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

[vehve]

Haha, the full spectrum of white. Procol Harum's Whiter shade of pale started playing in my head... But a lot of Nordic people moved into those regions. Personally I might pick a slightly warmer climate if I were to move away from here, but I suppose they were attracted to something that felt familiar. There is quite a large Finnish population in Florida too though.

 

[ozexpat]

Haha, the full spectrum of white. Procol Harum's Whiter shade of pale started playing in my head... But a lot of Nordic people moved into those regions. Personally I might pick a slightly warmer climate if I were to move away from here, but I suppose they were attracted to something that felt familiar. There is quite a large Finnish population in Florida too though.

they are the old folk from up north who came to their senses


back to regular programming

One of the things that we struggle with is keeping on top of whats happening and what is needed at Cocobeach when we are not there.

As the time when Mrs Oz and the kids come over gets closer, having a good system is critical.

Teaching whats important to report is always a challenge. Ability to use smart phones and laptops are also a big factor. The ability to read and write in a common language is another. We have to modify methods with the staff we have.

When Bernie arrived the first time he spoke virtually no English. He left school at 10 years of age and can barely read. His English is vastly improved and will even translate Dodong's questions for me. I am encouraging him to go to night school but thats taking time as he is intimidated. Bernie's native tongue is cebuano - not the Ilonggo spoken on our side of Negros.

Dodong is about the same as Bernie when he first started but his knowledge of constuction makes it a lot easier to get the message across when face to face

Lillian is a HS graduate from the public school system. Her English is fair at best but speaks Tagalog OK. She is not the sharpest though....

Something I have never done was have a Policy and Procedure Manual. We give orientation, but there has not been a written versin. While I want to encourage problem solving and lateral thinkng, a resource book may prove useful for the staff and hold them more accountable. I have erred away from it because of past employeee language differences and reading ability. It has also intimidated me as I need translation.

Cue google translate

Its Cebuano is too deep, or pure for Bernie as it choses words a scolar may use, not a village kid that speaks street cebuano. While cebuano is out, this app translates really well into Tagalog.

So now I am tasked with writing a CocoPoultryFarms policy and procedure manual. of course, one has to reverse translate the Tagalog back to English to ensure accuracy but Google is changing the way we work.

 

[vehve]

Speaking of which Oz, I think google offers some sort of free questionnaire thing that can be set up to automatically add to a spreadsheet when submitted (I like my spreadsheets). I started thinking if it might be possible for you to somehow utilize that for your daily reports. A text only questionnaire page should be quite low bandwidthwise, so it might work for you.

 

[tntchix]

Tnt, You should suggest he takes up Finnish. Finnish is known for it's simple grammar structure that's easy to comprehend.

Yup

then he can read all the finnish books at the Lower Mid-Michigan library

great idea.

now to get him to crack a book...

 

[scottcaddy]

Tnt, You should suggest he takes up Finnish. Finnish is known for it's simple grammar structure that's easy to comprehend.

, I lived in the UP of MI for several years, I got to meet quite a few Finnish people.
I got lost just talking about snow.
Scott

 

[ozexpat]

Speaking of which Oz, I think google offers some sort of free questionnaire thing that can be set up to automatically add to a spreadsheet when submitted (I like my spreadsheets). I started thinking if it might be possible for you to somehow utilize that for your daily reports. A text only questionnaire page should be quite low bandwidthwise, so it might work for you.

we are not quite adept enough for that

the report is written in a notebook and a photo of the pages is uploaded

it increases my workload as I have to add it to my spreadsheets but it works

 

[CanuckBock]

back to regular programming

One of the things that we struggle with is keeping on top of whats happening and what is needed at Cocobeach when we are not there.

...

Something I have never done was have a Policy and Procedure Manual. We give orientation, but there has not been a written versin. While I want to encourage problem solving and lateral thinkng, a resource book may prove useful for the staff and hold them more accountable. I have erred away from it because of past employeee language differences and reading ability. It has also intimidated me as I need translation.

Cue google translate

Its Cebuano is too deep, or pure for Bernie as it choses words a scolar may use, not a village kid that speaks street cebuano. While cebuano is out, this app translates really well into Tagalog.

So now I am tasked with writing a CocoPoultryFarms policy and procedure manual. of course, one has to reverse translate the Tagalog back to English to ensure accuracy but Google is changing the way we work.

Seems every "administrational/clerical" job I ever came upon...lacked a decent P&P manual. Were the former employees worried about being replaced if they HAD made up a good instructional book? Potentially I suspect since being the new hire to take over where they use to be employed had happened, eh?

Since I use to leave a job to make another advance in my career, I never felt intimidated by keeping an ongoing new and improved P&P manual going. I only once felt intimidated at a new position & it was rather unsettling...under the desk in a far off place languished a label that simply stated "no machine will EVER replace me until it learns to drink"). I once even took the time to teach my replacement at a dealership what Chattel Mortgages were...since everyone learns in different ways, I even brought in dinky toy vehiciles to elaborate the process! Which got me thinking on your project...

Language barriers Oz...why not do up a bit of a "picture" book. Don't laugh but here is an example I just yanked out of a photo file.

Two pens in my Duck Barn...this is how I set up the bantam duck pens for late fall/early winter​

Since a photo is worth a 1,000 words...you can go over the photos with the new Hires or review as needed too. Saying what you do but showing the completed example shouts out successful replication!

Note the two coffee cans (filled with No. 1 granite grit and oyster shell), one on top of the red feed bucket and one on top of the heated water bucket...both meant to keep small ducks OFF buckets and prevent crapping on said items. Rubber pan (kinder to ducks so as not to have their webbers stick to the stainless steel pans we use in summer). Door between the two pens is kept securely open with a rubber bungy fastening it completely OPEN (no ducks to get pinch if the door were to swing close and break tiny legs). Oat straw square bale angled to the left so some ducks may perch on bales (to avoid overly aggressive ducks, some quiet time out place for ducks lower on the pecking order--allows them to go higher up and outta sight, outta billing reach...hee hee--floor space is the most desired place for the ducks, so up on the bale is a lower status place but much better than seeing ducks harassing other ducks constantly) and the bale is positioned so it acts as a mini wind break inside the pen. Handle of white plastic scoop peeps outta one coffee can on feed bucket...ready there for easy use for dishing out more feed or to be used when I bring round the cracked corn bucket...few scoops on top of regular rations AFTER time allotted for breakfast is over. Corn = body heat generated to keep warmer in winter. Cords on heated buckets are up and laced thru wire on side of pens...less chance for the ducks to fly up and get short leg caught in overly hanging cords.

I am sure my eyes see everything here as logical...but all you gotta do is have someone clear out a pen and then can't quite remember the pen's lay out...and laugh all you want...it has taken literally YEARS to know how I want a bantam duck pen laid out to prevent harm to the happy lil' bugs. This said, all I need to do is find some duck in a precarious situation and the whole pen layout might have to be redone.

To me, the duck pen logic is easy...to a person off the street that don't know a duck from a cluck...well it is not going to seem logical at all. All you gotta do is put that bale of straw on the other side of the pen and you can't quickly navigate the front pen to the back one (move it outta the way daily and you can place the bale on a scurrying duck...nets one a dead duck--blah!) and the bale provides no wind break, and on & on it goes downhill from there. I don't have the heat lamps wired in here so this is an early winter pic...but you could take a photo of things like the heat lamp setup all by themselves with notations, install these in this fashion by end of September or what-have-you's...

I know that you and Mrs. Oz are excellent photographers and it would be a bit of a task at first but really quite helpful. You could also make photograph taking part of the report back to you that a photo is taken of a pen of birds IF something starts to go amiss...like egg production drops, feed goes way up...fertility takes a dive. A photo of the operation as part of the MONTH END could also be a mandatory way to potentially keep you on top of any changes that might inch their way into your well greased machinery. Jest saying. A photo to me takne of a duck pen with the bale moved to some other place...instant what and why did the change happen is in order! Keeps you in the loop and heck, might be an improved way to do things you never thought of. I know when Rick swings by to visit the birds, he is always very helpful to ask me why certain things are this way and not that way. It takes the both of us to see with new eyes and the birds, well they are always the ones to benefit when two heads are better than just one in seeing how things run along.

Take the suggestion or leave it but photos are indeed bridges over language barriers, at least I figure it may help a bit.

Another pointer in the P&P manual...if you save each page with a logical name and the sequential page number (so you can find it quickly) ...you can add a quick addition or deletion and replace the old one with the new printed page...or leave it all digital. But thinking the actual hands on paper manual would be more doable given the Cocobeach situation. I would also use sheet protectors to hold the pages in the binder...it is after all a pretty dirty biz looking after critters...no scratch and sniff, more wipe off the residues...hee hee.

Sounds like a fun project. I remember doing the new vehicle check in process at the one dealership...the old person use leave everything to do when the carrier showed up with ten or so vehicles all at once...took two hours per vehicle and all other work stopped so she could check them in, one by tedious one, so the salesmen could sell them...hee hee. I played a game on seeing how much I could do ahead of time (I priced the vehicles, I ordered the vehicles, booked them into stock, took them outta inventory...so when the plant sent me a report the colour blue I ordered had been painted ON the truck...sure enough I could mark the key tags in permanent felt as DARK BLUE Chev one ton, eh!). I got it all down to 20 minutes a unit...the one salesman came up and said he had a buyer for the one car and I handed him the keys and folder... He was speechless...pleased but blown away!

I like efficiency and things to run along smoothly without hiccups when possible. Haste makes waste and a full day of things to do is good, but hafta to do and in a hurry, invites accidents! I do know with animals, you can plan and legislate what it takes to keep them well...but it is always nice to come upon an emergency situation and have the ability to jump right in and take care of it completely (so no other tasks suffer in the process)...simply because you have all your ducks in a row already!

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[ozexpat]

we have picture books already

one with medications and symptoms

photo reports are very useful - we have always used them

i see project progression every day as well as broad landscapes.

Rona was very good at showing angles that looked good but hid the pit of mess they built up lol

 

[XxMingirlxX]

Hi from England!
I have just finished reading! So here I am coming out of the darkness of lurkers to say hello! Oz I think you are fab!
I have a question though, my mum used to always say 'you snore like a water buffalo' so I'm curious do water buffalo actually snore?

 

[ozexpat]

Hi from England!
I have just finished reading! So here I am coming out of the darkness of lurkers to say hello! Oz I think you are fab!
I have a question though, my mum used to always say 'you snore like a water buffalo' so I'm curious do water buffalo actually snore?

Hi

I have seen you lurking for a while. I am glad you have come out of the darkness to say hi.

Mozza does not snore but makes a little grunt sound when she wants your attention.

When Bernie replicates the sound, she comes running like a puppy.