California - Northern

[OR4-hmom]

Ali, you asked earlier why so many chemicals were needed for farming now. Today's farms are nothing like the farms 30 years ago. Big business owns the majority of the land and they do not diversify, it's easier and more cost effective if you plant all the same crop, but with that comes problems with pest and disease control. They save money by having crop specific equipment on site, but if you are growing nothing but beans and the weevils find your fields you are up a creek. The pests have acres and acres to infest and damage.
It used to be small farms that grew a variety of crops for the surrounding community. If you have a little bit of everything the weevils can't spread like they do in single crop plantings. I really hate that the varieties that tasted so good have been replaced by the ones that ship well.

 

[PetRock]

PetRock it was you that gave up sugar and the other evils right? How is that going for you?

I've lost 42 lb and my DH has lost 50 lb. We both feel great eating this way. All of the health benefits we have been enjoying has made it easy to give up those bad for us foods. We are at the point where we do cheat a little here and there. I enjoyed a delicious piece of pink pearl apple pie at the Heirloom Expo this week. It tasted so good but I could tell that my body did not like the sugar and gluten. I have 17 more lb to lose but this is a lifestyle change for us. We are in it for the long haul and plan on continuing to eat this way even after we have reached our goal weights.

 

[AlpineButterfly]

So my little bantam brahma girl has decided to go broody.



She started to lay at just under 18 weeks old, and laid 21 eggs in 23 days. But now she has decided to spend all her time in the nestbox on a golf ball. She has lost 190 grams from her peak weight, and 76 grams in the last 10 days, which is about how long it's been since she's laid an egg.

I've been locking her out of the coop the last three days during the day, but when I open the door again to let everyone go to bed, she rushes back to the nestbox. I set up a separate cage off the ground in the house for her, so I guess she is going to move in there for a little while.

Any suggestions or helpful hints?

 

[Flowers of Abba]

I just can't figure out how it can be cheaper to do this. Americans need jobs, factoring in the cost of unemployment as well as the direct cost to ship this is going to cost the US a ton of money.

I too, would like to avoid their products.....

Ugh my boycott list is just getting longer and longer. This is why we pretty much stick to the produce and meat aisles in our grocery stores, when I cannot find something local.......

I (sadly) agree with boycott. We try to find the locals that have what we don't and work from there.

Thanks for posting this. I read this article a few days ago on Yahoo news and found it extremely disturbing. According to the article, they are going to use this chicken in processed foods which means Country of Origin is not required. So, any processed foods with chicken in it could potentially have chicken from China in it.

It is very frustrating to read the cryptic ingredient list and STILL not know where the heck it came from. I think one key word is PROCESSED. No bueno for the bod.

Thank you for taking those pictures and explaining!

I didn't enter the show, just brought birds for the class. Walt also helped me decide which are best for breeding. Those are the Delawares from Kathyinmo. They are not done growing, still need to fill out.

On the subject of food being shipped to China ... ALL the natural casings (like for sausage), even organic ones, are shipped to China to be cleaned and then shipped back for use in the US. There are no American companies to clean casings. I no longer eat anything in a natural casing! Bulk sausage only.

Good to know! Thank you. Someone once commented to me "well then why don't you just stop breathing? Its polluted ya know" Yes I know. But I really feel accountable for what I do with what I know. Learning each day, changing with new information, sharing what i know with others. One of the main reasons we are struggling with a garden at 6,500 ft and shovel 6 + feet of snow to get to the coops half of the year is because of these nasty little surprises from the grocery.

So my little bantam brahma girl has decided to go broody.



She started to lay at just under 18 weeks old, and laid 21 eggs in 23 days. But now she has decided to spend all her time in the nestbox on a golf ball. She has lost 190 grams from her peak weight, and 76 grams in the last 10 days, which is about how long it's been since she's laid an egg.

I've been locking her out of the coop the last three days during the day, but when I open the door again to let everyone go to bed, she rushes back to the nestbox. I set up a separate cage off the ground in the house for her, so I guess she is going to move in there for a little while.

Any suggestions or helpful hints?

She is so cute in there. Sounds determined! Give her babies?

 

[Flowers of Abba]

Yes! Just found out my girlfriends hives located on the upper deck of her home (so funny to drive by and see the swarm up there) here in South lake were a sucess. They had to move them from their property in placerville because of "break-ins" she has a closet full from the last harvest and they are almost ready to do another!

Bread and raw honey here I come.

 

[lawatt]

I've lost 42 lb and my DH has lost 50 lb. We both feel great eating this way. All of the health benefits we have been enjoying has made it easy to give up those bad for us foods. We are at the point where we do cheat a little here and there. I enjoyed a delicious piece of pink pearl apple pie at the Heirloom Expo this week. It tasted so good but I could tell that my body did not like the sugar and gluten. I have 17 more lb to lose but this is a lifestyle change for us. We are in it for the long haul and plan on continuing to eat this way even after we have reached our goal weights.

congratulations, that's fantastic!!!

 

[chickee]

So my little bantam brahma girl has decided to go broody.



She started to lay at just under 18 weeks old, and laid 21 eggs in 23 days. But now she has decided to spend all her time in the nestbox on a golf ball. She has lost 190 grams from her peak weight, and 76 grams in the last 10 days, which is about how long it's been since she's laid an egg.

I've been locking her out of the coop the last three days during the day, but when I open the door again to let everyone go to bed, she rushes back to the nestbox. I set up a separate cage off the ground in the house for her, so I guess she is going to move in there for a little while.

Any suggestions or helpful hints?

Good luck. My BBB hen would not stop being broody so I caved and gave her some eggs from my bantam Polish

Only way I have been able to stop them is to put them in a pen without nesting boxing until they don't show signs of broodiness anymore.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote: Congratulations! My eating is very similar to yours, and I'm down 35 pounds. I reached my goal weight, so I too splurge on occasion.

Yes! Just found out my girlfriends hives located on the upper deck of her home (so funny to drive by and see the swarm up there) here in South lake were a sucess. They had to move them from their property in placerville because of "break-ins" she has a closet full from the last harvest and they are almost ready to do another!

Bread and raw honey here I come.

Yay! I'm hoping to get my hive through winter this year, and then I'll have honey next year!

 

[Happy Chooks]

So my little bantam brahma girl has decided to go broody.



She started to lay at just under 18 weeks old, and laid 21 eggs in 23 days. But now she has decided to spend all her time in the nestbox on a golf ball. She has lost 190 grams from her peak weight, and 76 grams in the last 10 days, which is about how long it's been since she's laid an egg.

I've been locking her out of the coop the last three days during the day, but when I open the door again to let everyone go to bed, she rushes back to the nestbox. I set up a separate cage off the ground in the house for her, so I guess she is going to move in there for a little while.

Any suggestions or helpful hints?

If you are going to give her hatching eggs, let her sit where she chooses. Mark the eggs with a sharpie - I draw a line around the center of the egg so I can see the mark without disturbing the broody too much. Remove any unmarked eggs that get added to her nest daily. Then when the babies hatch, move her and the babies to an area where they can have some privacy. (I have a broody area in my coop) I do this for about a week, then let them out with the flock. (they are visible in the coop for that whole week)

 

[chiqita]

Debi and chooks wooohooo! That is awesome. Getting the habits is tough kudos for you to for keeping it up!
Yay on the honey too.
Alpine if you want to let her raise some chicks I have a hatch coming up. But I need the chicks back when she is done with them. I'm just a sucker for little hens that want babies.
I did not know that about sausage. Is it hotdogs too? I usually cut the casings off for other reasons but I will be more careful now.