Fuzzy's Farm

[Totalcolour]

So i'm back. This year has been murder with all the traveling and crazy work hours... where is everyone?

I think all the Michiganders are hibernating. It's very cold there so I don't blame them. Looks like our temps are going to come back down again soon. Boy, has this year been cold. I don't normally wish for time to go by (being old, one wants all the time one has) but I sure do wish it was closer to spring, and a warm one at that.

 

[Dwkuska]

Yeah two weeks ago was very abnormal for it to hit teens to low 20's.... Suppose to snow on Friday... Guess we will see if my roofing job on the chicken run is gonna hold. Been talking with the wife about next year trying a small chicken farm. Maybe 500ish birds? Just not sure where to start looking for buyers as I suspect most grocery stores already like their distributors.

 

[Totalcolour]

Yeah two weeks ago was very abnormal for it to hit teens to low 20's.... Suppose to snow on Friday... Guess we will see if my roofing job on the chicken run is gonna hold. Been talking with the wife about next year trying a small chicken farm. Maybe 500ish birds? Just not sure where to start looking for buyers as I suspect most grocery stores already like their distributors.

Do you have a Farmer's market? Or perhaps you have a network of friends - start a FB page and then just raise them and do a butcher a few times a year. If you look on Youtube, Joel Salatin has some good ideas about starting it small. We started by doing our own, and now we are getting requests from friends. Not sure if we can handle as many requests as we have. Need a bigger place!

 

[gigiok]

Hi Dwkuska! It's good to see you. I'm back officially also. We got to get everyone back together - lol!

Today was my last day as a prof - whoopee! Cleaned my office out and turned in my keys. I had so much (*&*(** in my office after 11 years... now it's in the garage. Big garage sale here in the spring I'm thinking.

Bad weather setting in tonight so I've got to go out and spray foam cracks in the goats' barn. The goaties are such wimps when it comes to cold. After all, they are Okie goats and not used to 6 degrees - ha ha.

Well, grandbaby is out of NICU and home and doing so well. Everyone is really relieved and he doesn't seem like he's any the worse for wear. His parents on the other hand are basket cases so I'm trying to get them to relax a bit. Probably will just take time.

The girls have really slowed down egg laying now that it 's cold. I'm only getting 6 eggs a day out of 19 chickens. That's okay, though, cause that is way more than we can use anyway.

 

[NovaAman]

HEY! I hope ya'll had a great Christmas. No chicken issues or nothing...

How's the crazy goat Georgie, Gigi? What you planning to do now that your are retired? Aside from play with goats and kids? LOL

 

[Dwkuska]

HEY! I hope ya'll had a great Christmas. No chicken issues or nothing...

How's the crazy goat Georgie, Gigi? What you planning to do now that your are retired? Aside from play with goats and kids? LOL

Raise more chickens?

 

[gigiok]

Georgie is doing great. Our biggest wether, Yosi (after the MASH character, Yosarian), has turned into a big bully now that the girls have started going into heat. He bullies them around unless they are his 'favorite' of the day. We are going to build a stall in the barn so we can lock him up at least when they eat so everyone can have a bit of peace-lol.

More chickens? LOL - just what my granddaughter was asking at Christmas. "When are you getting more babies, gigi?" Trouble is, we have 21 now and more eggs than we can ever use. I'd love more babies but where am I going to put them? But ahhh, chicken math. I'll probably break down when it comes time to order and get another dozen...I'm such a push over.

Hey Total. Know what you mean by the cold. It's so easy to stay inside and just hibernate when it's 20 degrees outside. We aren't used to this either.

What am I going to do now that I'm retired? Ha Ha. I've got to adjust to not going to work first. School starts back next week and I find myself dreading having to go in....and then I catch myself and go 'wait - I don't have to go anywhere'. Strange feeling but I'm sure it will kick in quickly.

 

[Dwkuska]

More chickens? LOL - just what my granddaughter was asking at Christmas. "When are you getting more babies, gigi?" Trouble is, we have 21 now and more eggs than we can ever use. I'd love more babies but where am I going to put them? But ahhh, chicken math. I'll probably break down when it comes time to order and get another dozen...I'm such a push over.

We had 14 but just picked up 12 RIR's this afternoon from a guy on CL. Poor lil ladies devoured 2 feeders of chickfeed in 3 hours. I stopped refilling because I dont want their lil tummies to explode but I am pretty sure the guy I bought them from wasnt feeding them near enough. One of them has what looks like a wound on its butt. another has no tali feathers. I will try to get some pics tomorrow. I suspect they have lil critters on em. Either that or the wounds are from malnutrition. Had them for like 6 hours now and they went from pretty quiet to I can hear them across the house lol.

Come on Gigi, you know you want a few more!

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Uh oh DW, make sure they aren't picking! I have one hen from a picking batch that still wants to eat feathers off the others. I've never ordered a hen's execution, but some days....... But i bred her so i'm responsible. Some blue cote or anti pick would be needed if so. Probably were too crowded in their old place! Corn is good to make them full and warm in the winter, too. Might need a lil oyster shell too.

Hi everyone! been mostly working, then sick, now getting coops ready for the next cold blast and back to working....

 

[gigiok]

Oh Dwuska, those poor chickens. I hope you are able to bring them back to health. Yeah, I would love more chickens but what in the world am I going to do with all those eggs?

Sorry to hear you were sick, Fuzzy. And the weather you all are getting is not helping I'm sure. DH has had a cough that won't go away. If he's still sick by tomorrow I'm dragging him to the doctor.

I took the Christmas tree out yesterday. I've never had a tree so dry. I think it had lost all it's needles on the floor by the time I got it drug out the door. I'll be vacuuming needles until the Fourth of July - LOL.

Absolutely nothing going on here. I need to clean the coop but it's so cold out. Can't let it go much longer so guess I'll just have to bundle up and bite the bullet.