The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[seminolewind]

I love my rooster d,. He isnt a pet but he does his job well. So far hes he's to get all semi free range hens in the coop by seven, not a single one has yet to spend the night outside the coop. And so far, none missing from predators either. Though he's a bit of a chicken so far, just over a year old.

My first roo was like that. Made his last round to make sure all the girls were in before he went in.

 

[seminolewind]

Cynthia those pics are absolutely stunning! I'll bet it makes you feel real good now that it's done! Well worth hiring someone!

Right here in Indiana I had to finally hire someone to move and edge the lawn weekly. Load off my mind. Now I have a crew (finally) making a concrete pad around my barn that really needed to be done. I got a 10' gate up yesterday. So I'm feeling like I'm getting things done.

My next endeavor inside the house is painting the kitchen and getting new cabinets. These cabinets are really old and the lady who lived here for years had cats and the insides of the cabinets smell like cat "coverup" and it won't go away.

 

[1muttsfan]

I remember when my grandfather retired and had a lot of extra time on his hands. He started following my grandmother around, telling her how better to do things. She finally got mad as a hornet and told him she had been doing just fine for the last 35 years, and he could keep his suggestions to himself. At that point she managed to get him into a few hobbies.

 

[getaclue]

Other than having mobility issues, you have described my husband to a T. And here I thought I was the only one.

Here's an idea to help with baseboards, and tight spaces. Get a bar-b-q sauce mop. Now grab a length of PVC that slides over the handle. Next, get a barrel bolt, and the other end. Slide the PVC over the handle, drill a hole, and put in the barrel bolt to attach it. Now cut the PVC to the desired length. When it's dry, it will reach places, and dust. When it's wet, it can be used to clean baseboards, the top of doors, and door frames, behind toilets, etc. They're not expensive, and on Amazon they come in packages of 2. Use one for dry, and one for wet. The reason I suggest a barrel bolt, is because a regular bolt, and nut can extend far enough it can scratch, or catch on a surface.

 

[h2oratt]

Check this out...and most of you know how chaotic and messy this place was (and still needs work). View attachment 1751506 View attachment 1751507 View attachment 1751508 View attachment 1751509 View attachment 1751510 View attachment 1751511

WOw, that looks really nice. I bet it felt good seeing that progress

 

[speckledhen]

@seminolewind Karen, sounds like you sure understand a lot of my life!

You know, we love the show Seal Team; it's real and gritty and the last episode was heartwrenching. One line from a PTSD vet who committed suicide at the end was that you serve your country and then for a prize, you get a healthcare system that's run like the Post Office. (Um, what package?). Says it all. The group that Tom was referred to by his new doctor's office was given a rousing stamp of approval by the woman at the VA. She said they do amazing things with backs, so as long as Medicare and TriCare for Life pick up the bill, maybe he can get his back to a manageable condition, nerve blocks or whatever they can do. He wants so much to get back to his life on the farm here. I think he's going the civilian route. The VA route is useless. I want him to get his higher disability rating so they'll give him his full pension plus his VA benefit.

Maretta is hanging in there. Her crop has less in it, but it never became hard. It's like it's stretched out and never fully empties, but she's running around and roosting with the others. Mary Jo is wobbly on her feet from the injury. It's going to take awhile just like with Lizzie.

 

[h2oratt]

Our pasture is all green and growing fast. Will have to either finally get over myself and learn to use the riding mower (it's automatic but seems like rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time, confuses me) and do it myself or hire someone else to cut it twice a season. The pasture is hard to do with the mower we have. It's 22 hp, but still more wussy than my old Yard Machine that finally gave up the ghost after 20 years. It gets stuck all the time, doesn't like reverse much, etc. I need a tractor, but who can afford one? If I just keep a 15-20' swatch next to the perimeter fence whacked down so predators can't sneak up to my birds, that is probably all that's needed, really.

Get a couple of goats.

 

[speckledhen]

Get a couple of goats.

Goats are better for removing brush than for grazing grass, but they come with their own set of issues. The pasture is not fenced, either, so goats are a no-go.

 

[h2oratt]

Oh, when you said pasture I thought It was fenced. They don’t eat gras? A couple of neutered males they say make great pets. Like dogs.

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, when you said pasture I thought It was fenced. They don’t eat gras? A couple of neutered males they say make great pets. Like dogs.

It's pasture, but it's the extra lot and we haven't been able to fence it yet. Still needs three sides and a gate. They say goats eat scrub and brush more than they graze like cattle. And they have complicated nutritional needs as well, apparently. I really would rather get a dog if I get any animal that needs a veterinarian and just cut the pasture myself. We talked about growing out a calf on that land, but again, that requires complete fencing.