The Old Folks Home

[chickisoup]

Morning, (notice I didn't say good?)
Long night. Let the pup out at 2:30 and there, INSIDE, the larger run fence was the same cat I had chased out of the yard area before dark. The pup gave it a good chase before it managed to disappear. I know exactly where this cat came from. Had to have a talk with them last year. It's clearly after the chicks so it might be time to set the live trap. No, we will only get violent as a last resort. Not the cat's fault that it has irresponsible owners. It will probably get new owners if we can catch it. I seriously doubt this bunch would bother to pay the fines to bail it out of kitty jail.

Pup woke me up at 5:30 this morning. Since it had gotten me up to potty at 2:30 I was sure this was because the cat was back. Nope. The scrawniest coyote I have ever seen was in the yard checking out the run fence. I yell for the DH to grab the rifle but of course he doesn't hear me because he's still in bed and doesn't have his hearing aid in, even tho I'm yelling loud enough to set the chickens off. When I start to yell it takes off at a trot. I know it'll be back tho. It was looking for an easy meal. It was so thin I doubt it could cast a shadow. Definitely more than just a case of mange like we see when their numbers get too high. Oh well, considering some of the other preds I could be dealing with (and have) around here, we can handle a pussy cat and a scrawny coyote.
Now I have to get outside. Radar is showing some heavy stuff moving in.
I SERIOUSLY need another cuppa.

 

[JD4570]

Perchie, I'm glad to be back....and seeing everyone doing fairly well.

 

[JD4570]

Ron, As for the use of the wood ...it will be used for furniture or craft planks.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I am curious... Why store hay in a loft? except that you can toss hay down to feed.

Keeps it from getting wet, livestock can't get into it to help themselves. It is out of the way.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Going to head to the lumber mill and then town. Catch you later.

 

[microchick]

Morning all!

I overslept...bad micro, bad! On my way to let the chickens out for the day and feed them. Also have to check my live trap and see if I caught that corn thieving racoon!

Black walnut wood is worth its weight in gold. I remember reading a story about a man who planted a row of black walnut trees when his kids were born and just letting them grow. When he was ready to retire he had them harvested. If memory serves me correctly, each tree was worth 10,000 dollars. Now when we find a black walnut tree in our timber, we carefully clear out growing space around it, give it an affectionate pat and tell it it's going to pay for a year at the nursing home, some day.

We don't have trouble with barn pigeons in our hay loft. Just field sparrows and barn swallows and we have seen a decrease in the barn swallows lately.

 

[perchie.girl]

Ok I understand.... about lofts. Here its at best a roof some pallets and a tarp on the windward side. Nope no concrete floor. The only things I have to worry about getting the hay are rabbits and the occasional deer. Then again I only store enough hay for a month. At any given time.

Thats pretty much standard through out southern California. Though some people buy an old semi Trailer or Sea Container for hay storage. I have a sea container originally intended for feed. But I built the shade structure for the horse with space to stack hay. Tom put up chain-link kennel panels to keep her from doing take out. and Yes she can almost get a 125 pound bale up over a five foot fence.

deb

 

[Kusanar]

Ok I understand.... about lofts. Here its at best a roof some pallets and a tarp on the windward side. Nope no concrete floor. The only things I have to worry about getting the hay are rabbits and the occasional deer. Then again I only store enough hay for a month. At any given time.

Thats pretty much standard through out southern California. Though some people buy an old semi Trailer or Sea Container for hay storage. I have a sea container originally intended for feed. But I built the shade structure for the horse with space to stack hay. Tom put up chain-link kennel panels to keep her from doing take out. and Yes she can almost get a 125 pound bale up over a five foot fence.

deb

Our squares are in the loft, the rolls are in the back of the barn stacked 3 high. Keeps the squares clean and dry by keeping them up there. We have an old conveyer that dad got from a place he worked, they were going to trash it, we have one end about 5 feet off the ground and the other end propped up on the loft, so when you back the trailer up to the conveyer it's only about waste high and then it's about mid thigh high when the bale comes off at the top. 1 person unloads the trailer and 1 person stacks in the loft.

We had a horse knock a hole in the side of the barn and start munching on the round bales... I grabbed a sheet of plywood and dropped it between the hay and the wall to shut off the buffet...

 

[pennyJo1960]

Well morning all no did not sleep in but slept pretty good alive going about things here pain at bay went to the clinic here in town yesterday new eyes on the old file tells me my arthritis is pretty bad yup new that, he is happy I like lidocain but will also continue to give me tramadol as my best doc the last 6 yrs did

 

[chickisoup]

Deb-wow, wish I had been raised out west. Never knew as a kid you could store hay anywhere but 20 feet, at least, off the ground. Get it off the ground, on to the wagon, winch it up in the air, swing into the loft, stack as high as you can get it, repeat.