frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
Good luck on the job hunt!
Are we living our dreams?
- Thread starter rhoda_bruce
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #640
rhoda_bruce
Almost Self-Reliant
I called Friday at the old nsg home I worked at in the 90's, but the DON was already gone and is supposed to call me tomorrow. But I did touch base with the one I left in April and they can use a few nurses. If I don't get welcomed with open arms by tomorrow at the old place, I'm just gong to go back to my former place of employment.
But about my SS life....well, I have been killing things here and there, to get rid of unwanted males and I was down to only 3 unwanted roosters and sold them all yesterday to some repeat customers, who asked me about when I will have babies, so I best save up eggs.
We are eating leftover old rooster spaghetti right now and it seems it is better than when I cooked it.
So, whoever isn't ferminting their grain, needs to start. It took me 4 days to get my system going good, because I needed to soak corn in 4 different buckets and the first bucket I already knew the corn would have soaked up some of the water, but wouldn't be fermented, then the same thing the following day, but by now, all the corn I am feeding have been soaking 4 days and I put them in a line, to keep them in order. I have a drunk farm now and they all happy and the eggs are picking up in production and the animals are eating less and less feed. The liquid in the buckets actually smell of alcohol when I'm straining off the grain and I retain the water to get the next batch started good.
So today I wrapped Up an area which DH had set up with cattle panels to vine things up on, with plastic netting and tied things up, to keep the 5 broilers I have left in, just so they can do me a quick clean up. They went nuts!! I don't know exactly what weight they gained, but they won't fit in a quart size bag like their brothers and sisters did. I figure I can let them clean that area up and kill them when they done, unless I wrap out the fig tree and let them clean up under there as well, in about a week. The garden is a mess, between all the rain and the chickens I have in all those tractors eating everything bare to the ground.
I put all the eggs I could, except left 2 in the fridge to bring to a friend that was giving away a trampoline frame, due to the mat being damaged, so I pulled the farm apart in her yard and took it away, giving her the eggs and some of my herbal cigs and now I plan on using it to make a moveable coop for my muscovy ducks. DS seems to think he can figure a way to put one of our gates on the frame. I think that will be an added savings to be able to have the scovies with a regular supply of grass and to not have the coop so dirty and always have clean water for my girls. Of course when I got back home and checked the eggs I was really happy to see that I picked up more eggs than I have in weeks. I have been bringing in only 3 or 4 a day and today I brought in 13, and that is not even checking some of my messier stalls.
I have 2 empty tractors right now and I think they both want 4 sex link hens tomorrow.......yeah.
I guess all of you are way ahead of me and have started y'all tomatoes, peppers and egg plants.....well, I need to deal with that. I think I will just start them in my 18 egg spot egg cartons. I'd almost be tempted to start them right out in the garden now, but I think its probably too cold.
But about my SS life....well, I have been killing things here and there, to get rid of unwanted males and I was down to only 3 unwanted roosters and sold them all yesterday to some repeat customers, who asked me about when I will have babies, so I best save up eggs.
We are eating leftover old rooster spaghetti right now and it seems it is better than when I cooked it.
So, whoever isn't ferminting their grain, needs to start. It took me 4 days to get my system going good, because I needed to soak corn in 4 different buckets and the first bucket I already knew the corn would have soaked up some of the water, but wouldn't be fermented, then the same thing the following day, but by now, all the corn I am feeding have been soaking 4 days and I put them in a line, to keep them in order. I have a drunk farm now and they all happy and the eggs are picking up in production and the animals are eating less and less feed. The liquid in the buckets actually smell of alcohol when I'm straining off the grain and I retain the water to get the next batch started good.
So today I wrapped Up an area which DH had set up with cattle panels to vine things up on, with plastic netting and tied things up, to keep the 5 broilers I have left in, just so they can do me a quick clean up. They went nuts!! I don't know exactly what weight they gained, but they won't fit in a quart size bag like their brothers and sisters did. I figure I can let them clean that area up and kill them when they done, unless I wrap out the fig tree and let them clean up under there as well, in about a week. The garden is a mess, between all the rain and the chickens I have in all those tractors eating everything bare to the ground.
I put all the eggs I could, except left 2 in the fridge to bring to a friend that was giving away a trampoline frame, due to the mat being damaged, so I pulled the farm apart in her yard and took it away, giving her the eggs and some of my herbal cigs and now I plan on using it to make a moveable coop for my muscovy ducks. DS seems to think he can figure a way to put one of our gates on the frame. I think that will be an added savings to be able to have the scovies with a regular supply of grass and to not have the coop so dirty and always have clean water for my girls. Of course when I got back home and checked the eggs I was really happy to see that I picked up more eggs than I have in weeks. I have been bringing in only 3 or 4 a day and today I brought in 13, and that is not even checking some of my messier stalls.
I have 2 empty tractors right now and I think they both want 4 sex link hens tomorrow.......yeah.
I guess all of you are way ahead of me and have started y'all tomatoes, peppers and egg plants.....well, I need to deal with that. I think I will just start them in my 18 egg spot egg cartons. I'd almost be tempted to start them right out in the garden now, but I think its probably too cold.
Denim Deb
More Precious than Rubies
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2010
- Messages
- 14,993
- Reaction score
- 618
- Points
- 417
I'm only getting at the most 6 eggs right now. But, I think that's partly the weather, and partly I'm not letting them free range for now.
- Thread starter
- #642
rhoda_bruce
Almost Self-Reliant
We had an accidental free range session yesterday. Either I or one of the girls must have left the gate unlocked and by the time we realized it, the yard was full of birds. DS caught a lot of them, but I don't care for his method. It involves chasing and nets. Mine involves feed and outsmarting.
- Thread starter
- #644
rhoda_bruce
Almost Self-Reliant
I'm not sure what I did to myself this morning while doing my chores, but it was bad. I know I had to fight with the goat about 4 times because I didn't noticed I had tied her up too close to things she could tangle herself up with, but I didn't think I was that soft.
I'm hurting something terrible. Arms, legs, feet and hands. Apparently I'm out of muscle rub, so I got DD12 to fetch me the essential oils and I used the cheat sheet to come up with a home made muscle rub, but I was missing 2 of the oils it called for, but had the other 4, so mostly it should be good. Seems like its a little better, but a massage therapist would be awesome.
It could be that I drug the water tank to the barn, about 30 feet, but I was more blaming it on the goat.
I was so upset that I texted a goat friend to find her a new owner. She is only a lawnmower. She never managed to catch a single baby, let alone give me a glass of milk. I like her, but I can't contain her and I hate having fights with goats that want to charge.
Seriously.......I think a flexeril is in order about now.
I'm hurting something terrible. Arms, legs, feet and hands. Apparently I'm out of muscle rub, so I got DD12 to fetch me the essential oils and I used the cheat sheet to come up with a home made muscle rub, but I was missing 2 of the oils it called for, but had the other 4, so mostly it should be good. Seems like its a little better, but a massage therapist would be awesome.
It could be that I drug the water tank to the barn, about 30 feet, but I was more blaming it on the goat.
I was so upset that I texted a goat friend to find her a new owner. She is only a lawnmower. She never managed to catch a single baby, let alone give me a glass of milk. I like her, but I can't contain her and I hate having fights with goats that want to charge.
Seriously.......I think a flexeril is in order about now.
Denim Deb
More Precious than Rubies
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2010
- Messages
- 14,993
- Reaction score
- 618
- Points
- 417
Sometimes you have to make those hard decisions.
hqueen13
<Insert Snazzy Title Here
Aww, sorry you're hurting! I hope you're feeling better by now! It is frustrating to fight with animals. Not the fun part of the job.
- Thread starter
- #647
rhoda_bruce
Almost Self-Reliant
I figured out that it was more likely a close call in a car accident I missed, by slamming my breaks. Funny how that can hurt you so much. But I just needed rest. I'm fine now.
Well, I had a lady wanting to come over for my goat and a man who wanted to trade me a gander for some rabbit cages, so I put on my boots and caught the goat and tied her up to a post and then I grabbed the net and went into the water fowl pen and tripped on a cypress knee and fell flat into a belly bust, but discovered I bounce. It was funny once it happened, but not so much hours later, when, again I am medicating and herbing myself to sleep. Then after the couple left with Penny, I brought the gander to my friend's house and he insisted on showing all his projects and set up. He floods worse than me, I think, but he has some neat ideas. He has a really thick layer of straw in pathways everywhere he needs to walk and its actually pretty springy to step on it. Glad I went in boots. He buys kiddy wading pools when they on sale and puts them under the rabbits, so he can do what he wants with the droppings, as needed. Smelly, but ingenious. But he insisted on giving me 2 peking ducks, so I gained as many animals as I lost, but still lost much more weight. I do have to double back and replace some wire, where I pulled it away because all my ducks are lose and I don't need the neighbors calling the police.
But now with the goat gone and the possibility of having all my animals managed, I think I can try to set up some more tractor tire beds to grow something in. Maybe put some shade loving stuff under the cypress trees. God knows the sun will be cooking everything come July and August.
Yesterday was 3 years Momma died and I called Daddy and he wasn't sure about the date, so I told him it was the day and he needed a few things at the store, so got them and was heading back home, when I saw the UPS truck in the next street, so went home instead and picked up the eggs while waiting and my log splitter came in. DS and I pulled it out the box and I used it a bit. How nice.......I will be able to clean my front yard today or tomorrow.
Also hung those 2 cages from the rafters in the coop. Loved it. I think I should probably get a little more hay for the rabbits though. I bet they would like to stand on it and use it for cover. They must feel naked. But I need to talk to Daddy and forgot. I really think he and Momma used to make their own cages and I need more, if I want to set myself up good. It is hard to believe all I need is a trio to provide my family with 400 Lbs of meat. That I have to see. Plus, I got scratched up when I transferred the rabbits. I don't really know how to handle them. And I think I need to come up with a good way to slaughter......with all the killing I have done, never that. But I've cleaned quite a few.....all wild ones, when DH used to hunt with his father and brothers.
Well, I had a lady wanting to come over for my goat and a man who wanted to trade me a gander for some rabbit cages, so I put on my boots and caught the goat and tied her up to a post and then I grabbed the net and went into the water fowl pen and tripped on a cypress knee and fell flat into a belly bust, but discovered I bounce. It was funny once it happened, but not so much hours later, when, again I am medicating and herbing myself to sleep. Then after the couple left with Penny, I brought the gander to my friend's house and he insisted on showing all his projects and set up. He floods worse than me, I think, but he has some neat ideas. He has a really thick layer of straw in pathways everywhere he needs to walk and its actually pretty springy to step on it. Glad I went in boots. He buys kiddy wading pools when they on sale and puts them under the rabbits, so he can do what he wants with the droppings, as needed. Smelly, but ingenious. But he insisted on giving me 2 peking ducks, so I gained as many animals as I lost, but still lost much more weight. I do have to double back and replace some wire, where I pulled it away because all my ducks are lose and I don't need the neighbors calling the police.
But now with the goat gone and the possibility of having all my animals managed, I think I can try to set up some more tractor tire beds to grow something in. Maybe put some shade loving stuff under the cypress trees. God knows the sun will be cooking everything come July and August.
Yesterday was 3 years Momma died and I called Daddy and he wasn't sure about the date, so I told him it was the day and he needed a few things at the store, so got them and was heading back home, when I saw the UPS truck in the next street, so went home instead and picked up the eggs while waiting and my log splitter came in. DS and I pulled it out the box and I used it a bit. How nice.......I will be able to clean my front yard today or tomorrow.
Also hung those 2 cages from the rafters in the coop. Loved it. I think I should probably get a little more hay for the rabbits though. I bet they would like to stand on it and use it for cover. They must feel naked. But I need to talk to Daddy and forgot. I really think he and Momma used to make their own cages and I need more, if I want to set myself up good. It is hard to believe all I need is a trio to provide my family with 400 Lbs of meat. That I have to see. Plus, I got scratched up when I transferred the rabbits. I don't really know how to handle them. And I think I need to come up with a good way to slaughter......with all the killing I have done, never that. But I've cleaned quite a few.....all wild ones, when DH used to hunt with his father and brothers.
Britesea
Sustainability Master
I don't know the technique they used, but I've been told DH and his brothers got so good at butchering rabbits they could kill, skin, and clean one in less than a minute. Practice makes perfect.
- Thread starter
- #649
rhoda_bruce
Almost Self-Reliant
My dad would make a hole and insert a hose pipe and inflate the skin and then pull it off. He never saved the skins, but I think that is a waste. I would at least like to try to preserve the skins. My understanding is I can sell a coon skin when the Indians come for their Pow wows, for $8/each, but that might not be accurate. Not sure where I can sell rabbit skins, but I can give it a try and find out later. Or I can just sew it myself into some cute little jackets. The guy that traded the gander for 2 cages and 2 ducks, told me he saves his skins in a freezer until summer because he can tan and dry faster in the heat. Then he showed me a freezer jammed pack with skins. Does he ever have his work cut out for him.
I'm not saying it will be something regular that I do, but I hate to see anything wasted. If I just have to feed them and the skins can pay me back for some of the food, then I can almost have free meat, except for my work.
I'm not saying it will be something regular that I do, but I hate to see anything wasted. If I just have to feed them and the skins can pay me back for some of the food, then I can almost have free meat, except for my work.
