pen repair, $.03

In any business profit can be elusive. When things are happening, thoughts are about how much is coming in..and sometimes how much is going out is forgotten. Taxes come due. Insurance premiums come due. Suddenly the back account balance vanishes. And pens need repair. All the pens must be in working order so they poultry can be in there, safe from the hawk, the owl, the dog, cat, raccoon..and the outdoor conditions just tear them up. Today Homer made his all time favorite repair to a pen, and cost was about $.03. The business manager is happy.

duct tape! It will hold up until the fall rains come, and by then we will be emptying full size poultry out, so this is a great solution until next year.

Homer is always experimenting with brooders. To take up the least amount of space but keep all the peepers happy and growing, to use as few materials as possible in construction and under the chicks. This low rider model was built the other day, using materials that were here on the farm. Along with a quick trip to the local hardware store for a couple of sticks of wood, and an experiment is under way. Will they do well outside, not under the hoophouse at this time of year? Will this offer enough protection for them? With 4-5 more batches of peepers scheduled to arrive on the farm only time will tell. For safety, there are many in the brooder we have been using for the last couple years.

and our first cucumber is here! Small, but there will be many more. We can't believe Homer snapped this picture with a bee in the flower just behind..and that bee means many more cucumbers are on the way!