Surviving Minnesota!

[Cebarmlds]

What was the name of that honey again? I want to look it up and (although you may make me go back to find it) I don't want to read backwards to find it.

Manuka Honey, it comes from New Zealand.

 

[duluthralphie]

Manuka Honey, it comes from New Zealand.

I am only going to support American Bees!

 

[I Love Layers]

There is a vape bust going on right now at school and it's hilarious all of the kids who deal or use are freaking out

 

[MinnesotaNice]

http://s35.photobucket.com/user/destiny_56085/media/20170201_130412_zpsghxoq0cc.mp4.html?o=0

I'm not totally up on all this online stuff... posting videos to this site doesn't seem to work for me. Those dang birds are driving me nuts!

I was able to pull this link up. Can you, ummmm, dispose of them with a, ummmm, firearm?

No. It's quite the process to purify it down. And for $2.37 at my local hardware store, I don't really have that hard of feelings about buying it. Although, I get what you're saying probably...just sourcing your own stuff--really homesteading everything. That would be pretty cool to do some day when I don't have teenagers and my time is my own again. I'll probably do tallow from venison with that soap too. Make it really up north hill-billy.


x2

Something happening with my chest and a cough but no plugged or runny nose. I'm dousing myself in thieves, chicken dumplings, and did the hot brandy last night. Put me to sleep so fast I woke up at Midnight upright, neck sore with a cold 1/2 cup of brandy water lemon and raw honey. I'm getting cheaper by the month, apparently.

Makes sense. I plan on buying it once I get over my fear of chemical burns. I was reading up on the ash method and how they condense it down to lye. The big issue was they never knew how much to use or what the potency was. I'd probably blow up the house or something.

I did find a lye free honey soap recipe. I really need to put my big girl pants on and stop being a sally.

I do Whiskey, honey, lemon. I was never a Brandy fan. I know some people mix in hot tea, too. What's that called? A Hot Toddy? By my third or fifth one, I don't even know I'm sick.

Here is a thread with probably 'too much' information and thought on lights on birds. But things that definitely should make you think.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/414015/to-use-lights-or-not-to-use-lights/20

I always go back and forth with this. I didn't supplement lighting last year. This year I did because we've been eating a lot more eggs. I do agree with the health benefits of letting them have their natural cycle, however. I guess I'm just being selfish this year. GIMME THOSE EGGS! Lol

 

[lvie]

Here is a thread with probably 'too much' information and thought on lights on birds. But things that definitely should make you think.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/414015/to-use-lights-or-not-to-use-lights/20

Pretty good thread too BC!. I am glad I turned off the overhead lights. I know now why I should invest in the wall-panel heat vs the heat lamps.

 

[memphis]

I don't light my coops either. Sort of like giving the girls a natural winter break.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

There's some good arguments for both sides in that thread. That's why I don't push the envelope on others that want to use lights. Some of it is probably froo-fa-la, but I like thinkers.
I totally get it! Finding eggs is the best! LOL.
I HATE HATE losing birds or feeding birds that are not laying or spent at a year and a half. And I think I am one to say that I don't want to pay for extra lighting. I'm sure I fall in that category as a matter of fact. But I use the excuse that it's for my birds...which it is too.
I think people find their groove like these folks have and whatever works for them is okay.

Sorry to hear about the Vapor smoker bust Layers, at your school. We just had our little old lady at the Motel get busted for 2 Felony Counts of Narcotic possession last Saturday. One is 2nd degree and the other is 5th....? I think? Ralphie probably knows what those mean. I wonder if Jerry's Wicked Witch SIL had special brownies with her? LOL. I doubt she'd do that, but goes to show that you don't always know people.

MinnesotaNice You crack me up. I wish you lived closer. We'd make some soap. I don't know about honey soap. But I will tell you that adding it or goats' milk drives up the temperature of the soap during the chemical reaction (saponification) The sugars do that. It gets so warm that it melts again (goes through gel phase). Not so bad as it brightens colors if you use them....but the heat scares the crap out of me TBH. LOL. See? I'm a scaredy cat too.

 

[I Love Layers]

Don't be sorry BC

it's hilarious since these kids have been caught before and gotten in trouble and told the next time there will be real trouble

 

[duluthralphie]

!) I plan to make lye, but I have planned on it for a few years. I have the huge pile of wood ash from my brush pile to use. I have plastic barrels and pails for it.

We will see if I ever do it.



2) I have lights on. I think the money is a cop-out BC. The new LED lights are cheap to run. I understand not wanting to run the hens out. I have done both. I want the eggs for early birds now. I have freeloaders that are most likely run out and enjoy sitting in nest boxes. I let them and even comment to them about their freeloading status.



3) And EJB take note: The appletinis gave me their first egg today! it was huge for such little birds and a pullet egg. I think it is the same size as the Polish eggs which are not bad sized. A small medium is my guess. I did not weigh it. yet.


4) I need to make more rollaway nests. The SS need to come out of their pen. I might put the Whites in that pen. The SS are coming inside.


5) I might be moving the guineas to the whites pen and coop. The roosters in with the Guineas may be heading to freezer camp. Which would leave me the guinea gulag for some other birds....IDK yet..



6) Layers, Chickens are way safer than vaping.

 

[MinnesotaNice]

There's some good arguments for both sides in that thread. That's why I don't push the envelope on others that want to use lights. Some of it is probably froo-fa-la, but I like thinkers.
I totally get it! Finding eggs is the best! LOL.
I HATE HATE losing birds or feeding birds that are not laying or spent at a year and a half. And I think I am one to say that I don't want to pay for extra lighting. I'm sure I fall in that category as a matter of fact. But I use the excuse that it's for my birds...which it is too.
I think people find their groove like these folks have and whatever works for them is okay.

Sorry to hear about the Vapor smoker bust Layers, at your school. We just had our little old lady at the Motel get busted for 2 Felony Counts of Narcotic possession last Saturday. One is 2nd degree and the other is 5th....? I think? Ralphie probably knows what those mean. I wonder if Jerry's Wicked Witch SIL had special brownies with her? LOL. I doubt she'd do that, but goes to show that you don't always know people.

MinnesotaNice You crack me up. I wish you lived closer. We'd make some soap. I don't know about honey soap. But I will tell you that adding it or goats' milk drives up the temperature of the soap during the chemical reaction (saponification) The sugars do that. It gets so warm that it melts again (goes through gel phase). Not so bad as it brightens colors if you use them....but the heat scares the crap out of me TBH. LOL. See? I'm a scaredy cat too.

Out of 22 layers, I'm still only getting 12 eggs per day. Sometimes a few more, sometimes a few less. I expect to at least get 30 eggs everyday! Is that called egg math? My lights turn on at 6:30a and are off at 8....I think. I need to double check that later. Make sure they're not extending happy hour out in the coop. But I have to tell ya, the ladies don't even care about the lights. They're still on the roosts tucking one another in for bed at 5pm sharp.

I think the honey and goats milk soap are naturally a bit softer, right? I should probably buy a goat next.