The Old Folks Home

[superchemicalgirl]

Just catching up.

I hope that skunk is no longer of this earth.

@Superchemicalgirl

My perfect world would be 68 at night and 75 during the day with an inch of rain on Wednesday each week. My 20 acres would be 25% flat and 75% slightly undulating with half of it wooded with hardwood trees.

Until I can find that, anywhere I don't have to shovel or drive in snow would be fine.

We are busy at CocoBeach. 113 days til piglets if we did the AI right.

It's chicken sorting week.

Busy times but it's great to be with the kids

It was 82 today. I have been in Maine way too long because I am dying in this heat and humidity. It's going to be 56 tonight, and I can't wait to put the fan in the window and have that hit me all night.

How was the AI? Was it difficult?

 

[ozexpat]

The AI was not difficult. In pigs is just a catheter. For the next round I will build a crate for the gilts as though when they are in standing heat they will mostly sit still, every now and then they take off necessitating agility I don't possess. Thank goodness for Mrs Oz. She was quite a picture in her brown polka-dot shorts and powder pink gum boots chasing the tale of a pig with a blue tipped spiral catheter.

The volume was daunting at 80cc and it takes 5mins to get it all in.

Goats require a speculum with a light source like a intubation blade.

The trick with any AI is timing. Our pig semen came overnight delivery from another Island so it was stressful when the plane was delayed. We may have missed the perfect timing for the first gilt. Even will know in about two more weeks

 

[superchemicalgirl]

That's a hilarious image of Mrs Oz. Thank you for sharing. One of my favorite "Dirty Jobs" is when Mike goes to the pig farm. I can't stop laughing.

 

[ozexpat]

I will post a picture when I get real Internet again

 

[ronott1]

It was 82 today. I have been in Maine way too long because I am dying in this heat and humidity. It's going to be 56 tonight, and I can't wait to put the fan in the window and have that hit me all night.

How was the AI? Was it difficult?

You would not like it here. It is 101 right now and the forecast is for 105 Sunday and Monday.Tuesday is back to 101 so we will have a cool down then.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

You would not like it here. It is 101 right now and the forecast is for 105 Sunday and Monday.Tuesday is back to 101 so we will have a cool down then.

No, I would not. I was looking to go out to Phoenix in the next 4 weeks... luckily I'm not going because I looked at the temperatures - there's not a day below 100 in the next 10.

 

[ozexpat]

That Sacramento weather is tough. You get 80 degree changes between summer highs and winter lows.

Stay cool Ron.

It's the usual 85 today with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms.

 

[ronott1]

No, I would not. I was looking to go out to Phoenix in the next 4 weeks... luckily I'm not going because I looked at the temperatures - there's not a day below 100 in the next 10.

I read a report on Global warming. It said that the South West an the North East have warmed up the most over the last 30 years. The North East is 1.4 degrees Warmer but the South West is 3.5 Degrees warmer. Arizona was named as one of those South West places.

They do not need to be any warmer over there....

That Sacramento weather is tough. You get 80 degree changes between summer highs and winter lows.

Stay cool Ron.

It's the usual 85 today with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms.

We are on the edge of needing cold hardy breeds for winter but really do better with heat hardy breeds in the Summer. My Penedesencas do so well here. The Pene x Cream Legbars are champs too.

Enjoy the nice weather over there.

 

[Wisher1000]

My perfect world would be 68 at night and 75 during the day with an inch of rain on Wednesday each week. My 20 acres would be 25% flat and 75% slightly undulating with half of it wooded with hardwood trees.

Busy times but it's great to be with the kids

I'd move there, myself.

I imagine it is hard to tear yourself away from those kids to do what you need to do! I know it would for me.

 

[ozexpat]

The weather here is not particularly nice. The humidity is stifling but at least it is never over 92 and never below 65 on any day.

We just moved from the dry season to the larger wet season. I am excited for my gardens but it makes hatching tougher.

I picked up 8 cubic meters of river rock for $12/m delivered. I am going to have the guys make two raised beds and place halved coconuts with the cup side up in one and plastic with a gap around the edges to experiment with trying to slow down water drainage in our sand while I take a few years to really ammend it properly. I will have the beds made so the growing medium is 2 feet deep. That should be good enough for any thing we grow.

Still, we did enjoy peppers beans squash tomatoes eggplant and bitter melon from my first 'season'

I