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frustratedearthmother
Sustainability Master
I had a stomach bug Monday evening so I slept in a little bit Tuesday morning and decided to stay home from work. Amazingly, by noon-ish I felt pretty good so I got outside and accomplished a couple things. I had most of a bag of rye grass seeds that I hadn't spread yet. So, even though I'm late getting it out I broadcast it anyway. I have the gate closed between my neighbor's pasture and mine, so I tossed it out on his side and I'll keep the critters off of it for a awhile and see if it takes off. We're supposed to get a little rain this weekend so I hope that'll help it get a good start.
I'm also trying to get prepared for winter (just in case we have one this year) by improving some of the shelters in some of the chicken pens. Most of my chickens are free range and sleep in one of the barns, but I often separate a breed to get some pure eggs to hatch. Since I'm always moving fences and re-arranging pens I don't have permanent shelters in every nook and cranny and felt like I should prepare something for those areas. I only need something small for a half-dozen chickens or so. My bright idea was to take a pallet and bend some pvc pipe over it, attach some welded wire to the pvc, and cover it all with a tarp. The welded wire keeps the tarp from sagging under any rain. Then I was able to put some dog crates under the cover for a pretty nifty little chicken shack. It'll at least keep things dry and the wind blocked. The best thing about it is that it's light weight and can be picked up intact and moved very easily. The worst thing about it is that it's light weight and could be picked up (by the wind) and moved very easily, lol. I think I'll find a way to anchor it to a t-post or something!
I even found time to put some more veggie seeds in the ground. I've got some rutabagas, more carrots, more radishes and more onions planted. My cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts are looking pretty good. Nothing ready to harvest yet, of course, but they plants look good. Still have a few monster squash hanging on the vine too. Really hope they get a little more ripe before I have to pull 'em. I'm leaving that big one that fell off the vine sitting outside in the sun for a few days hoping it'll get a little riper.
At the end of summer I covered the main garden with a huge tarp (used to be a pool cover and it's BIG). I'm going to pull that back and pile some shavings and hay under it to rot all winter, and then pull the tarp back over it until spring. Fingers crossed that it'll improve that soil and maybe even smother some weeds. I hate weeds. And bugs.
The two big bucks got out AGAIN on Sunday. This time they broke the latch on the gate....UGH! I'm selling them both as soon as I've got everything bred to them - or spring - whichever comes first! I'm going back to cute LITTLE goats - no more of those big 'uns that are bigger than me. Nope - not gonna do it anymore. I like 'em, but they're tooooo much trouble!
Happy Wednesday, ya'll!
I'm also trying to get prepared for winter (just in case we have one this year) by improving some of the shelters in some of the chicken pens. Most of my chickens are free range and sleep in one of the barns, but I often separate a breed to get some pure eggs to hatch. Since I'm always moving fences and re-arranging pens I don't have permanent shelters in every nook and cranny and felt like I should prepare something for those areas. I only need something small for a half-dozen chickens or so. My bright idea was to take a pallet and bend some pvc pipe over it, attach some welded wire to the pvc, and cover it all with a tarp. The welded wire keeps the tarp from sagging under any rain. Then I was able to put some dog crates under the cover for a pretty nifty little chicken shack. It'll at least keep things dry and the wind blocked. The best thing about it is that it's light weight and can be picked up intact and moved very easily. The worst thing about it is that it's light weight and could be picked up (by the wind) and moved very easily, lol. I think I'll find a way to anchor it to a t-post or something!
I even found time to put some more veggie seeds in the ground. I've got some rutabagas, more carrots, more radishes and more onions planted. My cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts are looking pretty good. Nothing ready to harvest yet, of course, but they plants look good. Still have a few monster squash hanging on the vine too. Really hope they get a little more ripe before I have to pull 'em. I'm leaving that big one that fell off the vine sitting outside in the sun for a few days hoping it'll get a little riper.
At the end of summer I covered the main garden with a huge tarp (used to be a pool cover and it's BIG). I'm going to pull that back and pile some shavings and hay under it to rot all winter, and then pull the tarp back over it until spring. Fingers crossed that it'll improve that soil and maybe even smother some weeds. I hate weeds. And bugs.
The two big bucks got out AGAIN on Sunday. This time they broke the latch on the gate....UGH! I'm selling them both as soon as I've got everything bred to them - or spring - whichever comes first! I'm going back to cute LITTLE goats - no more of those big 'uns that are bigger than me. Nope - not gonna do it anymore. I like 'em, but they're tooooo much trouble!
Happy Wednesday, ya'll!
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