SA Farm's journal

[thistlebloom]

@Bruce True. Function, comfort, cost are all more important to us than looks.

@thistlebloom fine. Even if it’s fugly, I’ll show y’all
Here’s my original work with a lamancha kid showing it off. (Aw, Clover. I wonder how she’s doing wherever she is?)
View attachment 80980
Edited because baby grabbed my phone and managed to post it before I was ready

I'm very impressed! No way will I ever show pictures of my building attempts. Except maybe anonymously in the humor section.

 

[Bruce]

Ah TB, I bet you can put together serviceable things!

my husband is worse than I am, his fix-it tools are duct tape and gorilla glue.

Moved up the technology ladder from baling wire and chewing gum? I guess he sort of had to, does anyone actually use wire to bale hay any more? Probably only find it in the antique section of the farming museum.

 

[SA Farm]

So... I don’t think I told you guys, but the ultrasound I had said that I didn’t have kidney stones, but with no “attacks” since then, I was just hoping that I’d already passed them. My doc didn’t have any other suggestions or ideas, so we just left it at that
Went to the hospital tonight with stupid pain again and the doc there wants my doc to refer me for a CT scan or MRI (they don’t have those machines there). He’s thinking it’s a nerve issue like a tumour or something pressing on/pinching them. So, more waiting and looking forward to being in pain at any time for unknown reasons...again...

 

[thistlebloom]

That's not encouraging news. I hope they pinpoint the issue and you get it cleared up. I hope it's something minor and easily dealt with.

 

[Baymule]

That's not encouraging news. I hope they pinpoint the issue and you get it cleared up. I hope it's something minor and easily dealt with.

What she said!

 

[SA Farm]

@thistlebloom and @Baymule
Right? Fingers crossed

Today I’m going to go pick up some rabbits for my parents. Last week, they lost their few laying hens and a cage full of their grow out buns to a weasel! They caught the thing with a live trap DH and I got them last year (Dad wanted to catch some squirrels and chipmunks that were doing some damage) and disposed of it, but they need a few replacements for the ones they were raising to be, well, replacements lol, so I was asked to find them a few new does. Dad has also ordered new laying hens for this spring. I’d just give him a few of mine, but he’s not interested in dual purpose. He wants hens that lay daily! Or else! Since I’m only getting 2-5 eggs a day from my 7 hens, they definitely wouldn’t suit him. (I think they’re doing great considering the weather, but to each their own )
I’ll just have to bring them some eggs every now and again until their new layers arrive.
(I’m their go-to for stuff they need like that because I live the closest, talk to them the most, and am the only one who farms. I’m not saying I’m their best kid, but I totally am )

I am considering buying a few raw (white) fleeces to play with while I wait for the weather to be nice enough to shear my own sheepies. I figure it only took me a week and a half to process one fleece, so I’ll need more than my four to get me through the next year anyway, right? I may or may not have ordered some dyes too It’s not just for me, my sister loves crocheting with natural materials, so she’ll happily get some from me and make way nicer things than I do. I make very basic things like scarves, hats, and blankets, she makes actual clothing and follows patterns!

 

[Bruce]

What she said!

What they both said!!!
Nasty as kidney stones are, at least they are a known quantity.

He wants hens that lay daily! Or else!

Then he better light his coop 14 hours a day, or else!

 

[Ridgetop]

Put the coop lights on a timer to turn on several hours before daylight. Then the chickens can find their roosts as the day naturally ends. Also he will have to dispose of his older layers since chickens lay 1 egg every 24 hours until they are about 15-18 months old when they moult. Then at 2 years old they lay 2 eggs every 3 days and lessen as they age. (I can't remember the exact formula. I do know that ducks lay an egg every 28 hours.) The eggs from older chickens are the extra large ones.

If he wants his rabbits to breed during the short winter days he will need lights in his rabbitry too.

 

[Bruce]

I'm afraid that "no one size fits all" when it comes to chickens and egg frequency. Some of it depends on breed of course so SA's Dad better pick heavy layer breeds. I've never had one that reliably laid every day for the first year though I've had a couple that laid for an entire month before taking a day off then several more weeks of every day. Generally my best layers have been 5-6 a week the first couple of years. I have an Easter Egger, one of my original 12 girls from June 2012, that was still laying 3-4 a week last year. I'm interested to see what she does this year.

For "Oh my" production I have to say that so far the Austra Whites (Meyer cross of Black Australorp and White Leghorn) I got June of 2019 have done extremely well. Light birds but they lay Large to XLarge and pretty much 6 a week at least their first year. Aurora hasn't even moulted yet so she hasn't stopped and Gretel started back up 3 weeks ago.

 

[thistlebloom]

@Bruce do you supplement light? That is amazing for such an old hen to lay consistently like that.
I bought 5 POL pullets last summer for $9 each, which I was pretty pleased about since I couldn't find anything for less than about $20, and most were $35. I can buy a lot of eggs for $35 .
But now I think the guy was prevaricating about their age. I don't like calling someone a liar, but if the shoe fits and so on. They layed nicely until October, when a slowdown is not unexpected, but they just stopped completely.
Just when I was looking at chicken recipes two of them started laying, and I have been getting 2 eggs a day since January. Sporadically I get 4, and my olive egger mutt whom I bought about 3 years ago now, as an older hen, chimes in with one or two a week. I need to get at least 2 a day every day to maintain, otherwise I have to buy them.
Now that the days are getting longer I hope the rest of them start contributing. Or else!

If one goes broody that will be great. I am especially unfond of raising day olds.