The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[lalaland]

I like to support our small local businesses here also. There are things I can get there that I can't at the big retailers. Yes I have to sometimes pay more for stuff that I could get at the bigger stores like walmart for 2 or 5 dollars less. If I bought it at walmart though the little guy would go out of businesses and then that item I could not get at walmart I can get nowhere now. The big guy buys by the thousands because they have stores all over the country sometimes world. The little guy buys by the tens or hundreds so they don;t get that price break and have to charge more.
Anyway I am trying to agree with you. When I read this it don't sound that way. But I really am trying to say support your local communities economy.

Exactly! pay a few bucks more so the $ stays in your community. I shop at a hundred + year old hardware store, and yes, sometimes pay a bit more. not that I have $ to spare, but I figure I can eat beans and rice to make up for it. So it will be cheaper at menards/home depot/walmart/lowes and I could get it there when I am in the city, but...not my kind of ethics.

Like pigeonguy says, the big boxes get the price breaks, and also tend to have part time workers/no benefits, people who don't understand retail get indignent that the small biz store charges more - its because it costs them more. they aren't ripping you off.

off to go mess in the coop, see if I can stir up the dl and spend a little chicken time.

 

[jendodd79]

Yes. I will order something online if I can't find it within 50 miles. I won't pay for a ferry ticket and gas to go searching farther. I like to buy things local when I can to help the economy here. I was sure glad to find it for $13 and pay no SH fee.

In the same boat here!

 

[jendodd79]

I like to support our small local businesses here also. There are things I can get there that I can't at the big retailers. Yes I have to sometimes pay more for stuff that I could get at the bigger stores like walmart for 2 or 5 dollars less. If I bought it at walmart though the little guy would go out of businesses and then that item I could not get at walmart I can get nowhere now. The big guy buys by the thousands because they have stores all over the country sometimes world. The little guy buys by the tens or hundreds so they don;t get that price break and have to charge more.
Anyway I am trying to agree with you. When I read this it don't sound that way. But I really am trying to say support your local communities economy.

We have a local organic/eco store here that does grocery delivery. I was talking to the owner today and she said that the large groceries stores sell things for a price that is lower then her wholesale price, because they can get a price break for huge bulk buying (that they just then distribute amongst their 100 giant stores).

We're doing our best here on essentially a tiny island, to get what we need from the small guys. I'd rather buy something online from a small guy (that I can't get here) then walk in to walmart. The only thing I buy there are AA batteries because I use so many for my work and the cost difference is huge for my small business

 

[aoxa]

I do the it the same way but the command is NO. With a stern voice but not yelling. A guy when I was a kid told me to never yell but to just change the tone of your voice and they will learn quicker. The first commands I teach when we get a new dog is NO and SIT. It helps with house breaking or anything else you want to teach them.

Sally has better camera skills than me, because I can't for the life of me get pictures of candling eggs.. It never looks right. I do find my iPhone takes about the best of the candling photos, but I would love to know how to do it properly with my regular camera on manual.

 

[aoxa]

Exactly! pay a few bucks more so the $ stays in your community. I shop at a hundred + year old hardware store, and yes, sometimes pay a bit more. not that I have $ to spare, but I figure I can eat beans and rice to make up for it. So it will be cheaper at menards/home depot/walmart/lowes and I could get it there when I am in the city, but...not my kind of ethics.

Like pigeonguy says, the big boxes get the price breaks, and also tend to have part time workers/no benefits, people who don't understand retail get indignent that the small biz store charges more - its because it costs them more. they aren't ripping you off.

off to go mess in the coop, see if I can stir up the dl and spend a little chicken time.

I don't know. Costco here pays their workers better than anywhere else in retail, and they all get benefits. That's the only box store we really shop at. I purchased my regular prescriptions at a mom and pop type pharmacy and paid $135. I pay $45 at Costco. Yep. Never going back. Plus I get great customer service there

 

[Sally8]

Sally has better camera skills than me, because I can't for the life of me get pictures of candling eggs.. It never looks right. I do find my iPhone takes about the best of the candling photos, but I would love to know how to do it properly with my regular camera on manual. 

I found that when candling, use the up close or pet feature, it's different on everyone's camera and no flash. If I can do it........
I have a canon 35 mm, you better know how to do everything camera. If I can find film around I'll try that. It takes unbelievable pictures but I can never remember what I did for them to turn out that way.

 

[aoxa]

I found that when candling, use the up close or pet feature, it's different on everyone's camera and no flash. If I can do it........
I have a canon 35 mm, you better know how to do everything camera. If I can find film around I'll try that. It takes unbelievable pictures but I can never remember what I did for them to turn out that way.

I have a pet feature. I'll try it, see if it works.. Though right now no eggs, except under a broody.

 

[jendodd79]

You have to make sure that you have a strong enough candle light and a high enough ISO and put it on macro mode. You don't want the flash to go off

 

[Bulldogma]

Our version of "The Teddy Bears' Picnic." The weather was so beautiful today, the girls had a blast - as did their picnic guests!










Girl on the right is going to start laying any day! The little bantam cochin roo has been mounting her. Of course my Swedish Flower roo has only been mounting the girls that aren't ready yet - LOL. Time to separate them!

 

[pigeonguy]

I wrote this on another thread and then thought why not put it here because it is about natural keeping.


In the old days great grandma would put between 2 and 4 inches of flour in the bottom of a very large crock and then threw out the summer and fall put extra eggs in standing up. When she had a layer of eggs not touching each other on the sides and not touching the sides of the crock but all around and across. She would then put another layer of flour covering those eggs by 2 to 4 inches she then put another layer of eggs then flour then eggs then flour. You get the idea. Then when she made bread or pancakes in the winter while the chickens were not laying plus back then you reduced you flock in the winter for meat.She would take out enough flour and enough eggs for that meal. The eggs kept that way all the way threw the winter which lasted for 4 to 5 months. They never went without bread or things made with eggs. In those days there were no refrigerators or freezers to keep them in. So this was the method used by some old farm women. Also when she cracked one for use each was opened in a bowl and added to what ever or cooked 1 at a time that way she could see if it was good before using. Put one egg in the bowl use it put another egg in the bowl use it. Do not put more than one in the bowl at a time. That way you don't ruin 2 eggs because the 3rd is bad. I still do that today because I have gotten a bad egg before.
If a frozen egg is watery or rubbery or what ever and only keeps for a couple of months. Then this method would make more sense to do. You can keep them 4, 5 or 6 months this way and not have the watery issue. Even though the bloom is on the egg the flour cuts off the air to the eggs. No air no spoilage. Just a side note do not leave the crock where it can freeze in the winter and keep it in the shade or root cellar in the summer. Even in summer months flour stays cooler than the air around it don't know why it just does.
Hope this helps someone to preserve their eggs better. Sometimes the old ways are the best ways. I should probably also add unwashed eggs will keep in the fridge for 2 or 3 months. Sometimes they are that old when bought from the store.

So how do you all store your eggs for long periods of time.