From Hens to Hay: Why I Love Multi-Purpose Structures

Remember the hen house we built last summer?  You know, the one I neglected to post final photos of?  Well, here it is, six months later, and filled with...

Hay. (Yes, we cleaned it out!)

The side pictured above is for human access.  In the fall we put plastic over the chicken wire to keep the hens cozy during the night.  But in the summer, the chicken wire at each end helps with ventilation.

Other side, with small door for chicken access.

Interior view.  I think we can fit eleven bales of hay in the center aisle.  Notice the roosts and egg boxes.  There are roost bars on the other side of the aisle, as well.

We've pulled it up right next to the garden, where the chickens are spending the winter.  They share a divided hoop house with the bovines, one of whom eats copious amounts of hay (I'm talking to you, Flower).

Storing the hay in the hen house for the winter accomplishes two things.  First, since it is mobile, we can hook it up to the tractor, drag it over to the barn, load it up, and drag it back to the garden, saving us time and work.  Secondly, it saves us from building a structure closer to the winter quarters in order to store hay.  And this is why I love multi-purpose structures.

Any other ideas out there for multi-purpose farm structures?  One of our next projects will be to build a larger cow shelter on skids.  Stay tuned!

Updates

Yes.  I'm into creative titles these days.

I can't believe my blogging has precipitously dropped off these past few months.  When I was homeschooling both kids, I would oftentimes take a few minutes in the morning to at least start a post.  Now that Akea is attending public school, it's a rush to get everyone out the door to drop her off, and she comes home with plenty of homework, most of with which she needs help.

And having Charlie at home, by himself, means he needs more attention from me.  It's just the way things are rolling these days.

From a homesteading perspective, things are slowing down, but I have been attacking some projects inside the house.  So right now, our life looks like this:

Outside
1. The steers go to the butcher tomorrow.  When we bought them, we knew they weren't pets, but because we raised them from their first week of life, we've grown a bit attached.

2. The younger hens are almost six months old and have been laying small, pullet eggs for about a month.  We're happy that the flocks merged without a hitch, and the goats are enjoying being pastured with them as well.  Our thought is that the goats provide a degree of predator protection for the chickens.

3. The garden has been done for a while.  The no-till idea didn't mix well with my fatigue and the drought this summer, so Byron will till it in the spring and we will try raised beds.  I have a bit of lettuce in pots.

4. We need to prep the hoop house for the chickens, which involves clearing it out, protecting the sides where they'd dug under last year, and making a small access door into the garden.  We want them to be able to go outside when they want, instead of being cooped up (literally) all winter.

Inside
1. I painted the kitchen and large common area at the back of the house, and have begun to work on re-upholstery again.  Soon to come is painting and/or refinishing a few pieces of furniture, then organizing.  Lots of organizing.

2. Byron plans to repair the floor and damaged joist in the downstairs bedroom, and lay hardwood flooring.  Part of the holdup has been figuring out exactly how to reconfigure the bathroom, but I think we have finally made our decision...we're keeping it simple and not tearing up and rebuilding walls.

3. My Nutrimill died!  I believe the motor burned up.  However, I have to give props to L'Equip, the company that makes the machine.  They told me to send it in, and they're fixing it free of charge.  Totally took my word for it that I'm the original owner, too, and told me not to even worry about sending in the receipt.  In all this, a big thanks to my friend, Katey, who has let me borrow her hand mill!

In all this, we are trying to figure out some ways to streamline the homesteading aspect of our lives.  Raised beds will hopefully be easier on me, and Byron would like to set up some semi-permanent electric wire paddocks for whenever we get more cows.  Any by the way, we are going to try to get a couple heifers (young, female cows) that we can breed, which will be much more sustainable than buying calves.

I will be back to update from time to time, but my guess is that it won't be as frequent as it has been in the past.  As our kids grow, they're beginning to show interests in different activities.  For Charlie, it's soccer and guitar.  Akea is interested in basketball and drama.  True, this seems contrary to the homesteading lifestyle to a degree, but we are trying to find that balance.

There's No Place Like Home (Processing)

Even if, at our best, we only processed six chickens per hour, it was so good to be home!

Over the past couple weekends - and a couple evenings during the week - we processed our last batch of broilers for the year.  With over 70 chickens that needed to make it into the freezer ASAP, we decided to purchase some low-cost equipment so we could process them in our own backyard.  In the past, we would have travelled about twenty miles to another farm with said chickens and two very bored children in tow.  Even though our equipment is more rudimentary and the going was slower, we had happy kids, happy chickens (well, up until...you know), and showers.  All that was missing was a pumpkin latte from Starbucks at the end of it all.

Here's our set-up, along with approximate purchase prices:

Stainless steel table, 2'x4', used for evisceration.  Approximately $125 on eBay.

Polar Ware 30-quart stainless steel pot from Amazon, $67.40.  Underneath is a Bayou Classic outdoor gas cooker, $51.80.

Drill attachment plucker, approximately $30 from eBay.

Large cooler, which we used as a chill tank.  I can't recall the price, but many people have coolers like these already.  And see the green bucket?  When we were only processing maybe five birds in an evening, we would just chill them in FREE food-grade buckets we snagged from Chick-fil-A.  Oh, the irony.

Grand total? $274.20, not including the items we already had on hand.  Not too shabby, when you consider the professional stuff can climb up to the likes of $8,000.

One thing we do want to change is the plucker.  The little drill attachment worked, but I had to pluck whatever it couldn't (wings).  Not an issue if you're processing about five birds, but when you run into a couple or few dozen, you really need something more efficient.  We may try finding something used or attempt to make our own next summer.

We also could have purchased an aluminum turkey pot with temperature control, but we're a little leery of aluminum and its leaching abilities.  So Byron kind of got into the groove of knowing when to turn the valve up to heat the water, and when to turn it back down.  We kept a thermometer on hand to ensure that the water would always be between 140 and 150 degrees.

And this all wouldn't have happened without the Cornish X chicken.  

However, we may try Freedom Rangers next time, as they are much more hardy. You can do everything by the book, but some of the Cornish X will develop leg problems and simply refuse to move. Leg problems are caused by anything from genetics, to a chicken getting scratched by his buddy, and suddenly deciding he just. doesn't. want. to. move. anymore.  

And that's when home processing equipment really comes in handy.  Just saying.

I'm linking up with the Homestead Barn Hop!

A Very Small "First"

We've experienced a lot of "firsts" in the past year.  Byron and I didn't grow up homesteading/farming.  Heck, I don't even think I had a garden until I was married!  We've raised chickens for meat and eggs, are raising two steers for meat, were given goats, planted fruit trees, created The Biggest Garden Ever (which since has become The Garden of Everlasting Weeds), and the list goes on.  And didn't I just see that July was declared the hottest July in the history of Julys?

Sometimes, you can have too many "firsts" at once, even if they do take place over the course of a year. 

But then in the midst of feeling overwhelmed, you get a first like this:

One of our Rhode Island Red Hens got broody.  So we thought we'd stick a few (three) eggs under her and see what happened. 

Byron is great at telling when an egg is fertilized.  Basically, he grabs some freshly-laid eggs, a flashlight, and disappears into Charlie's closet for a few minutes.  It's a talent I can't mimic or explain.  He was right on all three counts, and here's how we know:

Egg #1: I accidentally collected Egg #1 and stuck it in a carton, in the fridge.  I'd had a brain fart and thought we had put two eggs under Broody Hen, not three.  Thankfully, Byron caught my mistake, and of course he had to go crack it open to see what was inside.  Let's just say that's not the only chicken I accidentally killed that week, but more on that later.

Egg #2: This egg hatched today, but the chick was dead.

Egg #3: This egg hatched today, and the chick was alive.  Here's Baby Chick with Mama Hen:

We placed them in the brooder, away from the other hens.  Any ideas on how long we should leave them in there?  Byron found the chick outside of the nest box initially, so we were a little concerned about leaving them with the other hens.

So we'll see how well Baby Chick does.  Mama Hen seems to be getting the whole mom thing.  She's even abandoned three other eggs we put under her to take care of this little one.  Okay, so maybe that's not optimal parenting, but we're talking about a chicken here. (UPDATE: As of last night, she was sitting on the eggs again and had Baby Chick tucked under her wing.)

Before I sign off, a lot of people have asked me what it means to have a broody hen.  Here's what I know about it:

1. Something kicks in (hormones??) to drive a hen to sit on the nest box ALL THE TIME.  She'll only get up maybe once a day to eat and drink.  This means she's broody.  She wants to be a mom.
2. When a hen gets broody, she clucks a lot, especially when she's off the nest.  It's like some sort of chicken paranoia.
3.  You'll also notice that her feathers get ruffled, literally.  She looks like a mom, and moms have no time to groom in the morning.  Kind of like this:

Mama Hen bristles at me and my camera.

4.  Eggs take 21 days to hatch.  They really do need to be at a pretty consistent temperature, so if Broody Hen gets confused and goes and sits on some other eggs, you may want to move her or the eggs so that the eggs can incubate.  Watch your fingers; she'll bite!
5. Mark the eggs.  We made a small "x" with a Sharpie, but it might be better to put the date on the eggs so you can know when to expect your little hatchlings to, well, hatch.
6. From what I've read, the death rate of new chicks hatched this way is pretty high, so don't be disappointed or give up if it doesn't work the first time.

As always, thanks for sticking with me through this rather busy season!  I'm linking up with Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways and Rural Thursdays!

Scissor Truss Eggmobile, Part II...and a Short Break

You've probably noticed that my posts have been spread a little thin these days (or maybe that's just my modus operandi?), so I wanted to let you know that while I have several ideas for posts swimming in my head (garden update, plumbing DIY, home and upholstery updates...to name a few), I'm going to leave you with a few photos of our Scissor Truss Eggmobile and take a week or two off from blogging.  As you probably know, springtime is a busy time for homesteads, and when you throw in some extra activities we've taken on, life can start to unravel. 

And if you have young children, you'll know that interruptions like breaking off curtain rods or just needing time with Mom can make focusing on writing a little bit difficult.

So please forgive the hiatus, and know that I will be back just as soon as we complete a few projects and get back into a manageable routine!

As usual, feel free to post comments and/or questions!

We have yet to enclose the ends, put up roost bars, hang the nest boxes, and install the bolts so we can actually haul this thing.  We're planning on tackling this Thursday evening.  Think we can get it all done???

A sense of scale.

Well, maybe I'll sneak back on here with some photos of the completed project...

Scissor Truss Eggmobile, Part I

After much blood, sweat, and trigonometry, we are ALMOST done with our modified version of the Polyface scissor truss eggmobile (i.e., portable hen house).  Click here to see a video of Joel Salatin's version.  Ours is a bit smaller and also enclosed, since we don't have a kick-butt farm dog to ward off predators at night.  Here are some photos of the project, followed by some after-the-fact concerns, per usual.

The base with one of the trusses.  This baby will (hopefully) move on skids.

Four little trusses, all in a row.  It's roughly 12' long by 8' wide.

Side bracing.  The key to structural integrity is to triangulate everything.  Again and again.

Chicken wire on the floor of the hen house will allow droppings to fall through.  We built a ramp down the middle, which you can see in the next photo.

Rafters and bracing.

We actually got it under roof last night, but it was too dark to take photos, so I'll include those in a later post.  But now for my concerns:

1. Our version is narrower and taller than Polyface's, which makes me worry about how and if it will turn.  Although most of the weight is at the bottom, I wish I'd made it shorter.  I designed it at this angle so we could fit the nest boxes in...though in the end, we could have used something else for nest boxes.  It's about 7' from ramp to peak.
2. I've heard that predators can tear through chicken wire, so I'm a little apprehensive about using it on the floors and to enclose the ends.  I know, I know, I'm contradicting myself.  The good news is that we haven't had any predator problems yet.
3. This was not the cheapest thing in the world to build, and it's really too big for our one little flock.  We're hoping to marry our current layers with our new chicks when they get big enough, but what if it they turn into the poultry version of the Montagues and the Capulets?

The good news is that it will shed snow well, we can use it for hay storage in the winter when the chickens are in the hoop house, and that I'm linking up with the Homestead Barn Hop! 

Click here or the button below to read some fantastic posts!

I'm a Mama Hen Again

But at least I didn't have to sit on any eggs.  Take a peek at our new peeps:

Barred Rock.  We have 31, and two are probably roosters.  We find that the hatchery always sends a couple extra.  These will be our new flock of laying hens.  Maybe I'm imagining things, but they seem sweeter than the Rhode Island Reds we got last year.

Cornish Cross.  We ordered 60 and got 62.  These are rather delicate birds, prone to foot problems, but they make wonderful broilers and are ready to butcher in about seven weeks.  I know, it's hard to imagine looking at this cute little guy!

And here's Mystery Chick.  So far, so good, unlike last year's little terror.  You can read here about Napoleon, our little Dominique Dictator.  Our neighbors got chicks several weeks ago and their two Dark Brahmas looked just like this.

Though the anticipated early morning ride to the post office to pick these little guys up is honestly a lot of fun, we'd eventually like to find a more sustainable model to follow.  For instance, why not let the hens hatch out some eggs?  We haven't spotted any broody girls yet, but we're watching.  As far as meat birds go, Cornish X do not reproduce well, but are the quintessential American meat bird.  We've been thinking of trying Freedom Rangers at some point, which are more of a heritage breed, but need to research the possibilities of letting them breed, too.  And we're not quite ready to do that...

Any other spring chickens out there?  Click here or below to check out the Homestead Barn Hop!

Eggmobile, Take II

Remember this movable chicken tractor (or "eggmobile") we made for the laying hens last summer?

It's worked for us for a season, but like so many things we try, we're ready to revamp the design to something that's lighter and easier to move.

For one, the tires blew out in the extreme heat last summer, so we've more or less been moving it around on the rims.  Since the wheels are an odd size and tires are expensive, we haven't replaced them.

Another issue with this design is the fact that we have to drive it up on ramps every time we move it so that the chickens can go underneath for shade.

And the clincher?  Since it's only on one axle, we have to prop it up on wooden blocks so it doesn't tip.  And until we began using my father-in-law's tractor a couple weeks ago, this involved Byron physically picking it up slightly, me (never quickly enough) sliding the blocks underneath, and then Byron setting it down.  We think this process contributed to him throwing his back out the other weekend.

I'm still sketching out ideas for the new design, and we hope to re-use materials from this tractor for the new one.  For one, we're putting the new one on skids so we don't have to deal with wheels anymore.  And I'm going to design one with a metal roof, and one with a lighter-weight "hoophouse" roof out of PVC, wire, and a reflective tarp.  Who says I don't use my architecture degree??

Do you dismantle and re-design farm structures as much as we do??  Or do you have an eggmobile/chicken tractor you use and absolutely love?  If so, do tell!  I have ideas, but there's always something more clever out there.  We have about 19 hens + rooster.

I'm linking up with Rural Thursdays at Two Bears Farm and A Rural Journal.  Enjoy all the excellent posts!

We Bought Nazguls in the Tractor Supply Parking Lot

Did you know you could buy Nazguls?  We didn't, until a couple weeks ago.  I thought they could only be found in Middle Earth or in grandiose and somewhat erroneous Hollywood flicks; never did I imagine they could be bought and sold.

But you can, indeed, buy Nazguls.  As it so happens, we bought some last fall.  We thought we were buying guineas, but the past couple weeks have proven otherwise.  For the longest time, they were roosting with the Barred Rocks, but ever since we began rotating the chickens onto fresh pasture again, they have become confused and have returned to roosting in the oak tree at the back corner of the house.  And you know what they do when they roost?  They screech, just like (you guessed it) Nazguls.

They screech when we turn the lights on.  They screech when we turn the lights off.  The screech as I'm doing the dishes.  They screech when Byron and I try to talk.  They screech at 2 a.m.  They screech at 3 a.m.  They screech at...well, you get the idea.

And during the day?  They knock on the door.  Imagine me, home with my kids, hearing a knock at the door and thinking a friend has stopped by.  But instead, I see this:

Go back to Middle Earth.  Please.

Tolkien never wrote about Nazguls possibly being the antidote to squash bugs, but they did expertly slay some termites the other day when Byron dug up an old stump.  So for the interim, I will endure being the not-so-proud owner of Nazguls, and hope they break bad on some garden pests this summer.

If they don't, I may have to call in Eowyn.  Unless you have any advice as to how to quiet a guinea Nazgul.

I'm linking up to Rural Thursdays at Two Bears Farm and A Rural Journal!

Out to Pasture

To say we've had a mild winter in the southeast is an understatement.  It's been virtually non-existent.  And because of this, I feel like I've been in spring denial...willfully ignoring the seeds sitting on the counter and the million other things I need to do to prepare for the season.

Until last week, when the promise of spiking temperatures slapped me out of my wintery slumber.  The chickens were still in the hoop house, and we had to get them out on pasture because that hoop house works.  We'd had to open the door when it got into the 50s during the day, unless we wanted fried chicken for dinner!

So on Sunday I planted some spring veggies: snap peas, lettuce, Swiss chard, cilantro, and arugula - which my nephew swears will take care of the evil nematodes that ate my watermelon roots last year.  Then Byron and I moved the chickens from the hoop house out onto pasture.  Since we keep them in an area enclosed with electric netting and move them to fresh grass every couple days, we clipped their wings so they wouldn't escape from their area.

Happy to be on pasture again.

The cows had already been out on pasture for a couple days.

And yesterday I hooked up and levelled the rain barrel system.  The "receiving" barrel gets heavy and tends to tip back when it's full, so hopefully this treated board will do the trick.  I'll have to check for leaks after the first rain.

We also learn from our mistakes.  For instance, we should have buried the boards around the perimeter of the hoop house into the ground a bit, because a couple weeks ago the chickens managed to dig underneath in several spots and escape.  We jimmy-rigged the gaps, but need to amend it, especially if this is going to be our brooder in a couple months.

Are you ready for spring?

Join in the Rural Thursday blog hop at Two Bears Farm and A Rural Journal!

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Chicken's Version

I recently read Folks, This Ain't Normal by Joel Salatin, and besides deciding that every American needs to read this book (more on that later), I was kind of hit in the head with something I knew already: chickens are omnivores!  While they get plenty of bugs out on pasture during the warmer months, chickens that are kept confined in the winter - and even those that free-range - aren't getting the animal protein they need.  In his book, Salatin recommends shooting a squirrel once a week and feeding that to your flock.  Sounds nauseating, but it's a free feed supplement and the chickens need the protein.  And they have great fun with things like that (wink, wink).

Option #2 is to take advantage of our non-existent winter and do some yardwork.  Byron dug up the wilderness in the middle of our driveway to prep it for some landscaping this spring.

Guess what likes to hide under all that lush mulch?

Grub worms!  (Please tell me you weren't snacking on anything when you viewed this photo!)

Byron found dozens of these and the Rhode Island Reds, who are in the hoophouse, were in paradise.  We're finding that they get bored in there, which has resulted in an environment every bit as harsh as the high school cafeteria.  Just this morning I put a wheelbarrow full of leaves in there so they could have something to scratch through.  Everyone likes playing in the leaves, right??

I'm linking up with Rural Thursday at Two Bears Farm and A Rural Journal!

The Guineas' Reign of Terror

We recently tried combining our small flock of wandering Barred Rock hens, and the three guineas that think these geriatric chickens are their mommies, with our younger brood of Rhode Island Reds.  We had tried this once before, because we'd heard that when the chickens were all the same size, the older ones would be less likely to murder their juniors and the pecking order would kind of work itself out.  Well, that time it didn't go so well for the Reds.  No blood was shed, but the older hens used the old divide-and-conquer technique to dominate the two feeders we had out.

So what possessed us to try it again?  Poop on the front porch.  Poop on the back porch.  When you have wandering chickens, they wander (and poop) wherever they please.  And since we feel ghetto enough as we live through a renovation, a little less poop to squish through our Crocs as we walk out the door would be heavenly.

The results?  We put the Barred Rocks and guineas in the hoop house with the Rhode Island Reds, and the Barred Rocks were awful, as usual.  Pecking any Rhode Island Red who came near the feeder.  Forcing them out of their nest boxes.  But the real villains were the guineas, whose Reign of Terror kept the Rhode Island Red populace heading for higher ground (the roost bars) most of the day.  A picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll shut up for a minute...

The guineas plot their next move while one of their Barred Rock mommies keeps watch for any errant Rhode Island Reds.

Several (probably hungry) Rhode Island Reds brave flying down from the roost bar and huddle in a corner of the hoop house, waiting for an opportune time to snag some food.

A guinea takes notice and issues a loud series of commands...

The Rhode Island Reds briefly consider a revolt... 

...but swiftly begin to acquiesce to the three dictators by heading for the roost bar.  And the rooster?  Worthless. Granted, he did come down several times, but the guineas (who are half his size) descended on him almost instantly, sending him flying back to safety.

In the end, the flocks are separate again and we are dancing around the droppings on our front porch.  Has anyone out there had success combing flocks?  If so, do tell!

A Rural Journal and my friend, Lisa, at Three Bears Farm are beginning Rural Thursdays, and I'm linking up!  Click here to check out the blog hop at Three Bears Farm, and here to check out A Rural Journal!

Also linking up to Farmgirl Friday at Deborah Jean's Dandelion House!

Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Rooster?

I am.  Seriously.  Remember this guy?

He recently decided that I'm another rooster.  So what did I do?  I Googled some advice.  And Google said it's time for the empress to strike back.  Okay.  So the next time he turned his spurs on me, I didn't back down.

And now he hates me.

Today as I was about to leave the garden, he was literally pacing the fence next to me, waiting for me to exit and then blindly turn my back so he could sink his filthy talons into whichever part of my body was most accessable.  Luckily, I was fully aware of his rather conspicuous strategy and was able to defend myself, walking away unscathed.

In an attempt at amnesty, Byron (who has also been attacked by said animal) snatched the rooster off his roost and brought him into the house tonight so I could pet him. Akea loves the nasty little thing and was actually resting her head on his greasy neck. I pet him, made appropriate cooing noises, and even tried feeding him some wheat berries. All went well until he bristled at me.

So after returning the varmint to his roost, Byron Googled some more advice.  This time, Google said to back down to the rooster and give him treats.  Well, thanks a lot, Google!  Wish you'd told me that the first time!  I will attempt this strategy tomorrow, though I'm not too sure about the backing down part.  I'm willing to try treats again, but I just have issues with backing down to an eight pound animal who wants his (literal) pound of flesh from me.

     "But," you may ask, "didn't you just say you were afraid of him? Isn't that, in essence, backing down?"
     "Yes," I answer you candidly.  "I am afraid of the big, bad rooster."  Let me draw an analogy: You know how when someone tells you not to think of pink elephants (or roosters, as in my case), all you can think of are pink elephants?  It's the same thing with this piece of timeless wisdom: Animals can sense fear, so don't act afraid around them.  So what's the first feeling I'm going to have when I see him waddling my way?  See my dilemma now?

Any advice?  He's actually a great rooster for the hens.  So though we'd love to be able to keep him, this is not my idea of livin' the dream!

I'm linking up to Homestead Revival's Barn Hop!  Click below to check it out:

Hoop House III and Merry Christmas

At long last, my final update on our hoop house!  We've actually had it done for a couple weeks, but have been tweaking things as we put the Rhode Island Reds, and now the cows, in for the winter.  If you haven't checked out the earlier posts, click here for Hoop House I and click here for Hoop House II.

We used translucent plastic panels for the front.  The door opens into the garden, so on nice days, we let the chickens out.  Inside, we add carbon (shredded leaves, wood chips) to the bedding and expect we'll have some nice compost by spring.  The interior temperature has reached up to 70 degrees some days!  Warmth + sunlight = lots of eggs.

Here is the cows' side, nearly done.  Excuse the netting; it was a temporary safety before we got the fencing up.

Chickens' side, interior.  We removed the roost bars from one side of their portable house and installed them here.

Settling in nicely!

Rhode Island Red rooster.  Did I mention he attacked me a couple times???  Fortunately, he's settled down a bit and we have a mutual agreement to leave each other alone.  As long as he doesn't breech his end of the deal, all will be well (for him).

We moved the steers to their side of the hoop house a couple days ago.  Byron created a little run for them from the field.

Cows' side, interior.  You can see how the hoop house is divided by fencing, and the chickens checking out their new neighbors.  They seem happy, but the cattle were lowing quite a bit yesterday.  They like change about as much as I do.

Hard to resist patting their woolly winter coats!

Finally, my attempt to winterize the garden.  I've so far managed to get compost on one row of six.

I then covered the row with leaves and paper from feed bags.  This is kind of our own invention, and it needs to be tweaked since bags + wind = lots of running around.

That should just about update you on what we've been doing!  Byron has been working like mad on the fence, and I'm gearing up to start on those upholstery projects.  I will be back sometime after Christmas to update you on our progress!

Thank you so much for sticking with me this year.  Looking back, we've experienced several trials, such as continuing to await the sale of our other home and discovering additional problems with this home.  But these were accompanied by several triumphs.  We finally sold our other home in April, and were successful in raising fifty meat birds and twenty laying hens, with minimal losses.  We also have two very healthy steers that we daily moved to fresh pasture during the warmer months, and have beautiful floors in two rooms and the front hallway of our home.  We have much to be thankful for.

God bless you all.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!