In fall I take about two gallons of ordinary gravel, pick out and discard any chunks larger than about half an inch and then run the balance through an ordinary pasta sieve to remove sand that is also discarded.

The remainder is used on icy sidewalks. I heat approximately a pint in a baking pan on top of the wood stove, and when the temperature reaches too hot to handle without oven mitts, I scatter this on the ice. The heat melts the ice and the cold freezes the pebbles solidly in place giving a 100 per cent reliable grip.

The post That’s a good idea appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Grain storage on the Prairies is undergoing rapid change — no more wooden box granaries, just huge, metal silos. In consequence there are a lot of empty old-style granaries farmers are simply disposing of for firewood or burning on site and burying the nails.

I converted two of them into huts — one bunkhouse and one double-bed unit, for a cost of about $2,500 for both.

Right now these are used for family and are not used for income, although I’m sure I would have no problem renting them out — kind of like camping without the tent. Perhaps my idea may be useful for some other rural folks looking to add to their income.

I dug a small pond for use as an old-style “swimming hole” and added a 300-gallon plastic water tank nearby for smaller kids to use.

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While new installations are best done by professionals (they know fire regulations), simple replacements of an approved stove are another matter — primarily a matter of all-out work.

I am in the process of replacing an existing workshop stove with a used one. It’s an ancient heavy-duty monster with a huge firebox. There is virtually no metal heat erosion and only one firebrick has been noticeably damaged. However, whatever was being boiled on its surface had run over onto the top and sides resulting in disfiguring but very shallow rust staining (resulting in a low asking price).

An hour with a rotating steel brush in an electric drill worked wonders and after a coat of spray paint the stove looks virtually new. I paid $50 delivered, so for all intents and purposes I have an all-but-new stove ready for hookup for $60 and a couple of hours of labour.

The post Looking for a wood stove? appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Are you a quilter or maybe have someone in your life who quilts? Here’s the perfect way to store flat measuring tools. Cut a block of wood 14 inches long, 5 inches wide and 4 inches deep, then slice in a series of grooves lengthwise spaced approximately 5/8 of an inch apart. These grooves are one table saw blade in width and 3 inches deep. This will leave an inch of solid wood below to provide stability and substance.

This may be one of the least complicated projects you’ve ever done. It may also turn out to be one of the most useful.

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FREELANCE CONTRIBUTOR

Those of us who enjoy feeding birds are always open to new ideas on feeding stations if they are effective especially against squirrels. While squirrels are entertaining they can be a nuisance, as they are astonishingly acrobatic and will catapult themselves onto feeders in locations one might think impossible, and keep the birds away.

One feeder I ve tried is simply an empty 45-gallon metal drum. It has plenty of flat surface area (two feet across) with a half-inch side lip (to keep seeds from blowing) and is about three feet in height. It is tall enough to frustrate both squirrels and cats if the only access is from ground level. Even if a cat is able to leap up and get its front feet over the edge, it doesn t find the back foot traction needed to draw itself up and over.

A usage limitation is that the bottom of the drum is also solid, and if set on grass will smother anything alive underneath, limiting use to on a gravel base unless grass damage is not an issue.

A second new feeder is set on a two-inch metal post clad in aluminum dryer pipe, designed to frustrate squirrel foot traction. (A squirrel can actually climb a corroded steel pipe.)

I used drill stem pipe eight feet in length, solidly top filled with six inches of wood and pre-drilled to accept a three-inch lag screw. The front-end loader made short work of installation leaving five feet above ground. I then slipped used dryer pipe over the top and down. The feeder was pre-drilled on centre and installation was simply a matter of lining up the screw and tightening.

I ve found small birds don t like recessed feeders that impede their view of potential enemies. Accordingly, I built the feeder with a recessed centre tray for larger birds and wing additions on each side for chickadees, woodpeckers and finches. I also added small risers on each of the upper shelves to keep seeds from drifting in the wind.

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Smaller birds like to feed from the side wings rather than the recessed centre, so they can watch for approaching enemies.PHOTO: STAN HARDER

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Now s the time to caulk cracks around wooden windows to prevent moisture from entering and starting the process of rotting. Once begun, rot will accelerate, damaging both casing and window.

Caulking guns are awkward to handle and extrusion can be hit and miss due to uneven pressure, causing unsightly smears and uneven lines.

There is an alternative. Putting the caulking material into a 20-cc syringe creates a very manageable and efficient tool. The syringe is lightweight, relatively short, the plunger tiny, and extrusion can be accomplished with little pressure assuring an even, constant flow. If the syringe bead is too small, a second pass is no problem and a finger run along this line creates a nice concave fill that blends in well with its surroundings.

Storage is simple as the tip will seal on its own, readily reopened by the thrust of a small nail. The plunger end is held airtight by its rubber ring and will move easily forward even months later.

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With four unused window screens (16-1/2×26 inches), some one-inch chicken wire, 1×4 boards, a few staples and wood screws, I created a 67x28x25-inch cage. Building instructions are easy and can be determined by the photos.

For half a day in the shop I was able to make an escape-proof cage that is sturdy, light and safe.

The post Construct A Pen For Small Animals appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

With visiting grandchildren now interested in playing, I needed a backstop that was easy to erect and dismantle. I used an 8×10-foot canvas as background with one eight-foot end attached to a bar approximately six feet from the ground, the four foot remnant (of the 10-foot length) curled in a roll at the base. There are only top and side supports which create the necessary “pocket” to stop the ball which drops down to be caught by this roll. Retrieval is merely a matter of having the batter reach down and toss the ball back to the pitcher.

I constructed the wooden stand to be easily dismantled for storing at summer’s end, but this proved to be unnecessarily complicated. Yes, it can be erected and dismantled by tightening/loosening two bolts, but the bracing would be much simpler if I had merely used two 4×4 posts buried two feet in the ground and slotted on top to accept a 1×4-inch board as the cross member. If I were to build this again, that is how I would do it.

Hooks holding the canvas are “S”-shaped tarp strap holders available in most hardware stores, held in place on the crossbar by barbed fence wire staples. This allows me to easily remove the canvas for night and during windy days to reduce undue vibration pressure on the supports.

For us grandparents, this innovation is a blessing. Some may be able to stoop, stretch and turn sharply for hours on end. We cannot, so this solution allows me to still be able to get out there and play ball with the grandkids.

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A favourite is the chickadee. Even on the coldest of mornings chickadees faithfully arrive at the feeders, and their cheerful “Hi sweetie” calls brighten the day.

One species that I came to dislike when cattle ranching was the magpie. They would savagely attack unattended newborn calves on any soft body parts (including eyes), and this same aggressive behaviour comes out at bird feeders when fat has been set out. Magpies crowd out all other species and even lower ranks of their own. For years I’ve tried various methods of foiling them since they won’t just eat what they need, they will totally strip the supply and hide it, leaving little or nothing for anything else including the beloved chickadees.

Through trial and error I devised a plan that meets the goal of feeding chickadees and woodpeckers while locking out magpies. I used to hang out a log drilled with holes, each of which was filled with lard. This worked well until magpies showed up. In a matter of minutes one after the other would load up until the log was an empty shell. Repeated refills did not change anything – only encouraging them to keep hanging around. I tried enclosing the logs in wire cages but they learned to cling to the dividers and reach through the spaces or fly in from the open bottom.

And then by accident I discovered something that helped to discourage them. I had filled the holes as usual, and finding a few ounces of fat left over, smeared this randomly over the outside of the log, somewhat like buttering toast.

Magpies came and went. The holes were licked clean but the wall of the log was untouched. There wasn’t the fat depth needed for a meaningful grip. Chickadees and woodpeckers however, clung to the rough, ribbed walls and cleaned up over a period of days with frustrated magpies taking only empty aerial runs until they were finally persuaded there was nothing to be gained and disappeared.

I no longer fill the log holes and this is working very well.

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For years I enjoyed the companionship of fine cats and dogs as they contributed immensely to the day-to-day pleasure of living, but as some like to say – “not no more.” When my last cat and dog passed on peacefully enough, I chose not to find replacements.

However, I have found alternatives. Skunks! Plain, ordinary, black and white Prairie skunks. In the strict sense of the word though, they are not “mine” at all. They are free to come and go as they please – and they do.

Skunks have many admirable qualities applicable to farm rodent control. They are superb mousers and any place open to them is pretty well guaranteed to be free of such infestation. They have astounding smell capabilities and their lumbering gait when travelling on the field or road belies their surprising dexterity and agility.

Owning pets is generally not about money, but cats and dogs, if properly cared for, consume a fair amount of dollars. Wild skunks on the other hand, clearly come out smelling considerably sweeter, so to speak. There are no vet fees, no spaying or neutering, no vaccination shots, no flea collars or worm pills. There are no heated watering bowls to fill or daily year-round food rations. When snow covers fields and yards, sheltering mice for the season, skunks are in burrows or under buildings for the duration of the winter.

I do feed them in autumn however, when they are fattening for hibernation – usually from September to the end of October – and then I don’t see them till the first warm days of spring. Again, I feed them for a few weeks until one day they no longer show up for my food, preferring to live off nature’s bounty. Skunks disperse for the summer, usually leaving a couple of females denned around the yard.

The key to good relationships with skunks is not to startle them. They are actually very reluctant to spray and will do so only under serious provocation, but since they mostly sleep during the day there is little danger of contact. That is the beauty of skunks for mouse control. While I sleep they are at work, and while I work they are asleep.

I do confess to having been “skunked” once but it was entirely my fault. It was almost dark and I had begun fall feeding in an old barn. As I was approaching the door, I decided to kick a foil plate that had been dragged outside, back into the building. The noise, combined with the fact that the plate nearly landed on the skunk was too much of a surprise. One spraying in about 15 years isn’t a bad average though.

Cats and dogs as pets? Absolutely. But if you want professional mousers that don’t want to live in the house, are inexpensive to “own” and quite peaceful, be kind to the next skunk that visits your farm. However, if you own fowl of any kind, don’t do it. A skunk’s appetite includes anything with feathers and believe me, they will find them no matter how secure the fowl’s housing. Also, skunks are one of the creatures listed as rabies carriers, so prudence is called for in any interaction.

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