frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
So sorry you're dealing with that...
wyodreamer - we're not in Wyo any more
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baymule
Sustainability Master
Pat yourself on the back for getting done what you can do. Chemo really drags you down. Hope you heal up and are done with this soon.
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wyoDreamer
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It's been a year since I finished radiation. Doctor said that I am still healing and to give it time ... but I need to get things done. Only way to get back to action is to get in motion!
Bought a 40 pound box of cat litter for the barn. Hoping to set up a litterbox and see if these little farts will learn to use it. I am gong to clean up all the hay on the lower level of the barn and they will not have any place to poop anymore!
4 of the 7 chicks somehow got out of the brooder and onto the floor of the mini-coop. I managed to get them back upstairs, lol. They are not quite as afraid of me now as they were before the lift home. I am trying to get them more comforable with me. This morning they actually came up and drank while I still had the door open - pretty brave of them.
I think the Sapphire Gems are going to be really pretty. I just love the eyeliner they have. The 2 EE that i have left are almost the same color as the others, it will be interesting to see what they look like. I wonder if the sign was wrong and they are Sapphire Gems also.
Hope to get some building done on the chicken tractor. DH is probably going to focus on the garden fence - which would be good to get done also. So much summer to do list and so little summer left.
It is getting close to Meat Bird raising time. If I get them now, I will be butchering at the end of October and it should still be decent weather for butchering outside. Maybe a touch cold, but I will do them during the day next time. Last butchering was done in the evening and it got a bit cold there at the end.
Bought a 40 pound box of cat litter for the barn. Hoping to set up a litterbox and see if these little farts will learn to use it. I am gong to clean up all the hay on the lower level of the barn and they will not have any place to poop anymore!
4 of the 7 chicks somehow got out of the brooder and onto the floor of the mini-coop. I managed to get them back upstairs, lol. They are not quite as afraid of me now as they were before the lift home. I am trying to get them more comforable with me. This morning they actually came up and drank while I still had the door open - pretty brave of them.
I think the Sapphire Gems are going to be really pretty. I just love the eyeliner they have. The 2 EE that i have left are almost the same color as the others, it will be interesting to see what they look like. I wonder if the sign was wrong and they are Sapphire Gems also.
Hope to get some building done on the chicken tractor. DH is probably going to focus on the garden fence - which would be good to get done also. So much summer to do list and so little summer left.
It is getting close to Meat Bird raising time. If I get them now, I will be butchering at the end of October and it should still be decent weather for butchering outside. Maybe a touch cold, but I will do them during the day next time. Last butchering was done in the evening and it got a bit cold there at the end.
frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
True that! It's that attitude that will keep you going!
You've got me thinking about meat chicks....ugh, lol! But, raising them in the fall and butchering before real winter makes sense in our climate.
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wyoDreamer
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I can't get meat chicks until I get these Sapphire Gems and EE's out of the brooder. Maybe I can split it into 2. Instead of letting them have the entire coop, just give them the lower level and a low roost down there. Then the CC's can start in the upper level ...
When we bought the place, the previous owner left us one of those store bought coops for 4 hens. It is 28" wide and about 6.5' long. I use the "coop" part for my brooder - place a momma-heating pad in the nest box area and block off the doorway out and it is perfect size for about 3 weeks for up to 10 chicks. At 3 weeks, they are old enough to figure out how to use the ramp to get back to the sleeping area at night, so I will remove whatever is blocking the door and move the food and water "downstairs". The whole little brooder coop sits in one of the stalls in the barn, so the temps are fairly moderated - cooler in summer and warmer in winter. I have taken off the roof and used an old wooden screen door as a roof. That door was broken and I am building a new roof that is machine fabric so they can have more ventilation - right now I have an old window on top to keep the peeps in. I like that they have natural light that way.
When the broilers got large enough last year, I just removed the doors to the run area of the "Coop" and they had the entire stall area to run around in. It works out pretty well.
When we bought the place, the previous owner left us one of those store bought coops for 4 hens. It is 28" wide and about 6.5' long. I use the "coop" part for my brooder - place a momma-heating pad in the nest box area and block off the doorway out and it is perfect size for about 3 weeks for up to 10 chicks. At 3 weeks, they are old enough to figure out how to use the ramp to get back to the sleeping area at night, so I will remove whatever is blocking the door and move the food and water "downstairs". The whole little brooder coop sits in one of the stalls in the barn, so the temps are fairly moderated - cooler in summer and warmer in winter. I have taken off the roof and used an old wooden screen door as a roof. That door was broken and I am building a new roof that is machine fabric so they can have more ventilation - right now I have an old window on top to keep the peeps in. I like that they have natural light that way.
When the broilers got large enough last year, I just removed the doors to the run area of the "Coop" and they had the entire stall area to run around in. It works out pretty well.
frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
Sounds like a good set up. I've got a brooder in the garage - but I tend to leave them in there way too long because I don't have a good "in-between" place for them. Chickens here just get kicked out when I think they're big enough to survive - but I really need a safe teenage chicken pen!
Lately I have used an 8 x 8 storage building several times and it works pretty good. I just need to make it more permanent and chicken friendly.
Lately I have used an 8 x 8 storage building several times and it works pretty good. I just need to make it more permanent and chicken friendly.
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wyoDreamer
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I think I missed my opportunity to make applesauce. We still have 3 quarts and 2 pints from last year, so it is not a horrible loss. Apples were ripe the second week of August this year. All teh trees were light on apples, the crab apple included. I think the cool spring was the issue, the trees didn't really bloom that heavily.
Once I have a pantry cabinet in the kitchen, we will be much better about using what I preserve.
I still have 4 quarts of tomatoes and juice from last year also. If I manage to get outside and pull weeds, I may be able to salvage some tomatoes to harvest and preserve. I did manage to get some peas this year, so that was a plus.
I did have DH text our friends that built an apple grinder and bought a press. They bugged me all winter about getting my excess apples so they could make cider. They couldn't make it the first weekend when the apples were starting to ripen, and never heard from the last weekend. I told them that there was only a 2 week window for these trees. I can't make the apples slow down ripening, get them when they are ready or not at all. I will be sweeping up all the apple falls and moving them to the compost pile in the field.
Once I have a pantry cabinet in the kitchen, we will be much better about using what I preserve.
I still have 4 quarts of tomatoes and juice from last year also. If I manage to get outside and pull weeds, I may be able to salvage some tomatoes to harvest and preserve. I did manage to get some peas this year, so that was a plus.
I did have DH text our friends that built an apple grinder and bought a press. They bugged me all winter about getting my excess apples so they could make cider. They couldn't make it the first weekend when the apples were starting to ripen, and never heard from the last weekend. I told them that there was only a 2 week window for these trees. I can't make the apples slow down ripening, get them when they are ready or not at all. I will be sweeping up all the apple falls and moving them to the compost pile in the field.
Lazy Gardener
Super Self-Sufficient
That's my dilemma with all produce. I don't get it all harvested during "that window".
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wyoDreamer
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This year I diversified. Part of my garden area has 2 rose bushes (on clearance for $8 each), a row of gladiolus (clearance priced 50% off) and a corner of ever-bearing strawberries.
Lazy Gardener
Super Self-Sufficient
It's nice to get stuff at drastic price reduction.
