Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[Beccatrix]

Hi, welcome to the Wisconsin thread! Thats a lot of animals, but the more the better. I have 5 chickens because i live in town, but looking at maybe getting a couple ducks or quail. Or just moving.

It took us 16 years to get out of our 700 square foot home! I've been finding having separate pens/coops seems to make care easier, so they can get their specific feed, water needs, etc.

 

[babylady4]

Welcome! 22 chickens here (20 hens 2 Roos), honeybees, two dogs two cats and currently camping at my moms waiting for the housing prices to stop being insane. Also helping my mom and my in-laws get things fixed around the homes sine we are here….. keeping busy with projects! Current one is remodeling the bathroom so my mom has a walk-in shower, and more mature friendly features.

 

[jvls1942]

I am done with the apples. It did not turn out as I had planned.
I ended up with 10 quarts. the first seven I put all of the engredients
for a pie in the jars. the last three I just used up what apples I had left
and added just water and the correct amount of sugar for the pie.
the latter is the way to go. less mess and less work.
Annie can add the corn starch and cinnamon when she assembles the pie.

 

[jvls1942]

TOR, when I had corn and people came to pick their own.
I had them just pick down the row and then step down any
stalk they took the ear off of. at the end of corn picking, I would
take the tractor and front end loader and smash the whole patch flat.
by spring, I could work all the junk into the ground with my spring tooth drag. One year I dragged it in the fall and planted rye. that
worked out real nice .. I mowed the rye with the lawn mower the
next spring and then dragged..

 

[TOR]

TOR, when I had corn and people came to pick their own.
I had them just pick down the row and then step down any
stalk they took the ear off of. at the end of corn picking, I would
take the tractor and front end loader and smash the whole patch flat.
by spring, I could work all the junk into the ground with my spring tooth drag. One year I dragged it in the fall and planted rye. that
worked out real nice .. I mowed the rye with the lawn mower the
next spring and then dragged..

I replant with rye in fact seeded but no rain, might set up sprinkler today.
I mow stalks down let dry some and roto till 1 pass not overly deep then seed.
I use a 7 foot rototiller. I do have a plow, disc, drag. All old equipment. Rototilling is easier and I do not need the soil overly fine as my planter has cutting disc for planting and disc for fertilizing.


We start picking when the corn is younger, but not real young. So some ears are passed by as all the ears do not mature at the same time.
Some stalks we get 2 ears.
I also run little more high density on some rows, I change the speed and plant closer together. That is part of the problem of picking the high density.
The ears we do not pick also mature get larger, sometimes deceiving. They do not look as big but, still sellable size.
So next year I will use flags and notebook, little map. If I have to maybe stop for a day or go out and pick some the evening before and flag.
Suppose we could of picked 50 to 100 dozen more and thats a guess.
Already buying supplies for next year corn season.
We sold according my wife 837 dozen, though some bags had more than a dozen as the ears got smaller.
Still not bad deal for little more acre.

have kinda have plan for temporary corn crib and just a rough cost if I were to raise ranger chickens and buy premix for corn I would pay somewhere 3rd to half cost of feed other than buying from feed mill.

Still looking for pigs, but not buying at 100 for feeder pig.

Went and picked some corn with my corn husking tool i bought on ebay. Original about 1910. I think I got it figured out. No directions. Kinda like this picture , but not exactly the same. One of the leather straps broke on my new tool, but then guess thats the way it goes. there is more on ebay. didnt pay much for it.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

I replant with rye in fact seeded but no rain, might set up sprinkler today.
I mow stalks down let dry some and roto till 1 pass not overly deep then seed.
I use a 7 foot rototiller. I do have a plow, disc, drag. All old equipment. Rototilling is easier and I do not need the soil overly fine as my planter has cutting disc for planting and disc for fertilizing.


We start picking when the corn is younger, but not real young. So some ears are passed by as all the ears do not mature at the same time.
Some stalks we get 2 ears.
I also run little more high density on some rows, I change the speed and plant closer together. That is part of the problem of picking the high density.
The ears we do not pick also mature get larger, sometimes deceiving. They do not look as big but, still sellable size.
So next year I will use flags and notebook, little map. If I have to maybe stop for a day or go out and pick some the evening before and flag.
Suppose we could of picked 50 to 100 dozen more and thats a guess.
Already buying supplies for next year corn season.
We sold according my wife 837 dozen, though some bags had more than a dozen as the ears got smaller.
Still not bad deal for little more acre.

have kinda have plan for temporary corn crib and just a rough cost if I were to raise ranger chickens and buy premix for corn I would pay somewhere 3rd to half cost of feed other than buying from feed mill.

Still looking for pigs, but not buying at 100 for feeder pig.

Went and picked some corn with my corn husking tool i bought on ebay. Original about 1910. I think I got it figured out. No directions. Kinda like this picture , but not exactly the same. One of the leather straps broke on my new tool, but then guess thats the way it goes. there is more on ebay. didnt pay much for it.

View attachment 3274328

We have a family friend that we are close to. They have pigs and cows every year they usally get a pick that needs to be took to the butcher and we get the meat out of it for all the work that we do for them.

 

[jvls1942]

TOR, what is that husker tool supposed to do ?
make it easier to pick the corn ?
what kind of tractor do you have ?
I have a two row 3 pt cultivator that I modify
by moving the spring teeth around. I have never
used it for cultivating. I use it mostly as a drag.
I also have a pair of discs that I mount on it and
use it as a potato hiller.
are your implements 3 pt hitch ? or drag behind.?
lovemychicks, that is a nice arrangements for pork.
TOR, you should get a feeder pig and let him clean
up the corn patch . yeah, a hundred bucks is high for
a feeder pig, though.

 

[TOR]

I have 3 point old 2 bottom plow, 3 point disc needs weight on top to work do not use it much anymore, all hydraulic loader for for 8n do not use so much at the moment. 3 point brush hog, 2 3 point cultivators ford dearborn, 7 foot deere rototiller, old potato harvester with some modifications to put back original condition would work proper. I used it but has hard time controlling depth, old deere model 999 horse drawn planter, plain shoe type planter converted to 3 point, need soil worked up good to work. IH 250a 2 row ground driven planter ( just put 250.00 into this spring new bearings couple new disc.), deere sickle mower. , 3 back blades. 1 back blade needs be fixed years of abuse.

I have 58 massey 65 59 mf 150 not running at the moment, 2 ford 8n 1 8n i use the other sits anymore.

I bought the 150 as a project and has gotten to expensive and now 3 point will not work, anyway fix it and sell it one day lose money on that deal

the 65 i bought nice shape new tires , new clutch and blown engine for 1000 and for 1000 bought 2 engines re powered the 65 runs good, tractor i use the most.

1 8n bought 40 years ago finally wore the engine out re powered 10 years ago do not use it so much sits alot. Has charging problem another project. May buy 12 volt conversion with some corn money get it going. This 8n I use the loader on, loader not on it at the moment. prolly not started it in 3 years maybe longer. 6 volt battery is junk and im to cheap to buy 1.

The other 8n I use bought for 1500 came with back blade and brush hog, sold the brush hog. the 8n actually in really good shape mechanically aside looks like crap. did have some issues when bought it, leaked gas, pto leaked, governor leaked oil, bad exhaust manifold, and had the grade 5 90 weight oil in the trans hydraulic wrong oil so the 3 point did not work like it should. Them old tractor say 90 weight but its grade 1 mineral base oil. big difference. This 8n i have the tires widened as I use it for planting, otherwise some mowing.

This spring I did put some used tires on it, tires were not very good. Southern WI bought 2 rears and 4 fronts, good rims for 320 from a guy which parts tractors, the tires and rims are to expensive to ship. He has quite a supply descent prices i thought. Cheaper to replace than to get tires and have them taken on and off the rims.

The 8n like i said is really good mechanical shape, steering, engine, tin in nice shape, and its 52 with side distributor. Be a good tractor to restore not that I am going to. The mechanical condition I was so impressed and the price, sold the mower.
tractor bath is coming soon before winter, maybe ill actually use a brush and get the green mold off the fenders, it looks really ugly.
bout time to service tractors, mowers get ready for winter.

I bought quite abit trans hydraulic oil this spring, changed the MF 65. 8 gallons. looking at prices recently, glad I bought 4 extra pales. So in spring I take the 65 and drive it up on some boards let it sit for few days. The condensation will settle by the drain plugs and I drain couple gallons oil out. Prices sure gone up.

Last note the sweet corn. The stalks of the sweet corn or field corn will add back potash to the soil. There is a formula dont know it. I dont drag the field, just mow it over return to the soil. Also at auction recently saw old dearborn ford cultivator go for 500 and just to think years ago seen so many go for 50 bucks. The old equipment is disappearing slowly.

long post sorry carried away

 

[WIchickMama]

Welcome @Beccatrix! Not too far from me, we are up by Barron! We have 12 chickens, a cat, a dog and 2 kids, lol. I hope to add another flock of bantams to my list next year and/or a few ducks.

 

[TOR]

TOR, what is that husker tool supposed to do ?
make it easier to pick the corn ?
what kind of tractor do you have ?
I have a two row 3 pt cultivator that I modify
by moving the spring teeth around. I have never
used it for cultivating. I use it mostly as a drag.
I also have a pair of discs that I mount on it and
use it as a potato hiller.
are your implements 3 pt hitch ? or drag behind.?
lovemychicks, that is a nice arrangements for pork.
TOR, you should get a feeder pig and let him clean
up the corn patch . yeah, a hundred bucks is high for
a feeder pig, though.

Yes for hand picking corn, this is a tool used before machinery . I hold the ear, stalk and the metal piece helps with leverage and us other hand and snap it off and leather protect the hand. I think I am using correct? Most ears the husk was left on the plant, some were kinda green and used the sharp point. to cut the husk.
There is many variations of this tool, i do have a different 1 also. On average a person would pick 100 bushel a day from what i read 100 to 110 ears equals a bushel.
Going to the Amish later this month I hope, going to ask him. He picks his corn by hand and has dairy cows.
A bushel ear corn is 2.5 Cubic feet and corn itself is 1.25 cubic feet. Going to build a temporary corn crib.
A different neighbor has some land not being used told me I can plant with field corn and use for free. Have to measure think about 1/2 acre.
Picking the corn give me exercise, i could use it.