Recent content by gtaus

  1. gtaus

    DIYer's - Testing my old Power Tool batteries

    If I buy another off brand Ryobi 40v battery, I will be able to test it out and get a good reading on the true capacity of the battery - before the 30 day return period. I have heard that many of the off brand batteries are built with used batteries, possibly at the end of their lives. That...
  2. gtaus

    DIYer's - Testing my old Power Tool batteries

    Yeah, now I can put some numbers and percentages on my old batteries. My idea is to move the weak batteries to use in things like a flashlight, keeping the stronger batteries for the saws and drills. I was happy to see that even my old batteries are still doing quite well, better than I hoped...
  3. gtaus

    best, biggest wood chipper for farm?

    Well, if you have 2000 stumps, maybe renting a machine and finishing the project in your lifetime is the better option. I have had some success using a farm jack to pull out small stumps. That might be an option if you don't mind putting in some sweat equity into your project. Here is a YouTube...
  4. gtaus

    (Dis)Advantages to using battery powered chainsaws

    UPDATE: I told you all about my Amazon off brand Ryobi 40v battery bad experience. I just got a battery capacity load tester from Amazon this week and have been checking out some of my batteries. Here is a link to that specific thread. DIYer's - Testing my old Power Tool batteries Anyways, I'm...
  5. gtaus

    best, biggest wood chipper for farm?

    It's hard to justify spending lots of money on a wood chipper for a small intended use of wood chips. Might be better off buying bagged wood chips mulch at Menards, 4 bags for $10.00 on sale. Way cheaper than buying a chipper that you might not need. Stump removal can really be a pain in the...
  6. gtaus

    DIYer's - Testing my old Power Tool batteries

    Have you even wondered how much battery life is left in your old power tool batteries? Well, I do. I bought into the Ryobi line of tools 15+ years ago. I have some batteries that are 10+ years old. I decided to buy a battery load tester to see how well some of my old Ryobi batteries are holding...
  7. gtaus

    Can a coop have too much space?

    As to ventilation, we here in Minnesota typically are more concerned about our cold winter months. Here is a link to a good article on Coop ventilation: Here’s exactly how much your chickens need. Basically, for us in Minnesota, we need about 3-4 square feet of ventilation for the coop in cold...
  8. gtaus

    Can a coop have too much space?

    In a word, no. Most people would want a larger coop for their birds. If you have more space than you need, section off part of the shed to use for storage of feed and other poultry supplies. BTW, if you use deep bedding in your shed conversion coop, you would probably be able to go a year or...
  9. gtaus

    Hey hey... Southern Minnesota Chicken lady!

    :welcome Welcome to the forum! I'm from northern Minnesota, so I guess we can both complain about the cold weather coming this winter. My chickens will not go outside in the snow. Anyways, recommend you add your geographic location to your member icon. It helps people target their advice to...
  10. gtaus

    best, biggest wood chipper for farm?

    :caf First thing I would ask, why do you need wood chips? My setup: I have a small electric wood chipper that is good up to 1.5 inches. That is great for really small jobs, like picking up dropped branches around the house after a good wind blow. Cost was less than $150.00. I have an older...
  11. gtaus

    I'm thinking of starting a garden, tips?

    Yes. Throwing all that yard clean up material into a hügelkultur bed is a good use of wood and leaves. But I have wood and yard clean up stuff year-round. I built my most recent hügelkultur raised beds this spring right before planting and they are working out great. My hügelkultur beds drop...
  12. gtaus

    Taking chickens to a vet question

    :idunno Well, I guess we have different approaches, but I'm glad you felt your money was well spent. Nobody should want to see an animal suffer. Appreciate the response.
  13. gtaus

    Chicken Medical Costs

    This is why I continue to read threads on BYC forum, even for issues that don't immediately affect me. It's advice like this helps me if/when I have to deal with these issues. The only thing I might add is that I would consider putting Albina in a chicken hospital, away from the other birds...
  14. gtaus

    Need help deciding where to put nesting boxes in my coop

    I understand. There seems to be two camps on that issue. I hope your chickens will stop laying their eggs on the poop board when you get your nest boxes installed. Please let us know how that works out for you. You got a number of good suggestions to consider for your setup. Only you can decide...
  15. gtaus

    Question: wood chips from coop and composting

    It's never too late to start composting in the run. There is plenty of time left this summer to toss in grass clippings, etc... and get things going good. It's just basically a cold composting system, so it just needs time to sit and decompose. The chickens scratching and pecking all the litter...
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