Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[jvls1942]

corey, did you increase your breaker box to 300Amp ?

I have a 200Amp . I wish I had more.

I am going shopping for some steel tubing to make a tool bar out of for the tractor.

.......jiminwisc.......

 

[speckled6]

My computer hasn't been updating me on this thread, so I guess I've been inadvertently mia a few days.
The wood burner is now on a trailer in our driveway. Just gotta get the pad poured so we can set it and connect it.
My dad has a friend who has a ton of chickens and his friend said he doesn't need that many and my dad may end up with a few. My dad doesn't want chickens and said he 'may know a place to take them' meaning our house. Yes, I think it's part of having chickens. People just don't understand biosecurity or the difficulty of integrating new animals to an existing pecking order.
However, I will take them if there's no place else for them to go b/c I don't like the idea of them just being dropped to fend for themselves.
Anyway, the chickens are doing well. One of my BLRW is trying to crow I think. Super excited about the possibility of hatching our own BLRW next year!
I will be reading lots about hatching and getting an incubator all set up by the end of the year I think.
Once the pole barn is complete, I get the whole garage for the Chickie's!
Had a storm go through last night here. We were very lucky. Some neighbors down the road have some damage, but sounds like everyone is ok and that's what matters.
Hope everyone else is safe and sound!
jean

 

[jvls1942]

good morning,
I've been up since 6AM.
Helped Randy get off to Iowa for a family reuniion. he won't be back until Tuesday.

I can smell something amiss in the incubator. I think it is the broken egg I put back in. It is right in front where I can just grab it easily .
I haven't been down to the garden for about 3 days. I wonder what grew the most, the corn or the weeds ??

Annie is still at work. her relief didn't show up,,,,,,again..two days in a row, now.. some people just have no consideration for anybody else.. beats me how they can be a caregiver with that attitude..

.........jiminwisc......

 

[Daethen]

Jean, if you do end up hatching some BLRW I would love a few chicks. Beautiful birds.

 

[chikenscratch]

@ chikenscratch I fermented the chick crumbles (nonmedicated) in a 2L Kool aid jug I bought at the dollar store, I was preparing 2L at a time and giving it to them over the next 2 days. With the heat and humidity it was smelling nasty by morning or the next afternoon, maybe just too much junk in the air, I don't know. I suppose I could prepare just enough for the next morning, but the temp has been all over the place the last week and it's just a pain to deal with. I will see if I can work out a better system (chick mommy guilt setting in hardcore now!)
I've been reading all the books I can get from my local library so I can't recall all the titles, but they vary in topics from raising specific animals to starting your own (profitable) 'farm' business in your backyard, canning, anything on self sufficiency. I'm currently reading 'the backyard homestead guide to raising farm animals' it's a huge book that is a companion to 'the backyard homestead' but I couldn't get that one locally and don't want to spend 24.95 on a book if it's not going to be a useful resource. I also follow several blogs on the subject and I never know what I might discover next!
Some people have problems with being workaholics or drinking, but I have a research problem!!!
Jim your tool for the garden sounds positively amazing! Glad you were able to get some things done.
@Daethen your rows are SO straight! My garden is full of wildly crooked rows. If I start a farm I should name it crooked path farm because I can't sew, plant or even walk in a straight line...lol
Take care all,
jean

Speckled6 - I put the chicken food, plus water, and apple cider vinegar into a large plastic container (water added to always cover food). As I take a scoop of the food, I add in a cup of dry food. This way the food always ferments and the chickens aren't given more than they can eat in a sitting. This way the food grows the beneficial bacteria needed to have fermented feed.

I would LOVE a starter from your rhubarb plant!!! Where do you live?

Northern Wi roughly 30 miles south of Rhinelander.

Well, that's a bit a way. Bummer! Unless we can get a train going?

All is well here after last nights storm. I hope all of you survived too. Hopefully my succession plantings didn't get washed away.
Hens & the 3 littles are integrating more now that the roos are gone.
Harvest-wise, I've got green tomatoes, plenty of basil, lettuce, cilantro, thyme, sage, parsley (which grew from last year?), rosemary, and dill ready.
BTW - What do you all use for food storage bins?

 

[jvls1942]

TGIF that's for all you job holders out there.. to me it is, what day is this ??

quiet here, Jordan picked up his chicks yestterday.

Annie went through the duck eggs and found three cracked ones.
today it smells pretty good in this room..

I haven't been out to the garden for four days..
If it is dry enough, I might just run the tiller some..

ducks should be hatching about Tuesday..

and what are all of you people doing?

.........jiminwisc.......

 

[speckled6]

Hey Jim!
I took today off. It's been a rough week both at home and work.
We got a start on digging the pad for the wood burner. Any time we have a project to do it causes issues b/c I like to have a plan and know what I'm doing, so I ask a lot of questions. Nate just does things without planning and they always work. I admit, it makes me jealous. But I always feel like I'm useless b/c I can't jump in and help since I don't know what will actually help and what will make more work/get in the way.
...so this weekend should be fun
In better news, our add in rooster has now joined the group (with an escape pod just in case) after some running around, everyone seemed to settle. Now if my big roosters Pat and Otis will stop stalking the new guy I think it will be ok. Keeping a close eye on things for now.
Have to repair the dog gate today, clean both garages, get laundry done, apply for a 2nd job , clean the house, level the hole for the burner pad, buy 2x6's for the frame, call about getting cement delivered and drive to Janesville to buy shoes for my son who manages to shred his in 6 months or less.
If I get 1/2 my list done I'll call it a success. We have family coming for a fish fry tomorrow. Looking forward to it...my dad makes the best fish!
Take care all,
jean

 

[jvls1942]

Hi Jean, I always get a kick out of saying that ..

buying ready mix concrete is expensive . around here there is a minimum charge, I think it is like $200.oo.. I don't know for sure, because years ago I bought a mixer.
it was less expensive than the minimum charge. I buy bags of concrete mix from Menard's. I try to hit it on sale..
the mixer can be used for other things, like mixing big batches of potting soil.
mixing compost material..

the secret of keeping the drum clean from hardened concrete is to rinse it with a hose after and between each batch. I use the rinse water for the next batch.

It might seem like 70 bags is a lot of work, but it is not that bad.

I dump each batch into a wheel barrow and dump it exactly where I want it to go.

I learned this trick from an old contractor I worked for one time.
He and I poured a double garage floor with a wheel barrow.
even when the chute from the truck could reach, he wouldn't let the driver chute it in.. right down to the last drop..

I am planning on rebuilding a lean to that caved in from the snow. My bro Dave and I will pour an 8ft x 16ft slab for the floor. about 70 bags.
we are both in our 70's.. we did a floor like this a couple of years ago in one part of an afternoon..

just sayin'.......

I like pouring concrete..
.......jiminwisc......

 

[speckled6]

My dad loaned us his mixer. The slab is 11' x 6.5' and will be about 5.5" deep. Nate doesn't want the concrete to set before we can pour the next batch in, so he's thinking it will be better to have someone bring it in.
My dad poured his slab using the mixer he loaned us and it's still solid, but Nate is concerned about it breaking up over time, not to mention the insurance company has all these ridiculous rules about it.
I doubt we can get a truck out here to pour just a yard of concrete, and if so it will likely cost much more than pouring it ourselves.
I'll try to tell him, but he's bull headed.
He's been crazy busy too picking up side jobs, so he may just not want the work, can't blame him there.
Off to check the Chickie's then off to do my chores for the day
jean

 

[bigzio]

It only takes a few minutes to mix a batch of concrete. No way it will set before you add the next batch. We did a 12'X16' slab for my one chicken run in part of a day with two people. Have a load of concrete gravel dropped and buy your bags of cement...save yourself a ton of money, and you will be happy you did it the right way (your way)...just sayin.

bigz