More Planning and Dreaming

We made a quick trip to Mississippi for one granddaughter’s graduation. It was a fun time for all. Jon and his family stayed with Kathi. I stayed at the old home place.

There are roofing tiles all over the place as Paul plans to reroof the house. His desire to get it done was due to the way it is leaking. Our youngest son, Tim, and his wife, Laney, put up the money. Kathi and Paul will put up some of the money and do the roofing. This is a birthday/anniversary present from both families. It was quite a surprise.

They also had one of the big, old oaks that leaned toward the house cut down. Last year’s tornados and storms motivated that. We are so blessed to have such wonderful children. The stump was ground up and the mulch left for me to recycle later.

The roofing material came on 2 wooden pallets which I plan to take apart and recycle into chicken tractors when I get back to Mississippi. The boards are 4 ft. long and the tractor house part is to be 4x4. It works out great.

I have begun planning on the fencing, new brooder house, and square foot gardens.

I have found different ways to "scratch my itch". My "itch" is a desire to learn about chickens, ducks and other poultry. I read factual books, reference guides, Poultry magazines, and blogs.

 I have joined several small farm groups through Yahoo.  There is a poultry group where I am living, a self-sufficiency group, egg group, and pastured poultry group. All of these send me group emails which can be fun to read. Some are very informative regarding things going on in the world of government. The benefit of being a part of groups is that you learn things from other people's experiences as well as from what they have read or heard.

I also like poultry blogs. One that I receive regular emails from is put out by Polyface Farms.  http://polyfacehenhouse.com/. If this or another subject is something you are interested in, Google groups or blogs and you might find what you are looking for. Also, there are often references in the back of your favorite books that can give you ideas of what to Google. Another way I have found blogs is to Google images of a particular breed or group of poultry. I have found some great ones on ducks that way because the images often have a web page or related blog attached to it.

Things I enjoy on line

I have found different ways to "scratch my itch". My "itch" is a desire to learn about chickens, ducks and other poultry. I read factual books, reference guides, Poultry magazines, and blogs.

 I have joined several small farm groups through Yahoo.  There is a poultry group where I am living, a self-sufficiency group, egg group, and pastured poultry group. All of these send me group emails which can be fun to read. Some are very informative regarding things going on in the world of government. The benefit of being a part of groups is that you learn things from other people's experiences as well as from what they have read or heard.

I also like poultry blogs. One that I receive regular emails from is put out by Polyface Farms.  http://polyfacehenhouse.com/. If this or another subject is something you are interested in, Google groups or blogs and you might find what you are looking for. Also, there are often references in the back of your favorite books that can give you ideas of what to Google. Another way I have found blogs is to Google images of a particular breed or group of poultry. I have found some great ones on ducks that way because the images often have a web page or related blog attached to it.

Scratching an Itch

I do pretty well for a while just dreaming about raising our own food. The articles I read about what is likely to be in the vegetables, fruit and meat at our grocery stores encourage my thoughts about pure, unadulterated produce and poultry.  I fully realize that growing our own means using no GM veggies and fruit. It also means we will be able to eat poultry that is not overdosed with antibiotics.

I know from experience that home grown eggs and chickens taste a whole lot better than what I buy in the stores. Most of the veggies you raise will also be a whole lot better. I think about these things, plan a garden, plan chicken yards and a place for ducks. My hope is to be able to do that this year, but it may have to wait until next year. With all this planning, thinking, pondering, I find myself in need of a “chicken fix”. To calm this restlessness, I trot down to the Tractor Supply store, look over their array of magazines and buy something that will help for a little while.

This past week I bought The Poultry Magazine, Mar/Apr issue, Acres the March 2012 issue, and Hobby Farm’s Chickens May/June issue. It is like scratching an itch. It helps for a little while, at least until the itch comes back.

Planning, Planning, Planning

Though I am very busy, I find time to sneak in some planning for future gardens, and future animals to care for when I finally move to the old home place.  We call Mammaw’s for Tom’s mother. It could have been called Mammy’s as well, since she was the one that bought it back when Tom was about five- years-old.  His dad, Big Tommy, was off in the army fighting World War II at the time, so Mammaw moved back home to live with Mammy, her mother, along with Carolyn and Tommy. Mammy died at 92, Mammaw passed away at 89. I remember meeting Tom’s uncle on his father’s side who, at 96, was up in a peach tree trimming it. He had to climb down to talk with us.

The land, with the lot Tom and I bought a few years ago, is a one acre lot in the middle of a small country town of close to 5,000. I checked with the power that be last year and chickens are allowed. The man in charge did suggest that I speak with the neighbors about having chickens, which I did. None seemed to mind.

I got busy and built my first chicken house with the help of family. This year I will add a couple of chicken tractors and add onto the first chicken house. I will need to build some saw horses to help – it is no fun cutting boards using the back steps and a chair.

There is a need for fencing all around the property. Some of it is fenced in differing states of repair. One, I will reinforce in a couple of places. Another just needs fence added to it. My hope is to finally get the whole back yard fenced, one way or another, with divisions for gardens, a dog, and other projects.

Still Dreaming

Though I have not been posting things to my blog, I have been reading poultry books, planning on what needs to be made in the way of chicken tractors, and planning on the poultry I want to buy this year – if I an. I have bought 3 different Joel Saladin books: Folks, This Ain’t Normal: A Farmer’s Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, Pastured Poultry Profits, You Can Farm.

Right now it is uncertain whether I will be back in Mississippi for a while or not. I may never become a farmer, but I can use nuggets of information from these books at different times. I am also reviewing other books I have read before, trying to keep my info straight.

We will be back there in May for at least a month. I hope to get several things done at that time such as a shed built, maybe a poultry house, etc. Time will tell.

Rainy Day

It is raining again today. People in Texas, especially, are not complaining because of last summer's drought. It was so hot and dry that fires were a problem. A lot of homes were burned. Pastures dried up so that hay prices skyrocketed. Many ranchers and farmers had to sell livestock because they could not afford to feed them.

There were droughts in other parts of the USA but it was particularly severe in Texas. It is spring now and trees are beginning to blossom or leaf out. People are also beginning to see the price trees made for the high heat (110F was fairly common) and lack of rain. It is sad.

Spring offers hope, though, of a better year. Area lakes in Texas are beginning to refill. Water restrictions are being lifted. Flowers are popping up. I dream once again of having gardens, raising chickens and ducks, and of planting more fruit trees.

Life is good in spite of the head cold I have.

Thinking and Planning

Though I don’t write about it every day, I do think about two things every day and often into the night. I wake up asking for the Lord’s grace for the day, for His grace is sufficient for me. After I get up I spend some time praying, covering those that I love and know and those that I may not have met but know they need prayer.

When the school day starts for Little Jon and me, we start with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. As our home schooling starts, and during the day, my life is wound around things to do now and planning for things to come. Whether lessons or hopes for the future, prayer plays a big part in the planning. There are things to be accomplished, things to be bought, people and places to see.

I do not know how people make it through a busy day without consulting the One who knows not only our past and present, but our future as well.

The Father and His Son direct our steps, but they expect us to interact with people. He uses others to bless us even as He uses us to bless others. One of the great blessings available to us here in Dallas TX is the availability of book and craft stores.  Another blessing for me is the Internet. I have been able to not only find books for my grandson’s classes, but books on gardening, poultry, and small backyard farming.

Once in a while we make a trip to the Tractor Supply Store in Mesquite TX. They have the cheapest incubator that I have found. They also keep me supplied with various magazines – some on gardening and some on poultry. I wish we had a duck/goose magazine I could subscribe to.

The poultry magazines run $7-$5. I recently found a book on chickens for a similar price: Keeping Chickens by Liz Wright. The author is from England or Australia. I like reading it because it has a slightly different perspective than American writers.

Catching Up Finally

Though I have not been writing for this blog for a while, I have been continuing my interest in all things poultry. 

Life has been very busy as I home-school my ten-year-old grandson through his 4^th grade classes. I have been valiantly trying to get him to complete his semester end classes. However, my body was having issues which caused a violent case of diverticulitis and nearly a week in the hospital.

 Last week Lil’ Jon and I sent in to Texas Tech the Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies tests and projects. Tomorrow, we will begin working again on finishing 4^th grade Math which is not due until March 22. Though we don’t have the lesson plans for the other courses, we will also begin our 2^nd semester in the other subjects using a format similar to what we have been following. My hope is to be finished with this 2^nd semester in May.

In the meantime though, I have been buying poultry books and magazine as well as homestead type books such as:

              Possum Living by Dolly Freed, Tin House Books, Portland Oregon,1978. A very interesting homestead on a string type book. I found it at Border’s Books in Arlington TX and could not resist it.

              Extraordinary Chickens by Stephen Green-Armytage, Abrams, New York, 2000. Mr. Green-Armytage is a photographer who became interested in photographing some extra ordinary poultry. I bought it at Borders’s Books as it was so beautiful and it was half-priced.

              The Homesteading Handbook by Abigail R. Gehring, Skyhorse Publishing, New York NY, 2011. I also picked this up at Borders. I went over my budget getting these but I feel they are all worth the price I paid. This one is chock full of ideas for growing food, canning, keeping chickens, generating your own energy, building sheds etc. and much, much more.  It’s a great reference book.

              The Field Guide to Chickens by Pam Percy, Voyageur Press, Minneapolis MN, 2006. I got this one for its breed references. It is not the best book, but also not the worst. It gives an over view of several breeds and well as the care of chickens. I mostly got it with a small, local library in Mississippi that had no poultry books in it when I visited it last summer.

              I also bought a couple of cookbooks from Half-price Books, one of which is Wild about Waterfowl, put out by Stoeger Publishing Co., Accokeek MY, 2003. I bought it for the recipes.

              I have been rereading Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks by Dave Holderread. I  hope to be able to purchase some ducks this year and am brushing up on what breed/breeds I might want. I Like the Muscovy, Cayuga, and Saxony. I know the Muscovy is a great breed for setting and for pets. I am not sure about the others.

              I have also bought several poultry magazines off the shelf at the Tractor Supply store in Mesquite TX.

Yeah, I dream a lot about the future.

Reading and more

I have added a list of books that I have read recdently. I am continually looking for things to read and currently prefer poultry or homesteading/small farm books. One that I have just started is a scientific study of greylag geese called: Here Am I - Where are you? by Konrad Lorenz.  I think it will be more difficult to read but should be interesting. I will also read Five Acres and Independence by M. G. Kains, which is a more applical book for us now.

I usually read two or three books at a time. It seems to be best to have a heavy book included with a light book or two. That  way when I get tired of making my brain smarter, I can read something that helps me relax.

Planning for the Future

In my searching around for all things chicken and duck, I found that Tractor Supply has a still air Little Giant incubator for just $44.00. That is cheaper than anything I have seen online. With that in mind, I took myself down to the local Tractor Supply store in Mesquite TX and bought me one.

They did not have an egg turner on the shelf at that time, but I knew from their website that they carry them. It is about the same price, which is not too bad. After all I will not be paying for shipping. Therefore, I plan to buy one sometimes this month.

I have been finding other "clucking" and "quacking" sites on Facebook. It is always interesting to read what they have posted. I have gotten several ideas from them. I have also located a few small hatcheries that were interesting.

As for ducks, I hope to be ordering them from www.holderreadfarms.com as Mr. Holderread has written several books on ducks, chickens, and geese. He has reasonable prices on ducks and the shipping cost is okay.

As for chickens, I will probably be ordering some from http://www.meyerhatchery.com/ , http://www.welphatchery.com/ and possibly http://www.purelypoultry.com/. There are certain breeds I want and each hatchery has certain offers that sound better than others. Meyer has the best price on frypan specials, Welp has excellent prices, and Purely Poultry also has some good prices. I will start with Meyer and Welp and then see.

By the way, Meyers has great sales, an interesting write up on each breed, and a nice Facebook page.

Happy Clucking