OMG, that bunny is cute. I don't have a lot to say today. Celebs are boring, I'm not even sure if most of them are celebs. I have to work and I'm going to take Niki with me. He is such a good boy. So, what's up with you?
45 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Ahhhh what a precious lil cutie pie :) Kiki Have fun DD :)
aww I love the little bun-bun. So adorable.. Ava would love to have this little bunny.
Anyone seen Octo moms little clip on tmz? Talk about crazy laughter. I think she is really related to joker.
Working than picking up ava. She received a early easter present. Her own little tricycle. She has been practicing on it. Plus saying NO NO NO... ah her fav word of the month.
you're killin me with these babies everyday! Jax's dad thinks he needs a playmate and I say no but seeing pictures of cuddly little ones makes me weak.
My 2 Chi's are getting spayed and neutered as we speak. I'm so worried for them. Poor babies. I gave them steak for dinner last night.
Miss Tia, I know you've had your fair share of snow. Whenever my pooches walk through where that real chunky rock salt has been thrown down, they all start to limp. Whatever that stuff is made of, it burns their paws. Louis will actually hobble home on 3 legs sometimes. I use the safety salt that is friendly to pets but the park uses the cheap stuff on their sidewalks and the city uses it on the streets here. Could that be the culprit?
Udder balm or bag balm on her paws might help if her pads are cracked. Petsmart also sells a special emollient to protect the pads.
just got back from the vet and it's a nail issue, again.....i have to take her back bright and early so she can get knocked out and they can remove the nail....they said it happens because the cold weather makes her nails brittle and there's nothing i can do to prevent it....
I read that a trainer was killed at SeaWorld today in front of an audience. We went there for my 30th birthday in August. I can't imagine having to witness something so horrible.
Ava's Mommy---it's so cute when they learn those first words! I remember my son doing that--it seems like yesterday. Peg---I hope your doggies' surgeries go well and that they are feeling good again very soon. Pat---I am so glad that you have little Niki to go to work with you. He sure looks sweet.
I went and got my chicks this morning, and am currently fighting off the urge to go get one or two more. I stopped at our local feed store on the way home with them, and they happened to have another breed that I had been thinking about. My husband and son would not like this at all, but those little chickies are definitely calling to me.
You're not snowed in, Pat? I thought you guys were in for a blizzard.
Today is kind of a crappy day here in NC...it's overcast and rainy. I need more sun!! I'm so ready for summer. I miss my grill and having a cold beer outside while I cook dinner and it's 7:30 and still light outside.
Speaking of bunnies. Two of the room at my child care centre have rabbits. One boy and one girl. They let them roam their rooms, and the girl bunny~Alyssa~ is always hanging around the door to the boy bunny~Wilber~room. Someone left the door open between the rooms one day, and to make a long story short they were "wrestled" (Alyssa being the instigater) and we think babies are on the way. Opps.
So I just watched the Kardashian birth and I too am left a bit shocked. She freaking pulled him out of her. Uh.. huh?
I do however have to say that I don't think it's that crazy that she showered and did her makeup after her water broke, I've known girlfriends who had a full blow out & makeup done (professionally) after their water broke before going to the hospital. When I went into labor w/ Sam I was so excited we just rushed to the hospital. My hair was gross and I had NO make up on (and I totally hadn't shaved my legs in EONS) and I hate the pictures of myself, I'm hoping this time I have time to fix myself up a bit. And yes I realize that is very vain to say but so be it.
Miss Tia I just saw on the news that some parts of NY could get up to 30 FREAKING INCHES!! OMG. I know we're in for 6-10 (according to the brilliance that is the weather man) but 30!! Hooo boy.
I am sooo happy I am living near the coastline right now. We are just getting rain rain rain with this storm. None of that snow. It is too warm here in our area. I feel so badly for those that are gonna get hammered.
That's just a lot of snow. Getting snowed in is fun if your in school and it gets canceled or if you have kids in school and it gets canceled. Other than that, it's just a pain in the ass.
I love that bunny! My brother had a rabbit years ago named "Thumper" (my brother is not very original). He was a bit dumb but totally sweet (the rabbit, not my brother). There are bunnies at the animal shelter where I work and they seem the same, kinda dumb but very sweet. I guess that's how most of them are. We did have one rabbit who was stark-raving mad though.
Awww - bunnies! I love them and always wanted one. I'm sure my two house cats would be just thrilled! We do have a wild rabbit living under our deck next to the garden. He got fat and happy on all the lettuce last summer.
Christina ~ I'm enjoying your chicken comments! Are you raising them as layers or as fryers? Ever watch Martha Stewart on her chicken care shows? All those breeds and all those neat egg colors. Her chickens live in the Taj Mahal of coops. It's surprising that they don't lay golden eggs!
I remember when you could buy chickens (and puppies) through the Sears catalog.
Christina...I'm assuming that you eat the eggs. Do you find any differences in the tastes? Did you grow up with chickens or is this something you just wanted to do? What do you do with them over the winter?
Yeah, I'm with Crabbie. Because of bunnies and deer can only container garden on the upper deck. My choices are limited. Tia, you can add FUCK BUNNIES to the fuckit list. LOL Once, as an experiment, I took one of my plants down to the main patio and the little shit bunnie came up and started munching right in front of me! Yeah, what Crabbie said.
There was going to be a bunny show here in Sweden earlier this week, but due to the heavy snow, the roof caved in over them during the night. There were around 1600 bunnies in there. I feel so bad for all the little kids who had to find out that their furry friends were killed in that way. :(
My son got married and bought his first home last year. He spent 5000+ on some beautiful new landscaping. He has nothing left to show for it except nubs sticking out of the ground. The rabbits have eaten every single bit of his landscape. The damage they have done is unreal. He has tried everything to repel them with no luck. Not only that but he had a 1 year guarantee on all the plants and shrubs if they did not come up this spring. Due to the economy, the nursery that did his landscaping has gone out of business.
I have never seen so many rabbits. He has 2 little dogs so he cleared some snow on his back lawn so they could go out. Within 2 nights, you couldn't see the area he had cleared for the amount of rabbit shit that was on it.
Anyone have any tips? He's ready to buy a BB gun. Though he is such an animal lover, I can't see him doing that.
that is such a cute little doggie you got there. he so reminds me of my little prince, who is now 16 and very grey and arthritic. i'm sure you will get as much love out of your pal as i got/get out of mine and i wish you as many years with your doggie as i've been lucky enough to have had with mine.
FUCK WINTER! FUCK SNOW! FUCK ICE! FUCK SHOVELING! FUCK BUNNIES! (i don't agree with that, but escrow asked so nicely to have it added) FUCK CHINA! FUCK TOYOTA! FUCK FUCKTARDS! FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK IT ALL!
Well today is the storm day. I guess I just have to wait it out and see what we get. I hope we dont get snowed in.. This sucks really.. I have things to do and this storm is coming around to ruin everything.
Cynthia---Yes, I have seen at least one Martha Stewart show on chicken keeping, and thought it pretty interesting. She was showing off her Auraucana flock---the blue egg layers. I thought that was pretty intriguing. Her chicken run was very nice, but I'm sure she has it groomed every day---a flock of chickens can turn any area into a moonscape in a very brief period of time. The breeds I have picked are dual-purpose, meaning they are layers that develop into a decent-sized bird for table use. I purposefully picked them that way, just in case some birds don't work out well for us. They are also beautiful and lay pretty eggs. It often amazes me how perfect the eggs are. My initial flock was barred plymouth rocks, rhode island reds, and buff orpingtons. Then I added in some ameraucanas, a welsummer and an australorp. It's a nice flock but we have issues with feather-picking, and beating up on each other, though our coop conditions are good, and we give them a lot of toys for entertainment. I am trying to work further with the negative issues within that flock, and got a different flock going yesterday--delawares, ameraucanas, and wyandottes (gold and silver laced), so I am hoping for a better mix this time. Bayou Jane---my grandparents had chickens when I was little, and I remember being there to collect eggs, and helping with plucking of table birds, etc. I always wanted to have some as an adult, but just didn't pursue it until recently. I love having them, and often sit outside to watch "chicken TV" in warmer weather. They really are interesting and funny. Pat, I sent you a picture of my first green egg in December, and just assumed it was too dorky, and that no-one would be interested in it when I didn't see a reply. I found your reply that the picture wouldn't come up, last night. I feel like a computer idiot again. (In my defense, a lot was going on at that point.) If I can get him to help me, I may get my husband to help me send a picture or two tonight.
Christina~ So, what is the size of your flock? When you pick out your chicks, is it necessary to have several of the same variety to avoid a singlton getting pecked on? And roosters - only one for all or do you have a few? For the size of your flock, what kind of egg yield do you get? I used to by fresh eggs from a friend and was amazed by the intense color of the yolks. Oddly enough, my husband didn't like the taste of the farm eggs - he preferred store eggs. Martha's shows about her chickens were funny - she's so freaking anal to begin with - the chickens just seemed to bring out her manic tendencies for care, etc. And a final question - when you eat them, (the chickens) do the different varieties TASTE different, or do they all just taste like generic chicken?
Cynthia---I have nine laying pullets. They are referred to as hens once they turn one year old. Originally I had ten, but one declared himself a rooster, and we rehomed him with someone who keeps approximately fifty or sixty chickens. We don't have laws here that prevent having a rooster---just references to "noise nuisance", so the approach most often followed is to only have hens. You don't need a rooster unless you want babies. Hens will lay eggs frequently as long as you don't allow them to collect a clutch to sit on. The cycle for producing an egg is around 25 hours, so many birds will lay almost every day. If they accumulate eggs, and become broody (want to be a mom) they will sit on the eggs whether they are fertile or not. Most days we get about six eggs out of our nine pullets. A rare day with only two eggs, and the occasional day with as many as nine. As of a couple of days ago we have six new babies, and I am debating whether I should get two or four more. I have a long wish list of breeds. As for eating home-grown birds, the taste is much more pronounced. The tendency in the hatchery industry, is to kill most of the baby roos immediately on identification, as there are so many instances where people are not allowed to have a crowing rooster. The feed store I like to buy from, has a deal going with a local farmer, who is going to take the excess roosters, and raise them as free-range, and they will be sold at this store, as meat. I plan on buying the occasional bird, to help support the idea of a more sustainable model for hatching birds. I love having my birds because they are entertaining, they help connect us to the food chain, and where our food comes from, we love the eggs, and love the manure for composting. It's a win-win-win situation for us. If I had more space I would be breeding at least one critically endangered heritage breed, one exotic breed, have a mixed flock for general purposes, and raise some meat birds, as well.
Oh, and as far as those flocks I would keep, I already have the breeds picked out.:) Yesterday I sold two dozen eggs to someone I work with, and she and the other ladies who saw the opened cartons absolutely loved the color combinations. We have brown eggs, green eggs, pinkish eggs, light brown eggs, nearly terra cotta-colored eggs, occasionally a speckled egg, and lightly tinted eggs. That's really a part of the reason I picked out the birds I have. I am hoping that this new little flock will produce a blue egg-layer. That's definitely on my wish list.
Sorry to see that you're in pain from your work injury. Hope it wasn't too bad and that you'll feel better soon.
Thanks for the chicken info - I love this stuff and find it really interesting. (Maybe being a dog breeder for many years has something to do with it!)
Ok - now some egg questions. I take it that you get all sizes, right? Do they all keep fresh for about the same amount of time or do you have to use some of them up sooner? When I bought fresh farm eggs, I would detect different tastes in them from one week to the next, depending on the chicken's diet. Do all your eggs taste alike or do you vary your chicken's feed?
Oh, and a final question. Do you have any of those crazy looking chickens with the curly feathers that cover their heads and legs? I love them!
Hey, Cynthia! I love it that I've found someone here that enjoys chickens, too. I think Pat once said that she used to have the occasional chicken when she was growing up, as well. We have some variety in size of egg, but don't have any of the bantams that lay really small eggs. I toyed with the idea of getting one or two this year, but worried about whether they would be picked on by the standard breeds we have, and so I held off. The little guys are not sexed, either. Too difficult and dangerous for them, so they are all "straight run" meaning there has been no attempt to determine sex of the chicks, and you are taking your chances. I don't have any frizzles, sizzles, or silkies, but really thought about the silkies in particular this year. I would think that variations in diet would make a change in flavor. I've heard that people will notice a change in flavor if you are feeding the birds onion or garlic, but also that a varied diet gives the eggs a more complex flavor. My girls get a balanced layer feed, and a variety of leftovers, and things that I make specifically for them such as scrambled eggs, baked potatoes, etc. The eggs have over a month shelf-life if unwashed and sitting out on a kitchen counter, as well.
Thanks for the well-wishes on my injury. I am at least getting some pain relief now.
Hi, Christina ~ Before I forget, and this thread gets lost in the shuffle, this would be a fun topic to continue over at Moon's site. We have a separate Garden thread - chickens would fit right in! (Crone on the hill). OT - but not really - One year, the ticks were just terrible and my neighbor decided that guinea fowl would be the organic way to go in getting rid of the tick scourge. So he bought a flock of them after putting up a lovely pen and roost. So, in go the 20 or so guineas, and five minutes later every one of them had flown up and into the surrounding trees, never to return to their pen. But, those who survived (that was the year we found out that foxes were denning next to the pond), roosted in the trees and screeched day and night. Endlessly. We still had ticks and the added burden of those freaking, insane birds. An experiment gone horribly wrong.
Also, thanks for the egg info. I'm always nervous about non-refrigerated eggs - never know if it's safe to leave them at room temp. You must have a ton of recipes using eggs! And --- Wait! What?! You feed your chickens scrambled eggs?! Isn't that kinda like creating cannibal-chicks?! :)
Cynthia---Thanks for the suggestion about Moon's site! I might do that if she doesn't mind. As for the scrambled eggs, as long as they are cooked, it's okay. It's high protein and doesn't really resemble what they would find if they peck into a raw egg, so it won't start chickens into egg-eating. If they accidentally break one, and taste it, that's a different story. They could definitely start down the wrong path that way. I'm not in a position to have any guineas, but have thought about it if we are lucky enough to move where we would have more property around us. The way I understand it, you have to lock them up tightly for at least a week, then allow one out, (they are highly social and absolutely do not want to be alone) to explore right around the pen. The one will not stray far because it will not want to be separated from the other birds. Bring it in at night to roost with the others, then after a few days of this, allow one more out with the first one, and so on. Eventually you will have trained them where home is, and they will learn their boundaries. They are very noisy, and actually will become an alarm system---creating a major racket when something enters their territory that does not belong there.
It's too bad my neighbor didn't have all this info about Guinea fowl before he released the entire flock into a pen with no wire roof to it. It really was funny at first - until the days settled into weeks and then months of those dratted birds making a racket 24/7. Glad you're interested in continuing this on the Garden thread over at Moon's, especially now that this thread is off the DD face page. I'll leave you a message there. Hope your pain pills are still working!
OMG, that bunny is cute. I don't have a lot to say today. Celebs are boring, I'm not even sure if most of them are celebs. I have to work and I'm going to take Niki with me. He is such a good boy. So, what's up with you?
45 comments:
Ahhhh what a precious lil cutie pie :) Kiki
Have fun DD :)
gotta take pan to the vet....something is wrong with her paws....she keeps limping and hobbling on all of 'em.....
not a good day...encountered a senile old bat who still DRIVES on an errand today....click my name and read about that on my journal if you wish...
starting to spit snow...gotta go get pan ready to go....and poli has been bad today so she's going in lockdown!
aww I love the little bun-bun. So adorable.. Ava would love to have this little bunny.
Anyone seen Octo moms little clip on tmz? Talk about crazy laughter. I think she is really related to joker.
Working than picking up ava. She received a early easter present. Her own little tricycle. She has been practicing on it. Plus saying NO NO NO... ah her fav word of the month.
you're killin me with these babies everyday! Jax's dad thinks he needs a playmate and I say no but seeing pictures of cuddly little ones makes me weak.
I saw octo-mom on "The View" today. Man she is wackadoodle
Fuck bunnies.
My 2 Chi's are getting spayed and neutered as we speak. I'm so worried for them. Poor babies. I gave them steak for dinner last night.
Miss Tia, I know you've had your fair share of snow. Whenever my pooches walk through where that real chunky rock salt has been thrown down, they all start to limp. Whatever that stuff is made of, it burns their paws. Louis will actually hobble home on 3 legs sometimes. I use the safety salt that is friendly to pets but the park uses the cheap stuff on their sidewalks and the city uses it on the streets here. Could that be the culprit?
Udder balm or bag balm on her paws might help if her pads are cracked. Petsmart also sells a special emollient to protect the pads.
just got back from the vet and it's a nail issue, again.....i have to take her back bright and early so she can get knocked out and they can remove the nail....they said it happens because the cold weather makes her nails brittle and there's nothing i can do to prevent it....
I read that a trainer was killed at SeaWorld today in front of an audience. We went there for my
30th birthday in August. I can't imagine having to witness something so horrible.
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/irresistible/22660616/detail.html
~Palmetto Girl
Ava's Mommy---it's so cute when they learn those first words! I remember my son doing that--it seems like yesterday.
Peg---I hope your doggies' surgeries go well and that they are feeling good again very soon.
Pat---I am so glad that you have little Niki to go to work with you. He sure looks sweet.
I went and got my chicks this morning, and am currently fighting off the urge to go get one or two more. I stopped at our local feed store on the way home with them, and they happened to have another breed that I had been thinking about. My husband and son would not like this at all, but those little chickies are definitely calling to me.
You're not snowed in, Pat? I thought you guys were in for a blizzard.
Today is kind of a crappy day here in NC...it's overcast and rainy. I need more sun!! I'm so ready for summer. I miss my grill and having a cold beer outside while I cook dinner and it's 7:30 and still light outside.
it has started snowing and we might get 3 to EIGHT inches of snow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Speaking of bunnies. Two of the room at my child care centre have rabbits. One boy and one girl. They let them roam their rooms, and the girl bunny~Alyssa~ is always hanging around the door to the boy bunny~Wilber~room. Someone left the door open between the rooms one day, and to make a long story short they were "wrestled" (Alyssa being the instigater) and we think babies are on the way. Opps.
Cute pic.
So I just watched the Kardashian birth and I too am left a bit shocked. She freaking pulled him out of her. Uh.. huh?
I do however have to say that I don't think it's that crazy that she showered and did her makeup after her water broke, I've known girlfriends who had a full blow out & makeup done (professionally) after their water broke before going to the hospital. When I went into labor w/ Sam I was so excited we just rushed to the hospital. My hair was gross and I had NO make up on (and I totally hadn't shaved my legs in EONS) and I hate the pictures of myself, I'm hoping this time I have time to fix myself up a bit. And yes I realize that is very vain to say but so be it.
Miss Tia I just saw on the news that some parts of NY could get up to 30 FREAKING INCHES!! OMG. I know we're in for 6-10 (according to the brilliance that is the weather man) but 30!! Hooo boy.
true...30 would suck! we got a little over 2 feet overnight once a couple years ago and that was BAD.....
i'm still gonna grumble about 3-8 inches though cuz damnit the snow was melting!!!
I am sooo happy I am living near the coastline right now. We are just getting rain rain rain with this storm. None of that snow. It is too warm here in our area. I feel so badly for those that are gonna get hammered.
That's just a lot of snow. Getting snowed in is fun if your in school and it gets canceled or if you have kids in school and it gets canceled. Other than that, it's just a pain in the ass.
I love that bunny! My brother had a rabbit years ago named "Thumper" (my brother is not very original). He was a bit dumb but totally sweet (the rabbit, not my brother). There are bunnies at the animal shelter where I work and they seem the same, kinda dumb but very sweet. I guess that's how most of them are. We did have one rabbit who was stark-raving mad though.
Awww - bunnies!
I love them and always wanted one.
I'm sure my two house cats would be just thrilled!
We do have a wild rabbit living under our deck next to the garden.
He got fat and happy on all the lettuce last summer.
Christina ~
I'm enjoying your chicken comments!
Are you raising them as layers or as fryers?
Ever watch Martha Stewart on her chicken care shows?
All those breeds and all those neat egg colors.
Her chickens live in the Taj Mahal of coops. It's surprising that they don't lay golden eggs!
I remember when you could buy chickens (and puppies) through the Sears catalog.
Christina...I'm assuming that you eat the eggs. Do you find any differences in the tastes? Did you grow up with chickens or is this something you just wanted to do? What do you do with them over the winter?
Yeah, I'm with Crabbie. Because of bunnies and deer can only container garden on the upper deck. My choices are limited. Tia, you can add FUCK BUNNIES to the fuckit list. LOL Once, as an experiment, I took one of my plants down to the main patio and the little shit bunnie came up and started munching right in front of me! Yeah, what Crabbie said.
Wait until spring! Niki is just going to love running after those little bunnies..............
There was going to be a bunny show here in Sweden earlier this week, but due to the heavy snow, the roof caved in over them during the night. There were around 1600 bunnies in there. I feel so bad for all the little kids who had to find out that their furry friends were killed in that way. :(
My son got married and bought his first home last year. He spent 5000+ on some beautiful new landscaping. He has nothing left to show for it except nubs sticking out of the ground. The rabbits have eaten every single bit of his landscape. The damage they have done is unreal. He has tried everything to repel them with no luck. Not only that but he had a 1 year guarantee on all the plants and shrubs if they did not come up this spring. Due to the economy, the nursery that did his landscaping has gone out of business.
I have never seen so many rabbits. He has 2 little dogs so he cleared some snow on his back lawn so they could go out. Within 2 nights, you couldn't see the area he had cleared for the amount of rabbit shit that was on it.
Anyone have any tips? He's ready to buy a BB gun. Though he is such an animal lover, I can't see him doing that.
we have a weather warning.....4pm today thru 4pm tomorrow....6-12 inches of snow with blowing winds that will cause drifts!!!
that is such a cute little doggie you got there. he so reminds me of my little prince, who is now 16 and very grey and arthritic. i'm sure you will get as much love out of your pal as i got/get out of mine and i wish you as many years with your doggie as i've been lucky enough to have had with mine.
miss tia ~ my forecast is the same as yours. Can we add fuck winter to the fuckit list? I am so done with snow.
I am so sick of winter. It is raining again today but the weather news said that we will probably get snow tomorrow. Come on Spring!!
FUCK WINTER!
FUCK SNOW!
FUCK ICE!
FUCK SHOVELING!
FUCK BUNNIES! (i don't agree with that, but escrow asked so nicely to have it added)
FUCK CHINA!
FUCK TOYOTA!
FUCK FUCKTARDS!
FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK IT ALL!
Well today is the storm day. I guess I just have to wait it out and see what we get. I hope we dont get snowed in.. This sucks really.. I have things to do and this storm is coming around to ruin everything.
Cynthia---Yes, I have seen at least one Martha Stewart show on chicken keeping, and thought it pretty interesting. She was showing off her Auraucana flock---the blue egg layers. I thought that was pretty intriguing. Her chicken run was very nice, but I'm sure she has it groomed every day---a flock of chickens can turn any area into a moonscape in a very brief period of time.
The breeds I have picked are dual-purpose, meaning they are layers that develop into a decent-sized bird for table use. I purposefully picked them that way, just in case some birds don't work out well for us. They are also beautiful and lay pretty eggs. It often amazes me how perfect the eggs are. My initial flock was barred plymouth rocks, rhode island reds, and buff orpingtons. Then I added in some ameraucanas, a welsummer and an australorp. It's a nice flock but we have issues with feather-picking, and beating up on each other, though our coop conditions are good, and we give them a lot of toys for entertainment. I am trying to work further with the negative issues within that flock, and got a different flock going yesterday--delawares, ameraucanas, and wyandottes (gold and silver laced), so I am hoping for a better mix this time.
Bayou Jane---my grandparents had chickens when I was little, and I remember being there to collect eggs, and helping with plucking of table birds, etc. I always wanted to have some as an adult, but just didn't pursue it until recently. I love having them, and often sit outside to watch "chicken TV" in warmer weather. They really are interesting and funny.
Pat, I sent you a picture of my first green egg in December, and just assumed it was too dorky, and that no-one would be interested in it when I didn't see a reply. I found your reply that the picture wouldn't come up, last night. I feel like a computer idiot again. (In my defense, a lot was going on at that point.)
If I can get him to help me, I may get my husband to help me send a picture or two tonight.
Christina~
So, what is the size of your flock? When you pick out your chicks, is it necessary to have several of the same variety to avoid a singlton getting pecked on?
And roosters - only one for all or do you have a few?
For the size of your flock, what kind of egg yield do you get?
I used to by fresh eggs from a friend and was amazed by the intense color of the yolks. Oddly enough, my husband didn't like the taste of the farm eggs - he preferred store eggs.
Martha's shows about her chickens were funny - she's so freaking anal to begin with - the chickens just seemed to bring out her manic tendencies for care, etc.
And a final question - when you eat them, (the chickens) do the different varieties TASTE different, or do they all just taste like generic chicken?
I'd love to see your chickens Christina and the
eggs as well too. Looking forward to your pix. Kiki
I'd love to see your chickens Christina and the
eggs as well too. Looking forward to your pix. Kiki
we're getting hit with a nor'easter! we're doomed!!!!!!!!!!
Cynthia---I have nine laying pullets. They are referred to as hens once they turn one year old. Originally I had ten, but one declared himself a rooster, and we rehomed him with someone who keeps approximately fifty or sixty chickens. We don't have laws here that prevent having a rooster---just references to "noise nuisance", so the approach most often followed is to only have hens. You don't need a rooster unless you want babies. Hens will lay eggs frequently as long as you don't allow them to collect a clutch to sit on. The cycle for producing an egg is around 25 hours, so many birds will lay almost every day. If they accumulate eggs, and become broody (want to be a mom) they will sit on the eggs whether they are fertile or not.
Most days we get about six eggs out of our nine pullets. A rare day with only two eggs, and the occasional day with as many as nine.
As of a couple of days ago we have six new babies, and I am debating whether I should get two or four more. I have a long wish list of breeds.
As for eating home-grown birds, the taste is much more pronounced. The tendency in the hatchery industry, is to kill most of the baby roos immediately on identification, as there are so many instances where people are not allowed to have a crowing rooster. The feed store I like to buy from, has a deal going with a local farmer, who is going to take the excess roosters, and raise them as free-range, and they will be sold at this store, as meat. I plan on buying the occasional bird, to help support the idea of a more sustainable model for hatching birds.
I love having my birds because they are entertaining, they help connect us to the food chain, and where our food comes from, we love the eggs, and love the manure for composting. It's a win-win-win situation for us.
If I had more space I would be breeding at least one critically endangered heritage breed, one exotic breed, have a mixed flock for general purposes, and raise some meat birds, as well.
I'm sorry. That last anonymous was me. I got injured at work yesterday, and the medication is making my mind a little fuzzy.
Oh, and as far as those flocks I would keep, I already have the breeds picked out.:)
Yesterday I sold two dozen eggs to someone I work with, and she and the other ladies who saw the opened cartons absolutely loved the color combinations. We have brown eggs, green eggs, pinkish eggs, light brown eggs, nearly terra cotta-colored eggs, occasionally a speckled egg, and lightly tinted eggs. That's really a part of the reason I picked out the birds I have. I am hoping that this new little flock will produce a blue egg-layer. That's definitely on my wish list.
Christina ~
Sorry to see that you're in pain from your work injury. Hope it wasn't too bad and that you'll feel better soon.
Thanks for the chicken info - I love this stuff and find it really interesting. (Maybe being a dog breeder for many years has something to do with it!)
Ok - now some egg questions. I take it that you get all sizes, right? Do they all keep fresh for about the same amount of time or do you have to use some of them up sooner?
When I bought fresh farm eggs, I would detect different tastes in them from one week to the next, depending on the chicken's diet. Do all your eggs taste alike or do you vary your chicken's feed?
Oh, and a final question. Do you have any of those crazy looking chickens with the curly feathers that cover their heads and legs?
I love them!
Hey, Cynthia!
I love it that I've found someone here that enjoys chickens, too. I think Pat once said that she used to have the occasional chicken when she was growing up, as well.
We have some variety in size of egg, but don't have any of the bantams that lay really small eggs. I toyed with the idea of getting one or two this year, but worried about whether they would be picked on by the standard breeds we have, and so I held off. The little guys are not sexed, either. Too difficult and dangerous for them, so they are all "straight run" meaning there has been no attempt to determine sex of the chicks, and you are taking your chances.
I don't have any frizzles, sizzles, or silkies, but really thought about the silkies in particular this year.
I would think that variations in diet would make a change in flavor. I've heard that people will notice a change in flavor if you are feeding the birds onion or garlic, but also that a varied diet gives the eggs a more complex flavor. My girls get a balanced layer feed, and a variety of leftovers, and things that I make specifically for them such as scrambled eggs, baked potatoes, etc.
The eggs have over a month shelf-life if unwashed and sitting out on a kitchen counter, as well.
Thanks for the well-wishes on my injury. I am at least getting some pain relief now.
Hi, Christina ~
Before I forget, and this thread gets lost in the shuffle, this would be a fun topic to continue over at Moon's site. We have a separate Garden thread - chickens would fit right in! (Crone on the hill).
OT - but not really -
One year, the ticks were just terrible and my neighbor decided that guinea fowl would be the organic way to go in getting rid of the tick scourge.
So he bought a flock of them after putting up a lovely pen and roost. So, in go the 20 or so guineas, and five minutes later every one of them had flown up and into the surrounding trees, never to return to their pen.
But, those who survived (that was the year we found out that foxes were denning next to the pond), roosted in the trees and screeched day and night. Endlessly.
We still had ticks and the added burden of those freaking, insane birds.
An experiment gone horribly wrong.
Also, thanks for the egg info. I'm always nervous about non-refrigerated eggs - never know if it's safe to leave them at room temp.
You must have a ton of recipes using eggs!
And --- Wait! What?! You feed your chickens scrambled eggs?! Isn't that kinda like creating cannibal-chicks?! :)
Cynthia---Thanks for the suggestion about Moon's site! I might do that if she doesn't mind.
As for the scrambled eggs, as long as they are cooked, it's okay. It's high protein and doesn't really resemble what they would find if they peck into a raw egg, so it won't start chickens into egg-eating. If they accidentally break one, and taste it, that's a different story. They could definitely start down the wrong path that way.
I'm not in a position to have any guineas, but have thought about it if we are lucky enough to move where we would have more property around us. The way I understand it, you have to lock them up tightly for at least a week, then allow one out, (they are highly social and absolutely do not want to be alone) to explore right around the pen. The one will not stray far because it will not want to be separated from the other birds. Bring it in at night to roost with the others, then after a few days of this, allow one more out with the first one, and so on. Eventually you will have trained them where home is, and they will learn their boundaries. They are very noisy, and actually will become an alarm system---creating a major racket when something enters their territory that does not belong there.
Hey, Christina ~
It's too bad my neighbor didn't have all this info about Guinea fowl before he released the entire flock into a pen with no wire roof to it.
It really was funny at first - until the days settled into weeks and then months of those dratted birds making a racket 24/7.
Glad you're interested in continuing this on the Garden thread over at Moon's, especially now that this thread is off the DD face page.
I'll leave you a message there.
Hope your pain pills are still working!
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