Stella's Social Club

[The Sheriff]

The ventilation holes are covered with hardware cloth, correct?

There are long louvered vents that are installed from the inside. The builder attached them with a nail gun so I don't think a raccoon could get in that way.

 

[drumstick diva]

Thank you Robhuncor. Raccoons are probably one of the worst preds, if they don't manage to kill their prey - they leave them with horrendous wounds and suffering., often with missing wings or legs or worse... I HATE THEM !!!!

 

[1muttsfan]

Thanksgiving was interesting at my house. Early in the year, I hid some wine to save it for a special time. Well, I hid it REALLY well because I can't find it. I went through everything I could think of, and no luck. In looking for the wine, I forgot the butternut squash.

There is a coop, within sight of the main house!  I got them started with chickens about 15 years ago.  One year I even set up my incubators, in the office conference room, no less, and hatched out a bunch of barnyard mixes - and some ducks - for them.   They have a live-in couple that does all the cleaning, cooking and serving at meals.  I will be out of a job eventually but I think it will be a long time before it sells.  The farm work goes on - there are still over 100 mares and young stock on the place.  The 6 stallions were moved off last year and that cut back on my work so I've been part time since then.  Foaling season starts in January and then it gets busy.

Where will they send the mares for rebreeding?

 

[The Sheriff]

There is a coop, within sight of the main house!  I got them started with chickens about 15 years ago.  One year I even set up my incubators, in the office conference room, no less, and hatched out a bunch of barnyard mixes - and some ducks - for them.   They have a live-in couple that does all the cleaning, cooking and serving at meals.  I will be out of a job eventually but I think it will be a long time before it sells.  The farm work goes on - there are still over 100 mares and young stock on the place.  The 6 stallions were moved off last year and that cut back on my work so I've been part time since then.  Foaling season starts in January and then it gets busy.

Sounds interesting! Who wouldn't want to hatch chicks in the conference room at work! :cd

 

[Happy Chooks]

There is a coop, within sight of the main house!  I got them started with chickens about 15 years ago.  One year I even set up my incubators, in the office conference room, no less, and hatched out a bunch of barnyard mixes - and some ducks - for them.   They have a live-in couple that does all the cleaning, cooking and serving at meals.  I will be out of a job eventually but I think it will be a long time before it sells.  The farm work goes on - there are still over 100 mares and young stock on the place.  The 6 stallions were moved off last year and that cut back on my work so I've been part time since then.  Foaling season starts in January and then it gets busy.

Of course there is, the place is perfect.

Hopefully it sells to someone else that wants to keep the farm.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Weak came up to the mountains for the weekend. This morning it is 6 degrees. Brrrrr. Mary requested a picture of the snow. Needless to say, I was not venturing far for a picture.

 

[robhuncor]

Weak came up to the mountains for the weekend. This morning it is 6 degrees. Brrrrr. Mary requested a picture of the snow. Needless to say, I was not venturing far for a picture.

6 degrees- yikes! That picture looks very cold! Are you staying in a tent?

 

[robhuncor]

Quote: Thoroughbred mares get sent all over to be bred. Most of the mares on this farm are bred in Kentucky then return to NY to have their foals. But some are bred to NY based stallions also. They just take a van ride.

 

[kathyinmo]

Happy Thanksgiving you all.

I am thankful for my BYC friends.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and all on this thread!
I am so thankful for you, my friend! You and Betsy are a treasure. I have so much to be thankful for!

Well now someone on anothter thread had everything for their Thanksgiving dinner from their garden and meat too. I was pretty ashamed of myself and decided to make that my goal next year.

I doubt I'll have Turkey from here but the veggies part and bread should be home grown.

I've planted my garlic and prepared the beds I have, but next spring I plan to put in a Potato bed. Pictures to follow when I do.

Seems to me a small "Kitchen" garden (Just outside the kitchen) shouldn't be too hard to do. Herbs and what not.

That is a great goal ! I think I will consider that, too. I saw an article about another option to raised bed gardening - it is hay bales. You prepare them for a couple weeks, water every other day and fertilizer (or something) every other day. After a couple weeks the hay is broke down enough and you begin planting. I will have to review the article again, before I try it. Some use straw, but others said hay was better.

My only coon attack was through the soffit on the back side of the wooden coop. I never thought a coon could climb up there but it did. That was when I first got chickens. I've since closed it up with hardware cloth.



Now this is the room off the back of the house where I housed my first 25 birds and the soffit here is open still. I'd never considered anything getting in, but I have had a squirrel and bird get in that room. Now it's filled with junk from my kids. You can barely move to get to that door. I've also mowed that grass too. My SIL just let it grow while we were in TX last May/June. You'd have thought he'd have at least mowed it so the kids would play on the swings, but he didn't. Took me days to mow everything. I was not happy. I just don't get people sometimes.

We have trapped and killed so many raccoons, I have lost count. We feed outside (unless it is raining) and the coons like to eat the feed at night. Well, they use to. Now, we pick up all the feed at lock up time. Fortunately, we have never had a coon inside the coops.

 

[The Sheriff]

HI Kathy!

How is Mike's recovery progressing?

The hay bale thing sounds interesting. This time when we make garden beds, we are using my construction method! Long boards with 4x4's in each corner. I may even leave the 4x4s tag enough to drape frost cloth over so I can grow into the early winter.

All that, or I'll just keep my subscription to the CSA going forever!