COVID 19 and your plans

[kickstand]

Congrats on 50 years! Please give my condolences to your misses.

Preps & holes: When we saw COVID really starting to spread, we went into self isolation on Feb 28 /29. We have left our property as little as possible since then. We have not even tried to go to Walmart or Sam's Club since then.

I took that bunch of bad canned food to the dump today, so I guess that I can call "food rotation" a major hole in my preps.

I'm torn about chickens. Half of me really wants to get set up and try raising them again. The other half tells me that it's just one more thing that's just another PITA. My last attempt was a major clusterfart. We're down to two dogs and one cat. Since this is the first year that we'll both be out of work, we can take those critters on vacation, weekend fishing trips in the mountains, etc. Adding chickens would really make that impossible again.

I am trying to find a local farm to source eggs from, but have had no joy yet. With COVID19, I guess that everyone else is too. I've put ads on Craigslist in both the Wanted and Farm/Garden sections, but have had no response to date. What I'm trying to set up is a relationship going forward, even after things get back to normal. Luckily, I've been able to buy eggs from the local Family Dollar store, so we haven't gone without. In fact, I went and got a dozen today. The store is asking that customers limit purchases of eggs to 1 dozen, as their stock is lower than usual. I can respect that. I still want to find a farmer.

I kind of feel the same way about a garden as I do about chickens. The last time that I tried growing anything other than weeds (yes, there IS an "S" on the end of that!) was in 2014. That was the year that we went to Wyoming in the summer. I had friends come over to take care of the dogs, and I asked them to water the garden, as I had chile and corn planted. They walked the hose right past the tilled and rowed garden and made sure that the bamboo growing on the property line was well watered, thinking it was my corn. It was 107°F out. The chile and corn didn't make it. But in all honesty, I can't say that it would have faired any better if I had tended it...my Brown Thumb is almost legendary.

So far, I think that the only thing that we've needed to go "to town" for was pet food. A 28 lb bag of dog food lasts us about 4 to 5 weeks. When we saw the writing on the wall at the end of February, we had just opened a bag, and had one in reserve. I went and bought another one, just in case. We still have 2 unopened bags.

Cat food, we buy it for 36 days at a time. I know that sounds odd, but 1 can does 3 days when mixed with dry food, and we buy 12 cans at a time. Although we had some, we got an extra 12 cans. I may have to get more before this is over.

We are almost out of paper plates. Certainly not the end of the world, since I was cutting down on using them before this madness. I bought an extra 6-pack of paper towels at the Family Dollar store a couple of weeks ago. We're just about to open it.

We are good on TP, for probably another 2 months. Luckily, we haven't needed to try to buy any since all this started, as I hear that it's still difficult to find. I probably should have checked the Family Dollar store today, but TP wasn't on my Mission Critical list for today, so I didn't even think about it. Yes, those Klondike bars WERE on the Mission Critical list, so hush!

I do wish that I had more hamburger and chicken in the deep freeze, as I'm about out of both. I guess that I'll have to survive on T-bones, NY Strips, beef roasts, various cuts of pork and racks of ribs that are still in good supply in that deep freeze.

Although still good on corn tortillas, I am currently out of flour tortillas. I should probably learn how to make them. Maybe...

Our Comrade Governor has asked that anyone out in public wear a mask. Not N95 masks, since Healthcare workers need those. Ok, I don't have any N95 masks. I, like everyone else in the world, will try to get some after a return to normal. I do have a few paper dust masks from Harbor Freight that I use when mowing, several Scott P100 screw-on type filters that I haven't found a respirator for yet, and one coveted 3M R95 mask. Hey, it's not N95, shut up! Oh yeah, I do have my Spy vs Spy style Israeli gas mask, but I'm not quite ready to wear that to the store yet. I wore one of the paper dust masks to the Family Dollar today: I was the only person in the store wearing any sort of mask. I think that I saw 5 people in the store, including the 2 cashiers.

[RD]

In our part of the world, most people are parked at home. unfortunately I am one of those "essential" fellers who get to go out and play with the idiots. This area has started to see more infections most are from those who traveled out of the area. My route runs me from Topeka to Manhattan ks, Manhattan is up to like 10 at the moment. Yesterday my biggest shipping customer sent everyone home yesterday because there was a chance that an employee my be positive. That customer is bulk of shipments I pick up in manhattan and if they shutter, I may just get some stay at home time which would be bad. If all this continues for very long, I'm afraid my company won't survive. I will just cross that bridge if that time comes, until then I will keep doing. Today I will do errands for essentials fuel the truck for next work week, Liquor store, grocery store "G" usually does that chore but doesn't want to take any chances. I don't worry or can't about all of this, I do believe being watchful of ones surroundings and use of common sense goes along ways.

All take care

RD

[kickstand]

Hole in my preps: Nitrile gloves. I usually have a decent supply on hand from Harbor Freight. Current supply = None. And that's not even the "one is none" kinda none. It's the none is none kind.

On the plus side, as I'm continuing to clear out the barn, I came across an unopened pack of 15 dust masks, a decent amount of various sized lead pills ready to be loaded, and a bottle of Honey Whiskey that the Mrs likes.

[W.Lynn]

Well they have talked our little corner of the world into panicking too, we have zero reported cases, no cases in any of the surrounding counties but the sheep have emptied the Walmart of every single roll of toilet paper.....toilet paper. Still plenty of water, food, even most OTC medicines but not a square of toilet paper, I'll never understand the sheeple mentality.

You do realize that for many people, a stay-home order means they're going to have to eat their own cooking. In many cases, for the first time EVER!

[redman2006]

Eggs have gone through the roof here, if you can find them

We have a chicken plant here that just opened to individual sales. 40lbs of boneless skinless brest$40, low quarters, 40 lbs for $14. It is in a vacuum sealed bag and frozen.

Milk being dumped by the tanker load and can't be sold because it is not pasteurized.

Beef in not to be had in any form, but we do have a local small scale processing plant that is butchering, and we my buy from them, but our sheep, goats and pigs have us in meat for now.

Peanut butter and ramen are the things I hear people complain about with kids being at home.

Tp is Mia, but office supply stores have large cases online.

Paper towels for work are hard to find.

[kickstand]

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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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

[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.

[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.