The Old Folks Home

[dsqard]

I hear you about downsizing. I have been wanting to butcher the young cockerels for weeks since I have been going through about 50lbs of feed a week. Probably not much compared to your ahem hoard, but it is quite a bit for me. Since DH has been out of town for a month and with the possible move coming up I listed them on our local version of CL. They were picked up Sunday afternoon. He was a very nice gentleman and I figure at least they are going to feed someone. It is soooooooooooo much quieter and calmer out there. Shoulda started butchering them sooner but I just haven't had the time.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

. Shoulda started butchering them sooner but I just haven't had the time.

Boy, that's the truth. BFs in town, but he might as well not be. He's been on the late shift (and I almost always work the early shift) for the past 3 weeks, then we've been doing alternate weekends. Last weekend we both had off but I had just gotten off a 12 day stretch, was exhausted, and it was torrential downpours here. Not great butchering weather.

I can't wait to finally feel and hear peace and quiet. I go out at 4 am to do all the chores, and most of the time the roosters have already started crowing and everyone else is wound up. If not, my chores first wake the ducks up. If you've never heard angry ducks before, it's an interesting noise. I have a lot of boys, so it's not really a quack, to me it sounds like a den of angry snakes trying to kill 2 quacking ducks. Anyway, that wakes up the goats, which seriously scream like a 1 year old child having a tantrum. That wakes up the rooster coop, which wakes up the additional (three) roosters in the regular coop.

I can't believe my neighbors haven't gone off on me yet.

Speaking of which, I accidentally met my neighbor (right across the street) at the Canteen at work last week, thanks to a jovial cashier. I've lived here since 2008... it was embarrassing.

 

[dsqard]

Yeah the neighbors here are not the most outgoing bunch either. Lived here almost 3 years and I think I have talked to the ones directly on either side of us a total of five times. I know some of that is because our interests are different and they have young families which we don't. At least they don't complain about the roo's or the dogs. I have to let the dogs out early when I get up and bring them in if they start barking but when I leave (around 5:30) I have to leave them out. Each day I am hoping that they quiet down really quick after I pull out of the driveway. I am thankful that the houses in our neighborhood are not on top of each other. The smallest lot in this development is 1 acre. At least that gives a sound buffer between houses. My mom lives in a tract and has a police officer living right next door. IMO he and his wife are idiots. I understand that they work shift work (she is a dispatcher for the department) but you can't expect the neighborhood to be silent during the day. They have complained numerous times about my mom's dogs. She does not leave them out all day and if they are out and start barking, she brings them in if she is home. She has tried to acommodate them but their shifts change and one week it is don't leave them out before 3 pm and the next week it's don't leave them out after 5 pm. The dogs have got to go out to relieve themselves and if there are people out walking the dogs will bark. If you want quiet 24/7 you can't live in a housing tract. I respect policemen but I would give him a piece of my mind if I lived there. What if it was small children playing in the back yard at 7am on a Saturday morning? Ugh sometimes people irk the crap out of me.

ETA = piece not peace gosh it was early this morning

 

[Stumpy]

SCG, sorry about your buddy. I know it must be frustrating not knowing what the problem was.

 

[Cynthia12]

SCG, so sorry, not the way anyone plans on downsizing for sure! DiDi, so glad you got some of your roos placed. They probably will make a great meal for a family..or two..
Noise? I'm having a terrible time right now with our neighbors dog..it starts barking at 6:45 every morning, then, it's non stop. I know that she complained about the other neighbors dog barking so much when she first moved, now it's their dog. They got a pup a while back, a German Shepard, beautiful..but noisy. I don't have roosters, but I know I have some noisy girls when it's time to announce. We do live in a tight nit neighborhood..so, I try not to complain about the dog, and they probably try not to complain about the noisy girls. Sometimes the hens will make more noise before going into the nest box, because..of course, another hen is in a box, and that girl is just too stubborn to go to the multiple other boxes provided! Noise, until the other hen is done. Or, at times, one will climb right in with the one in the box..you all know how it works. Anyway, we are close enough that we do talk to each other pretty often, at least with the couple right behind us. We peek through the old fence at each other and ask how everything is going. They have,,,no, animals.
DiDi, are things still looking up for that job? Hope things get figured out for you in a timely manner. It's always hard to have to do the "wait and see" option. Keep us updated...
The EE hasn't laid yet..man, can't get over how big she is. I think she is the biggest girl I have ever had here. Her face has such a gentle look, her eyes..I think I said that. She is fitting in better. She comes over to me when I'm out now. Just walks with me while I'm out, she ran up to me yesterday. Small flocks are fun.

 

[dsqard]

Cynthia, it is looking pretty good on the possible move but you know how processes can go sometimes. It is wait and see for the next couple of weeks. I have been hitting up the person who would be my boss if/when I get the job with some ideas for improvement. I am doing this for two reasons. To hopefully keep my name at the top of the list

and even if I don't get the job to help them out if any of the ideas are good enough. I wrote down three pages of observations/suggestions last week when I was out there and discussed them all during my face-to-face interview with him. I know he has already implemented one of my suggestions so if I can help them out I will.

Anyway, you will have to keep me posted on when that girl starts laying again. I am not sure if she is a brown layer or green layer. Like I said, I can't keep track of who is laying what anymore.

I am so glad you like her. You picked the two that I thought were the prettiest out of the ones I kept this spring and the one that you are keeping was my favorite out of the bunch as well although the other girl did have a real nice AM look to her. I was happy to know at least two of them won't be dinner right off the bat.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I try not to complain too much about my neighbors. We ALL have something loud or otherwise obtrusive that someone, somewhere won't like. Whether it's a loud vehicle/motorcycle, screaming kids, drum set/other musical instrument, livestock...

I'm much more tolerant than when I was living in a sardine can in Baltimore. That was absurd. The worst night was when they started construction, which included jackhammering the road apart right outside my windows one night, all night. I won that argument with City Hall.

DiDi, it does sound like your interview rocked - you put your money where your mouth is. Sure you don't want to come be a tech for me?

 

[dsqard]

SCG it would take well over six figures to get me to move back to Maine. I love the state but I am trying to get away from the long nasty winters ;-)
ETA - I agree with your assessment that the closer you live to your neighbor, the harder it is to tolerate the noise level. That is why the policeman next to my mom ticks me off. He chose to live in a housing tract wher you can almost spread your arms out wide and touch the houses on either side. It just isn't going to ever be quiet enough for them. Seriously, my mom has tried to work with them but I think the only way to make them happy is to either keep the dogs inside all the time or get rid of them.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Well I certainly can't offer you a six figure salary. Sorry.

My first oil bill came today, too. Now's not a good time to talk to me about the winter. At least it wasn't a 6 figure number, but it was still absurd.

 

[dsqard]

Yeah our propane bills last year were outrageous. I am not looking forwards to that either. They are probably going to make the first delivery before any move could happen. It was over $5 a gallon last winter. You think it is going to be cheaper this year? LMBO