We ended up with two hens and five roosters after the snakes had their way with the Serama Mini Chickens. I don't know why they could not have eaten more of the roosters so now we are upside down on them. The bad part is now we have to order more eggs and go through the whole hatching process again.
While we are at it, we might as well go ahead and get some day old layer chicks. I know I sold off all the layers a couple of months ago so I did not have to summer them, but now is the time to be buying day old chicks. By March they will be laying and everyone wants a couple of laying hens for their backyard in the spring. The only way to loose money on them is if they die.
After work today I propped up the rain water tanks so I could get to the hat
ch and wash them out. I was a little worried about this one getting clean. The last thing I need is some chemical either sterilizing the soil or burning my skin off. The ole boy who gave them to me told me today that his buddy sells a lot of these same tanks to people for the use as I am going to do with them. He said the stuff that was in it is a water base and power washes out easy. He was right. After I washed it out, the smell was gone and the drain water was running clear. I put some of the water on my arms and nothing no burning. Now I have to wait and see if the grass dies where it drained out.
This little monster is something else. I almost feel like I am right in the middle of my own seven plaques. First it flooded, then the summer drought came, then the snakes and now the grass hoppers.These suckers are not small either. I was walking to the barn to get the drill and with every step, hundreds flew up in front of me. I had one hit right between the eyes and it almost took me out. I'm not lying when I tell you I let the chickens out in the yard tonight to try and thin the population down a little and those grasshoppers kicked those chickens butt and ran those hens right back into their pen.
OK there Mr. Redneck... I've now read your entire blog up to this point. And I have read all of your moderndayredneck.com site too.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're doing what you are doing. I have great respect for you and especially for your effort to reach out to others and teach them about your lifestyle choices and why/how to do it.
My family is from the northeast, at least as far back as I can trace them. (though we've spread all over the country, including Texas. and I am in Los Angeles now.) My family are mostly working folk too - driving trucks, building houses, working at mussel farms (the seafood), building power-lines and roads... I have great respect for these people -- doing what it takes to survive.
Your type of people and my type of people have a lot in common. A lot more than you might think. But there's something else I have to tell you. I and many of my family -- we're as liberal as they come.
Why am I saying that? Well, I don't know. I just want to say that I wish people would look a bit more at the similarities that we Americans share, and a bit less at the differences.
You should be able to tell your friends and co-workers what you are doing without being called a "tree-hugger" and looked down on. Is there something wrong with loving the planet? Doesn't the Bible say that we are supposed to take care of God's creation?
Living cheap is great! But why is it that you have to tell people that lowering expenses is the only reason for doing what you are doing, when I can tell from reading that "being green" is also very important to you.
Are we Americans first? Or are we divided by our political opinions and what we choose to do for a living?
Some people might think that being "green" is a brand name and that you can't do that if you're respectable southern conservative type. People like you are finding a way to show "rednecks" that it's OK to be green and still be red.
Thanks for doing what you're doing and thanks for writing about it. I look forward to reading more from you as time goes on.
Just found your blog and love it! Wish we were neighbors and we would be happy to give you some hens and a mate to go with your goose. Keep up the good work.. your place looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThanks Peggy and thanks for the comment.
ReplyDeleteWe move in to our new 4 acres the 1st of June. I know what your saying about grass hoppers, there were hordes of them.
ReplyDeleteWe bought 27 lights brahma chickens, 14 guineas, 6 ducks, and 3 white geese the first month. They made short work of all the bugs and are now ranging to the corners of the property and on to the neighbors horse pasture.
Great blog, really glad we found it.