Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[sharron]

Do you like pesto? You could make a really simple pesto with basil, garlic ( lots of cloves), parmesan cheese and either pine nuts or walnuts. Place everything in a food processor with oil and there you go!. It freezes well and you could put it in ice cube trays for portioning

i forgot to ask, just what do you eat the pesto with ? i've heard of pesto but don't know what it goes with lol

 

[beaglady]

i forgot to ask, just what do you eat the pesto with ? i've heard of pesto but don't know what it goes with lol

The most traditional use is as a pasta sauce, in place of tomato-based sauce. It's also very good spread on chicken breasts before you bake them, tossed with steamed veggies, and added to pasta salad.

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

The females are much larger and the males have a frightened, but determined, look in their face . . .

that is funny!

....
I did think that they were sexed by their color & size...I have seen green & brown ones(green-females/brown-males)....am I way off on this thinking?...

Well, my technique is usually yelling at hubby to get off his butt and keep the assembly (or disassembly in this case) line moving.....he hangs, scalds and plucks, and then puts them in a cooler or ice water...I hate when I open the cooler and it is empty while he is sitting on a bucket watching me.

hahaha...just picturing this...hahaha

LOL... I am picturing this!

Our process is usually both catch, hang and cut.... then prewash (not always a needed step) and scald and pluck the first 3 or 4 which go into the chill water... then DH continues with the catching and dispatching while I start the butchering/cleaning/gutting/cutting up. When he gets done with whatever number we are doing for the day he goes into clean up mode while I continue with the butchering. He usually has all of the clean up and putting away done about the time that I am almost done with the gutting and quartering. He then helps with the rest of the cutting up and storage arrangements. We aren't super speedy, but we can get it done pretty efficiently now after having done it so many times.

You have got that system down!! Team work, when everyone does their part, it is amazing how quickly/efficiently things get done!! So nice to hear when other couples can enjoy their projects together!

DH & I work very well together, especially when he listens

....I know we only have a couple birds to process this year, but we are excited about learning this new process together. Next year I expect our CornishX numbers will increase!

We both hunt/fish, so being involved in the processing of animals is not new, but neither of us have the "chicken experience"...DH has done many duck/goose, so that knowledge will be helpful.


**Blarney- The Cornish will be 8 weeks this Friday...going to weigh them Thursday. Depending on where they are at, we may give them another week. Oh, yeah...the whole "smell" thing I will not miss. I rake their area out every week, add sod & or grass clippings as bedding, that has helped considerably..cannot imagine what it would be like if I didn't..

....
The heat does make them a bit more uncomfortable, we have a tarp over their area most of the time now...
As far as the turkey goes...I agree it is most likely calling for Hen-Bree, she was totally DONE with the mom thing...but that turkey was not ready for her to go. The two meats have absolutely -interest in turkey, sometimes they will lay together, but mostly they ignore it.
As i see- The peeping is the only draw back from having Hen-Bree raise them...I would do it again that way in a heart beat!! She did all the work, no heat lamp..no chicks in the house- very,very nice!!

 

[tpolinsk]

Hi Sharron, I use pesto sauce with tortellini or gnocchi because they are heavier pastas. The light, fresh pesto sauces compliment them well, but you could use pesto in other dishes as well. My favorite recipe is from Fabio Viviani and is: 3-4 cups packed basil leaves, 2 cups extra virgin olive oil, 1 cup pine nuts (or walnuts could be subbed), 5 cloves garlic (I hope you like garlic), salt, pepper, 1 and 1/2 cups romano or parmesan cheese. Combine all but the cheese in a food processor until mixed but still chunky. Add the cheese and pulse til combined (maybe two or three short pulses). Again the sauce can be frozen. Try it! It is a great way to get rid of all that basil. I envy you. I have terrible luck with basil.

I have a small pot of basil on the deck now that has been ok but I never get enough to make pesto.

But that is what the farmer's market is for.

 

[fisherlady]

Well this hatch rate was terrible for the 2 broodies. 5 chicks from 24 eggs with two still not pipped and probably not going to. A lot of infertile eggs (I pulled 10 clears) and the rest quitters, probably from porous shells. The leghorn breeder said it would be iffy on his dozen because it was so late in his breeding season and he had changed his feed...but the other breeder is the one with the porous shells so I need to talk to him to see if it has been an ongoing problem for his birds or if I got a bad batch.
Of course the hens don't care... and the good news is that the little crushed chick went from the egg ICU...

To feeling extra special because she's got 2 moms!

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

I love the second picture!! Yay for no more chick ICU

 

[wingstone]

Well this hatch rate was terrible for the 2 broodies. 5 chicks from 24 eggs with two still not pipped and probably not going to. A lot of infertile eggs (I pulled 10 clears) and the rest quitters, probably from porous shells. The leghorn breeder said it would be iffy on his dozen because it was so late in his breeding season and he had changed his feed...but the other breeder is the one with the porous shells so I need to talk to him to see if it has been an ongoing problem for his birds or if I got a bad batch.
Of course the hens don't care... and the good news is that the little crushed chick went from the egg ICU...

To feeling extra special because she's got 2 moms!

I have not checked yet today
I stopped last night and the hen had one turkey chick and was out of the nest box and on the floor with it, I could will hear more peeping, so I expect to find more.

I had split up the eggs and gave each broody only a couple.

 

[LisaYolkUm]

Stake----new grow out pen looks good! I am wondering if you are planning on putting a back door ?

How many coops do you have at this point?

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

if you were closer i could give you all the basil you wanted or needed, i planted a row thinking they wouldn't all come up, WRONG, they all came up, i have basil plants coming out my ears, i gave alot of plants away and still have a bunch to go.
anyone have any good basil recipes, that very low on sugar?

oh boy..i wish you were closer too!!
This time of year there is always *Caprese salad: *Tomatoes/*basil/*mozzarella... slice tomatoes, slice mozzarella, julieann the basil & sprinkle on top of the cheese & tomatoes... that's it!! Some people will add pasta, and "other" favorite veggies..even a sprinkling of Balsamic! But the real Caprese is just Mozz/basil/toms. I eat a lot of this when the tomatoes start to come in!!

hahhaa
Can keep things very easy/light...saute' onions/garlic in olive oil & a pad of butter(can be omitted)...cook some pasta, add to the sauteed mixture in the pan...toss till heated through again, add fresh herbs(basil), whatever you have and like, then sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese!! You can turn this into a main dish by adding your favorite veggies, even meat..whatever floats your boat!!

I like to keep veggies aldente..and cherry/grape tomatoes till just heated through.
Just like everyone said..pesto is great too!! It could be added to the pasta/veggie dish, add to your taste preference. Some people are sensitive to garlic, but the strength of the pesto is muted just a little by heating it.
Pesto can be mixed with cream cheese and stuffed into just about anything!! It is soooo good!! Just heat/cook till browned on top and melty/hot inside.
Hope some of this helps you out Sharron!!

Hi all:

too many post to respond to ....

here's my latest project...a new grow out coop.(winter hardy)

its a pallet crate construction....40"x48" still needs trim, paint, and shingles

Great looking coop Stake!! I also really like the floor...makes for easy clean-up! Great use of pallets/crates

 

[LisaYolkUm]

Okay-----I am going away for a week long vacation and have a friend who will be taking care of my chickens and cats

My question is :

recently the chickens have had lots of free ranging opportunities and when I a run they are in a bigger run that has less secure fencing.

While away they will need to be in a smaller run that is more secure.

I don't want my friend to have to round up chickens that have wandered out.............I want it easy for her...........as easy as possible.

So the question is..........should I ease my chickens into staying in the small run gradually .............they will not like it as they have been spoiled recently

or shall I continue to give them their freedom?

will it be like culture shock?

Its only a week and they will have the usual food and water and all day out in a run?

can you tell they are spoiled and have a caring human mom!