Cherish this good woman......there seem to be less and less of them.
Our "new" homestead and progress of it...
- Thread starter TRaGiK
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I really couldn't have got a better wife. We've been friends since 6th grade to some degree. Before we even started dating, she treated my kid from another marriage like it was her own child. My in laws are also the best in the world. Couldn't have found a better wife or family if I tried.
On to today's progress...
Spread and tilled a other 12 yards of compost. Got 335ft of okra, 180ft of bush beans, 45ft of peas, and a few squash (3 varieties), watermelons, and pumpkins planted. Threw out 15 pounds or so of throw and grow wild flower seeds as well.
Only thing left is to transplant a few more tomato plants, cayenne peppers, thai peppers, and ghost peppers into the ground, and planting will be done.
Then finish the fence and the garden will be done.
Not much to see in the pics, but here they are anyway....
On to today's progress...
Spread and tilled a other 12 yards of compost. Got 335ft of okra, 180ft of bush beans, 45ft of peas, and a few squash (3 varieties), watermelons, and pumpkins planted. Threw out 15 pounds or so of throw and grow wild flower seeds as well.
Only thing left is to transplant a few more tomato plants, cayenne peppers, thai peppers, and ghost peppers into the ground, and planting will be done.
Then finish the fence and the garden will be done.
Not much to see in the pics, but here they are anyway....
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Above I mentioned we got 8 chickens. We'd ordered 8, 8 week old pullets, but had only picked up 6 of the birds. Today we got the last 2. Lavender Orpingtons.
Some things I've learned about our chickens.
Easter Eggers are asshole alarmists. They squawk and run around like maniacs if a fly farts 300 yards away.
The Wyandottes started off cool, but the easter Eggers got to them. Now when the EE's go nuts, the Wyandottes fall in line with them, going crazy. The whole chicken little routine.
Black Australorps. Relatively chill birds. They start to fall in line with the rest of the birds, but eventually they're just like "whatever" and continue doing whatever they were doing.
These Orpingtons...they're chill as can be (for now). They like being picked up. One of them likes being held close to people. The other won't have that, but will happily perch herself on your arm.
Some things I've learned about our chickens.
Easter Eggers are asshole alarmists. They squawk and run around like maniacs if a fly farts 300 yards away.
The Wyandottes started off cool, but the easter Eggers got to them. Now when the EE's go nuts, the Wyandottes fall in line with them, going crazy. The whole chicken little routine.
Black Australorps. Relatively chill birds. They start to fall in line with the rest of the birds, but eventually they're just like "whatever" and continue doing whatever they were doing.
These Orpingtons...they're chill as can be (for now). They like being picked up. One of them likes being held close to people. The other won't have that, but will happily perch herself on your arm.
Didn't loose a single seedling or plant from the two consecutive frosts a couple weeks ago. Got lucky.
For the first time since we've been married, the wife has showed real interest in gardening, and loves spending time in the garden with me.
We watch a lot of homesteading YouTube shows, and they've been whoring out "Green Stalk" vertical planters. She wanted one to put on the deck that she was the only one growing, so....
I was a little skeptical of it before we got it, but it's pretty nice. I can see it being great for apartment dwellers that only have a patio. She ordered a second one to put her strawberries in. *I* wouldn't be likely to ever buy one for myself, but if it keeps her interested in growing things, I'm all for it.
And below is pics of all the things growing. Couple pepper plants and strawberries in planters on the deck, and all the stuff in the garden.
I also finished up the fence a couple weeks ago. No pics, but it's just cheap vinyl netting attached to t posts. 6ft tall. It has so far kept the deer out. I had fresh deer tracks going up to the fence this morning, and it stopped them. Hopefully that stays true the rest of the season.
For the first time since we've been married, the wife has showed real interest in gardening, and loves spending time in the garden with me.
We watch a lot of homesteading YouTube shows, and they've been whoring out "Green Stalk" vertical planters. She wanted one to put on the deck that she was the only one growing, so....
I was a little skeptical of it before we got it, but it's pretty nice. I can see it being great for apartment dwellers that only have a patio. She ordered a second one to put her strawberries in. *I* wouldn't be likely to ever buy one for myself, but if it keeps her interested in growing things, I'm all for it.
And below is pics of all the things growing. Couple pepper plants and strawberries in planters on the deck, and all the stuff in the garden.
I also finished up the fence a couple weeks ago. No pics, but it's just cheap vinyl netting attached to t posts. 6ft tall. It has so far kept the deer out. I had fresh deer tracks going up to the fence this morning, and it stopped them. Hopefully that stays true the rest of the season.
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Just checked one kf my game cams for the first time since December 31, and there is no shortage of critters here. Coyote, fox, raccoon, opossum, beaver, rabbit, and deer.
Last season, there were some LARGE bucks coming through. An 8 point with one of the largest bodies I've ever seen, and a 10 point with a very nice rack. And at least 9 does that came through on a twice daily basis.
Last season, there were some LARGE bucks coming through. An 8 point with one of the largest bodies I've ever seen, and a 10 point with a very nice rack. And at least 9 does that came through on a twice daily basis.
You have a good start … Practice good herd management there and for goodness sakes don’t let anyone give them names cause then they become pets!
Oh yeah … how big is your deep freeze?
Gonna get a deep freezer later this year.
Both the wife and kid are likely to name the deer if they spot the same ones often enough. Neither of them mind their dinner having a name.
Same thing happened to us last year. She most likely got them from Lowes as well.
Saw some new critters on the homestead this morning. Turkeys! One hen with her three poults. First time in the 1.5 years we've lived here that I've seen turkeys, though I had seen evidence of them before the lot for the house was cleared.
These are ~40 yards from my hunting blind (bathroom window).
These are ~40 yards from my hunting blind (bathroom window
).
So how are you liking the automatic door for the coup? I just saw those in an ad last month....what I great idea...if it works.
I always hated (and forgot to) manually shut them in for the night.
I always hated (and forgot to) manually shut them in for the night.
Best money spent to date on the chickens. I'm still fine tuning when it closes. On my specific model, you can choose a specific open/close time, or an amount of daylight and add a time delay to that setting. Three times now, it got dark faster than they got back into the coop...always in the evening when a late storm rolls in. So I added another 5 minutes to the delay as of last night. I always look outside to make sure they make it back in, but it beats the heck out of going out every morning and evening to let them or or lock them up. Overall, I trust it enough that I could go out of town for 4 or 5 days and not be worried that the chickens are going to die to a late night predator.
On another note, they finally started laying eggs 2 days ago!
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Great! We really miss the fresh eggs, so much better than store bought!
We're still in the planning stages for our next coup. Learned lessons with the first one about making it secure enough to keep out the chicken killers!
Picked up a walk behind tiller today. Hoeing weeds between the rows is for the birds!
Looked all over Lee and Moore counties trying to find one. Found the last one available anywhere near by, and had to settle for a cheaper model than I wanted...but it'll do.
I think the only reason it was still available was they hadn't yet assembled it and put it on the floor. I took it still in the crate.
Looked all over Lee and Moore counties trying to find one. Found the last one available anywhere near by, and had to settle for a cheaper model than I wanted...but it'll do.
I think the only reason it was still available was they hadn't yet assembled it and put it on the floor. I took it still in the crate.
It took us a bit of getting used to as fried or scrambled, simply because they are so rich, but they also make everything that calls for eggs BETTER!
Super Bronco … rear tines … smart move! A tiller works you almost as much as it does the soil but TO ME the rear tine setup is way easier to control and doesn’t work you as hard.
ETA … it goes unsaid … ethanol free gas!
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I've used a few rear tine, front drive, tillers. I've WITNESSED several people use front tine tillers. If someone gave me a free front tine tiller, I'd take it to the dump before even starting it.
Fortunately, I've got a tiller for my tractor as well, so this one won't be used for virgin dirt or hard packed stuff...just weeds between the rows, after I've ran the big tiller over the land prior to planting.
As far as ethanol free, that's all I use for any outdoor equipment.
First, congratulations! Awesome you are starting this young. (Well -ish...) We didnt start until much later.
Second, invest in some traps. Chickens are quite tasty and sooner or later your nocturnal visitors will try to crack into the coop. A big raccoon can do an impressive amount of structural damage when motivated. A couple of coon cuffs will keep the raccoons and possums thinned out.
Coyotes and foxes are a different matter; but consider some way to control them. A good source for info is big bear homestead on YouTube; he has a series on predators on the homestead.
Third, our buff orpingtons were very good broody hens. Give your orpington a nest box if she shows interest and you wont have to buy more chickens...
So glad to see you living the dream... keep posting!
CB
Second, invest in some traps. Chickens are quite tasty and sooner or later your nocturnal visitors will try to crack into the coop. A big raccoon can do an impressive amount of structural damage when motivated. A couple of coon cuffs will keep the raccoons and possums thinned out.
Coyotes and foxes are a different matter; but consider some way to control them. A good source for info is big bear homestead on YouTube; he has a series on predators on the homestead.
Third, our buff orpingtons were very good broody hens. Give your orpington a nest box if she shows interest and you wont have to buy more chickens...
So glad to see you living the dream... keep posting!
CB
I'm fairly surprised I haven't had any predator issues yet. A raccoon has already been curious about them...pooped on the roof. But no scratches or signs of it trying to break in. And that was a couple months ago now.
Broody hens are useless currently, as I don't have a rooster yet. Not enough coop space. I hope to buy or build a larger coop next spring, and get another 8 hens, plus a rooster.
Been enjoying this thread. My brother in-law, sister, wife and I bought some land around us a couple of weeks ago. Mainly to control who moves around us. Will leave most of it wooded (it's been logged out twice). A tractor will be on my list when we pay the land off. My brother bush hogged some of the cleared land this week. He has a 44hp Kubota. We went in halves and bought a Ford two bottom plow three nights ago. It is huge and beefy compared to stuff at Tractor Suppy, etc. Looking forward to your continued progress.
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So hoeing a furrow to then bend over and drop seeds, to then hoe the dirt back over the seeds....it is murder on my (already bad) back.
Ordered a seeder the other day, and it came in today. I can't wait to use this thing in the spring!
I was between this one (Jang JP1 seeder),
and the Hoss Tools seeder. Both have their pros and cons, and the deciding factor was this one was in stock. There are also attachments for a tractor to attach this to it should my garden ever get large enough to warrant that.
Ordered a seeder the other day, and it came in today. I can't wait to use this thing in the spring!
I was between this one (Jang JP1 seeder),
and the Hoss Tools seeder. Both have their pros and cons, and the deciding factor was this one was in stock. There are also attachments for a tractor to attach this to it should my garden ever get large enough to warrant that.
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Cool. You seem to have a variety of wildlife.
So as it turns out, managing a ~1/3 acre garden and a small flock of chickens when I don't work a "real job", is easier than dealing with a 2400 sq ft garden when I did work a real job.
With that said, I'll be expanding it soon. Talked to my land clearing guy last week, and he'll be coming back in September to clear another half acre. Between clearing the land and opening up more sunlight to the previously cleared area, I should have a solid acre worth of land to garden.
With that said, I'll be expanding it soon. Talked to my land clearing guy last week, and he'll be coming back in September to clear another half acre. Between clearing the land and opening up more sunlight to the previously cleared area, I should have a solid acre worth of land to garden.
Not so much an update on the homestead here...moreso an update on...me?
I've accomplished a decent amount of stuff in my life, doing a lot of fun stuff.
Homesteading and preserving my own food, working towards further living off the things on my land... The only things in my life that I've done that were more rewarding than this has been my wife and child. This is by far better than previous hobbies and accomplishments I did in them.
I occasionally have one of those surreal moments where I can't believe this is my life now. I absolutely love it!
I've accomplished a decent amount of stuff in my life, doing a lot of fun stuff.
Homesteading and preserving my own food, working towards further living off the things on my land... The only things in my life that I've done that were more rewarding than this has been my wife and child. This is by far better than previous hobbies and accomplishments I did in them.
I occasionally have one of those surreal moments where I can't believe this is my life now. I absolutely love it!
Clearing more trees has begun!
My grading guy came out today with his skid steer and mulcher to get rid of all the little trees and brush that was there. Coming back tomorrow with his excavator to remove trees. As long as it stays relatively dry, I'll do all the grading work next week, and then plant crimson clover as a cover crop.
My grading guy came out today with his skid steer and mulcher to get rid of all the little trees and brush that was there. Coming back tomorrow with his excavator to remove trees. As long as it stays relatively dry, I'll do all the grading work next week, and then plant crimson clover as a cover crop.
The War Wagon
Well-Known Member
DEFINITELY keep those fire breaks well-maintained, as any poor schlub who CAN'T do it (legally) in CA could tell ya.
I kinda blew through this thread and didn't see one, but consider a storm shelter, as central NC has been know to have a tornado or twelve in years gone by - and those things DETEST modular homes.
Got that bobcat stuffed and mounted yet? 😁
I kinda blew through this thread and didn't see one, but consider a storm shelter, as central NC has been know to have a tornado or twelve in years gone by - and those things DETEST modular homes.
Got that bobcat stuffed and mounted yet? 😁