Dear Aggie

Dear Aggie,

This is a strange question I know, and am afraid that it isn't quite mainstream.

I really want to homestead more than anything. It was the way I was raised as a child, and really prefer this lifestyle. I really
want to goall out...this includes building alternative housing and living off grid (solar ,wind and such)...

The problem is that I can not find a man that would want to live this sort of lifestyle as well. If there is
any site or homestead convention that you may know of to meet not only men but like-minded people also then please let me know.

Liz

Dear Liz,

First of all, I beg to differ with you because yours is a very mainstream question. That is, nearly everyone is, was or will be looking for a meaningful relationship. Anyone engaged in such a search should take heart in this fact, because it means, not just that there is someone out there for everyone, but that there are actually lots of someone's out there for you.

Second, I would be remiss were I not to mention the Kindred Spirits section of the Homestead Forum. You'll find lots of like-minded souls there.

While the sort of man you're looking for does tend to be a little difficult to locate, being shy and somewhat reclusive, I think you'll find that lots of these fellows allow themselves at least one modern convenience, that is, their computer.

Dear Aggie,

I appreciated your suggestion about repelling peacocks via sonic or ultra-sonic means. Our neighbor has peacocks who enjoy grazing for bugs on our property, but they poop on the patio and dig up the flower beds. We would like to discourage them from coming on our property. Do you have any information on where to find these sound-based peacock repellers?

Thank you for your consideration.

Spence

Dear Spence:

Since you're concerned with birds so close to the house, I expect that you're going to prefer ultrasonic solution to the sonic. The sonic repellants are usually recordings of birds in distress or giving warnings, and you'd probably be more repelled than the peacocks after just a few hours.

A good site I found that handles both is www.pestproducts.com. You might also consider some of their visual scare devices which are less expensive, perhaps as a supplement to the electric gizmos.

Dear Aggie:

Sorry.. Pardon my ignorance. Do hens have sex in order to produce eggs?
Just trying to see whether it makes sense for me to ask this question I know that birds to not have sex, they just sit on each other that's all.
But how am to get the answer, for my nine-year-old nephew asked me this question.
I know we buy chicken from the shop but it never occurred to me to look for sex organs on chickens.
Please guide me..
Thanks.

Regards,
K

Dear K:

Hens have sex because they just love it.

However, sex is not required for female chickens to produce infertile eggs. Roosters are only necessary if one wishes to have fertile eggs for hatching.

Also, some people prefer to eat fertilized eggs with the notion that chicken sperm has healthful benefits for humans, although I am pleased to say that there is little scientific evidence to support this.

Finally, don't waste time looking for physical evidence because the primary differences between male and female are internal. By the way chickens are having sex when the male perches on the female, but if you want to explain procreation to your nephew, there are better models to suggest than the birds.