Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Now there's a great photo. I love the one chicken with his foot on the bridge, waiting to see if he makes it first.....

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

I've thought about using the brains, but nixed it when I polled people and worries were mostly about encephalolits....and then, the added work of getting it all out - with out nicking myself and giving any pathogens entry, then smoking it to tan...decided alum would be the better alternative...ESP when I could buy a case wholesale from my local pharmacist. There is a chemical that used to be available....can't remember the name...chromium? But banned from public use. (Fine that it is still used in bulk commercially) I've done a few hides, and made mocasins from one, which the puppies found and loved, by the way. Rugs from the other. I have yet to do my sil first deer hide, but its cured and in storage. (He did start it, cleaning and scraping the hide, but I let him use time as a way out of finishing it) I've found almost, but not quite frozen hides so much easier to remove the inner membrane and tissue. My mocassins weren't waterproof, but pleasantly enough, stayed supple after getting wet and drying. I've done a few squirrels...tasty crittrs, and they are currently 'running' up the support log in the middle of the cabin....along with the coon that made himself a real nusance one summer. To me the hard part is working the oil into the hide...i have a plan with a better frame using a woodle canoe paddle...hope its easier.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

FIVE

FIVE.......Today We Laid FIVE Eggs

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Today we laid 3!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Not intended to start a political debate. I just like the picture.

Love the picture!

 

[cheeka]

OK, I love that picture too! fabulous shot... could have lots of captions... W4W will probably come up with the best one, she's quite good at that, over on the "What's this chicken thinking" thread, one night, she was on a roll... I literally had tears rolling down my face, laughing so hard.

ACW, I thought about the possibility of brain disease, all of the deer I've had the pleasure of thanking for it's sacrifice is selected for it's "healthy appearance" and get processed immediately. I'm reasonable confident now that my handling is safe. I have a dedicated pot for the simmering, and it's heavily bleached after use, and stored for the year. BH has a pot that he's boiled literally hundreds maybe thousands of brains over the 40 years of hunting, and the 30 years as a professional taxidermist ~ he cooked a chili in it last winter. I coulda hurled. I would not eat it, regardless of his assurance that it was clean. I like alum, it works, but I like it better for jam, and I just cannot let any part of the animal that can be used, go to waste.

jchny ~ make ham steaks. slice them about half inch thick... they stack nice, and go perfectly with eggs! I love ham steak, much easier to prepare than a big ole hunk of ham. you still have the same storage issue with space, but they can be slid into gaps

and

for the Pug, Ruby says

we had a black lab/beagle mix when I was really little. I liked cats. I told everyone that when I grew up, I would be a cat lady... with like 100 cats...

but by the time I was 12 or so, my Mom started looking for a Boston Bull Terrier, as she had one when she was growing up. Sadly, in the 70's, that breed had reached a level of popularity that resulted in over-breeding. and these little dogs could jump 5' high and nip, they were nuts... so my Mom decided we would get a Pug. I had no idea what it was, thought it sounded like more like a pig... curly tail, flat face, snoring, grunting, snuffling... who would want that??? then the puppy arrived................. I still like cats, but I was hooked so deep in love with that tiny puppy, totally the cutest thing I had ever seen. I have had a Pug ever since. I went some 15 years without cats, but never without my Pug... I am not crazy about all the designer Pug mixes. some of them are quite cute, like the Bug, Brugg, Chug, Puggles.... but a lot of them are weird looking. google Pug designer breeds to see some photos of all the kooky mixes and their funny names!...I like the Original the best. and I prefer the fawn.

anyway, I got FIVE fabulous eggs, and Peach tried, sat on the nest for a while, I checked her out, she seems fine... I put her on the roost about an hour past dark, and she's still up there. I'll check her out more thoroughly in the morning.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

OK, I love that picture too! fabulous shot... could have lots of captions... W4W will probably come up with the best one, she's quite good at that, over on the "What's this chicken thinking" thread, one night, she was on a roll... I literally had tears rolling down my face, laughing so hard.

ACW, I thought about the possibility of brain disease, all of the deer I've had the pleasure of thanking for it's sacrifice is selected for it's "healthy appearance" and get processed immediately. I'm reasonable confident now that my handling is safe. I have a dedicated pot for the simmering, and it's heavily bleached after use, and stored for the year. BH has a pot that he's boiled literally hundreds maybe thousands of brains over the 40 years of hunting, and the 30 years as a professional taxidermist ~ he cooked a chili in it last winter. I coulda hurled. I would not eat it, regardless of his assurance that it was clean. I like alum, it works, but I like it better for jam, and I just cannot let any part of the animal that can be used, go to waste.

jchny ~ make ham steaks. slice them about half inch thick... they stack nice, and go perfectly with eggs! I love ham steak, much easier to prepare than a big ole hunk of ham. you still have the same storage issue with space, but they can be slid into gaps

and

for the Pug, Ruby says

we had a black lab/beagle mix when I was really little. I liked cats. I told everyone that when I grew up, I would be a cat lady... with like 100 cats...

but by the time I was 12 or so, my Mom started looking for a Boston Bull Terrier, as she had one when she was growing up. Sadly, in the 70's, that breed had reached a level of popularity that resulted in over-breeding. and these little dogs could jump 5' high and nip, they were nuts... so my Mom decided we would get a Pug. I had no idea what it was, thought it sounded like more like a pig... curly tail, flat face, snoring, grunting, snuffling... who would want that??? then the puppy arrived................. I still like cats, but I was hooked so deep in love with that tiny puppy, totally the cutest thing I had ever seen. I have had a Pug ever since. I went some 15 years without cats, but never without my Pug... I am not crazy about all the designer Pug mixes. some of them are quite cute, like the Bug, Brugg, Chug, Puggles.... but a lot of them are weird looking. google Pug designer breeds to see some photos of all the kooky mixes and their funny names!...I like the Original the best. and I prefer the fawn.

anyway, I got FIVE fabulous eggs, and Peach tried, sat on the nest for a while, I checked her out, she seems fine... I put her on the roost about an hour past dark, and she's still up there. I'll check her out more thoroughly in the morning.

Oh very good idea! Yum, steaks! Do you have a bone saw, or use something else? love Sadie to death, I usually don't like small dogs but she is just a dollbaby. She is a Chug,

pug and Chihuahua, A friends daughter got her, then just left her caged all the time. When I heard about her, I snatched her out of there fast, the girl just didn't want her.. I used to always have a cat, but when my little 17 year old smokey girl passed last year It just broke my heart. I do have the stray barn cats here that turn up but with moms health as it is now, I figure a house cat is something I need to wait on. Yay for 5 eggs!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

PO just called

back with pics if the camera will work soon!!!!!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Horrible picture, so sorry....but even with the snow and wind they are home safe and warm

Maybe Santa will bring me a new camera

I noticed one seems a little weak. going to watch that one close. Their first meal was Grogel, and they have FF started and waiting for the next meal.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Yay jchny! The chicks are here!! More cuteness to enjoy! Congrats. Watch the weak one carefully, it might need help getting enough food and water. When I got my Welsummer chick that was not expected to survive, I did a lot of research and tried the idea of giving her a little sugar water, which I did several times a day for 3 days until she quit falling over and was interested in the food. It might be good to try sav-a-chick in water if you have any. I really like my black Australorp. Such beautiful feathers, iridescent in the sun, and a nice plump shape. I think you will be very happy with them.

I have been checking in here, but have been super busy and am still behind with everything I need to do. Hope everyone is well and keeping warm. We are expecting 3 days of rain, and supposed to be windy on Sun as well. Hope the power stays on!!

The chickens are going to get a serious case of cabin fever (coop fever) in the next few days. Gimpy Belle is doing marginally better with her torn ACL. Spending a lot of time in the house, but I've noticed her testing the leg and putting a bit of weight on it, so some progress. We've always had big dogs. Scooter (stray poodle mix?) is the smallest dog I've had, and he's so much more convenient, easier to bathe, takes up less space, eats less. But I'm not crazy about the small dog energy and piercing yappy bark. I like big loafer dogs!

Ah, a break in the rain. Going to check for eggs and see if the mob wants out for a while. Talk later....