At Home on this Mountain
Friday, March 9, 2007
Chickens!!
Posted in RamblingWe got our second batch of chicks today.
!["Photo]("http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h305/MrsKamorri/Homestead/DSC00241.jpg")
!["Photo]("http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h305/MrsKamorri/Homestead/DSC00242.jpg")
There are 55 chicks total- 25 for meat and 30 layers. We ordered 6 different breeds for the layers; five each of barred rock, cinnamon queen, araucana, cherry egger, buff orpington, and black austrolorp (which is what we already have).
It was two years ago that we got these pretty ladies:
!["Photo]("http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h305/MrsKamorri/Homestead/DSC01973.jpg")
Sadly, only 6 of the original 15 remain. One was a rooster who we ended up eating. Our dog got 5 more a few months ago (we no longer have a dog). Five of the remaining 6 are currently laying which is great. They should keep us minimally supplied while the others grow to laying age.
We really enjoy having chickens and don't find them to be much trouble at all. Even the brand newbies are so cute that we don't mind the little bit of extra work and worry that they provide. They grow so fast (even faster than the children!) that they're full grown before we know it.
The meat birds are a new project for us and we're still doing our research on what to feed them and how and when to butcher them. We're working on eating everything in the freezer so we'll have room for them in a couple of months when they're all bagged up and ready to freeze.
Our layers are free-range with just enough supplemental feed to keep them on our land and friends with us. We live on 11 acres of white oak trees so ticks have always been adundant but since we got our first batch of chickies we've seen exactly 2 ticks that weren't directly traceable to someone else's land. Chickens rock!!
Some of the breeds we got are supposed to be good mothers so we're hoping that next year we'll end up with some babies the old-fashioned way. I would just love to see a mama wandering around the yard with a little line of babies behind her.
Now we need to start working on getting some cool weather veggie starts in and we'll really be homesteadin'
If only we could get our act together in the goat department. we'd never have to leave the house! Not to mention finally getting rid of some of this brush that keeps us from enjoying all of our trees.| 6 comments | Link
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Friday, March 9, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by homesteadinthemaking
I love those babies. I would love to have some myself.
blessings,
trixi
Friday, March 9, 2007 - CHICKS
Friday, March 9, 2007 - :)
Posted by Chas
That picture of the kids and the chicks made me smile. :) How cute. I can't wait to get ours. What fun that will be. Love you friend!
Friday, March 9, 2007 - They are so cute.
Posted by countrydreamn
I can't wait until ours get here next Wed. We will be finishing the nursery that we are building for them. I hope that we have everything that we need to get it done.
I just can't wait. I really was hoping to get some Guineas they are supposed to be the best in eating ticks. I would love to see all kinds of birds running around.
Blessings,
Debi
Tuesday, March 13, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by BackyardTreasures
The chick pictures are so cute. We'd like to get chicks in the future, but for now I'm happy with the 6 Black Australorp hens that I got on Sunday (an early birthday gift). I thought after their traumatic ride in the back of a pick-up that they wouldn't start laying for a few days, but we got 2 eggs yesterday. Oh the joy of fresh eggs again. :-)
~~Anne
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Preserving the Harvest 2008
~June 22nd~
*11 half-pints
honey-sweetened peach-strawberry jam
~June 27th~
*7 half-pints and 2 pints
honey-sweetened peach jam
~June 28th~
*24 home-grown chickens in the freezer
(7 whole, 17 cut up
plus feet and backs for stock!!)
~July 6th~
*8 pints and 14 half-pints
honey-sweetened peach jam
~July 16th~
*18 cups fresh green beans,
blanched and frozen (a gift from the boss)
*12 pounds ripe bananas,
cut into 1 inch chunks and frozen for smoothies
~July 22nd~
*32 ears home-grown corn
blanched and frozen in meal-sized packages
~July 27th~
*8 pints cream-style corn
(home grown)
~July~
about *8 cups blackberries
and *5 cups wild blueberries
from around our property,
in the freezer
~August 4th~
14 pints
4 half-pints
and 1 quart
hot and spicy tomato salsa
(that's 18 cups altogether)
~October29th~
13 quarts chunky applesauce
5 quart jars dried apple rings
What I'm reading
The Bible- currently in the books of Ezekial and 1 Corinithians
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
The Hobbit (on CD) by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Bondwoman's Tale by Hannah Crafts
What I've Read Recently
One Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
At Large and At Small by Anne FadimanHow To Be Good by Nick Hornby
The Book of Joby by Mark FerrariThe Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
World Without End by Ken FollettAnne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery (for the 12th time or so)
The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley
What I Watch
The Office
30 RockDoctor Who
HeroesEureka
Scrubs2008 Crafty Stats
Yardage In:
13.5 yardsYardage Out:
3 yardsItems Made: 2
Money Spent:
$58.06
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Money Spent:
$58.06Recent Entries
I know...I know!New swimmies!
New sewing projects
I'm a winner!
Another giveaway at Grocery Shrink