Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.

[Bens-Hens]

Inside is sponge cake....now I feel like some too!

Can also make strawberry ones too, naturally they are pink.

 

[vehve]

Doesn't the spongecake taste a bit dry in that?

I feel like making coconut balls.

They're made with oats, butter, sugar and coconut and some other stuff. Here's a recipe in Finnish: http://www.kinuskikissa.fi/kookospallot/ Google translate messes up the measurements though, it translates deciliter to cup.

Potato pastries would be yummy too:

 

[vehve]

Did the curtains seem useful Ben? Or are the girls just freaked out by them?

We might be getting eggs already. We again found some crushed eggshells in the run, and it's been ages since we've last given any to the chickens. I asked the neighbors if they had given any, but they had not. So either we've done a bad job cleaning the run, or then we've got a egg eating problem combined with misplaced egg laying. Only thing is that I think the shells where white, while the Alhos should lay a sort of beige or cream colored egg.

On a different note, we've been watching the neighbors guinea pigs while they're on holiday, and every time I check up on them, I find myself thinking they might taste good barbecued. Has anyone tried growing guinea pigs for meat? Somehow my reasoning is, it shouldn't be any harder than growing rabbits. Or am I just a really bad guinea pig sitter?

 

[scottcaddy]

Did the curtains seem useful Ben? Or are the girls just freaked out by them?

We might be getting eggs already. We again found some crushed eggshells in the run, and it's been ages since we've last given any to the chickens. I asked the neighbors if they had given any, but they had not. So either we've done a bad job cleaning the run, or then we've got a egg eating problem combined with misplaced egg laying. Only thing is that I think the shells where white, while the Alhos should lay a sort of beige or cream colored egg.

On a different note, we've been watching the neighbors guinea pigs while they're on holiday, and every time I check up on them, I find myself thinking they might taste good barbecued. Has anyone tried growing guinea pigs for meat? Somehow my reasoning is, it shouldn't be any harder than growing rabbits. Or am I just a really bad guinea pig sitter?

check this out, http://www.streetdirectory.com/food..._pig_a_culinary_delicacy_by_rick_vecchio.html

sounded good to me!
Scott

 

[Fancychooklady]

I'd no sooner eat guinea pig than I would rat.

 

[vehve]

check this out, http://www.streetdirectory.com/food..._pig_a_culinary_delicacy_by_rick_vecchio.html

sounded good to me!
Scott

That sounds pretty tasty. Although I was thinking more along the lines of marinating in BBQ sauce and slow cooking with indirect heat in the grill. Hmm, I might have to give this some serious thought. Just don't know if it's a good idea as long as the neighbors keep two of them as pets.

 

[vehve]

Fancy, guinea pigs have a lot more meat on them than rats do. And I've never kept rodents as pets, so I don't have that issue bothering me. Rats are more sympathetic pets in my opinion though, the guinea pigs just seem passive, and I find it a bit cruel to keep them in such small cages as people usually do. I actually have one fond memory of rats, there's a science center near Helsinki where we went when I was maybe 8 or 9. They had rats that where trained to play basketball. After their "match" I got to pet them, and one of them crawled up my sweater sleeve, and out through the collar. It was pretty cute.

This brings another story to mind. While Karin was still studying, they had a animal handling session with lab mice. One of her classmates, while handling them, was bit in the finger. This was followed by the Finnish equivalent of "Motherf***er!!!" being screamed and a mouse flying in a huge arch. Karin handled the bites a bit better.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Fancy, guinea pigs have a lot more meat on them than rats do. And I've never kept rodents as pets, so I don't have that issue bothering me. Rats are more sympathetic pets in my opinion though, the guinea pigs just seem passive, and I find it a bit cruel to keep them in such small cages as people usually do. I actually have one fond memory of rats, there's a science center near Helsinki where we went when I was maybe 8 or 9. They had rats that where trained to play basketball. After their "match" I got to pet them, and one of them crawled up my sweater sleeve, and out through the collar. It was pretty cute.

This brings another story to mind. While Karin was still studying, they had a animal handling session with lab mice. One of her classmates, while handling them, was bit in the finger. This was followed by the Finnish equivalent of "Motherf***er!!!" being screamed and a mouse flying in a huge arch. Karin handled the bites a bit better.

The rats around here out weigh any little guinea pig I've seen.

http://australianmuseum.net.au/Water-rat/

 

[vehve]

The rats around here out weigh any little guinea pig I've seen.

http://australianmuseum.net.au/Water-rat/

Somehow I think I'd rather eat the guinea pig anyway. Also, you eat ozzies eat Vegemite, so your tastebuds are questionable

Now it's time to watch the world cup.

 

[satay]

I did think that, but it's very final for a bird we have put a lot of work into keeping. Especially when they are supposed a large egg layer and I can't actually catch which of the two is doing it. I don't have the best track record at picking when it comes to two of the same breed (insert sold the wrong SLW pullet story!) I did do a bit of work in the coop this morning. I made a board to try keep some of the bedding in the lower three nests. Mostly the Rocks, but some of the others like a good scratch in there, relocating the straw to the coop floor. So I tried to remedy that with a new painted board/lip. I also cut some quick little curtains for two of the three lower boxes. I left small openings but hopefully they are private enough so who ever is in a nest can lay in peace. I am hoping that once the Rocks start to lay they calm down a bit (as well as we get eggs!) See how this works for now. If the curtains work, then I will get some nice machine sewn ones made. These are just stapled to the front. "So...whats going on in here then?" There was a line up of sticky beaks waiting for me to leave to inspect my work.

Looking good ben, You can get day olds sexed in qld it's a dollar a bird with 90% accuracy. I have never done it but know people who have.