Life of a Farm Blog

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We had plenty to eat and it was good to take a day and reflect on all we have to be thankful for. The poultry houses are coming along nicely. Once the contractors started they haven’t left except for one day. They did take Thanksgiving day off. They have both buildings under roof now so the rain shouldn’t be too much of an obstacle. Surprisingly little left to do in the actual construction of the buildings. The electrical, the construction of the office, and the equipment installation will take a little while, but it’s looking like we may actually be done around the first of the year. I wish I had a dollar for every person who has driven by here slowly trying to figure out exactly what was going on here. The contractors being around provided me with the opportunity to use a skid steer to clean out the barn. I got the majority of it with the 6000 and the loader, but couldn’t get into some tight places.

Today I finally started building the rabbit cages. I’m figuring out quickly that I’m not much of a carpenter. Hopefully I can follow the plans in the book good enough that they will hold rabbits and keep water and wind out. It’s almost as if the rabbits are laughing at me. I see them over in the corner hiding their faces with their little paws. I figure they have to be laughing at me. Maybe I’ll get the rabbit cages built and get my tack room built in the other barn before we get the poultry houses finished.

We had scheduled the double-wide to be moved last weekend, but had to postpone it due to not having everything packed. The next available date is December. I’m just hoping BJ and the kids can have the things that have to be out packed by then. I know BJ is not thrilled about living so close to the poultry houses when they get birds in them.

I spent a little more time pressuring my local Mahindra dealer for his absolute best deal on a 7010 cab last week. We keep getting closer! I hate the thought of another winter out in the cold and snow feeding the animals. It doesn’t hurt that we could certainly use the tax deduction this year either. I’ll give him another jab one day this week and hopefully close the deal.

Well as always tons to do here so I will go for now. Be sure to check out the pics I’ve added and check back soon. Until next time stay safe!

No doubt fall is upon us now. We’ve had several heavy frosts. This week is modern gun season for deer in KY.. I decided not to hunt this year so I can stay on top of construction of the poultry houses. I’ve heard a lot less shots this year than in the past. The deer population has been hit with a disease spread by biting gnats. I’ve heard a lot are being found dead. Hopefully the frost and colder weather will send the gnats packing. Unfortunately it will do the same to all but the hardiest of flowers. The leaves are really falling now as the winds have picked up. Fall is strange with it’s temperatures varying. Yesterday the wind was out of the south and temps climbed up to 70. Today the wind is calm, but a few sprinkles and clouds have really kept the temps down. The forecast is for a cold front behind these sprinkles.

Construction continues on the poultry houses. It’s odd to see them rise from the ground. So far rain has not been a setback except for today. Really no rain to speak of, just enough to keep them from pouring concrete. So far the contractors have been very busy. Most of the time they are working form daylight until after dark. The kids have been thrilled by all the equipment that is around. Unfortunately BJ has not been so thrilled. Just something about concrete trucks at 6:40 am on Saturday she can’t come to grips with. We have talked to a contractor about moving the doublewide. I was amazed at what it costs to move one of those things. I bet we’ll spend pretty close to $10,000 by the time everything is unhooked, moved, and re-hooked. It seems that finding someone to remove the freon from the heat and air unit is going to hold us back.

With no rain the grass has completely stopped growing. Which has meant feeding hay to the horses and goats. Right now they are getting a roll a week. Besides feeding the hay. I’ve used the loader on the 6000 this week for lots of dragging and moving. I’ve been tryin to level out some rough places in the pastures and keep water from getting inside the doors on the barns. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 truckloads of gravel have been spread so far. A lot of it was spread by the truck, but it still left some for me to get. I got my culvert in below the barn and started putting down gravel. At the moment I am out of gravel. I need to have a couple more loads delivered for driveways and heavy use areas. Overall though I have gotten quite a bit of cleanup done.

Well as always there is tons to do, so I better go do it. Be sure to check back soon and check out the pics I’ve added! Thanks for reading!

We got the opportunity to visit one of the coolest places around this week. Madison’s class took a trip to the pumpkin patch. It was great to see all the kids getting some exposure to the farm lifestyle. They got to see Ducks, Guineas, Lama, and all kinds of Goats in the petting Zoo. I think it’s just great that kids get the opportunity to visit farms. Mattie and Garett were amazed at the giant pumpkin grown there on the farm. It set the state record this year.

Work is still keeping me terribly busy with mandatory overtime due to new equipment installation. I have found a little time to get out and do some cleanup around the farm with the 6000. I had a huge Beech tree removed and we’ve been sawing it up for firewood to burn at the log house. Everything that was too small for firewood I used the 6000 to pile and burn. Then I snaked out the large trunk of it for sawing and splitting later. I’m putting in a culvert to keep an area below the barn dry so I can get through there in the wet months with whatever I need to.

I went to feed Big Red and the rest of the rabbits one day this week only to find Big Red out of his cage. I thought great I’ll never catch him. When I put food in his cage he hopped right back in though. I have got to find time to build new cages. Well tonight is trick or treat night so I hope everyone has a spooktacular time. Be sure to check out the pics I’ve added and check back soon!