NY chicken lover!!!!

[Chicken girl 15]

@lisa523 breakfast, desert or main dish? I have a bunch. You might have so scale down a bit I feed 8 people per meal.

 

[wallaroo]

What kind of questions do you have?

Nothing in particular, just looking to learn generally about the climate, soil, growing season, what to expect, any special considerations, etc. I've lived in this zone before but we did not grow anything. Obviously I'll learn as a I go along, but after growing in the PNW I know it will be different! For instance, what overwinters well? I'll also want to be planning for building season extenders...

I just went on line and ordered as many catalogs as I could. Some were better than others in that they offered info on "canning tomatoes, slicing tomatoes, etc. etc." Others have growing and planting information. Some offer discounts in their emails, which is good incentive.

I got a just onion catalog and a just taters catalog. Not all onion and taters grow good in all areas and they offer that information, which I liked.

I've already got my "shelling beans" and "three canning" type tomato seeds. I'm going to try drying beans this year. My goal is to see how much of a percentage of the food we use I can grow. I figure if I can grow 25 - 50 % of our house food that would be good.

We have a homesteading thread which is good. Lots off advice and nice people.

Thanks! I'll check out the thread as well. I've been mostly having a summer food garden, it feels really different to start thinking about storing and preserving but that's definitely a goal!

I ordered our onions yesterday, 12 bunches, split between us, my father in law, and a guy at work. From Dixondale Farms. Comes to $4 a bunch free shipping, a bunch is aprox 60 plants, we always end up with way more than that. I recommend them, always strong healthy plants, and they grow way bigger than sets.

Oooh thank you for the tip! I love me some onions!

Fruition seeds based in Naples, NY & Harris seed out of Rochester, Ny. Personally, I use Pinetree seeds (www.superseeds.com). They pack smaller sizes for the home gardener - always had good results,

Awesome! I will definitely check these out. I love seed catalogs!

 

[rancher hicks]

I have nesting boxes that open from the outside, but they have always leaked. Water always gets inside no matter what I try to use to fix it. So IJust cover them with plastic year round and gather eggs by going inside.

I have some of these too. I tried caulk but I think the chickens ate it and two of them died. At least that's what I think it was. Anyhow the caulk got eaten, so they even get snow in them. Come next year when they're dry I'll come up with another solution.

I have some inside boxes for them to use now. I didn't take them out because Frenchy who will turn 8 next month and her Daughter Buckwheat sleep in the bottom one. I just have to keep it cleaned out. Frenchy is from my original 25 chickens.

Anyhow the other birds use the top two boxes.

I'm always modifying and changing things. Trying to improve things. Not to mention after 8 years things need to be repaired.

 

[rancher hicks]

Tab’s Breakfast Casserole

Tater tot breakfast casserole:
1lb browned breakfast sausage
12 eggs
1c milk
1 can cream soup of choice
32oz bag tater tots
1c shredded cheese of choice
Layer sausage in greased 9x13 pan. (If I have any left over veggies from the previous night's dinner I spread them over the suasage) In a bowl mix together eggs, milk, and soup then pour over sausage. Then arrange tater tots on top of everything. I hand place them instead of pouring them on. Bake at 350* for 1 hour. Put shredded cheese on top the last 10 to 15 minutes before removing from the oven.
The recipe is so simple and easily adjusted to use different ingredients or added ones and it still turns out great. This morning I used duck eggs and leftover home made soup instead of milk and condensed soup. It was a hit!


This can be frozen I think and heated in the micro wave. Cut in serving sized squares.

 

[rancher hicks]

OLD FASHION POUND CAKE
3 c. sugar
1 lb. butter, softened
10 eggs
4 c. plain flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Measure and sift flour, baking powder and dash of salt. Add flour to mixture in several parts. Stop mixer, add about 1/3 of the flour, start mixer back slowly, then mix fast JUST UNTIL MIXED. Repeat until dry ingredients are all incorporated. Scrape down sides after each mixing. Put in 10 inch tube pan that has been greased and floured. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cool in pan for a few minutes before removing.
Makes two cakes using 9 ½ X 5 ½ loaf pans.
Baking time may vary depending on your oven.

You can of course add a flavoring such as orange or lemon. DW made this today, but we didn't have any flavorings.

I call it Tab's Pound cake because she posted it. I have it saved in my documents file.

I give out nutrition info and recipes to egg customers.

I also have some Microwave egg recipes too.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Ive not heard of using poop boards with deep litter ...with deep litter ...you stir it so the poop goes to the bottom ..
If its falling on poop boards ....I wouldnt think you would need to stir it

I need to come up with more meals that use eggs...

How about Quiche ....that is my favorite egg for supper meal ..

. So the only option I have is squeezing through the pop door to get the eggs.

I would sure like to see you do that ...

Hello everyone! Keep warm!

Hi Annie !

 

[Gramma Chick]

Well Winter is Here ! BBRRR !
I hope everyone made it safely home ..

Syracuse was a Skating Rink ...I felt like I was skating with a car ...3 -4 inches on the roads ...
Going 30 mph was like..speeding ...on west Genese st I was fishtailing at 5 mph.
So slippery my 35 year old son pulled over & said ..
You drive ...its so slippery ...you can crack up your car ..
he was afraid he would crack up my car ..and he would never hear the end of it ..LOL
I got home but it took forever ...had one near miss...
Im glad the other driver was watching I pulled out right in front of them ..my side mirror wasnt clear

 

[Beer can]

I have nesting boxes that open from the outside, but they have always leaked. Water always gets inside no matter what I try to use to fix it. So IJust cover them with plastic year round and gather eggs by going inside.

I was thinking maybe a rubber seal? Like a tire tube for a hinge? Thanks a lot, now I'm thinking what a dumb idea...Lol! not your fault, just thinking what will work...Don't want leakage...

Nothing in particular, just looking to learn generally about the climate, soil, growing season, what to expect, any special considerations, etc. I've lived in this zone before but we did not grow anything. Obviously I'll learn as a I go along, but after growing in the PNW I know it will be different! For instance, what overwinters well? I'll also want to be planning for building season extenders...


Thanks! I'll check out the thread as well. I've been mostly having a summer food garden, it feels really different to start thinking about storing and preserving but that's definitely a goal!


Oooh thank you for the tip! I love me some onions!


Awesome! I will definitely check these out. I love seed catalogs!

Cold, cold, and super cold winters, nothing in the garden 'overwinters' Everything will grow here pretty much, even sweet potatoes if you take special care of them, never tried them myself before but am this next growing season. Get everything early growing, quick to bear, tomatoes especially, or you'll have them just starting to turn red by fall and end up with nothing but green tomatoes. Early Girls have done great for me, trying a couple heritage breeds this coming yr, bloody butcher and Alaskan fancy. Peas do great, plant them as soon as the ground thaws, they hate hot weather, same with spinach. Everything else I wait for Memorial Day, it's the 'kicker' here, after Memorial Day everything is safe. Never tried Kale before though, it might overwinter, super surprised with it, growing a big bed of blue curled vates kale, eating it for months now. Knock the snow and ice off it and it still looks like it is growing, crazy hardy plants, chickens love it also. All depends on your soil also, we have rocks with some soil. I built up a bed and did great with carrots this yr, 50 plus pounds from one small packet of Danvers half longs, super fragrant and sweet.

Ive not heard of using poop boards with deep litter ...with deep litter ...you stir it so the poop goes to the bottom ..
If its falling on poop boards ....I wouldn't think you would need to stir it
How about Quiche ....that is my favorite egg for supper meal ..
I would sure like to see you do that ...

Hi Annie !

Yeah, noo pooop boards for deep litter. Throw some scratch in there, they mix it up! Don't worry about it either, chickens are OK with their poop, they will paw and scratch it up when it thaws.

 

[Beer can]

I would sure like to see you do that ...

Really not funny, well I guess it is if your a Innocent bystander, I get poop on my hands and knees every time I get their eggs, my stupidity, didn't think they would start laying in the dead of winter with no lights. I do not want them eating eggs so I'm pretty vigilant on making sure they don't have a chance. I have a full size door on the big coop.Thought I thought this small coop out, still missing the access to outside nest boxes though....

 

[wallaroo]

I found this article which gave me some ideas! http://www.motherofahubbard.com/10-vegetables-more-cold-hardy-than-kale/
Winter kale is my favorite but I'm an even bigger fan of collards.
Our timeline is not certain yet but there is a good chance we won't move until August, so strategizing how we can get in any fall/winter harvest is important! It's killing me that we will miss most of the growing season but it's really just how things line up with work, etc...