Pig Pen Construction, Step 3...and more

Well, this is step 3 of construction.  I added another layer of pallets laying the other direction because we had an escape.  Thanks to Corrina and Mindy the pigs are back in the pen now.

This is the trench I dug today to run electricity from the shed to the barn.  All I got out so far is the top layer of sod, I will dig about another foot down.

This is the electrical box I installed in the shed, the old one was a glass circuit breaker type but this new one have re-set able breakers.

Here are our broilers...getting bigger everyday!

This is the right side of the barn where the broilers are now, we are working on the plans for a new coop here, I'm sure more pics will follow soon.

Here is our other current project, we will be screening in this area with, hopefully, removable screen panels.

New Egg Incubator

Here are all 30 Rhode Island Red eggs that arrived in the mail.

Ready to go in the incubator

Here they are in the incubator, above them is the water to supply ample humidity.

This is the front of the incubator.  On the left is a digital thermometer, and on the right is the hole I stick my arm in to turn the eggs twice a day.

This is the top, in the middle is the viewing window and above it is a pipe and funnel to fill the water.  With the hole in the front and funnel on top I will never have to open the incubator until the eggs hatch.  Hopefully this will help to keep a more constant environment and better hatch rate!

Pig Pen Construction, Step 2

Here is the pig pen and tennants.

Its not pretty but so far it works and it was FREE!

Close up of Three and Kai-Lan

Broilers are getting big already, they will be spending their first night outside tonight.

Here is our rainwater collector, made from an old fuel oil tank.  We need to install some gutters on the roof for more collection.

Pig Pen Construction, Step 1

This will be the site for the new pig pen, it is on the left side of the turkey pen

Yesterday Wes went into town to find pallets to build with, here are the 8 footers he found. The spaces between the boards are a little wide but he will take apart some of the small or broken ones to fill spaces.

Here are the smaller ones he found, I think we will have enough to do what we want to do with them. 

We will be putting everything together in the next few days, we will post pics as we take them.

Welcome

Welcome to our new blog, Functional FARM Unleashed!

We have been very busy getting our hobby farm up and going. Currently, we have 1 dog, 1 parrot, 25 meat chickens, 1 rooster,  2 turkeys, 25 Rhoad Island Red eggs coming in the mail, 4 pheasants (more hatching as I type), and new today... 2 hogs.

Tyler named the hogs Three and Kai-lan... nice :-)

I will work on adding pictures as much as possible. I probably won't be adding very many video's because they take so long to load, but I'll try.

Here are some background notes to catch everyone up since we moved back to the States...

We bought my great grandmothers house with 4 acres. Wes and I are bothing going to school full time. I actually graduate in 2 months! Wes works hard on the farm while I work at MC Sports in Gaylord. We own mobile fitness company and its going pretty well. Tyler is always busy and loves to help on the farm. He will be turning 3 this summer (my little boy is growing up).

Anyways... Check back often because we will be adding new pictures and info as much as we can.