Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[chippysmom327]

Woowee I'm tired. I was out doing chicken stuff for 2 hours today. I know that's nothing compared to what some of you guys do. We have 15 inches here. I measured today. I don't really know if that's an accurate though, I live on top of a really windy hill. Which makes things colder in winter.

Anyway. The wire divider came out of the coop today, since everyone can mingle peacefully with the newbies now. They even sleep on the same roost. I did a huge clean out and sprayed some organic cleaner I made for the coop that I found on Pinterest. It's pinned on my "Useful DIYs" board. The roosts, floors, shelf, etc. all got wiped down. The normal things got done too like new water and food.

In other news. Don't you just love it when your "friends" of 10 years hate you and then embarass you in public and be nothing but rude? Yeah me too! And it's not a little fight that will pass either. It's something I can never forgive. Especially when you don't have any other really close friends... So that's why I've been telling you guys all about my days for the last week or so.

Oh no. So sorry hon. Don't let it consume you. Give yourself time to cool off and forgive, then....move on. This world is chock full of fun, trustworthy people who know how to be kind and are deserving of your friendship. Invest yourself in people like that. Until then, hang with us, we all appreciate you...plus....we speak 'chicken'.

This is why I love you guys Thanks Blarney.

I forgot to say, I just started seeds e


I planted half of an egg carton of basil seeds. I figured it'd be nice to have a few basil plants in early spring to be able to harvest from. They need to grow *checks every hour for a sprout*. Just kidding. I'll water in a few days and check for sprouts in about a week.

Last year I diced and froze about 60 chive cubes. What a treat they have been all winter long.
We have three left. I am a believer and will be processing the whole bed this year. I will be
making frozen  cubes tof other herbs to. How convenient and fresh tasty.
 Best,
 Karen in Ligonier.

I'm going to make herb oils too!! I'll do everything. Dry and crush/add to feed, dry for cooking, freeze in cubes, etc. I can't wait!!!

Question.... how do you get the oils from the herbs?

http://www.humblebeeandme.com/make-your-own-herb-infused-oils/

There's a link.

 

[troyer]

It seems to feel like Spring is in the air.

 

[fisherlady]

I use an aerator in my small fish pond to keep the water from freezing. The stock tank heaters suck up so much electricity. So far, I only had to break a small dome of ice that formed over top during those sub-zero temps. I'm not sure if there is any way to incorporate them into your set-up. No additional heat or light by-products. Although, not sure if chickens enjoy moving water. Ducks/geese, on the other hand, love when they have access to their very own "bidet"!! : )

Gotta love the pic in your head of a duckie bidet!

I will mention a bubbler or aerator to DH and we will put our heads together for it... it may work in conjunction with the dog bowl, since the dog bowl only warms the water at the base where it is in contact with the water fount. It is frustrating.... we can send a man to the moon, and create robots to do surgery, but freezing water is still the bane of rural existence!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Had a 10 year old sleep over last night, and as is our practice, helping with chores this morning. Here's one I haven't heard before, 'I want to live on a farm when I grow up. I just don't want to have to go outside'. ahhhhh, yeah. Let me know how that works out for ya.



My Lily Love cheesing at me. We keep getting snow and they'll be able to step right over the fence.

OMG stop! I WILL NOT do goats I will not will not cannot.... sighhhhhh

I have plans to set up for rabbits this spring, nothing large scale, just enough for us and family and maybe sell a few...

well hubby surprised me today with plans of his own,,,,,this man wants to raise fish to eat, I better start some research, is this even a possibility, he insist it is............I never even had a goldfish let alone big fish.....but he does have a point, we eat fish atleast twice a week.... can you tell,,,I think he is nuts..

I think its a great idea if he will do the work, and why cant he do it seasonally if cost is not worthy to keep up in winter?

hello everyone....been hiding for a bit, been crazy busy with life....got to show you something...




This is my new baby...Anastazia.(pomeranian)..Ana is her call name. She is was 9 weeks old friday, we got her at 8wks. She is a spit fire!! AND>>>>
*****Katherine turned 1 on the 8th...

And to keep this all chicken worthy..we have been getting 3 eggs a day from 6 chickens...(1 is still too young & the other 2 are recouping from molting)..we also put or turkey & meat bird orders in for march & may...

..now all we need is some warmer weather to get that garden going and we are back in business!! Hope everyone is doing well..I have a ton of reading-catching up to do..1,000+ posts...Have a good one all!!

CUTENESS OVERLOAD!!! aweee

Quote: LOL

Quote:
LOL

Quote: AGREE!

It seems to feel like Spring is in the air.

U are kidding right>? you must have a heated sunroom!!! lol

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Quote: 1/2 hr to 45 minutes right down rt 30 to the Ligonier Creamery. I am the grouchy old lady behind the counter.

Creamery as in….Icecream??

Quote:
How about Ray from PA? or Chad Patrick? Both have some very dark eggs. We have been breeding more for show. Our eggs are dark, we tried to darken them more by adding an outside breeders line and ended up with birds with a bunch of DQs, which we couldn't show. So we sold those birds and are sticking to our own line. Perhaps this summer's breedings will be toward egg color only…kind of hard to gauge as the egg color changes throughout the laying cycle.

It seems to feel like Spring is in the air.

Not here yet…a lot colder out there than it looked this morning. I tend to take my first run out for watering and feed in just a t~shirt, usually works ok, this morning that was intolerable. We did find some spring though….it was at Longwood. The smell there was simply intoxicating.







Although just outside the Conservatory doors….winter was waiting:





Off to google 'bidet'.

 

[wingstone]

For Wing...

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/hydroponics-aquaponics/

will show this to hubby

Quote: will have to show him this also....

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Blarney it looks like a very cold beach!!!

 

[SilkieSensation]

Blarney, bidet=butt washer...lol

 

[wingstone]

on the aquaponics thing, folks here seem to be split, about half think it is not doable with weather conditions, and the other half seem to say go ahead let him take a stab at it...

his original plan was just for the fish, but doing all this research, it is now,,,well I would have to have pumps for the fish anyway, so why not pump the water to a grow bed.....not sure if everyone here helped or created something else..

 

[dheltzel]

on the aquaponics thing, folks here seem to be split, about half think it is not doable with weather conditions, and the other half seem to say go ahead let him take a stab at it...

his original plan was just for the fish, but doing all this research, it is now,,,well I would have to have pumps for the fish anyway, so why not pump the water to a grow bed.....not sure if everyone here helped or created something else..

Let him give it a shot. If it doesn't work out, it could be an awesome duck pond!

Has he kept fish before? It can be a rather enjoyable pastime, much like chickens. Some fish become quite tame and even recognize people (still like chickens). I don't think I could bring myself to eat a fish I'd raised. I think it'd be a lot easier to eat a mean rooster than a fish. I guess if the fish attacked me . . .