Free Range Chicken? You might want to find out where they are nesting. Winter is closing in. Don't know if you have a good sheltered area for the chickens. I have seen someone use a 55 gallon drum lined with straw as a outside home.

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Free Range Chicken? You might want to find out where they are nesting. Winter is closing in. Don't know if you have a good sheltered area for the chickens. I have seen someone use a 55 gallon drum lined with straw as a outside home.

I have a smallish dog house and I put some pine shavings inside, but yesterday they left my back yard near sunset and went across the street to the neighbor's house. (He technically owns them.) I suppose that location imprinted on them when they were young. I think the only way to get them to stay in my yard overnight would be to lock them in a coop. I can't do that because that would (technically) be kidnapping (or birdnapping). I'm sort of on the horns of a dilemma. Sure wish the neighbor would sell (or give) them to me so I could invest some money into a proper coop. No reason to do that if I don't own them.

I believe they are spending their nights under a Japanese boxwood hedge across the street. I don't know if they're going back into their owner's back yard or not. I'd have to sit outside and watch. I may do that.

I have a shed in the back yard that I don't really use. I also got some nesting boxes. I'm thinking about putting the nesting boxes up on the shelf (about 4 feet high) in the shed and making that a place for them to spend the night. And I'd have to devise some sort of ladder for them to climb up to the shelf. Again, I don't know if they'll comply due to their going "home" in the evening.

I have found out that these are Rhode Island Reds.

Edit:

Speaking of winter; first, I'm in central Texas. Never much of a real "winter" down here; second, I've checked into a website with a forum - site is called Backyard Chickens. There they say it's not really necessary to protect chickens from what would be normal cold (snow and ice) weather conditions since these birds have been around long enough to have been exposed to all sorts of weather without benefit of human-produced heat and electricity. It's only necessary to give them a little shelter, feed them normally, and make sure they have access to unfrozen water.

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~Sue~

A few recent shots around the marina after dark....

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

Those are very nice Rob.

Those are very nice Rob.

+1

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Those are very nice Rob.

+1

+2

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Savoir-Faire is everywhere!
The T1 Trust, T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, America's First HST

Its always had a narrow jetty alongside. The wide walkway is just visible in the second shot. I've been moored "head in" for some time, it's easier getting in when it's windy, and the access to the front cabin is far easier than climbing over the engine covers etc.

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

First I saw this:



Then I saw this:



Thelma has been a busy girl! Louise hasn't started laying eggs yet, or she has but they're hidden.

The nest is right outside my "office" window.

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~Sue~

That's unless they might be using the same nest to lay the eggs.

That's unless they might be using the same nest to lay the eggs.

Do they do that? I'll have to check.

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~Sue~

Oh yes all the time, when in the hen house they take and empty nest and jump in and lay their eggs.

Then you have some we called Cluks which they quit laying and go sit on any eggs thinking they are going to hatch them. They get file thirteen treatment in short order. They will never lay again.

It's real easy to tell if they are done we called the three finger test, if you can put 3 fingers between the bones in the back end they are laying still but when are done it closes up to 2 fingers wide.

New mud flaps. I was out in the snow today, and even though there is only an inch at the moment, this beast will go through any amount of snow.
I am still configuring it as a boat, and will study to get my boating license before spring. The top with the screens should be here next week, but maybe not.

I have created very deep mud holes in my back yard, and Juggernaught has no trouble with anything.



Steve

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Warning, addicted to SETI crunching!
Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group.
GPUUG Website

Looks good, did you put in duel hyd. brakes on that to turn?

It turns with a skid steer mechanism in low gear, and in high gear, the wheels on one side turn faster than the other side.
The brakes are standard, although I have a fan on them keeping them cool. There are a lot of options on this beast, and I intend to get many, many years of fun out of it. Everything is designed to be as easy as possible as I get older.

Steve

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Warning, addicted to SETI crunching!
Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group.
GPUUG Website

Looks good Steve.

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Savoir-Faire is everywhere!
The T1 Trust, T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, America's First HST

When I was in New Mexico in the winter time we had an old WWII track, well I guess it okay for that time but we took it to a few hill tops to radio sites in pretty deep snow.

I had a Packard 6 cyl. motor and boy did that run quiet but the big hang up was the brakes which worked on cables and old style brake shoes. they would freeze up and you couldn't drive it. Well if you missed the road it was 1800 feet straight down.

I understand that someone did roll it after I left but I don't know just where.

I think I would take my chances on a snowmobile over that thing. I have had a ride in a snow cat and man was that cool, it had 2 treads about 4 foot wide each. and best of all it had a heater. LOL

Mine has a heater, and heated hand grips. These tracks are good to about 2 and a half feet of snow, but I have a winter extension kit that has such jagged edges, it will climb a 45° ice sheet. It is a handlebar steering, and is easily very preciously controlled. I was just out in the snow again, and can't believe how well it works. It even has dual windshield wipers, head lights, and fog lights. I took it out the other night, and had no trouble seeing what was ahead. The one problem it did have, was I couldn't see the dash board, so I will add a dash board light in the next few weeks.

This thing is tremendous fun.

I have wanted one since I was 10 years old, and it's even better than I thought it would be.

Steve

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Warning, addicted to SETI crunching!
Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group.
GPUUG Website

The snow cat I rode in was a commercial brand with a closed in cab, it could carry about 5 people, automatic trans. it had the works on it.

The one I drove had nothing but could carry 7, with a tarp for a top and windshield is about it.

If I owned it I would have taken the time to install disk breaks on it and hyd. hand levers.

Mine will be closed in, in about a week. The top is canvas, and plastic, but I had screens put in so I could drive in swamps during the summer without bugs taking me out of the cab, and eating me. I can't wait for the top to get here. The snow will fill the back end without the top, but at least it has drain plugs, and a bilge pump.

Steve

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Warning, addicted to SETI crunching!
Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group.
GPUUG Website

WELCOME TO PORT OF LOS ANGELES

With all of the discussion about SNOW I thought it was time to share my day sail yesterday.
So hank on the sail

Raise the Jib

Winch in the line

And let the wind fill your sails.

Head out past the LA light house. Yes LA has a light house.

Or if sailing is not your idea of fun. Book on a day boat and go fishing.

I found Iowa in California

There is other history to be seen, like this Liberty Ship.

Or the current way they carry freight.

It was a great day to be on the water. But then any day is.

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