Half my seeds arrived, Hard time finding growing medium but have some at daughters once I'm feeling better. Will utilize both cattle panal green house and part of the coop green house. There will be chicks and ducks raised for eggs meat and fertilizer. They will be free-range inside garden fence because I have spring and summer/ winter gardens. Each are fenced separately. They will also have free range food plot time when I'm working in the garden. A.J.will need chicken training. The garden is surrounded by food plots that get clovers,grains ,and brassica. God knows I have plenty of bugs. The garden free range will be protected from Arial preditors thanks to all the trellisses in place. Between fencing and many many trellis 4-6 ft high. The hawks should be leary of a dive in. A.J should help with the plot protection of everything else while we are out there. Now just need to stop being sick to get set up. What's up out your way....
My word OND. It sounds like you have too much spare time on your hands. You should find a good hobby or something to keep yourself busy.
Even layed up and this thing has me layed up, I'm busy. Researching, price shopping, idea gathering. This besides the laundry, dishes, dusting, food prep and clean up. I'm getting very, very house bound stir crazy though. A. J. Keeps dropping his favorite bones and toys at the computer room gate looking sad. Likes he's trying to bribe me to go out. He also is herding me a lot when I'm up and about. Plus sleeping at the gate, something he never does. Think the cough and sneezing worries him.
Was going to add some chickens to my farm this year but with a new job, another kid on the way and more ground to farm, it's at the bottom of the list of priorities. Hopefully next year!
All my seeds have arrived, daughter is bringing soil tomorrow. I have the brooder set up. Even if they ran out of baby chicks this round I plan on doing ducks as well. Pretty sure they'll have those. NYS forces you to buy at least 5 or 6 birds at a time due to the whole Easter kids gifts thing. I plan on the one purchase of ducks hoping they are mostly female and then 2 -3 purchases of chicks up to May. After that I hope to hatch once then switch up roosters/drakes every other year
Well daughter didn't come so I popped down and bought seed starter at DG. Wildly expensive bit nessasary. I also had to to finish the tote brooder. I didn't want a lamp heater in the house so I built a small mom hen brood house in the brooder. I used a wire basket with a cut out entrance edges ground and taped then put heating pads under it. Covered the pad with easy cleaning in mind and then draped it in a larger heating pad. Put a thermometer in it on the bottom heating pad it maintains a constant 100 degrees all day. The chicks can't direct contact any part of pads. I then measured and cut and opening in the center of the top. Melted holes along the edge andzip tied wired hardware clothe to that. I can use the cut out to partially cover that to avoid night drafts even further. Though the broader will easily fit the chicks before temps need lowering. It will also last a very long time. Cheap easy to clean safer and gives them a natural light transition. I May pick some up after I leave my Dr appointment in the morning Depending on Just how cold it is. Tomorrow is looking at 23 degrees, may just pick up the feed and the bedding
Chick food bought, a smaller feeder, bale if big shavings. They had zero laying hens or ducks left and only a half dozen Cornish. Still no one, and I went all over had potting or garden soil. found a bag of seed starter at Wally World. Good find was TSC had their trees and live plants arrive. Way too early so they put their 14.99 fruit trees on sale 15% off . Obviously with a huge storm and freezing temps coming they weren't going to sell those trees well. I had my pick of the best looking and biggest calipers. I grabbed a crispen apple, a Damson plum and a Elberta peach for the lower tree plot the plum will be planted in the upper plot opposite the wild plums on other side of the garden. I already have pots to pot them up and grow in the house until its safety get them out to the green house.. Being potted I can Transplant much later if need be. Getting them out of that plastic bag is the most important thing Then got my sweet red and Vandalia onions and seed potato with more asparagus roots to add to last years.
Thanks to having the green house and another going up I have planted a bunch of trays early. Today I got broccoli, spinach, lettuces, bunching onions.
Finally got feeling good enough to go get the chicks. I got 3 Americana straight run and checked wings to hopefully get at least one rooster, 2 marans, 2 isa, 2 blk. Australops. 9 to get started. Eating and drinking well. Enjoying the brooding box I made them.
Hhhmmm in another snow storm ,high winds and low 20's. Been thinking what to do, I can't get to the chicken green house build. Only had them since Friday and amazed at how much they've grown in 2 days. Eating a quart of food a day with wing and tail feathers coming in big time. Realized I still have A. J.'s extra large dog crate set up outside the computer room. It fits 2 adults in it. So this week I'll be wrapping the side in a clear vinyl I have. It's 56 " wide and I have a roll of several yrds. They are already adding to the compost pile with soiled bedding.
Today was the first morning not too cold to go work. I got all 4 corner post holes dug. OK reminder of age I'm exhausted. Between the rocks then the clay and rocks I was relieved when I hit a spring in one hole and a flat shale layer in 2 others. The water may be an issue. The shale well even though not a full 3 ft down it won't heave from under there and concrete should be enough to avoid heaving next to a deep bedding chicken run. . Heat from that should help. I'm sure hubby won't think so and want to get out the rock bars. Then again we're the same age so maybe not...lol A. J .was a help,not sure how many voles he dug out....and ate but at least 3 from around the cattle panel greenhouse. GOOD BOY ! The chickens will be put there this summer doing that job. Freeing up A.J. For the wood chucks and rabbits.
Go figure I moved chicks to their big brooder and the power finally went out after blinking 22 times. 900 of us with no repair time in sight. They still have their "mom," mini brooder in with them so even without electric I can cover with quilts and they can huddle together in the mini brooder. They'll be here until coop is done and weather turns. I'll have small brooder cleaned and set for the next batch. At least 6 more for a total 15.
Today the garden got some work . I weeded and cultivated two 23' rows to plant my peas. Then cleaned the pole bean fencing . I took a break from that and went out and picked up downed brush and built up a natural ground blind for turkey season. I want to do a frost seedi g but want to harrow drag the areas first. Then set the line so I can dig the side post holes for the chicken coop. We have another storm coming so at least some prep work is done for the next good spell.
Well it will help grow the lettuce,celery, onions, peppers and tomato I use to make that chicken salad sandwich I make.
What a beautiful morning in the garden. Just had lunch and getting ready to go cut some downed trail trees, so I can get around. Peas in radish as well. 3 clumps of chives moved from the coop build area and the last 3 side holes started.
