Journal Entry -- September 12, 2006
I’ve noticed that many bloggers do well working their blog like a diary where they make regular journal entries. I good friend of mine suggested I do the same, which means posting brief updates from time to time. I have decided to do that, however, I will also be posting lengthy articles as time permits. Besides my regular duties of pastoring, I am presently juggling between six major projects in the varied areas of writing, publishing, chicken farming, partnership building, and equipment procuring, all which need to be finished in the next four weeks, so I am squeezing this one in while I have a few moments to spare.
We have been getting the pastures ready for Sam & Sadie, which, of course, means a lot of prep work and procuring. Being postmillennial in our worldview and methodology of agrarianism, we tend to take a long-term, generational approach to the work at hand. In this case it means using heavy duty, 16 foot combination panels as the primary fencing, which works well both in keeping certain critters out (largely dogs) and makes it easy to move about in creating rotating paddocks for the animals to feed within. We are also in the hunt for a used Dodge 3500 pickup truck with a Cummins diesel, 4x4 with a manual 5 speed, extended cab and dually wheels . . . something we are discovering is not that easy to find in the price range we want. We will need this to haul the team into the muckier areas of the backwoods of Missouri, as well as to pull a log and equipment trailer, something we are also in the hunt for.
Through the wonderful help of our Amish friend, we acquired a large hay wagon with a John Deere frame and suspension, 7x14 foot bed, and steel wheels with rubber tires, something he says works the best, though he is not permitted to use the wheel setup. The bridles and collars should be in any day, which means that we will be fitting the new harnesses to Sam & Sadie soon, while giving our wagon a test ride. This will be a day of celebration and fun! Our goal is to have them home by the end of September, Lord willing. We will soon be in the hunt for a logging arch and other related pieces of equipment. Fall is definitely in the air, it’s almost time to log.
I attended a nearby auction this last weekend with my wife and youngest daughter. There were horses, antique buggies, wagons, lots of harnesses, assorted hand tools and equipment, and, of course, tons of junk. In the midst of the action and fun we suddenly became the owners of 10 laying hens, though we had no place to keep them. We had been talking for a long time about producing our own eggs and realized that this was as good a time as any, so we jumped in. After three more hours of auctioning where I picked up a wonderful set of antique hames used by mules in coal mines around 1900, we took our feathered troop home and I set to work with my daughter to prepare a temporary house for them, which meant modifying a huge turtle trap I had built with my daughters some years ago as a home school project, one that was very successful. We still have the shell of a particularly nasty snapping turtle that weighted over 35 lbs.
About 9:30 pm we were putting the finishing touches on our temporary chicken apartment and went into our small pole building to find a set of roosting perches. Searching about I spotted an enormous possum that was apparently getting set up for a meal of laying hens. How he knew that we were about to set them right under his feet I do not know, but I am told that possums are highly talented chicken and egg eaters. I realized that I had but that moment to deal with it so I advised my daughter to look the other way as I was about to commence dispatching the critter with the large stick that spontaneously came into my hand. She immediately rallied to the cause and we both took after it, she working the flashlight and myself the tools of dominion. It escaped, though I believe to its eventual death, as I nailed it extremely hard several times. In any event we have had no sign of it of late and the chickens with all their glorious clucking are laying eggs just fine.
Yesterday, I sat down with Jeff, my business partner, and designed a very light weight, portable chicken house (complete with 12 nesting boxes) that will be moved along in a rotating paddock system comprised of four 16' panels (comprised of very small squares about 2”) that make a 256 sq foot grazing area. I will post pictures when it is up and running.
The Missouri Rev
We have been getting the pastures ready for Sam & Sadie, which, of course, means a lot of prep work and procuring. Being postmillennial in our worldview and methodology of agrarianism, we tend to take a long-term, generational approach to the work at hand. In this case it means using heavy duty, 16 foot combination panels as the primary fencing, which works well both in keeping certain critters out (largely dogs) and makes it easy to move about in creating rotating paddocks for the animals to feed within. We are also in the hunt for a used Dodge 3500 pickup truck with a Cummins diesel, 4x4 with a manual 5 speed, extended cab and dually wheels . . . something we are discovering is not that easy to find in the price range we want. We will need this to haul the team into the muckier areas of the backwoods of Missouri, as well as to pull a log and equipment trailer, something we are also in the hunt for.
Through the wonderful help of our Amish friend, we acquired a large hay wagon with a John Deere frame and suspension, 7x14 foot bed, and steel wheels with rubber tires, something he says works the best, though he is not permitted to use the wheel setup. The bridles and collars should be in any day, which means that we will be fitting the new harnesses to Sam & Sadie soon, while giving our wagon a test ride. This will be a day of celebration and fun! Our goal is to have them home by the end of September, Lord willing. We will soon be in the hunt for a logging arch and other related pieces of equipment. Fall is definitely in the air, it’s almost time to log.
I attended a nearby auction this last weekend with my wife and youngest daughter. There were horses, antique buggies, wagons, lots of harnesses, assorted hand tools and equipment, and, of course, tons of junk. In the midst of the action and fun we suddenly became the owners of 10 laying hens, though we had no place to keep them. We had been talking for a long time about producing our own eggs and realized that this was as good a time as any, so we jumped in. After three more hours of auctioning where I picked up a wonderful set of antique hames used by mules in coal mines around 1900, we took our feathered troop home and I set to work with my daughter to prepare a temporary house for them, which meant modifying a huge turtle trap I had built with my daughters some years ago as a home school project, one that was very successful. We still have the shell of a particularly nasty snapping turtle that weighted over 35 lbs.
About 9:30 pm we were putting the finishing touches on our temporary chicken apartment and went into our small pole building to find a set of roosting perches. Searching about I spotted an enormous possum that was apparently getting set up for a meal of laying hens. How he knew that we were about to set them right under his feet I do not know, but I am told that possums are highly talented chicken and egg eaters. I realized that I had but that moment to deal with it so I advised my daughter to look the other way as I was about to commence dispatching the critter with the large stick that spontaneously came into my hand. She immediately rallied to the cause and we both took after it, she working the flashlight and myself the tools of dominion. It escaped, though I believe to its eventual death, as I nailed it extremely hard several times. In any event we have had no sign of it of late and the chickens with all their glorious clucking are laying eggs just fine.
Yesterday, I sat down with Jeff, my business partner, and designed a very light weight, portable chicken house (complete with 12 nesting boxes) that will be moved along in a rotating paddock system comprised of four 16' panels (comprised of very small squares about 2”) that make a 256 sq foot grazing area. I will post pictures when it is up and running.
The Missouri Rev
posted by Missouri Rev | 8:57 AM
3 Comments:
Greetings,
I am happy to hear of the addition to the household! I have been surprised by how much I have enjoyed raising our chickens this year.
I have not yet found any eggs, but I did butcher four rooster just this evening. I hope God willing to enjoy the fruit of my labor tomorrow evening for supper!
Bob
Glad to see your getting your mules set up. Just learn that how to harness them REAL well. Last week down here in Springfield Mo. out at the public garden where I work part time, we were having pioneer days at the antebellum house located at the garden. when a team of belgians broke loose and took off toward some people sitting nearby. Bill got in the "gator" and drove to head them off. They walked right over him and the machine.He was knocked out and had his shoulder injured. Only in Missouri, could public Park employees get run over by draft horses! So be careful Missouri Rev!. Use those mules safely and carefully while logging! Horses tend to be spookier than mules,and i think that mules have more personality. Good luck!
Old Hound,
Thanks for the warning, we need all of the help we can get. I just finished reading a good article in the latest issue of Rural Heritage by Doc Hammill where he gives 10 small but potentially lifesaving tips in driving horses and mules. The majority have to do with proper harness setup. Thanks for dropping by.
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