Not A Good Time To Run The Well Dry

After a distracted mishap, we had a scare with our well running dry. We’re also getting the barn cleaned up and ready to go for our pig butchering class we are hosting this weekend.
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Today’s music, in order (available through Epidemic Sound bit.ly/2Mt3tXm ):
Intro: Let Me Love You by Loving Caliber
Fire and Bones by Biddy Sullivan
Love Love by Heyson
Nothing Makes Sense Anymore by Daniel Gunnarsson
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[@ellenkimberlin5036]

My sister has 17 horses. She keeps all their feed in broken freezers that people have donated to her, since the freezers aren't good for anything else.. They do keep the rats out.

[@witchofthewildwoods3496]

That's exactly what I was planning to do for my 5 horses ;)

[@margaretbedwell3211]

great recycle for such a big unit. It's a shame we don't have a public list of people who need broken freezers and people who do have them so they can get together. What a wonderful way to keep the feed clean, dry and rodent free.

[@alicegilbert4186]

Smart

[@albrightfs]

We buy flour, sugar, oats and other baking items and use an old freezer that no longer worked to store them.

[@robinwhitlatch4497]

I use big old non working chest freezers to store my feed & supplements to keep rodents, raccoons & other wildlife out of it. Have for 30 years & it works great!

[@faithrada]

You are NOT alone with running water issues. Jason down at Cog Hill Farm in Alabama was doing it constantly.. UNTIL... Brooke put an elastic wrist band on each water source. You put the wrist band on EVERY TIME you turn the water on.. It was a GREAT Reminder. 💧

[@kkeenan536]

Yes! I saw that & after my $40 water bill, beat it to the Dollar Tree & got those bracelets. Works like a charm & has already saved me!

[@sarahlegg7545]

I just wrote that also. It is a great idea

[@kellyrosloniec300]

That's the first thing I thought.

[@sroberts605]

I would just go straight to the timer on my phone.

[@katieintheozarks]

I put timers on all my spigots. I can't turn them on permanently. I have to choose a time and they turn off automatically.

[@frostqueenbee9123]

I can't believe the youngest boy is slanging 50lbs of feed right along with his big brothers. Great team effort 👌🏽

[@paintedpilgrim]

I remember slinging sacks of potatoes, carrots and onions at 10-12 to make extra pocket money with a bunch of 18/19 year old teenagers who were complaining at the weight, really showed em up when i carried two sacks at once

[@carlapierle8623]

I was thinking the same thing!

[@tammysarrazin-ux9tv]

age dont matter its the way they use their bodies daily that makes him able to now if it was a city boy maybe they couldnt but Munchie knows his stuff also none of the kids wear shoes so maybe he digs in with the feet too ???

[@pinkythechihuahua3156]

I'm thinking maybe ask them if they would like to come to California for a spell to help hubby with his honey-do's. He's gotten pretty long in the tooth, and as much as I nag, he hasn't put our plastic totes back in the storage shed. I don't understand why he doesn't use the shed that he built to hold our STUFF, but would rather leave them in the middle of the yard. The once red plastic is now sun bleached to a light pink. Hmmm😮

[@pinkythechihuahua3156]

​@@tammysarrazin-ux9tv I noticed that about the kids, that is that they are pretty much always barefoot. The baby girl as well. As a kid in Chicago, we didn't wear shoes in the summer. I had my far share of splinters, and glass shards in my feet. Stepped on a rusty nail once and had blood poisoning. On the positive side, my feet were as rough as an Amarillo hide. 😅 Now I'm never barefoot (diabetic) and I have skin as soft as a baby's bottom. 😊😊

[@faithrada]

I read somewhere that rats can actually chew through cement! Those are some pretty tough critters 😮 When we had chickens I know the spilt grain attracted all sorts of bad boys. Metal trash cans finally solved the issue... no more attraction. 👍

[@jiggyfun807]

I used metal trashcans for food, it works!!

[@coppertone711]

My heeler pup brings me stuff. Stuff like 6-foot rat snakes in the chicken coop, and rodents. She is a farm pup, somewhat feral so I am so proud of her skills. She is very coyote aware that is for sure.

[@patchworkfarms5327]

Ah, I've got two heelers, myself. They're about all I can handle 😂 crazy dogs

[@susanharrell984]

Teamwork and cooperation. Those boys put their all into getting the job done.

[@kimberlyterenzoni8451]

Love watchin the family! Seeing your boys working together, swords and shoe less, is so special! Sorry about the water. Doing too much😊

[@davidhazelton8327]

Old saying from bygone days,"If you see one rat, count ten"

[@CharlieNagoo]

Nothing is more authentic than people who appreciate and make their own head cheese! Love it!

[@marthaosburn-henry1087]

I have been using the 1:1 honey cornbread mix to baking soda, in plastic containers with about a 1 inch hole. Rats and mice can't burp or f#$t. This works well. I have added dehydrated honey to the mix more recently but I am sure sugar would work. I live in the country and a battle rodents daily. Best thing that happened we found a black rat snake hanging out. Luv it!

[@mariesheppard3750]

Yes cornmeal and Baking soda works great so does a box of instant mash potato does the same to rats ,

[@Lauren-hc7dc]

Could you get some barrels with lids to store feed like Jason (Sew The Land) has?

[@xianvox22]

Came to say the same. 👍🏻

[@juliehiestand8180]

Jason from cog hill farm keeps a plastic coil Keychain bracelet on each water hydrant. When he turns it on, he puts on the bracelet and if he doesn't turn it off, it reminds him. Saved him many times from floods. Try it

[@juleswins3]

Ben ain’t wrong when he was talking about everyone has left the water running at one time or another. I was 20 miles from home one morning when I remembered. I called my brother, he couldn’t get there so he called his brother-in-law and he was able to get there to shut it off. He said the same thing: “We’ve all done it!”

[@donnasmith3197]

Things I love about this video…… your kids they are awesome helpers, and they work so hard and I love how they’re always barefoot I spent my whole childhood barefoot! Number two I love how Meg is using every scrap of the animal, My parents were Czech and they always made headcheese. I grew up, loving it. Number three I love how you include your children in what you do even though it may make your life a little bit difficult, buggy adores you, and so do I. I am thinking that a big metal storage barn with a poured concrete slab and metal storage Storage bins may be a couple more cats and a dog to run off all the predators and vermin. I wish you guys all the best. I know that you will be successful.

[@StoneKathryn]

I'm so glad to see that the boys are helping you move that feed. I hate trying to deal with rats! Nice job discouraging the rats from the freezer innards. You guys did a great job cleaning out the barn! I bet those piggies didn't mind the extra water they got! I have it when I do that and leave a spigot on. I've never run out our well but I sure wouldn't want to do that. I'm glad you got the barrel filled with water without forgetting about it. Wow, Meg making head cheese! Yum, fire cider chicken and heated up rice for dinner. Thanks for this video Hollar family!

[@amylieber3988]

Your kids crack me up running around barefoot. I'm right along with them. If I could get away with never wearing shoes I wouldn't. I'm barefoot as much as possible. Always have been. They're always so quick to help too. You're always sure to show your appreciation for their help by thanking them too. What a beautiful family.

[@doityourselflivinggardenin7986]

Two things to stop clutter: 1) More shelves with containers to put related things in so they are always in one place. Label the containers! You can't have too many shelves. 2) ALWAYS do the breakdown & cleanup after EVERY project. You, like the rest of us homesteaders, always have more on our lists than we can get done and it is tempting to move on to the next project before the current one is put to bed. However, spending time ending a project actually saves you time. Once you begin to do this you will understand. With that being said, unforseen problems (like health issues) can train wreck any plan and things can get a bit out of control. I'm still playing catch-up from rhe worst year of my life, health-wise. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and am gaining a lot of ground now. But like you, I need to get back to being more organized again. I miss it. I had wolf rats when I lived in a farming area in Georgia. What solved my problem was a good female farm cat. Not every cat can handle a large rat, but the one I had could. She fed them to her kittens. Big motivator to bring back fresh kill for her babies. Hardware cloth around the base of the freezers might help. Steel wool might block airflow. I use large metal garbage cans for feed. That wont work for a pallet of feed, though. Make a rat-proof room in your shed? Hardware cloth walls & ceiling with metal floor? Find some old sheets of metal for walls? Just thinking out loud. A quick-connect for the pig water barrel that is attached to a float in the barrel will solve at least one problem. Sometimes a small investment in newer technology can make a big difference. You are making me want to raise a pig. I've neen resistant because I already have too many irons in the fire. However, the pork we get at the market tastes like chemicals because they do not rinse off the sanitizer that they use to clean the meat tables. If they could read (doubtful) they would see that the instructions say to wash the sanitizer off after several minutes. I am finally going to find a real butcher to get pork. The cost might drive me to raising a pig, though. On the butchering note, I just processed a deer yesterday. I got it bow hunting. I should be able to get one more during rifle season. Yum! (almost) free meat! Oh...Meg, there is no better fat than deer fat for soap! Deer fat tastes horrible, but it is a hard waxy fat that is incredibly good for a moisturizing soap. Just don't use too much or the soap will be too hard and not lather. I've never had head cheese. Looks interesting. Though, you may want to call it something else, as suggested by many viewers. I'll leave it at that. Man, sometimes we shadow each other. Two weeks ago I lost water. After testing the wireing, I found bad connections under the well cap. The well guys (two years ago) were sloppy and the wire nuts rusted out and one aluminum butt connector (on copper wires) corroded so there was no continuity. (never put two dissimilar wires together like that) They also didn't twist the wires together first before putting the wire nuts on. I fixed the job I paid them to do and it is done correctly now. Water is back on! All the best!

[@l.m.4014]

That is Great Advice! >> ALWAYS do the breakdown & cleanup after EVERY project. More shelves with containers to put related things in so they are always in one place. Label the containers! You can't have too many shelves.

[@alisonshanahan9529]

Make sure you're lifting those heavy bags properly. My daughter slipped a disc age 14, lifting a feed bag. She is now 24 and has been on pain medication for 10 years now.

[@blueangelsfan4072]

Loving how far you guys have come on your journey. Eating well and healthy, goals met.

[@crazychickenladyhomestead6918]

My husband has left the water for the pigs on twice. Both times, it blew the starting capacitor (we have one that has an external capacitor). $700 later, we can fix it ourselves for $12. Lessons learned with a well...yippee 😶. I really do appreciate the variety of foods you guys eat. We saw head cheese at our favorite Hungarian smoke house/butcher and never tried it. Now, it sounds like a delicious snack!

[@carolrobb6400]

Coming from South Africa we call head cheese "Brawn", which I agree it so good!

[@caryrhea3974]

❤❤❤ I was worried you weren't going to post today. I looked forward to your blog. Good evening! ❤❤❤

[@denisewilson8367]

You did a lot of work today, again to get ready for people to come & learn to process a pig. I hope they appreciate all the extra work your family does to bring others to your home. Thank you Ben, Meg & all the boys!

[@theresad6990]

Jason & Brook over at the Cog Hill Farm Channel have a system that they started using to help them remember to shut the water off when they're filling stuff. Brook found these stretchy bright colored bracelets that they hang on the water spigots. When they turn the water on they put the bracelet on their wrist. That way if they walk away to do something else and they're not sure if they turned it off or if they forget they will know because they still have the bracelet on. When they turn the water off they put the bracelet back on the spigot. That seems to have helped them a lot.

[@deannamoreton8253]

i watch them, its a good idea with the bracelets

[@charmainemrtnz]

It is so great to see your beautiful family working together! Even Buggie! Meg takes such good care of you all. 🌹Your hair is beautiful Meg!

[@dumbbunnie123]

What you are calling head cheese we called souse ...of course that was 70 years ago but it was always a treat. My mother swore that it made your hair and finger nails healthy and strong.

[@larrykluckoutdoors8227]

Head cheese is made with gelatin and souse is made with vinegar

[@jeantaylor9119]

We call that “ Brawn “ in Western Australia. Not sure how it got that name, mainly made in the 1950’s. Lovely to see you utilising your meat for this most enjoyable dish. 🙂❤️

[@loissaedder2214]

I was going to comment the same. I'm in Queensland. I can remember my grandmother and my mum making it.

[@sharonadlam3195]

The meaning of BRAWN is the flesh of a boar or swine. It began its days as a European dish which has obviously travelled to all corners of the globe.

[@traceywakefield3883]

We call it brawn in New Zealand as well.

[@loissaedder2214]

@sharonadlam3195 that makes sense as my grandmother who used to make it was of german descent.

[@VikingUffDa]

Swedes call Headcheese Sylta.

[@kimrichards5576]

Seeing the kids running around with no shoes on reminds me of myself. Was never a shoe person at their age. When I heard Megan was making Head Cheese it got me wanting the Hot Head Cheese. ❤ Pigs can be a pain but so nice to see them in the freezer.

[@alphb58]

Hoping this reaches y'all. Born & raised part of life on a 800 acres cattle ranch in Oklahoma. Multiple HUGE hay barns among other outbuildings. What we called 'horse apples' trees, (prob not the correct name), dad put multiple 'apples' in the barns & buildings. Kept the rats & skunks out of the buildings & barns. In Texas they're called something else. Wish I had a picture to send ya'll, but they're about the size of grapefruits & very pitted, like almost looks like a round brain. I know the parts of country I've seen them grow in Okla, Texas, Louisiana - prob most of the south, but they really helped to keep unwanted critters away & all natural. Hope you see this suggestion & cN figure out what tree I'm talking about because they saved us - you can't eat them but I do know fir fact rats & skunks do not like their 'aroma. Best of prayers & luck & love to you & the family!❤

[@rbud57]

are they Osage Oranges? Also heard them called hedge apples.

[@JKnight911]

I think you’re talking about a hedge apple?

[@tammysarrazin-ux9tv]

Jason at cog hill farm puts a elastic hair piece on the tap and when he uses the tap he puts it on his wrist to remind him to turn off the tap lol it works great hugssssss

[@yvesberube6067]

My suggestion for what it’s worth … buy a 20 ft shipping container. They are secure, dry and fairly affordable. I bought a used 40ft, set it on cement blocks, and have had no regrets. Cheaper than building from scratch with the price of lumber today, and will save you the time it would take to build it. Great for keeping feed dry and secure on the homestead. 🇨🇦

[@bev.albright6873]

Jason, on Cog Hill Farm, uses a bungee bracelet on each spigot to put on his wrist when he turns the water on, so he remembers to turn the water off…

[@Peachy08]

I used to live above my inlaws in an apartment. Left water running in sink one day...flooded her bedroom downstairs. The second time I did it...yes I did it again. My father inlaw took the plug from me😅

[@wsyl59]

Yes, Cog Hill Farm solved their problem with coiled key wristbands. Of course ,if you forget to put it on in the first place………

[@debraflowers5905]

What a day! Ben, sometimes a person gets overwhelmed with everything to do that he just needs to do one task at a time. Ive been in the same spot. You looked like you were getting some rest while sitting with the water barrel. Hope rest of your week goes better. 😊

[@ladywolverine1828]

Building muscles and character ❤❤❤ OH P.S. You need a storage building. Once you're organized, life will be good👍✌️

[@michellerichardson2545]

$15 at Walmart simple mechanical water timer. Works like a kitchen timer...twist to desired time and it shuts off the hose. Pull during freezing weather

[@michaelmessick2407]

When you refer to head cheese I think of my dad and one of his favorite things to eat on a cracker or biscuit or white bread ! We always called head cheese (SouseMeat) ! I googled your head cheese and sure enough it's the same ! My aunt used to make it when I was a kid !when I would sleep over at my grandma's and aunts house I would watch her make it ! I think it's all in the seasoning that makes the difference ! Have a goodin

[@dhanson4698]

Ben, rats run Trails, they are not just eating the feed, they are carting if off to 'Their" stashhouses. Game on. Love to all yall, So inspiring.

[@kitdriscoll1288]

Jason at Cog Hill Farms has a system where he puts a plastic bracelet on the water spicket when he turns it on. He puts the breacekt back on the spicket after he turns it off. Maybe a variation of that sustem would work to remind you to turn the water off? 😊

[@vpgarden5986]

11/8 is officially winter in the lunar calendar. It will get cold from then on until spring time on February 4th. 2 months after that would be growing season again... I missed summer already😊

[@1stbadger700]

Glad to see the young men helping. I might suggest they are taught how to lift those bags with their legs rather than their backs. Back injury’s are hard to recover from. It’s a life long lesson that will benefit them.

[@BethGrantDeRoos]

Headcheese gets its name from the Dutch hoofdkaas 'head' of the meat animal and kaas 'cheese' which refers to the texture of the headcheese. My husband has family members from Holland they call it meat jelly. In areas of Germany near Austria and in Austria its often called presswurst. In Germany and Austria wurst simple means some kind of pressed meat sausage.

[@cariepickerell5334]

We bought metal trash cans to put our feed in. Its little expensive up front but will last forever and alot cheaper than feeding rats our livestock feed.

[@JudiLong-lb2vn]

Hope the fires are staying away from you guys. Heard at one point it was only about 5% contained but hope they aren't heading your way.

[@emmakaye7099]

Hey Hollars! Love your videos. A suggestion from a repeat offender. (Often forget the tap is running :( ) Buy a manual tap timer, easy to turn the dial and have a safety net. At least it won't run for hours.

[@corabankston2244]

I got the shortening barrels from a cake shop they had rings around the tops to seal. We had a stock yard about 2 miles from our house. A rail split area that left the sugar beet cars also in our area. Rats come wher you have food. They grow big and you pay to much for feed to not put it up. An ounce of prevention is a pound of cure. Lesson our father-in-law would tell us on the farm.

[@thewaywardirishícan]

I did that with our above ground swimming pool a few weeks back. It was too low and I turned the hose on at about 6am then went about my business feeding and watering the chickens. Then promptly went back inside and back to work (I work from home). About three hours later I paid the water bill. Thought to myself how they charge WAY TOO MUCH. Continued working. Lunchtime rolled around at about noon. Stood up, stretched, and had a HEART ATTACK, muttered a bunch of cuss words at myself as I sprinted outside to find the flood in my yard. Could not believe I did that and didn’t even realize it while I was paying and griping to myself about the water bill 😂😂 so dumb ugh.

[@DebbieC624]

Try putting a timer on your phone when you’re filling up the water barrel. Boys made a good dent in the cleanup while you were gone. Great team work. Have a blessed day. 🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️❤️👩🏻‍🌾

[@trippnbilly7130]

I love the kids swords. That brings back good memories

[@tubularguynine]

Yep, I think you're gonna have to start building tiny houses for your very efficient crew before they get married and move away. 😆

[@nancysimpson4246]

Love love your videos like always always waiting for them to come on love watching your family. Awesome down to earth people only way to be love you guys.😊

[@gelwood99]

In the old days, you could buy that in the regular grocery, it was called souse meat, not head cheese. I remember loving it on toasted bread, sliced thick. When we butchered pigs we chose liver mush, using all the extra parts to go in that, instead of making souse meat and my grandmother made pickled pig feet.

[@ladymoongoddess]

Since we’re in a drought in the Southeast, I’m sure the berries enjoyed it.

[@marygest7817]

Ben, aluminum trash cans with handles worked best for us. We also added a chain across the lid and secured them on the side handles. Walmart carries them.

[@krickette5569]

I stopped it from happening! I got the idea from Cog Hill Family Farm. Jason was forever leaving the hose on over there and Brooke went and got some of those 'curly que' bracelet things and put one on each faucet. Every time Jason turns on a faucet, he removes the bracelet first and puts it on, then does his watering. The bracelet reminds him to turn the faucet off. Instead of a bracelet I use one of those pony tail holders for tiny pony tails, because it's Tight! I put it on my middle finger when I turn on the faucet and so far I haven't left the faucet on since!

[@SagebrushRambles]

Ben the easiest thing to do is set an alarm on your phone and label it so you know what it's for lol. It's what I do and it only takes a sec to set.

[@annettadunham7611]

Save those feed bags. I make tote bags out of them. Great way to recycle them.

[@sandyc6569]

How come we haven't seen you play? Great team work boy's!! ❣❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❣

[@nativestand1]

Nice. Minnesota got a bit cold. I spent 4 hours chopping dead wood onto the forest floor. Peace out. Love to you and all the children.

[@witchofthewildwoods3496]

I remember my mom eating head cheese and cooking beef tongue. My dad's favorite snack was pickled pigs' feet. They weren't even country kids themselves but learned from their grandparents.

[@DustyCountryRoad]

Howdy Ben, Meg love your video's. We hooked a pump light up on the outside building where we can see it. Outside light fixture, hooked to pressure switch. Colored light bulb.😊

[@robindrago6824]

Jason from Cog Hill Farm puts a bracelet on his wrist when he turns on the water to remind himself that it is on. Wheb

[@donnaspear8311]

What are trotters? Also. I was confused for a minute. I saw what I thought was you putting something up high. Then I saw you standing next to the first 'you'. I realized that was one of the boys. They're growing up too fast.

[@sharonrosier7310]

Trotters are pigs feet. Yes one of the older boys looks to be the same size as Ben and I often have to look twice.

[@jacktomberlin7976]

I built my shed 10 years ago. I had access to some metal lathe like you put up under stucco. After we had the floor joists together, we stapled the lathe to the top of the joists and then laid 3/4” t&g sub-floor for the finished floor. Nothing has ever been able to chew through into the shed. With a steel exterior door (with threshold), I never had a problem with anything getting in. This in spite of the fact the shed was located about 30’ from a heavily forested area. I thought I would share this with you. Good luck!

[@robindrago6824]

When he goes back to turn it off he leaves the bracelet on the hydrant. Works for him.

[@paintedpilgrim]

Head Cheese is known as Brawn in the UK/Ireland and the gelatinous lump is aspic. Its regarded as something of a delicacy, but we only ever seemed to have it when the rest of the pig had been butchered and put in the freezer or sold to make us a little money....and like liver, tripe and the rest of the offal, i was never particularly keen as a kid and picked veggies over it. I had it more recently, at an "everything but the oink" engagement party, and whilst i considered it a little more palatable now, it still not something that would make regular rotation into the meal plan....

[@eldenl1]

Jason from CogHillFarms had the same problem of leaving water running. Someone recommended putting a stretchy bracelet on every faucet so when he turns one on, he puts the bracelet on his wrist. That way he sees the bracelet and it reminds him he has a faucet running. He says it has worked great.

[@Jaynes-Path]

We had a old non-working freezer that we stored feed, seeds and nuts in to keep the mice out of them. One year we had a rat that actually chewed a hole in our aluminum trash can that we kept bird seeds in. I was shocked that it just ate it's way in as if it was no more than aluminum foil. He didn't get into the freezer before we were finally able to get him. He was a very well fed beast and how he was able to get his large body in and out of the hole he made was just as surprising as the size he grew to. No wonder the cats didn't kill him, he was easily half their size if not a little more. Maybe a old broken freezer could help you out too?

[@robinreinwand8871]

Each Time set a timer on youur phone, I have to do this each time I water the garden

[@ajb.822]

I feel so bad for y'all whenever you have rats. I cannot stand rats, they totally gross me out the worst of any varmint. Learned our lesson early in our marriage. My husband got us steel garbage cans ( with lid) to keep feed in. We haven't really had rats since moving several times and currently not having chickens, but my plan is to also try to only feed the chickens as much as they'll eat/feed twice a day maybe &/or taking it away/covering feeder at night. That 1st time w rats it had gotten SO bad... my husband saw the surface of the lawn MOVING with the amount of rat activity below - a decent sized area at once - !!! I should've known better, growing up on a farm, but we had a lot of cats... . I rarely saw a rat, although I knew they were around the grain bin and corn crib. Anyway, my brother ( I think, & he was new to it) had combined some corn, and didn't realize right away there was an issue and it was dripping/missing a bunch of intact cobs of corn. Not worth their time do deal w but my Dad figured it could be worth my & hubby's while to fetch it for our chickens. I left the sacks of corn on an old table in the large pole shed our landlords owned & which they'd let us built a coop in the corner, it had a dirt floor btw and was full of old junk, and next to a brushy fence line and fields beyond. Our house was the older farmhouse on the property and under the kitchen was a very shallow crawl space. The rats lived under there, in winter anyway. My husband was worried about our chickens finding and eating rat poison/rats dragging it out n about, if we put any in the shed, so we used traps out there and he tried to sit out awhile with his pistol sometimes. But we put a bunch of rat-grade poison under the kitchen finally, esp once we realized we had so many ( shudder ). I actually had went to throw something in the trashcan in kitchen one day and a rat leapt out. I'm still barely over that and it's been 15 years ! Uughh !!! Hope your's get under control soon !! Also one homesteader I knew kept all her sacks of feeds in a UBC tote, with the top cut so would open.

[@leem200]

Had a nephew who stayed with me and he pick on kids smaller than him. I told him this is not the city; these kids work on farms and are strong. Well low and behold he got to picking on this kid who he felt big over. Well, he started it and the farm kid finished it, guess who learned a lesson. Your boys are strong, and all that work gives them a workout no amount of gym can. Hope you are proud of them for they are good kids. I say kids because I am a great grandma, so I can. Know you all sleep good. Peace!

[@margaretbartlett5404]

I have to say that your boys are growing up to be! Fine young men.

[@brentolsenthanksformaking2528]

Praying for water😅

[@thirdeyelabs]

Rain catchment would help

[@sharonhaas8503]

💝💖💗 So many good things happening at your place! The head cheese! My great aunt took our hog head and lovingly made head cheese for us. Delicious! ✳ Cleaning up. All the boys did such a great job helping. Many hands making quick work of a big job. So good to see. ✳ Dad having a time out! 😂😂😂 I am sure we all appreciated that Ben. Glad it was you and not one of the boys that made the mistake. No more to say about that! ✳ Love spending time with the family. Everyone is looking so good. Take care. Be looking forward to your next video. ❇❇❇

[@tammysarrazin-ux9tv]

i ended up with a new sub because of the chicken butchering lol ty hugssssss

[@charlinewalsh2360]

It. Also can be called souse meat..guess why..lol

[@shadowmancer7040]

Maybe try to set an alarm every time you start filling the barrel... then you can get distracted safely.

[@TLAR24]

As I get older I have grown to like things that I was not fond of when I was a kid. Brussel sprouts, head cheese. Looks good. ❤️🇨🇦

[@joanneganon7157]

Hepy Hollers, lots of man strength and a Buggy gets tha Barn all tidy🎉 There is a homesteader that has many spiggets. He kept leaving them on and forgot them. Some lady suggested that you get those stretchy bracelets. When you turn on the water you put on the bracelet. When you look down at your wrist you say" the water "! It works very well for them🎉. A productive day on the Homestead! JO JO IN VT 💞

[@Rosenliebe]

Your head cheese is called "Sülze" over here in Germany, and it has some vinegar and spices (sometimes even vegetables) added to it. Love that you make your own ! 💛🍀💛

[@marycgarmon7140]

I like the suggestions of using non working freezers. You might find some at a local dump.

[@HomewardBound961]

I see them on FB marketplace quite often.

[@rhondajo3]

There is a reason why God gave you those four boys! 💞

[@elizabethlink3993]

💚So, so, SO much to DO..but you bring it back to the family dinner table, giving thanks. Love you All! (And Head Cheese! 😅) 💚

[@roxannesykes415]

This go around with your rats they were are try to nest

[@debchoate4510]

Jason and Brooke at Cog Hill Farm solved the turning of water sources by wearing hair curly cords. It has saved them numerous times. Put the curly cord on the source, put the cord on when you are using it and it reminds you to turn it off. Jason has been so thankful for the solution. Love your videos.

[@sandyoklahomatransient8557]

Nice job guys cleaning, and clearing the top side of your barn. Head cheese looks good! The news media has stated more than once, there are massive wild fires going on in North Carolina. I pray they're not close to y'all.

[@pinkythechihuahua3156]

I heard about the fire on the National news this evening. It's usually we on the West Coast who have the wildfires. Jason on Sew The Land talks often about how little rain you've all had. We have atmospheric rivers lining up back to back from SF up threw Oregon. Rain in excess of 4 to 10 inches in a short period of time. Last August we had TS Hilary blast through SoCal. I'm in Palm Springs. The desert, but Hilary shut down the 10 freeway, both sides for a few days. This being an El Niño year, the East Coast ought to be getting some moisture. Snow perhaps? It is that time of the year.🐷🐷

[@jenniewolford1631]

get some old broke chest freezer and store the feed in it, I saw some others do that

[@stephaniewilson3955]

Head cheese is called Brawn in the UK. The last time I made it I added some shin beef with the half a pig's head I was using. I did not salt it overnight. It was still so good!

[@christinedehn3257]

Cog Hills' Jason had a problem of often forgetting he had water running. Brook got a pack of stretchable coil wristbands. They put one on each hydrant. Turn the water on and put the wristband on your wrist as a visual reminder that water is running. Turn water off and the wristband goes back on the hydrant. It would work just as well on your fence charger. Love headcheese.

[@indianacryptid6020]

hey all, i hope your having a nice November

[@PiaLiljebladh]

Hi Ben, here’s a tip for not forgetting the water; set a timer on your phone for 30 min or however long it takes to fill.

[@patriciawilson6524]

Still loving your videos❤.Keep em coming.

[@donnabradshaw5200]

I read that if you mix jiffy corn muffin mix and baking soda together, the rats will eat it. They are incapable of passing gas, so they die! I wonder if the mixture is put in dryer outside places and traps inside if that would help.

[@StageRightvideo]

It's good to see so much more of the boys and to watch them all pitch in like that. Could you work them some more? Just sort of kidding because it's nice to see them in the videos.

[@janakoenig5919]

Put blue cheese in the shed. The mold in blue cheese kills the rats but doesn't harm your chickens. We put it out twice a week for 3 weeks back in March and have not had one rat since ( though, I do still keep blue cheese in the fridge for when they come back)

[@AGREENERLIFE]

OMG …. I have the same problem!! I found an awesome solution though! I finally tried those Flip N Slide Bucket Lid Mouse Trap from Amazon and OMG I have trapped SO MANY of them!! I put water in the bucket. I have been storing my pumpkins and squashes in my garage and those little pests have started eating them. Put the bucket in last night and already caught 4!

[@Junkinsally]

Get into the habit of setting a timer on your phone for the water! That way you can step away without forgetting.

[@CherylAnderson-qs4iq]

"Chasing fires". Yup. It happens like that with me too. What helps me is having a timer on hand. I just set it @ 10 mins or 30.mins, depending on what it's reminding me about. Having it ticking down focuses my mind too. I like doing several things at a time, like looking through the grocery store ads while on hold, watching TV shows or catching the weather. If I get distracted from doing either one, it doesn't matter, really. I can usually pick up where I left off, when watching on my phone or a computer. When I'm rested, clear minded, or especially when in work mode while recently toked up & ready to jump in & try to get lots of stuff done as efficiently as possible, I'm usually cooking & doing dishes while I go on to other things, like I'm doing today. If I decide to go outside to feed the birds, & the weather is beautiful, I might be distracted. So I feel better off if I set a timer, particularly if I'm cooking something. Nice weather may lure me into spontaneous pruning of spent blooms, forgetting I'm heating water or caramelizing onions, or something else I need to get back to quickly. Today I'm content to have been whipping through several unfinished tasks, some from yesterday, while listening to political podcasts, news, random TV shows online, & let the timer keep me tethered to earth-time/ AKA "reality."

[@belieftransformation]

Wonderful accomplishments again; thanks for sharing your journey! There’s always something to do & you’re all doing it together. Great family! Blessings to everyone 🤗💕🇨🇦