Illinois...

[Faraday40]

OMG this wins the internet today!!!!!!! She's doing great!!! Are you clicker training them too?

Yes, I'm using a clicker. I've got a few birds that I'm working with, but Styx is the best at piano at the moment. They are also being taught to jump up onto my arm (like Trouble).

Here is only a suggestion.. teach her to play the spoiler, and I will deliver a bag of scratch for her.

Spoiler: Surprise

 

[BReeder!]

My useful girls,, (chickens) me,, and are providing me nutrition
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They did not tip the scale too heavy,,, but doing their BEST

BTW,,, that is a new scale DS got for me. I needed to keep myself busy during the lock-downs, so I have been baking some. Scale allows me to make better/more accurate measurements.
This coffee cake is one of my mom's recipes.
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And now we come to making bread. Have to admit,,, it has been coming out fantastic. It even surprised me.
I keep feeding my sourdough, but not everyday.
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Here is how the bread looks.. I kind of think it's cute
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The yellow is sprayed butter on top of the parchment paper. I then sprinkle the bottom with corn meal. The butter allows the cornmeal to adhere to the paper, rather than all gathering in the center bottom.

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Looks great. On the pan loaf bread, I would suggest cutting one or two lines only and run them the lent of the load instead of side to side for a better rise in the oven and more even slices. That coffee cake looks great. Willing to share the recipe?

 

[Justso]

I have 6 chickens who stopped laying about two weeks ago. I was shocked to find these eggs out there today! Its way colder now than it was 2 weeks ago. I'm guessing it must be that I switched back to higher protein feed last Friday because it was going to be so cold.

This is my first winter with chickens and I've lost sleep a couple of nights worrying about them I guess they are fine! I use the deep litter method and haven't used any heat yet. Everytime I check on them they aren't huddled together or even have their feathers fluffed out I was expecting to need to bring them into our garage Monday. Anyone else still not using heat?

I don't use any heat. I have a small hen house, open to a fully enclosed run. I leave a door and a window open at all times into the run. I don't close it down, even during polar vortex or these past -0 days. I have zero frostbite on combs.
I decided last year that the deep litter method works only partially; as the chickens tracked snow into the house they would get the litter wet which would add a great deal of humidity into the air. Last weekend I emptied 75% of the shavings into their yard and replaced with new deep shavings. This achieved two things, it provided a place in their snowy run where they could stand on litter, which was more comfortable than snow, and kept the humidity down in the house. They're now spending a good deal of time outside during the day in the fresh air, standing on the litter pile.
I am mindful that one of the ideas behind deep litter method is composting litter creates heat but I'm no longer a believer that this happens.

 

[cavemanrich]

That coffee cake looks great. Willing to share the recipe?

I just made a 4 pack today. Saturday immediate family will come by the house for dinner. I made these as take home cakes.
Here are the pix of mini play by play.

Here is recipe by Martha Stewart. If you follow it, you will achieve pretty much the same result. My mom's recipe is handwritten on paper. I will note differences below.

Mom's recipe differences.
1 1/2 cups warm milk @110°F, Fresh yeast cake, or Active dry yeast. (did not need to be Rapid Rise)
Tablespoon sugar, and heaping tablespoon of flour. Mix, and let yeast proof.

Into stand mixer bowl, with dough hook, I added the following in this order.
Melt 1 1/2 sticks butter. Pour liquid into bowl.
One cup of flour into liquid butter. Mix some. Check temperature so not too hot to cook eggs.
Add 6 eggs (whole)
Add 1 1/2 cups sugar.
Zest from one orange.
Mix some.
Add milk with yeast. It should be active foamy at this point.
Mix well so all is combined well. Add raisins at this time.
Start to add flour one cup at a time. When it starts to get sticky and stiff, spoon in smaller quantities. I think I was able to add a total of about 5 additional cups. (one cup was initially added to liquid butter)
Your quantity of flour needed can vary somewhat depending on size of eggs used and other small factors.
When all is well mixed and consistency is of sticky somewhat stiff dough, cover with kitchen towel, and rise until doubled. I did it in my oven proof heated to about 100°F, and then I left the light on.
First picture shows after about 1 1/2 hours.
I mixed it with a wooden spoon, and it punched down to half the size.
Placed into 4 pans and added the Sugar Crumbs on top.
Let rise a little until dough gets slightly rounded. Preheat oven, and bake until lightly browned.
I baked an additional 8 minutes to get the blond tops to be slightly browned tops. I kept an eye on it all along the additional time.

Note on the crumbs; I used 1 stick butter, I cup sugar, and just a little over one cup of flour. Marthas' recipe says 2 cups of flour. Not sure if that is a mistake, or sabotage. TOOOO Much flour, by one cup.
Use your hand to make the crumbs.
I still have some crumbs leftover, since the 1 stick butter quantity made more than needed. Will refrigerate, and use on my next cake, (an egg twist) next baking.

I hope I did not overlook anything in my explanation.

 

[Justso]

Please do hang in there.
I was making a funny, I'm sorry if it seemed like I was taking advantage of your situation. I wish I had space for geese and I don't think it would be fair to take him as a loner. Are you on Facebook? If not maybe I can hop on and see if I can find a home in one of the Illinois or Wisconsin farm groups. I hope one of us can help here.

I'm sending you a PM regarding this gander.

 

[BReeder!]

I roasted one of our turkeys today. It's been in freezer camp since Nov. It was still delicious and looked beautiful. Served it up with a bean stew, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy and sauteed green beans.

 

[Molpet]

I roasted one of our turkeys today. It's been in freezer camp since Nov. It was still delicious and looked beautiful. Served it up with a bean stew, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy and sauteed green beans.
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Glad it was good

 

[BReeder!]

I forgot to mention, I did order some ducklings. I was tempted to get runners, but stuck with Rouens like we have already. I ordered through Farm and Fleet, so I paid a tad bit more power bird at $5 or so each but there's no shipping charge since they'll bring them in with their orders and I pick them up in April when the weather is hopefully staying to warm up a bit already (and ducks just love April showers).

I really wanted to get muscovy, but they are very difficult to find. At least there will still be ducks in our pond this year. And @Faraday40 I might see about having you hatch some eggs from my one remaining adult female when she starts laying again.

 

[BReeder!]

I braved the cold for about 10 minutes to go to the compost pile and feed the birds. It is FREEZING out there.

The piles of frozen poop are getting out of control. They need to slow down on pooping or some of those towers of poop are going to reach the roosts. The cost it is the more they eat though. This cold snap needs to let up already so I can clean the poop boards.

 

[Justso]

Can so relate to the image "towers of poop"