Spice Mixes and All That Sugar

No more sugar for me! Now that I've been diagnosed as diabetic (hubby has been for YEARS) I need to find a way to have the spice blends I like without the sugar. I also need to find some fulfilling recipes for candy that is sugar free which won't be easy as the sugar is crucial in some recipes to help set the candy up! And, I need one of the red circles with the slash that means "NO" to add to this sugar jar!

So, I'm on the lookout for DIY mixes that resemble the commercial spice blends and sweets. I'd been using what he likes for his and my preferences for mine when possible as a while back I was surprised at how many spice blends have sugar or corn syrup added. With hubby already diabetic, my diet changes have had to be those hidden sugars in things I eat that he can't. Yes, I knew they were there. The good news is it's working because I've managed to loose 15# without starving myself. I'm busy with the homestead, but with my disability I have to sit down a LOT and have little energy. Truthfully, I think I lost that weight in the candy aisles as I get no more 3 Musketeers, Snickers, etc. I now get to visit the dietary section with sugar free candies. They are EXPENSIVE too. So I'm on a new search to make my own spice blends and sugar free chocolates!

In the meantime, I had stopped at the health food store which I do a few times a year. I found the Pamona Pectin I wanted to try for sugar free jams/jellies and they had carob covered pleanuts on sale! In the check out line I snipped open the carob peanuts as I was wondering if I wanted one bag or more being there'd be 2 of us consuming them. (It pays to have finger nail clippers on my key chain!) Boy was that a GOOD move! I really REALLY liked it so ran to the aisle and got 2 more bags. I was nice and left 1 bag for someone else of course! ;) So I ended up with 3 - 3 1/2 # bags of them for $7.99 each bag. That's a far cry cheaper than 3 oz of sugar free chocolate at the store for $1.48 - 1.69! We'll have these for a long time as I've put 2 bags and 2 quart jars of them in the freezer. With the way the heat melts chocolate these days they'll keep nicely there and I have a few out for snacks. I also decided I need to stop by the health food store more often as I'd LOVE to find the carob covered cashews and almonds on sale too!

A kind person posted this DIY copycat spice mix that resembles Lawry's on a recipe group. I thought you might like it also. I'm going to start with eliminating the sugar altogether and if it really needs it, I'll try a packet of Truvia or Slenda sweetner. Hopefully we will enjoy it without any sweetner. It looks to be a good one and I had quit using so much Lawry's due to the sugar.

Copycat Lawry's Seasoned Salt

2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
Pour the blend into an empty spice bottle to store.
Be sure to label the bottle!

I hope you all have a good day! I'm finally back on line and getting caught back up so hope to be here regularly again! I've missed blogging!

Lady Bug Kidded!

The last few weeks have been rough ones as far as things go for Lady Bug. We have some not-so-nice neighbors who are city-minded and do-as-I-please-regardless types. They built their house and now a "play barn" next to our barn which has always housed livestock. The 26th of June they had a wedding reception in their barn for a son and after dark set of illegal fireworks NEXT TO MY BARN! There was a major goat stampede and escape. Lady, late-term pregnant, managed to end up wedged down between 2 50-gallon feed barrels and the wall and was injured. She has a break in her leg and a broken tail, possible back injuries, and a lot of soft tissue injuries so is 3-legged lame. She was extremely (severely) swollen from the ribs back when I found her Sunday morning and you could no longer distinguish her udder. I really thought I was losing the pregnancy and possibly Lady Bug, it was that bad.

After a couple LONG discussions with an experienced goat vet, I was given instructions. He really felt she needed kept under 24/7 watch due to the pregnancy and some time for swelling to subside. So I went with his game plan as it made lots of sense. He was available if I had questions, etc. Just call and he'd give the info to the next vet on call so they could pass along what was going on and actions taken.

Lady became a house goat and she's more than happy to serve the position! She was only a couple days old when we got her and she started here in the house and has always enjoyed coming in for a visit and felt she belonged inside! So she's quite content to have her home back. I was worried about her being stressed from separation from the herd but she shows no concern over that. She just wants to be with me and I'm to stay in her sight. Treats are expected and she LOVES fruit flavored cheap pop tarts! She also took right to using papers at the door for piddles and a lot of berry "downloads".

On the 2nd, following Friday, Lady Bug was stable enough to transport to the vet and she needed to be seen as far as my gut feeling was directing. The decisions amongst the vets was they prefered tonot stress her at all so the kids had ample time to develop their lungs and important last-minute pregnancy development such as suck reflex, etc. She did get a magnetic treatment for the soft tissue of her leg/thigh and he felt she had a broken tail and pastern.

Lady had moved to the house and now needed watched so she could have assistance kidding due to the muscle damage and her lameness. Her pain level did go down except in the one leg. There was concern over her being able to push the kids out and concern over the kids.

Yesterday I had a doctors appointment and shortly after we got home Lady kidded successfully. She was able to push the first out fine and then she and Candi, mini Aussie, immediately went to work cleaning up the black doeling. What a cutie she is with white marks on both sides, a spot on her withers and a star on her forehead. She also has frosted ears, muzzle and tail with a white tip on her tail. Her sides have random frosted hairs that are most concentrated on her shoulders.

The 2nd doeling is a buckskin which means she's tan on the back half of her body and black to the front. She also has a star and tan eye bars and a few frosted hairs on her ears and muzzle. She's much smaller than the firstborn. I have concerns over her as she's not doing near as well. Her sack was full of greenish-yellowish fluid with some dark specks. This isn't normal and isn't good! She's at high risk of pneumonia and becoming septic. I took her right to the bathroom and bathed her off well as I suspect it's body waste in the sack. At this point she's progressing much slower than the first born. I'm giving her colostrum frequently and monitoring her closely. She's had a large drop of corn syrup to help get her sugar level up as she was doing a bit of trembling. She's very tiny and light weight. In the photo, she's laying by Lady's udder and Lady is looking at her.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed the tiny doeling can make it. I'm also glad Lady has kidded so the hormonal change can revert back to non pregnant so we can further determine if she needs more medical care or what the next goal will be for her. I keep wanting her to get better faster, but reality is that breaks take time to heal.

I also had to make a decision as to whether to splint Lady's tail straight down. She can no longer lift it but can flag it hanging down. My thoughts were that being it's broken and not going to be completely functional that it might just be better if it's slightly to the side. Then she can pee and poop without hitting her tail. Then IF she's to be rebred that process might be easier for her. As it is, the hairs partially fall over just enough to do some protecting of the perineal area.

So, we have a healing and yet lame doe who is a wonderful momma to her twin doelings who are CUTE CUTE CUTE! And I'll be continuing to cut a jungle and bring Lady browse to eat. She prefers the maple and grape leaves over the "salad". I'm surprised how much a Nigerian Dwarf can consume in a day's time!

Everyone needs a house goat, don't they?!

Some Special Days for July

Today, July 13th, is National French Fries Day! I'm all for this one! I like the steak fries best for white potatoes but I also love the sweet potato fries. I didn't have very good luck making polenta fries but the flavor was good. How do you like your fries best?

I've missed several great celebrations, but there are still plenty more left to enjoy for the month! I shall get into the swing and enjoy some! I better get some more ice cream made too!

July Daily Celebrations
July 1: Creative Ice Cream Flavour Day, National Gingersnap Day
July 2: National Anisette Day
July 3: National Chocolate Wafer Day, Eat Beans Day
July 4: National Barbequed Spareribs Day
July 5: National Apple Turnover Day
July 6: National Fried chicken Day
July 7: National Strawberry Sundae Day
July 8: National Chocolate with Almonds Day
July 9: National Sugar Cookie Day
July 10: National Pina Colada Day, Pick blueberries Day
July 11: National Blueberry Muffin Day
July 12: National Pecan Day
July 13: National French Fries Day, Beans ‘n’ Franks Day
July 14: National Grand Marnier Day, Macaroni Day
July 15: National Tapioca Pudding Day
July 16: National Corn Fritters Day
July 17: National Peach Ice Cream Day
July 18: National Caviar Day
July 19: National Daiquiri Day
July 20: National Lollipop Day, National Hot Dog Day, National Ice Cream Soda Day, Fortune Cookie Day
July 21: National Ice Cream Day, National Junk Food Day
July 22: National Penuche Fudge Day
July 23: National Vanilla Ice Cream Day
July 24: National Tequila Day
July 25: National Hot Fudge Sundae Day
July 26: National Coffee Milkshake Day
July 27: National Crème Brulee Day, National Scotch Day
July 28: National Milk Chocolate
July 29: Cheese Sacrifice Day
July 30: National Cheesecake Day
July 31: National Raspberry Cake Day, Cotton Candy Day, Jump for Jelly Beans Days

July Weekly Celebrations
1st Week: National Canned Luncheon Meat Week

July Monthly Celebrations
National Baked Beans Month
National Bison Month
National Culinary Arts Moth
National Grilling Month
National Hot Dog Month
National Ice Cream Month
National July Belongs to Blueberries Month

Trigger (Roy Roger's Horse)

Such memories..... This was a tv show that I didn't miss if I could help it. I HAD to watch the show for Trigger and Buttermilk (Dale's light buckskin)! When they died, they were stuffed and in the Roy Roger's Museum, which closed in 2009. Now Trigger, Buttermilk and a few other things are being auctioned off in Manhattan in a week. They expect Trigger to bring in some fancy change to say the least! Buttermilk, who was my fav, will be much cheaper and is expected to bring only about $30,000! Anyone have any spare change laying around that they could send me?

You can read the article at: http://www.popeater.com/2010/07/09/trigger-auction-roy-rogers-buttermilk-bullet/?icid=mainhtmlws-main-ndl2link6http%3A%2F%2Fwww.popeater.com%2F2010%2F07%2F09%2Ftrigger-auction-roy-rogers-buttermilk-bullet%2F

I'm Back!

FINALLY!

A storm took out my modem and damaged my AOL software. I've not been a happy computer "geek"! Or would that be a computerista? Computer addict?

Whatever I am, I'm more broke as it ended up being expensive and highly frustrating. I have a new modem, new software, new phone, new cords and splicer, and a "new used" computer. The used computer I got to get me through also couldn't get me on line successfully!

I can be really patient most of the time, but my computer time isn't something to be messed with at all, ever!

I'm glad to be back and have most of the settings worked out, etc. I'll be back with a homestead update REAL soon. Thanks for sticking with me! I appreciate you all lots and missed computing!

Turkey Trot!

The 5 turkey poults "trotted" out to the "trailer park" to join the chicklets who are doing great and growing well. The turkey youngsters just seem too big to be poults any more and yet they aren't old enough to be hens and toms either. Does that make them turklets? Like I've been calling the juvenile chicks chicklets? What ever I call them, being I don't know the correct term yet, they seem to be happy to be able to stretch upwards and ruffle their feathers while flapping their wings a bit. They are growing well and are larger than the younger chicklets out there so shouldn't have trouble adjusting to new friends. There's also a young cockeral from the brooder with them who is quite feathered who has since joined them. As soon as they were out of the way in the brooder, the young cockeral decided to take on all the chicks in the brooder.

Now I need to clean the brooder out GOOD and then I can add some other young chicks to it and the current inhabitants back in until they finish feathering on their backs. The newly hatching and 2 keets need the smaller brooder (which also needs cleaning). The new hatchlings will be here soon and the first has pipped. One keet is doing great and the other not as well. I'm hoping that they both make it as I'd hate for them to not have each other being I don't have any others for them to buddy up with in a flock. I'll be BUSY tomorrow!

I have twice today wanted my camera and not had it handy. I miss too many photo moments. I would loved to have had pics of Bobbi (kitten) who has decided hub's foot would be a great scratching post when she was done napping on it. She sure has a lot of "powers" too. She kept hub's confined to his recliner until she was done napping. Cats do that kind of thing! The other missed moment was of Patty, the smallest goat kid. After helping milk her mother and adopted mothers, she jumped up onto a grain barrel that's lid had been knocked off and settled in for a lazy time of cud chewing while watching the milking proceedings and other eating or chewing cud in their stalls. She sure looked cute laying on that white mesh grain bag surveying her domain.

Oh to have another dig camera! Summer could be more fun with camera close at hand!

Have a great summer!

Happy Father's Day!

I hope any of you reading this who are dads have had a great day!

Success!

Raquel's scab on her teat had come off since last night! The teat is still dark on the front where the cut was and there is still a thickness where the cut was. However, it sure looks GREAT and what a relief to get it healed up so quickly. Lesson learned thru this is that betadine is wonderful BUT betadine ointment isn't the best on a doe's udder and teat, especially if they self milk! Boy, that went thru her badly so was a one time thing and never on a teat/udder again.

Cinnamon stood quite well considering and I got to milk her most of the way with both hands tonight! Last night I had to tie one foot to the stand and today was a big improvement. She also only thought of laying down 1 x and was on her knees briefly and gave up. When she does that I've been jamming the coffee container up under her at her belly button front udder area and pressing my other fist (still holding on to that teat) up into her gut firmly. She doesn't like that and stands right back up. :)

I've changed my routine for chores, feeding, and milking. I've been feeding their grain early so they have taken the edge off their hunger or are done eating in their pen before milking. Then when I bring them out to milk there's a bit to nibble on but they aren't really hungry and are willing to stand and chew their cud or at least not be in such a "panic" to gobble their feed and my milking being secondary importance to them. It's really working well. Plus, Cinnamon is the lowest in the pecking order of the 6 milkers in that pen so she doesn't get all her eating done before milking but at least gets some and then has time to finish up on the milk stand. She's coming to the stand calmer and not ravenous and not having been pushed around while waiting for her turn. I've switched their order around so the 3 yearlings/FF's get milked first and can go back in their pen and have some peace and quiet for a bit while I bottle feed and milking the older does who are the top of the heirachy. This way the 3 get a better chance to enjoy their grain and some hay quietly. It seems to be working much better.

I suspect I have an unintended breeding done. Daisy (Boer X and dam of the triplets who are all well into weaning) came in heat. She's having some problems with her feet again and the kids really drug her down so she's pretty gaunt looking (more like a dairy doe and she is 1/4 Alpine). She's been hanging in the the barn aisle and my milk area (I only milk for us and don't sell, give away or do shares with my milk as it's illegal here.). Buckley, yearling buck managed to break out and break in to the barn. There's a chainlink gate at the barn door with an ornamental piece that has a vertical piece in the center that seems it would have got him but he managed to clear it! Also, his horns splay out to the sides and IF he's fertile (being it's summer and not his rut time as he's 100% dairy) then she'll be due mid November. I hadn't intended on her being bred until Spring. She has time to get her weight back up and I'll take back over her hoof trimming as hubby has been doing hers as she's his favorite of the goats.

I'm am really bummed that my feed store is going out of business the end of this month. I got another load of goatie granola mixed and brought home today and will get another order next weekend. That will have me ahead for a while and with a few other items I'll get, I will only need cracked corn and some shell corn for the rest of the summer. I hate the thought of driving so far to get feed. That being, I'm going to cut back on my Boer goats. I know hubby will want to keep Daisy and I'm not sure how many does we REALLY need to have. I hate making this decision but it's time. I've sure enjoyed the convenience of having my goat feed mixed and bagged for me. It definitely improved milk production and the molasses has made it much easier for the amonium chloride stick better for the bucks' UC prevention and extra vits or such I wanted to feed anyone too. It also made it harder for the does to sift out what they prefer. Daisy, for one, will pick out the grains and ignore the protein pellets. I can't get good alfalfa hay for the dairy does and Boers with kids nursing so alfalfa gets added to the granola to keep their calcium balance in line. I'm really going to miss the owners too.

I had banded Becca's little horns and the 2nd fell off tonight. There was a small amount of blood so I doused it with some baking soda and it did the trick. Unfortunately her horns grew some from the time I banded them so she has some nubs sticking up. This is my first attempt at banding and I don't know if they'll continue to grow (scurs can grow for the life of the goat) or what will be. I need to "catch up" with the people who have done this more and see what they say. I had also banded Raquel, Danika and Cinnamon. Raquel has lost her bands over the last few days. I'll have to do a better job of super gluing and re-do them. I'll add a 2nd band below the first next time. I've heard and read good and bad about this procedure and have decided research is what helps medicine progress so I'd only know by trying it myself. There's definitely pros and cons of banding and there are also pros and cons to disbudding. So far I don't have a problem with it but need to improve my method or technique.

I'm due for another hatching in the incubator and the young turkeys are about to move out to the horse trailer with the "chicklets" out there. We've had a few days of low night temps and some storms so I wanted to wait to make the move after we are back up to higher night temps so they transition easier. Then I need to clean the brooder out to put the chicks currently in it back in and the chicks from the other brooder in with them. I'm also going to change the top to make it easier to get a water jar in and out without slopping so much in doing so. The wet can cause mold that is bad for the young chicks. One wouldn't think there would be so many details to putting some eggs in an incubator and then chicks in a brooder and tending them! There's more too it than I had expected! And, being addicted to this, I've got more eggs saved to go into the incubator as soon as this hatch completes!

I'm "addicted", but I could stop and just don't want too! I'm having fun with these little chicks and watching them develop their little feathers and wondering their adult color, pattern, etc. Most are Cochins which I'm REALLY liking, some are the Salmon Favorelles, and a few other breeds. The Jersey Giant and black Sex Linked are doing great also. They are really cute and quite a few are really inquisitive and friendly. The chicklets in the horse trailer are quite friendly also and I decided I need a stool out there so I can go in and sit down and observe them more. I've had a few jump out the door on me but have been lucky enough to get them back. I think it would be safer to just go in and sit with them. It's time for the silver laced Cochin trio to go to the barn now and then the chicklets and turkey poults can have the whole trailer to exercise in. Their tag games with pieces of grass and clover will be easier to run with more room too!

I hope you all have a great weekend and have time with family and friends!

This, That and the Other Thing

This.....

Cinnamon is FINALLY getting herself into the milking routine. She's sure a stomper though! She's doing much better and I'm having to hobble her much less. Some days I haven't had to hobble or tie 1 foot at all!

That.....

Raquel's cuts on her udder are healed and the scabs gone. That nasty cut on her teat all of a sudden started healing FAST. I'm back to able to milk that side out. Her production on that side dropped horribly but I couldn't milk the teat due to her pain and I ended up with a bloody hand after a couple squirts. I'm hoping that her production will increase some on that side and that her udder isn't permanently unequal. I'm wondering if she's going to have a bit of a scar lump or not. It would almost be to her "benefit" to have a bit of a scar visible on the outside so she can be sold and a seller believed. But she's healing and didn't infect and that was the most important thing to me. Not even any stringy bits when I was checking her teat and milk functioning.

The Other Thing....

Bad news and I hate when bad things happen, especially if there's not a clear-cut cause. Tonight when I walked into the barn to do chores, I found one of Macey's twin boys, Mutt, dead. No bloating, nothing to tell me why. The only thing I can surmise is someone head-butted him in just the wrong spot and the injury killed him. What a cutie he was. I was so hoping all those black spots on his gray head were going to be moon spots. I loved his mismatched ears too. Now I'll never know. RIP in peace Mutt.

Meet Bobbi

Doesn't she look like one of those fluffy animal slippers? She actually lays by choice on hubby's foot like this!

No, she's not near as innocent as she looks either. Don't be fooled by a baby face!
Yes, she does have an opinion as you can see. In fact, she has an opinion about everything! She's a VERY independant little kitten!

Bobbi is a Manx. She's not 100% but she's 100% cat!

Bobbi was also born in a barn on at a goat dairy. She's now a house kitty and she took right to the litter pan. She does love her goat milk too!

She is a calico but is that marbled like calico with yellow and white on her tummy and face, along with interspersed in her body hair.

Hopefully she's going to grow up to be a lap cat! Hubby likes a lap cat and since his stroke, he enjoys the company of the cats more. The adult cats have their adult agenda and don't like to spend a lot of lap time in the summer. Hopefully she'll be a good mouser too!

Animal Crackers

Yes, animal crackers! I've had a long long history with animal crackers thru the years!

Those simple little goodies we loved as children and could be entertained for hours with, while we examined each and every animal and compared it to the others! We could play with them for hours, especially in the car on a long drive! The circus decoration of the box added to the enjoyment and play. I use to love them and they bring back childhood memories. Now, however, they taste like soap or something not so yummy!

Then when my children were young, we bought them and they played with them. Then we took to making magnets with them for their drawings which proudly hung on the refrigerator and freezers. Then they made it to a craft for girl scouts. It was determined a non toxic paint was best as occassionally one was low enough on the frig for a dog to reach and consume, leaving the tell-tale bit of magnet hanging without it's attached critter.

Now-a-days, I feed my goats (and dogs) animal crackers for treats. The LOVE them! The goats especially like the pink frosted ones. Today, I ran across this info of what animals are in a small box of animal crackers. Should I tell the goats and dogs what they are so enthusastically gobbling up or leave them uninformed?

1 lion
1 buffalo
2 sheep
2 monkeys
2 tigers
3 rhinos
5 bears
6 gorillas
(Supposedly the combination in a small box.)

I don't know why they would have sheep and them be the only domestic animal amongst the exotics! From memory, my bags have horses or maybe zebras in them and I don't remember seeing buffalo. So last night, when I was handing out treats and milking, I had to take a better look at what I was feeding my milkers (along with their fig newtons)! That meant I had to take a pic of them, of course, and share it with you!

I guess all animal crackers aren't the same! My dollar store variety combine domestic and exotics. Now my memories of animal crackers have been taken to a new level!

Who would have thought from back when I was a child that I'd someday be painting and then later writing about and photographing animal crackers?

Around the Farm Update

BUSY BUSY BUSY is a good description!

I had a doctor appt. Monday and have been told I'm pre-diabetic. Yet on tv the doctor on a talk show said there is no pre-diabetic. Either one is or one isn't. That being, I guess being my blood sugar in the dr. office was 128 and the fasting blood sugar level prior to that was high, "I am". When I had the fasting test done, I had decided that I need to really cut back even more on sugars and carbs. So when I got some candy, I got sugar free. The chocolate syrup for my morning milk is sugar-free now too. I have more tests to get done and hopefully this new doctor will decide what she thinks. Either way, bah humbug. Both of my parents are diabetic so I figured at some point I'd become so too. I'm just glad it decided to wait til I'm 60 and didn't kick in when I was 20 - 30.

Raquel, the FF milkstand bronco, had FINALLY gotten to the point she was easier to get milked and with much less drama has injured herself! She got 2 cuts on her udder and a horrible inverted "V" on her teat. It's on the teat that she was letting me milk the easiest too, darn it! The cuts are where the teat and udder are attached on the other side. All is healing well but it's extremely painful. I can't milk it without causing her a LOT of pain and tearing it open so I'm only milking a bit to check the milk, get a feel of the teat, etc. She's drying up on that side which I hate, but I know it hurts like the dickens. She had been self-nursing and on that side. She sure quit that, which actually might have been better for her udder. We can't undo what's done! We can only fix things the best we can and deal with it. FORTUNATELY, she didn't cut deep enough in any of the 3 spots to leak milk. That's a huge blessing and much better for her of course. She does like milk so I'm also offering her her milk with hopes it is innoculating her system to hel avoid mastitis. Some folks do believe this helps with mastitis and I'm willing to give it a try with hopes it does and it helps her heal and not have problems for life from it. She's too nice a doe and with her nice-sized teats and great orifices, she milks really easy. I'm getting almost 2 quarts a day from her good side. Her dam is a GOOD and easy milker too.
I've been trying to get some good goat pics. They don't cooperate much! They are too busy trying to get me to give them treats so we are all working different agendas!

I did get this cute pic of the last kid, PattyCake. She's tiny, cute cute cute and just a sweetie! She's also been a pest when I'm milking. She decided if I'm milking that who ever is on the stand is her next snack producer! Personally, I think she had a hidden agenda. I think she decided to find out who's milk she likes best. She has given her mother up and adopted a new one - another FF no less! Her newly adopted momma likes her too and couldn't stand being on the stand the other night when her new daughter was outside and got out of sight! What a tizzy until Patty came running back to the barn door in response to the yelling! Danika had a buckling and I pulled him at birth! So this surprises me that she's decided she wanted a daughter! Patty's dam is a "NuPine" and Nipper, the ND buck, is her sire. She has a ND looking head and she's small. She also got all the frosting on her ear, muzzle and tail. Her "star" looks like a pair of wings.

The chicks are still hatching and drying off. There are around 25 chicks and 2 have died. One who is living has large eyes that bulge a bit. I have no idea why so am trying to find out. It looks like I'll have a nice bunch of chicks though. I'll have maybe 5 blue Cochins and a few blacks.

While cleaning out the other brooder, one of the little turkey poults flew out and before I could react, the 2 dogs close by grabbed him. Unfortunately, he died. The 2 dogs are still on my "bad dog list". I don't think they meant to hurt him but they did. They shouldn't have put their mouths on him at all. They should know better as they don't get allowed to do things like that ever.

I also lost my "Orpicauna" hen. She had gotten caught by the leg. I rescued her, but her induries were bad enough she didn't make it. I had her protected in the pen in one of the laying spots (hers) and was giving her milk, feed and water but she didn't eat that I saw. She's the one who laid the drab, olive greenish color I was enjoying. I have a daughter of hers from my first egg hatch who is also gold. I so hate loosing a layer!

Between being so busy and lots of rain, I've not been able to do much gardening. Everything is growing well except those raspberry plants. There was one with sufficient roots and it's doing well. I'm still hoping that some of the others can root and pull through. Unfortunately, the weeds are also trying to get ahead of me!

I also was told by my local feed mill that they are going out of business. This is VERY bad news. It means that I'll need to do 34-mile round trips to get feed. I have the goatie granola custom mixed and it's so nice and convenient to have it done locally and only a couple miles from home. I'm also going to miss the couple who own and operate it. Unfortunately it's another sign of the economy as several of their customers have gotten rid of their critters due to the rises in grain prices, economy and all. So they've had only 1 month in this year that they've been in the black. This will affect my decisions I'm looking at for the coming year and especially for winter care and numbers.

So, there's the update, as long as it is. And to think it's only the "highlights" of the last 4 days!

A Surprise!

It was time to tend my incubators and I almost ignored the one on lockdown but changed my mind. After all, maybe there just might be an egg starting to pip. Of course I'm telling myself that is expecting too much as they aren't due to hatch until the 7th!

SURPRISE!

I shine my light in and cheep cheep cheep.... No, not a pipped egg, but a dry and fluffy chick is already hatched and waiting for it's little life to get moving along! What a surprise!

And, no, no pipped eggs yet! It's still a bit early. If it weren't raining I might have to go find this early bird a worm!

Goat Trauma Awareness Month - June

Sometimes there are things that one can read and be waiting the whole time for the punch line and it never comes! This is one of those situations!

http://www.goat-trauma.org/news/awareness.shtml

You'll have to let me know what you think after reading this.

National Days for June 4th

Today is National Frozen Yogurt Day, Cheese Day and National Donut Day!

"Friday, June 4th's sugary celebration is actually a real holiday. In fact, since 1938, the first Friday in June has been celebrated as National Donut Day. Its beginnings were sweet and meaningful...and its modern-day meaning is pretty sweet too.... The holiday was initiated by the Salvation Army as a nod to the women who served donuts to soldiers during the first World War." Source unknown. I think this is a neat history lesson!

June is also:

National Candy Month

National Dairy Month

National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month

National Iced Tea Month

National Papaya Month

National Seafood Month

National Turkey Lover’s Month

We can't hardly go wrong can we? Plus these are just the one's I've run across now and I know there has to be more! So find something that suits you to celebrate and have a family doing enjoying it! If there's a little fun history with it, all the better.

Reuseable Grocery Tote Bags

Do you use these? I sure do and they've gotten pretty handy other than just shopping too.

So far, my favs have been the blue and black WalMart bags and the green Spartan Stores bags. The Walmart bags are great for most all things. I like the Spartan bags better for canned goods though. The Walmart bags have a bit longer straps which are handy. The Spartan bags are a perfect design and sturdy for canned goods. The cans stay standing nicely instead of tipping and "spilling" onto their sides. So they are easier to carry without cans jabbing me.

Today I got one of the new TSC "green" tote bags.

It's a pretty tan on the front and back, black straps and black side gussets. A really NICE bag and I'm going to use it for my personal tote bag instead of just using it as a shopping bag. It's really sturdy looking and I like the size and shape. It has their advertising but it's note something I don't want to be seen carrying, etc.

This one is definitely going to be some tuff competition.

It's a bit taller than the Walmart bags (which I see are now even smaller) and the Spartan bags.

As you can see, it's passing an inspection! It seems it would also suffice for a kitten scratching bag. Enuff, Bobbi! I do think I better be careful. I may find I'm leaving home with more than I intended!

If you like tote bags, you might want to check this new one out at your local TSC or other farm store!

So Little Will Power!

I took hubby to the dr. today and had to also make a quick run out to TSC while in town. That was to be a FAST trip in and out of TSC. I alllllllmost made it fast! BUT....they stopped me in my tracks!

I sure wish those chicks would quit calling me to their tubs! I have done so good all season with just looking I was getting proud of myself for having such restraint.

Alas, TSC had a new shipment of chicks today. They were VERY nice looking chicks! They were very alert, active and just had that "doing great" look to them (ALL of them). I could also tell they really wanted me to bring them all home - especially that tub of the black sex links. They are all pullets of course! I was talking to them (yes, I do stand in stores and talk to the live critters) and they were just begging to be rescued of course! Ok ok, you don't believe that... but at least I don't stand in the stores and talk to the stuffed animals! lol

Needless to say, that dire need of a new brooder lamp and red bulb also included 6 black sex links who captivated me and I'd like to have some experience with. Plus, it's the end of the chick season for them and even though they just came in this am, they are already a reduced price! I got them for $2 each. And, yes, I need more egg layers. I got 0 (yes, ZERO) eggs again yesterday.

After all, what's 6 more chicks? Just because I have an incubator due to hatch Monday? I'm addicted to fluffly little chicks, young feathering out chicks and my chickens!

There are a couple good coupons on the chick box too! One is for $2 on chick grit which I'll need more of at some point!

Plus, just think..... next spring I can have another hatching experiment! I can see what these 6 produce when I hatch some of their eggs from my current roos. Will they produce black sex links or loose the "link" all together?

Anniversary

Yesterday, May 29th, was my anniversary. As if it wasn't bad enough to realize my age in February, I now am "looking at" how long I've been married. Where has the time gone? How did I manage to become 60 and married for 39 years? It's definitely something I've been pondering over!

That being, I'm still "on the go" even though I have slowed down since my farming accident in 1993. I'll definitely continue to homestead and enjoy my critters. A number isn't going to stop me from that.

What I have pondered and realize is that homesteading has it's seasons and the busy times and "down times". It has good years and bad and all the other years that don't qualify as one of those 2. Life is pretty much like that too!

Interestingly, we can take a moment to reflect but the homestead keeps on it's course! While I reflect, the weeds are invading my garden plots, the raspberry plants are continuing to decline inspite of my watering and trying to encourage them to thrive. The rhubarb and tomatoes are doing great but I have more to plant! My peonies are blossoming. The critters need tending.

Back to business! I have chicks to move to the brooder, the final count to be taken, and the brooder to be disinfected to set more eggs!

PSA for the Cell Phone "Do Not Call List"

Received via email:

REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month.

REMINDER..... all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls.....

YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS

To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone:

888-382-1222

It is the National DO NOT CALL list It will only take a minute of your time.. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.It takes about 20 seconds.

https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx

Martha Stewart Can't Milk Goats!

Good grief! For Martha's farm and her supposed expert status she wants us to THINK she has, she's NOT! And this isn't the first time I've seen this on her show.

I hope you'll get the humor of this and not take it that I'm being mean as that's not my intent. HUMOR is!

She had "Farmer John" bring his goats (3 of them) to the show to give the viewers a chance to see goats being milked. MS hasn't a clue! First they (the show) put together some wooden stands for the goats to be on and then a wooden square for them to stick their heads through to be milked. The feed tubs had their individual names on them. Cute touch, but it wasn't a head gate to hold the goat, just a square they could put their head through if they chose to check out the goodies. Good milkers they are they did put their heads through and eat some.

Then someone handed MS a wipe. If you know what you're doing, you're going to use it to clean the teats and udder off. Not MS, she wiped her hands and the goat's face and tossed it aside.

At this point I was wishing hubby would have moved faster to see this but he missed it - to bad too! I was really getting a kick out of this and wondering how many of the audience and viewers were.

I was wanting to see if someone else was getting it as I was! Anyway, then they hand MS and Farmer John fancy big GLASS measuring cups. The goats were looking at them all strangely. At this point it was VERY apparent none of these folks milked by hand. No, everyone doesn't have to but IF you want to go on tv and show how to milk a goat it would be nice if you either bring your equipment or be able to milk.

So the supposed milking begins. MS hasn't a clue how to milk even though she had just put on that it was easy and she knew what she was doing. (I guess maybe we all need to start wiping the goats' faces off folks!) MS also is of the belief a goat has 2 udders as she kept saying udders and other udder. Reality is a goat has 1 udder and 2 teats. She couldn't get but a drip or 2 out so they old her to pull down. So then she'd grab a teat and pull on it. That poor doe was a good sport and deserved an award. She looked at MS like "Hey lady...." but she stood there like a trooper! I was impressed with the does!

Eventually, MS had a dribble in her measuring cup and Farmer John was declared to have half a cup. Yes, only half a cup, not half a gallon, etc!

Is it just me or do other goat and cow folk feel the same? IF a tv show is going to show us a segment then they should be able to do what they are intending to show us. Yes, maybe I got too much enjoyment out of their fiasco, and shouldn't hold them to higher standards, but they are paying their "experts" to come on and show us enough of how to do something to get us to spend our money, etc.

FWIW, Farmer John was on a time before and they did a segment on making goat milk soap. They did an excellent job on that segment. That's another reason I expected more from this as his farm has a reputation of being experienced and knowledgeable.

If we want a lesson to take away from something such as this, it may well be that those who profess to be experts or should be, may well NOT be. We need to pay attention to the details and it's ok to "question" things we see and hear even from experts. No one is right all the time.

Sure wish I could be right more often though.... some lessons are hard to learn as we can be pretty critical of ourselves at times.

Poultry Update

Wow, it's time for the next hatch! I'm really excited about this. I put some of the "woven", nonslip cupboard material down to help the chicks strengthen their legs better and to keep the incubator a little cleaner. My first thought when I had heard of doing this is it is much more comfy for the new hatchlings than the wire mesh. Being woven it allows air flow. It can easily be disinfected for reuse. I'm also going to put some down in the brooder this time for a few days to help the chicks strengthen their legs and see if I have less leg issues.

In the incubator are some Jersey Giant eggs (larger brown), Americauna x Favorelle (green eggs), "Orpicauna" x Favorelle (drab green eggs) and Favorelle eggs (small pinkish). There might be a couple of Cochin eggs and there is one Americauna Cross x Cochin (blue egg). I didn't write it down but the eggs are marked so I'll know that way and the cochins will have feathery legs/feet like the Favorelles but should be marked differently.

The Hovabator that was given to me has Americauna x Favorelle (green eggs), "Orpicauna" x Favorelle (drab green eggs), Americauna Cross x Cochin (blue eggs), Cochins (brown eggs), Orpington x Cochin (brown eggs), Favorelle (smaller pinkish eggs). I was also handed 3 Guinea keet eggs Sunday and added them. They take 28 days instead of 21 for hatching. I'm looking forward to seeing the % of hatch I get from this incubator on fresh eggs that weren't shipped. I hope it's much better than I've been getting.

This am the incubators were too hot when I got up and checked them. They were 103 and 104 in parts and I'm now hoping that I don't have cooked embryos! The heat wave hit us and has affected both incubators - NOT good.

I do need to take a quick pic of the incubator on lockdown. I find it helps me to know which chicks hatched from which eggs when I wasn't looking!

Later this week I'm making a trip (couple hours) to pick up some Royal Palm turkey poults. I've got 6 coming and I so hope that they can all survive. As I posted before, I didn't have luck with turkeys in the past but have a different game plan for this attempt. Keep your fingers crossed for me please!!!

The silver-laced Cochin trio are doing great. I'm trying to decide on their new digs.

I want to open the partition in the horse trailer and give the "youngsters" from the 1st hatch (along with the 2 light Brahmas I got a couple weeks ago) and these from the 2nd hatch more room to hopefully avoid the 2nd hatch being picked on by the 1st hatch youngsters. I'll put food and water on both ends too so they have multiple areas to get to feed and water. The horse trailer is working well. The only time any sun hits it is early morning. The rest of the day it's shaded by a tree next to it and several fruit trees behind it. It's a stock trailer so has the 2 open slats at the top allowing heat to escape easily.

There are some CUTE youngsters in there. I suspect the gold and blue chick (from the Buff Orpington hen x Cochin roo) is a pullet which I greatly appreciate. She's a cute and very friendly chicker. There's a blue Cochin which I think MIGHT be a roo. It's also quite laid back, friendly and cute. He's going to be a great replacement for Blue Man who was taken out by a predator over the winter. There is 1 that I think is an Australorp pullet too (if I'm lucky). The 4 Brahmas are doing great. One I think is a roo due to the chest puffing up and challenging another younster who is a cross from an Americauna hen and Blue Man. It's a darker blue with some rust. If a pullet it will stay in the laying flock and if not it will be in the meat pen.

That's it for the poultry news. I'll do a goat one as soon as I can. I want to get some more pics to do it.

This That and the Other Things

It's hard to report on something as important as Pickle Week when you read about it and then follow a link and see a different date! So off I go on a google search thinking this will be quick and easy. Yah, right! Now I have 3, yes 3 different weeks for Pickle Week. AND, they are all LONG "weeks"! In fact, they are 10 days, not a week. With the variety of pickles available, not to mention the relishes, etc, a LONG week is fine with me. They have ample material for their celebration and who wouldn't love to attend a "birthday party" for a pickle? There HAS to be a lot of fun involved and something for everyone. Just imagine the vendors with pickle trinkets such as key chain fobs, pens and pencils, tee shirts, caps, etc. I would like to attend a pickle party and see what all they can come up with! I would think in spite of some seriousness behind it, that most everyone would have to have a good sense of humor and it would end up being a fun event to leave one a trip home with a smile and enjoyable type of tiredness.

Now I just have to figure out if it's May 21st - 31st, May 15th - 24th or May 18th - 28th! And if it's National Pickle Week or International Pickle Week! How confusing is that? I have to wonder if one of those is 2010 and the others previous years that still happen to rate high but alas, I didn't see anything to encourage that line of thought!

Maybe it won't matter after all being it's going to interfere with the homestead as my goats need milked so getting to the party won't be a logistic I can manage. I bet it would have been fun to go! I love pickles and especially dill pickles! Do you have a fav pickle?

Being I couldn't leave well enough alone, did you know there are some who suffer from Tristadekaphobia? Did you even know there is a legit disorder for fear of pickles?

Now that's I've wasted and enjoyed an hour or so of pickle research, I really need to get a move on!

May 26th is National Blueberry Cheesecake Day and National Cherry Dessert Day

May 27th is National Grape Popsicle Day



Traveling on.....

May 28th is Hug Your Cat day!

Hubby has a new kitten who I hadn't announced yet. She came to live with us Sunday and came from a goat dairy. I've got to get a few pictures!

Here's a holiday I can celebrate at home.

Incoming and Outgoing

Macey and Cinnamon decided to kid last night. Nipper must have been a busy boy but a happy one breeding 2 of the big girls! He does have a big ego and just KNOWS he's "de man" about the barn! (Photo 1 all 3)

Welcome to Cinnamon and Nipper's darling, light as a feather, black doeling! She has frosted ears, muzzle and tail. And is she ever tiny and a light weight! CUTE CUTE CUTE!!!! (Photo 2 - Cinnamon's doeling)

Welcome to the farm to Macey's and Nipper's twin bucklings! They were quite a surprise. I had expected Macey to kid sooner and knew she'd most likely have twins, but I didn't expect the colors and such tiny little guys! Macey is a black headed Boer doe and Nipper is a black ND. They made a chamoise boy with a pretty white star on his forehead and his ears are very frosted. He's really cute! They also made a caped Boer pattern that is a gray head instead of red with a white body. Then they put spots on his head. He has a black spot for each horn spot and around his eyes are brown and black spots with a few other randomly placed spots! I do have to wonder about these spots! Nipper does have his moon spot on the back of a hind leg so it's entirely possible these are moonspots that will lighten when he sheds out. Moon spots are often black or dark brown at birth and lighten later. Paint spots never change colors. (Photo 3 and 4 - Macey's twin bucklings)

Anyway, what a surprise! It makes me wonder what Mo'Nique and Nipper are going to have as Mo is a triplet with Macey (and a 3rd doe). Mo is is a black paint Boer. Then there will be the "loudly" patterned/colored ND does who are bred to him....

The outgoing news is that Mylo and Otis are leaving for their new home tomorrow. We're meeting their new family part way across the state on our way to Spirit's former home. I'm looking forward to meeting Diane who will have the boys. I'm sure they are going to an awesome new home. They will get to be goatie ambassadors as Diane is a teacher and they get to go to school! REAL people kid school. Being kids I'm sure they'll fit in and give the other kids some farm education. I just hope my kids don't teach those kids bad habits like jumping on the furniture and all as it's a big game here! They will also have an adopted lamb brother and I hope they treat him well.

I did my first solitary disbudding on these boys and I so hope I did a good job. It was as stressful and upsetting to me as it was them. I had a very hard time burning those little tiny horns and ended up having to touch up a bit today. I could see where I had gotten low enough on one bud on one boy but not on the other 3 of them (2 per kid is right) so redid a bit to make sure there was burning to the lower inside part. I wonder how many of these I'll need to do by myself before I can improve my method and not shake so badly for knowing it hurts them? If nothing else, they should love their new home a whole lot more now after this!

Their 2 gallons of milk is bottled and ready to go with them. That way they'll have an easier transition as their feed can be changed over gradually so there won't be tummy upsets from a change of feed. They should adjust well and easily.

Do I need An Umbrella?

http://www.doineedanumbrella.com/

This was kinda fun and definitely neat! It was FAST too!

Yes, it's been raining here and started during the night. So when I typed in my zip code it has a huge YES! I also had the perfect graphic for a change! Sometimes it's hard to find just the right pic or graphic. You can snag him if you want!

Addicted to Gardening

You Know You're Addicted to Gardening When....

* Your neighbors recognize you in your pajamas, rubber clogs and a cup of coffee.
* You grab other people's banana peels, coffee grinds, apple cores, etc. for your compost pile.
* You have to wash your hair to get your fingernails clean.
* All your neighbors come and ask you questions.
* You know the temperature of your compost every day.
* You buy a bigger truck so that you can haul more mulch.
* You enjoy crushing Japanese beetles because you like the sound that it makes (ok.. not me).
* Your boss makes "taking care of the office plants" an official part of your job description.
* Your non-gardening spouse becomes conversant in botanical names.
* You find yourself feeling leaves, flowers and trunks of trees wherever you go, even at funerals.
* You dumpster-dive for discarded bulbs after commercial landscapers remove them to plant annuals.
* You plan vacation trips around the locations of botanical gardens, arboreta, historic gardens, etc.
* You sneak home a 7 foot Japanese Maple and wonder if your spouse will notice.
* When considering your budget, plants are more important than groceries.
* You always carry a shovel, bottled water and a plastic bag in your trunk as emergency tools.
* You appreciate your Master Gardener badge more than your jewelry.
* You talk "dirt" at baseball practice.
* You spend more time chopping your kitchen greens for the compost pile than for cooking (ok, not me either).
* You like the smell of horse manure better than Estee Lauder.
* You rejoice in rain…even after 10 straight days of it.
* You have pride in how bad your hands look.(I will never be a palmolive commercial.)
* You have a decorative compost container on your kitchen counter.
* You can give away plants easily, but compost is another thing.
* Soil test results actually mean something.
* You understand what IPM means and are happy about it.
* You'd rather go to a nursery to shop than a clothes store.
* You know that Sevin is not a number.
* You take every single person who enters your house on a "garden tour".
* You look at your child's sandbox and see a raised bed.
* You ask for tools for Christmas, Mother/Father's day, your Birthday and any other occasion you can think of.
* You can't bear to thin seedlings and throw them away.
* You scold total strangers who don't take care of their potted plants.
* You know how many bags of fertilizer/potting soil,/mulch your car will hold.
* You drive around the neighborhood hoping to score extra bags of leaves for your compost pile.
* Your preferred reading matter is seed catalogs.

And last but not least, you know that the four seasons are:
* Planning the Garden
* Preparing the Garden
* Gardening~and~Preparing
* Planning for the next Garden

Egg Cubes

Yes, you read that right! I discovered this on a poultry list this morning!

A gal wrote in asking if there was really a chicken that lays a cube-shaped egg or was her friend pulling her leg.

Apparantly there is a cube-shaped egg! It's from the "rare plasticus gadgetis breed chicken"! Reportedly they don't eat much, are very quite and only cost about $3 each!

You can see the pic of a square egg here:
http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/kitchenandcompany_2107_18563846

Enjoy!

Goat Milking Success

Yahhh! I FINALLY got Raquel milked with only a few tiny dribbles of milk left on the stand, no hobbled leg(s), no getting down on her knees and a very reduced amount of foot action! Foot action was also limited to one foot at a time AND I actually got to milk both teats at the same time for a short time. That seemed to be too much for her and my goal was to not make anything worse so we kept our progress continuing! She had also got her head into the gate MUCH faster than usual and got on the stand faster too! She kept busy eating instead of trying to think of which maneuver would get me to quit. I think she also has it figured out that if she's going to kick the coffee container out of my hand that she'd be wet with milk and would get a foot or both feet hobbled. I'm also not having to leave her on the stand after milking as long! (I'm still giving her a good dozen treats each milking but... it it works it's worth it and she loves treats!)

We are getting there! She's going to be a super milker as she's milking a good quantity, big udder that milks out nice and fast. Her teats are a lovely size and shape with great orifices so she's going to be fast and easy to milk.

SUCCESS is being achieved! We are almost "there" to milking with the stainless bucket and 2 handed! GO Raquel!

Egg Info

* Pasturing poultry produces the tastiest, most nutritious eggs.

* Eggs from pastured hens contain up to 20 times more healthy omega-3 fatty acids compared to factory hens.

* Pastured eggs also have 10 percent less fat, 40 percent more vitamin A, and 34 percent less cholesterol than "factory farm" produced eggs.

* Pastured hens' diets are naturally complemented with bugs, earthworms, and other such critters that give their eggs a huge nutritious oomph.

* Pastured hens are usually much healthier and happier than hens with limited or restricted space such as commercially caged hens.

Do you prefer farm raised or pasture produced eggs vs commercially raised eggs from the stores?

Do you have or buy farm raised or pasture produced eggs instead of commercially raised?

Did you realize that "free ranged" technically can refer to commercially raised?

I didn't! I thought it meant they were "farm raised"! Evidentally a lot of us didn't realize that as it's a topic that is being discussed on a lot of poultry groups!

Eggs and Terminology

You wouldn't think there could be so much into terminology for eggs, would you!?!

According to the USDA, "free range eggs" simply means the hens that lay them "have been allowed access to the outside". These days, that means they can simply have access to a small doorway of their coop! It doesn't say if they can GO outside of their coop or house, it just means they basically have some access to some fresh air!


Now another term has come forth labeling some eggs as pastured eggs! Pastured hens truly have access to pasture and get to roam around outdoors and can scratch in the grass and earth. They can eat bugs and seeds and such as a chicken would do naturally, if allowed.

My hens, unfortunately, are penned but outdoors. I would prefer to allow them free access to the yard and around the barn and all, but I have have neighbors who would call animal control and make a big issue. I USE to give these folks a couple dozen of fresh eggs per week just to be neighborly. Then some months later, I found out they weren't eating them! They were throwing them in the garbage because the yolks were too orange and they didn't like the color. They were "suppose" to be yellow like the store bought eggs from the caged commercial farms! That was a lot of waste as I could have been selling those eggs instead of just being "neighborly"!

Now my chickens are penned. They get to bathe in the dirt, dig and scratch, catch bugs, etc. I pick and dig them grass and weeds daily. I include the root balls with all the rich dirt and usually a worm or so and they love it! I try to give them enough that I'll see some dried and laying in the pen the next day. They also get lots of table scraps which they LOVE!

I even pick and snip fine grasses for the chicks in the brooder once they are a couple weeks old. They have chick grit so they can utilize it. I'm surprised how much even little chicks will eat!

Technically, my hens are "free ranged" even though that isn't my perception of free ranged. They aren't pastured as they are confined. So I refer to my eggs as farm fresh. That seems to be a clear term that the average person would realize they are from farm chickens and they are fresh.

My hens are very happy and healthy. My eggs are lovely and delicious with those rich orange yolks, strong shells, and the white and yolk "stand tall" when broken into a dish or pan. They are definitely different than the commercial eggs that plop down in a dish or pan and have a sickly yellow appearance.

I LOVE my farm fresh eggs and happy hens!

Turkey Roost News

I made a decision that I've pondered on for over a year and more-so this last few months. Do I or don't I want to try raising some turkeys again?

I had some poults years ago and didn't have the best of luck. The poor things were not bright at all. Their picnic was missing more than 1 sandwich! In fact, they needed to be hand guided to the "picnic basket" for every meal! Thriving didn't seem to be part of their genetic being! If it rained I had to go out in the rain to move them into shelter as they'd just sit down and look up then be soaked and cold! When those who managed to be saved (survived with intense care) were finally getting to a size that they seemed to be going to make it, a weasel managed to kill them off! Fortunately a cat caught the weasel and brought him to the back step for us to see. We didn't realize it was a weasel killing them.

I've learned a lot about turkeys since and I think I'd like to give them another try. I also want to get them while I have chicks who can "lead them to water"! I will raise them with the chicks so they have survival guides! I also was a bit concerned over them escaping to run wild with the wild turkeys. I'm prepared to keep them penned when they get a bit larger. I'd like to start with a trio for keeping and then either sell or butcher the extra Toms. (I've had store boughten turkey and wild turkey and I don't ever recall having a home raised turkey! I'm looking forward to it and if it's as much better as home raised chicken is I know I'm going to be hooked on that too!)

Like other livestock, if something doesn't work out for us, we can sell them, trade them, etc. It's not a life-time commitment like a dog (pet) is. We also don't know if we'd like to raise something unless we research and then try it if we think we really would!

I was down to a couple preferred breeds. Unfortunately, my decision was based a lot on looks which isn't always the best way to acquire animals. However, I hear that my preferences are good natured and in demand. I really like the Royal Palms and the Red Bourbons. The Palms are white with some black trim and the Bourbons red with some cream/white trim.

(Tom on the left is a Royal Palm. I'm not sure what the Tom on the right would be colorwise. Is it color or is it breed? The species would be turkey!)

(Red Bourbon Toms with a hen in the pic below. )

(Photos: I don't know where these came from other than I received them via email. I would love to give photo credits so if they are yours, please let me know. I'll also remove them if they are yours and you're prefer that. If you raise them to sell eggs, poults or the birds, I'd be glad to post your info for you!)

That said, it's time! I saw a post from a gal I've done business with and know will do right for me as a customer as she has in the past. She advertised she has Royal Palm poults to sell!

I'm IN!! I'm hoping to be able to get 6 Royal Palm poults from her! If it all goes successfully, I'd like a pair or trio of Bourbons next. If they do work out, maybe I can find someone who would like to trade! That's usually a win-win for me!

I'm also hoping I have much better luck this time! I'll be managing them in a completely different manner than I did in the past. Last time I did what the hatchery said was the right way for back then. Now I'll work at this with what is definitely a better way and makes much more sense!

Wish me luck!

Dilemma from the Hen House

Do I or Don't I? That's the question of the moment!

The topic pertains to the new incubator I was GIVEN! It's a used, still air Hova Bator 1602. I'm still "tickled" over my luck to acquire this last Friday!

I so want to impulsively fill it with eggs of course! So I'm trying to use a little self control. I've cleaned and disinfected it. It's been running for a couple days and doing GREAT!

I've been advised to get a new switch and wafer being it's obvious to me that it's not new. The previous owner says she used it 1 time. I do believe her and greatly appreciate her generosity. I do suspect it may have been used when she got it and I didn't ask. It didn't matter to me. I need to order the parts as the advice of getting new ones is good!

I have sold 3 of my hens and I'm seriously hoping that I'll have some of their offspring hatch. They will leave tomorrow and I'll be left with 2 colored egg layers. One is a lightly feather footed Americana so I suspect her to be part Cochin. She lays a BEAUTIFUL blue egg. The 3 hens leaving lay green eggs. I still have and am keeping the pretty buff "Orpicauna" hen who lays a drab green egg. I would like to hatch out some of the green eggs from the 3 hens leaving so that has my seriously considering filling the incubator tomorrow after they leave and I have collected the last eggs from them.

I also got an egg from the new silver laced Cochin trio! I can't wait to hatch some of their eggs too!

My black Cochin hen has gone broody (finally) and is setting on some Cochin eggs and possibly a couple from the Orpington hen. There also might be a blue egg or 2 but I've not seen what she has so far and the day I found she truly is broody I gave her the 4 brown eggs I had just picked up from another nest. I was afraid she might of only had an egg or 2.

All that being, I would like to replace the wafer and switch, but I want to hatch the eggs from the hens that I sold too. I have some other eggs I've also collected since Friday. The best eggs for hatching are under 10 days of age and preferably 7 or less days from what I'm told.

So, I'm pondering do I or don't I fill this incubator and go for it? I'm sure leaning that way.....It would also be nice to know how it does compared to the cheap Little Giant incubator I have!

The incubators and brooder are in the house, and hubby and I are both enjoying them. The chicks who graduated from the brooder are out in the front of the horse trailer and doing GREAT! I don't want any house chickens so I must be sane, right? NO offense to anyone who does have chickens as house pets at all. Yes, I'd bring a sick on in and cage it to treat it if needed, but not to roam with the cats and dogs!

I think the REAL answer to this dilemma is, YES, I'm hooked on hatching eggs! I'm hooked on chicks.

I guess there's worse addictions one could have!

Cherry Facts

There are many fruits and veggies in season now. Cherries are one of my favorite!

This is a computer wall paper. You may click on it for the large copy to save if you like! I got it in a wallpaper graphics group that was for sharing wallpapers.

I ran across these facts about them I thought you might enjoy reading!

* There are 2 main kinds of cherries, sour and sweet.
* It takes 250 cherries to make a cherry pie.

* If you refrigerate your cherries immediately after purchase, they can be kept fresh in the refrigerator for several days.
* Cherries offer many many health benefits that help combat pain and soreness.
* Cherries have one of the highest levels of disease-fighting antioxidants compared to other fruits.
* Cherries are a rich source of melatonin, a powerful antioxidant known for regulating the body's natural sleep cycle and helping to promote restful sleep.

Update or Catch Up

Update or Catch Up? I would guess this is both! So much has been going on that I'm "whipped"!


I'm now milking 5 does by hand. Due to Danika and Raquel being first fresheners, it's taking a LOT of time. And I DO mean a LOT! I want these does to be the kind one can just tie and milk, no drama, no hassle, etc. How I handle them now is setting them up for their milking behavior for a long time. Both will be sold and hopefully their new owners will continue the "program" and not untrain them! Danika is catching on to this FAST and is such a sweetie! Raquel is a theatrical drama queen and a rodeo bronc! I am LAVISH with the treats, rubbings, and giving them the time needed. I've gone from 45 minutes in the evening to 2 1/2 - 3 hours! That's time feeding goats and chickens for the evening, collecting any more eggs, bottle feeding 4 kids, and milking. (Summer only takes a second to give her a sour cream container of food morning and evening as she has pasture but expects to get fed with the goats! Silly horse but she's a dear.)


Raquel is improving every milking but oh so slowly! She's getting right on the stand and her head locked into the head gate (which she ripped off the stand and clunked me in the back of the head with). She's standing there to get started eating and then I pet and praise her, give her a treat, and then sit and pet her an talk with her a minute. When she ripped the head gate off, she fell off the stand and bruised her udder. Now she's milking bloody milk on that side of her udder. She has a NICE BIG udder and wonderful teats and orifices. She's now being MUCH better and not bucking with milking the not-sore-side (left) of her udder but she's "going rodeo" with the bruised side. She's VERY easy to milk if she'd just stand still. It has to be milked out so she doesn't get scar tissue and mastitis. Anyway, after she's milked (hobbled too) I am leaving her to stand on the milk stand and to chill out. I then milk her momma right next to her just tied and standing on the ground so she is watching a good milker stand right. It also gives her herd security that she's not alone. She can also see her pen mates on her other side as it's a half wall and wire for the top half. What a challenge this has been! But progress is being made and that's my clue that things are going in the right direction!

Now I have to put a price on them and I'm not sure what to put! I need to decide an individual price for each but also a "2 for" price. They are twins and very bonded. They'd be much happier to go together to a new home. I'm also considering offer a free stud service for them if the new owners will supply the feed for them while here for breeding. I'm seeing some prices locally but they seem to be one extreme or the other. I also have a lot invested in these 3 yearling does ($ and time). I needed to see what their dams were producing though so needed to grow out a few of their offspring to see what I need to most work on in breeding improvements. We can't really improve upon them a lot if we don't know what they produce so we know what genes need to come in to cross on them! I now have a very good idea of the strengths and weaknesses of both senior does. Kids are always adorable and cute but one can't know their true mettle if one doesn't raise them up to freshening and milk them a while!

I was suppose to be going to pick up an incubator tonight and haven't heard back from the gal. I sure hope she's not changed her mind or something as I really am hoping to get it. I hope tomorrow will work for her.

I have some running around to do tomorrow to get prescriptions and such which means a trip to the "big city" and 40 miles. Then Saturday I have a "date" to pick up a new rooster and need to be back to watch the Preakness! I'm worn out but have to get things done. We had a funeral for the dearest aunt one could hope to have this week so the emotional loss adds to one's running out of steam.

I did get some garden seeding done in the last week also. I have plenty more to do but it's a start. I got my grapevine clippings and have them in water rooting. I'm ready to get them planted too if I can get enough time. I've finally decided on the place which was quite a decision being I sometimes like to leave a couple goats loose and don't want them to "find" the grape vines!

And I need to get some mowing done - BADLY! Even that has an order to make things easier! For one I need to put Summer (horse) in the dog yard for a couple hours as there is some luscious grass there she's wanting. Then I need to take a shovel out and stab a few burdock plants and then I can mow it. Life on a homestead is often like a puzzle. The border needs done first so one can start putting the pieces where they go methodically!

Yesterday (12th) was Miss Molly Ta Mollie's 10th birthday! Molly is my black tri female Corgi. I LOVE this little dog! She's feeling her age unfortunately and having some age issues. I had a litter of pups from her several years ago and then found she has some genetics starting to show up that I won't breed so we've not had any more little Molly's. Bummer but the only ethical thing for me to do.

It seems my work is never done! So much work - so little time!

A New Hatch

I've new clutch of eggs went in the electric hen (incubator) this morning! The hatch date is the 28th, with lockdown the 26th. I sure hope it goes much better this time as I had a hard time with the loss of the pipped chicks who didn't make it on the last hatch.

I have eggs from my Favorelles, a few from the Orpicauna (Orpington x Americauna cross) who lays the darker drab green egg and a pretty blue egg from my Americuana who has feathers on her legs and shouldn't. I also have 20 eggs from a friend's Jersey Giants. Hopefully we'll have better results. I'm going back to turning the eggs by hand like I did the first hatch as I used a "prop" for the turning last time that was like an electric turner. There are also less eggs this time than last so maybe that will make a difference.

I am at the point that I'm hooked on hatching! I am also at the point that I definitely want to upgrade to a better incubator. Shipping of eggs is too expensive for an incubator that won't give a better success rate.

I'm also at the point I'd love to have a hen go broody! She might have better luck than I do!

Please cross your fingers with me and send good vibes for those chicks-to-be! Grow chickies, grow!

Awesome Resource - Poultry

There was a discussion on curled toes in chicks and the causes on a yahoo poultry group. One of the members posted this link regarding the riboflavin/Vit B2 deficiency issue and I thought you might like to put the link in your favorite files! The side bar has some WONDERFUL pages of poultry care and issues that you'll find easy to read and very helpful!

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/206930.htm

I Confess!

I am a kidnapper! And I've done it again!

I have kidnapped a buckling from his momma and grandma! Momma isn't sure about all this as it's her first kidding.

Danika has surprised me and had her buckling before her twin,Raquel and before Cinnamon and Macey.

I expected Cinnamon and Macey to kid first and then Raquel based on their udder development, lax ligaments, etc. I KNOW that udder development is an individual thing! I know some can do all the pre kidding things that we watch for in a short amount of time and others spread it out slowly. So that being maybe I shouldn't be surprised, but I am! While milking tonight I watched Cinnamon with her bristled hair along her spine being BOSSY! Cinnamon is never bossy - she's a push over! Cinnamon is very alert tonight also, hollowed out flanks, more udder development, etc. So I'll be checking her during the night. It's another cold night tonight. (I'll have to make a quick check of the chickies in the trailer too!) I've been eyeing Raquel quite a bit too. Also Macey who has the largest udder of the FF's and has taken to laying down to eat her grain and just laying a lot! Macey is very wide and I expecft twins from her.

OH MY! PLEASE don't let the next 3 kid tonight! Geez, that wouldn't be fair and I'd get NO sleep! I have a guy coming to do some work at 10 am!

Cinnamon and Raquel will have to beware of the kidnapper that I've become!

Bad Hatch

How majorly disappointing. I had the incubator going and the temp was doing great, humidity was doing great, I was remembering to turn the eggs 3 times a day and many times 4. I have no idea why I've had such a bad hatch. BUMMER!

I know the eggs that were shipped from FL took a horrible ride here and the box was really banged up with all 4 corner-edges and 8 corners looking like it was bounced on all and had a dent along one side of the box. Football game while it was taking 5 full days to get here?? Scrambled eggs? Most like damaged air cells. I got 1 chick from the 2 dozen eggs. :( I don't even want to know the % of hatch.

The other 2 dozen eggs came from much closer but were still shipped. I have 2 chicks from them. NONE of the banty eggs hatched which was definitely a disappointment. I had a lot of hopes for the cochins to hatch as the gal has laced cochins. This was really a bummer as there were 3 eggs pipped yesterday that stopped progressing. I hoped that helping them would be beneficial and carefully opened the air cell end to give them a boost but I think they may be dead. I'm not seeing any movement. They are 3 brown eggs so were hopefully cochins. DISAPPOINTMENT!

I had a few eggs of my own I stuck in and 4 hatched. This group did the best of all. Two look to be Black Cochins. I am pretty sure that 2 of them will be Cochin x Orpington as they are yellow chicks with a touch of black on the tips of the wings and only a feather or 2 on the legs. These 2 pipped and weren't making progress so I did open the top of the shell so they could exit easier. They still had a hard time and took so darned long the membrane was drying to them. They did pull through but they are pathethic looking at the moment. Their fluff is still mostly glued to their body except what they've been able to loosen and fluff on their fronts. Their wings are able to move and stretch and have a bit less "glue down". I don't know what to do to help them with the rest. I'd love to "bathe" them but I'm afraid being newborn chicks they would shock and die. So I'll play it by ear and see what I can do to help them out some over the next few days. I'm hoping that as they are moving (and they are active) around and start to fill out some that it will break the gunk loose and it will fall off. They seem content and the brooder is WARM it was 117 under the heat lamp so I had to move it slightly. Chicks should have 100 at the start. The little yellow chicks won't be cold while we decide how to fluff their fluff!

So, it's been disappointing! I won't give up though. I have 7 adorable chicks and I THINK 4 are Cochins so that is GOOD.

I have an online horse friend who offered me some of her Jersey Giant eggs for the cost of shipping and they should be here tomorrow. I have 2 dozen of my eggs saved from the last few days.

I'm mainly going to TRY to hatch my Favorelle eggs. The eggs I've saved are from the pen with the Favorelles. There is also a Favorelle x ? hen and the Orpington x Americauna hen who lays the DRAB green eggs that are so pretty. I want to expand the number of the Favorelles I have as I don't know how old these hens and roo are. I'd like to see what the "Orpicauna" hen produces and egg color the pullets will eventually lay mostly for the fun of it.

I'm hoping a couple of the hens will go broody soon and I'll be sure to give them the eggs I most want hatched (Favorelles and Cochins) with hopes they can do better than the electric hen is doing!

IMHO, hatching shipped eggs has to be a learned skill and a lot of luck in the ride the eggs take getting here! I'm trying my darnedest and think I need a whole lot of good luck!

I'm thinking I'd love to have a better quality incubator. I hear this one isn't that great and I've decided I'm definitely "addicted" to hatching! I'll be watching for a good used Genesis 1588 with fan and turner.

He Broke My Heart

I trusted him.

I scheduled my life around him.

Where I went, what I wore, how I thought.

He lied to me. Over and over again.

And I believed him.I was such a fool.

He made such big promises.

He said the sun, the moon, the stars would be ours.

That our path would be sunny.

I'll never believe another weatherman.

(Author unknown but it happened to me too!)

It's Happening!

These little peepers don't seem to be in much of a hurry to come meet me! This one little chick has popped the top off it's egg and there are 4 that are pipped and were pipped prior to this peep! Evidentally the old tag game chant of "come out come out wherever you are" isn't the magic chant as it's not moving them along at all! So....

you all need to help call these little peepers out of their shells for me! I'm getting impatient! Only 2 of the pipped eggs are the shippers and the hatchling and 2 you see pipped in the pic are from my eggs. Of these, the hatchling is from a brown egg. In that pen is the Cochin roo and his 4 Cochin hens along with a Buff Orpington hen that lay brown eggs. I THINK this chick is from the darker brown egg so the Orpington hen's crossed with the black Cochin roo. It will be interesting to see if it's the same as the blue-buff chick from the last hatch. The other 2 pipped eggs from my chickers are from the Orpington x Americauna hen who lays a drab green egg. She's with the Favorelle hens and roo so these 2 pipped would be Favorelle x Orpicauna!

Stayed tuned to this blog for further news!