Do you know anyone with a draft horse? Limb the trees and cut to a length that could reasonably be pulled through the woods, pull them out, and cut to stove length when at a vehicle access point. The brush part is harder, but you can do similar with larger limbs, but bind a few together.

Our 'new to us' house was, at one time, owned by a gentleman that logged exclusively with horses. They (the horses) loved to work. He would hitch them up at the site, tap them on the butt (flank) and they would pull out to the loading site. His son would unhook the log tie up the chain, and do the same - and they would return to be hooked up again! He had 3 horses, and would rotate them, using 2 each day. (My current neighbor, who is in his 80s knew him.!)

Tree Talk Tax:
One of my Welsummers.
View attachment 3256982

Wow, I just created an alliteration! (and I am NOT a language person)
Great idea! No draft access. Riding, yes. Not fair to them to ask it.
 
I'm thinking about buying a camera for my partner's bday so I can also use it for the chickens. His camera is 13 years old and heavy and half broken. Anyone has sufficient knowledge to say if it's worth it compared to a phone's camera ?
Enough bla-bla, Monday mugs!

She has a bunch of supporters here, so Piou-piou is first!
View attachment 3257374

Blanche
View attachment 3257367

Léa
View attachment 3257368

Gastounet (Gaston!)
View attachment 3257369

Brune pecking my pants forever 😂
View attachment 3257381
Beautiful mugs! 😍
 
Great idea! No draft access. Riding, yes. Not fair to them to ask it.
You could work together and split the wood? (each get a permit, so you can still get your full 8 cords)

Too bad no draft access. I've never learned to work with horses, draft of other, for driving, pulling, etc. but I always imagined it would be a great experience (lot of work, I know, but still great. Horses are so smart, willing to work....)

Draft dodger tax (LOL)
IMG_0029.JPG
 
I'm thinking about buying a camera for my partner's bday so I can also use it for the chickens. His camera is 13 years old and heavy and half broken. Anyone has sufficient knowledge to say if it's worth it compared to a phone's camera ?
Enough bla-bla, Monday mugs!

She has a bunch of supporters here, so Piou-piou is first!
View attachment 3257374

Blanche
View attachment 3257367

Léa
View attachment 3257368

Gastounet (Gaston!)
View attachment 3257369

Brune pecking my pants forever 😂
View attachment 3257381
Compared to my Samsung s22 phone, you would have to get a pretty serious digital camera. The resolution is so beautiful on the photos i take on my phone that they take a LOT of storage space.

The specs are easy to find. Now if he is a serious amateur photographer I would look at a digital SLR for him.
 
I did grow up on a small family farm. very large gardens and we raised out own beef cows (but took them to a slaughterhouse for processing). We also raised, for a while, sucklinig pigs each spring, and acquired an old mare from a friend my my grandfather when she was close to 20, that we learned to ride on. We had exactly 2 old hens for ?maybe? a month (my grandparents sold the farm and 'moved to town' - a very sad story - and had 2 old hens left that we took. They were cranky, mean old bitties..that became soup in short order. They were my ONLY experience with chickens...and I disliked them very much. We did, sort of, have ducks. Some white ducks that someone had let loose and they found our pond. We didn't really do anything for them other than give them 'treats' once in a while (scrap veggies or such) but they became quite friendly, and we would search for their eggs (they laid them anywhere, including in the pond itself!) And every year one would hatch some ducklings...some would make it, some the snapping turtles would get,,and/or something else. They usually got them into the water within a day or tow of hatching!

So, that's my background. I love eggs, not chickens, plus no real experience with them, going into this. I have a bunch of hormonal issues which soy esterols seem to exacerbate. Someone I worked with, who was allergic to soy, could not eat store-bought eggs without having a reaction. That, plus always wanting to farm, and wanting more 'healthy' meat and eggs in general, prompted me to buy 16 straight run chicks of assorted breeds. Intent was to keep hens for eggs, process boys for meat. I had heard how 'stupid' chickens were, and I didn't like them based on my small encounter with them when I was 5-6. I was not expecting to 'enjoy' them.

However, as chicks, they were adorable, and each had a unique personality! While I wasn't convinced yet they were smart, there were a couple of young ones that would seek me out when I came to watch/feed/clean brooder, etc. they found a small soft spot in my heart. Then, as they grew...one of the hens & one of the roos was kinda mean (more to others than to me, but the Roo did get aggressive at times....looking back maybe it was just idiot hormones? I decided to process him first. It took me 2 hours to pluck him, with me blubbering and saying 'I'm sorry' the whole time. I couldn't see I was crying so hard. I couldn't process the others...someone my hubby knew - their father raised & processed Turkeys each year, so he came and helped. I could do plucking, gutting, etc. I couldn't kill them. I ended up keeping the one sweet Roo instead of the mean hen, and I had my 8 hoped for chickens. One hen, Rosie, a Partridge Rock was the head hen, and she rules quite nicely. She was also very smart....and had me trained. I would come home from work and she would squawk " Bawwwwwwwwkkk, bawk, bawk, bawk. I swear she was saying "Let me OOOUUUUUTTTT, out, out ,out! And she would be waiting a the presonell gate for me to let them out to free range. She wasn't cuddly, but she would follow me everywhere - especially if I was working in the garden or flower beds. She would also find a way into our fenced off garden...and eat all of our kale! She stole my heart...and there was no looking back. At the time we had just over an acre, but in a place we weren't supposed to have chickens (I had checked with neighbors ahead of time!), and 'paid them off' in eggs. Rosie lived to 5 1/2 years old, and I still miss her! I lost some due to predators (some because of free ranging, some due to owner error), and added chicks to replace the next year, and got some cornish rock crosses to specifically raise for meat. (I wasn't impressed - big 'lumps' and the meat had less flavor & texture).

Hubby and I had been looking for an 'us' place for a while (couple of years)...and the spring when we ended up finding this place...we were 'pushed' even more so by 1 of our neighbors. They originally were fine with us having chickens. But then they bought the house they were renting. The day they closed on the house, they came over and said 'we don't want you to have chickens.' And they stopped accepting eggs from us. By then, I was up to about 12 chickens. (Again, purchasing a few chicks, straight run, each year - replacing losses, processing the boys -but always having one in the flock) Then Bella went broody ( my 2nd partridge rock) Suddenly, we had more - as I had ordered chicks, plus now had home hatched chicks. We needed to find a place for sure! I was attached, and couldn't give up my 'kids'.

Note that also, I ALWAYS wanted kids - at least 2, but preferably more. With my hormone issues,i couldn't have any. The chickens became my 'kids' both in sentiment, and in emotional support over that issue. I am too old, given my health issues, to feel comfortable adopting, and Hubby and I have only been married 9 years.

So, the chickens moved into the new place 9 months before we did, as we had to relocate them, but the house needed work, and we had issues with a contractor 'messing things up' in a serious way - long story & drama there. Couldn't fix his work until after court date, so couldn't move forward with massive mold remediation (needed to tear out & replace sheetrock plus!) nor removal of asbestos. Stress elevated, emotionally drained, and tractor supply was trying to get rid of so flying chicks on the cheap. I was weak. Plus I had ordered a 'few more' prior to getting them. I'm now up to about 35 chickens and a couple of ducks (3, 1 drake & a couple of hens). Some will be processed (extra boys) and a couple older hens - but not my beloved Rosie, bringing me back down to about 24 for the winter.

That fall, the assistant manager at TSC smashed his finger really badly loading a firearm safe. It was in the evening, only 2 workers on. He was clearly in shock, but was going to drive himself to the hospital (he was in NO shape to do that). I offered to drive him to the Hospital, as the other employee couldn't leave store to take him. This event turned out to be the icing on the cake regarding chickens. The next year he called me every time they had 'older' chicks that would start flying and setting off the alarms at night. Did I say I was weak? Did I also mention that I just love a bargain? (Ask @RoyalChick ! ha, ha)

Next thing I knew, I had 80+ chickens...lowered some at fall processing time (by now, I could do the processing, but I would still & do still, cry) Then last summer, I was a little over 100 with chicks & adults (TSC was selling chicks @ 50cents each, but I got the 'flyers' for 10 cents...and got ducklings for 50 cents, same as chicks.)

Then this year arrived. I had been wanting Geese to help with hawks, and loved the look, size, true duality of Silver Appleyard ducks, So, this spring ordered mated goslings, a pair of silver Appleyards, and some peking hybrids to process. Also ordered a few of my favorite chickens that I couldn't get at TSC. Then, of course, had hens go broody and gor one set of chicks (only a few this year) from TSC at the reduced 'flyer' rate. So, at the moment I have 96 adults (counting teens) and another 33 chicks. I've already processed 5 10 (mix of ducks and chickens), and will process the extra Roos from both my hatched & straight-run purchased (I'll keep my home-hatched BR mix, and maybe 1 or 2 of the straight run bought roos), and some of my older girls. Not as many as I should, but that is me being soft. I also held back 2 sweet peking hybrid girls (ducks) :rolleyes:

so, to kmake this VERY long story short. I grew so big because I have the space, a very soft heart, a weakness for a bargain, and happened to be in the right place at the right time...so I am one of a couple who get called (or asked in store) and offered1.5 week old chicks at a bargain. And did I mention...I just can't resist a sweet chicken???? They really have stolen my heart.

really, I can't resist any of these:
View attachment 3257454View attachment 3257455View attachment 3257456View attachment 3257457View attachment 3257458View attachment 3257459View attachment 3257461View attachment 3257462
What an incredible story! Thanks for sharing. I don't think you're weak- it take some guts to care for all these animals, and still do the processing part. I guess any chickens who stay with you is lucky to be a part of your big family. Yes, chickens have a way of getting to you- I also didn't really want them , so I can totally relate 💚 !
I am no use on the camera (though I love your description of why you are getting one ‘for your partner’ :lau ). I am a big supporter of this idea as I will benefit from enjoying the chicken photos!

I say go for it! My father bought my mother a chainsaw for Christmas one year.
(She got him back 2 years later by buying him a dishwasher the year I went away to college!)

Encouragement Incentive:
View attachment 3257466View attachment 3257467
I didn't exactly realize how much this sounded like I'm buying him a birthday present for me 😂. To clarify, we never give each other birthday present, and we're both very low tech- we don't usually buy new if something is still working. It just happened to be my partner's birthday two days ago. His camera is technically still working, but he would enjoy having a lighter one to take hiking.
But, to be honest I'm pretty sure he would prefer another chainsaw 😂.
Compared to my Samsung s22 phone, you would have to get a pretty serious digital camera. The resolution is so beautiful on the photos i take on my phone that they take a LOT of storage space.

The specs are easy to find. Now if he is a serious amateur photographer I would look at a digital SLR for him.
Ok, that's useful information. He's not serious with photos, it's just that he does a lot of photos in the mountains and the phone doesn't have a sufficient wide angle lens to get the depth ( sorry if that's not very clear, I'm not sure the translation is correct😬). A reflex would be far too heavy to carry.
 
I did grow up on a small family farm. very large gardens and we raised out own beef cows (but took them to a slaughterhouse for processing). We also raised, for a while, suckling pigs each spring, and acquired an old mare from a friend my my grandfather when she was close to 20, that we learned to ride on. We had exactly 2 old hens for ?maybe? a month (my grandparents sold the farm and 'moved to town' - a very sad story - and had 2 old hens left that we took. They were cranky, mean old bitties..that became soup in short order. They were my ONLY experience with chickens...and I disliked them very much. We did, sort of, have ducks. Some white ducks that someone had let loose and they found our pond. We didn't really do anything for them other than give them 'treats' once in a while (scrap veggies or such) but they became quite friendly, and we would search for their eggs (they laid them anywhere, including in the pond itself!) And every year one would hatch some ducklings...some would make it, some the snapping turtles would get,,and/or something else. They usually got them into the water within a day or tow of hatching!

So, that's my background. I loved eggs, not chickens, plus no real experience with them, going into this. I have a bunch of hormonal issues which soy esterols seem to exacerbate. Someone I worked with, who was allergic to soy, could not eat store-bought eggs without having a reaction. That, plus always wanting to farm, and wanting more 'healthy' meat and eggs in general, prompted me to buy 16 straight run chicks of assorted breeds. Intent was to keep hens for eggs, process boys for meat. I had heard how 'stupid' chickens were, and I didn't like them based on my small encounter with them when I was 5-6. I was not expecting to 'enjoy' them.

However, as chicks, they were adorable, and each had a unique personality! While I wasn't convinced yet they were smart, there were a couple of young ones that would seek me out when I came to watch/feed/clean brooder, etc. they found a small soft spot in my heart. Then, as they grew...one of the hens & one of the roos was kinda mean (more to others than to me, but the Roo did get aggressive at times....looking back maybe it was just idiot hormones? I decided to process him first. It took me 2 hours to pluck him, with me blubbering and saying 'I'm sorry' the whole time. I couldn't see I was crying so hard. I couldn't process the others...someone my hubby knew - their father raised & processed Turkeys each year, so he came and helped. I could do plucking, gutting, etc. I couldn't kill them. I ended up keeping the one sweet Roo instead of the mean hen, and I had my 8 hoped for chickens. One hen, Rosie, a Partridge Rock was the head hen, and she rules quite nicely. She was also very smart....and had me trained. I would come home from work and she would squawk " Bawwwwwwwwkkk, bawk, bawk, bawk. I swear she was saying "Let me OOOUUUUUTTTT, out, out ,out! And she would be waiting a the presonell gate for me to let them out to free range. She wasn't cuddly, but she would follow me everywhere - especially if I was working in the garden or flower beds. She would also find a way into our fenced off garden...and eat all of our kale! She stole my heart...and there was no looking back. At the time we had just over an acre, but in a place we weren't supposed to have chickens (I had checked with neighbors ahead of time!), and 'paid them off' in eggs. Rosie lived to 5 1/2 years old, and I still miss her! I lost some due to predators (some because of free ranging, some due to owner error), and added chicks to replace the next year, and got some cornish rock crosses to specifically raise for meat. (I wasn't impressed - big 'lumps' and the meat had less flavor & texture).

Hubby and I had been looking for an 'us' place for a while (couple of years)...and the spring when we ended up finding this place...we were 'pushed' even more so by 1 of our neighbors. They originally were fine with us having chickens. But then they bought the house they were renting. The day they closed on the house, they came over and said 'we don't want you to have chickens.' And they stopped accepting eggs from us. By then, I was up to about 12 chickens. (Again, purchasing a few chicks, straight run, each year - replacing losses, processing the boys -but always having one in the flock) Then Bella went broody ( my 2nd partridge rock) Suddenly, we had more - as I had ordered chicks, plus now had home hatched chicks. We needed to find a place for sure! I was attached, and couldn't give up my 'kids'.

Note that also, I ALWAYS wanted kids - at least 2, but preferably more. With my hormone issues,i couldn't have any. The chickens became my 'kids' both in sentiment, and in emotional support over that issue. I am too old, given my health issues, to feel comfortable adopting, and Hubby and I have only been married 9 years.

So, the chickens moved into the new place 9 months before we did, as we had to relocate them, but the house needed work, and we had issues with a contractor 'messing things up' in a serious way - long story & drama there. Couldn't fix his work until after court date (him taking us!!!), so couldn't move forward with massive mold remediation (needed to tear out & replace sheetrock plus!) nor removal of asbestos. Stress elevated, emotionally drained, and tractor supply was trying to get rid of flying chicks on the cheap. I was weak. Plus I had ordered a 'few more' prior to getting them. I'm now up to about 35 chickens and a couple of ducks (3, 1 drake & a couple of hens). Some will be processed (extra boys) and a couple older hens - but not my beloved Rosie, bringing me back down to about 24 for the winter.

That fall, the assistant manager at TSC smashed his finger really badly loading a firearm safe. It was in the evening, only 2 workers on, him and 1 other. He was clearly in shock, but was going to drive himself to the hospital (he was in NO shape to do that). I offered to drive him to the Hospital, as the other employee couldn't leave store to take him. This event turned out to be the icing on the cake regarding chickens. The next year he called me every time they had 'older' chicks that would start flying and setting off the alarms at night. Did I say I was weak? Did I also mention that I just love a bargain? (Ask @RoyalChick ! ha, ha)

Next thing I knew, I had 80+ chickens...lowered some at fall processing time (by now, I could do the processing, but I would still & do still, cry) Then last summer, I was over 100 with chicks & adults (TSC was selling chicks @ 50cents each, but I got the 'flyers' for 10 cents...and got ducklings for 50 cents, same as chicks.) Again, lowered to somewhere around 80 after processing.

Then this year arrived. I had been wanting Geese to help with hawks, and loved the look, size, true duality of Silver Appleyard ducks, So, this spring ordered mated goslings, a pair of silver Appleyards, and some peking hybrids to process. Also ordered a few of my favorite chickens that I couldn't get at TSC. Then, of course, had hens go broody and got one set of chicks (only a few this year) from TSC at the reduced 'flyer' rate. So, at the moment I have 96 adults (counting teens) and another 33 chicks. I've already processed 10 (mix of ducks and chickens), and will process the extra Roos from both my hatched & straight-run purchased (I'll keep my home-hatched BR mix, and maybe 1 or 2 of the straight run bought roos), and some of my older girls. Not as many as I should, but that is me being soft. I also held back 2 sweet peking hybrid girls (ducks) :rolleyes:

so, to make this VERY long story short. I grew so big because I have the space, a very soft heart, a weakness for a bargain, and happened to be in the right place at the right time...so I am one of a couple who get called (or asked in store) and offered 1.5 week old chicks at a bargain. And did I mention...I just can't resist a sweet chicken???? They really have stolen my heart.

really, I can't resist any of these:
View attachment 3257454View attachment 3257455View attachment 3257456View attachment 3257457View attachment 3257458View attachment 3257459View attachment 3257461View attachment 3257462
What a story!
❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for sharing.
 
I did grow up on a small family farm. very large gardens and we raised out own beef cows (but took them to a slaughterhouse for processing). We also raised, for a while, suckling pigs each spring, and acquired an old mare from a friend my my grandfather when she was close to 20, that we learned to ride on. We had exactly 2 old hens for ?maybe? a month (my grandparents sold the farm and 'moved to town' - a very sad story - and had 2 old hens left that we took. They were cranky, mean old bitties..that became soup in short order. They were my ONLY experience with chickens...and I disliked them very much. We did, sort of, have ducks. Some white ducks that someone had let loose and they found our pond. We didn't really do anything for them other than give them 'treats' once in a while (scrap veggies or such) but they became quite friendly, and we would search for their eggs (they laid them anywhere, including in the pond itself!) And every year one would hatch some ducklings...some would make it, some the snapping turtles would get,,and/or something else. They usually got them into the water within a day or tow of hatching!

So, that's my background. I loved eggs, not chickens, plus no real experience with them, going into this. I have a bunch of hormonal issues which soy esterols seem to exacerbate. Someone I worked with, who was allergic to soy, could not eat store-bought eggs without having a reaction. That, plus always wanting to farm, and wanting more 'healthy' meat and eggs in general, prompted me to buy 16 straight run chicks of assorted breeds. Intent was to keep hens for eggs, process boys for meat. I had heard how 'stupid' chickens were, and I didn't like them based on my small encounter with them when I was 5-6. I was not expecting to 'enjoy' them.

However, as chicks, they were adorable, and each had a unique personality! While I wasn't convinced yet they were smart, there were a couple of young ones that would seek me out when I came to watch/feed/clean brooder, etc. they found a small soft spot in my heart. Then, as they grew...one of the hens & one of the roos was kinda mean (more to others than to me, but the Roo did get aggressive at times....looking back maybe it was just idiot hormones? I decided to process him first. It took me 2 hours to pluck him, with me blubbering and saying 'I'm sorry' the whole time. I couldn't see I was crying so hard. I couldn't process the others...someone my hubby knew - their father raised & processed Turkeys each year, so he came and helped. I could do plucking, gutting, etc. I couldn't kill them. I ended up keeping the one sweet Roo instead of the mean hen, and I had my 8 hoped for chickens. One hen, Rosie, a Partridge Rock was the head hen, and she rules quite nicely. She was also very smart....and had me trained. I would come home from work and she would squawk " Bawwwwwwwwkkk, bawk, bawk, bawk. I swear she was saying "Let me OOOUUUUUTTTT, out, out ,out! And she would be waiting a the presonell gate for me to let them out to free range. She wasn't cuddly, but she would follow me everywhere - especially if I was working in the garden or flower beds. She would also find a way into our fenced off garden...and eat all of our kale! She stole my heart...and there was no looking back. At the time we had just over an acre, but in a place we weren't supposed to have chickens (I had checked with neighbors ahead of time!), and 'paid them off' in eggs. Rosie lived to 5 1/2 years old, and I still miss her! I lost some due to predators (some because of free ranging, some due to owner error), and added chicks to replace the next year, and got some cornish rock crosses to specifically raise for meat. (I wasn't impressed - big 'lumps' and the meat had less flavor & texture).

Hubby and I had been looking for an 'us' place for a while (couple of years)...and the spring when we ended up finding this place...we were 'pushed' even more so by 1 of our neighbors. They originally were fine with us having chickens. But then they bought the house they were renting. The day they closed on the house, they came over and said 'we don't want you to have chickens.' And they stopped accepting eggs from us. By then, I was up to about 12 chickens. (Again, purchasing a few chicks, straight run, each year - replacing losses, processing the boys -but always having one in the flock) Then Bella went broody ( my 2nd partridge rock) Suddenly, we had more - as I had ordered chicks, plus now had home hatched chicks. We needed to find a place for sure! I was attached, and couldn't give up my 'kids'.

Note that also, I ALWAYS wanted kids - at least 2, but preferably more. With my hormone issues,i couldn't have any. The chickens became my 'kids' both in sentiment, and in emotional support over that issue. I am too old, given my health issues, to feel comfortable adopting, and Hubby and I have only been married 9 years.

So, the chickens moved into the new place 9 months before we did, as we had to relocate them, but the house needed work, and we had issues with a contractor 'messing things up' in a serious way - long story & drama there. Couldn't fix his work until after court date (him taking us!!!), so couldn't move forward with massive mold remediation (needed to tear out & replace sheetrock plus!) nor removal of asbestos. Stress elevated, emotionally drained, and tractor supply was trying to get rid of flying chicks on the cheap. I was weak. Plus I had ordered a 'few more' prior to getting them. I'm now up to about 35 chickens and a couple of ducks (3, 1 drake & a couple of hens). Some will be processed (extra boys) and a couple older hens - but not my beloved Rosie, bringing me back down to about 24 for the winter.

That fall, the assistant manager at TSC smashed his finger really badly loading a firearm safe. It was in the evening, only 2 workers on, him and 1 other. He was clearly in shock, but was going to drive himself to the hospital (he was in NO shape to do that). I offered to drive him to the Hospital, as the other employee couldn't leave store to take him. This event turned out to be the icing on the cake regarding chickens. The next year he called me every time they had 'older' chicks that would start flying and setting off the alarms at night. Did I say I was weak? Did I also mention that I just love a bargain? (Ask @RoyalChick ! ha, ha)

Next thing I knew, I had 80+ chickens...lowered some at fall processing time (by now, I could do the processing, but I would still & do still, cry) Then last summer, I was over 100 with chicks & adults (TSC was selling chicks @ 50cents each, but I got the 'flyers' for 10 cents...and got ducklings for 50 cents, same as chicks.) Again, lowered to somewhere around 80 after processing.

Then this year arrived. I had been wanting Geese to help with hawks, and loved the look, size, true duality of Silver Appleyard ducks, So, this spring ordered mated goslings, a pair of silver Appleyards, and some peking hybrids to process. Also ordered a few of my favorite chickens that I couldn't get at TSC. Then, of course, had hens go broody and got one set of chicks (only a few this year) from TSC at the reduced 'flyer' rate. So, at the moment I have 96 adults (counting teens) and another 33 chicks. I've already processed 10 (mix of ducks and chickens), and will process the extra Roos from both my hatched & straight-run purchased (I'll keep my home-hatched BR mix, and maybe 1 or 2 of the straight run bought roos), and some of my older girls. Not as many as I should, but that is me being soft. I also held back 2 sweet peking hybrid girls (ducks) :rolleyes:

so, to make this VERY long story short. I grew so big because I have the space, a very soft heart, a weakness for a bargain, and happened to be in the right place at the right time...so I am one of a couple who get called (or asked in store) and offered 1.5 week old chicks at a bargain. And did I mention...I just can't resist a sweet chicken???? They really have stolen my heart.

really, I can't resist any of these:
View attachment 3257454View attachment 3257455View attachment 3257456View attachment 3257457View attachment 3257458View attachment 3257459View attachment 3257461View attachment 3257462
Great story. Thanks so much for sharing it. I had no idea how much I was missing. :hugs :hugs
 

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