Last night I bumped out the plug to the lamps on my way back to the house. It was snowing and getting dark. I didn't notice for about 40 minutes. Thought I screwed them big time as it was snowing and the temp inside the tractor got down to 60F. They were chirping like crazy. Three chicks were freezing, and not very responsive, so once power was on I popped them under the heat lamps and within an hour the perked back up. I found one more that had a pasty butt,that looked like it was going to blow out. This looks like an early version of the guy with his intestines hanging out. He was also pretty unresponsive. I tried watering the vent and keeping him warm. Switched to using peroxide to loosen the clot. I didn't get it cleared out, but cleaned it several times. On my last check I didn't spot him, so he must be mobile, instead of laying down suffering.
Man, I was nervous about that plug all night... kept running out to check on it every 10 minutes, especially as the temps dropped. Everyone survived the night, but one more died in the middle of the day for no apparent reason. It didn't have a dirty bum, so wasn't the one I was worried about last night.
They got visits today from my sister and her kiddos and the woman I'm dating. She stood out there in the freezing cold in a skirt and funky heels, and waited patiently while I cleaned off a few chicky bums. What a trooper.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
new chicks in my life
Just arriving this morning at 7am were 50 new Barred Plymouth Rock chicks. This is a straight run, so I'm not sure how many pullets vs. cockerels there are.
I lost two of them. One just wasn't spunky. He wasn't eating or drinking, or moving around. I kept checking on him and he eventually just petered out on his own. The second I had to put down. His intestine has hanging out of the vent, and other chicks were picking at it. I had to remove him.
Temperature control is my biggest worry. With outside temperatures below freezing, I've covered the chicken tractor and lowered the three heat lamps in side to get at least a few 90F spots for them to warm up in. They squeak in distress when too cold, and it took me all day to figure out the level of noise they make when they are just right temperature wise.
For anyone curious about the brooding conditions; they are being raised in the field in a 4'x12' tractor I made. There are three heat lamps in a 4'x4' section of it, and the whole thing is covered to keep drafts way down. They only use up 1/4 of the tractor at the moment, but I expect as they grow, they will need a second tractor ready in about a month or two.
Outside temps this morning when I put them in the tractor were around 30F, and only getting up to 70F inside. Now, we're running at around 42F outside the tractor and 80F just outside the heat lamp area. Tonight should get down to 20F, so I'm a little concerned about keeping them warm enough, but will be keeping a close watch on them to adjust temps as needed. I've been passing around sugar water to help keep their energy up.
I lost two of them. One just wasn't spunky. He wasn't eating or drinking, or moving around. I kept checking on him and he eventually just petered out on his own. The second I had to put down. His intestine has hanging out of the vent, and other chicks were picking at it. I had to remove him.
Temperature control is my biggest worry. With outside temperatures below freezing, I've covered the chicken tractor and lowered the three heat lamps in side to get at least a few 90F spots for them to warm up in. They squeak in distress when too cold, and it took me all day to figure out the level of noise they make when they are just right temperature wise.
For anyone curious about the brooding conditions; they are being raised in the field in a 4'x12' tractor I made. There are three heat lamps in a 4'x4' section of it, and the whole thing is covered to keep drafts way down. They only use up 1/4 of the tractor at the moment, but I expect as they grow, they will need a second tractor ready in about a month or two.
Outside temps this morning when I put them in the tractor were around 30F, and only getting up to 70F inside. Now, we're running at around 42F outside the tractor and 80F just outside the heat lamp area. Tonight should get down to 20F, so I'm a little concerned about keeping them warm enough, but will be keeping a close watch on them to adjust temps as needed. I've been passing around sugar water to help keep their energy up.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Down with Vegetables
I'm down with vegetables. We get along pretty swell. Though late, yesterday I finally got a hold on a tiller and spent around 9 hours tilling a 40'x100' plot. Today I finished up, and planted about 35 feet of:
* red onions
* yellow onions
* carrots
* cabbage
* 3 types of lettuce
* 2 types of turnips
* radishes
* brussels sprouts
* 3 types of squash
* 2 types of peas
I've left enough room to plant some each week for the next few weeks. I'm late enough that I think I may hit frost. Most of that stuff should be ok up to a certain point with some frosts, and may do just fine if I bury them in straw on the cold snaps. In any case... now it is just time, some watering, and hoeing to see how it turns out.
It has been a few weeks since the last post, and the high spots are:
Spent 2 weeks clearing a box wood grove. It has been invading a hay field for around 5 years and was conveniently located next to a collapsed beaver den on the river side. Plus I needed more wood to finish the chicken coop. I killed 3 birds with one chain saw and time. Cut and cleared a couple hundred fairly straight trunks (about 3 inches diameter average) and stuffed the branches in the collapsed den to help prevent the river and hillside runoff from eroding the area any more. The trunks will help in the coop and some other projects coming up.
Moved a bunch of rock from the fields and hill sides to help prevent some wash out spots on a couple dirt roads through the farm. Some of the rocks around here have some interesting fossils. I'm not sure what they are beyond some kind of shelled creatures.
Spent part of a day building and attempting to use a harrow to drag behind the ATV. I thought I might be able to use it instead of renting a tiller. We've been collecting a lot of trashed lumber, and recycle items. I used a 2"x4" box, some rebar, a piece of rope and some concrete blocks. It worked for a bit, then busted ll to heck. Next time, I'll build the frame special instead of adapting to an already build box frame.
There is a McDonald's going up in town, and Dad has been good about asking the construction guys for trash lumber. We've taken about 4 truck loads of stuff from them and another construction dumpster near by. Probably more than enough to finish the coop and get going on the goat shelter.
Watched a meteor shower with the high school sweet heart and my parents on the farm.
Collecting lots of random seeds. Mainly trees, at the moment.
I'm forgetting a ton of things, but that happens when you let a few weeks go by without trying to remember it all.
* red onions
* yellow onions
* carrots
* cabbage
* 3 types of lettuce
* 2 types of turnips
* radishes
* brussels sprouts
* 3 types of squash
* 2 types of peas
I've left enough room to plant some each week for the next few weeks. I'm late enough that I think I may hit frost. Most of that stuff should be ok up to a certain point with some frosts, and may do just fine if I bury them in straw on the cold snaps. In any case... now it is just time, some watering, and hoeing to see how it turns out.
It has been a few weeks since the last post, and the high spots are:
Spent 2 weeks clearing a box wood grove. It has been invading a hay field for around 5 years and was conveniently located next to a collapsed beaver den on the river side. Plus I needed more wood to finish the chicken coop. I killed 3 birds with one chain saw and time. Cut and cleared a couple hundred fairly straight trunks (about 3 inches diameter average) and stuffed the branches in the collapsed den to help prevent the river and hillside runoff from eroding the area any more. The trunks will help in the coop and some other projects coming up.
Moved a bunch of rock from the fields and hill sides to help prevent some wash out spots on a couple dirt roads through the farm. Some of the rocks around here have some interesting fossils. I'm not sure what they are beyond some kind of shelled creatures.
Spent part of a day building and attempting to use a harrow to drag behind the ATV. I thought I might be able to use it instead of renting a tiller. We've been collecting a lot of trashed lumber, and recycle items. I used a 2"x4" box, some rebar, a piece of rope and some concrete blocks. It worked for a bit, then busted ll to heck. Next time, I'll build the frame special instead of adapting to an already build box frame.
There is a McDonald's going up in town, and Dad has been good about asking the construction guys for trash lumber. We've taken about 4 truck loads of stuff from them and another construction dumpster near by. Probably more than enough to finish the coop and get going on the goat shelter.
Watched a meteor shower with the high school sweet heart and my parents on the farm.
Collecting lots of random seeds. Mainly trees, at the moment.
I'm forgetting a ton of things, but that happens when you let a few weeks go by without trying to remember it all.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Mini tornado
Half of my neighbor's barn was knocked down by a tornado this past year. I spent part of a day a two weeks back clearing barn wood and roof tin out of his cow pasture that had been ripped from the barn and blown several hundred feet away from the barn.
Today I was ripping apart the neighbor's barn to gather wood for the chicken coop when I heard lots of banging around in the pasture, just out of sight. I looked up, and over the other barn I saw the twisting cloud of a dust devil, or mini-tornado. It disturbed the nice piles of wood and tin I cleaned up out there, and started coming my direction around his cow barn. Leaves and dirt were blowing in a tight twist, and hawks or turkey vultures were riding a drastic updraft right over the spot. Those birds were flying straight one second and then nearly straight up to 100 feet or so. Very odd looking.
So, I'm standing there next to a partially standing barn; the remaining portion of which is leaning towards where I'm working. The twister is heading my way about 500 feet away, when I lose sight of it. It seems to have just dispersed, but about 20 seconds later it hits another dust patch and kicks up a big cloud. It hit the cattle fence around 30 feet, I could tell not so much by the dust, as by the loud whistling coming from the fence. I ducked down at this point, hoping that if any of the barn fell I'd be partially protected from large falling beams by the foundation wall. It vanished from perception again, until about 10 seconds later when the ripped tin on the roof, 30 feet up, stared blowing around wildly. That was it. A bit of wind remained behind, but no destruction. No injury. Just a wild view.
Today I was ripping apart the neighbor's barn to gather wood for the chicken coop when I heard lots of banging around in the pasture, just out of sight. I looked up, and over the other barn I saw the twisting cloud of a dust devil, or mini-tornado. It disturbed the nice piles of wood and tin I cleaned up out there, and started coming my direction around his cow barn. Leaves and dirt were blowing in a tight twist, and hawks or turkey vultures were riding a drastic updraft right over the spot. Those birds were flying straight one second and then nearly straight up to 100 feet or so. Very odd looking.
So, I'm standing there next to a partially standing barn; the remaining portion of which is leaning towards where I'm working. The twister is heading my way about 500 feet away, when I lose sight of it. It seems to have just dispersed, but about 20 seconds later it hits another dust patch and kicks up a big cloud. It hit the cattle fence around 30 feet, I could tell not so much by the dust, as by the loud whistling coming from the fence. I ducked down at this point, hoping that if any of the barn fell I'd be partially protected from large falling beams by the foundation wall. It vanished from perception again, until about 10 seconds later when the ripped tin on the roof, 30 feet up, stared blowing around wildly. That was it. A bit of wind remained behind, but no destruction. No injury. Just a wild view.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Spent most of today figuring out how I want the trap door (for cleaning out the chicken coop), to work and putting in most of the work for it. I sure hope it doesn't interfere with the walls when I put them up.
I'm making it a lift out/drop in door, that way I don't have to go buy hinges :) It is positioned as far out into the overhanging portion as possible, so that I can position a wheel barrow or cart under it, lift the hatch, and sweep everything out into the barrow. On the other hand, I'm making it as strong as the rest of the floor, so it can still be walked on without fear of dropping out the bottom with chicken poo following right behind.
I'm making it a lift out/drop in door, that way I don't have to go buy hinges :) It is positioned as far out into the overhanging portion as possible, so that I can position a wheel barrow or cart under it, lift the hatch, and sweep everything out into the barrow. On the other hand, I'm making it as strong as the rest of the floor, so it can still be walked on without fear of dropping out the bottom with chicken poo following right behind.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
farm buildings, reading
Another good read from archive.org concerning farm buildings. Covers topics like safe loads for wooden spans of varying length based on the width and depth, considerations of dairy barn sanitary issues, issues of air flow in the buildings, different roof designs, and good use of carpenters square. http://www.archive.org/stream/farmbuildings00fostrich
Only nailed in one more floor board in the coop. Trying to plan out where I want the shovel-out trap door set before I finish off the floor where it will be located. Need to get more wood for walls and roof. Spent a couple hours cutting box wood trees out of the field by their roots.
Only nailed in one more floor board in the coop. Trying to plan out where I want the shovel-out trap door set before I finish off the floor where it will be located. Need to get more wood for walls and roof. Spent a couple hours cutting box wood trees out of the field by their roots.
Monday, July 21, 2008
more seeds
Didn't do any work on the coop today. Pretty lazy day.
Went picking for red clover seeds today before rain showers. Got maybe 10 pounds of wet weight heads. They'll dry in the sunshine and wind, and I'll sow them back into the fields for goat browse. I'll gather more when it dries up.
For Kentucky reference, a good harvest time is around July 15. Sowing in mid August or mid Feburary to March. See http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/agr/agr33/agr33.htm for more info.
Went picking for red clover seeds today before rain showers. Got maybe 10 pounds of wet weight heads. They'll dry in the sunshine and wind, and I'll sow them back into the fields for goat browse. I'll gather more when it dries up.
For Kentucky reference, a good harvest time is around July 15. Sowing in mid August or mid Feburary to March. See http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/agr/agr33/agr33.htm for more info.
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