The Bamper - 1977 Chevy 54 pass

[Tango]

I don't know a thing about "broilers"...but that sure looks to me like one mighty fine Bus Barn.

[bamper]

Originally Posted by Tango

I don't know a thing about "broilers"...but that sure looks to me like one mighty fine Bus Barn.

Broilers are raised for meat. They give us the wings, legs, breasts and all the other delectable parts of chicken you can deep fry and smother in BBQ sauce !!

There are almost 400 other barn in the area. The birds are 100% antibiotic and growth hormone free and are dubbed "veggie birds" by others in the industry because of how they're fed. It's a great company that I'm quite excited to be a part of !!

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by bamper

Gold'N'Plump broiler barn. It is 60'x624' ....
It's a great company that I'm quite excited to be a part of !!

Dang, I bet you are ! That is quite an undertaking- makes building a bus seem like no big deal.

Congratulations and Best of Luck !

[bamper]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Dang, I bet you are ! That is quite an undertaking- makes building a bus seem like no big deal.

Congratulations and Best of Luck !

We're trying to diversify the farm by adding another income stream that doesn't really rely on the price of corn, beans, wheat and the likes of the grain world. We added 125 or so steers a few years back and it has proved to be a good thing. The plan is to build another barn and add about 75 more head next spring.

After reading through your bookmobile resurrection thread that seems like a bigger deal than letting someone else build a barn for me !! That bus was quite the score !!

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by bamper

We're trying to diversify the farm

Diversify is good- don't want to put all your eggs....nevermind !



I built a coop about 3 years ago and had 6 chickens. Realized they are disgusting prehistoric creatures. You will have no shortage of good fertilizer.

Bookmobile is coming along. Not less work than a schoolbus, just different work. Am scraping carpet glue off the subfloor today.

[bamper]

Update time !!!

We're gonna re-do the "dining room" area in the bus and put a countertop/bar along the whole drivers side. The family has grown and the dinette just wasn't working how we needed it. Everything came out !!


I acquired a "new" scratch and dent door today for $150. It's got a screen and locks and the whole works. It's 28x80 so it'll fit but it's gonna tight !! I'm gonna tear the steps out and re-do everything so I can finally finish out the front of the bus !!


I used this door project as an excuse to get a new Hobart Ironman 230 MIG welder. I got the tank and wire today and played with it a little bit. It definitely has more power than the Millermatic 185 it'll live next to !!!


Lots of progress has been made on the chicken barn. It is fully constructed and waiting for chicks to arrive. We also got almost 500 corn straw bales made to keep the steers happy all winter


Lily is very excited to have more stuff to climb on outside.


We built out a corner in the hay shed to park the skid loader and use it as a vet room closer to the steer barn and chicken barn. It's 16x24 and is working awsome !!


We got 650 acres of corn combined, dried and put in the bins.


Drying system setup and running !!


I purchased an International 884 with a 2250 loader with only 2200hrs to be used in the chicken barn. We drove 7hrs away to get it and it took 9hrs to get back home. It was a long day !!


Mr. Leo is getting bigger and starting to look at auction posters. Gotta start him young

[bamper]

Seems like this is an every 6 month or so update but here is another huge update.

The chicken barn is complete and we got our first batch of chickens Jan 29th. 46,000 of the little cluckers were delivered and placed in about an hour. They are delivered in a temperature controlled truck and brought in with a forklift. There are 100 in each tray, 10 trays on a stack and 8 stacks on a pallet. That is 8,000 chicks each trip in


Look how fuzzy and happy they are !!!


At they get bigger they sure do get ugly and stinky. I guess they call them fowl for a reason


There are 12 54" fans at the end of the barn that create a 7-8mph wind when they get big. This keeps them plenty cool !!


42 days later they are 6.25lbs and ready for market. 1/3 a semi of chicks came in, 10 semi's of grown chickens go out !!


Now onto the bus pictures !! The moment of truth is here. No turning back now !!


It was actually very uneventful putting the new door in. A couple hours of cutting/grinding/welding and it was in !!


I had to make a new lower step as this door was 3" taller. It worked out anyway because the old step was ROTTEN !!!


You can sort of see the new lower step. I'm gonna put carpet around them and the same flooring on the steps that is in the bus.


Miss Lily (who is now 5!!!) helped me put the wall back up after we reinsulated behind it.


The dinette is out and the new wall is in. We're going to put a 18" deep butcher block counter top along the left side to be used as a table/dining area.


Miss Lily in the new drivers seat. Well, probably not but it moves around the yard this way


The carpet is down in the front and the A/C is where I'd like it to be while we're camping. I need to figure out a way to make the drivers seat removable and still safe and such.


Even Leo got in on the action

[plfking]

That is A LOT of chicken salad.

Originally Posted by bamper

I need to figure out a way to make the drivers seat removable and still safe and such.

At one point I was thinking the same for a passenger seat. I was going to weld in a few 1/2-13 bolts with the thread side up, then lower the seat onto them and screw on a nut. Or maybe even use a wingnut for added convenience.

[bamper]

Originally Posted by plfking

That is A LOT of chicken salad.



At one point I was thinking the same for a passenger seat. I was going to weld in a few 1/2-13 bolts with the thread side up, then lower the seat onto them and screw on a nut. Or maybe even use a wingnut for added convenience.

While walking the barn one evening I did some quick math and it'll take around 300 gallons of BBQ sauce to eat them all

I was thinking of doing something like that or maybe a 2" ratchet strap of sorts or I don't know. I do not see going any kind of major distance with it but it still needs to be "safe". "Safe" enough so I don't get a ticket if I ever get pulled over. Don't know why that would ever happen though, not like I'll ever be speeding in the bus