# Meanwhile.... back at the river.



## Clay3063 (Jan 12, 2017)

It's been along day. Glued up some boards in the shop to make an urn for the father of one of our dear friends from church. Then we picked up 68 reject chickens to put in our chicken tractor. And then the fun began. We got a late start but picked up some really nice logs this afternoon. My logging buddy who is a mathematician, says that the three pecan logs on his trailer will yield somewhere over a thousand board feet of lumber. I've got at least that much spalted ash on mine. Two loads today for a total of four on the ground at the home place. 6 more to go. Then we'll purchase the mill and start turning this stuff into lumber.
There are three pictures here of a pretty good size hackberry tree. One side of it had a limb that had died and rotted. If you look at the picture close you will see that evidently a hackberry seed must have fallen in the crook made by the limb and had taken root in the rot. When the rotten limb finally fell from the tree it left the roots of the seedling exposed to the elements. We are going to cut this tree later. But for now, I found this very interesting. I will probably try and preserve that section of the tree just for giggles and grins.

This last picture is of my logging buddy Henry. He and my wife are unhooking the chain from a pecan log. Henry is a math guy. Nerdy kind of dude. But he's good to have around and he said he figures that there is over 300 board feet of lumber just in that one log. It won't net that much but just a rough calculation based on the diameter and the length to give a rough gross. We put three logs like this on his trailer and then one that was about 20' long and about 18 inch in diameter.

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## Clay3063 (Jan 12, 2017)

I didn't get any pictures of them today, but interspersed among all those pecan trees are a myriad assortment of other very large trees, especially along the river bank. Among them are some huge Ash trees. The land owner, who happens to be a great friend and member of our church drove us around today to point out all the trees he said we could have. 

"Basically if it is not a pecan you can cut it. And give me a few days and I'll mark the pecans I want you to cut as well." - His words to us this afternoon. He is thinning the pecan trees to improve the health of the pecan orchard and to improve the grazing. I included several pictures above of the orchard. Those trees are huge! Right now all we have harvested are the ones that have fallen or were dead already but still standing.

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## Nature Man (Jan 12, 2017)

Almost makes me want to move to Gonzalez. Congrats once again! Tons of quality wood there! Chuck

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## ripjack13 (Jan 12, 2017)

What's a reject chicken, and a chicken tractor?

Nice haul! That is going yeild some fine stock!!

Reactions: Agree 2


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## rocky1 (Jan 12, 2017)

Damn city fellers!

Don't know what a reject chicken is or a chicken tractor.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 3


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## ripjack13 (Jan 12, 2017)

Nope....

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## Clay3063 (Jan 13, 2017)

ripjack13 said:


> Nope....


Gonna explain this once. Listen close. Back when I first paid attention to such things (circa 1980 give or take), it used to take 12 weeks to raise a newly hatched chick to a 4.5 pound broiler. They do it in 33 days now. What that means is you get a chicken that doesn't taste like a chicken should taste and has about as much texture as a bowl of warm jello. Got tired of eating that crap. So I've got a friend that raises 33 day 4.5 pound broilers. When they collect his broiler to take to the processor there are always "runts" that are left behind because they didn't grow as fast as the others. It's a long story why and I won't do that now. I pick those chickens up. They usually weight 2-3 pounds when I get them. I built a portable pen that will hold 60-70 chickens. Portable in that it has lawnmower wheels on the back so that I can move it from location to location. I move it forward 10 feet everyday. These birds now eat things chickens are supposed to eat. Bugs, grass, etc. I also give them scratch grains and a local blended feed too. I keep them on grass and bugs and the feed for another 8-10 weeks. They will weigh from 6-10 pounds and taste like chickens used to taste. I would do this from chicks but chicks cost money and these are free and would be disposed of anyway. So I get chicks that are half grown and run from there.

These pictures were taken of the first one we built. The one I have now is just like it with a few mods. I added a 5 gallon drip water system and a feed trough on the side.

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## rocky1 (Jan 13, 2017)

That tent lookin thing up there that Clay started to explain, with the bicycle wheels on it, would be a Chicken Tractor.

(_Yes you could have Googled that one, oh master of search!_)

But anyhow, they come in assorted shape and sizes.

More on Chicken Tractors

( _I can't believe you didn't Google that, even Wikipedia knows what a Chicken Tractor is!_)

They got Rabbit Tractors too!! An goat tractors, an sheep tractors, an pig tractors...

Personally, I prefer big Green Tractors!!

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Tony (Jan 13, 2017)

You're doing all the good Clay, that's one hell of a haul, both lumber and birds! Tony

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Mr. Peet (Jan 13, 2017)

@Clay3063 

Nice pictures Clay. As for the roots up in the split, it may have been a seedling, or just adventitous roots. Lots of species just develop roots when in contact with soil. Not saying it is the case, saying it is a possibility.

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## gman2431 (Jan 13, 2017)

Nice wood. My wife has been wanting a moveable chicken trailer for years now and I'm not building one... I build something bigger than what we already have and guess what happens next? More dam chickens.... Lol. 

They already scare me enough sneaking into the shop on me when i leave the door open.

Reactions: Funny 6


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## Clay3063 (Jan 13, 2017)

gman2431 said:


> Nice wood. My wife has been wanting a moveable chicken trailer for years now and I'm not building one... I build something bigger than what we already have and guess what happens next? More dam chickens.... Lol.
> 
> They already scare me enough sneaking into the shop on me when i leave the door open. View attachment 120301



That's funny right there. I don't care who you are. 

We've got 28 laying hens and 2 roosters too.

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