Look what I found today

Nope, but then I'm not watering it down either.

What's $102 divided by 18 that's the startup cost addition to the above for me per batch. Since I'm talking kits now. This will decrease as the number of batches brewed goes up, incidental cost that will be added is about $1.00 per 10 batches for sanitizer.

Well I never counted that for any other hobby nor do I count it for making all of the stuff that is sitting in those jars in the pantry, the garage, or the supply of vegetables in the fridge, still in the garden or in the garage.

But you have to realize, I get fresh eggs, homemade bread, wild berry jams, etc ... for breakfast. All as the result of hobbies.

It is sort of like being on here, it keeps me out of trouble.

I guess I need to get some more hobbies!! LOL

My hobby list is as follows:
Drink Beer
Argue about sports
Drink Beer

Would like some of that homemade bread, I will have to let the wifey know that will be one of her new hobbies!

Are you related to me???

Come on bear, Tell em the whole story. Wife figures if he's making beer, He's not out buyin pellets by the truck load!

Which probably happens just as fast?

I love that place

She knows I won't do that at least until I raise the next batch of chickens. Speaking which, how is your flock doing?

I don't see buying pellets, pilffering OMV's stash, or cleaning stoves on that list, you been goofing off?

It might surprise some of you folks but the Bear has been known to do a bit of baking and I'm the one that started the canning and I pull more than my weight in that endeavor.

I take it you spend a bit of time up that way.

The boss and I do a junk store run (various cheap places) ending at Reny's in Bridgton and usually end up there for a late lunch on the way back.

We also have been known to make the loop and eat at Bay Haven II in Cornish.

Pretty good, They just finished molting. Hope they start laying again. Lost one of the little ones so were down to 6. Finally got the old hen to settle in with the young ones. Spent some of yesterday getting the coup ready for the cold. With their help it only took all day to finish!

We generally loose a few along the way, the Gold Comets for some reason seem to not do too well with moulting, but my big girls Ebony and Ivory are still at it and they are 3.5 years old now.

Ebony is a Black Jersey Giant, Ivory is a White Rock , they are best buddies and keep the Comets in line.

I'm thinking of perhaps 6 Black Australorps or Barred Rocks.

How long do they molt?
My girls (8 RI reds) have had bald backs for almost 2 months now.

It can be a slow drawn out process, and it varies by breed, I have no experience with RI Reds.

They need a protein boost to get the job done faster. The Comets I've been keeping take forever because they don't just stop laying when they start moulting.

They also can get to be real feather pickers during moult (they are after protein).

They have a pattern in how the feathers get dropped and grow back so they may still have bare patches for some time even after they have grown a lot of new feathers.

If you want to know a lot of detail do a bit of searching on backyardchickens.com, it can take months for some birds.

Have relatives in Fryeburg, friends in Denmark, and sometimes camp on Long Lake.

I envy you guys raising your own chickens. There is nothing like fresh eggs. They are soooooooo much better than the month old ones in the supermarket. My neighbor has five white ducks and I get eggs from them. Huge!! 2 eggs makes a bigger omelet than 3 large chicken eggs. The duck eggs are awesome for baking too.

Our older hen is over 6 and still lays every other day. You can tell when she's happy she starts spittin em out once a day. The youngins are just getting to jumbo size. The old gal is still doing super jumbo. Don't make an egg carton big enough for hers!

Yeah, It's cool getting your own eggs. But its work and there is no vacations from it. Always something to do for em. Ours are spoiled brats and are treated like pets more than yard critters. I swear the wifey worries more about them than the rest of the family!

You're not kidding!
We went from $40 worth of chicks "for the kids" to $2000 worth of yard work/coop construction/fencing/ventilation/water heater etc......
I did go on BYC and find a cool cheap design for the water fountain to keep it from freezing if you guys need one.

Were looking at that now, Wifey thinks a heated dog dish will do. She thinks she can unplug it at night when they are in the coop. And plug it back in in the morning once she lets em out. I'm sure it will still be solid by the time we get home. I don't think they have that much umph if you know what I mean.

Anything you can share will be cool.

Can I get a halleluiah?

Amen.

I bought a waterer heater and have a five gallon metal waterer that sits on it it comes out in the spring and goes back late fall.

I got mine from Cutler: http://www.cutlersupply.com/

If you go to depot and get some lamp parts. zip line (lamp cord) a 3" nipple and 2 40w lamps and you will need 1 large cokie tin (holiday cookie type)

Basically build a light fixture inside the cookie tin: if you buy a 2 lamp fixture you can use 1 and have a second for backup.

The waterer sits on top of the cookie tin (with the lid on). Very cheap if you have and old lamp you can dismantle...

I did mine w/a double socket

ETA: this works for metal and plastic waterers

Another style: