Dinner? Why wait! There is breakfast, late breakfast, elevensies, lunch, late lunch, dinner, and supper! I love the eating habbits of Hobbits, if fictional people, the meals are great. But seriously, I would revolt in an armed and angry way if the (fill in political group here) tried to take away beef.
I only shop at Fairway because I have been lead to believe they only use Iowa beef. Do you know if that is true? (For those of you outside Iowa, Fareway is an Iowa only grocery store of a more humble yet respectable nature (imho).).
While I'm typing, how should I provide water to my chickens during this cold winter?
I used to live in New Jersey with 30 chickens and I had a better setup because we were actually selling eggs and I'd planned it better (my shop provided heat for the waterer). Now I'm in Maryland with only 5 chickens providing eggs to my immediate family and I have electricity run to the chicken coop, but I don't have actual heat out there.
Right not I have pipe-heat-tape strapped to their waterer, is there a better way?
No worries, either way. I'm in the Iowa City area. If some one wants to track me down to give me gruff, I'll give them my address, ha. Though I'm pretty sure that isn't your nature in any case.
Oh, I hope you didn't think I was one who declined belief in the Trinity? I can't say I fully understand, I do however believe.
And, do you know about Fareway's meat policy? (Though I am sure you have your own beef, must be nice:)
Doom, Actually, I work for a large family farm operation. I get 1 beef per year as part of my wage package. Put about 425 lbs of beef and about 175 lbs. of pork in the freezer in November. I paid for the processing. We can't afford to do anythingg, but we eat like kings.
It is my understanding that Fareway buys all their meat from Iowa sources. I wish that the packing plant in Tama had stayed open, I believe that would have had real benefit to the producers and the consumers of Iowa.
I have a semi-automatic waterer. It's a five gallon bucket that has a little spring-loaded bowl thingy on the bottom. When the bowl is empty, the water valve opens and allows the bowl to fill, then the weight of the water pulls the valve shut. I used to have this thing plumbed into water, but since I moved I just attached it to a bucket.
The problem with chickens (well, one of the problems) is that if you give them a big tub of water they're really bad to crap in it, which is a bad thing. Also, the water level can't be more than a few inches below "grade" or they can't reach it. I'd thought of a big tub with something over it to prevent the chickens from roosting on the lip of the tub, but then I run into the problem of them not being able to reach the water. Also, my new coop is smaller, sized for about 10 chickens, so I can't fit a big tub in it. They use a bit shy of a gallon of water per day, so the five gallons lasts a little over a week.
The heat tape stuff keeps the water thawed right around the tape, maybe a half inch per side, so most of the bowl is frozen (when temps are in the teens). I tried looping the tape several times, but it still doesn't work very well.
The local feed store has two things, one is a big electric heating element for horse troughs, and the other is a hot plate that the water bowl sits on. Neither works well for chickens. All the chicken people that I talked to heat the coop to keep it just above freezing, and they use the little individual cup waterers that are plumbed into a gravity feed system.
Mmmmmm....beef...
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to see a blog from you for years, Farmer Tom. I'm glad you decided to start one!
ReplyDeleteDinner? Why wait! There is breakfast, late breakfast, elevensies, lunch, late lunch, dinner, and supper! I love the eating habbits of Hobbits, if fictional people, the meals are great. But seriously, I would revolt in an armed and angry way if the (fill in political group here) tried to take away beef.
ReplyDeleteI only shop at Fairway because I have been lead to believe they only use Iowa beef. Do you know if that is true? (For those of you outside Iowa, Fareway is an Iowa only grocery store of a more humble yet respectable nature (imho).).
Dammit boy! Install Heloscan on this thing!!
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm typing, how should I provide water to my chickens during this cold winter?
I used to live in New Jersey with 30 chickens and I had a better setup because we were actually selling eggs and I'd planned it better (my shop provided heat for the waterer). Now I'm in Maryland with only 5 chickens providing eggs to my immediate family and I have electricity run to the chicken coop, but I don't have actual heat out there.
Right not I have pipe-heat-tape strapped to their waterer, is there a better way?
- Bill
Bill, since I'm computer illerateeate I have no idea how to install Haloscum.
ReplyDeleteWater for chickens? I'm a little bit in the dark, do you have an automatic watering system? Or do you fill a bowl or dish then try to keep it warm?
Doom, Where you at in Iowa? Don't need to be specific, I'm in north central. If I asked before and forgot please forgive my lousy memory.
ReplyDeletefarmer tom,
ReplyDeleteNo worries, either way. I'm in the Iowa City area. If some one wants to track me down to give me gruff, I'll give them my address, ha. Though I'm pretty sure that isn't your nature in any case.
Oh, I hope you didn't think I was one who declined belief in the Trinity? I can't say I fully understand, I do however believe.
And, do you know about Fareway's meat policy? (Though I am sure you have your own beef, must be nice:)
Doom, Actually, I work for a large family farm operation. I get 1 beef per year as part of my wage package. Put about 425 lbs of beef and about 175 lbs. of pork in the freezer in November. I paid for the processing. We can't afford to do anythingg, but we eat like kings.
ReplyDeleteIt is my understanding that Fareway buys all their meat from Iowa sources. I wish that the packing plant in Tama had stayed open, I believe that would have had real benefit to the producers and the consumers of Iowa.
I have a semi-automatic waterer. It's a five gallon bucket that has a little spring-loaded bowl thingy on the bottom. When the bowl is empty, the water valve opens and allows the bowl to fill, then the weight of the water pulls the valve shut. I used to have this thing plumbed into water, but since I moved I just attached it to a bucket.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with chickens (well, one of the problems) is that if you give them a big tub of water they're really bad to crap in it, which is a bad thing. Also, the water level can't be more than a few inches below "grade" or they can't reach it. I'd thought of a big tub with something over it to prevent the chickens from roosting on the lip of the tub, but then I run into the problem of them not being able to reach the water. Also, my new coop is smaller, sized for about 10 chickens, so I can't fit a big tub in it. They use a bit shy of a gallon of water per day, so the five gallons lasts a little over a week.
The heat tape stuff keeps the water thawed right around the tape, maybe a half inch per side, so most of the bowl is frozen (when temps are in the teens). I tried looping the tape several times, but it still doesn't work very well.
The local feed store has two things, one is a big electric heating element for horse troughs, and the other is a hot plate that the water bowl sits on. Neither works well for chickens. All the chicken people that I talked to heat the coop to keep it just above freezing, and they use the little individual cup waterers that are plumbed into a gravity feed system.
- Bill
Ever seen one of those heated dog dishes? Would it be possible to use that as the bowl for the water?
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm not much help on this one, don't quite know what you have and can't seem to picture it in my head.
I posted a question over at Res's place, maybe you can help me with that one.Sorry I can't help you more.
in3 means cubic inches. Is that what you needed to know?
ReplyDelete- Bill
The heated dog dish is exactly what they had. The problems with it are;
ReplyDelete1) How to keep the chickens from crapping in it, I guess build a roof for it to prevent them from being able to roost on the edge of the bowl.
2) I'd have to fill the thing about every day, which I guess is why I have two boys. ;)