It's been raining here for over 2 weeks, and where we do have 2 days that it's not calling for rain, there does not appear to be an end in site anytime soon. Now, considering the fact that generally we do need rain, right now, it's keeping us from getting the garden plowed, and keeping us from being able to do some of the farm work that we've been wanting to get done.
On the upside, the peas are growing quite well, and I'm hoping that it wont be long before I'm picking peas. I'm so ready to be canning and starting the process for getting ready for next winter. It probably sounds like a funny thing to be worried about in May, but well, we all know how the winters on the East Coast can be.
Ginger had a littler on May 4th. Initially I thought she only had 8 kits...I was really surprised when I went out there yesterday with a container that had a towel in it, so that I could take them all out, and discovered that she had not 8, but 10!!!! That's the most she's ever given birth to. Not the most she's ever raised, but the most she herself has delivered. (if you all recall, she raised 3 of Betty's the one time.) So then, on Monday evening when I was doing the end of day chores, I noticed that Lucy was acting kind of weird, she was pulling fur and acting frantic. We had not been able to breed her when we tried to breed her the same time we bred Ginger and Betty. She was violent towards my bucks. Well I figured it was from all of the hormones floating around the rabbit house and that she would want to just make a nest for the sake of making a nest. Wrong, I went out there yesterday morning, and I saw that her nest box had a perfect nest, with lots and lots of fur in it...I was like wow, impressive, she made a really awesome nest for a doe that's not pregnant...then I thought...wait...just for the sake of looking...I stuck my hand into all of that fur and felt squirmy little babies...I was like holy crap!!! The only thing we can figure is, Bob had escaped his cage a few times, and I came out one morning and found he had climbed on top of the does cages, and I think he must have gotten her pregnant. Her cage was too far from Fred and George for it to have been either of those two. I took them out to check them last night, because I had not been free feeding her during the last 2 weeks of her pregnancy that we didn't realize was even happening. She had 6, 5 black and 1 blue. I know that Bob carries Blue, and that Lucy has a genetic back ground of all of the Silver Fox colors, so that was pretty good to see her give me a blue. I'm still waiting on Betty to have her kits. I'm thinking if she doesn't have them in the next 3 or 4 days I'll just have to take the nest box out. So, right now we have 27 kits all of different ages. Right now, Doris is the only one that has any kits by George.
Speaking of George, we are going to put him with Ethel when we take her kits away from her. I need to put him with one of my best does to see what he will do for that line Genetically. And if those kits turn out good, we're going to go ahead and weigh him, tattoo him, and write up and print out a pedigree for our book. Then, once Lucy has successfully raised this litter, and has weaned them, and we get her back to pre pregnancy shape, we will go ahead and get a weight on her, and tattoo and do up her paperwork.
Neither of the two Blue does we brought home have given birth or shown signs of nesting yet. I know that if they aren't pregnant, we need to work on them a bit and get them in some kind of a better shape. They were in the hands of inexperienced rabbit breeders/raisers, and their nutrition wasn't what you would want for breeding rabbits. We take their nutrition, and care very seriously. Unfortunately, it turns out that their pedigrees weren't worth the paper they were printed on. There were no weights, and they were missing lots of tattoos, and stuff. So, we are going to have to get their weights, and start from scratch, and work on breeding 3 generations so that we can have pedigrees from their lines. They have good fur, a good shape, etc etc, but it's going to take a lot of selective breeding/keeping before we have pedigrees from them. (oh the joys)
Everything in the world of chicken keeping is going well...kind of muddy right now thanks to all of the rain, but as soon as its not like shoveling soup, we will be out there with shovels, and buckets, and new bedding. People ask me if they are really worth the time, work and effort it takes to keep chickens, especially ones that I'm not able to free range, and my only answer is, yes. I cant describe the love I have for these funny creatures that are flighty, smart, and stalk me from one end of the run to the other, and wait for me every morning at the gate door. They have found a huge place in my heart, and aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
And lastly, we are going to be buying some hog panels every month, and putting them up as we buy them. What are we getting ready for??? Hogs!!!!! We are going to be raising American Guinea Hogs. We will be getting a trio next spring, 2 females and a male. I am actually thinking that if I have enough saved up for them we may actually do 3 females and a male. The Guinea Hog is a fascinating pig, and I'll tell you more about them as we go. I think that for now, I've blogged on for a bit longer than I usually do!!! I'll have some new recipes coming up here soon to share with you all!!! But for now, I'm going to close up.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Thinking about getting chickens?
This is probably going to be one of my longer posts, so if you are up for a read, grab yourself a cup of coffee, or a glass of something cold to drink. This may possibly end up being a 2 part post, I'm not sure yet, we will have to see how wordy this one gets.
So, I've been asked a lot of questions from people who have been thinking about getting chicks, or ready to lay hens. I've also been reading a lot of posts full of some really crazy stuff. It's amazing to me just how much info is out there that is really wild, weird or inaccurate. So, I'm just going to jump right in.
Let me start with chicks, because, well that's what chickens start out as. There are a few ways to get these little critters, you can get them from a feed store, a local farmer, from a mail order hatchery, or you can hatch them yourself. You need to pay close attention to these terms, Strait Run, Pullets, and Cockerels.
In a straight run, you are going to get a mix of boys and girls, but the thing is, you are more than likely going to get three times as many boys as you will girls. Pullets are girls, and cockerels are obviously boys. Most places are not going to let you buy less than 6 at a time. Most mail order places are going to make you order between 10 and 25 at a time.
The reason for this is, chicks are social creatures. They need to have other chicks to help keep them warm, to talk to, and to play with. Another reason is, sometimes, chicks die. I don't know any other way to put it, but they do. Sometimes their insides didn't develop quite right, or they didn't fully develop their yolk sack quite right.
One of the things you have to look for in chicks is pasty but. That's where they aren't quite getting enough water, and their poop gets hard, and will block their vent, and keep any more from coming out. It can kill them if not caught in time. The easiest way to fix it is to 1. pull their food and make sure they have lots of clean water and then 2. give them some strawberry greek yogurt. That will help their system reset itself. Then after about an hour, go ahead and give them their food back, but keep a close eye on them. I just go ahead and treat the entire bunch of chicks just to be safe.
Chicks need heat. They need the warmth, that fluff they have doesn't do much to help keep them warm. I don't use heat lamps, I used brooder heater panels. Those can be purchased from lots of different sources now. Amazon is a great place to check. They come in different sizes. Depending on how you are keeping them, they need to have heat for 4-6 weeks. I tend to only give them a heat source until they hit 4 weeks old. That's when their feathers are out, and I have them in the house anyways. In warmer weather I tend to put them out between 6-8 weeks of age. I have a special place that I keep them that keeps them safe away from the grown chickens.
Chicks need to be fed a special diet of starter grower pellets, and lots of fresh clean water. They cannot be given layer pellets until they are 4 months old. The layer pellts, which are designed for chickens 4 months and older, have too much protein and calcium in them. It will do damage to their kidneys and liver and can kill them.
Now, you're going to ask, when will my chickens start laying??? They start laying between 5-8 months of age depending on breed. Some breeds are very slow at maturing.
So, I'm going to ask you now, if you've made it this far, what are your plans for your chickens? They are quite the commitment. They require daily feeding, even when its cold outside. Are these chickens going to be for eggs? Are they going to be pets? What are your plans for when they stop laying? Will you keep them until they die? Are you going to sell them when they stop laying to people who butcher?
Chickens only have a good laying lifespan of 2 years. Some will lay for 3-4 years, but after those 2 years of good laying are over, the next year of laying is going to be about half if your lucky of what they laid before. Hens will live for 7-10 years. I've herd of some very well cared for pet chickens that have lived for 19 years. Once a hen stops laying, they start eating. And by that, I mean, they eat like a small dog. They probably eat twice what they ate when they were laying. So, if you feel like you cannot butcher these birds when they stop laying, and you cannot sell or give them to someone who will, you are going to be spending a lot of money and time on these birds, all the while you are buying store bought eggs. Or eggs from someone else who raises their own chickens. You will be cleaning a chicken coop, and cleaning up after them, etc. etc. All while having to buy eggs.
Now that we've gotten past that part, lets move on to the other down sides of chickens...so you've decided to free range your chickens, and you have a beautiful garden. You have a perfectly manicured landscape. The best manicured landscape on your road....not for long! These fun feathered friends which you have turned loose on your lawn, are going to get into those flower beds, and after they have eaten every colorful bloom, and have mowed that decorative grass, they are then going to dig up your mulch, and take themselves a dust bath. On the plus side, your bug problem is going to no longer be a bug problem.
Your chickens safety is also going to be an issue if you free range. You have to deal with Hawks, neighbors dogs, and if they don't stay in your yard, and end up in your neighbors flower bed, you will have to worry about what your neighbor is going to do to those guys. I personally don't free range, because as you all know, I have Siberian Huskies, and those chickens are a tasty fun game to them. Then, you have night time. You need to have a coop for them to sleep in at night where they will be safe against raccoons, opossums, cats, skunks, and other wild life. Chickens cannot see in the dark, and won't be able to defend themselves.
Finally lets talk about roosters. I love my roosters, and think they are a lot of fun, but I do respect their personal space. They have 2 jobs, and the number 1 job is to protect their flock. Their second job is to make love sweet chicken love to the ladies. If you have roosters, you need to respect their space. If they decide they want to be your friend, you will never ask for a better pal than that rooster. If they decide they don't like people, then they can be the most aggressive creature you have ever met.
You absolutely do not need a rooster in order to get chicken eggs. You only need a rooster if you want to hatch out chicks, but they are also a great idea if you are going to free range, because they will defend their girls to the bloody end. However, this goes back to your neighbor as well, if they don't like your neighbors, you could end up with a lawsuit on your hand. But roosters will lead the girls to tasty treats, and help them find cover when their is a hawk over head. So, unless you absolutely want a rooster, you have no need for one.
These are the basic things that you need to know before you get into raising chicks and keeping chickens. There are a lot of great sources on the web, but there are also a lot of really bad sources on the web as well. You need to read carefully, and think long and hard before you decide that you truly want to go down the path of backyard chicken farmer.
If you have any questions, please leave comments, or email me.
crochetbrandi@gmail.com
So, I've been asked a lot of questions from people who have been thinking about getting chicks, or ready to lay hens. I've also been reading a lot of posts full of some really crazy stuff. It's amazing to me just how much info is out there that is really wild, weird or inaccurate. So, I'm just going to jump right in.
Let me start with chicks, because, well that's what chickens start out as. There are a few ways to get these little critters, you can get them from a feed store, a local farmer, from a mail order hatchery, or you can hatch them yourself. You need to pay close attention to these terms, Strait Run, Pullets, and Cockerels.
In a straight run, you are going to get a mix of boys and girls, but the thing is, you are more than likely going to get three times as many boys as you will girls. Pullets are girls, and cockerels are obviously boys. Most places are not going to let you buy less than 6 at a time. Most mail order places are going to make you order between 10 and 25 at a time.
The reason for this is, chicks are social creatures. They need to have other chicks to help keep them warm, to talk to, and to play with. Another reason is, sometimes, chicks die. I don't know any other way to put it, but they do. Sometimes their insides didn't develop quite right, or they didn't fully develop their yolk sack quite right.
One of the things you have to look for in chicks is pasty but. That's where they aren't quite getting enough water, and their poop gets hard, and will block their vent, and keep any more from coming out. It can kill them if not caught in time. The easiest way to fix it is to 1. pull their food and make sure they have lots of clean water and then 2. give them some strawberry greek yogurt. That will help their system reset itself. Then after about an hour, go ahead and give them their food back, but keep a close eye on them. I just go ahead and treat the entire bunch of chicks just to be safe.
Chicks need heat. They need the warmth, that fluff they have doesn't do much to help keep them warm. I don't use heat lamps, I used brooder heater panels. Those can be purchased from lots of different sources now. Amazon is a great place to check. They come in different sizes. Depending on how you are keeping them, they need to have heat for 4-6 weeks. I tend to only give them a heat source until they hit 4 weeks old. That's when their feathers are out, and I have them in the house anyways. In warmer weather I tend to put them out between 6-8 weeks of age. I have a special place that I keep them that keeps them safe away from the grown chickens.
Chicks need to be fed a special diet of starter grower pellets, and lots of fresh clean water. They cannot be given layer pellets until they are 4 months old. The layer pellts, which are designed for chickens 4 months and older, have too much protein and calcium in them. It will do damage to their kidneys and liver and can kill them.
Now, you're going to ask, when will my chickens start laying??? They start laying between 5-8 months of age depending on breed. Some breeds are very slow at maturing.
So, I'm going to ask you now, if you've made it this far, what are your plans for your chickens? They are quite the commitment. They require daily feeding, even when its cold outside. Are these chickens going to be for eggs? Are they going to be pets? What are your plans for when they stop laying? Will you keep them until they die? Are you going to sell them when they stop laying to people who butcher?
Chickens only have a good laying lifespan of 2 years. Some will lay for 3-4 years, but after those 2 years of good laying are over, the next year of laying is going to be about half if your lucky of what they laid before. Hens will live for 7-10 years. I've herd of some very well cared for pet chickens that have lived for 19 years. Once a hen stops laying, they start eating. And by that, I mean, they eat like a small dog. They probably eat twice what they ate when they were laying. So, if you feel like you cannot butcher these birds when they stop laying, and you cannot sell or give them to someone who will, you are going to be spending a lot of money and time on these birds, all the while you are buying store bought eggs. Or eggs from someone else who raises their own chickens. You will be cleaning a chicken coop, and cleaning up after them, etc. etc. All while having to buy eggs.
Now that we've gotten past that part, lets move on to the other down sides of chickens...so you've decided to free range your chickens, and you have a beautiful garden. You have a perfectly manicured landscape. The best manicured landscape on your road....not for long! These fun feathered friends which you have turned loose on your lawn, are going to get into those flower beds, and after they have eaten every colorful bloom, and have mowed that decorative grass, they are then going to dig up your mulch, and take themselves a dust bath. On the plus side, your bug problem is going to no longer be a bug problem.
Your chickens safety is also going to be an issue if you free range. You have to deal with Hawks, neighbors dogs, and if they don't stay in your yard, and end up in your neighbors flower bed, you will have to worry about what your neighbor is going to do to those guys. I personally don't free range, because as you all know, I have Siberian Huskies, and those chickens are a tasty fun game to them. Then, you have night time. You need to have a coop for them to sleep in at night where they will be safe against raccoons, opossums, cats, skunks, and other wild life. Chickens cannot see in the dark, and won't be able to defend themselves.
Finally lets talk about roosters. I love my roosters, and think they are a lot of fun, but I do respect their personal space. They have 2 jobs, and the number 1 job is to protect their flock. Their second job is to make love sweet chicken love to the ladies. If you have roosters, you need to respect their space. If they decide they want to be your friend, you will never ask for a better pal than that rooster. If they decide they don't like people, then they can be the most aggressive creature you have ever met.
You absolutely do not need a rooster in order to get chicken eggs. You only need a rooster if you want to hatch out chicks, but they are also a great idea if you are going to free range, because they will defend their girls to the bloody end. However, this goes back to your neighbor as well, if they don't like your neighbors, you could end up with a lawsuit on your hand. But roosters will lead the girls to tasty treats, and help them find cover when their is a hawk over head. So, unless you absolutely want a rooster, you have no need for one.
These are the basic things that you need to know before you get into raising chicks and keeping chickens. There are a lot of great sources on the web, but there are also a lot of really bad sources on the web as well. You need to read carefully, and think long and hard before you decide that you truly want to go down the path of backyard chicken farmer.
If you have any questions, please leave comments, or email me.
crochetbrandi@gmail.com
Friday, April 8, 2016
Dandelion Jelly
Alright, so I decided that I really really really wanted to make Dandelion Jelly. I've been thinking about it for years. The other morning when I went outside, and saw hundreds of them in my yard all at once, I knew it was time. Now, if I saw bees busy at certain patches of them, I left those for the bees, because its still cold out, and dandelions are indeed their first food of the spring, which is what makes me cringe when people poison theirs because they are an eyesore to them. Dandelions are food that are enjoyable to everyone.
Anyways! Back to the jelly...so it really helps if you have a helper, which I didn't until closer to the end, because mine works night shift. The first thing you have to do is pick 10 cups of Dandelion flowers. Try to just get the head, because its going to make it look like you have more than you need. Once you have your flowers picked, get yourself a pair of scissors and a comfortable place to sit, because this next part takes a while. You need to cut all of the green away from and off of the flower, you are only using the petals for this. You will need 4 cups of these petals, which feels like forever to get to.
Once you get your petals all cut, put them into a big glass bowl, and cover with boiling water. I wasn't really given an amount, on the directions that I got, so I just filled a pan and boiled some water.
Then once you cover them with the boiling water, place a lid or a towel over top of this, and let it sit over night. The next morning strain the flowers out of the tea that you will have made. One of those hanging jelly bags would be perfect for this in all honesty. (I'm planning on purchasing one in the near future after this). You can also run them through a coffee filter, or a very clean towel.
Now for the Jelly making recipe since we are at this point.
you will need
4 cups of Dandelion tea,
1 pack of powdered pectin,
4 and 1/2 cups of sugar,
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
Put your tea, pectin and lemon juice in the pan, and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, and your sugar and bring back to a second boil, the kind of boil that doesn't stir down, once you've reached that point, boil for 1 minute, and keep stirring.
At the end of that minute, ladle into clean sanitized jars. I used multiple sized jars as you can see in my picture, so just wash extra. Put on lid, and water bath it for 10 minutes. Allow to sit over night and once its cool store in a cool dark place. This jelly will take up to 2 days to completely jell.
Yes its a lot of work, and I will probably never make it again, but it was most certainly an experience worth sharing with all of you, and if you do make it, please let me and my readers know what you all thought of it!!!
This spring/summer, I'm planning on trying some other types of jelly. I'm going to make corn cob jelly, because my sweet mother in law keeps bringing it up, and I think that means she wants some, and then I'm planning on making lilac jelly. I'm very interested in how that's going to turn out and look.
I did discover yesterday though, that I'm going to have to buy some more jelly jars. I seem to have lots more jelly to make, and not so very many jelly jars.
Monday, April 4, 2016
New laptop!
hey all!!! it took us a bit, but we got our laptop replaced. I'm having a time getting used to the navigation pad for the mouse, because if I'm not careful I'm zoomed in really close, or I'm zoomed waaaaay out!!! Its almost funny..
So, I've got some recipes coming up soon for you guys soon, Hopefully some new pictures.
Until then have a great week!
So, I've got some recipes coming up soon for you guys soon, Hopefully some new pictures.
Until then have a great week!
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Laptop died
Hey everyone! Our laptop took a dump, so it's going to be
A bit before I can get back to baby pics and stuff. I'm not
Going to buy the app for my phone because it's a bit
Crazy. So hopefully in the next 2 weeks I can do a big update for you
All!!!
A bit before I can get back to baby pics and stuff. I'm not
Going to buy the app for my phone because it's a bit
Crazy. So hopefully in the next 2 weeks I can do a big update for you
All!!!
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Ranting
So, having chickens means that we have to have water containers, and feeders and all that good stuff.
Well, We went with the top fill bucket type water containers for the big run because it was "easier" let me tell you, I don't like the bucket type water containers anymore. I'm done with them. Yes the ones where you have to screw the little lid on the hole may be a bit of a pain, but they don't have the problems those bucket types have.
The problems are as follows, if the screw thing in the bottom gets too lose then all of the water just leaks out and you have a puddly mess....however if you don't have the blasted thing sitting perfectly flat, then either the water wont come out at all, or it wont stop coming out...if the little hole gets a speck of dirt in it, water wont come out, its almost like playing Russian Roullet...either the water will do what its supposed to and my birds will have water, OR I'll walk away and come back an hour later and they don't have any water at all. Sure, those things seem super convenient, and like they are going to work out perfectly, but they don't.
Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I feel better!!!
Well, We went with the top fill bucket type water containers for the big run because it was "easier" let me tell you, I don't like the bucket type water containers anymore. I'm done with them. Yes the ones where you have to screw the little lid on the hole may be a bit of a pain, but they don't have the problems those bucket types have.
The problems are as follows, if the screw thing in the bottom gets too lose then all of the water just leaks out and you have a puddly mess....however if you don't have the blasted thing sitting perfectly flat, then either the water wont come out at all, or it wont stop coming out...if the little hole gets a speck of dirt in it, water wont come out, its almost like playing Russian Roullet...either the water will do what its supposed to and my birds will have water, OR I'll walk away and come back an hour later and they don't have any water at all. Sure, those things seem super convenient, and like they are going to work out perfectly, but they don't.
Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I feel better!!!
keeping busy
Hey there everyone! Just a random blog, full of my rambles. We've been keeping busy here, but in a good way. I'm hoping that we can get around to butchering here soon, because my meat supply is just about gone.
It wont be long before the eggs in the incubator go into lockdown, so I'll have newly hatched chicks by next week. I've already started setting back Easter Egg, hatching eggs again. So, I'll be able to rotate everyone out, and then in again. I may end up setting up the old incubator, so that I can get them in if I get all that I need sooner. I'm not sure if I'm going to sell the chicks about to hatch as straight run, or if I'll grow them out and sell them. Depending on how many hatch, I may just split it up and sell half as straight run chicks, and then grow out the other half.
We're going to breed Lucy this weekend. She grew out into a really beautiful Doe. (Lucy is the daughter of Fred and Ethel) Ethel and Doris's current babies are growing quickly, and are in all honesty some of the biggest kits we've had. I'm thinking about putting Lucy with George, because I know what genetics Lucy carries due to Fred and Ethel, and see what happens if we use George. (George is the Son of Fred and Betty)(George is my chocolate buck)
Once we have had 3 good litters from George, we're going to go ahead and write up his pedigree, and get his ear tattoo done. The same goes for Lucy. I seriously love Silver Fox Rabbits, but the pedigree part is hard, because you don't want to pedigree and SF rabbit that doesn't fit the breed standards.
We still don't have my peas planted!!!! When we had the time to till, it snowed...and then it rained...seriously??? I hate that I'm starting to run so short on time to get my peas in the ground.
Its funny though, how many people give me the odd look about the amount of peas I'm planning on planting. They just don't get that by planting a large crop of peas this year, I'll be able to can up enough to last for 2 or 3 years. Its like when I buy large amounts of Fresh carrots. I'm almost out of them now, and they've lasted me for 3 years. Its awesome being able to grow/produce my own food!!!
Well...that's about it from here for today! Hope everyone has had a fantastic week so far!!!
It wont be long before the eggs in the incubator go into lockdown, so I'll have newly hatched chicks by next week. I've already started setting back Easter Egg, hatching eggs again. So, I'll be able to rotate everyone out, and then in again. I may end up setting up the old incubator, so that I can get them in if I get all that I need sooner. I'm not sure if I'm going to sell the chicks about to hatch as straight run, or if I'll grow them out and sell them. Depending on how many hatch, I may just split it up and sell half as straight run chicks, and then grow out the other half.
We're going to breed Lucy this weekend. She grew out into a really beautiful Doe. (Lucy is the daughter of Fred and Ethel) Ethel and Doris's current babies are growing quickly, and are in all honesty some of the biggest kits we've had. I'm thinking about putting Lucy with George, because I know what genetics Lucy carries due to Fred and Ethel, and see what happens if we use George. (George is the Son of Fred and Betty)(George is my chocolate buck)
Once we have had 3 good litters from George, we're going to go ahead and write up his pedigree, and get his ear tattoo done. The same goes for Lucy. I seriously love Silver Fox Rabbits, but the pedigree part is hard, because you don't want to pedigree and SF rabbit that doesn't fit the breed standards.
We still don't have my peas planted!!!! When we had the time to till, it snowed...and then it rained...seriously??? I hate that I'm starting to run so short on time to get my peas in the ground.
Its funny though, how many people give me the odd look about the amount of peas I'm planning on planting. They just don't get that by planting a large crop of peas this year, I'll be able to can up enough to last for 2 or 3 years. Its like when I buy large amounts of Fresh carrots. I'm almost out of them now, and they've lasted me for 3 years. Its awesome being able to grow/produce my own food!!!
Well...that's about it from here for today! Hope everyone has had a fantastic week so far!!!
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