Arizona Chickens

[Tracydr]

Quote:
A cheese press doesn't have to be complicated or hard to make. Mine is a piece of 5" diameter plastic pipe with holes drilled all over it colander style, and it is maybe 6" high. I cut out a wooden circle the exact size of the inside of the pipe to sit on top. For applying about 10 lbs of pressure, it requires a 26oz can of Hunts spaghetti sauce sitting on top and a blue bungee cord strapped tight over the top and attached to the sides of the large colander that it all sits in. For 20-30 pounds of pressure you slip 2 cans of tuna under the bungee and on top of the Hunts. That creates enough added stretch on the bungee cord to create the additional pressure. For about 50 lbs of pressure, it is all of the above PLUS a can of canned salmon and the red bungee cord. I have made lots of cheese using this method. Works just fine!

It's the wooden circle I have a problem with. I don't have anything that cuts circles. Oh, Mikey?

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:
Are you replacing it? If so, lemme know & I'll save you the haul away charge. My welding class consumes old water heaters.

I saw online where someone had used an old propane water heater to make a chicken scalder...

Well, we do have a butchering coming up and I don't have much of a scalder.

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:
Me too...the baking that is...I can make lots of yummy stuff

- even gluten free, corn free, soy free, egg free if that's your thing

Flourless chocolate cake! Although PastryMama showed me a picture of hers, which looks incredible.

I bake bread. Even sourdough. And I did my wedding cake.
But I'm sure I can't hold a candle to pastrymama's.

 

[Mikey D]

Quote:
I'm sure he's had nail gun safety class but let me tell you a little ER story about a patient I had in Show Low. He was nailing with the nail gun. Nailing between his legs for some strange reason. Going up and up and up. Are you starting to get where I'm going with this? Let's just say he got a helicopter ride to Phoenix for emergency urological surgery. I'm sorry, sometimes we just have to

at what some of the patients do to themselves. Had another patient nail a board through the bone in his toe. Ortho refused to help me. At least the patient was nice enough to bring his tool box along because I really did need it!

I assume patient #1 was sitting down doing this? OUCH!!!

I was in another instructor's class when a student came up to me with a small wooden triangle balanced on his finger tip. He said he had nailed it to his finger by accident. I said in my best WC Field imitation, "Get outta here kid, ya bothering me." He flipped his finger over and sure enough, there was the tip of the nail poking through his finger nail.

The fun never stops.

Walter is pretty good with tools. Not say'n anymore.

 

[Mikey D]

Quote:
A cheese press doesn't have to be complicated or hard to make. Mine is a piece of 5" diameter plastic pipe with holes drilled all over it colander style, and it is maybe 6" high. I cut out a wooden circle the exact size of the inside of the pipe to sit on top. For applying about 10 lbs of pressure, it requires a 26oz can of Hunts spaghetti sauce sitting on top and a blue bungee cord strapped tight over the top and attached to the sides of the large colander that it all sits in. For 20-30 pounds of pressure you slip 2 cans of tuna under the bungee and on top of the Hunts. That creates enough added stretch on the bungee cord to create the additional pressure. For about 50 lbs of pressure, it is all of the above PLUS a can of canned salmon and the red bungee cord. I have made lots of cheese using this method. Works just fine!

It's the wooden circle I have a problem with. I don't have anything that cuts circles. Oh, Mikey?

Just lemme know material, thickness & diameter...

 

[Mikey D]

Quote:
I saw online where someone had used an old propane water heater to make a chicken scalder...

Well, we do have a butchering coming up and I don't have much of a scalder.

We had a propane burner for a large pot but donated it to scouts.

I guess we'll start scouting craigslist...

 

[Mikey D]

It's 12:42 AM. I've not even taken any picts tonight - just gonna head to bed after typing this...

I just finished the piano hinge for the nest box lid. Got the nesting boxes installed with the drop down clean-out doors & latches. Coop clean out door is framed, screened & installed. Panels up on the east and west end. I'd have done the last (north) panel tonight but needed info from you's guys...

The inside height (opening where the chickies will enter) of the nesting boxes is 14" and it slopes down to 10" (back side where I hope to one day collect eggs) How high should the ledge (the piece they hop over that keeps the bedding in) be for comfort of the chickens?

I'd like to make it A-la-Gallo and do holes but that would nessisitate the purchase of another piece of plywood. I have a 2 x 6 that I'm resting there just for looks and it seems about right. Not ever having done this before I'm not really sure.

Also, do I need a piece hanging down from the top of the entrance to the nest boxes?

I assume the idea is to make the hens feel safe and claustrophobic.

Good night all!

 

[mclevinson]

Quote:
Can't wait to see!

 

[pastrymama]

holy cripes, it took me 15 minutes to read what y'all did yesterday!!!! slow down, back away from the food dyes people(causes hyperactivity you know

)

mikey
how i remember the coop building days....just standing by and watching

laree
um, yeah. that's all i've got to say about that.

meg
come home! i miss your company!!!!!!! you too laree, but you had to go and get a job. boo.

so i had to go buy feed yesterday at "the store" . it looked ok and don't know what else to do until i can find another option. people are always nice, kids were with me and the guy who works there tries to give my kids a box for new chicks!

i tell him, no way, i already have 24 i can barely feed, don't tempt me, i am a sucker for baby chicks as are the kids. i have walked out of there before with a box of chicks and a "just take them". i was strong this time! that and fireman would have probably had an MI.

 

[tball chicky]

Quote:
Flourless chocolate cake! Although PastryMama showed me a picture of hers, which looks incredible.

I bake bread. Even sourdough. And I did my wedding cake.
But I'm sure I can't hold a candle to pastrymama's.

Hey! I did my own wedding cake too

I love cake...and brownies...and cookies...and...

and my cousin's wedding cake...

and my friend's wedding cake

But I am certainly no Pastry Chef...I leave that honor to pastrymama

**edited cause a pic didn't go on right**