Baymule’s Journal

[R2elk]

Unfortunately they are still nailed together with 6” ring shank nails.

You can use a sawzall with a metal cutting blade to saw the nails off between the boards.

I won't use ring shank nails because once they start working on the wood from drying, swelling, wind movement,the ridges on the nails work away the wood as the nails go back and forth wallowing out the nail hole.

I do use cement coat nails instead.

 

[Simpleterrier]

So just a question. If you don't mind sharing whats your cost in raising 75 chicks. Chick cost feed cost electric cost packaging cost. And estimated hrs.

Every time I've done the math raising meat chickens I don't make enough. I've always looked at it as the effort every day to raise them and my time. I was better off working an hr of over time a day. In the same number of weeks I would be further ahead. Now I know age and lifestyle play into it. But for most working people it's not a way to make extra money. But if u don't have to work a job and time is free and plenty (hahaha). Then it is a way to make some extra.

 

[Baymule]

In Lindale, I raised chickens and feeder pigs. It worked out that the sold meat paid for what my husband and I consumed and what my DD and family consumed. We are for free.

Now, I don’t cook or eat as much, I have chicken left over from last year. I think I’ll fire up the pit, and make me some BBQ chicken. Also make some chicken pan sausage, it’s pretty good.

 

[Ridgetop]

Maybe your little grandchildren would like to raise those cute chicks for you until they feather out. Hee Hee Hee.

 

[fuzzi]

Yesterday was sunny, gorgeous and I played outside. I cleaned out both round bale spots, and set new bales. I have only run son’s big 100 HP Kubota tractor twice, with son walking along beside me, telling me what controls to use. That tractor has so many fancy fangled controls, buttons and levers, I get confused. But yesterday I did it all by myself. Kinda proud of myself. I like to never figured out the brake lever, Why is the behemoth not moving and why is it beeping at me?

I’m comfortable with my little 23 HP Kubota, it is very simple to operate. But it just doesn’t have the oomph to get a big round bale off the ground.

There are 2 steps to get up to the seat of the big tractor and 2 grab bars on each side. I feel so high off the ground! I can’t see the hay spear unless I stand up and lean forward. But I got the bales speared and set. Well, maybe dumped is a better description. At any rate, sheep have hay.

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This afternoon I get a load of dirt. It seems some idiot ordered 75 meat Cornish Cross chicks, I pick them up at the hatchery February 19. With so many, there is no place to brood them. There is no place to raise them. In my usual manner, I’m unprepared. If I ever got prepared FIRST before acquiring animals, the earth would spin off its axis and it would be a major world calamity.

When I pick up chicks, it will still be cold. I will have to have them by the house. They will have to be in the front yard where I can run an extension cord from the house. When it rains, the yard floods. Chicks for some stupid reason, cannot swim. The dummies drown.

Enter: dirt pile. My small tractor will make many trips with its little 4’ bucket, moving dirt to raise up the future hoop coop up off the drowning level of the yard.

I have to rob cow panels and a hog panel from the sheep pens and replace with sheep and goat wire. Annoyingly, I used wire to secure panels to T-posts instead of the hay string and zip ties that I now favor, but bolt cutters come in handy for that. Why waste my time and feeble strength struggling with puny wire cutter pliers? Two foot long handles on bolt cutters give me leverage.

I have 2x6 rafters pieces from the roof part of the shed that hurricane Beryl blew to pieces. Unfortunately they are still nailed together with 6” ring shank nails. Dang nigh impossible for me to take apart, which is why they are still nailed together. Maybe I can beat them apart, maybe cut them apart or maybe the hurricane will come back and finish what it started. At any rate, I’ve set my eyeballs on them as needed lumber for the chicken coop project.

I have 3 weeks to get this done and 4-5 inches of rain is predicted for the first week. Y'all wish me luck!

Looking forward to seeing your hoop coop build. I'm planning my second one, hopefully it will be easier than the first.