The 5th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[Kismet]

Bees are also on my to do list. There is a woman not far from me that does bees and she will "rent" a space on your property to place her bees and in return you get honey. I think we may do that this year and next year get our own bees.

I don't know what part of NH you are in, but we have very active clubs all around. Make sure you check out the NH Beekeepers website and find an area club to join. Take one of the courses offered. It has been a tough winter for bees here - too cold for them to break cluster to find food right next to themselves, so they starve. Beekeeping is very rewarding, but the learning curve is high. I am a fellow beekeeper.

http://nhbeekeepers.org

 

[Happy Chooks]

Now I know why there is a fresh covering of snow outside....

.......thanks Mike!

Welcome Mary!

Last night I wiggle check egg B. and it DID WIGGLE !!!! SO, now I have 2 emu's alive in their shell. Lets just hope and pray the third guy makes it as well. that would be amazing 100% fertility!

We don't have a maple syrup evaporation pan we use regular large pots so Im not sure what the time difference would be to do it "correctly". But for us using the largest pots we have in the house it takes roughly 7 hours to boil down 6gallons of sap that is from start to finish, including bottling the syrup and clean up. 6 gallons of sap gives us roughly 20oz of syrup give or take a few oz.


We are very new at syrup making, we have only done 2 batches so far. This weekend will be batch 3.

Very cool, thanks for sharing!

This will be my first year in this but im gonna give it a go... I got chicks bout to come out bator just in time for me to start up a fresh batch

Welcome!

A man and his ladies Hunkered down to keep warm last week in the single digits, DH sent this to my cell today he forgot he took it!
I love it!

Fantastic picture!

Now my news!!!
Snoodle laid me an egg!!!!!
(pics on my thread)

Also, I got some Cochin chicks today!
I'm hoping for at least one smooth cockerel (to put with Snoodle) and I'm hoping for a breeding pair to be able to give to DS. =D
(pics of these on my thread too)
My DH is the absolute best ever!!!!!

Good job Snoodle and DH!

Quote: Nice to see everyone! I love my Chillin' With my Peeps tank top, it's super comfy. I'll get around to changing mine and join the "club".

Ok strange question I know, but does anyone know what kind of grass grows best on clay soil? We have been working for years to try to get grass to grow in our yard. Oh, also, it is mostly shadded in the summer. Sorry but I am just totally frustrated with no grass and all mud!

Fescue and Bermuda grow well on clay soil. Most people don't like Burmuda though.

Okay, I'm in since Easter is late enough that the chicks may have bare ground by the time they're able to go outside......

......I just hope some of the girls will decide that going broody is a good idea of an April Fool's joke so I can move eggs from the 'bator and let them do the tough part of it!

Not changing the avatar.......but here is a pic.......BYC shirt and cutest granddaughter in the whole world......

Yay, glad you are joining us Mary!

I guess I will join

Welcome!

Hello everyone, I'm new here but am *IN* on the Hatch-a-long... Sounds like the most fun and my incubators are due to hatch next week so will be right on time for the set date..

Great! Welcome!

For those who we're asking: I sampled the wine fridge/cheese cave cheddar last night. I think it came out pretty good!




Now I can have my hygrometer back for incubating! Lol

Oh yummy, I'm coming over. I'll bring the wine.

MMMMM yum.


I had croissants dipped in home made pure maple syrup

YUM! Dang, I need to go have breakfast now.

I am very tempted to spend my day "window Shopping" TCS and the other local feed stores, just to look at the cute chickies.

Anyone else think that might be a bad idea.

Window shopping at TSC, is that even possible?

Nothing like real maple syrup! Definitely on my learn to do homesteading list. And bees. So many projects, so little time. Lol

I have bees. I'm still learning, but at least I kept them alive this year. (Lost my hive last year) This will be our first year with them pollinating our fruit trees, and hopefully our first year of getting some honey. Not much ability to do maple syrup in CA.

Here is one of my ladies:

 

[Cynthia12]

 

[Cynthia12]

Hello everyone, I'm new here but am *IN* on the Hatch-a-long... Sounds like the most fun and my incubators are due to hatch next week so will be right on time for the set date..

AND TO OUR GROUP, YOU ARE RIGHT, IT IS FUN, AND INFORMATIVE FOR SURE. THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS THAT KNOW THEIR STUFF ON HERE WHEN IT COMES TO HATCHING.

 

[Cynthia12]

I need to get my second incubator(hatcher) set back up. I have eggs going into lockdown tomorrow YAY

I have some that went into lock down this morning! Some NN's and OE's, and others...

 

[mlm Mike]

The participant list is up to date to post 1773. If i missed you please let me know.

 

[ronott1]

I have some that went into lock down this morning! Some NN's and OE's, and others...

I have 5 UofA blues out this morning. One of the UofA X Crele Pene Olive Eggers is nearly out.

I have two Black, one blue and two Splash so far.

Genetically, I should wind up with less splash. I have a Blue cockerel covering two Splash and Two blue pullets.

I will get pictures when I can.

 

[Cynthia12]

This cheese was a raw cow's milk cheddar (aged 2 months) I made at a workshop my goat club hosted. Can't wait til my does kid in a few weeks so I can try it again with our own fresh goats milk! Hope I remember the steps. Lol

It sure looks good. 2 months to age? Was it hard waiting? Did you make more than the one? Looks waay yummy!

 

[TeaChick]

I also have her brother "Mudd"

Nice!!! I got some Cochin chicks yesterday (they're super tiny; I think they're bantams); I'm hoping for a smooth roo for Snoodle to mate with. =D

I have a frizzle roo. He is just a barnyard mix guy. But I love the look of the feathers. Lol my dad thinks he is ugly.. I don't.

But he's cute ugly, not ugly ugly. Like what some ppl would call "ugly", but in a way that he has character in his appearance.
I like him!!!

 

[TeaChick]

I hope I can get some more frizzles. I love their look!

You know to be careful mating them, right?
Mating frizzle over frizzle will give you a frazzle; to get more frizzles, you need frizzle over smooth or smooth over frizzle.

I love frizzles, and I seem to collect roosters lol
here are two more of my boys
"Ben franklin":


and Ben's son "Buzz" who i need to get a new picture of, his "mane" has turned white except for a perfect black beard, it is very striking

He does look like Ben Franklin!!!

I'd like to see pics of Buzz's new look. =)