power, or if they want to go outside, they will have some real issues.
Best bet, is to give them good wind protection, and a very carefully secured hover bulb they can go to if they want. Do not heat the room.
We have made an exception to that here, when it hits 30 below. We use a small ceramic heater to raise the temp slightly. About 5 degrees. This is only for a few weeks in winter though. Otherwise, its not used.
Otherwise, we rely on a wood shaving bedding that ends up about 3 feet deep by the end of winter.
Frozen waterers are easy. Buy a battery heating pad and a metal oil pan. Make a hole for the cord, lining it with tape so its not sharp.
Use a good epoxy to adhere the pad to the inside of the pan.
Flip it over, plug it in, and set you waterer on top!
Best bet, is to give them good wind protection, and a very carefully secured hover bulb they can go to if they want. Do not heat the room.
We have made an exception to that here, when it hits 30 below. We use a small ceramic heater to raise the temp slightly. About 5 degrees. This is only for a few weeks in winter though. Otherwise, its not used.
Otherwise, we rely on a wood shaving bedding that ends up about 3 feet deep by the end of winter.
Frozen waterers are easy. Buy a battery heating pad and a metal oil pan. Make a hole for the cord, lining it with tape so its not sharp.
Use a good epoxy to adhere the pad to the inside of the pan.
Flip it over, plug it in, and set you waterer on top!
Bubblingbrooks
Made in Alaska
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double post
- Thread starter
- #370
MyKidLuvsGreenEgz
Lovin' The Homestead
Thanks, BB. Good idea about the battery powered heating pad.
We don't plan to heat the houses. Didn't last year, and it was just tarp-covered. Like I posted earlier, didn't lose anyone, except our biggest rooster with the biggest comb got frostbite. Plus, I'm too cheap to heat their houses. Just got our bill and wow!
We don't plan to heat the houses. Didn't last year, and it was just tarp-covered. Like I posted earlier, didn't lose anyone, except our biggest rooster with the biggest comb got frostbite. Plus, I'm too cheap to heat their houses. Just got our bill and wow!
