Well we just got back from our lake cabin in Minnesota.. and came back to a HEAT WAVE! Holy crud!!! We were wearing jackets and jeans and sipping hot cocoa on the beach. I come back and my baby turkey is nearly dead, and my horses are having a hard time. My parents did an excellent job taking care of everyone. My mom had to take my turkey to the vet and he stayed for a 3 day visit because he nearly died. The vet tube fed him and gave him antibiotic shots daily- and I'm still giving a dropper of antibiotics for the next few days. He's really perked up and doing quite well. My horses have been getting bathed every afternoon. But my oldest mare is 31 yrs and it's hardest on her. This heat is just insane!
Reading back a bit and seeing you all talking about being self sufficient, and we are on the same page. My husband would love to go off-grid. He has spent the last 2 years checking into solar panel systems with backup batteries (the size of a small shed). However, the state of KS still does not reimburse for a portion of the cost like so many other "greener" states do (like california and Oregon). We've been going 'green' for a while now, though. I run a cloth diaper business and all of my kids used cloth when they were babies. My youngest is 3 and we are finally done with that stage in our lives. We do our best in recycling, and I started my first garden ever this year and it has turned out fabulous. I'm thinking of making another one. I used 4 rail road ties and placed them into a square and filled it up with about $60 of topsoil, mulch, etc from Walmart- so it was pretty cheap and it's great soil. I've also been working on starting a small orchard for us. So far, I only have 4 producing apple trees, but I hope to put in a lot more. I can only handle so much on my own, and I'm having to water them all the time right now. It still looks like we'll get a bunch of apples this year- they are getting big.
We don't hunt or fish, though. Nothing against guns- I grew up with them and we have an assorted bunch from hand guns to rifles. We just spend all of our weekends working around here and it's really not on our radar to think about going out and doing it. Who ever was talking about having chickens in the backyard and worrying about city ordinances, I do think the times are changing. I doubt the more ritzy neighborhoods with the HOA's are going to allow chickens or amend their covenants, but the more established neighborhoods that were build before HOA's are allowing them in Wichita, for sure. Right now, we are in a world food shortage, and they are predicting it to last for a couple more years, at the least. Wheat and other grains are in low supply and high demand. Expect your bread and other products that use grain to take a hike in prices again. People are once again turning to their own backyards to work their own gardens and try to become a bit more self sufficient. Don't know if any of you have young kids or babies, but cloth diapers are once again in high demand. It stretches the dollar and I even noticed my neighbors putting up clothes lines. (i know very well they have a dryer) I think this trend is wonderful and hopefully just picks up speed in making people realize that by having backyard chickens, or gardens, etc is going to help provide better living for themselves.
So... I know I said I was going to break ground on building my chicken coop the second I got home from vacation... but for now, I'm going to avoid heat stroke and continue to plan. I have gotten Lowes discount coupons, and am hunting down free supplies. Hopefully I'll be good to go soon when the heat eases up.
Reading back a bit and seeing you all talking about being self sufficient, and we are on the same page. My husband would love to go off-grid. He has spent the last 2 years checking into solar panel systems with backup batteries (the size of a small shed). However, the state of KS still does not reimburse for a portion of the cost like so many other "greener" states do (like california and Oregon). We've been going 'green' for a while now, though. I run a cloth diaper business and all of my kids used cloth when they were babies. My youngest is 3 and we are finally done with that stage in our lives. We do our best in recycling, and I started my first garden ever this year and it has turned out fabulous. I'm thinking of making another one. I used 4 rail road ties and placed them into a square and filled it up with about $60 of topsoil, mulch, etc from Walmart- so it was pretty cheap and it's great soil. I've also been working on starting a small orchard for us. So far, I only have 4 producing apple trees, but I hope to put in a lot more. I can only handle so much on my own, and I'm having to water them all the time right now. It still looks like we'll get a bunch of apples this year- they are getting big.
We don't hunt or fish, though. Nothing against guns- I grew up with them and we have an assorted bunch from hand guns to rifles. We just spend all of our weekends working around here and it's really not on our radar to think about going out and doing it. Who ever was talking about having chickens in the backyard and worrying about city ordinances, I do think the times are changing. I doubt the more ritzy neighborhoods with the HOA's are going to allow chickens or amend their covenants, but the more established neighborhoods that were build before HOA's are allowing them in Wichita, for sure. Right now, we are in a world food shortage, and they are predicting it to last for a couple more years, at the least. Wheat and other grains are in low supply and high demand. Expect your bread and other products that use grain to take a hike in prices again. People are once again turning to their own backyards to work their own gardens and try to become a bit more self sufficient. Don't know if any of you have young kids or babies, but cloth diapers are once again in high demand. It stretches the dollar and I even noticed my neighbors putting up clothes lines. (i know very well they have a dryer) I think this trend is wonderful and hopefully just picks up speed in making people realize that by having backyard chickens, or gardens, etc is going to help provide better living for themselves.
So... I know I said I was going to break ground on building my chicken coop the second I got home from vacation... but for now, I'm going to avoid heat stroke and continue to plan. I have gotten Lowes discount coupons, and am hunting down free supplies. Hopefully I'll be good to go soon when the heat eases up.
