Sunday, May 1, 2011

Biting off a little more than you can chew...

Yesterday disaster struck.... We awoke at 5 am to notice the door of the chicken coop unattached....

BUGGER....

Got the door fixed and then the storm continued to blow the extension cords around and intermittently turning on and off the heat lamps.....

this wasn't working....

So we went with Mr. Riggers original idea of putting them in the barn... but i hadn't prepared for that....

So i took the wire i DE fenced my garden with last week and spent a couple hours (thank the Lord i have gramma here to sit with babes while i fix farming disasters) fencing a stall in the barn to keep the chicks in and predators out...

It was really cold out...... of course.....

so as i am weeping snot from my nose and freezing my arse off i am hammering between my legs upside down with my glasses falling off.... half whimpering.... half laughing.... and my DARLING six year OLD SAYS.....

"Mommy... mommy...."

"Yes Jake"

"Can I tell you something?"

"Yes Jake, what?"

" I've seen daddy do this you know.... I think it helps if you hit the end of the nails with the hammer.... not just the wood around it...."

......................

...........

"Thanks Jake"

"No problem mommy"

I fell to my knees laughing...... I was not cut out for this farming in the cold stuff....

But it got done...

I whined a lot but I learned a little something.

Mr. Rigger had pleaded a pretty convincing case about putting them in the barn, and i cant even recollect my argument except that I chose to argue.... So this lesson is to not doubt him.... (something i have to continually remind myself)



THIS MORNING.....


DISASTER STRIKES!!!!

Are you all as tired as I am?? There was a pile of crushed bodies under the lamps this morning.... We lost most of the turkeys and about a third of the chicks....

I don't know what to say... or do... I cant spend another $100. on more lamps and light bulbs and hope for the best...


I cant let them die either...

In terms of cost... We have already lost money, the freezer will be not so full and the shock will probably make me not undertake this again...

So now what...

They have a heat dish ... an electric fireplace and two lamps... the stall is barricaded so they only take up half of it and adorned with every flat sheet I own...

Pray for the best outcome I guess...

Its been a learning experience.

And on a positive but self doubting note...

I could write a book on how NOT TO FARM on a small scale.

that's something...


Today, is gonna be a Rum day........

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