Michigan

[wyliefarms]

Huston's Happy Hens :

Morning Everyone!
Long time no post....vacation, hubby recooping (recoup)

keeping up w/house/gardens/chickens (3 groups)/broodies (3), working, time is short and sleep periods are even shorter!
Rose and KrisRose it was nice having you visit...seems like a such a LONG TIME AGO, but I think it's only been 3 weeks! Black Broody decided that after about 18 days she didn't want to sit on them any longer, so she's back with the adult flock and seems to be very happy...now if she'll only start laying soon! Our production is still low. K/KR, the day you were here I actually got about 9 eggs, you two are good luck...how about coming to live with me for awhile!

Now I have one white rock and 2 buff orps who are very serious about laying....so I'm trying my luck again. I put the 3 eggs that were under black broody under one of the orps just in the off chance that they would hatch. They feel heavy, so I'm sure that they were fertile and there was some development along the way...let's see this is about the 5th time we've tried to hatch out our own eggs, wish me luck!
Sam and or anyone else who purchased some of the wellies or EE from that order, would you please post when your girls start to lay....according to my calculations they'll be 5 months at the end of this month and we should begin to see some eggs which I am desperately in need of!
A good friend had twins about 3 wks ago and the Rebecca and Sophia are still in the hospital. Both were doing better and improving and then yesterday, Rebecca began developing some digestive issues and became listless....more details, but would appreciate prayers for these little ones...thanks! Nancy

Praying for the little bundles of joy!​

 

[Huston's Happy Hens]

Hey fellow gardeners...i've got some squash plants that are still continuing to grow and throw off blossoms...given the fact we are so late in the season, should i be cutting them back to encourage the growth on the existing squash? these are hard squash btw...thanks!

 

[ChikeeMomma]

Hi all! Seems I've been very busy lately. Enjoyed a great vacation in Northport last week. My aunts taught me how to sew while I was up there. I helped make two quilts. It was very fun! Tonight my aunt suprised me by giving me her sewing machine (she bought a new one for herself today). It was very thoughtful of her! So we did a little more quilting tonight -- we are making a quilted cover for my sewing machine.

I've also been busy canning tomato puree and salsa. I have lots of tomatoes, but they are a little smaller than last year. Anybody else's tomatoes smaller, too?

 

[Opa]

My butternut squash are still growing like crazy, still flowering, still developing fruit. I too have wondered if I should pinch off the new growth to enhance the developement of the existing fruit. Since I haven't been able to find a definitive answer, and since the plant will continue growing until the first frost I've decided to just let it keep going.

I too am anxiously awaiting the first eggs from the Welsummers that we got this past spring. My experience with the breed has been that they tend to be late layers. I've never gotten eggs from them before 26 weeks. Once they start they are fairly steady. So far this summer my egg production has been fairly constant. I had thought that the heat might put them off but with 24 llayers I usually get 18 eggs on day and 12 the next.

 

[chickflick]

Huston's Happy Hens :

Morning Everyone!
Long time no post....vacation, hubby recooping (recoup)

keeping up w/house/gardens/chickens (3 groups)/broodies (3), working, time is short and sleep periods are even shorter!
Rose and KrisRose it was nice having you visit...seems like a such a LONG TIME AGO, but I think it's only been 3 weeks! Black Broody decided that after about 18 days she didn't want to sit on them any longer, so she's back with the adult flock and seems to be very happy...now if she'll only start laying soon! Our production is still low. K/KR, the day you were here I actually got about 9 eggs, you two are good luck...how about coming to live with me for awhile!

Now I have one white rock and 2 buff orps who are very serious about laying....so I'm trying my luck again. I put the 3 eggs that were under black broody under one of the orps just in the off chance that they would hatch. They feel heavy, so I'm sure that they were fertile and there was some development along the way...let's see this is about the 5th time we've tried to hatch out our own eggs, wish me luck!
Sam and or anyone else who purchased some of the wellies or EE from that order, would you please post when your girls start to lay....according to my calculations they'll be 5 months at the end of this month and we should begin to see some eggs which I am desperately in need of!
A good friend had twins about 3 wks ago and the Rebecca and Sophia are still in the hospital. Both were doing better and improving and then yesterday, Rebecca began developing some digestive issues and became listless....more details, but would appreciate prayers for these little ones...thanks! Nancy

We sure did enjoy our visit with you and Steve. How's his leg doing? Have a nice vacation? Nancy, did you ever think of just leaving your hens in the run, and not allow them access to the wooded area and see if you would find more eggs? Maybe for a few days? I still say there's a nest or two that you haven't found out there!

Maybe the nest boxes are a bit small for the larger birds. They seem to like the bigger totes, etc. It's hard to say. Just some thoughts. I know they should be laying you two eggs each a day with the heaven they have there! Just is so strange!

 

[Opa]

Here's a great way to use 1/2 dozen eggs

Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 shortening
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup of conditioned coconut (see note)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut flavoring

Beat butter, shortening, and cream cheese at medium speed for 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition just until yellow disappears.
Combine flour, baking soda, salt; slowly add to butter mixture, beating a low speed just until blended. Stir in coconut, vanilla, and coconut flavoring.
Pour batter into greased and floured tube pan (bundt). Bake a 325 degrees for 1 hour 30 to 40 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
Dust cake with powdered confectioners sugar.

Note: cake originally called for frozen coconut that is no longer available. To insure that you have a moist cake prepare coconut the day before by mixing dried coconut with coconut milk, refrigerate overnight to allow rehydration.

 

[IndyBlu]

Good Morning Folks, It appears everyone is having a busy summer. Had one of those 'ya gotta be kidding me' moments the other day. Was up in the barn cleaning up that never ending pile of junk someone ;-) put up there, all of a sudden all heck breaks loose. Thought it was a hawk after the chickens again. We've lost one to a red tail this year. Anyway, it was an eagle! Darn thing got one of my peacocks! A full adult male peacock no less. Hated to lose the peacock but the eagle really was impressive.
Have a great day all.
Jim

 

[KrisRose]

Quote:
Holie smokes!!! I though my turkeys and goose were safe from flying predators! So sorry about your peacock.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Quote:
The people a few houses down from us used to have peacocks, until they were all killed over the course of a summer by a bald eagle. When they complained to the DNR, they said, "Tough."

I am sorry to hear about your peacock though, you were trying to protect him/her.

 

[Huston's Happy Hens]

Quote:
We sure did enjoy our visit with you and Steve. How's his leg doing? Have a nice vacation? Nancy, did you ever think of just leaving your hens in the run, and not allow them access to the wooded area and see if you would find more eggs? Maybe for a few days? I still say there's a nest or two that you haven't found out there!

Maybe the nest boxes are a bit small for the larger birds. They seem to like the bigger totes, etc. It's hard to say. Just some thoughts. I know they should be laying you two eggs each a day with the heaven they have there! Just is so strange!

Thanks Rose, it was nice having you and KrisRose too! I'm fairly confident we're going to be making a trek to KrisRose's home and bring her a couple of the egg eaters if she'll still have them! Had success w/one of them for about 4 days and now she's right back at it! Yes, when it cools down later this wk I'm going to fence everyone off and see how the production goes! Steve's counting down to getting that cast off and then well see what it feels like to put wt on the ankle/heel....

I'll keep you posted...Cast removal is down to 12 days 6 hours! Hey, the triplets (from ckstock) were up on the deck yesterday morn....looked so cute perched on the backs of the chairs...of course steve didn't think it was that cute! he's the only one that's got time to sit! so i ran in and got my camera, took a few pics, set to review and the humitity was so HIGH, that the pics are all fogged! I'm sure they'll be back...I'm going to wait until steve has his cast off and we can band all of them before we put them in with the rest of the flock...i don't know what i'll do w/myself when i've only got 1 flock to take care of! btw, the backyard flock (minus the triplets) have found their way around the fencing separating the backyard from the woods and are loving it over there near the swamp. BUG HEAVEN!

no news on the twins....must be all is well or at least better!
Opa and or anyone else who got hens from that group, please post when your batch starts laying....think i can expect the EE's to lay around 24 or sooner? thanks!