Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[aart]

Well I had an eventful day.

I really wanted to get my garden in this weekend. I decided to head down and get the 20x20 plot tilled again.

I noticed the tiller bogging down, so I shut it down planning to put more fuel in.

Then, it CAUGHT ON FIRE! I tried to put it out before it got crazy, to no avail. I flipped it over, ran up to the house searching for the fire extinguisher. Nowhere to be found. Finally I hooked up my hose and ran back down to the plot and waited for water to flow. It took probably 40 seconds for water to start flowing, and that was a LONG 40 seconds. I got the fire put out, and brought the tiller back up to the garage.

Burned up the ignition coil (brand new this season, sucks). Burned up the vent grommets for the fuel pump, burned up the air cleaner. It looks like I'll be able to fix her up four about 50 bucks, and get back to tilling.

the cause? A gasket between the gas tank and carburetor is bad, and started leaking fuel. The exhaust is also right over the tank, and it lacks a spark arrestor.

So yea, that was fun...

YIKES!!
Lucky the freshly tilled soil probably absorbed the water instead of spreading the flames.
WHEW!
Glad it worked and hopefully you won't have to buy too many parts to get 'er going again.

 

[JackieandChicks]

My tiller never catches on fire...LOL!

 

[RaZ]

I'm glad that the fire wasn't any worse than what it was. I wonder how many people are prepared for a fire.
How many of us have a fire extinguisher or two around the house, garage, barn and coop?
Same goes for a first aid kit. One for people and one for critters.

 

[wannahomestead]

I'm glad that the fire wasn't any worse than what it was. I wonder how many people are prepared for a fire.
How many of us have a fire extinguisher or two around the house, garage, barn and coop?
Same goes for a first aid kit. One for people and one for critters.

I used to have 2 fire extinguishers at the old house, but I left one behind for the new owners when we sold. After yesterday's excitement I want to get at least 2 more, and mount one in the garage.

new coil: $20.49
new breather grommets: $7.95
new foam filter: $4.89

Hopefully that's all it takes.

 

[RaZ]

I used to have 2 fire extinguishers at the old house, but I left one behind for the new owners when we sold. After yesterday's excitement I want to get at least 2 more, and mount one in the garage.

I keep a big one in the garage and another near the wood stove. Another big one is mounted outside of the coop because if a fire ever began inside the coop I have one at hand rather than going into the coop for it.
Location is important. An extinguisher isn't any help if you can't get to it.
But enough about that...I finally got the patio roof finished. It's not one of my better projects but I been hampered by some limitations that I never faced before. This whole heart thing is cramping my style.

 

[wannahomestead]

I have a broody australorp I'm pretty darn sure. She's sitting in a nest box on top of 10 eggs, and when I place my hand in there, she gets super grumpy, fluffs up, and nips at my hand.

I want to let her hatch, what should I do? Some of the eggs are dirty because someone broke one and they got yoke on them.

This is an unplanned chicken broody-ness, but I want to let it take its course. Last time it took far too long to break the broody, and If she stops laying, I still have 6 layers, with 6 more slated to start laying come july.

 

[bigmrg74]

decided that I wanted to work in the shade while I was working on the coop. So I got the tarp out and stretched it over the coop to be all nice and shady there. Got it almost ready to paint the plywood parts on it. get the human door on it and a pop door and then wire the sucker up. then I can stick my stinky little rangers in it.

 

[aart]

I have a broody australorp I'm pretty darn sure. She's sitting in a nest box on top of 10 eggs, and when I place my hand in there, she gets super grumpy, fluffs up, and nips at my hand.

I want to let her hatch, what should I do? Some of the eggs are dirty because someone broke one and they got yoke on them.

This is an unplanned chicken broody-ness, but I want to let it take its course. Last time it took far too long to break the broody, and If she stops laying, I still have 6 layers, with 6 more slated to start laying come july.

I'd definitely clean out that nest(no sense starting out in incubation with a dirty nest) and put some fake eggs under her, make sure she's going to stay.
How long has she been sitting... days and nights?

Now's the time to decide if you want her to set there or maybe isolate her behind wire to set......
.....eliminates other hens contributing to nest, and the fuss and maybe result in broken eggs.
I moved mine to wired off coop partition and a portable floor nest with fake eggs, food water all that.
Took her almost a full day to stop pacing and settle into nest, I waited another 24 hours to give her fresh fertile eggs.
Was nice to monitor her intake-output in isolation, plus I couldn't sacrifice the main nest she had been in.
Removing wire after hatch was fine except for a few hen fights, she had been low on status but quickly rose to the top...and enjoyed it, haha!

 

[aart]

decided that I wanted to work in the shade while I was working on the coop. So I got the tarp out and stretched it over the coop to be all nice and shady there. Got it almost ready to paint the plywood parts on it. get the human door on it and a pop door and then wire the sucker up. then I can stick my stinky little rangers in it.

Nice!
I need to put up some more shade cloth on run today...thanks for the reminder.

 

[wannahomestead]

I'd definitely clean out that nest(no sense starting out in incubation with a dirty nest) and put some fake eggs under her, make sure she's going to stay.
How long has she been sitting... days and nights?

Now's the time to decide if you want her to set there or maybe isolate her behind wire to set......
.....eliminates other hens contributing to nest, and the fuss and maybe result in broken eggs.
I moved mine to wired off coop partition and a portable floor nest with fake eggs, food water all that.
Took her almost a full day to stop pacing and settle into nest, I waited another 24 hours to give her fresh fertile eggs.
Was nice to monitor her intake-output in isolation, plus I couldn't sacrifice the main nest she had been in.
Removing wire after hatch was fine except for a few hen fights, she had been low on status but quickly rose to the top...and enjoyed it, haha!

she started sitting either yesterday or the day before. If I disturb her and the eggs, will that ruin their chances of developing?