My husband got laid off yesterday...RANT

[mrsgreenthumbs]

Nothing has changed really. Besides maybe a renewal in my faith of my local community and in our ability to use our noggins to make a new option for ourselves. We panicked when we found out he had been laid off and after a few day's of fear and worry I picked myself up dusted off my praying knee pad's and got to work (and posted some ad's on CL) before we knew it we had responders flooding my inbox. It was really inspiring to have that much caring come forward. The general consensus is that

"there is a family in a hard time and they want to live a healthier life and eat their own food and darn it I want to help! "

We had donations of welded wire, posts, 2x4's, really everything and then some of what we needed to make our coop. It was amazing. Now the girls have their coop and pen, (in fact I'll upload some snap shot's of them this AM) it's not perfection. It's shabby and pieced together the best we could do. But I look out into our ramshackle back yard and I see perfection. It's all recycled material and the entire thing feeder's (that we built) included we spent a total of 66 dollars. I count that as a win!

As far as the DH's work situation... he hustles. He cut's lawns, paint's fences, dig holes for plant's, ect. to try to make end's meet. It's not much but we make it. Of course this will be the first summer break we will be responsible for my step son on long stretches of time. So I have to figure out how to feed him too but in the end I know that between both of our amazing family's and ourselves we will all be just fine.

My 3 sisters plantings. Just got my first yellow crook neck squash it was tiny but perfect with dinner!
[img]https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/queenofdabbws/Garden/S5031050.jpg[/img]

My herb garden, cilantro, dill, and mint
[img]https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/queenofdabbws/Garden/S5031049.jpg[/img]

early this am's view from the house. A but messy and misty but you get the idea
[img]https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/queenofdabbws/Garden/S5031047.jpg[/img]

My main bed with too much stuff to list
[img]https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/queenofdabbws/Garden/S5031046.jpg[/img]

these guy's have done much better now that they have plastic down keeping the fruit off the soil
[img]https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/queenofdabbws/Garden/S5031051.jpg[/img]

Here's the set up we added the pvc pipes to the roof to raise the roof lol
[img]https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/queenofdabbws/Hens/S5031052.jpg[/img]

We bought this rabbit hutch from a lady when it looked like this
[img]https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/queenofdabbws/Hens/S5030797.jpg[/img]

Then we got some donated pallet's and paint and made this
[img]https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/queenofdabbws/Hens/S5031053.jpg[/img]

the girls really like it by the 3ed day they were putting themselves to bed
[img]https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/queenofdabbws/Hens/S5031061.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/queenofdabbws/Hens/S5031059.jpg[/img]

We made a automatic water and feed dispensers for 17 bucks (for both)
[img]https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/queenofdabbws/Hens/S5031054.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/queenofdabbws/Hens/S5031056.jpg[/img]

It has a light fixture in there too that we will add a heat lamp bulb to for winter months.
[img]https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/queenofdabbws/Hens/S5031040.jpg[/img]

Here's the girls
Jazzy Jasmin
[img]https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/queenofdabbws/Hens/S5031025.jpg[/img]

Stripes
[img]https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/queenofdabbws/Hens/S5031020.jpg[/img]

Our goofy fearless Violet
[img]https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/queenofdabbws/Hens/S5031009.jpg[/img]

And Rose the brat
[img]https://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/queenofdabbws/Hens/S5031004.jpg[/img]

[Ozark Lady]

The light is nice, it will help your hens lay better to regulate their number of daylight hours in the winter.

But as far as a heat lamp, nope, not necessary. In fact chickens can be used to heat a greenhouse in pretty cold areas.

I have located chicken tractors anywhere that I needed an outside heat source... chickens are heaters in miniature... and don't use petro to do it.

Until they have feathers you need to give them heat, but once feathered, overheating is a major hazzard in chickens.

[mrsgreenthumbs]

Good to know Ozark Lady lol I like to leave the light on before dusk till bed time because the girls naturally gravitate to it (and it's a CFL so it's not wasting too much energy) and Soon I will start cutting the light off at night. Plus they have wind block's on either side of the pen and they tend to stay rather comfy lol guess I was just trying to spoil them lol.

[Green Mantis]

You need to put a couple of roosts in their house for them, to learn to sit on now. Or when they get older it's really hard to break them off the floor. Also if you made a chicken tractor, you could move it around the yard, letting them collect bugs, nice green grass. When they lay the yolks will be so orange, if they on grass. After your garden is done, you could use the chicken tractor, letting them do the digging and weeding for you. Once again, good for them, saves on feed. We used to throw all our Horse manure over the fence into the chicken run, they dug through it and finally we fenced part off it off, and planted things right in there. Didn't dig it up at all. Had a fantastic garden growing. Then ended up moving and had to leave it! I always had a great garden where my chicken run was. If you can find OAT straw around your area, use that for their bedding too. They will dig and scratch through that for any oats that are still in the bales. Also makes good compost, and feed for the chickens. Good Luck with them, they are lovely pullets. I like their names too! Hopefully things are going OK for you. I wish you all the best of Luck.

[gixxerific]

Sorry to hear. I am in the same boat here. I have been in and out of work myself for quite a while. But unemployment and odd things here and there we are making it. Having a garden sure helps out on the food budget. So we shall overcome and so shall you. Just be strong.

[mrsgreenthumbs]

Oh lord... I completely agree on the garden thing. It's such a depressing situation when you can't even afford food that is good for you or taste's good. My yellow squash has begun to put out little baby squash and we have been eating those up like crazy. Along with carrot's, cilantro, potatoes, onion's, strawberry's, blackberry's, peaches, you name it we are eating it out of the garden. And I have to say... still being able to cook fresh produce and enjoy it and have that self reliance really keeps morale up and during the stressful situations lately .... high hopes are what we are living on right now. Our garden has been such a blessing.... We can't wait for the corn to be ready to pick.... gonna be soooo good!

[Green Mantis]

If anyone you know has brussel sprout plants, ask them for them, when they are finished getting the sprouts off. If you hang them upside down in your chicken house it keeps them occupied for a long time. They love it. Sorry to hear things still aren't going as well as hoped, but you still have each other and your 4 girls! Plus eating out of your garden. That's something, plus you have friends here too, and that's the best part. Good Luck. Keep Smiling.

[mrsgreenthumbs]

YAY!!!! Update!!! So today at 9 am My DH goes in for an interview for a job paying a decent amount, this is an amazing opportunity for us! Please send prayer and well wishes our way that he ace's the interview!!!! This could potentially put us back in the black and get us away from our destructive and deranged neighbors!

[Ozark Lady]

I certainly pray that all goes well for ya.
And that the job pans out to be all that you hope for it to be!

A job in this economy is a great thing!