Colowyo - grudgingly settling in :P

[glenolam]

As does the "talk" I had with my SO after I posted that post :bun I'm thinking we need to "talk" more often

I HEAR THAT. It's funny how the longer you're with someone the less you talk to them and less you get to know them. Well, I know that's not the case with EVERYONE but we can't all have picture perfect marriages all the time. What would making up be for if it weren't for these moments?

 

[Wifezilla]

You DO realize my "farm truck" is a Volkswagon Golf don't you?



As for duck housing, they have their big run and a secure night pen. Inside that pen is a XL dog igloo I got at a garage sale. I put fresh straw on the floor and inside. There is also a smaller doghouse that the girls use as a nesting box. I put my fake eggs in there and 90% of the time they lay in one nest.

Unless you have scovies, the ducks will just plop on the ground where ever they feel comfy (Scovies evolved climbing around in trees and actually will roost). A duck house only needs to be covered on 3 sides and have a roof. Even something as simple as straw bales and a tarp would work. Half the time the fluffy little idiots sleep out in the middle of the rain and snow anyway.

 

[colowyo0809]

You DO realize my "farm truck" is a Volkswagon Golf don't you?



As for duck housing, they have their big run and a secure night pen. Inside that pen is a XL dog igloo I got at a garage sale. I put fresh straw on the floor and inside. There is also a smaller doghouse that the girls use as a nesting box. I put my fake eggs in there and 90% of the time they lay in one nest.

Unless you have scovies, the ducks will just plop on the ground where ever they feel comfy (Scovies evolved climbing around in trees and actually will roost). A duck house only needs to be covered on 3 sides and have a roof. Even something as simple as straw bales and a tarp would work. Half the time the fluffy little idiots sleep out in the middle of the rain and snow anyway.

lol, yeah i've seen ur farm truck

as far as the ducks go, that makes me happy then I'm planning on building them their own hoop house coop for moving around and that will be perfect! Thanks!

 

[colowyo0809]

As does the "talk" I had with my SO after I posted that post :bun I'm thinking we need to "talk" more often

I HEAR THAT. It's funny how the longer you're with someone the less you talk to them and less you get to know them. Well, I know that's not the case with EVERYONE but we can't all have picture perfect marriages all the time. What would making up be for if it weren't for these moments?

lol, yeah.

 

[dragonlaurel]

Congrats on the hatch If anybody cares about the parentage- just tell them they were from a good family.

About the downers:

I agree about building your own soil. throw all the leaves, cut grass, etc. and the animal poo in a pile and make your own soil. If neighbors put their lawn clippings on the curb- grab those too.

Another idea- Many communities compost yard waste and let residents have it for free or cheap. Usually it's bring your own vehicle and take away however much you can carry. Some communities will deliver the compost, but you'd have to check on what they charge. You might trade favors with somebody to get a load for you. I've planted in almost straight compost and had happy plants in that bed.

You can also ask lawn service people to dump yard waste at your place. They usually have to pay to get rid of it at the dump, so they're usually happy to say yes. Grass clippings may have lawn chemicals on them, but removed trees, are less likely to be sprayed. Some people get incredible amounts of free mulch that way.

About kids- I don't want this to sound harsh, but your way of viewing the situation might be making you more frustrated. Those feelings could be making it harder to find possible solutions.
I know it's hard to be objective on this subject but . . .
Are you more interested in passing on your DNA, or in nurturing? Either way- there are ways to get at least part of what you need.

If you really want to pass on the genes- you might help friends that are challenged conceiving. There are plenty of people that want babies and need the other half of the genetic material. If it's a friend, you might work out some kind of arrangement to see the little one growing up. Sorta like an "open adoption".

It you just want somebody to nurture- maybe adoption, fostering a kid, or volunteering/working with them?
My body doesn't make kids, so I had to find alternate ways of handling that side of myself. I was a great babysitter. I considered adopting before, but want a real home and to not be struggling financially first. That hasn't happened yet . . . Some pets have been my furry kids too.

Good luck.

 

[valmom]

Aw, {{hugs}}. It does seem that when you are with someone a fairly long time you forget to talk. I need to remember to do that, too!

What cute little fluffs! I want fluffs!

You must have chicken/duck poop- collect it with your (and your neighbor's) grass clippings. Dig up worms and add them to the mix- they will aerate the pile. I know it won't help right now, but next spring you will have awesome soil. I had one guy who came to my barn and dug up my manure pile about once a week and hauled compost away in about 10 five gallon buckets he put in the back of his car. I have filled Rubbermaid tubs of compost for my in-laws to take home when they come visit. But those get very heavy! (and my elderly in-laws had to unload them one bucket at a time to get them out of the trunk)

 

[colowyo0809]

Congrats on the hatch If anybody cares about the parentage- just tell them they were from a good family.

About the downers:

I agree about building your own soil. throw all the leaves, cut grass, etc. and the animal poo in a pile and make your own soil. If neighbors put their lawn clippings on the curb- grab those too.

Another idea- Many communities compost yard waste and let residents have it for free or cheap. Usually it's bring your own vehicle and take away however much you can carry. Some communities will deliver the compost, but you'd have to check on what they charge. You might trade favors with somebody to get a load for you. I've planted in almost straight compost and had happy plants in that bed.

You can also ask lawn service people to dump yard waste at your place. They usually have to pay to get rid of it at the dump, so they're usually happy to say yes. Grass clippings may have lawn chemicals on them, but removed trees, are less likely to be sprayed. Some people get incredible amounts of free mulch that way.

About kids- I don't want this to sound harsh, but your way of viewing the situation might be making you more frustrated. Those feelings could be making it harder to find possible solutions.
I know it's hard to be objective on this subject but . . .
Are you more interested in passing on your DNA, or in nurturing? Either way- there are ways to get at least part of what you need.

If you really want to pass on the genes- you might help friends that are challenged conceiving. There are plenty of people that want babies and need the other half of the genetic material. If it's a friend, you might work out some kind of arrangement to see the little one growing up. Sorta like an "open adoption".

It you just want somebody to nurture- maybe adoption, fostering a kid, or volunteering/working with them?
My body doesn't make kids, so I had to find alternate ways of handling that side of myself. I was a great babysitter. I considered adopting before, but want a real home and to not be struggling financially first. That hasn't happened yet . . . Some pets have been my furry kids too.

Good luck.

thanks. As far as the kids go, I would like to raise kids someday, and I'm not really hung up on my genetics so I'm ok with adoption. But, it's definitly not in the cards for the time being, we need to get us settled first before we jump into that, and it may be that we just focus on our animals instead we will just take everything as it comes

Aw, {{hugs}}. It does seem that when you are with someone a fairly long time you forget to talk. I need to remember to do that, too!

What cute little fluffs! I want fluffs!

You must have chicken/duck poop- collect it with your (and your neighbor's) grass clippings. Dig up worms and add them to the mix- they will aerate the pile. I know it won't help right now, but next spring you will have awesome soil. I had one guy who came to my barn and dug up my manure pile about once a week and hauled compost away in about 10 five gallon buckets he put in the back of his car. I have filled Rubbermaid tubs of compost for my in-laws to take home when they come visit. But those get very heavy! (and my elderly in-laws had to unload them one bucket at a time to get them out of the trunk)

yeah, we have the poop I just cleaned out the coop today and tossed the eight wheelbarrow loads of bedding and poop into the front yard in some "boxes" and watered each layer as I was spreading them out, to keep them from blowing all over the yard. They are talking about maybe getting rain tomorrow, or maybe snow, so that will give it a good soaking. Found four pinkies while I was doing all this and tossed each one to the chickens they were all and it was great! I mean, it was a vicious thing and i will never do it again (but really, I will )

The problem here is I don't know that we have worms anywhere. I haven't seen any in the year we've been here. We have heavy heavy clay that short stubby prairie grass seems to grow in clumps and thats about it. oh, and burrs
Oh, I also took the bedding that was in the old duck brooder and put some in the bottom of a bunch of planters that I'm using as testers for some cool weather veggies. I have something coming up already, but I'm afraid it looks alot like grass hoping maybe celery?

We planted potatoes in the stuff I laid out today, since we had some in the pantry with eyes and all. Couldn't remember how to plant them so after they were cut we planted some every which way I emailed someone today off of craigslist about their 5 year old manure pile and free and all that, but still waiting to hear back on when I can get some. I have some tubs and stuff so this would be awesome.

Below please find some pics of the new babies and the cleaned out coop enjoy!
This first set of pics is from while I was cleaning the coop. Apparantly Mama Breda and the babies decided I was making too much ruckus and bunked with the mama cochins on the second nest :

This next set is of the coop
Here is the front

Here's the feeder, on the left side inside the door

Here's the right front, with the lower roosts

Here's the nest boxes (made out of old kitty litter containers) in the back right corner

Here's the built in brooder and a bit of the top roosts. The brooder takes up 1/4th of the coop, the back top half

Here's the lower back half of the coop, showing all the nest boxes

The metal thing in the left is an old cabinet turned on it's side, the dark spot on the left in the corner is the second nest where the two cochins share nesting detail and where Breda hid with her babies while I was cleaning

 

[Wifezilla]

Got a bait store nearby? I think our Walmart sells worms too. Once you get some compost materials piled up you can add RED WIGGLER worms and they will go nuts on that compost. Not nightcrawlers...red wigglers. Night crawlers would be ok to add once the compost gets closer to dirt.

 

[Kala]

Just dropping by to say

 

[hillfarm]

Misses you.