Kristen’s Chickens and Farming Ventures

[Aussie-Chookmum]

“Totally safe, really!”

We don’t have any issues with the trailer being too sealed up or worries about these little tealights using up all our oxygen, but silly though it may seem, and although I would never consider actually “heating” with this little doohickey, It keeps the chill out a bit.
We are on day 5 or 6 of no propane for the heater. We are hoping it get filled tomorrow.

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I’m trying to ration using our gas guzzling generator ($$$) for heat, and have managed to raise the temperature in the trailer by up to 3 degrees with this little contraption. I’m considering biting the bullet and asking my mother to buy us a Cubic Grizzly Woodstove when she gets her back-dated pension cash. We can always install it in the house for her room later, and I’m no longer worrying about preserving the trailer for future use. AKA, I’m now completely ok with the though of putting a hole in the roof for a chimney, and plan on taking the propane stove, fridge, and water heater out for our house when it’s built (temporarily).

I had to scroll way back in the photos for these other “totally safe” pictures to before we moved to the farm. But you might find the funny. We have “old Sparky” the pre-reno “vintage” (electrician may have said “ancient and scary”) undersized breaker box that sparked every time you reset a breaker. The still blocking the fire exit “don’t block this exit” cart from my work (fire dept didn’t find it funny, but I did!). And “how to quickly dry the drywall patch in the garage with an electric heater and bungee cord”

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Wow Kris, that's some impressive McGyvering skill you have.

Have you thought about re purposing the trailer as a big coop for the chooks once your house is finished? No, really, I'm serious. The chooks already want to get in there!

Also OH&S ...eeek!

Alright everyone, I’m going to need some help here... lots of creative help! Who has some good recipes for carrots to share? I needed some carrots for some soup and stew I was making, about 8 lbs, and Aunt-in-law insisted we buy these ones. For $10 CAD we got about 80 lbs of feed carrots. Not pretty or convenient, but economical. Now I don’t know what to do! I don’t really have a good place to store them.

I’ve managed to use up 7 liters/quarts worth in the soup and stew, but it’s hardly made a dint in the bag. I plan on fermenting a big batch as well. I think I’ll still have about 50 pounds left. And the worst part is I haven’t convinced the chickens that these are a tasty treat... though they are making Charlie happy.

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Still in the process of cleaning (forgive my mess!)

Do you have a juicer? You could keep and freeze some juice and give the chooks the pulp with some hot mash maybe...
Perhaps cook and mash the carrots and add to porridge if you don't have a juicer.

 

[Kris5902]

Alas, the juicer and the blender are both in the storage locker... I’m hoping to do a blended carrot and squash soup for the freezer if I can find a blender/food processor at the free store on Saturday.

We did get our propane filled yesterday, so we have some real heat again!
Sad kitty, trying to snuggle the flowerpot heater (normally the counter is a no cat zone, but I felt so sorry for her!):

Happy kitty with the propane heater working again (she has barely moved since we got it going again!):

Humans followed a similar suit, and I even got down to just the one layer of outside clothing on while inside the trailer for the first time in a couple days I also have a fully filled jerry can of gas for the generator, so I may tackle vacuuming later today.

I’m gifting FIL with a big bag of the carrots. I had a 1 liter jar of hearty chicken and rice soup for him last night when he got home (hoping he stays in a decent mood) if he had been a little less abrasive before he left I would’ve started the stove up in his cabin on the way down for my shower and dishwashing. He’s going back to Cuba in January or February as well (so we will see how things go for the next few months.

 

[Kris5902]

And the mean human turned off the heater to conserve propane... but turned on the generator to vacuume the floor so the electric heaters can take the chill off while it runs. This is the result. Now I have to vacuum this area and that’s really going to upset her.

While cleaning and organizing I also found this little gem from 2014ish. I forget if it was here or over on @Compost King’s thread that I mentioned my imaginary Rabbit “Fluffy the Fictitious Bunny” who I was collecting carrot and beet tops for (and lots of coffee grounds!) which convinced half the grocery store I worked at that I owned an actual rabbit? This was the picture I put in the follow-up post in our logbook for clarity

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

While cleaning and organizing I also found this little gem from 2014ish. I forget if it was here or over on @Compost King’s thread that I mentioned my imaginary Rabbit “Fluffy the Fictitious Bunny” who I was collecting carrot and beet tops for (and lots of coffee grounds!) which convinced half the grocery store I worked at that I owned an actual rabbit? This was the picture I put in the follow-up post in our logbook for clarity
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A compost bin I assume?

 

[BlueBaby]

I just dry my used coffee ground's out and waste them. I scatter them in the backyard, and then my DH drags them around the yard with the weed's.

 

[rjohns39]

Good morning Kris

 

[BY Bob]

And the mean human turned off the heater to conserve propane... but turned on the generator to vacuume the floor so the electric heaters can take the chill off while it runs. This is the result. Now I have to vacuum this area and that’s really going to upset her.
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While cleaning and organizing I also found this little gem from 2014ish. I forget if it was here or over on @Compost King’s thread that I mentioned my imaginary Rabbit “Fluffy the Fictitious Bunny” who I was collecting carrot and beet tops for (and lots of coffee grounds!) which convinced half the grocery store I worked at that I owned an actual rabbit? This was the picture I put in the follow-up post in our logbook for clarity
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That is one of the cutest bunny's. Very creative Kris!

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good morning Kris. I would try to do a cool storage on the carrots as well. They last a good long time if stored properly. A mouse proof box with some ventilation and above freezing temps - they will last through the winter. My chickens don't like carrots either. They will eat some if ground up with greens or bread, but never plain.

 

[Kris5902]

A compost bin I assume?

Yep! I worked at a “high-end” grocery store as Front end management. The patrons often wanted the pretty bunches of carrots, beets, baby turnips and such, but had no use for the greens. If a cashier offered to take them off (they tended to avoid offering because it’s not the nicest thing to do by hand and they don’t give cashiers knives) I saw a resource for my compost, and wrote up a full page long story about the plight of imaginary pets and “Fluffy” was born. Think like a Christian Chidrens Charity ad for wording. I was being home 4 or more extra large paper grocery bags full most every night.

I just dry my used coffee ground's out and waste them. I scatter them in the backyard, and then my DH drags them around the yard with the weed's.

If it had just been my coffee grounds... I was bringing in 2-3 garbage bags of used drip coffee grounds and espresso pucks on an almost daily basis at peak composting levels. I had a larger pile as well, but that didn’t photograph so nicely. I tried to make sure DH took them home with the car when we were both working at the same store. Hauling 50lbs or more of used coffee grounds home on public transit at night wasn’t fun... granted it did happen fairly often.

 

[Kris5902]

Good morning Kris. I would try to do a cool storage on the carrots as well. They last a good long time if stored properly. A mouse proof box with some ventilation and above freezing temps - they will last through the winter. My chickens don't like carrots either. They will eat some if ground up with greens or bread, but never plain.

Good to know it’s not just my girls that are picky, they aren’t much for greens other than grass, but do like eggs. Last time I tried to scramble the carrot peeling in with the eggs thinking they would love it... but nope! I tried boiling it, again no. Some of the girls and the Littles ate a bit of what I gave them raw this time, but it’s clearly not one of their favorites.