So, the homestead, as usual, is a mess. It is in a constant state of progress but since it is the Fall and heading towards Winter...it is time to get some major projects done. Since I had such issues with the duck pen during the constant rains (it still has not dried out!) I had to quickly toss up some pens and put the remaining ducks in the turkey pen....so much work is needed.
The past two nights I have done little bits of work. I got some more of the second layer of fencing on the new pen up front that currently houses the 2 turkey toms (the black that will be going in the freezer and the Royal Palm which is possibly going in the freezer or he may be staying depending on if my other Royal Palm is a girl or boy) and my lone goose. It also has an open bottomed crate with the teenage Harlequin rabbits. The finished pen will be in two parts and be two layers of chicken wire high. The first section will be used over the winter for a grow out pen for meat birds (currently the turkeys and goose) and for rabbits to be on pasture. The second pen will be right next to it with a gate between. In the spring I will move the animals being grown out to the second pen and plant vegetables in the first pen since the rabbits will have made it all nice and fertile and devoid of grass for me! The grow out pen for the rabbits will be an inside fenced area within the larger pen for double protection with a small hutch inside for shelter and netting overtop (so Mr. and Mrs. Great Horned don't decide on gathering dinner there like they did this summer with my teenage Khaki Campbells!). I will post pics when I am done with the pens (hopefully this weekend).
I also did some work on the other upfront pen that houses the Muscovies, trying to get the pen netted over and secure. The front yard on that side of the house is divided with the half in front of the porch being the garden, the other half in front of my bedroom for the ducks. Half of the bedroom side of the yard is fenced in and netted over for a night shelter for the Muscovies, currently my breeders and the teenagers that will be ready for the freezer soon. The gate opens up to the other half of that side of the yard and it will be fenced off from the garden this weekend. This will give them about twice the space. I will extend the fencing to the side yard so they will have a much larger area to roam during the day and then shooed back into the covered area for night...again, so Mr. and Mrs. Great Horned don't decide they are their dinner.
This weekend is going to be a major work weekend for the homestead. I have those two front pens to finish and then I will be making my chicken hens very mad. I will be putting the door up to their new coop in the shed (which is a much bigger area than they currently reside at night). I will then be locking them in for a couple days while I get the door up on the barn and let them get used to their new night time coop before I let them free range again. I am trying to make the open part of the barn cleaner and less cluttered because that is where the rabbitry is and I can not keep the chickens off the rabbit cages, I have tried everything and they eventually find their way through every deterent...so now they will be banned from the barn once they get used to their new home.
I think those three projects and cleaning up the yard will be quite enough work. However, I do need to get another batch of applebutter done, two packages sent out with my peach and apple butters to my parents and a class mate and get my camping gear organized again and ready for the upcoming Asatru gathering. Oh and homework, of course, and a party for a dear friend's birthday Saturday night!
I will update with pics as the weekend progresses!
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