Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Have you ever sat down and just looked through craigslist? Its amazing what you can find that people don't want to deal with anymore. Saturday i wanted to see what guinea keets were selling for and i get hit with this FREE ad. I clicked it as i love looking for free stuff, but this one was one that i never expected. Here right in front of me was a free ad for 34 broiler chickens already grown out and ready to butcher! I mean talk about the right place at the right time! Mr ingenuity and I loaded up cages and drove an hr to go pick them up. After getting their we also scored 2 Californian doe rabbits and 1 buck Californian, talk about great timing these will be added to the breeding stock so we can raise more meat rabbits. I know alot of people don't like to think about eating rabbit as they are cute and cuddly. Well that is partly true when they are small and like to be handled. When they get larger and decide to leave claw marks the size of Texas all over your arms, face, chest they aren't so cute and cuddly any more. Rabbit meat is the best meat out there for you and I bet if you looked closer at your grocery store you would find that they sell it.
The weather is starting to get cooler here and the fall garden is pretty much done. We did put in cauliflower, broccoli and brussel sprouts. I had heard about multiplying onions but until last month had never seen any. I found them at a local feed store for $1 a lb so we decided to give them a try. Also 30 garlics went into the ground. Now it is getting time for me to start thinking about what i want to put into the garden for spring. I will start seeds in the greenhouse in late January.
This is Hershey the goat and this was her Monday face. She and the other ladies are 100% Nubian's and We hope to have a good crop of doe again this year. Last year we had just 2 nannies and one had twin does and the other had a single doe, this year we will have 6 does kidding so i hope it all turns out well.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
I think that most people have really good intentions when they start a blog.I know is sure did! I wanted to post things that i knew would help people in there quest for self reliance, right now fall in in the air and winter is approaching. We are doing alot of farm maintenance. Cutting, splitting and stacking wood for the winter. Making sure that we have hay on the farm. We still need to prep the rabbit barn for winter. We totally wrap it in cardboard then wrap it in plastic to help protect the cardboard from rain and or snow. We may do something different this year and cover it in some old OSB as it goes up alot faster than the cardboard and plastic. This year we will also have to enclose a chicken house! We have never had cooped chickens so this will be a first for us. What is on your prep for winter agenda?
Well Mr. Ingenuity struck again! He was called by a friend that had a problem. He had a large tree cut down and way to large of logs to move on his own. Mr Ingenuity got right on trying to figure out how to move them easily and as fast as possible. He came up with something very fast! He took his bale mover that he had built and added parts of his cherry picker to it. With a steel plate with holes it in we could lag bolt the plate to the large logs and connect a cable to the cherry picker boom and tada we had a log mover! it worked very well and paid for all the modifications in one job! Here is a picture of his work.
We decided that it need a hydraulic lift on it as your arm gets really tired trying to pump it up far enough to get a 500 lb log onto a trailer! we also thing that we need to make it swivel at the top somehow, but that is a later project.
Well Mr. Ingenuity struck again! He was called by a friend that had a problem. He had a large tree cut down and way to large of logs to move on his own. Mr Ingenuity got right on trying to figure out how to move them easily and as fast as possible. He came up with something very fast! He took his bale mover that he had built and added parts of his cherry picker to it. With a steel plate with holes it in we could lag bolt the plate to the large logs and connect a cable to the cherry picker boom and tada we had a log mover! it worked very well and paid for all the modifications in one job! Here is a picture of his work.
Monday, September 10, 2012
The weather is changing, the days are getting shorter and i have noticed that leaves are starting to sporadically fall from the trees. At least this year here in East Texas it is nice to still have leaves on the trees in September!
The fall garden is growing along at a great pace and I noticed that the squash and cucumbers are starting to bloom! I sure hope that i can get a good crop of them in before the weather turns off too cold. It has been nice tho to feel some relief from the heat and have mid 50's when we get up in the morning.
We decided that we wanted to install drip system on the plants this time around. We started first with the typical drip tubing and the drip emitters. We set them up on 1 gallon per hour but the tubing just wasn't large enough to put out the volume of water we needed.
We changed directions and decided to go with low pressure PVC pipe and drill holes to install the new jet sprayers that put out 7-10 gallons per hour.
We installed a T half way down the line to install the inlet for the water house so that both ends would get the same pressure.
We put a cap on the end so we could drain it when it gets cold and time to put the garden away for the winter.
Here it is running over the top of the garden tubs that we use.
For the raised beds we pretty much did the same thing but we installed sprinklers with special inserts. We installed one that is a center water and it waters 4 feet wide and 30 feet in length(15 feet in each direction), we set the end up on an end spray that sprays 4 feet wide and up to 15 feet long. I wasn't sure how this was going to work but it works great so far!! It has sure helped on the watering time, just hook up the hose and go!
The fall garden is growing along at a great pace and I noticed that the squash and cucumbers are starting to bloom! I sure hope that i can get a good crop of them in before the weather turns off too cold. It has been nice tho to feel some relief from the heat and have mid 50's when we get up in the morning.
We decided that we wanted to install drip system on the plants this time around. We started first with the typical drip tubing and the drip emitters. We set them up on 1 gallon per hour but the tubing just wasn't large enough to put out the volume of water we needed.
We changed directions and decided to go with low pressure PVC pipe and drill holes to install the new jet sprayers that put out 7-10 gallons per hour.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Since we put the fall garden in we have been experimenting with different dripper heads for the drip system we installed. We have finally found one that we like, it is the Jet sprayer. It puts out between 7-10 gallons per hour and pretty much covers a whole mineral tub for watering. The small drip head that puts out 1 gallon per hour just wasn't putting out the coverage needed. Now our only problem is that 1/4 inch line that we have it set on. Our set up is 20 mineral tubs set up under 20+ feet of cattle panel that is acting like a trellis. We have it set up in 2 separate sections, each section watering 10 tubs at a time. Since installing the new watering heads the 1/4 inch line is just not large enough to allow enough water flow to run 10 of the jet sprayer head. So we have decided to experiment with some low pressure PVC pipe, since there wont be constant pressure on it like a water line we can get away using this and by the way this is cheaper!
We found that you can drill a small hole into the PVC pipe and put the jet sprayer head directly into the hole. Instead of attaching this to the bottom of the trellis like we did the plastic drip tubing we will just set this right across the top of the tubs for great coverage. This will be a nice set up as when the fall garden is over we can put the drip system away out of the sun to make it last longer. We also want to do a set up for the strawberry raised beds, while perusing the sprinkler isle we found some pop up sprinklers that do rectangle patterns, they are a few dollars each and we would only need 4 but this would make watering so more efficient over hand watering or sprinklers that put water everywhere except where you want it!. With the water rate that the jet sprayers put on watering of 3 gallons per tub we would only have to water for approx 15 minutes! It takes me longer than that to hand water. I will post more on this when we get it up and going to let you know how well it works!
For everyone that doesn't know what a mineral tub is here is a few pictures of my mineral tub garden!
We found that you can drill a small hole into the PVC pipe and put the jet sprayer head directly into the hole. Instead of attaching this to the bottom of the trellis like we did the plastic drip tubing we will just set this right across the top of the tubs for great coverage. This will be a nice set up as when the fall garden is over we can put the drip system away out of the sun to make it last longer. We also want to do a set up for the strawberry raised beds, while perusing the sprinkler isle we found some pop up sprinklers that do rectangle patterns, they are a few dollars each and we would only need 4 but this would make watering so more efficient over hand watering or sprinklers that put water everywhere except where you want it!. With the water rate that the jet sprayers put on watering of 3 gallons per tub we would only have to water for approx 15 minutes! It takes me longer than that to hand water. I will post more on this when we get it up and going to let you know how well it works!
For everyone that doesn't know what a mineral tub is here is a few pictures of my mineral tub garden!
Monday, August 13, 2012
Since the weekend weather was so nice we decided that we should take advantage of it and get the fall garden in the ground! We planted:
Cucumbers
Beets
Radishes
Spinach
Leaf lettuce
Rocket salad
Carrots
Squash
We then installed a drip system on it to help with the watering and to tell you the truth i don't know why we didn't do it earlier!! Now we are going to get a system to put on the raised beds to make for easier and more efficient watering!
I also found a few recipes for some household cleaners that will make your home smell great!
Grapefruit abrasive cleaner:
This will clean your sink right up! avoid using on fiberglass fixtures.
1 cup fine grade pumice
1/2 cup clay powder
2 tablespoons grapefruit essential oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1/2 cup boiling water( or enough to make a paste)
1. Mix all ingredients together and stir. Store in a labeled airtight container
2. To use: Apply gently with a damp cloth or sponge and scrub
Creamy nonabrasive cleaner
Perfect for acrylic and fiberglass surfaces
1/4 cup washing soda
Vegetable oil based liquid soap
1/2 teaspoon lemon essential oil
1. in a bowl, combine washing soda with just enough liquid soap to create a thick paste. add essential oil and mix well.
2.To use: scoop a small amount of cleaner onto a sponge. scrub surface and rinse.
Cucumbers
Beets
Radishes
Spinach
Leaf lettuce
Rocket salad
Carrots
Squash
We then installed a drip system on it to help with the watering and to tell you the truth i don't know why we didn't do it earlier!! Now we are going to get a system to put on the raised beds to make for easier and more efficient watering!
I also found a few recipes for some household cleaners that will make your home smell great!
Grapefruit abrasive cleaner:
This will clean your sink right up! avoid using on fiberglass fixtures.
1 cup fine grade pumice
1/2 cup clay powder
2 tablespoons grapefruit essential oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1/2 cup boiling water( or enough to make a paste)
1. Mix all ingredients together and stir. Store in a labeled airtight container
2. To use: Apply gently with a damp cloth or sponge and scrub
Creamy nonabrasive cleaner
Perfect for acrylic and fiberglass surfaces
1/4 cup washing soda
Vegetable oil based liquid soap
1/2 teaspoon lemon essential oil
1. in a bowl, combine washing soda with just enough liquid soap to create a thick paste. add essential oil and mix well.
2.To use: scoop a small amount of cleaner onto a sponge. scrub surface and rinse.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Since we are still in gardening season i thought i would post some helpful tips for, around or in the garden.
Get an earlier tomato harvest and a bigger one, too! Just stretch aluminum foil on the ground between your plants and anchor it along the edges with stones or bricks. The reflected light can increase your yield, especially in cloudy weather, and speed up the ripening of your fruit by a full two weeks!
Grow stronger seedlings. Young vegetables that don't get enough light when you are starting them indoors tend to grow week, leggy, and spindly. To prevent that problem, just spread a long strip of aluminum foil on the shelf or table under your grow lights, and set your seed flats on the top of it. Then lift each end of the foil and tape it to the outside shade of the light fixture, using some tape. The foil walls will focus light on your baby plants and help retain heat, forcing them to grow bigger, stronger, and faster!
Make a hanging garden. Are you a little short on garden space??Here is how to gain more ground. Poke a few small drainage holes in the bottom of heavy duty plastic bags, then take them to a board. Fill each bag with soil, add a few seeds and water well. Before long you will have a lovely vertical garden.
Make compost. Brown paper bags are a first class source of carbon. To tap into their riches, just tear up the bags, or run them thru a shredder, and toss the pieces into your compost bin. If you don't have a compost bin, just bury the scraps in the ground. They will break down in no time, improving your soil in the process.
Make plant labels. Just cover empty seed packets with plastic wrap, and tape or tack them to whatever upright supports you can come by easily like chopsticks skewers, Popsicle sticks or paint stir sticks. Then put them in the ground at the appropriate spot in your garden.
Turn a lamp shade into a planter. Just turn the shade upside down and line it with a heavy duty trash back, Trim away any excess plastic, and staple the liner in place along the sides. Cut a few slits in the bottom for drainage, add soil and plant away.This also works with wicker baskets, wooden boxes or any container that is not waterproof.
Get an earlier tomato harvest and a bigger one, too! Just stretch aluminum foil on the ground between your plants and anchor it along the edges with stones or bricks. The reflected light can increase your yield, especially in cloudy weather, and speed up the ripening of your fruit by a full two weeks!
Grow stronger seedlings. Young vegetables that don't get enough light when you are starting them indoors tend to grow week, leggy, and spindly. To prevent that problem, just spread a long strip of aluminum foil on the shelf or table under your grow lights, and set your seed flats on the top of it. Then lift each end of the foil and tape it to the outside shade of the light fixture, using some tape. The foil walls will focus light on your baby plants and help retain heat, forcing them to grow bigger, stronger, and faster!
Make a hanging garden. Are you a little short on garden space??Here is how to gain more ground. Poke a few small drainage holes in the bottom of heavy duty plastic bags, then take them to a board. Fill each bag with soil, add a few seeds and water well. Before long you will have a lovely vertical garden.
Make compost. Brown paper bags are a first class source of carbon. To tap into their riches, just tear up the bags, or run them thru a shredder, and toss the pieces into your compost bin. If you don't have a compost bin, just bury the scraps in the ground. They will break down in no time, improving your soil in the process.
Make plant labels. Just cover empty seed packets with plastic wrap, and tape or tack them to whatever upright supports you can come by easily like chopsticks skewers, Popsicle sticks or paint stir sticks. Then put them in the ground at the appropriate spot in your garden.
Turn a lamp shade into a planter. Just turn the shade upside down and line it with a heavy duty trash back, Trim away any excess plastic, and staple the liner in place along the sides. Cut a few slits in the bottom for drainage, add soil and plant away.This also works with wicker baskets, wooden boxes or any container that is not waterproof.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Over the weekend we decided to try something new on the Rabbit barn. Since we haven't had rabbits for a few years keeping the barn cooler wasn't a big deal. Now that we have 15 rabbits in their it is again time to be keeping them cool. We have a mist system installed on the barn from the last time we had rabbits, we just needed to clean some misters. During the winter we put cardboard around the outside so it will stay warmer for the goats and chickens, but after we took all the cardboard off the rabbits just got too much sun! So after some thought on what we should do, we thought tarps, tin, plywood but this next idea was just what we needed! Landscape fabric!!! Breathable, air can move through it and water can get it wet! So we happen to have some so we attached it to the side of the barn under the mist system with screws with large washers. Now that fabric when wet acts like an air conditioner but it still lets air move through also! It worked so well on the side we redid the front with it also!
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