Getting the flock out of here - a diary of a crazy chicken man

[scottcaddy]

and finally i hear from bernie.

his cell phone ran out of battery. he thought to charge it using the batteries for the incubators. i had instructed him not to try and save eggs but keep batteries for emergencies. he did good

He did Do good!!!

Scott (sorry about the eggs)

 

[ozexpat]

we can always hatch more eggs. the incubation period on a bernie is a bit longer

 

[Lillahimed]

Well thank goodness everybody is ok, and let's all hope for minimal fence damage

 

[ozexpat]

Well thank goodness everybody is ok, and let's all hope for minimal fence damage

the new fence is perfect. the old fence is being replaced anyway.

once its done, 30 of my mutts will start free ranging

 

[gryeyes]

we can always hatch more eggs. the incubation period on a bernie is a bit longer

And ya never know what you'll get with a Straight Run Bernie Hatch, even with the best original stock.



Really, I am incredibly relieved.

 

[scottcaddy]

we can always hatch more eggs. the incubation period on a bernie is a bit longer

and

Scott (looking for a good Bernie egg now)

 

[ozexpat]

I have to say, losing communication with Bernie and Analou was stressful. I knew that they should have been OK as the storm had passed but I did not find that overly reassuring. I cant imaging having family in the areas that were hit hard and are still without communication.

The coops held up and are drying out. Yesterday was one of those days where the sun shines brightly through air that is perfectly clear. We had just over 80 locally hatched eggs in the incubator but now have been without power for 36 hours. I was hoping to use those chicks to teach bernie some vaccination techniques. If we get power back on today, there may be time to hatch a small batch before I have to return from my pending trip.

The goats are doing fine. I am in contact with a German guy on the other side of the island that owns 250 dairy goats. He invited me to tour his cheese making process while we are over there selling our copra. I now have two options on the island for sourcing dairy goat stock.

Pigletts 1, 2 & 3 have settled in. We are spending this week transitioning them from the store bought premix feed to the cocobeach blend. They were wormed yesterday. I will be laying out their new quarters when I get there. We will be buying 3 more each 8 weeks till we have 12. That should give us three farrowing sows at a time and hopefully 30+ pigletts. We will probably sell 20 as weaners and finish the others to assess the differential in work load, logistics and profitability. Having 90-120 pigs at varying stages of growth may be too much. If we decide to take the farrow to finish path, I will need an outlay of 4-7 thousand dollars for a 5 ton truck. Bernie has never driven a car so there is another logistical issue,

As there is no real industry on our island that use them, IBC 250 gallon containers run close to 250 dollars a piece and are one cubic meter. Ideally I would use four Thats too pricey.

I could build a concrete pond 4 cubic meters in volume with a 6 sq meter elevated grow bed would use 2 cubic meters of concrete

quant desc $ Tot $
20 cement 7 280
36 rebar 1.5 54
2 sand/gravel 5 10
12 days labor 7 84
424

By the time I add the pump and plumbing, a 1000 gallon fish tank with a 60 sq ft hydroponic garden will set us back $600. A reasonable price for next year's project. My tomatoes will have to wait.

If everything implements successfully and all our young fruit trees develop, We will have a pretty small grocery bill.

If only domesticated bees would survive the salt and wet seasons.......

 

[ozexpat]

completely off topic....

For the cerebral types out there...

Do you ever watch or listen to the talks on TED.org? They are 5-20 minute talks on anything from social issues to applications astro-physics to photography ind its inspirations.

I get an email each week with a new talk. This mornings was on Fibonacci Numbers by a guy called Arthur Benjamin. His previous talk was called Magemathics. I watched him perform the square of a 5 digit number in his head. I can calculate the square of a 3 digit number with a lot of groaning but this guy can do it faster than audience participants with a calculator.

Sensational

 

[maryhysong]

we can always hatch more eggs. the incubation period on a bernie is a bit longer

Very happy to hear things are pretty OK. Boy, maybe you could send me a couple bernie eggs, I could use a couple of those fellas around here!

Perhaps as the bators warm up Bernie could candle for signs of life? Always hoping and always knowing that many times the birds are more resilient than we give them credit for.

 

[ozexpat]

Very happy to hear things are pretty OK. Boy, maybe you could send me a couple bernie eggs, I could use a couple of those fellas around here!

Perhaps as the bators warm up Bernie could candle for signs of life? Always hoping and always knowing that many times the birds are more resilient than we give them credit for.

i wont toss the eggs until candled. There could be a miracle. temps are 78-88. Hopefully power will be restored by morning