# Farm life: Tips and tricks!



## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

I wanted to post a thread on farm "hacks" that make farm life easier or cheaper! (or both!) Here are a few of mine


Save your empty spay bottles! I refill them and use them for everything! If you refill it with bleach water, be sure it used to have bleach in it, because the sprayer stops working
Keep some dish soap in your barn! It can be used for almost everything! Cleaning feed bowls, water troughs, scrubbing the milk stand, EVERYTHING!!! I got a huge 1 gallon thing of soap from HEB about a year ago, and still have over half of it!
Keep a toilet brush out in the barn yard! Obviously, get a new one, not one that has been used in the toilet, but you can get 99 cent ones at the dollar store. i scrub the water troughs every time i dump them with it because it gets that nasty algae in it. It is awesome! 
If you mix your feed in a bucket the night before, cover the bucket with a shower cap! Im serious! It keeps nasty bugs out all night untill you are ready to use it! When i start showing, i plan on using this trick too 
I got these little labels from staples for my soap making https://www.avery.com/blank/labels/...zJIqJnLxLXYVPNhzx4xoCThMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds , but i have been labeling everything with them! They come in all different shapes and sizes! You can put your design on them at avery.com/print It is super easy!
I cant wait to see yalls farm hacks! Happy farming!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Love this, thank you for the tips. 

If anyone has any more, we would love to hear them.


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

Great tips! (thumbup)
I will add a question or two.
What do you use baling twine for, other than tying things and making ropes?
What can you do with empty feed bags? The grain farmer can’t reuse them. They are mostly the woven plastic kind. I was going to start using them as garbage bags, since we have so many now.


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## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

Here are a few more:
If your milk room is a bit too far from your goat shed to run and get more feed while your goat is locked in the stand, get some flour tubs, like this 








and put your feed in those, and store them on your shelf in the milk room! You can get them cheap at garage sales, which brings me to my next tip:

Garage sales are your best friend! When they open up again, GO TO SOME!! I got my a whole set of those bins, a set of measuring cups for out in the barn, a drying rack that i dry their bowls on when they get washed, and a chair to sit on while milking for 15$!!! Plus a desk for my office for 10$, but that isnt for the farm lol!

Reuse any kind of tupaware-like packaging you get!!
I get salsa from the store that comes in this container: (good salsa BTW  )








And i use those things or EVERYTHING! they hold small screws, baking soda out in the goat shed, i put supplements in them. Trust me, you can find a use for em'

I use my feed bags for garbage bags in the barn, yes. But the paper ones i like to burn, because who doesnt like bonfires every now and then  Also if you show, bring some feed bags and twine, cut holes in the feed bags, and put the hay in them and tie them to the fence! DIY hay feeder. I dont reccommend it for all around use thougj.

Bailing twine i keep in my kidding kit incase i need to pull a kid. I should probably get a lamb puller, but i am scared that it will be too big for my nigis. I roll all of the extra in a big ball, and put it in the barn for when i need it. 
Another use for baling twine is if you forget your pocket knife and need to open a bale, then rub a peice of baling twine really fast back and forth against the one on the bale, and bam! You have an open bale of hay!

Thats all i have for now! I can wait to hear more tips!


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

Good tips!
I’ll remember that one about rubbing the twine!
Thanks!


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## jschies (Aug 15, 2014)

I cut the feed bags open and used them to protect the floor under furniture that I was refinishing.


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## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

If you have chickens, or any bird that likes to roost up high, go to an antique shop (when they open back up of course) and get a ladder like this one








and put it up where you would like them to roost. I put mine over 2 stall walls in the barn (parallel with the ground), because i feel like if it was sitting upright, predators would have an all you can eat buffet. It takes a little bit of training to get them to finally use it, but mine love their ladder nest! Make sure the steps are more of a circular shape rather than a square. Mine seem to like the rounded shapes better.


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## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

MadHouse said:


> What can you do with empty feed bags?


I have been thinking about this one... I came up with 2 more ideas

You could wrap gifts with them! It might look pretty cool!

Do you have a sewing machine? I saw a lady a few years ago making tote bags out of feed sacks! I got one from her, because i thought it was pretty creative, and i use it as a bag to go to the grocery store, and when we go to the lake/ beach and need to pack towels or something.

Just a few ideas


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

I've heard empty feed bags are good to have around for kidding. They make great disposable surfaces and clean places to set kids and so forth.


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## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

:up: Yes! i always scoop the placenta into a feed bag and throw it out! (sometimes i will take it a few miles down the country road and throw it in the ditch for some vultures to eat it though LOL!)


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

Oh man, that would be a great thing to tell city folk just to freak them out.:lolgoat:


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## Moers kiko boars (Apr 23, 2018)

I love the paper feed sacs. Cut them open. Lay them down in the birthing stall,put a little straw on it. After birthing..just roll the bag, straw, placenta, goo,excess used paper towels, and used gloves up. Then fold in half. Place in plastic wal mart bag. Tie it off.put in 2nd wal mart plastic bag! 
The plastic type feed bag, are great to open up and and nail up on barn walls. They cover insulation and keep the draft out. Surprisingly my goats lick them clean. But dont chew them off???
Walmart has a small metal waste basket. It makes a perfect hay holder when your at a show, or as a temporary hay feeder in a stall. 
I cut my bleach jugs to make feed scoops out of. They have a nice handle.


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## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

Moers kiko boars said:


> I cut my bleach jugs to make feed scoops out of. They have a nice handle.


:clever:



MellonFriend said:


> Oh man, that would be a great thing to tell city folk just to freak them out.:lolgoat:


haha! yup!



Moers kiko boars said:


> Walmart has a small metal waste basket. It makes a perfect hay holder when your at a show, or as a temporary hay feeder in a stall.


i will have to check that out! thanks!


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## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

Here are a few more that i came up with wile milking

If you use koppertox, you know that stuff stains everything it touches! I had a plastic table out in the barn, and the bottle got knocked over and it spilled EVERYWHERE!! not to worry! Get some Goo Gone!








Just pour some on the stain, let it soak for about a minuite, and scrub it! Koppertox comes right off! It also got pen ink that exploded in the dryer off of clothes, when soaked for 24 hours!

If you forget everything unlesss you write it down right away like me, you are going to need a dry erase board in the barn! It is so helpful! I write down weights, dosages that were given, etc. untill i can get inside and write it in my records, but it helps me remember!
Last year, we went to Arizona for my sisters wedding and had friends taking care of the animals, and i wrote everything down on the dry erase board and it made it super easy for her! I love my dry erase board!


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## CaramelKittey (Oct 31, 2019)

I always use old feed bags as trash bags. They never rip and work great! :great:

Edit: The Purina/Dumor plastic feed bags work best.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Fly strips are great in the barn..but the sticky gets on you its a pain..tip; use a drop of cooking oil to rub together over the sticky part...woolah. no more sticky.

Plastic coffee cans make a perfect scoops

Feed bags: paper kind
Line flower pots
Use in gardens for weed control
garbage bag
kidding time
mulch
Roll the tops down poke a few drainage holes.fill with soil and plant plants ( can do the same with plastic.
Can use to hold chicken,/ rabbit and other garden poop.
Use to collect pecans and other nuts..(excluding family members)
Plastic feed bags;
Sew a tote bag
Use to cover plants in winter
Garbage bags
We have a concrete floor where we milk..a floor scraper works tons better than a broom to clean chicken/goat poop.

We use old chest freezer to hold mixed feed and chaffhaye. Cleans easy!!


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

Great ideas!



happybleats said:


> Use to collect pecans and other nuts..(excluding family members)


(rofl)


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

(thumbup)


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## Aasiya (Apr 30, 2020)

Nigerian dwarf goat said:


> Bailing twine i keep in my kidding kit incase i need to pull a kid.


does this work well? i have been looking for a lamb puller but i didnt find one in any of the shops. i heard they are great to keep on hand for emergencies and such. would be great if i could just use baling twine......is yours the plastic or natural(jute fibre) twine? thanks


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## Buck Naked Boers (Oct 15, 2012)

Great tips!


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## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

Aasiya said:


> i heard they are great to keep on hand for emergencies and such. would be great if i could just use baling twine......is yours the plastic or natural(jute fibre) twine? thanks


Mine is the plastic  make sure to sterilize it then seal it up in a plastic baggie in your kidding kit.

I had a doe have a difficult delivery, but i just had one of my goat friends help to pull the kids, because i didn't know what i was feeling for, and my vet was and hour away pulling a calf! All of the other vets in my area didn't seem worried that she had been pushing for over 30 minutes!


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## Cedarwinds Farm (Dec 2, 2019)

These are some great tips! I like to store waste hay and reuse it as bedding or garden mulch. I put it in the old feed sacks and store it til I need it.


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## Aasiya (Apr 30, 2020)

"Nigerian dwarf goat, post: 2398197, member: 32957"]Mine is the plastic  make sure to sterilize it then seal it up in a plastic baggie in your kidding kit.

I had a doe have a difficult delivery, but i just had one of my goat friends help to pull the kids, because i didn't know what i was feeling for, and my vet was and hour away pulling a calf! All of the other vets in my area didn't seem worried that she had been pushing for over 30 minutes!"

thanks! should i sterilize it by boiling or dip into bleach or something? i certainly hope i never need it though....but best be prepared

iv got a little tip of my own....for those of you who live in terribly rainy areas, wood pallet 'tables' are life savers! the goats love them to keep their feet off the soggy ground. you can just stack two uniform bricks under each corner of the pallet or even make legs for them.( my goats are small black bengalXnubian...not sure about the tables for larger breeds)


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## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

i boil mine


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## Aasiya (Apr 30, 2020)

ok, thanks so much


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## CaramelKittey (Oct 31, 2019)

Aasiya said:


> "
> 
> iv got a little tip of my own....for those of you who live in terribly rainy areas, wood pallet 'tables' are life savers! the goats love them to keep their feet off the soggy ground. you can just stack two uniform bricks under each corner of the pallet or even make legs for them.( my goats are small black bengalXnubian...not sure about the tables for larger breeds)


We used pallets too, to make a boardwalk so they could get from one end of the field to the other. They worked great during the horrible wet season!


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## Aasiya (Apr 30, 2020)

yes they do...its great that you used them successfully as well! our shelters are built higher than ground level , but its still a battle with mud during monsoon....pallets are my go-to then: )


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## CaramelKittey (Oct 31, 2019)

Aasiya said:


> yes they do...its great that you used them successfully as well! our shelters are built higher than ground level , but its still a battle with mud during monsoon....pallets are my go-to then: )


Yep! They are great! Unfortunately, ours didn't last too long as the water began to rot the boards. We have done some repairs and so far everything has been working well. We plan to re-do our entire goat set-up and give them a nice pressured treated boardwalk of some sorts. We just have to make sure they don't chew on it.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

With the hay strings if you know how to crochet (I guess or knit) you can get a huge crochet hook and make mats. I was going to make everyone a welcome mat in my family but never got around to doing it. You can make hanging planters with them, and a friend of mine made some baskets with them. I’m not sure how she went about doing it but they were really neat. 
Feed sacks I basically use as trash bags. When we flooded last year I used them as kinda sand bags. Since my does are super protective over their new born kids I staple feed sacks on the gates to their stalls so they can’t see the other goats walking by. I’ve thought about cutting them and sewing together to make tarps but haven’t done that. I don’t think they would be super water proof but like on my chicken coop where it’s peaked on the roof it would (should) keep the majority of the water out. Oh also when we flooded last year some of my stalls got super super soaked. I laid down about 30 of those feed sacks before I put straw down so the straw didn’t suck it all up right away. 
Pallets make good gates. I’m also planning on lining the boys houses with them since it tends to get wet there and use as beds since I felt bad for them last year and kept them in one of the pastures instead and they worked with each other to get out and knock some of my doeling up :head smash: so no more being nice lol 
Lol I’m trying to think what else I have Jerry rigged out there.


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## Aasiya (Apr 30, 2020)

Jessica84 said:


> Since my does are super protective over their new born kids I staple feed sacks on the gates to their stalls so they can't see the other goats walking by.


I do that too! Also for the cats, Buttercup cant stand my cats, and if she sees them going.by, she almost smashes the gate down to get at them lol....they also make great temporary fixes for leaky roofs


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## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

Great tips you guys!


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## Sfgwife (Feb 18, 2018)

Baling twine works for EVERYTHING! Zip ties too.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:clever: Idea's.


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## CaramelKittey (Oct 31, 2019)

If I've learned anything about clipping hooves and bleeding goats...
ALWAYS keep flour on hand! From my experience, it has been the best blood-stopper and, it doesn't sting. Happy goats. Unhappy flies. Perfect combination.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Yep! I think flour should be on hand for anyone with animals lol I can’t even tell you how many times I have used it. Spoiled brat of a doeling tried to flip herself off the stand while trimming her feet, took the trimmers to the shoulder, flour to the rescue! Something got ahold of my chicken, flour! One horse kicked the other in the jaw and bloodied her, flour again lol


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## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

^^ Yes! I use cornstarch! I was clipping my does hooves this morning, and she kicked, and her hock got me in the chin and i was bleeding everywhere! LOL! Cornstarch on my chin stopped it lol! But any kind of bleeding wound, i use cornstarch instead of flour! I have used both though!


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## Aasiya (Apr 30, 2020)

I use cornstarch too when the Blood-Stop is out!


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## CaramelKittey (Oct 31, 2019)

I have had to use flour on my dog's nail, my parakeets,
(Cut a blood feather while clipping a wing ) my cat, my goats, and numerous times on chickens. I wonder which of the two are better, cornstarch or flour? Any thoughts?


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

Cornstarch contains ingredients that congile. Flour smothers. Flour puts out a fire very well. Cornstarch burns.


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## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

Tanya said:


> Cornstarch contains ingredients that congile.





Tanya said:


> Cornstarch burns.


oh, oops. i had no idea! It didnt burn me yesterday lol!


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## Aasiya (Apr 30, 2020)

thats interesting Tanya; does it mean cornstarch helps the clotting process while flour just slows the flow due to its smothering qualities? i have no idea...(always been bad at chemistry lol!)


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

Nigerian dwarf goat said:


> oh, oops. i had no idea! It didnt burn me yesterday lol!


lmao. If you lit it you would most likely find that it smoulders. Flour doesnt. It smothers the heat.


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## CaramelKittey (Oct 31, 2019)

That's very interesting @Tanya, thanks!


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## Moers kiko boars (Apr 23, 2018)

(dance)(rofl) enjoyed the read on ♨ corn starch..(rofl) that was a good one!


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

Yea yea. It would be funny if a first degree burn became 3rd degree. Corn starch actually doesnt absorb heat well. its a South African thing.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

CaramelKittey said:


> I have had to use flour on my dog's nail, my parakeets,
> (Cut a blood feather while clipping a wing ) my cat, my goats, and numerous times on chickens. I wonder which of the two are better, cornstarch or flour? Any thoughts?


Honestly I have no idea I just always have flour around the house and never cornstarch. So for me flour is best lol


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## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

Tanya said:


> lmao. If you lit it you would most likely find that it smoulders. Flour doesnt. It smothers the heat.


Oh wow LOL! I am so dumb :crazy: :facepalm: Thanks for the lesson though!!


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## Moers kiko boars (Apr 23, 2018)

I would not use the word dumb! No not at all. Just didnt get the comments...:bonk:BIG BIG DIFFERENCE! :great:Thanks for being so nice about it & letting us tease you. !:heehee:


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## CaramelKittey (Oct 31, 2019)

Jessica84 said:


> Honestly I have no idea I just always have flour around the house and never cornstarch. So for me flour is best lol


Same here! I can't even think of any recipes we use cornstarch in...


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## Nigerian dwarf goat (Sep 25, 2017)

i use it because it comes in easy to store containers lol


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

Aasiya said:


> thats interesting Tanya; does it mean cornstarch helps the clotting process while flour just slows the flow due to its smothering qualities? i have no idea...(always been bad at chemistry lol!)


Aasiya. Yes. Cornstarch is a more natural clotting agent than flour. It is packed tighter han flour. Flour also creats a slight barrier but absorbs bleeding because its not as tight. Cornstarch actually makes a much denser layer over a wound and lasts longer than flour.
Flour works amazingly if you have a superficial burn. It absorbs the heat and draws it off the skin. Cornstarch does the oposite. It actually drives the heat back down into the skin.


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

Moers kiko boars said:


> I would not use the word dumb! No not at all. Just didnt get the comments...:bonk:BIG BIG DIFFERENCE! :great:Thanks for being so nice about it & letting us tease you. !:heehee:


Now what kinda person would I be if I couldnt take some kidding around. I am sure that I could find the first boat out and come visit.
:funnytech:


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

Moers kiko boars said:


> I would not use the word dumb! No not at all. Just didnt get the comments...:bonk:BIG BIG DIFFERENCE! :great:Thanks for being so nice about it & letting us tease you. !:heehee:


:funnytechdoh):heehee:


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## Aasiya (Apr 30, 2020)

Tanya said:


> Aasiya. Yes. Cornstarch is a more natural clotting agent than flour. It is packed tighter han flour. Flour also creats a slight barrier but absorbs bleeding because its not as tight. Cornstarch actually makes a much denser layer over a wound and lasts longer than flour.
> Flour works amazingly if you have a superficial burn. It absorbs the heat and draws it off the skin. Cornstarch does the oposite. It actually drives the heat back down into the skin.


Thanks for clearing it up!


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## CaramelKittey (Oct 31, 2019)

I am always amazed everyday to see how many wonderful and knowledgeable people there are on TGS. (thumbup)


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Keep a worn out muffin pan with your tool kit. Anything you have to repair, you can keep all the screws, bolts, nuts and washers etc. organized and out of the grass or dirt.

Plastic barrels from food companies make great water troughs when cut in half. 

Build a set of turkey wire boxes, set them under your nut trees in the fall and you can save some nuts from the squirrels.


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

:up:
That isvcool ideas


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## LuvmyGoaties (Mar 9, 2010)

Baling twine can be used to open bales. Just thread a piece of baling twine through the baling twine on the bale, pull up on the piece you have treaded through, one end in each hand and "saw" back a forward quickly. Super handy if you are like me and constantly losing your barn knife.


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

@Steve89 here we use flour if we extinguish small flames, pretty much if I had oil burn or even if my grass was on fire. It also depends on the type of flour. We have two, our baking kind and our speciality kind. Our baking kind is definately not explosive. But thank you for the correction.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

All good idea's.


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## littleheathens (Apr 27, 2019)

I have a good one!!

When your daughter talks you into lightening your hair and it comes out orange you can use Blu-Kote mixed with some shampoo or conditioner as a color balancer to remove the orange! I DID IT AND IT WORKS. And I'm happy to not have brassy orange hair (no, it's not blue either, just blond). Another tip is don't use the blasted aerosol, especially not in your bathroom. I've just discovered that it is available in a pump which is much easier for my hair and the livestock.

How great is that?!


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## littleheathens (Apr 27, 2019)

When fastening chicken wire or hardware cloth onto structures use a bottle cap as a washer and drywall screw as a fastener. The screws are cheap and penetrate the metal easily (I tap with a hammer first usually) and the caps really grip wire mesh well.


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## Tanya (Mar 31, 2020)

@littleheathens I second that.


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## Moers kiko boars (Apr 23, 2018)

:neat::ty:


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I took the mesh from round bales and hung it over the chicken yard. (An odd shaped trapezoid, kind of, made of assorted chain link fence panels.). It kept the hawks out and the chickens in- 
Only drawback is that the leaves collect in the fall and snow will collect and sag it down. But, since I go thru about 370 round bales a year, I have plenty of mesh! 

I braid it too, makes decent ropes for various things. Strong too.


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