Bruce's Journal

[Bruce]

I've heard the same is happening in W. VA. Similar year there, rain early then dry, dry, dry.

 

[Bruce]

Finished up a couple of projects. Built 2 more wood drying/storage/delivery racks total of 7 now. Need 12 but running out of scrap wood to make them. Last year I had a tarp I used to cover the left side and back (as seen from outside the porch) which was kinda a pain since I had to move it to each new rack before it was put on the porch. This year I made a common back panel with a wood frame supported piece of metal roof and put a piece of the same roof metal on the left side of the porch. Now when I replace a rack on the porch landing I just have to move the roof (with the tractor forks) and move the back panel over, it connects with hooks. It should keep most of the snow from blowing into the wood.



I also moved all the racks up near the house so I don't have far to go with them in the cold and snow.


Finished moving the hot wire to the outside of the posts. I also put a cut off switch at the gate in the west line so I can turn off the south section without going to the far north end of the barn and unplugging the charger.


Since there was a gap of at least 6" on the hinge side of the gate, I slammed a T Post in the gap.


I think the fenced area is as fox resistant as I can get it other than I could maybe run some hot wire on the outside of the gate hinge and strike posts as a clever fox could figure out there is no pain if it goes straight up those.

And in less happy news Yue died Thursday night. She was a 7+ Y/O Ancona, one of my first 12 chicks; there are now 3 left. I wasn't surprised, she's been looking old the last couple of months but she was still running out of the coop tail held high with the rest of the girls every morning and was out front of the barn and house foraging with them Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons while I was working out there. She always was the one I had to go hunt for when everyone else came back to the barn as the sun got low. The last month she hadn't been up on the roost, had taken to sleeping in the nest boxes but eventually couldn't even get there so I slanted a board (so the birds up top would not poop on her all night) against the wall in the corner of the coop and made her a little sleeping cave. It rained hard all day Thursday, I didn't bother to open the barn until about 3. She was hunkered in a corner with her tail down and neck pulled in. Didn't figure she'd make many more days.

She had a pretty darn good chicken life. She was the first as a chick to get brave and try a sunflower seed, pecked the water nipple before I even had water in the jug. She and her "sister" Zia were the top of the flock and made sure to remind all the other girls with frequency until Zia had a couple of strokes or heart attacks and died 3 years ago. Yue was still top but didn't often choose to show it to the others so I guess that was mainly Zia. Yue and the others had free run of the yard around the house and behind the barn every day since spring 2013 until DW got fussy about the girls digging up in the flower garden this spring. Of course when there was snow on the ground they hung in the barn. Yue always slept wherever she wanted on the roosts and no one ever challenged her about anything. BOSS every morning, scratch every night. What more could a chicken want?

Here she is back in June at 7 years old

 

[rachels.haven]

Glasses raised for Yue!

 

[Mini Horses]

Yue was a beautiful, beautiful girl! She had a long and enjoyable time on earth, as documented by her long lifespan. You will miss her, it is certain. But you gave her everything for that long, happy life!

 

[farmerjan]

Like the way you have the panels to protect the wood from the worst of the weather. Those racks have turned out good. Bet it is a nice thing to look out and see them ready to go and realize that you don't have to go out and fight the weather just to get in some wood when it is snowing and such. Although I have seen a forecast that the extreme northern plains states, and New England are due for colder than normal temps with higher than normal precip, maybe you will have enough of a few breaks to be able to refill one or two racks after you have emptied them. They are saying we are in the normal to warmer than normal area for the winter, with pretty much average precipitation. So that could mean anything is possible. Would rather it be snow than the cold bone chilling rain of 2 years ago. We will take it as it comes since we can't do anything to change it.
Sorry about your hen. I know they are family/pets to you.

 

[CntryBoy777]

It's always tough to lose one ya have spent that much time with.........glad she brought ya joy and ya was able to enjoy the "fruits of her labor".....I'm sure she will be missed at roost time.....

 

[Bruce]

maybe you will have enough of a few breaks to be able to refill one or two racks after you have emptied them.

Besides the 7 racks I have about 1.75 cords on the porch from my neighbor who used to cut and sell firewood but stopped. Except he got bored and cut some more. He'll probably have a bit more next year as well, said he has some trees he wants to cut down.

I have enough dried to fill only 1/2 of one. I have some birch the I cut earlier this summer, they were hanging down into the field, weren't doing that last year. But I just split it last week. I did go out and mark some trees to cut this fall (guess I better hurry!) to block for next year. I can split it in the spring and it should be dry for next fall/winter.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

Sorry Bruce for your loss of Yue.....even a chicken can break your heart,...we sure do love our crirrers

 

[Baymule]

I'm real sorry about Yue, she was a very pretty girl. 7 years is a long life for a chicken and she had a good life.

 

[AmberLops]

I'm sorry that you lost Yue...she was a beautiful hen