COVID 19 and your plans

[IronWarriors3/354]

Although we haven't *needed* to, we have decided to start using some of our aging preps. Even though we haven't been shopping since the end of February, we still have a couple of months of current food stocks before we needed to start hitting the preps.

With all of that said, we have decided to start using up some of our older preps, just to keep them from going to the dump. Y'all may have read about our 8 year old MREs. Today's lunch was canned ham and Kraft Mac & Cheese. Both had "Best By" dates of sometime in 2015. We haven't had Kraft Mac & Cheese since probably about the time that box was produced, usually opting to make it from scratch. We noticed no discernable difference in taste or consistency from what we expected.

Edit: Good to see you around IronWarrior

Thanks Kick more and more now days had me thinking about these AA forums. Working from home 10 a day plus doing the guns on the side busy times. And yes I agree on that I did have to throw away two buckets of homemade preps as they aged out. I was willing to try em but they lady was not so thrilled with the idea. LOL.

[kickstand]

Although we haven't *needed* to, we have decided to start using some of our aging preps. Even though we haven't been shopping since the end of February, we still have a couple of months of current food stocks before we needed to start hitting the preps.

With all of that said, we have decided to start using up some of our older preps, just to keep them from going to the dump. Y'all may have read about our 8 year old MREs. Today's lunch was canned ham and Kraft Mac & Cheese. Both had "Best By" dates of sometime in 2015. We haven't had Kraft Mac & Cheese since probably about the time that box was produced, usually opting to make it from scratch. We noticed no discernable difference in taste or consistency from what we expected.

Edit: Good to see you around IronWarrior

[IronWarriors3/354]

Im guessing most on her were ready for this anyways, this is basically what brought us all together on this forum. I havnt had to break into any of the stock at all but have been making regular supply runs about once a week, mostly for beer and whiskey :-p On a side note gun sales have been off the charts although I am conducting most business on my patio now days. ATFE says as long as its on the property of the FFL address I am good. Seeing a lot more open carry going on here in Oregon then normally too. Living in a smallish town has its advantages here. Hope all you AA brothers and sisters are doing good. Ride it out there will be light at the end of this tunnel just remember to diversify all preps including your finances.

[0utlaw]

I think getting supplies while they're available is the best course of action. Gear up, mask, gloves, gun. If it lasts much longer supply chains are going to break.

[kickstand]

What would you do?

Mrs Stand and I have enough food for several more months of quarantine, if necessary. Some of it might not be thrilling to consume, but it's there. I would guess that we have enough TP for another two to three months, maybe a little longer. Paper towels, maybe 2 weeks, but we can do without those. Our Deep Freezer is still about 1/2 full, mostly of meats, some frozen veggies and other misc stuff.

The cat gets dry cat food mixed with wet cat food, twice a day. We will be running out of wet cat food in about three weeks, but we have a decent supply of canned chicken (people food) that we can use instead.

We have enough dog food for probably another 6 to 8 weeks.

Mrs Stand and I are both in higher risk categories for COVID being deadly.

I'm told that stores "in town" (20+ miles away, 100k people) are starting to get things back in stock. With the exception of a couple of low contact, limited supply trips to the local Stop-N-Rob, we have been at home since the end of February. We really want to just avoid town all together if possible.

The only reason that I am considering making a supply run is the possibility of supply line failures as the various lockdown restrictions are lifted. I would hate to wait too long, only to find out that the supply lines have broken down, and no meat, TP, or other necessities are to be found anywhere.

With all that information, would you just stay home, or risk making a supply run to town soon? If I go to town, I will be wearing an R95 mask.

[kickstand]

A prodigal son. Welcome back miatitude. Did you ever get those pecan trees in?

[miatadude]

No holes in our preps. Luckily, we are good on masks and gloves. I had a dozen N95's on my workbench and always keep 3-4 boxes of nitrile gloves as I use them when working on cars and equipment. Both the wife ans I work for a government agency that keeps the planes apart. We are not controllers but are on the technical side. She is working from home and I work 8 days on, 6 off. We have reduced staffing at our facility with some people working from home. We don't have chickens yet, but my good friend and neighbor up the road has plenty. I help them out with my tractor and they keep us in eggs. We have some of our 2 big gardens planted. Waiting on the soil temps to come up before planting corn, green beans, butter beans, black eyed peas and okra. Y'all stay safe and healthy.

[redman2006]

If they have been washed, they should be refrigerated, but if not, they can stay out for a long time. Clean nesting material, and the eggs are clean when laid. You don't need to do much with them.

[W.Lynn]

I tried, really, I did. A few years ago I tried raising chickens for meat and eggs. No matter what I did, it just didn't work out. For what I spent on supplies, I could have bought top-dollar Organic, Cage Free, golden eggs from chickens hand fed by the Dalai Lama. Unfortunately, my "Brown Thumb" gardening skills transferred directly to my livestock skills, and they had all crossed that Rainbow Bridge within 9 months after producing less than 4 dozen eggs in total.

I have finally found a local family farm about a mile from me that is willing to sell me "farm-fresh" eggs. I believe that it is just a small family that has some chickens, and have some extra eggs that they are willing to make a couple of bucks on. Yeah me! I hope to continue to buy from them even after the current crisis passes.

My question is: is there any washing / sanitizing procedure that I should enact for them? I got my first two dozen eggs on Friday. They all appear clean, I see no poop or other debris stuck on them.

Historic egg preservation.

https://youtu.be/yUYgguMz1qI

[W.Lynn]

You do know that it goes with the Lime disease.

I don't even like it well enough to get a six-pack.

[0utlaw]

In reference to the cost, I kept notes and records to start with but it was to damned depressing to realize what they cost. We finally decided we were going to keep birds as a prep against food shortages and like most long term preps they just weren't going to be cheap. The last month has born out the wisdom of keeping them; we have been, like usual, overrun with eggs and been steadily giving them away to neighbors and people at Church. The only difference is now they're all telling us how there haven't been eggs in the store for weeks.
I had one neighbor tell me "You could be making a killing off these eggs right now", (that was, of course, after he had his eggs in hand) but we like to look at it as a way to maintain an unofficial barter economy of sorts. Although we never ask for money or goods in return for eggs we have received a steady supply of fresh vegetables, deer meat, sausage, honey and free labor when those neighbors have an abundance or hear we have a need. To keep that type of trading and goodwill a normal thing is worth the cost of some scratch feed and a little labor to us.

[olfart]

Sounds like a snake problem. The Texas Rat Snake (aka chicken snake in these parts) is notorious for grabbing the head of a chicken and trying to swallow it. When it gets caught in his throat, he spits the chicken out, leaving the chicken lying on its belly with the neck stretched straight out. If you found any of yours in that position that's the likely culprit. If the heads were pulled off and guts strung out, you have a possum or weasel, maybe a skunk. That's why I emphasize a secure house and pen.

[kickstand]

We do refrigerate them. As for what was killing them, I don't know. Never had a bunch of birds, I think 4 or 5 was our Max. I would come out to find one dead in the pen. I caught one eating the other's eggs, so I dispatched her. Found a bull snake in the pen that couldn't get back through the chicken wire with the egg that he just swallowed. Then another dead one in the pen. Since we didn't know what was killing them, we never butchered or ate them. It just never did very good.

[0utlaw]

We fill the sink with lukewarm water and a few drops of antibacterial dish soap and put the eggs in, any that float are discarded. After they soak a few minutes wipe them off let them set on a towel until they dry and then refrigerate them. If you don't wash them right away they'll keep for a month or so on the counter until you do, after they are washed they need to be refrigerated.

[olfart]

IF they show apparent signs of poop, wipe them clean with a damp rag. No poop, no wipe. They'll last longer if the protective coating is not removed from the shell. The farmer probably did all the poop removal before selling them to you. If you plan long-term storage without refrigeration, wipe them with a light coat of mineral (NOT engine) oil and put them in a basket or bowl in the kitchen.

What was killing your chickens when you had them? Any symptoms of illness, or a predator problem? If you have a secure house and pen for them, they don't require much maintenance.