NY chicken lover!!!!

[ChickPrincess]

Ok, to all you Canners out there. All this talk of Jams & jellies & sauces etc., prompted me to go on a hunt for my mother's canning equipment ! It was easy to find nestled in a back corner in the cellar. I pulled out the big enameled pots and from years of use the enamel inside he pots has chipped and consequently rusted. Is there any thing special I should use on the rust ? or just a bit of old fashioned elbow grease ? The metal rack that holds the quart jars is also rusty. Should I just get a new one or try to revive the one I have. What about soaking it in Coke, do you think that will take the rust off ?


Thanks for any suggestions

Go for it! I'm having a blast canning!
I'd probably toss the enamel pot if it's rusted. I would have to think the enamel would be damaged. You could probably SOS the metal rack, though.
Other must have items... jar grabber, magnet to pick up lids in hot water and the funnel.
I am loving my new past time. (I just wish I had the time to pass! lol)

 

[rancher hicks]

Ok, to all you Canners out there. All this talk of Jams & jellies & sauces etc., prompted me to go on a hunt for my mother's canning equipment ! It was easy to find nestled in a back corner in the cellar. I pulled out the big enameled pots and from years of use the enamel inside he pots has chipped and consequently rusted. Is there any thing special I should use on the rust ? or just a bit of old fashioned elbow grease ? The metal rack that holds the quart jars is also rusty. Should I just get a new one or try to revive the one I have. What about soaking it in Coke, do you think that will take the rust off ?


Thanks for any suggestions

I would recycle the pot. Stick it in the yard and fill it with flowers or something. Drill some holes for drainage That being if the enamel is chipped off.

My metal rack is getting rusty too but I just scrub it with a brush. I don't know why it's getting rusty even though I wash it each time and let it dry.

I did three and a half pints of apple sauce today.

 

[ChickPrincess]

Back to work tomorrow. Summertime went much too quick. Looking forward to meeting all my new kiddos though. Appx. 70 of them.
I fixed the problem of the egg eater(s). Still not sure how many were eating eggs. I had been giving them eggshell for calcium, but obviously not enough. I overloaded their bowl so they could eat to their heart's content and have done that every day. No eaten eggs in almost a week. I am almost out of crushed eggshell and I'm hoping they do as well on oyster shell.
I had a record 40 eggs yesterday from 50 hens.

Wahoo!

BTW, dh STILL has not butchered Oscar, though he watches youtube vids every day on how to do it. Still patiently waiting.

 

[stonykill]

BTW, dh STILL has not butchered Oscar, though he watches youtube vids every day on how to do it. Still patiently waiting.

I did 2 roosters today. I usually don't do less than 4 at a time but I had other things going on. So 2 it was.

Tell hubby I said man up and just get it done

 

[rancher hicks]

Back to work tomorrow. Summertime went much too quick. Looking forward to meeting all my new kiddos though. Appx. 70 of them.
I fixed the problem of the egg eater(s). Still not sure how many were eating eggs. I had been giving them eggshell for calcium, but obviously not enough. I overloaded their bowl so they could eat to their heart's content and have done that every day. No eaten eggs in almost a week. I am almost out of crushed eggshell and I'm hoping they do as well on oyster shell.
I had a record 40 eggs yesterday from 50 hens.

Wahoo!

BTW, dh STILL has not butchered Oscar, though he watches youtube vids every day on how to do it. Still patiently waiting.

Moley Hokes. I've got nearly that many hens and not gotten that many eggs. Usually 13 or so. The BR coop I got 4 from 8 hens. The BM's one. The broody hens in that coop though are three for four.

The orp/CR coop 2 eggs for 10 hens. I think they're upset at not being let out. Plus that side needs more light. Daylight hours are shorter now.

5 from the EE coop. 8 hens there. I don't recall how many from the Dels. 18 eggs total. Which I suppose is just as well since I've not enough customers anyhow.

 

[ChickPrincess]

Moley Hokes. I've got nearly that many hens and not gotten that many eggs. Usually 13 or so. The BR coop I got 4 from 8 hens. The BM's one. The broody hens in that coop though are three for four.

The orp/CR coop 2 eggs for 10 hens. I think they're upset at not being let out. Plus that side needs more light. Daylight hours are shorter now.

5 from the EE coop. 8 hens there. I don't recall how many from the Dels. 18 eggs total. Which I suppose is just as well since I've not enough customers anyhow.

I have to say, I've been extremely pleased with their laying. I have production reds, red sex links, Tetra tints, 2 amberlinks, 1 BO and a bunch of australorps.
This past bunch of red sex links from TSC have been great this year. They are laying dark brown eggs, the shells are always perfect, and the yolks are the darkest out of all my hens, even though they all eat the same stuff.
The BO and australorps still have them beat when it comes to personality (except Pancake of course). They are also much less likely to look scraggly. Some of my tetra tints and red sex links from last year look so scraggly, no matter what I do. The BO and australorps always look good (except for the feather loss due to rooster, that nasty little boy). I guess being bred for egg production really takes a toll on one's body.

I plan on leaning towards heritage breeds in the future.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Crazy baby ostriches
http://screen.yahoo.com/dancing-bab...site&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email

 

[Sally8]

Breella - Sorry about your loss. We had to cull one tonight because she was egg bound. It certainly can cause a heavy heart for awhile.

Houseofknauss, Cincodemayo -

(and anyone else I missed)

There's nothing better than a lip puckering apple.

I keep getting so far behind I hope I don't miss anyone in congratulatories (not a real word) or losses.

I'm so glad you found your dog!

When I went to Bath's poultry auction last spring, I asked about testing the birds before they bring them in. No testing was required. I was amazed at how crowded it was. The auctioneer never mentioned the birds by breeds. Maybe that's normal.

 

[Pyxis]

Sorry about Powder Puff, Breella She was very pretty.

A question for you all with dirt floor coops - how does it work? What do you use for bedding with the dirt floor? I'm trying to determine what direction I want to go with this new coop.

 

[Metella]

Sally - My ideas exactly - hellos to all new peeps, and so sorry - as we all feel it for all losses

Pyxis - I wish you had seen my big coop before it caught fire. Dirt floor - I would put sawdust down to start ... now mine would go out each morning and in each night unless I was going to be away - then they stayed in - so keep that usage in mind ... I would add new sawdust once a month. Just rake the bottom to "fluff" it up and add new. Then I cleaned it out ONCE a year in late spring. Late spring because this kind of deep litter actually provides a small amount of heat in the winter. Very low maintenance and the hens were all very happy with it.