rachels.haven's Journal

[farmerjan]

Polish are literally a breed of chickens. Google them, there are several different types. Bearded and non-bearded.. different colors. Silkies are also a breed. If you are interested you could go to The American Poultry Association.... it is the equivalent of a breeders bible for different breeds.... like the American Kennel club for dogs.... Every breed that is recognized for purebred show is in the APA Standard of Perfection..... There is also an American Bantam Assoc that deals with strictly bantam sized chickens. Then there are multitudes of "breed associations" that promote the specific breeds.... like different dog breeds have their own associations.
There are chickens shown that do not meet the APA standards, and if someone is working on a breed or color, they will have to show them and a certain number of people have to show them, and breed and raise them, and then the breed or color pattern can be submitted for recognition.
So I think that she was getting chicks or possibly adult polish, from the P.O. when they arrived there.

 

[rachels.haven]

Yes @Senile_Texas_Aggie , polish is pronounced like from poland. There's some debate if it refers to their country of origin or their "pol" of feathers. I picked up some polish chicks to add to the group. I think they'd cross well with the frizzle rooster I have and they're supposed to lay through winter their first year. Winter's coming. If they are calm for us, they can stay and my 3 roosters will have enough girls to feed. If not, apparently I can sell pullets for a goofy price here and make back my investment including feed and then some. The polish are supposed to be standard, but the silkies that are 3 days older are still larger than they are, so I guess I don't know what I got and will have to see. The black with a white cap lay the best out of the McMurray ones.

Buck pregnancy refers to my bucks being big and fat. They're on first cutting now, so they don't look as bad. Lol, I'd settle for ONE pickup truck and a good sized trailer so I could take my goats places without having them hang out with the kids in the back of the van. The bucks could drive, I guess, but I think I'd rather drive.

The 16 week buck I got from Georgia (Atlas) is in full face showering, blubbering rut now. I took away Trinka, his companion that he came with the first night when he started courting her and gave him a 16 week wether. The wether went ballistic over the next several days and it wasn't good for anyone. Then rut suddenly hit Atlas HARD and the screaming, constantly molested wether got mercy and I chucked Atlas in the buck pen, where he is very happy. He tried to tango with Buggy, my big black lamancha buck, and Bugs knew just want to do (Buggy is not in rut, so there was a lot of buck play fighting and now they're all BFF's and plenty of buckishness). All the bucks are very happy now. Atlas is still the only one in full rut. The nigerians are halfway there. Buggy is himself. The wether went back to milk-land with mommy and is finally quiet. I guess coming up from Georgia to Mass is like fall coming for that little buck.
Pics from a few days ago.

Happy handsome Buggy.


Here's my hay pulley. It's literally just a pulley and rope tied to a beam. I will be improving it with use. i want to put a board down in front of the barn doors to shield them from the sliding bales. There are a few boards that will work in the loft, I think.

 

[Baymule]

I love your barn!!

 

[rachels.haven]

Thanks! It's a good little barn.

 

[Bruce]

I still think they need real ears!

It is a nice barn.
Have you considered adding a block to the pulley system so you can reduce the effort needed to get the bales up? And maybe an extendable "arm" to the rafters so the bales can come up without dragging up the side of the barn?

 

[rachels.haven]

I want the arm. I have to think through that one and build it first though. Working on it.
Oddly enough, I don't really need a block pulley system. I was prepared to need it but was surprised to find I can lift those bales on the line with one pulley just fine. It's not hard at all. The bales are only 40-55 pounds, and all I really have to do is two firm tugs and then I walk backwards and it lands the bales on the "landing pad" up there (read, piece of scrap plywood I put up there which is masquerading as the floor). We did 11ish yesterday, and could have done probably 3x as many without breaking a sweat, but DH had to go inside and fight with his job instead of untying and shoving over bales for me.

What I really need is something that holds onto bales, then releases them on impact so I don't need a second person untying them in the loft.

 

[Bruce]

Ah, you need hay grappling hooks! Though I don't know if they would self release.

 

[thistlebloom]

You need an antique one like @mystang89 refurbished and used!

 

[mystang89]

The one I use has a trip cord on it that may be what you're looking for. I've got a video of me using it on my journal if you want to see it. Might be what you're looking for.

 

[rachels.haven]

Very fancy! I'd need to find a mini version of that. It may have to be a back burner project for now. I'm not sure they exist.

Your barn is nice too-it's a real working one too! Mine is just an extra garage that the last owner did up as a barn to avoid having to pay hundreds of dollars worth of various town and state permits and having to let the neighbors have say on whether or not he built it in a town meeting (and when I moved in I ruined it by putting in stalls and animals, poor spare garage), so everything needs to be small, since it's kind of meant to be a man cave/big garden shed.

I guess I'll keep my eyes open for a grapple of the right size and do some research. I may have to build something.