Most of the soil here is grade four or five, fit only for growing hay so most of the valley is cattle with a few dairies and a few sheep farmers. I worked very hard clearing land and very hard in the bush to pay for it and used equipment, but never got past a hobby farm. Two actually. The first one I traded after my first wife left. (and left me flat broke and without a vehicle.) I worked for a big farmer for a month for one of his old trucks, I rode a horse to work every day. I loved the life but between the separation and Arthritis striking I was hooped. Full time farming went by the way. I started again clearing another piece of land. At one time I had sheep, milk goats, pigs, laying chickens, ducks and two horses. All on a small scale and of course I had a big garden. More homestead than farm. I have grown grain also but mostly I did hay. My love/hate relationship with the land. Life is one big ball of tension till the hay is made and covered. But the smell of a whole field of fresh cut hay is something else. I would still be doing it if I could. I still have two cows but they run with some one else's herd now. I will give them to him, they are happy there now so they can stay. I thought of getting sheep again but at my age it really is a lot of work. Company just came through the door so gotta go.
You would be the person to ask this question to. I've been looking for an answer for 11 years. Do you have to clean the eggs before you prepare them to eat them? I've heard everything from take them straight from the nest and put them in the fridge, to washing them with liquid dishwashing detergent and water using a wash cloth, to using a scouring pad to remove caked on poo or not using them at all, and all the hatchery catalogs sell professional "egg wash" and specially holed buckets and an air pressure type unit that feverishly scrubs the eggs with water. You can understand my confusion. Also, do you know how to tell if your particular chicken lays salmonella eggs? Or, are they all that way and cooking them well kills the bacteria? Your friend of a thousand questions, Shari P.S. My Italian Grandparents had a 150 acre dairy farm in New York State. Being on the farm was the happiest time in my childhood. One of my happiest memories was riding a horse in the field with the wind blowing in my hair. It was the greatest feeling of freedom and peace I have ever had in my life.
I like Danish leg horns, The corn flakes box chicken, But I think they lay white eggs and are kind of flighty. (all the leghorns are). Buffs, Barred rocks, and other duel purpose lay large brown eggs and are less efficient but are quieter. There are chickens that lay green or blue eggs and are said to have less cholesterol, but I think they just have smaller yokes. (don't know)
Some trivia. Brown eggs get there colour from iron in the chickens blood. Chickens lay at 17 weeks of age but the eggs are small. Free range chickens get eaten by hawks and owls. Rotenone is a safe pesticide on the off chance the chickens you buy have lice. (it happens) Chickens love grass and will mow your weed patches if you have a porta pen. This is a chicken wire cage on wheels that they live in and you move around your land. Chickens don't like rain so the pen needs a cover over part of it. And here is the cruel part, there is a pecking order and if you get a meek chicken they will peck it badly and it won't lay. Use a red light in your pen to discourage this if it happens. Chickens don't lay in the night, if you want eggs in the morning put the light in there pen on a timer so they think it is day. Chickens will always go to their pen when it starts to get dark, even during an eclipse.
Chickens are fun to raise and to watch. The routine is good for anxiety also, Have fun with your chickens.
I'm glad to see your post :) I'm no expert, but I think you can ripen tomatoes by putting them in a brown paper bag :)
Thanks Davit!
Love the greenhouse! No chance of losing me - I'd like to stay around for the long term. I need this support group and all of my friends here. You are all to valuable to lose. I'm going to get 4 chickens! And, I'll post the photo of them as my Avatar when I get them. What kind of chickens do you like? I like Buff Orpingtons, Barred Plymouth Rocks, Dominiques (my daughter's name :) Red Sex-Link (the female chicks are red and I think the males are white). I'm going to dive into my chicken books, because I know there are more breeds that I like. We are not zoned for Roosters, because of the noise ordinance. I find this hilarious, because of all the noise the fire dept. makes and my good friend, Mr. Whistles :)
You are embarrassing me. (only a little bit though) You know I only want all of us better even though it might mean losing you.
Cleo I went to town with a bit of that twenty four hour flu, but it turned out to not even be a sniffle. Green tomatoes make good fake mince meat. If you leave them in a colander and turn them every couple of days they ripen nicely. They ripen from the inside out. But need air around them.
Shari, A chicken house can be very small, they like tight quarters and four hens will give you all the eggs you need. Don't get a rooster unless you are willing to remove his spurs. He will rip the feathers out of your hens. Four hens would fit in a small pet carrier. I have brought them home that way. They need thirteen hours light to lay consistent and if well fed will lay right through there molt. Good luck, chickens are neat. Raspberries like chicken manure and if you put snow fence around the plants and the chickens they will weed for you, take them out when the berries come. Oh and yes I built the green house I'll put a picture on here.
I want to echo Shari's thoughts on Davit...I'd buy that book too! I'd even splurge and spring for the Hard-cover! ha...While I was reading it it I'd be eating some yummy cauliflower with Ranch dressing. I just picked off my green tomatoes... am looking on-line for the best way to ripen them. I had to take them off...there are so many they are crowding my peppers. Hubby...the farmer in the family ....is away..so I'm doing the best I can....with everything....I've been reading everyone's posts..the awful neighbours...shyness making life hard...success at the doctor's... I'm kind of having a 24 hour Flu ( Davit knows what I mean), so I haven't been replying much. But I appreciate you all being here, everyday I look forward to seeing whats going on here.
You are inspiring me to start a new garden next season. We have a lot of beautiful song birds. My husband's hobby is making bird houses, so they have lots of homes. We have a lot of rare Bluebirds (of happiness :) My favorite are the Cardinals. We also have Flickers that look just like Red Headed Woodpeckers. They are fun to watch. My dream is to have chickens (laying hens). When we move to the country, I will do that. When they don't produce eggs anymore, I will keep them as pets and they can live out their lives happily in their retirement hen house :) I would get them now, but the fire dept. has a tornado siren that they test twice yearly. So, we have to evacuate with the 2 Chihuahuas and our one eyed Kitty. I can't imagine packing up a flock of chickens as well (although we have a van :) I've always wanted a greenhouse, did you build it yourself? I like who you are too Davit. You have been a God send for me. I have learned so very much from you and there aren't enough thank you's in the world to express my appreciation. You are so knowledgeable, I think you should write a book. I will buy the first copy :) You are helping so many people. I also think you would be a great Health Educator as well.
Once a garden is set up it becomes more fun than work. I've been recharging my batteries in a garden for more than 50 years and the peace of just mindlessly scratching in the dirt or just sitting on a bench under a tree is very relaxing. Just walking through the greenhouse and picking off ripe tomatoes makes it all worth while. Like mindfulness, it doesn't work for everyone but it sure does for me. Every day there is something new and fascinating, flowers opening birds in the trees. As your life becomes more positive it becomes more relaxed and beautiful, I swear my face has changed even. I think I might have been doing a lot of frowning. I seem to look different. Happier for sure. I like me and I like who I have become.
