my very own micro farm

[darina]

Sorry about the loss of your pretty little pullet. I am preparing to move house and I'm giving away all my chickens. It has been harder on me than I anticipated.

 

[attimus]

It definitely sucks but there is a bit of a sense of distachment compared to a few months ago. Guess with the volume and the transition to more non named birds, we've been subcontiously preparing ourselves. And with the expanding flock there's bound to be one or two weak birds.

Birdman is going through a similar situation with unloading his birds and moving. I couldn't imagine having to get rid of all of the birds here. Like any avian enthusiest knows, and for those that aren't or who are just starting out, owning chickens or fowl of any kind can be a life changing commitment. Sorry again for your chickens, hope they are going to people who you can keep in touch.

Getting a late start to the day plenty hot here the last few days. Gonna spray some tree trunks and put frozen bottles in waterers and spread some out in shady places. Place is looking good for the baby bday . Seems we'll have quite a few guests.

Lots to do
Onwards and upwards
Attimus

 

[lindalouly]

I love your blog. Makes for some good late night reading and I am learning a lot!!! I want a farm so badly but it's just not in my deck of cards.. I did decide that this year I would start a small suburban life farm. I have 8 pullets and one 13 week old roo, two tortoises and two dogs. I built my coop never ever having worked with wood and that alone taught me so much... I started an open compost pile because I have a ton of crap apples and all the debri from the chickens... Is there any advise you can give me to ensure I am doing it correctly!!!! I would appreciate it. I'm hoping next year I can actually start gardening

going slow but better to live my life a little the way I wAnt than not at all.

 

[attimus]

@lindalouly thanks for following the thread. It seems I don't have nearly as much free time for projects during the summer but I always try to squeeze something in. The property is definitely a long term project and is directly tied to our own quality of life here. It sounds like you've got the right idea with improving yours.as far as compost goes, I spend little time doing much but adding good waste to it. The chickens do a good job turning the pile down and I occasionally rake it all back up. Try getting prep scraps from your local restruaunts or ask the manager in the produce section for the undesirables. It helps that I work in a kitchen, I bring home a bucket a day. I do this with one pit until the rain then I let it sit for the wet season while I start filling the second pit. By spring when I'm ready to plant. I run it through a chicken wire frame to get the chunks out and put it to use. The frame is set up at the angle and has a hinge off the box to dump the big stuff back into the pile.
I jumped right into my first coop as well also with no experience, and thinking about it now I feel like building them has become a bit of a hobby.
Thanks again for following, would love to see your chickens and keep us posted on your suburban progress.

Long day yesterday. Up before the sun for god know what reason, so as soon as it was all the run doors came open and i spent some time with all the birds before heading off to the lumber yard. Took 5 trips to get all the concrete I needed for the pond but by
noon I seemed ready to go. With my lady, baby, mother and a grumpy old sage we spent the next 3 hours leveling surfaces and filling gaps with sand and fine dirt. Every bucket of dirt was that much less wasted concrete later. Once the surface was done we hammered rebar in and mounted wire around the sides. Thankfully theres light until about 9 or so here right now. The old sage and I spent the remaining daylight mixing and pouring concrete. If I had floodlights I would have been at it all night.
Currently 2 or 3 mixes from the sides being finished and then its on to the bottom. Can't believe its this close. Obviously it will need to cure and there's a sealer to consider. I'm getting excited just thinking about it
Time to go fire up the mixer.
Attimus

 

[aart]

Long day yesterday. Up before the sun for god know what reason, so as soon as it was all the run doors came open and i spent some time with all the birds before heading off to the lumber yard. Took 5 trips to get all the concrete I needed for the pond but by
noon I seemed ready to go. With my lady, baby, mother and a grumpy old sage we spent the next 3 hours leveling surfaces and filling gaps with sand and fine dirt. Every bucket of dirt was that much less wasted concrete later. Once the surface was done we hammered rebar in and mounted wire around the sides. Thankfully theres light until about 9 or so here right now. The old sage and I spent the remaining daylight mixing and pouring concrete. If I had floodlights I would have been at it all night.
Currently 2 or 3 mixes from the sides being finished and then its on to the bottom. Can't believe its this close. Obviously it will need to cure and there's a sealer to consider. I'm getting excited just thinking about it
Time to go fire up the mixer.

Attimus

What no pics?!? Beware the cold seams, sprinkle some dry cement on them before adding new mix.

 

[lindalouly]

Thank you for the inspiration.. I have now started my own blog about my daily living. Nothing near as exciting as yours but fun and fulfilling for me either way. Keep up on the posts cause now you have readers waiting to hear about your next project and how you juggle life with a beautiful child, wife and chores!!!!! Good job!!!

 

[attimus]

Heres pics from today. Just shy of finishing the bottom. Just gonna have to wait. This was a day and a half worth of work the rest should go quick.
Late now, I'm off
Onward and upward
Attimus

 

[attimus]

The good, got a whole case of broccoli from work that was turning yellow yesterday

The chickens love it.
The bad, my super protective kelso mom decided to leave her chicks and my yard yesterday. Jumped the fence into an acre or so of dense undergrowth. Don't have hopes she'll be back.
The ugly, and thusly ties in with the latter, I just got home from work to find that 3 of her chicks are missing and the 4th was nestled in with the mix flock. Which obviously makes me wonder because until right now that hatch of kelso and my mixed ee and older kelso duo havent spent any time together.

I've got a lot of mixed feelings about this situation right now. But be sure everyone is on lockdown until I can figure things out.

Onward and upward
Attimus

 

[lindalouly]

Oh no!!!!!

 

[attimus]

Better day for sure. Got up to see all 4 chicks running around the hoop coop in front of the house. Still having trouble catching them. Even at so small a size they can freaking fly. Mother hen returned as well no worse for wear, tho she is missing some tail feathers. Won't be free ranging her anytime soon. Lol.
I rehomed the biggest cockeral this morning as well as setting up a home for another one tomorrow.
Got all the waterers and kiddie pools changed and finally dumped all 15 of the buckets I've been amassing for the last week or so into the compost.
Now its time to go to work. Ha!

Onward and upward
Attimus