Kristen’s Chickens and Farming Ventures

[Kris5902]

Crate the bird.

Ssshhh! It’s a good thing Husband doesn’t peruse this site, you might give him ideas. When given the option of “you can hold the chicken or....” he always picks the “or” Crating him was how I got the frass sifted, after his second breakaway. I just really didn’t want to lift the alfalfa bales today!

Tomorrow we will be needing to do two or three runs with our utility trailer to bring alfalfa from our property on the north side of the island down to the farm hay barns. The delivery truck when we got the 20 tonnes couldn’t make it to the farm proper due to mud at that time of year, so it goes to a dry barn about a 40 minute drive away. We can haul 14 bales at a time on the trailer. They weigh around 100lbs each.

So, sure enough, I opened up the barn door and off he shot again... so it was more of a husband got to load the hay while I collected him situation. Chickens sure can run fast, while you’re busy opening a 15 foot wide barn door.

There’s no person sized door to this barn and to keep it open you have to secure a string loop to a nail on the side behind the teal hay dolly, or it can blow shut on the car.

It’s temporary housing for him, so this should be resolved very soon by another chicken tractor just for him and some ladies. And my little white guys will be joining freezer camp, skinny or no. I’m planning on that for Thursday or Friday now, due to family and farm chore schedules.

There’s a broken woodmizer sawmill that is being taken in to have its engine replaced, so Husband needs to trailer it, because there’s NO way I’m letting my father-in-law do it with one of our trucks. However we don’t know which day... “sometime this week” means “when I tell you, with no notice, regardless of what you have to do today or I will yell at you and throw things” in Father-in-law speak.

 

[aart]

Ssshhh! It’s a good thing Husband doesn’t peruse this site, you might give him ideas. When given the option of “you can hold the chicken or....” he always picks the “or” Crating him was how I got the frass sifted, after his second breakaway. I just really didn’t want to lift the alfalfa bales today!

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Just another day on the farm.

 

[Kris5902]

So aside from our usual chores and getting hay, not much happened with my chickens or chicken projects today... I have to say our two Jeeps are invaluable here... I might not have my own tractor but you would be surprised how much can be accomplished with a Jeep and a hitch Basket, Trailer, shovel and 5 gallon buckets... here’s a picture of the Barn on the far side of the island

The miniature horses aren’t ours, one belongs to my husbands cousin who lives on another island, and two belong to people who rent some barn space and pasture. But they are cute...

Also, this pic I think is cute is from a week or two ago... we were leaving a gate open, because there’s lots of them and we are kinda lazy (ok just mostly exhausted all the time, but lazy sounds way more dramatic!) and my yearling cattle and the bull had been staying where we wanted them to anyways. Well this morning randomly they had decided to see where the food bringers were... and encountered, da da dunnnn... Chickens!!!

Note the curious looks, the cautious approach, yes my boys were flying at them and nearly hysterical. I forget who mentioned something along the lines of “I keep 50-100 cockerels with no problems, they don’t attack me or any other livestock” in another post or I would tag them... because boy, oh boy, did these guys want a piece of those cows at first.

 

[Ribh]

So aside from our usual chores and getting hay, not much happened with my chickens or chicken projects today... I have to say our two Jeeps are invaluable here... I might not have my own tractor but you would be surprised how much can be accomplished with a Jeep and a hitch Basket, Trailer, shovel and 5 gallon buckets... here’s a picture of the Barn on the far side of the island

View attachment 1699856View attachment 1699858 View attachment 1699860 View attachment 1699861

The miniature horses aren’t ours, one belongs to my husbands cousin who lives on another island, and two belong to people who rent some barn space and pasture. But they are cute...

View attachment 1699855

Also, this pic I think is cute is from a week or two ago... we were leaving a gate open, because there’s lots of them and we are kinda lazy (ok just mostly exhausted all the time, but lazy sounds way more dramatic!) and my yearling cattle and the bull had been staying where we wanted them to anyways. Well this morning randomly they had decided to see where the food bringers were... and encountered, da da dunnnn... Chickens!!!

Note the curious looks, the cautious approach, yes my boys were flying at them and nearly hysterical. I forget who mentioned something along the lines of “I keep 50-100 cockerels with no problems, they don’t attack me or any other livestock” in another post or I would tag them... because boy, oh boy, did these guys want a piece of those cows at first.

Your place looks so lovely. Green. I like green. You're not lazy. You just have a relaxed approach to life.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Your place looks so lovely. Green. I like green. You're not lazy. You just have a relaxed approach to life.

No, I really think she is exhausted. Farming on that level is hugely demanding.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

So aside from our usual chores and getting hay, not much happened with my chickens or chicken projects today... I have to say our two Jeeps are invaluable here... I might not have my own tractor but you would be surprised how much can be accomplished with a Jeep and a hitch Basket, Trailer, shovel and 5 gallon buckets... here’s a picture of the Barn on the far side of the island

View attachment 1699856View attachment 1699858 View attachment 1699860 View attachment 1699861

The miniature horses aren’t ours, one belongs to my husbands cousin who lives on another island, and two belong to people who rent some barn space and pasture. But they are cute...

View attachment 1699855

Also, this pic I think is cute is from a week or two ago... we were leaving a gate open, because there’s lots of them and we are kinda lazy (ok just mostly exhausted all the time, but lazy sounds way more dramatic!) and my yearling cattle and the bull had been staying where we wanted them to anyways. Well this morning randomly they had decided to see where the food bringers were... and encountered, da da dunnnn... Chickens!!!

Note the curious looks, the cautious approach, yes my boys were flying at them and nearly hysterical. I forget who mentioned something along the lines of “I keep 50-100 cockerels with no problems, they don’t attack me or any other livestock” in another post or I would tag them... because boy, oh boy, did these guys want a piece of those cows at first.

The picture of the "cows meet chickens" is awesome. I can only imagine that they are saying "eat more beef" vs "eat more chicken."

 

[Kris5902]

April, May, and June the livestock chores drop off for the most part... and the focus will turn to gardening. I don’t have my own gardens in yet, but there’s the big garden which is about a 1/2 acre of rows. Towards the end of June we do a week or two of intense haying, then Slaughtering begins end of August or early September and goes until December.

Because we have the all the livestock in areas with less ideal pastures right now (basically on the road) practically every gate on our “driveway” is closed between my build-site/trailer and the center of the farm. To give anyone without some rural experience that’s reading this some perspective that’s just under 2miles, or about 3km of rough dirt road.

The Big Trees (where the yearlings and bull are ATM)
Excuse the white stuff, it’s abnormal! Feb 2019

20km/h is the maximum we drive because of the livestock and mud. It’s like there’s four intersections along it, but at every one you need to stop, get out to open a 12’ gate, get back in the car, drive through the gate and stop, get out and close the gate behind you... then drive to the next one and repeat. Doesn’t seem like much, but it gets annoying, and my mom comes up for dinner and some Star Trek DVD time every night. She’s 67, and still not 100% from vascular surgery 1.5 years ago.

Our trusses making the journey up to our build site, it’s pretty clear why the truck couldn’t make it! Dec 2018

I bought our second Jeep about a year ago, because before that we were driving down during the day to feed, go to the store, refill our water jugs, then back up to the trailer to work, driving down to pick her up, and up to the trailer for dinner, down to drop her off, back up to the trailer to sleep. Once the house is vertical we can have the Cattle in that section for Calving... that will be a huge energy savings... but cattle and building materials don’t mix too well... especially with the forms only half finished!

I still wouldn’t trade this for my city lifestyle... even though I dearly miss my bathroom, neighbors, hot tub, and patio. (In that order unless we are haying, then the hot tub jumps to #2)

Sunset, Aug 2018

And the beach, AKA the reason we get so many trespassers walking back through the farm with uncontrolled dogs (grrrr!) it’s a very rough trail, but look... a farms private road, lets use that instead. May 2018

More chicken updates coming soon! And the cockerel situation (well this one) will be “permanently resolved” Saturday morning.

 

[Ribh]

April, May, and June the livestock chores drop off for the most part... and the focus will turn to gardening. I don’t have my own gardens in yet, but there’s the big garden which is about a 1/2 acre of rows. Towards the end of June we do a week or two of intense haying, then Slaughtering begins end of August or early September and goes until December.

Because we have the all the livestock in areas with less ideal pastures right now (basically on the road) practically every gate on our “driveway” is closed between my build-site/trailer and the center of the farm. To give anyone without some rural experience that’s reading this some perspective that’s just under 2miles, or about 3km of rough dirt road.

The Big Trees (where the yearlings and bull are ATM)
Excuse the white stuff, it’s abnormal! Feb 2019
View attachment 1700271 View attachment 1700272

20km/h is the maximum we drive because of the livestock and mud. It’s like there’s four intersections along it, but at every one you need to stop, get out to open a 12’ gate, get back in the car, drive through the gate and stop, get out and close the gate behind you... then drive to the next one and repeat. Doesn’t seem like much, but it gets annoying, and my mom comes up for dinner and some Star Trek DVD time every night. She’s 67, and still not 100% from vascular surgery 1.5 years ago.

Our trusses making the journey up to our build site, it’s pretty clear why the truck couldn’t make it! Dec 2018
View attachment 1700269

I bought our second Jeep about a year ago, because before that we were driving down during the day to feed, go to the store, refill our water jugs, then back up to the trailer to work, driving down to pick her up, and up to the trailer for dinner, down to drop her off, back up to the trailer to sleep. Once the house is vertical we can have the Cattle in that section for Calving... that will be a huge energy savings... but cattle and building materials don’t mix too well... especially with the forms only half finished!

I still wouldn’t trade this for my city lifestyle... even though I dearly miss my bathroom, neighbors, hot tub, and patio. (In that order unless we are haying, then the hot tub jumps to #2)

Sunset at Thompson Park, Aug 2018
View attachment 1700266

And the beach at Taylor Point, AKA the reason we get so many trespassers walking back through the farm with uncontrolled dogs (grrrr!) it’s a very rough trail, but look... a farms private road, lets use that instead. May 2018
View attachment 1700267

More chicken updates coming soon! And the cockerel situation (well this one) will be “permanently resolved” Saturday morning.

Oh. My. I haven't been on a driveway that steep & narrow since I left my parent's place in Sydney.

I am drooling. I know it's a massive amount of work but those trees! That green! The water! So stunningly gorgeous. The slaughtering is what's always put me off farming seriously though I am considering a beehive ~ one of the new ones with a tap. Your garden will put my tiddly one to shame though it will supplement our veggies & some of the neighbours as well. I am so glad you are sharing. I seem to be collecting islanders. My long term Canadian friend lives on PEI & I drool over her pics too.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Actually the first couple of pictures with all the snow looks like my backyard right now. Its all very lovely.