Michigan

[Stacykins]

I never knew Ranchhand, but that is so awful, and it seems like it was sudden?


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Fresh lard makes the best baked goods you'll ever eat. It can be used in any recipe where you would normally use shortening or butter. You can use it to grease your baking pans, use it to make stir fries, etc instead of oils. There's a solid case to be made for the health of lard over other options, too, but I won't bore you with it. You can do additional research if you're interested.

You can also feed it to your birds. Or the wild birds over the winter.

It is an incredible salve for dry, chapped skin.

And on and on the list goes.

We save and render our lard and encourage our customers to use their lard as well, but to each his own.

Oh no, don't misunderstand me. I'm not opposed to using the lard where we can, just in cookies. I don't know anything about any health properties it may have and being ignorant about it, I've always associated lard with bad. We bought our farm 2 years ago so this is our first set of pigs (& chickens) and I'm still learning as I go.

Raz, November 6

Don't forget lard soap is amaaaaaaazing! Pure white, hard as a rock, very moisturizing.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

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oh, wonderful! I am good at forgetting

So sorry to hear about Ranchie, she was always kind to me

 

[Jenerva]

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So sorry about your friend. Your compassion for a fellow byc'er speaks volumes about your kindness.

 

[chickendales]

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16 days at 99.5 and 50% humidity upped to 60% for lockdown the last three. Our one little guy is great! I wish things would have worked out to have more. I think our humidity was too low and they really dry out.

dianaross - the no chickens in the basement rule goes here too, but seems to get broken a lot, however I know once it's finished and not just cement it will be the end of it.

ChicwannaB - I love the frozen June beetle idea! I would never have thought of it. They actually eat them if they aren't moving? I can turn it into a contest between all the boy cousins in the family next year! All are very competitive and all love bugs!

we have chicken in liveing room 1\\2 the year

 

[Olive Hill]

We have done chicks in the house in the past. We don't anymore. They're just way too dusty. It doesn't seem hygienic to me. I have enough to worry about with the dirt, dust, dander and fur from the dogs and house bunnies.

teeville -- If you're not opposed to using lard don't write it off for cookies. It truly does make the best baked goods you'll ever eat. Pies, cookies, cakes, donuts, etc.; they're all improved with with a little lard.

 

[yorkchick]

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Farmer Andy! Thank you! Because when I write all that stuff, I really figure most people's eyes just glaze over and they go looking for something a little more short and snappy. And I don't blame them, actually! But I don't do short and snappy... wish I could. Texting. I have a good friend who only wants to text, so after avoiding it for years, I am now texting. In complete sentences, with punctuation and parentheses and proper capitalization and correct spelling, and complicated snark. On an old flip phone where you have to hit the "7" key 4 times for an "s" and finding the punctuation requires a lengthy search. In 20 minutes I can write a mildly amusing (to me, at least) 4 or 5 page text.

Oh, and you should read my chart notes for my patients. Well, no, really you shouldn't, 'cause that would be a violation of privacy and unethical and also honestly not very interesting. Well, most of the time. The ones I love are when you just very exactly note what the patient said and what you and the doctor answered, with no editorial comment whatsoever, and yet anyone else (with the legal need and right to read the notes, of course!) can immediately tell, "Wack job!" (Oh, except of course that almost never happens and I love all my patients dearly. Mostly that's even true).

As I've said before: My name is Susan, and I am a recovering English major.

But Andy? You know who really has a gift for expressing herself? Yes, of course you do, because it's your wife! Over the last few days, since you posted the link to her blog, I've read through the whole thing. Hilarious and heartwarming and snarky. I love it. Tell her I said it needs more about the chickens though. (Just kidding!) But she has such a strong voice and her writing is a wonderful balance between joy in her life and her family, and huge amusement at how ridiculous life really is. And I love how she's caught it all in pictures too. When Kate (Mrs. Farmer Andy) writes her book, sign me up for one of those signed copies!

 

[keyt1969]

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Are you talking about the one you got from me? If so, I told you she's a real sweetheart!!!

 

[keyt1969]

I see some talk of soap making. Interesting since just today I was researching how to make it. What scares me is the lye. I want to learn but we have a super small house so I guess I can only do it in the summer when I can open the windows. I want to learn how to make it but I'm not a great learner anymore so it would have to be easy!!


Today was fun. We filled in the in-ground pond for good, covered it with a pool we got from FrizzledHen, put the big pool in for the call ducks and got rid of another. Whew what a lot of work that was but now the big ducks have more room, the little ducks have the really big pool and the big ducks have the shorter but longer pool. Doesn't make sense but it's what they prefer.

It was nice to feel well enough to do a little work. I'll probably suffer for it tomorrow but I can only stay in the house so long!

 

[keyt1969]

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Oh, don't get me wrong... I would have kicked his butt, but then again, I don't claim to be Christian!

I wouldnt have kicked his backside hole but he would have got an ear full and probably some spittle on his face. When I get blazin hot I can turn rabid!

Keyt, it sounds like people bargin for your eggs? I have a set price, thats it. Funny thing is that the people I work with remember to pay me and not the other way around!! I luvs luvs luvs my customers!!!

They try but only a few times have I made deals, but that's only with regular customers. I adore 98% of my customers. Most come a long way just to get our duck eggs because there aren't many around.

 

[chickendales]

couple of my non chickens lol

http://www.hatfieldshelties.com/