Getting the flock out of here - a diary of a crazy chicken man

[ozexpat]

It was a busy day again at CocoBeach. Aside from Waysan getting his final pay Dominic and I used the swanky new pig crate to repeat AI one of the sows. Two of the three were successful the first round which is pretty good for beginners. I felt from the start that we were too late for pig 1. I learnt from her that I need to give the PG 600 to the gilts on a Monday. That way we will be able to get Semen by the Thursday. The way we did it giving it on a Thursday made it tricky with delivery.

This time it went very smoothly and I will be very surprised if it's not successful.

Pigs 456 are much smaller than the first three. They are the red pigs with spots. They are already seven months old so we will start the process with them on Monday. Interestingly they have 16 to 18 nipples each so they may prove to be super mothers.

This afternoon we started milling hardwood for the brooder frame. Its a wood called Talisay we harvested four years ago and has been sitting under Dominic's house. It's unbelievably hard . it makes for very slow going ripping 4x2s down with my cheap ryobi table saw. The delta thickness planner makes easy work of finishing them off. I can forget using the nail gun on them. I will have to drill and screw. I have a half a box of deck screws I picked up on Craig's list for a song that should not rust.

Tomorrow I will work on the incubator as Dominic is off. I have to get some stuff from a friend in Kabankalan so I will do the single dad thing and take the kids to jollibee as Mrs Oz went to Borneo for the long weekend.

The grow out pen chickens are getting huge. The way it's going I will have 60 to 80 eggs a day soon and will be trying to sell them until I give the chickens away.

We have enjoyed eating two to three roosters a week since I have been here. On Monday we will make turkey sausage from my old tom and hen turkey. Having to beat him off with a stick just to walk outside is growing tiresome.

Turkey hatch on Tuesday and Wednesday. We will have to see how many hatch to decide how to house them.

 

[Penny Hen]

Wow. That just sounds...wow. I mean, of course other people and other cultures will believe some wild stuff, but...wow.

My mother visited the Phillipines 20 years ago with a mission group from her church. She met some really nice people and asked if she could get a photo of them with her to take home. The guy hesitated then said, "Weeell, I don't suppose you have a witch in your family so OK." They take that quite seriously.

 

[Amykins]

My mother visited the Phillipines 20 years ago with a mission group from her church. She met some really nice people and asked if she could get a photo of them with her to take home. The guy hesitated then said, "Weeell, I don't suppose you have a witch in your family so OK." They take that quite seriously.

Hehe oh, my! My husband is Vietnamese and some of his cousins are rice farmers. He's told me some stories. Growing up, he had a pet water buffalo (yes really. His name was Tank) to ward off tigers(!) as well as evil spirits.

 

[Tomtommom]

I hope my post didn't make you feel that I thought that it was your fault that the employees were leaving. I understand that that's not the case. My husband goes through the same thing with his business (construction). He has had a few new people actually quit on their first day of work once they realize that they really have to work. I have to laugh when he comes home and tells me how someone has quit because it's starting to get cold or hot outside.

Hope you don't have to go through everything with the white lady room.

Good luck with the out of area worker hunt and have a great day.

My husband is a GM at a restaurant.. He's got folks applying for jobs, and he sends them to the main office for orientation and they never even go

Amazing how few folks are willing to put effort into well.. anything!

 

[Tomtommom]

I know the feeling of having to repeat yourself when ordering the most basic of things. After only 10 1/2 years in America I still have that problem. On a bad day it is frustrating. On a good day it is entertaining and I can have some fun with it. It has also produced some very entertaining stories.

And I agree with similarities and differences making the world an interesting place. I had a friend that had lived here for about 2 years before I moved here and they frequently complained about how things weren't like back home. After about two months I had had enough and told them that if it bothered them that much they should just move back. If they didn't want to move they needed to accept that things were different because it is a different country and start to enjoy and make the most of what was around them. They are still things that make me shake my head, but if I were to go back home, I am sure I would find just as many things to shake my head at.

YES!

I've been in the US 10 years now. Folks honestly don't believe I'm foreign. Having worked in the service industry I picked up the local twang from my co-workers

Y'all. I have trouble spelling in English. In Dutch I is pronounced E and E is pronounced A and A pronounced I.... it complicates things

I hate making phone calls because they make me spell my name and I always screw it up.

I'm part of a Dutch Americans group on Facebook and at times these folks drive me crazy. I know I did the comparison thing the first few years and there was stuff I missed, but dang, give it up after 20-30 years of being in the US

I consider myself 95% American. I don't do the whole ordering food from Holland thing. That's madness. I find substitutes, make it myself or do without.

 

[scottcaddy]

@Ox delurking just to say, you can't explain 3rd world to anyone who doesn't understand. It's a hard learned lesson. You are doing great! Also, more pics of your hen operation please : )

It sounds like it has not changed much from the early 70's. I never had a housekeeper longer then 8/9 weeks,
and they never came into my bedroom (locked at all times)

Scott, and yes more Pic's!!

 

[ozexpat]

Pics in a few days when I am back in the city.

 

[scottcaddy]

It was a busy day again at CocoBeach. Aside from Waysan getting his final pay Dominic and I used the swanky new pig crate to repeat AI one of the sows. Two of the three were successful the first round which is pretty good for beginners. I felt from the start that we were too late for pig 1. I learnt from her that I need to give the PG 600 to the gilts on a Monday. That way we will be able to get Semen by the Thursday. The way we did it giving it on a Thursday made it tricky with delivery.

This time it went very smoothly and I will be very surprised if it's not successful.

Pigs 456 are much smaller than the first three. They are the red pigs with spots. They are already seven months old so we will start the process with them on Monday. Interestingly they have 16 to 18 nipples each so they may prove to be super mothers.

This afternoon we started milling hardwood for the brooder frame. Its a wood called Talisay we harvested four years ago and has been sitting under Dominic's house. It's unbelievably hard . it makes for very slow going ripping 4x2s down with my cheap ryobi table saw. The delta thickness planner makes easy work of finishing them off. I can forget using the nail gun on them. I will have to drill and screw. I have a half a box of deck screws I picked up on Craig's list for a song that should not rust.

Tomorrow I will work on the incubator as Dominic is off. I have to get some stuff from a friend in Kabankalan so I will do the single dad thing and take the kids to jollibee as Mrs Oz went to Borneo for the long weekend.

The grow out pen chickens are getting huge. The way it's going I will have 60 to 80 eggs a day soon and will be trying to sell them until I give the chickens away.

We have enjoyed eating two to three roosters a week since I have been here. On Monday we will make turkey sausage from my old tom and hen turkey. Having to beat him off with a stick just to walk outside is growing tiresome.

Turkey hatch on Tuesday and Wednesday. We will have to see how many hatch to decide how to house them.

Is this the same Tom that you posted about when you started this thread? I have been wondering how long you would put up with him?

Scott ( I would have smoked him 2 years ago)

 

[Amykins]

Is this the same Tom that you posted about when you started this thread? I have been wondering how long you would put up with him?

Scott ( I would have smoked him 2 years ago)

Mmmm...smoked turkey <3

 

[AtlantaChick]

I don't do the whole ordering food from Holland thing. That's madness. I find substitutes, make it myself or do without.

Lol, @tomtommom, I'm second gen Dutch and while I don't order from Holland, I do tell anyone I know going through to bring me back Gouda and Edam!