The Old Folks Home

[Wickedchicken6]

Quote: Thanks Penny! I really appreciate that.

Our timber is hilly, lots of ridges with ravines. What the conservation officer showed us was the lack of seedling Oaks and the surplus of hickory seedlings and saplings in our timber. We know the previous owner grazed cattle, horses, sheep and goats in the timber and he said that he knew that without us even telling him and pointed out the damage the grazing had caused. I kid you not. They ate EVERYTHING, and yes, the pasture was in pathetic condition as I said, eaten down to the ground so undoubtedly the poor animals were looking for what nourishment they could find from the brambles, ground cover and wild rose bushes. His solution wasn't to decrease the animal load on his property but to increase it in a bid to make more money. Reading about how you manage your cattle and how he managed his is a prime example of good stewardship verses bad stewardship both towards livestock and property, wickedchicken6. I've often heard people we know say that the Amish community around us is 'different' and maybe this is what they are referring to.

What they (the conservation department) were looking for as far as habitat is concerned for turkey was new growth oak trees coming up from 6 inch stumps where trees have been harvested. We have an area where 8 young oaks had been cut down and the roots are resprouting new growth around the remaining stump. The new growth formed a little thicket and he said that was the type of habitat that wild turkeys in Missouri love to raise chicks in because it gives them overhead cover from predators and allows them to move between the tall grass and the new growth oak without detection from air born preditors.

Somewhere I have pictures of our timber. I'll have to try to find them.

I would love to see your pictures!
I asked DH about what everyone has mentioned, and he wasn't aware of any of that either so I don't feel quite as bad...lol. He's older than I am and he was in beef 4H and such. I'm naïve when it comes to animal husbandry I think...I'll admit that. I assume everyone goes the extra mile and does a good job with animal husbandry. Around here we're some of the youngest farmers. Close by the majority of the people are my husband's relatives and everyone's a second or third generation farmer so everyone does everything pretty much the same and we're all married to our animals...lol. I forget that it's not the fairy tale sometimes. Some people just shouldn't have animals.

That's really interesting about the new growth and how it is used by the turkeys. Makes perfect sense! Are the oak trees native or do they have to be planted? I've only seen oak trees once in town at my great aunt's place. Oak trees aren't native to this area.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Your more than welcome anytime @Wickedchicken6 I grew up on a farm we had chickens all
the time those for eggs each year the ones for dinner... no easter but for a certain time of year
it's an all new game my dvm gave me a charmed life in research I never worked as I loved what I did
having to give up my license was one of the hardest things but a rewarding one in the end
I have learned so much more from people here.. what I lost is blinders

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Quote: Thank you for the explanation of Range Management. I understand it much clearer and what it entails.

That's very interesting about the grasses I chose for the lawn. They grow a bit too fast for my son's liking...lol...but they stand up to the constant mowing very well. And the parts that lay drenched with excessive rain haven't died yet. I never really thought about how awful it would be if those sections died and had to be reseeded. I think I lucked out there. Thank you for pointing that out. That's definitely something to be thankful for.

We are in the south west corner of Manitoba...I'm not sure if that's part of the northern prairie system.

We have two quarters of original prairie land to the north and 1.5 quarters of original prairie land to the south. It's never been touched from what I understand. It grows lovely crocuses and wildflowers. A creek runs through these quarters and we consider it marginal land...best left as prairie. I think I have pics...ack, can't find the pic I wanted. Everything to the left is prairie. It looks very green...it had just been flooded about 10 days prior. It has wolf willows mostly and some scrub brush. No sloughs like the farm land...lol. I added a second pic...that's looking straight south across the two quarters, behind that mess of fence. The grass on it is never 6 feet high...maybe 3 or so even in these wet years. I've been across it once...to bring a lame bull home.



Our other land is decent land, ok for growing crops but it is not the black, rich land east of us in the red river valley where 60 bushels of wheat/acre is a basic crop. We take off about half of that on a decent year. We average about 120-130 acres per quarter IF it's not wet.

They're thinking tomorrow at 4 pm for restoration right now.I am feeding 2 woodstoves religiously. Going to be 13 tonight.

Those are quite the pics you posted...very heavy on that first one. I hope they can get things restored asap.

I remember braving a loss of power for 3 of 4 days in winter gear in the fall. Then we gave up and went to my Gran's
Our phone decided to crap out on us at the same time. No power sucks.

(I also wish I was closer so I could get the wood ash IF you weren't using it...lol)

 

[microchick]

White oak, red oak, pin oak, shingle oak, shag bark hickory and smooth bark hickory, black walnut, wild cherry, ash, poplar, cedar, honey locust and black locust and I'm sure I'm forgetting quite a few but those are the ones that are in our timber that I can call to mind. Missouri has a booming timber industry and over 14 million acres of timber with 730 different native species of trees.

One of the things we were showed is how to thin out the hickory to stimulate the development of old growth trees and promote growth of desirable trees like oak. We have a lot of areas where oaks were cut and used either for home building or furniture/cabinet making. They have a tendency to resprout from their roots around the base of the stump. We are trying to clear out the surplus of hickory to make room for the new growth oak. The one good thing about having a lot of hickory is that we are never going to run out of firewood.

I've got different pictures of our forest but this is an areal view that gives a better idea of how much timber is around us. That is our house at the very bottom of the picture and if you look reeeeeeal close you can almost see my chicken coop, LOL

 

[pennyJo1960]

Nice but much happier in our little 3/4 acre cannot get myself in any more trouble than I have
with my chickens

 

[perchie.girl]

I cannot imagine living in green



view from inside the outhouse.... the mountains on the horizon are mexico


So its Chaparal and Rocks and cactus

No water to irrigate the land is somewhat on a grade so that no one can see my house till they get up the drive

deb

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Microchick...wow!

That's amazing!
And so many types of trees! You used google earth? I forget what tools there are.


Penny - I try to keep the top of my head open to ideas at all times...but I think some things may be falling out.

I have too much space to behave. Not. Good. But lots of fun.

And a bit of headache. I don't learn.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I have chosen to stay here living like where you are would be easier in my arthritis

 

[Wickedchicken6]

perchie girl...wow as well! I'm loving the pics...gives me a much better understanding.

I wouldn't know how to live where either of you live. I wouldn't have the tools. It would be like learning everything over.

My arthritis doesn't like where I live or what I do. But I don't like my arthritis...so it's a tie!

 

[pennyJo1960]

you and I both they said my spinal column in my neck is closing it will paralyze me if I don't
well so be be it I will not roll over and play dead