It's been a very busy last few days here.  We've been having some warm days, then some cold days and haven't had to use alot of wood yet in the woodstove, but the warm fires have been nice when it has been cold out.  The weather forecast showed that a cold front was to come in yesterday and we would have several days in a row of below freezing weather with some rain/snow/sleet possible.  So, we went down to our neighbors woodlot and cut up a large fallen tree yesterday.  My husband pickup is a small one, and the cut up tree filled the back of it.  I drove my John Deere down to take down the little hill and load the bucket with wood, and take it back up the hill to dump it in the pickup.  I did quite a good job, until the 2nd dump that is.  My boot stuck on the forward and reverse pedal, the tractor went forward a little, I panicked and proceeded to push my husbands pickup sideaways about 6 inches.  Thankfully, with not a scratch!  We came home and did alot of stacking dried wood up next to the house under the carport, and did some splitting and stacking of other dried wood in the woodshed.  The blazing fire is so nice and warm, and the smell of it is something I really enjoy.  Our chickens and guineas, poor little things, are cold.  So, saturday we went to Home Depot and Lowes and got some 2x4's, a piece of 4x8 plywood, and chicken wire so that we can construct a coop inside my 10x12 metal storage shed.  My husband layed the plywood on the floor and secured it with screws.  Then he framed the area in with the 2x4's and made a nice door with hinges and a latch big enough to easily go in and out.  I put chicken wire on and am almost finish with that part of it.  I put a 2x4 in for a roost.  For a temporary nesting box, I'll have to put a box with hay in there until we can get some built.  I've just got to get the chickens out of the cold for now though.  They're in a little chicken tractor (enclosed on the sides and the back) that I built for them this summer.  We're keeping it pretty much covered and have a light on top for some warmth.  Eventually, we'll have a nice chicken run outside the shed too.  Can't wait.

Well, since this post, we've gotten 1 more egg.  I've been checking everyday.  We got our 4th egg last week.  I fried it up for my 9 year old son.  He said that was the BEST EGG he's ever eaten.  Being a bantie egg, it didn't come near to filling him up, so I had to fry him 2 more store bought eggs, which he said didn't taste near as good.

Ok.  I want to become more self sufficient.  I have 4 bantie chickens and can't imagine killing any of them, plucking the feathers, cutting them up, cooking them, and eating them.  I think with each bite, I'd see there face in my mind.

How does one go about raising chickens for the freezer?  How do you get used to killing them and all of that?  Is it something that gets easier over time?

I thought about asking my neighbor to do it (she's a lady but I know she has done that kind of stuff), but I'd feel really silly about that.

Give me some tips all you fellow homesteaders please

and thank you all so much!!

There are 100's of what I would call ladybugs swarming around our place and they bite.  Any ideas what's going on?

Country Blessings,
Jamie

For more info, see this post:

http://codyscountry.net/blog/?p=380