The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Scott H]

Quote:

• ChaosRules
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• Location: East Central Illinois
• Joined: 7/2013
• Posts: 216
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Gotta love a Mom who gives a compound miter saw...

 

[lazy gardener]

Power tools are more important to me than the kitchen tools! I can get by without a blender, or the other counter space eating gadgets, but couldn't get by without all the shop tools! IMO, power tools are empowerment for women! We built our house in the mid 70's. A lot of learning experience to be had from that!

 

[Leahs Mom]

I love getting tools too.

 

[Sally8]

My heated bowl couldn't keep up with the temps here either & it was balmy compared to what you guys are having. Hope you guys stay warm.

I broke down and added hay to the coop and run areas. I felt warmer when I did

Glad I did since we are suppose to get a winter storm Monday & Tuesday on top of temps below zero. Maybe I will get stranded at home & not be able to get to work........oh wait they come & get me if its a state of emergency

We had a "State of Emergency" here yesterday and I can't remember seeing so many cars on the roads. I thought that meant STAY OFF THE ROADS!!! Our firefighters have dealt with so many auto accidents and cardiac arrests. Poor DH tried to revive 2 and was not able to. Even a suicide a couple nights ago, at 32. The last few months have been busy for them. Fortunately, no house fires.

Pls keep me updated on the hoop coup. I think your area is the best test.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

JUST REACHED 0 DEGREES F. NOW! HAVEN'T SEEN THAT IN QUITE A WHILE!

so with all of this cold will there be lots of maple sap this year? I hope so I love the maple sugar candy. I think the brand sold here in IN is from VT not Maine though.

 

[armorfirelady]

We had a "State of Emergency" here yesterday and I can't remember seeing so many cars on the roads. I thought that meant STAY OFF THE ROADS!!! Our firefighters have dealt with so many auto accidents and cardiac arrests. Poor DH tried to revive 2 and was not able to. Even a suicide a couple nights ago, at 32. The last few months have been busy for them. Fortunately, no house fires.

Pls keep me updated on the hoop coup. I think your area is the best test.

When I got back from vacation I had almost 3 feet of wet snow on it. Other than a little sagging in the middle it was fine.

The only thing I need to do is make sure the roof vents are kept clear. Once they are blocked by snow for a few days it tends to be a little smellier.

I get the occasional snow that blows in but its not very much & doesn't seem to bother the girls.
I plan on getting an old billboard when I get my taxes back. The heavy duty one I got just is not holding up so well. Seems to weep when it rains now. I need something that is heavier duty. And these nights the temps have been in the single digits & below zero I get ice crystals on the tarp inside. The girls get a few spots on them as well. It must drip off the tarp onto them.

 

[TeaChick]

I take the bones, and sometimes I re-roast them, then I put them in a big pot of cold water (if you have bleach in the water it is probably best to filter it, but we have well water here), with the peeled feet (and I've been told the head is good to toss in there, too, but I haven't braved that yet), and I simmer it for a day. I add some carrot and celery and garlic and onion and spices, but that isn't necessary. Then I strain it. Then I have super nutritious bone broth.

If I use the crock pot or stainless steel, I also add in some vinegar to help draw the nutrients out of the bone. But I don't do that in an aluminum pot. I need a bigger stainless-steel pot.

chlorine cannot be filtered out of water; it is a gas and will evaporate out of the water upon standing or it can be boiled out (but IDK how long that takes)

I cook all my bones down into broth, then throw them into the wood fire. I figure any mineral content left in the bones will eventually end up on my lawn or garden that way.

I like this idea best for making sure we get the most out of the bones!!! Thanks for sharing! =)

 

[iwanaplae2]

I don't roast the chicken bones but I do beef bones. I throw all my chicken bones into a crockpot with assorted veggie scraps. Whatever I have on hand. I add herbs and spices, top it off with water, and 1 to 2 tablespoons of ACV (this draws all the goodness out of the bones and doesn't effect the taste at all) set it in low, and leave it at LEAST 8hrs! Longer is even better then I filter it through a flour sack towel into my fat separator measuring cup, pour it into a sterilized mason jar, and put it in the fridge. End result is an awesome chicken broth gelatin! There are so many health benefits to this bone broth. Not to mention TONS of cooking options. I never add salt while it's cooking. That can be added to taste at time of use. My favorite use? A couple tablespoons in a coffee cup, add hot water (and salt to taste), and sip. SO nice on a cold day.

 

[TeaChick]

if you did not get attached..the care would not be the same..the feeling would not be the same..the pain and emotional process makes us better animal stewards.
It is heart wrenching, but you are right. =(

I do not know..sorry. I have an old antique blender with steel blades and a thick glass container. It powders them well. The pieces that are not dry enough do not powder so I dump them back in the pan and stick them back in the oven...

we have this to look forward to this weekend
I'm sorry!!!

Hahaha! Sure, you'd be welcome if you lay an egg a day and are friendly!

Yeah, I should have probably said more about the dirt. I built a chicken house that will have a "living roof." I saw it in a shed book I was looking at while designing my coop and loved the idea. The coop sits a little below our house, so I thought it would be fun to look down on it and see flowers and grasses growing on the roof. We just built it this summer, though, so nothing is planted on it yet. We just have a tarp over the dirt, held down by pieces of wood to keep the dirt from washing away in the spring rains. Next summer, though, we'll have stuff planted in it! I thought it would be crazy fun if the chickens flew up to the roof and grazed up there! I don't think they can fly that well, though, and anyway, there's plenty of easier greenery to eat.

And what are you doing without a saw?!? IJK - I didn't have one until we decided to build our house (wanted to live in the country, but couldn't find any place that hadn't been logged horribly until we found the piece we ended up buying. The access is awful, which saved the trees, mostly. No house on it, though, so we had to build our own. My mom's first present to me after we decided to build was a compound miter saw. Yay for moms! I love my saw!!

My chickens don't seem to like to eat the turkey and chicken pieces I put in their run. But my dog sure does! The hardest part is keeping her out of the run - she wishes she were a chicken because they get all the best treats (in her mind, at least). The turkey does disappear, but I'm never sure if the dog snuck in when I wasn't looking, or if the chickens ate it while I wasn't looking.

Oh, goodness! Just start here and do your best to keep up from now on! That's hard enough. You can go back and read through it as you have time, but we don't want to have to wait until you read it all before you join the conversation! If you say or ask something that's been said or asked before, no big deal. My memory is so bad I probably wouldn't remember anyway, and it doesn't seem like anyone here would get their panties in a bunch over that...

Oh, I'm so sorry. It's the worst part of having animals, and never seems to get easier.

I just read this to my husband, and he heard the peeled feet and said he thinks he can live without "super nutritious bone broth."

Yes, I'm very friendly, but I'll have to work on the laying part. ;-)

That sounds great about growing grasses and flowers on the roof of the coop. Mine is pretty low (and my rooster flaps up to the roof of the shed and house anyway lol and a Leghorn hen joined him there the other day)

Yeah, I know. My g-pa was a carpenter, so I know what I'm missing. lol But he's got a pretty resourceful g-daughter, so it hasn't been too bad.

Here's a pic of Eddie and one of the Leghorns on the coop:

Disclaimers: It's grainy b/c the lens on my phone needed to be cleaned (which I just did this morning, so future pics should be better).
They're in weird positions b/c she had just gotten up there (I guess that's her landing lol) and he was about to hope off.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

chlorine cannot be filtered out of water; it is a gas and will evaporate out of the water upon standing or it can be boiled out (but IDK how long that takes)

Thanks for the correction! I know people who have treated city water use filters to help it taste/smell better, but as we have well water I am actually not writing from experience and don't want to spread misinformation. I have no idea how city water would affect the taste of bone broth, but recipes so often recommend filtering water.

(Why do I keep spelling recipe as reciPIE? Am I sending myself a message?)