North Carolina

NewHomesteader2010 · May 31, 2011

Good Monday morning everyone!!

to the new folks further east (finally getting some people that are not in the mountains!!

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We're from Johnston County!!
HT, ML, BHep I am HAPPY to report that the mystery has been solved (finally)!! Timmy will NOT need a name change. I think you were right and he was at the bottom of the pecking order. I finally heard him "moan??" after Jeremy and Cotton-tail had spent a good 5 minutes announcing their presence. I find it interesting that Jeremy is the only one who crows, while the other too have this muffled moaning sound...it's weird.

Vfem - a goat huh?? You're sure a goat would eat ALL my poison ivy?? If so, I'd run out and buy one today!!

That would be SO nice to be able to go outside in the summer without being dressed for the winter and sweating to death!! I try to tell myself I am just sweating the baby weight off, but somehow I end up crawling back into the air conditioning and wondering HOW people managed life before AC!!

BHep-

I am so sorry you lost a gosling!!

I actually was thinking of you because I was reading an article in Backyard Poultry Magazine (given to me by a large chicken farmer from church...he has 500 acres - I am SO jealous) and the article was talking about the joys of ducks and another one spoke of the joys of the Indian Fantail Pigeon...they all made me think of you...that and the ad I saw for the Brinsea incubator!!

I've already scoped out a few places (and made a mental note of all of our trusty BYC'ers) that sell the eggs I want so I could either use the incubator (you know for a class project...right...) or stick some under a broody!! You've shown me the possibilities!!

Had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Spent Saturday with some friends having a BBQ!! Oh my word, I wish I had a camera for they had the prettiest rooster I have ever seen!! He was cream and black with a bright fire engine red comb & waddle. Gorgeous

He would stand on one leg on their goat stand in the middle of the pasture watching his "girl"....he only has 2 hens to look after, but one is broody and sitting on a clutch (hope I am using the right terms here) and is separated from him. All I can say is WOW!! They didn't know what breed he was, but they did have a Mottled Welsummer (??) who was the broody and boy was she pretty too!! I might have to talk to them about getting goats now!! Although my MIL still wants to do the whole sheep thing, and I have heard that sheep and goats do not go well together because sheep are "dirty beasts".

(that's what these folks told us)

I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and took some time to pause and remember all those who are sitting with an empty chair in their homes because their loved one paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms!! Again, a special THANK YOU to all our service men/women and their families who all have had to make sacrifices!!

Wish me luck...I am going to attempt to mow the lawn this morning before the temperatures reach 95+ again...ugh!!

BHep · May 31, 2011

Goodmorning everyone

We have hatching AGAIN ! 13/23 out so far.

Then this morning, my mom is outside watering the flower garden.... and calls me to ask me "how many eggs do you want? " Huh ! Another hidden nest, only 8 this time.

I restrained myself................. I did not stick them in the incubator like I normally would do, I put them straight in the fridge and will cook them up and feed them back to the flock.

me !

I believe it will be too hot for me today so I plan to stay inside in the AC ....

Ruthann....... I just go a subscription to the backyard Poultry magazine, I really like it.

" Class Project" huh!

thats a good one !

Miss Lydia · May 31, 2011

Quote:
yeah class project for who dd? she isn't even 1 yr. old yet

haven't done duck yet but will if we get a drake out of this clutch. hoping for girls though.

My dh just found out this morning we are on broody #9 and didn't jump up and run out screaming!! but she only has to little bitty eggs.

Ruthann, ask ml about doing meat goat instead of sheep, that way you can get rid of your poison ivy and make money to boot. and Boers are pretty to look at..

ramirezframing · May 31, 2011

New homesteader that roo sounds like it could be a golden lakenvelder heres a pic of a hen. Her comb falls off to one side it's so big.

I do up my extra roos if they don't find a home also. I also don't like killing them and also skin. The DH chops off the head while I hold the bird so I know its quick and painless. If you have never done one before, no matter how you kill the bird they do flop around afterwards, so be ready. Last year DH got some meat chicks and they won't bad. I do suggest that you do them around 18-20 weeks and not like us, who waited till they were huge. Still have two roos and hens who truned a year old in May. My redneck tutrkeys

One roo is 21 lbs the other is 23 and haven't done the hens.

Bhep I might take you up on them chicks if you have to many roos.

vfem · May 31, 2011

I just have to say NewHome.... get the GOAT!!!

We'll come visit it

Get a couple in fact.... Mmmm... goat's milk!

NewHomesteader2010 · May 31, 2011

Quote:

I will definitely have to think about it. I know DH is NOT going to want to fence in our property (although the fencing could go into the woods a bit for the goat... If we do get one, I'll keep you posted as everyone (aside from the poor DH) is allergic to goat's milk (and cows milk...boo!!). I heard it makes wonderful skin cream and such.

As for the sheep...that's my mother in law's thing...she wants the wool because she spins her own yarn and well....the people she currently buys it from charge her quite a bit. Somehow she thinks it would be maintenance free and all we'd have to do is sheer the thing. I'm sure everyone on here knows what "free" means...

However, she did say they would foot the bill for fencing in our property (including installing an automatic fence opener so my DH and I wouldn't have to get out of the car to get in/out of the property...NICE ... well on hot days at least) so that is tempting.

Who knows. Right now I am trying to find a chicken sitter so I won't have to worry about going out of town for a day and a half for a wedding!!

DH said just put extra food & water out and they'll be fine. I was like, what if it's really hot and they run out of water....what if something breaks into the pen...what if..what if...what if...

He said I sound like a "mother hen"....guess that's a good thing!!

ML & BHep... What?? Are you trying to tell me that a lesson in the "BIRDS and the bees" is a little early for her?? I mean what better way to explain the life cycle and the miracles of life than to watch it happen.

I first have to get my hens laying before I can even think about anyone going broody!!

When one does...WATCH OUT...I'm going to be PM'ing you to see what I can do and what I can stick under her and all of that fun stuff...

Ramirez - Could be, not sure what the roos look like in comparison....but it's a definite possibility. I will try to get a photo of him the next time my DD has a play date over there. All I know was he was beautiful and if I could have figured out a way to sneak him home with me, I would have!!

His name is Fred...how great is that?!? They said when it's time for Fred to be replaced "Drop Dead Fred" will be for dinner.

I thought that was both amusing and sad...as he is SO beautiful.

On an off note: Does anyone know if Avocados are bad for a chicken?? I have a few extra organic avocado "mash" that I made for DD but I don't have any more jars to put it in and didn't want it to go to waste. It's just the avocado and apple pureed together (no milk, BM, formula or anything like that). Thanks everyone. OOOHHH and stand by for my picture on why I think doing yard work is illegal for me today!!

Edited:
Okay, so this morning I was going outside to mow the lawn. There are a few things I must state before showing you the photo...first: I am obviously NOT observant and secondly: I am obviously in my OWN world too much to pay close attention to my surroundings (both not good features, I know). So here's how it went down. I knew I needed to roll up the garden hose (someone, NO idea who, never put it back after watering her garden) so I could mow. I double check to make sure the water's off...start to pull on the hose and NOTHING. It doesn't budge. So I YANK harder this time and it moves a tiny bit, but acts as if it's stuck on something. It is only after this that I figure I should check it out. What do you think I find? There is this (see photo) laying on the hose. It's official...I should NOT have done yard work today. I think there is a gardener's law somewhere on the books that if this happens, it means a free "no yard work" day!! Although I will say, it does make for a great commercial. Is your lawn growing into a meadow? Then get a deere, a John Deere tractor to tame that meadow.

Ready for my photo?? Okay, here it is:

Isn't "she" a beauty?? (I'm using she because I wanted to say beauty and that doesn't quite work with a boy...

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BHep · May 31, 2011