# Poultry Judge



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

We're going to be without his entertaining style and knowledge for a few days. It seems there has been a massive power outage that also affected his internet. 

He misses us. (He didn't say that, I just thought I'd toss that in.) And will be back as soon as he can.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

I do miss everyone! It's now dark again and I just finished the farm work. It's amazing how much we need electricity. But I charged my phone with the generator. The farm actually uses quite a bit of electricity.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Question, can you phone also be a hotspot? You can use that to connect your computer to so you don't have to be trying to answer questions on the phone. I hate having to use the phone to answer.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Yes, I hate the phone too. When I used to have the State phone, we could use it as a mobile hot spot in areas where we didn't have internet. I have fairly limited data on my Metro phone.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

So anyway, the electric is out but internet is available courtesy of the local tower which is powered by three phase some how. It snowed today and I spent all day fixing stuff and keeping the generator going to run the farm. Some things don't like the generator power, I burned up a sump pump motor and fried a small fuse box on the furnace.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

The power pole at the top of Rattlesnake Hill, (actual place) in the township has been replaced Ohio Edison First Energy is awaiting 3 replacement transformers which have to be updated to be EPA compliant. The old ones, which were oil filled, were not EPA friendly when they caught fire.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Three? What the heck?

I just saw something about that and clean sine wave today. It made me nervous because my bigger genny is not an inverter type. My smaller propane one is. 

Anyway, it said something called dirty power can cause sensitive electronics to fail.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

From my limited understanding, three phase is a commercial type of power that factories use because of its efficiency, to be converted to regular power, it has to go through capacitors. I guess some of these towers have their own power generation, or they truck in big generators.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Most of my problems have been from brown outs, usually when a motor kicks on and momentarily bogs down the generator. It's hard on electrical stuff and I'm exhausted from trying to keep it all going for two days.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I was referring to the electrical things you managed to burn up today.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Poultry Judge said:


> Most of my problems have been from brown outs, usually when a motor kicks on and momentarily bogs down the generator. It's hard on electrical stuff and I'm exhausted from trying to keep it all going for two days.


Can you manage the power a little more? So that there isn't such a huge load on it when something turns on?

Wait, how do you have it hooked up now?


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Oh look! Snow. what fun...


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

That front porch is where my large tub brooders are.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

As long as that's it. I hope. It can be just a small irritation.

The brooders are empty though, aren't they?


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Yes, only the Svart Hona chick, Baby 2 and the Silkie Roo are in two brooders in the back room of the house, it used to be a master bedroom.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

One of these days you'll have to take pics of the space the human inhabits.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

The human is eccentric and is surrounded by books which he has purged several times during his life. But the house continues to fill with books.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I take it that's a hint. Although we did know that you collect old volumes they must be of significant numbers.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

You know me, "Wild Wild Life" by the Talking Heads.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Y


robin416 said:


> Can you manage the power a little more? So that there isn't such a huge load on it when something turns on?
> 
> Wait, how do you have it hooked up now?


Yes, I had a lot of things in rotation.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

But from the sounds of it there was too much load when electrical items that needed a bunch of start up power failed. 

You're confusing me. But I won't admit that it doesn't take much.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

The start up load, that's why I divided things into groups to rotate, so I didn't have a bunch of motors trying to start up at the same time. I'm just glad it's over and I'm making some improvements for next time because it's just too much labor running around and plugging/ unplugging groups of things.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Do you have an electric dryer? You can plug in that way and backfeed but kill the main if you do. Then you can control things in the panel. It's how I'm running mine. 

All of the extension cords were a trip hazard in the house. That's just what I'd need if I crashed and burned.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Exactly right, I'd have to remember to turn off the main. Yes, I have 220 for the dryer, welder, stove and electric kilns.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Man, you've got heavy loads going on there if you use them all at once.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Oh, and the water heater is 220, during an outage I avoid using any 220 power. It's mostly well pumps, sump pumps, furnace, refrigerator, and freezer plus phone charger. Maybe the microwave.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Your well pumps aren't 220? 

With the way my house is wired now I can turn off a bunch of circuits and use my 220 water heater. So I can at least get dishes done and a hot shower. 

I'm really considering getting a larger gen. The one runs the house, the other runs the portable AC. Now that I think about it, there might not be a big enough portable gen to run the HVAC.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

My well pumps are 110.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

I'm seriously thinking about a bigger generator if we are going to have outages like this year.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Considering where you live and how often the power has gone out even having another of the same size would save you a ton of work. But then there's the whole fuel thing involved.

Do you have propane on the property? You could get a propane generator and tie it into the tank and not have to worry about refueling. I've thought about that for my dual fuel.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

That's a really really good idea! I have thought of getting propane because I much prefer a gas stove. I could run a couple 100 pound tanks which I could fill myself. That's what I did when I was young and newly married and my wife wanted a gas stove in our village, where there was no gas. I will ask Bert to keep an eye out for a used commercial propane generator. I hate fighting the gasoline engine on mine.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

This house was all electric but I wanted a gas stove so I had propane put in. I don't regret doing it. 

I didn't want to fool with gasoline so went for propane for the one generator. I'm going to see if they can put a connection on the tank where I can connect and disconnect the propane generator.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Yes, and propane is so much cleaner and causes a lot less wear on the engine.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yeah, I don't have to worry about old fuel either. I just got done running my pressure washer to run it out of gas for the Winter.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Yes, me too, then I have to drain it and run some lubricant through it so the pump doesn't freeze up.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Thanks for the reminder. I have to go to Lowes next week, I need to remember to picks some up.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

I don't use the ten dollar stuff, I just remove the brass drain plug on the pump and spray some lube like WD-40 in there to displace the water and make sure to clear the lines and spray wand of water.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

My machine is brand spanking new, I'd be afraid of voiding the warranty doing that.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Yes.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

You have lots of new equipment. Everything on this farm is literally pieced together with baling wire, duct tape and zip ties. And screw gun screws, lots of screw gun screws. And polyurethane deck adhesive.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Hurricanes and finding out power was out here for two weeks is the reason for the generator. I have two generators because I foolishly bought a good one off the net but it was inop when it got here. Doing all the warranty stuff from afar too so long I had a need for another generator. Now, I've got two. I went through Opal in the mountains, Katrina in TN without a generator. I'm done doing that now.

My other pressure washer was old, really old. I bought it used before we moved here. I went to start it this year and it said, nope. I'm tired, I'm not starting.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Wait, that's how I feel this morning, I'm tired, I'm not starting!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I haven't been in long. I was out using the leaf blower again to drive all of the leaves away from the house and drive before the morning winds came up. I still need to do the front. I might need a nap first.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Wait, you clean up the leaves at your house? I wish I could clean mine up with a hay rake or something!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The stuff I can't get with the mower I use the leaf blower on. It's one of those things that does have to be done whether I want to or not.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Doesn't have to get done...


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

I've never won an award for curb appeal. What gets mulched by the mower gets mulched and what doesn't doesn't.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I'm on a slab. If I don't keep the piles of leaves away from the foundation it's a great hiding place for bugs that then get into the house. And when leaves are wet slicker than snot on smooth surfaces. I do the mulching too, my preferred way to deal with the leaves. 

I have massive Oaks all around the house so you can imagine the leaves are thick on the ground.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> I'm on a slab. If I don't keep the piles of leaves away from the foundation it's a great hiding place for bugs that then get into the house. And when leaves are wet slicker than snot on smooth surfaces. I do the mulching too, my preferred way to deal with the leaves.
> 
> I have massive Oaks all around the house so you can imagine the leaves are thick on the ground.


No worries, Guineas will eat all the bugs!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I wish that were true. Then it wouldn't be an issue.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

All my birds love scratching through the leaves for that one bug, somebody else missed.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Well, if they focused at the base of the house that might work.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

I'll send my turkeys to help you. For all I know, they might be at your place now. They were out twice again today, they seek out the cat dishes no matter where I put them. And they are obsessive-compulsive about checking them. Not a single peafowl has ever been out.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

No cat dishes out here for them to come scope out.


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## Slippy (May 14, 2020)

Poultry Judge said:


> The start up load, that's why I divided things into groups to rotate, so I didn't have a bunch of motors trying to start up at the same time. I'm just glad it's over and I'm making some improvements for next time because it's just too much labor running around and plugging/ unplugging groups of things.


You might want to look into putting in a Transfer Switch that will allow you to use your Generator and existing Electrical Panel for your house or barn. You can then use just one heavy gauge cord from genny to Transfer Switch and choose which things you want to power in your home.
Eliminates all the extension cords and clutter.
Keep in mind that some items like Toaster Ovens, Hair Dryers, use lots of Watts and trip your generator. But refrigerators, freezers, modems, LED lights, fans etc are easy to run with genny's.

Best of luck and enjoy the snow!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Slippy said:


> You might want to look into putting in a Transfer Switch that will allow you to use your Generator and existing Electrical Panel for your house or barn. You can then use just one heavy gauge cord from genny to Transfer Switch and choose which things you want to power in your home.
> Eliminates all the extension cords and clutter.
> Keep in mind that some items like Toaster Ovens, Hair Dryers, use lots of Watts and trip your generator. But refrigerators, freezers, modems, LED lights, fans etc are easy to run with genny's.
> 
> Best of luck and enjoy the snow!


That's how mine is set up. Of course we haven't had any extended power outages since installing the bypass.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

I'll send my turkeys to help you. For all I know, they might be at your place now. They were out twice again today, they seek out the cat dishes no matter where I put them. And they are obsessive-compulsive about checking them. Not a single peafowl has ever been out.


Slippy said:


> You might want to look into putting in a Transfer Switch that will allow you to use your Generator and existing Electrical Panel for your house or barn. You can then use just one heavy gauge cord from genny to Transfer Switch and choose which things you want to power in your home.
> Eliminates all the extension cords and clutter.
> Keep in mind that some items like Toaster Ovens, Hair Dryers, use lots of Watts and trip your generator. But refrigerators, freezers, modems, LED lights, fans etc are easy to run with genny's.
> 
> Best of luck and enjoy the snow!


Yes, a transfer switch is next, along with a bigger generator, mine is only 5000 watts.


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## Slippy (May 14, 2020)

Poultry Judge said:


> ..., along with a bigger generator, mine is only 5000 watts.


Some say its not the size of the watts, its where you choose to send the pulse...

(Seriously, I have no idea what that means...)


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Slippy said:


> Some say its not the size of the watts, its where you choose to send the pulse...
> 
> (Seriously, I have no idea what that means...)


That makes at least two of us.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Ha Ha!


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