frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
Happy B'day to DS11! Hope he can get his stuff together! 
Daydreaming while waiting impatiently!
- Thread starter tortoise
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #933
tortoise
Wild Hare
The ewe lambs are not tolerating bottle feeding, and I'm not tolerating listening to them or smelling them. They're just going to have to grow slowly then. Maybe the quad ram lambs will end up in our freezer rather than selling.
I'm experimenting with making dryer balls. I have 9 in the laundry now. After the first wash, they were pretty misshapen. I might not be able to wash them with a load of laundry, I may need to run a big batch by themselves. I'm attempting value-added items for potential farmers market attempt this year. My produce/berry/egg supplies are not consistent enough yet, so I'm looking for ways to have a good display each week.
I'm experimenting with making dryer balls. I have 9 in the laundry now. After the first wash, they were pretty misshapen. I might not be able to wash them with a load of laundry, I may need to run a big batch by themselves. I'm attempting value-added items for potential farmers market attempt this year. My produce/berry/egg supplies are not consistent enough yet, so I'm looking for ways to have a good display each week.
- Thread starter
- #934
tortoise
Wild Hare
I think this is happening. There is a farmer's market like 2 miles away. Flexible, even allows drop-in vendors, and the season rate for every-week vendors is low. It's a morning market though, and that kinda sucks for picking/washing/packing produce the same day.
I did a second batch of dryer balls. Tweaked a couple things to see if I can improve them. Hopefully they're not worse!
. I used up all my wool! Time to shear some sheep! I want to buy a drum carder. They're expensive, but if I send my wool to the local processor, I won't get it back for months. I'd like to try processing my own roving.
I did a second batch of dryer balls. Tweaked a couple things to see if I can improve them. Hopefully they're not worse!
. I used up all my wool! Time to shear some sheep! I want to buy a drum carder. They're expensive, but if I send my wool to the local processor, I won't get it back for months. I'd like to try processing my own roving.
sumi
Rest in Peace 1980-2020
I'm curious about the dryer balls you're making? I must confess I have no idea what they are…
That farmer's market sounds great! Apart from the "morning" bit. I love how flexible they are.
That farmer's market sounds great! Apart from the "morning" bit. I love how flexible they are.
- Thread starter
- #936
tortoise
Wild Hare
Dryer balls are felted wool balls a bit larger than a tennis ball. You put them in the dryer to fluff and de-static clothes. Some people put essential oil on them for a bit of fragrance too. They replace fabric softener and dryer sheets.
- Thread starter
- #937
tortoise
Wild Hare
I've been doing number on egg sales. Without even knowing my feed cost, it looks like I'd have to have twice as many hens to break even. As much as I want to buy a whole bunch of blue egg layers, at almost $6 per chick, it's not viable. 
We'll have to incubate our own eggs again to get chicks at the cost of running a light bulb for 3 weeks to heat the incubator and then a heat lamp for a couple weeks. I would so love to have blue eggs for market. Brown farm eggs are so common here it can be hard to sell. I think blue eggs would fly away at a farmers market.
We'll have to incubate our own eggs again to get chicks at the cost of running a light bulb for 3 weeks to heat the incubator and then a heat lamp for a couple weeks. I would so love to have blue eggs for market. Brown farm eggs are so common here it can be hard to sell. I think blue eggs would fly away at a farmers market.- Thread starter
- #938
tortoise
Wild Hare
DS2 is happy as could be today! His navy beans germinated. He says they're "hatching" 
My spring cactus is blooming, and he loves flowers and sniffing them!
My spring cactus is blooming, and he loves flowers and sniffing them!
frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
- Thread starter
- #940
tortoise
Wild Hare
DH *finally* caught our poor hen! She was run of the straight run chicks hatched last spring. She is the only we we couldn't catch. She has been running loose in the barn with the last few (7?) roosters destined for soup. There is one other hen in there - a tame one who is older and smart enough to roost up on top of some rabbit cages (about 6 feet high) were she has a nest box and we feed her. The poor young hen has been bred within an inch of her life. Loosing weight from running from the boys - she got down to half the size of the roos. Looks as if she has cuts on her sides, but she's so wild I can get hands on her and don't dare risk her escaping her cage. I am SO relieved she is caught. I've tried to catch her frequently. Daily, lately because she looks so rough.
We vaccinated lambs. Were going to ear tag, wether and tail band too, but I lost the new ear tags. :gaah
I brought up another tall plastic shelf unit form my basement and filled 10 more 1020/standard flats to plant. Seeding them tonight.
We vaccinated lambs. Were going to ear tag, wether and tail band too, but I lost the new ear tags. :gaah
I brought up another tall plastic shelf unit form my basement and filled 10 more 1020/standard flats to plant. Seeding them tonight.
