Larsen Poultry Ranch - homesteading journey

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Some things in life just suck and you can't back up and do it over. You just have to plow through and keep moving forward. I think you are handling this very well, it's a pain in the backside, but you aren't letting it shut you down.

Trying not to let it get to us, but all these repairs are not helping our budget. The price of lumber is ridiculously high. I don't know if we will be able to afford a garage at this point. Hubby is pushing for a metal garage kit, but I would like a framed one or even cinder block one before a metal kit. We have just had so many issues with condensation and trying to insulate to prevent condensation on the shipping container and my brother's metal camp trailer. Maybe we'll take so long to figure it out that the lumber prices will come back down.

 

[Baymule]

I like the cinder block idea.

 

[Bruce]

How are the faults in your area Larson?

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

How are the faults in your area Larson?

Faults? Like earthquake faults? Non existent to my knowledge. I am in the foothills of the Sierras, we don't get earthquakes here thankfully. Just fires in the general area annually.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

The fires are actually part of why I'd prefer cinder block or maybe stucco, or the cement fiberboard siding for the buildings here, so it's harder for them to catch on fire. Right now the house has vinyl siding over aluminum siding, and the well house is completely wood.

The well house is also rotting apart, I should take a picture to show you guys how bad it is. I'm hoping it will hang on long enough for us to get the materials and time needed to tear it down and install a new building. They built it directly on the ground, without pressure treated wood. Dunno why people are so stupid.

 

[Bruce]

Faults? Like earthquake faults? Non existent to my knowledge. I am in the foothills of the Sierras, we don't get earthquakes here thankfully. Just fires in the general area annually.

That would be the question. You need a really good foundation under a block wall building if you get earthquakes (unless you LIKE cracks). Not a problem for you

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Well, I was hoping to go to a plant swap this Saturday but got informed by MIL that we all are going to a wedding on Saturday, same time as the plant swap ends. It's about an hour away so there's no point in trying to rush there and back and then get ready, I will just have to catch the next one.

SIL is coming from Reno to attend, I'm assuming with the baby so I might get some baby snuggles.

Hubby paid a guy to weedeat a bunch of the property, supposedly worked 5 hours doing it. I'm not too impressed with how much he got done in that time but clearly he's not as experienced at weedeating as hubby. He wasn't impressed either but at least we don't have to weedeat those areas now. Still a lot to weedeat as the weeds are almost knee high in places. Hubby wants to bring the goats over but hasn't found the time to make sure they will stay where we want to put them. Maybe Friday??

I also need to figure out how to tame down the goats, but I think they are usually food motivated. I will have to figure out what works as a treat that is more tasty than the weeds they are supposed to be eating. One of them was pretty tame from the prior owners and liked it when I tried to brush them before. The other was more skittish but not nearly as bad as the original goats hubby's family had. Couldn't get within 20 feet without them bolting. I wonder if I can buy a goat halter?

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

We also really need to butcher some rabbits, they are going through a ton of feed. I definitely think the first batch is fully ready now, and the second batch is probably just a little under target weight. I need to check dates but I think the third batch is probably old enough to wean. The chinchillas in the third batch I might be able to sell as pets, but I don't have fancy colors for the Rex so they don't seem to sell as pets. Taste is the same regardless of what color the coat is, so will probably butcher those.

 

[Bruce]

I wonder if I can buy a goat halter?

I think people generally use collars on goats.

 

[GardnerHomestead]

Well, I was hoping to go to a plant swap this Saturday but got informed by MIL that we all are going to a wedding on Saturday, same time as the plant swap ends. It's about an hour away so there's no point in trying to rush there and back and then get ready, I will just have to catch the next one.

SIL is coming from Reno to attend, I'm assuming with the baby so I might get some baby snuggles.

Hubby paid a guy to weedeat a bunch of the property, supposedly worked 5 hours doing it. I'm not too impressed with how much he got done in that time but clearly he's not as experienced at weedeating as hubby. He wasn't impressed either but at least we don't have to weedeat those areas now. Still a lot to weedeat as the weeds are almost knee high in places. Hubby wants to bring the goats over but hasn't found the time to make sure they will stay where we want to put them. Maybe Friday??

I also need to figure out how to tame down the goats, but I think they are usually food motivated. I will have to figure out what works as a treat that is more tasty than the weeds they are supposed to be eating. One of them was pretty tame from the prior owners and liked it when I tried to brush them before. The other was more skittish but not nearly as bad as the original goats hubby's family had. Couldn't get within 20 feet without them bolting. I wonder if I can buy a goat halter?

I use a halter on my goats, its made for sheep i think but works on goat also. We use movable electric netting and it works really well for our goat. They have to kind of be trained to it though. i have 5 full grown does and 2 5 month old does and they keep our 2 acres down to barely an inch off the ground, even during the growing season.