Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[wingstone]

Hopped on earlier to try to catch up, we spent most of the day working on firewood. Saw wing's post about dinner so snapped a picture before we ate. We had chicken with potatoes, broccoli and biscuits. You gotta love a crock pot when you can't be in the kitchen!

Yum,yum, yum...

I gave up diets, I like food to much.

 

[hendricks115]

we actually do have a cabbage slicer, it's the massaging the juices out of the cabbage that killed my hands and wrists lol. We make 200 # for us, family and any friends that want some. We have 2 quarts left over from last years batch lol

We got one slicer from family and then found a second at a yard sale. We live near a store run by Amish and I bought one of the cabbage pounders 2 years ago. Saves time and pain! We do the same, some for us, family and friends. I bought a small 3 gallon crock last year and we made some spicy kraut that is delicious on hot dogs.

 

[BullChick]

Quote: I ever show you my double rabbit hutch? Also my 2 crappy-yet-functional coops? Problems solved in one day. Quail and rabbit housing.

Hopped on earlier to try to catch up, we spent most of the day working on firewood. Saw wing's post about dinner so snapped a picture before we ate. We had chicken with potatoes, broccoli and biscuits. You gotta love a crock pot when you can't be in the kitchen!

Yup! Crock pots are the best! I like them for when DH is home/coming home and I don't know when meal time is. Last month we jumped on the bike to headed for Clearfield, and ended up in Altoona (after going through Patton). A 2 hour trip lasted 10, and dinner was ready when we got home!

 

[fisherlady]

Yup! Crock pots are the best! I like them for when DH is home/coming home and I don't know when meal time is. Last month we jumped on the bike to headed for Clearfield, and ended up in Altoona (after going through Patton). A 2 hour trip lasted 10, and dinner was ready when we got home!

Yep... I should use mine more often. Usually think of it too late, but after the way the chicken turned out tonight I may have to remind myself more often! LOL
Now if I could just figure out how to make fresh biscuits in a crock pot!

 

[fisherlady]

http://complete-health-and-happiness.com/chicken-farm-uses-oregano-oil-instead-antibiotics/?t=mam

Oregano and cinnamon in place of antibiotics, has anyone tried this approach, what happened? Premarinated if nothing else....

And what would these two things do.

I will have to check in on this... I know there are a ton of 'alternative' treatments. Seems like the more we advance the more we learn we were doing it right before all of the advances!

Give me lead time on the rabbits

31 day gestation and ready to leave at 8 weeks, so I need three months notice when you are ready to start.

So nice to see you being 'neighborly'! LOL

Good afternoon all:

Here's the latest on my young'in...looks like he's going to have some baring and that white dot indicates a 'boy'....if it is a boy, I'll be looking to re-home him in the spring..he's from a a CCL over and Olive egger combo...pm me if you're interested



One the food front, my neighbor gave me a pheasant and four trout.....looks like good eating for a while and this was today's project...lazagna...

Your little guy looks a lot like some of our crosses, though for a single comb it doesn't extend too far up along the head like many of our boys do at that size. They do turn into some beautiful roosters though! The lasagna looks awesome! I haven't made any in ages, but with cool weather back it may be time to fire up the stove to warm up the house.

Hello from your neighbor right off of County Line Road!

Chicken pics, the new girl and the fox injured hen with her new feathers growing in.

Your new girl is a beauty and I am so glad your other hen is recovering well! It's great to hear a happy ending!

Since someone mentioned food, I have to share our adventure. Today we shredded and packed 200 lbs of cabbage for sauerkraut. I'm exhausted and my hands are KILLING me lol. The good news is its done for and we'll just have to can it in 7 weeks.

DH's brother does a major kraut run, scheduled in early November so it can set until the week after Christmas and get packed in time for the New Year's get together. We have done 200-250 lbs at a time but there are a number of us working at it so it doesn't seem as hard. The pounding sure gets tiring.

beautiful!!!! you take such nice pictures

absolutely! Sorry you were having a bad day Blarney, but sure glad you shared the beautiful picture!

Many of you do not process as I do, but for anyone wanting to here is a very easy to follow video of process hogs in your own backyard......emphasis is on the how to cut it up part... mine never quite looks like these cuts, so this video really taught me a few things..

http://anatomyofthrift.com/

Worth saving if you ever plan on doing your own.

Thanks! DH would like to get pigs... but we don't have the room till we buy a new place. One of these days we will have them though, and he wants to learn to process them.

Yum,yum, yum...

I gave up diets, I like food to much.

I decided to get an exercise bike to help offset the good food. I am doing 13 miles at a time now, 4 or 5x a week. Using 10lb arm weights at the same time to keep the upper body involved. It isn't going to be a miracle fix but I do notice a difference.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

My recipe includes a baseball bat and clean rock. I've used a (clean) 2x4, to "massage".

We got one slicer from family and then found a second at a yard sale. We live near a store run by Amish and I bought one of the cabbage pounders 2 years ago. Saves time and pain! We do the same, some for us, family and friends. I bought a small 3 gallon crock last year and we made some spicy kraut that is delicious on hot dogs.

I was joking with hubby that I wouldn't mind sanitizing my feet and just treading the cabbage like grapes for wine lol but I'm not sure how anyone would feel about eating it if I did that! We fill up one of those brute cans with ours to ferment. Seems to work pretty well. Last year was the first time we did a large batch and got so many compliments on it that we decided we have to do it every year for everyone. We are the odd balls of the family, always experimenting and trying new things. Everyone thinks we're nuts until we share something awesome with them lol

 

[sharron]

we actually do have a cabbage slicer, it's the massaging the juices out of the cabbage that killed my hands and wrists lol. We make 200 # for us, family and any friends that want some. We have 2 quarts left over from last years batch lol

mil used to stomp it with a wooden kraut stomper, or we took turns i should say, she always put a plate on top of the kraut after stomping with a limestone rock to keep the kraut under the juice

 

[BullChick]

Wing, don't go anywhere! I am going to PM you!

 

[AnneInTheBurbs]

Your cochin hen looks exactly like one of ours that I hatched from eggs from wing. Her Birchen roo was really active in that pen.

We also have a hen that looks like this but gold instead of silver.

Pics of it didn't happen!

A little weird to be excited but I am anyway. We caught our buff orpington rooster getting a piggy back ride (that is how we explain it to our 4 year old) from one of the buff hens today. They hatched in spring so I've been hoping for a good breeding pair. Hubby won't let me set eggs again until next spring and I can't wait!! 

Piggy back ride! Love it! Good luck on your little babies in the spring!

Many of you do not process as I do, but for anyone wanting to here is a very easy to follow video of process hogs in your own backyard......emphasis is on the how to cut it up part... mine never quite looks like these cuts, so this video really taught me a few things..

http://anatomyofthrift.com/

Worth saving if you ever plan on doing your own.

Thanks wing, I may never do this, but I love information in case I ever want to venture into it!

Thank you so much guys!!..oh,  and gals.. ...this is fantastic info....great to know that we don't have to build another coop for little birds..hahaha..it is nice to be able to use what we already have. We are planning the rabbits to be outside and the eventual quail. They will be protected from elements and predators!! 
Another question on the quail..see what i mean?!>..DH has some questions......are they noisy?...i know you like your conversations with them*Wing, but other than that....and yet another question...hahaha , what do they eat?...i should ask..what do you feed them?.....thank you  again for any & all information...
this is interesting....i really do not need any encouragement when it comes to having animals in the yard...really.., I have a feeling an intervention is brewing... ...

What's an intervention?

 

[LittleMissPurdy]

I ever show you my double rabbit hutch? Also my 2 crappy-yet-functional coops? Problems solved in one day. Quail and rabbit housing.


Yup! Crock pots are the best! I like them for when DH is home/coming home and I don't know when meal time is. Last month we jumped on the bike to headed for Clearfield, and ended up in Altoona (after going through Patton). A 2 hour trip lasted 10, and dinner was ready when we got home!

you have a rabbit hutch..girl..you have been holding out on me..

...take a pic please...pretty please...
I have seen the coops...at least the ones that you have shone me..

..

Attila at her most dashing!
She just prettier by the day..geesh..this poor girl!!



Since we are throwing food pics around..and making me very hungry!!

Barberry jam! The first time to make any jam/jelly...My dad gave me a book on edible plants of PA...we have these bushes, very indigenous to PA(this area)...after many years-finally did it!!
Is anyone else familiar with this bush?...is it okay for chickens to have a go at the berries too?..I know people have to be "careful" as to how much they are consuming, it can/could cause some digestive issues...everyone is different though as to how they handle foods/herbs and such.