I'm a bad bad blogger

Hello everyone! So, yesterday I went to get the link off of here for one of my recipes to share with someone, and was completely shocked that I haven't written a blog, shared a recipe, or a crochet pattern with you all since April!!!! I kind of have an excuse, but I kind of don't. I will get to all of that here in just a second, but I will say from the very bottom of my heart, I'm sorry, and I will try to do better, but with everything we have going on I cannot make any guarantees except to say that I've got some recipe's to share sometime in the near future, and I've been working on some new patterns that I want to share with you all!!!

So, let me catch you all up on everything!!!
So you know how they say, when it rains it pours? It's so true, from the farm, on through life. Ginger, one of my first Silver Fox rabbits, passed away back in the spring. She left 8 kits that were just a couple days shy of being 4 weeks old. They all made it, and I had wanted to keep 2 of the girls, but they were all just so small that we butchered them all at 6 months old. My heart really hurt over that. She died of a spinal cord injury. We think something scared her, and that's what happened to her.
Then we had a ton of rain...constant never ending rain...it rained so much that we couldn't get a garden in, and by the time it dried up enough to be able to till to plant, it was hot and buggy out, and I said nah.

We hatched a bunch of Buff Orpington chicks, I kept 4, 1 boy and 3 girls. The boy has been named Wesley. We were planning on doing an order from our favorite hatchery, but with everything that's happening now (will get to that) its going to have to be put on hold.  Remember those Rooster chicks we ordered from Mt. Healthy???? Those 5 Rooster chicks that I needed for my flock???? All 5 turned out to be female!!!! Oh I was so mad!!!! The only thing they offered me was to refund my money...which I wasn't interested in, because I wanted roosters. But...that's ok...I can let things go...especially since I got 5 hens for the price of 5 roosters.

Frank had to have some major gum surgery done. It was split up into 2 different surgeries. He's now recovering from the second, and just had the stitches removed. His pain level has gone down, but he's still tender, and isn't quite able to eat his favorite foods yet. They had to do gum grafts, because his gum line had receded enough that he was going to lose those teeth if he didn't get the grafts done.

I've been on a diet, and am 3 pounds away from losing my first 40 pounds!!! I'd love to be down those 3 this week, but it's hard to say if that will or wont happen. As of right now, I'm 12 pounds away from being able to get my left hip replaced!!!! I'm more excited about that left him than anything!!! It's going to open up a whole new world to me being able to walk like a normal person. (yes, I'm only 36, but I had my first hip surgery at 12) I've recently shaken my diet up a bit to keep it moving in the right direction. I've been doing Slimfast, but have added the Atkins products in, that way I'm lowering my carb count some as well. My doctor and I have set a 20 pound goal by the end of December. I have lost 5 pounds for the month of October so far, so I'm thinking its a doable goal.

My mother in law, who is a diabetic has been having some major problems with her one foot. I won't go into details yet, because we don't know what the outcome is going to be. I will just ask for many prayers, and much love.

I had to take Sam to the vet today, again, for another ear infection. This is getting to be a yearly thing for him. I had been looking for a groomer for him, because his groomer that he was going to had to give it up due to health problems. I'm going to be using the groomer at the vets office, since they were the ones that groomed Nikki and I know that I can trust them. You see, I have a hard time handing my dogs over to just anybody. We have this one place in town, that sells reptiles, and when I went in there before to see what they would be like, not only was the lady really dirty looking, and wearing seriously stained up clothes (at least I hope they were stains) but the place smelled like a litter box that had not been changed in months. The smell of ammonia that was in the air there was almost over powering, and I wasn't about to leave my dog there. Now there is this other lady on the back streets that has a place, but I can't ever get in there to see what its like because she only opens her doors for appointments, and where as I respect that, I'm not taking my dogs in blind like that. So, even though it's going to be expensive, the vets office is where it's going to have to be. I checked and it is the same guy that worked there when we took Nikki (she had so many health problems that it had to be at the vets office). I had been working on keeping Sam's rear end fur cut off myself, but I'm far from a groomer, and I don't have the equipment to give him the groom he really needs. He's my only dog that needs to go to a groomer.

So, I'm going to close this up for now so that it doesn't turn into a long boring read. I've been working on some things using some free patterns. Once I get them done, I plan on sharing a pic, and the pattern link with you guys.  If everything goes well, I hope to have some stuff to start sharing with you all within the next week...depending on how everything goes. I know I need to do some pictures, but I can't make any guarantees about that either. Lets just say, once things settle down again, I should be blogging more.....oh and as long as stuff stops breaking!!!!! (We've been busy getting vehicles repaired, and tires replaced, and we had to get a new washer and dryer, and dehumidifier etc etc...its just been never ending!!!!)

Rain Rain and more Rain

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.

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

Dandelion Jelly

So, my pictures aren't exactly in order, but this new lap top is making things a little difficult right now. There's nothing like trying to get the feel of a new lap top, especially when everything seems to be backwards from the way it was on your previous!
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.

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!

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!!!

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!!!