The Front Porch Swing

[chickenboy190]

Can I join?

 

[TexasLisa]

Can I join?

Would you like lemon with your tea?

Lisa

 

[chickenboy190]

Would you like lemon with your tea?

Lisa

Sure!

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I love these midwife stories. My husband was the last of 6, and as the story goes she had a general for each one and wasn't awake for their birth...

As for me, I've had 4 home births outside in the backyard hot tub. I can't imagine it any other way. Why would I want to be in a car while in labor? Why have people prodding and poking me? How could you do anything hooked up to an IV? Lie on a table?

Thank goodnessI was able to squat in the hot tub - made it practically painless (umm, no, but I can imagine a milllion times worse).

And then I can't imagine being separated from my baby after birth, or anything! That is family, bonding and meting each other time. And what better place to be than to snuggle on your own bed?

Hospitals are for sick people and emergencies - childbirth (healthy childbirth) is neither! OY!

And yes, we need a LOT more midwives!

I've been watching the show Call the Midwife on Netflix. It's so wonderful, for a TV show.

ETA: Hottub would be a cool way to give birth if you have the mindset for it and all that.

 

[Triple Willow]

Can I join?

Sure Chickenboy! Pull up a chair and make yourself at home!

 

[Triple Willow]

LOL... Fermented feed.... and some scratch on the side for the cold days... and leftovers... Did I put my picture of the 4 dozen on here? I don't remember...... Anyway, I had a customer the other day... my first real one that isn't family!!!!! Anyhow... she wanted her eggs washed and clean.... so I was washing eggs at 10:30 that night! They were really pretty all laid out to dry!

B-u-tee-full eggs!!! Sooo perdy! You people just keep on and I'm going to have to have some of all of those colors! Dang it, leave me alone!! hahahahahahaha

 

[chickenboy190]

Sure Chickenboy! Pull up a chair and make yourself at home!

Thanks!

 

[Faerie]

I've been watching the show Call the Midwife on Netflix. It's so wonderful, for a TV show.

ETA: Hottub would be a cool way to give birth if you have the mindset for it and all that.

I also have been watching Call the Midwife. Love it!

 

[Triple Willow]

Yep. My daily ritual. It's a beautiful thing to see, and it is my favorite part of the day. Though I compulsively arrange mine by color & size and type, then I catalog them.   I think I'm going to have 30 dozen eggs for the buying group this week ... and that's after the other customers took their dips over the weekend. 

Unfortunately, the buying group wants duck eggs more than chicken eggs, and I'm back to getting like one duck egg a day again. I don't consider that enough to sell as I like to sell them within a few days of laying. The ducks were so busy playing in that last snowstorm I think they forgot how to lay. 

Now is the time I'm going to find out if the people at the fire house would like some farm-fresh eggs. And I have a friend who cooks for a women's shelter ... I'll ask him if he wants eggs for his families there this spring.

And ... I'm going to encourage the buying group to "sponsor a family" in town and agree to donate a portion of their custom buys to that family ... they've been doing a lot of custom butchered beef and pork as well as sourcing some other things and it would be super easy and also it would be a huge blessing to families tight on cash. In Oregon there are some farmer's markets that are set up to swipe food stamp cards, but not everyone can do that ... I certainly can't. 

Imagine giving a struggling family with kids a "kit" to make a 12-egg butter cake ... all the eggs, flour, sugar & a pan to cook it in. It would be fun and yummy. Especially with pretty rainbow eggs like these here.

Speaking of the buying group, they are having a HUGE discussion right now about meat birds. They've found a farm they really like ... tested the product and love it ... and had agreed to do two big group buys at a special price. After that agreement was settled and people started signing up for the buy, the farm decided to change their feed and bumped the price of the birds by 20% per pound. It will be Certified Organic feed, and the price per pound is going to be something like $4.20 (which is actually a great price for meat birds in this area). Now people are having to drop out of the buy. They really aren't happy. But I laid out some of the expenses for them ... including the going rate of $1/lb for locally milled organic soy free feed (hahahahahahahahahahahahah!); the $1.00 per chick cost (without shipping); the minimum of $3.75 for off-farm processing so you can legally sell the meat to a group ... It doesn't make it more affordable, but it sure makes it more "reasonable" to know how much out-of-pocket cost can go into the fancy meat birds if you let it. 

IF I had a poultry parter I would SO be offering the group a poor-man's version of the fancy birds ... regular feeds, fermented, pastured birds, on-farm processing. Pick the birds up here on processing day or lose your deposit. Done, dusted. 

Leslie, I LOVE what you're doing! I can see you have a great business mind! Right now I only have about 22 layers but I would love to expand and do something similar to what you are doing. I'd love to sell enough eggs to pay all the expenses AND have enough eggs left over to give away to people who really need them. I really have a soft spot for elderly folks and I know most of them could use some really nutritious food and they would appreciate "home grown" eggs.

Do you mind telling about your complete "chicken operation"? How many birds you have? What breeds? Who are your best layers? Do you do meat birds? Who you sell to? Everything...?

I'm planning on getting some ducks soon- K Campbells. Can't wait to get into that too!

 

[Faerie]

Hey everyone. My washer broke yesterday, so I have to bag up laundry and make a run to the laundromat today when my husband gets home from work.

My chicks are growing up so quick! They are 2 weeks old tomorrow and are getting some of their big girl feathers in. (At least they better be big GIRL feathers! I'm in the city and not allowed roosters)

Went out with my mom today, and we stopped at the greenhouse just to get a taste of spring! They had primrose flowers on sale, so my mom bought 2 for me, and 2 for my daughter for our flower garden this year! They are so pretty!

As promised, here is a pic of my grandson Logan, kissing a chickie.



He loves them, he will lean over and gently touch his mouth/nose to them for kisses!

Hope everyone is having a great day!!

Michelle