Kristen’s Chickens and Farming Ventures

[rjohns39]

Good morning Kris

I'm hopeful the pandemic will help many of us to realise ... I'm struggling to get the right words... We need togetherness because it's a source of safety and joy. So I'm stoked to read about all the bartrring in Kris's community. On the other hand, selfishness is a source of pain. I think the pandemic brings these social truths to the surface where we can see them clearly.

Very well said. Situations like this tend to bring out both the best and the worst in people.

 

[BY Bob]

I agree

Love the new avatar!

 

[BY Bob]

I hope you are all healthy and that things are going well for you Kris. I miss you.

 

[rjohns39]

Good morning Kris

Missing you too... Hope all is well

 

[BlueBaby]

Hi, @Kris5902 Just letting you know that I had to put one of the Barnevelder girl's in broody jail today. My egg's in my incubator are due to hatch on the 16th of this month.

 

[rjohns39]

Good morning Kris

 

[Kris5902]

Hi everyone! This is going to be a bit of a long update, but I’ll try to keep it reasonable. I should be back fully now, though I expect things to get crazy-busy again anytime. I might not be on everyday. Egg sales are now booming, at least for me. I’ve been doing contactless deliveries to peoples homes and accepting prepayments as most people get charged for e-transfers per transaction, upselling the sausage at every opportunity as well.

I am finally finished the painting and cleanup on my latest job, and I have bartered for garden space and water access this summer! I’m getting 60 Meat birds in between April 20-25 of a slow broiler type. The guy I’ve been painting for (one of the people involved in the last meat bird exploits) is bearing the upfront chick costs. I will cover the feed and raise them all. He wants about 12 birds for personal use. We will calculate the feed and processing costs once they are harvested and settle up the difference then. He gets his birds at cost, without the work of raising them and the normal “losses” (he usually gets 15 chicks hoping for 12 survivors). I know he doesn’t have the space or time to raise them this year. When asked how much I would “want” for raising them, I said access to potable water for us and our livestock, and garden space. He thought I wanted to run the chickens in his garden! “No, garden beds... for veggies!”
I’ve got four 4x8’ beds one inside the giant greenhouse and three outside. We will see how things evolve.

I have 20 new chicks, and more in the incubator due on the 20th and 27th, then I am shutting down the hatching for now. Really. So far Chickie Hawk’s girls have had awful fertility rates, and poor hatch rates, but Mr Marans has been doing very well in that department. Things are looking pretty good this year for the most part.

We did have one huge negative on April 1st. I am just glad it happened to be me that found her and not someone else, and there were many ways it could have been much worse. A neighbor and Friend of the family who has dual citizenship and often uses our farm for water/internet/electronics charging got here right before Canada closed her borders from Seattle. Two days after her 14 day Covid self isolation quarantine was over she passed on in our garage of a probable heart attack, stroke, or similar (non Covid) condition. I was looking for her as she had parked her van blocking our driveway, and we couldn’t get into the farm from work. I am just glad it wasn’t the kiddo who found her, and that it was here, where she could be attended to promptly, as during these times no one gets concerned if they haven’t seen someone else for a few days/weeks. Our volunteer Amublance crew worked on her for the hour it took to get a helicopter (mechanical difficulties) here with a dr to pronounce the death, but she was definitely already gone when I found her. I spoke with her Partner the next day on the phone, and she intends on finishing the home they were building here, and once this Pandemic has eased up we will have a good wake for her.

Here are some Random recent pictures for a happier note. The pretty White MaransxSapphire boy is named Dean, and the other cockerel living with him and Sammy is named Castiel, anyone watch “Supernatural” lol (no spoilers for the final season please!)

 

[Ribh]

Thanks for the update, Kris! It is so good to hear from you. We don't have a complete island travel ban yet: Doctors, groceries, essentials for so many of us are still off island. Restrictions in place though & have seen the boats pull out 1/2 empty leaving passengers on the jetty due to social distancing restrictions. Must be costing the company a fortune!

Wow! Glad the kiddo missed that one. Could have been ugly. Love & hugs to you & all the chickens.

 

[rjohns39]

Kris, that was a great update. Soooooo very sorry for the loss of your friend and what you had to deal with. Yup we're supernatural fans here.

Things have definitely been interesting at work. We've now had two COVID deaths. We went from a standard 3-4K remote users to over 10K overnight and were able to absorb it within our existing infrastructure. Our CEO and several other members of the executive leadership team are now donating their entire paycheck to a COVID relief fund that is matched dollar for dollar by the company to issue grants to company families who are affected by the virus. Even though my director sucks, the company as a whole is fantastic. We're finding creative ways to pay employees whose offices are closed and can't work. Starting Friday, I'll be taking one day every two weeks off (paid time off) to protect our rates. Basically all of the folks who are indirect will be doing the same. But only those who have accrued time off to use. This is just a crazy time, but I'm happy that I can be proud of the company I work for.

 

[BY Bob]

Hi everyone! This is going to be a bit of a long update, but I’ll try to keep it reasonable. I should be back fully now, though I expect things to get crazy-busy again anytime. I might not be on everyday. Egg sales are now booming, at least for me. I’ve been doing contactless deliveries to peoples homes and accepting prepayments as most people get charged for e-transfers per transaction, upselling the sausage at every opportunity as well.

I am finally finished the painting and cleanup on my latest job, and I have bartered for garden space and water access this summer! I’m getting 60 Meat birds in between April 20-25 of a slow broiler type. The guy I’ve been painting for (one of the people involved in the last meat bird exploits) is bearing the upfront chick costs. I will cover the feed and raise them all. He wants about 12 birds for personal use. We will calculate the feed and processing costs once they are harvested and settle up the difference then. He gets his birds at cost, without the work of raising them and the normal “losses” (he usually gets 15 chicks hoping for 12 survivors). I know he doesn’t have the space or time to raise them this year. When asked how much I would “want” for raising them, I said access to potable water for us and our livestock, and garden space. He thought I wanted to run the chickens in his garden! “No, garden beds... for veggies!”
I’ve got four 4x8’ beds one inside the giant greenhouse and three outside. We will see how things evolve.

I have 20 new chicks, and more in the incubator due on the 20th and 27th, then I am shutting down the hatching for now. Really. So far Chickie Hawk’s girls have had awful fertility rates, and poor hatch rates, but Mr Marans has been doing very well in that department. Things are looking pretty good this year for the most part.

We did have one huge negative on April 1st. I am just glad it happened to be me that found her and not someone else, and there were many ways it could have been much worse. A neighbor and Friend of the family who has dual citizenship and often uses our farm for water/internet/electronics charging got here right before Canada closed her borders from Seattle. Two days after her 14 day Covid self isolation quarantine was over she passed on in our garage of a probable heart attack, stroke, or similar (non Covid) condition. I was looking for her as she had parked her van blocking our driveway, and we couldn’t get into the farm from work. I am just glad it wasn’t the kiddo who found her, and that it was here, where she could be attended to promptly, as during these times no one gets concerned if they haven’t seen someone else for a few days/weeks. Our volunteer Amublance crew worked on her for the hour it took to get a helicopter (mechanical difficulties) here with a dr to pronounce the death, but she was definitely already gone when I found her. I spoke with her Partner the next day on the phone, and she intends on finishing the home they were building here, and once this Pandemic has eased up we will have a good wake for her.

Here are some Random recent pictures for a happier note. The pretty White MaransxSapphire boy is named Dean, and the other cockerel living with him and Sammy is named Castiel, anyone watch “Supernatural” lol (no spoilers for the final season please!)
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It is so wonderful to hear from you. I want so to say more but the words won't come. How about some hugs. You were missed.