# Come on get in the truck and ride w/ me



## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

I'm going over to Mamas and check the cows,ride w/ me and lets see what we can see. The other day w/ the melted bottles the message I was trying to convey is that it is hot and dry. Fourteen straight days at 100+ no rain in two months. Here we are riding into Steedman, lets check the river, Edisto longest black water river in the US. A Black Water River is one that forms in hardwood swamps. It's the tannin. Seems a little low don't it,well a lot low as you can see.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

Here's what left of the Barr Plantation house Dr. Ridgell pushed it down in 81 and dared anyone to touch it. He was one mean man,enough money to burn a wet mule and more land than God.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

The Barr mill on Lightwood Knot Creek


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

He didn't make it home. He got it at picket post no. 5 someplace in Virginia. It was not allways a rich mans war and a poor mans fight.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

Miss Panseys store in Sameria. Killer bottle collection inside the rest of the store is straight out of the 30s.You never took a bottle out of this store.


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## tombstone (Aug 22, 2007)

more please


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

Barr mill pond w/ old RR trestle going across.


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## bikegoon (Aug 22, 2007)

Very cool!


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

The pond is down for repair now this plase is for Dr.s and Lawyers and such. Real jerks I know there something good around here. Let's ride by the Merrit Place.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

This is about all that remains of one of the houses. I've got some stones from it at the house. The other house was on the other side ot the creek.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

Ya really can't tell it,but where up on a bluff prob 40-50 up. There was a huge pond here. On other side is the locks where they raised and lowered the timber rafts.That's Chinquapin Creek below. We better get the hell out of here,cause to be here luckley the gate was open. This is now part of Scott woodlands and Collum lumber,and Bills a ....well. They wouldn't say that much to me,but it's deer season and ya know how they are.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

I don't think we ever gonna get to them cows. Now we have done turned around and drove to the other side of the creek. This is the Merritt Slave Graveyard. Lets go check the cows.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

This land is for sale.This side of the creek,not the first two pics. This sides better. 800 acres.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

Man look at this the cows aint nothing to eat,look at that grass. Guess I'm gonna hafta move em where I was gonna cut hay


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

The building on the right is a chiken house. Theres three of em 15,000 birds per x 3, six flocks a year for 30years I hate chikens.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

This is bad.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

Here they come in a cloud of dust.They want to cross the fence.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

Big un aint he.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

Yea he knos whos the boss. This crap is what was going to be cut for hay,but they gotta eat.Guess gotta sale mon. Think we'll keep seven. No hay for the winter. Lets hope we get .25 a Lb. yes that's .25 was getting .55-.61 for the cows 4 mo. ago. Calves were bring .90 lets see what happens. Wanna buy some cows,just think steak .25 lb. Listen you knew we wher going to check the cows,now lets see the pond.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

Damn it boy there aint no water in my pond. This is real bad,but I can make something happen they gotta drink too.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

Well so much for that, man this is not good. I heard ol' Wayne B. caugth some fellers from N.C. down here stealing hay, a 100 miles is a long way to drive to steal and ya know theres none for sale. Walter E. is feeding his watermellons now. Worst I've seen in near 50 years. Let's stop by Rock Creek on the way home.


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## RICKJJ59W (Aug 22, 2007)

Nice pix ..........relaxing[]


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

Boy,this thing is bone dry.Never seen this. I spent many an hour here as a kid. I still like coming here,killer place to catch one. Looks a lot better w/ water. Wanna walk or ride over to Chinquapin? It's only 1/4 mile,wait it's 101 out here and you wanna walk,Ok lets ride.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

Man dry here too,should be lots of water here. I guess the only water we got is from the waste treatment 5 mi. up stream. Be careful this has allways been a good place to bust your butt. This creek and Lightwood Knot meet at my house to make the N. Edisto.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

Heres whats left of this old mill as kids we were actually smart enough not play in there. It was in the air and was a case of death waiten to happen. Ok lets go back home the long way.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

This is what we call The Wash Hole party and a swim. It's the remains of Gen. Paul Quattlebaums mill pond at his plantation Pinearea. It blew out on the right in 1893 and the water washed a hole out so deep it aint got no bottom and I aint got a pic. of it


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

This is where the General is buried along with his son and son-in-law. Where the flags are. The Gen. was a signer of The Ordnance of Sucession and is an Uncle of mine. His father lived upstream a ways and thats where the Quattlebaum rifles where made. Got a Hall and a Quattlebaum rifle in our state musuem


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

They said the Gen. was never the same after the news of  this. This was the last or next to last battle of the war.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

Halls made rifles too. It was here.Not much too look at again,but it was 150 years ago.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

Georges pond is down too


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

My domain from my hill. The Barr place is to the right in the trees about a mile away


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

My castle comming down the hill. Do I live in the sticks or what? God I love it here! The Quattlebaum place is three miles straight and the Merritt is to the left a mile. This land has been in my family over 175 years


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## tigue710 (Aug 22, 2007)

that was a nice ride, I justr wish we had a little time to stop and dig, but o-well.  back to the big pic...  I'll be praying for rain for ya....


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

Hey Zane wanna build a scaffold,gonna get high.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

Hey Norene check this out. I take care of my dogs.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

Missed it just about thru


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

And my dogs take care of me


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

Well I'm glad everybody got to ride with me come back soon I know theres got to be some killer bottles and more waiten for you and I. Hey next time we'll go another way.


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## OsiaBoyce (Aug 22, 2007)

.


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## capsoda (Aug 23, 2007)

Hey Pat, That is some really great stuff. I'll go on a ride with you any time my friend coause I loved this one. I used to be in the sticks but them blasted carpet baggers are a movin in.


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## marjorie040 (Aug 23, 2007)

Osiaboyce,
 Thanks for the wonderful ride!!
 I too will pray for rain for you!! But wouldn't it be an opportune time to check out those river and creek beds for bottles or have you already done that over the years?
 I'd love to see another picture of the puppies!!
 Regards,


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## towhead (Aug 23, 2007)

Please, another picture of the dogs!  That one is a bit dark.  Thanks!


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## logueb (Aug 23, 2007)

Thanks for the ride Pat, That's some mighty fine country you got there.  I like the part about the land in the family all those years.  There are so many now that are selling those old farms around here.  They see all those $$$ signs in front of their eyes and the land is gone.  We're in the middle of a migration of Florida folks moving back into Georgia.  A lot have had enough of the hurricanes and are moving out of harm's way.  Hey Cap, would these be considered Southern Carpetbaggers? Moved south to Florida, now moving north to Georgia. They're making our property taxes skyrocket because of the prices they pay for land around here.  Oh well, that's progress.


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## sldavis (Aug 23, 2007)

Hello all,Its dry here in Illinios too,100 today with everthing dried up.Pollen in the air makes it hard to breath.Heck with the rain I want snow.Osia great thread it took me away for a few minutes Thank you Clinton


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## sldavis (Aug 23, 2007)

Let me try something close your eyes.You and a friend are driving down a country road.The leaves are changing and its about 60 degrees out.You round a turn and there is an old boy with a few tables set out full of bottles he dug in 1970.You say hello and he greets you and says all bottles $1.00.His wife comes out with apple cider and Ham and beans and cornbread.You buy all the Bitters he has and everyone relaxes on a bale of straw while the Canadian geese fly over.


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## Gunsmoke47 (Aug 23, 2007)

Clinton, it didn't work...... I closed my eyes like you said but then I couldn't read your post.[&o]  I opened them and read your post but the effect was gone.[&o] I would , however, buy any bitters bottle made, for a dollar![][] You know I'm just jerkin your chain![]  Kelley


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## RICKJJ59W (Aug 23, 2007)

HEY!!  that was my day today!!  to weird man[8D]


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## Whisperingwinds (Aug 24, 2007)

I enjoyed all the pictures....some of them Id love to save for my compositing in animation.
 May I?
 Thanks either way...they are great!
 -whisper


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

Had to sell off some more cows today.Our old bull went,got to getrid of the big eaters,but we have had some rain. I should be able to cut hay this week and there catching chikens so let's go check things out. Finally a nice day,to cool to be at this swimming hole.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

Well they got the equipment here,guess it's going to be a late start.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

Now that's a fan keeps air moving I'll show you how it works in a short.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

Now that's a bunch of chickens,if they only knew what the next 12 hrs. has in store for them.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

Now PETA people don't panic. See they do have some room to move around in.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

Like I said not so bad,can't say the same for they layers[egg].


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

Bet ya don't know what these are. These are Army Worms and what they do is eat your hay.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

This is them in action. This is a disaster. I will cut no hay now and will be forced to sell more cows.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

What next?


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

They don't miss much.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

Another look.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

30 acres of hay gone in 72 hrs. and by a worm. They'll turn in a little white moth and that'll be it. They don't get you all the time,but I could ill afford it now.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

Well let's head back to the house now. I grew up about a half mile from Mr. Jeffersons house here. I have never known this house to be lived in except for a six month period about 12 yr. ago. My mother got me invited in cause she knew I would love. My Mama said it was just like it was in the late 30s nothing changed since Mr. Jeff died in the early 40s unreal on the inside fully furnished w/ toc furniture-glassware. I was impressed. Befor the EPA they used to dump burnt oil on the dirt road to keep dust off the house and two OLD OLD women Miss. Ava and Miss Annie Rose used to sweep the yards never a blade of grass or leaf to be seen. They lived across the road.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

The old smoke house and to unoccupied for over 50 years the owners live 20 or so miles away.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

This is the head end of a water bottling plant. There is a huge pumping station a half mile down the hill,I'll have to take you there. There's something fishy going on here can't figure it out and no one here can. To much money being spent and not a drop of water bottled. It was started by a real bad guy who I think had ties to some real bad guys I mean real bad.Bad bad. Now I'm not saying the mob by any means.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

All right back home and Paulas got the grill a going


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

Look at this got baby daughter inside a cooking. Perty aint she? Hey Warren thanks for the compliment about my house. They all laughed at me when I started,they're not laughing now. Can you say no house payment I don't have to go to work if I don't want to. It's been seven years now maybe next year. Maws on my butt about getting my SS in. Like I'll live that long or it will even be there. Oh yea my house, all this is salvaged to I built the cabinets to fit my doors that I reclaimed.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

I can read minds they're thinking "Drop something"


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## capsoda (Sep 17, 2007)

Them army worms make good fish bait..... and if you sprat them with dawn dish washing liquid they will die and won't come back. Don't forget a few for fishin though.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

See what the dogs willed. Let's seem em get it.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

They're thinking "He doesn't actuall think I'm fixen this for him,He can put that camera down and fix his on"


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

Ya know it's hard to beat a good burger


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 17, 2007)

And how can you tell them NO,after all she says "Please". We'll go check them birds in the morning see how the catchings going.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 18, 2007)

Well it's early I guess by now the catcher are in,so let's go watch them work. These are not pretty pics.,but this is how you get your chicken.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 18, 2007)

These are allready loaded and ready to go see the Col.. Work starts here at 4AM should be through by 11. The catching used to start at dusk,but the dressing plants needed to change up,so now it's daylight catching.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 18, 2007)

We are a truck short,the catchers are in the van waiting as are these birds. Got to pen them to keep them from running all over. When we used to catch at dark the would settle down so they were easy to pick-up.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 18, 2007)

More behind the wire.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 18, 2007)

Trucks in time to get them birds. You usually tote 11-12 birds to the hand[meaning both] after several years of this your knuckles swell to about 3 times there normal size,none of these catchers had these kind of fingers to show you ,but not pleasent to look at.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 18, 2007)

This is catching chickens


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 18, 2007)

Puting them in the coops.Time was we used to have the trucks outside the houses and would have to tote them to the truck up a set of staires made out of coops. This was really hard work. You would tote them in the rain-sleet or what ever weather you had. Didn't matter just get them birds.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 18, 2007)

Here it is.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 18, 2007)

Here's some that didn't make the catch,but not to worry we won't sent these out to ya. Most likely these died of heart attacks from the food we give them. We grow a 6 lb. bird in six weeks super food. If you see a chicken on his back it was a heart attack. Remember I said they weren't pretty.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 18, 2007)

A cripple [splayed legs]you may or may not get.No fear if he makes it to the dressing plant they might find her and chunk her out.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 18, 2007)

Loading the trucks


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 18, 2007)

This fan is used to keep air moving on the birds,got to keep them cool. Chickens can not stant to get hot,they will die. Sometimes in the summer if it's hot you can loose thousands a day. I know people who have lost 15-20k in a day and these people do not help you pick them up,it's on you. Better hope you got a big family or friends to help.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 18, 2007)

Smaller fan for inside the house,like I said gotta keep that air moving.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 18, 2007)

What do we do with the dead chickens you might ask. In the 70s we would feed the dead to our brood sows[hogs love chicken dead or alive] then that got brought to grinding halt. Next was to dump them in a field and let the buzzards eat em.That got halted too and we have had a huge drop in the buzzard population here.Next were the pits which were 10,000gal drums that we dropped them in and they were nasty and stank real bad. Finally Clemson came up w/ this idea a chicken composter and that is what this is.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 18, 2007)

What we do is take some of these hardcakes,which is wood shavings[what we use for litter] and chicken crap that has gotten wet under the waters and caked up hence hardcakes,not to tasty I may add.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 18, 2007)

We will put a layer of this down and sometimes a layer of straw a layer of chickens and another of hardcake wet it down in this section,which repetes itself till the bin is full usually in 6 weeks. It will buid up a heat to around 150 degrees and compost the chickens in about 12 weeks. Belive it or not this does not smell or draw flies much.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 18, 2007)

And after a while you move to this bin and all you have left is some bones and a few feathers


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 18, 2007)

See. This stuff grows some wonderfull flowers has bone and blood already mixed in. The litter in the houses is spread on our fields or sold to ferdlizer cos. to make organic ferdlizer.


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## OsiaBoyce (Sep 18, 2007)

Now I know that this looks rough and nasty,but this is what the chicken you eat looks like down on the farm. Whether it's Sonny Purdues on some farm in Del. the farms around Gainsville Ga., Calif or Arkansas they are all about the same. I just thought you like to know some of the steps it went through before you picked it up at the Cols. or your local grociers shelf.


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## bigghouse (Sep 18, 2007)

i was wondering with all those creaks u have by if u ever found any bottles in them. 

 exspeccially by the mill!!


 the poor chickens!!!!
 1. they get hatched and live in cramed places
 2. they get fead super food to make them fat.
 3. they either get a heart attack or get killed.
 4. they get turned into furtilizer

 i'm glad i'm not a chicken!!
 RIP chickens
 hope u get the worms out of the hay!!

 anna


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## wonkapete (Sep 18, 2007)

Thanks for the pics!  Reminds me of GreenvilleGeorgiana, AL, where my family is from.  I will take pics next time I'm up that way.  My grandfather had 3 chicken houses too.  They are all gone except one, I think.


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## capsoda (Sep 18, 2007)

My cousin Charles used to own some production houses. Had to help him one winter when he was startin up. Got super cold over in DeFuniak Springs, FL and my job was to keep the heaters lit all night so the bitties wouldn't freeze and to keep them from bunchin up under the brooder lamps.

 Raised some chickens myself when I was single and first out of the Air Force. Sold alot of jumbo brown eggs for a buck a dozen to folks or 75 cents to stores. Bought cartons by the bunk and set up a sizing/grading lab with a washer. Had about 200 chickens that I used for laying and sold settin eggs, layin hens and prize roosters around the area. Love them domineckers, new hampshers and plymouths. Sold some real big prize roosters. Did pretty good with them too. Also had some quail for pickling eggs and meat.

 I got the wife some geese, about 20, no telling how many chickens and ducks.She also had about 60 guineas, a few turkeys, a peacock named Georgie, a couples of reas, 4 emus, 2 goats, 5 horses and a mix of dogs and cats. She also had a canadian snow goose and two wild mallards fly in a stay and a wild albino turkey that came to live with us. They did a write up in the Pensacola News Journal about he. The bird lady of Seminole, Al.


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## capsoda (Sep 18, 2007)

Here are the pics and as much of the article as I could scan and reduce to fit. She said I couldn't eat any of them cause they were pets but a few hit the pan anyway.
 You can see the reas, the male showing out for the camera and Cindy holding Huey the lead gander. You can also se some turkeys, ducks and a big plymouth rock rooster at her feet.


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## logueb (Sep 19, 2007)

Great story Pat.  There is a lot of work that goes into raising animals, I'll stick to the 8 to 5.  I used to pick up eggs we sold at the  store from the egg farm.  Those folks were always working, very long hours.  
 Cap, I used to raise chickens and ducks.  Kinda got burned out on it and sold and gave away what I had.  Too many people in town  have dogs that are not penned up. Dogs chickens, and ducks do not mix.  Better to get rid of the animals that feud with neighbors when their dogs sport kill your chickens and ducks. Do you still keep all them critters?


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