Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Stumpfarmer]

My MIL sent me this for Xmas:


>Snipped for enviable chicken batik<

Really nice. I need to get some chicken pictures people have given me framed; I've finally managed to frame a lovely hand-painted white charmeuse tie that was in danger of being ruined. Oh, well: Aunt Julia's House of unfinished projects.

That picture I brought back from China had chickens, didn't it? I was prescient. Who knew we'd end up with chickens?

Yeah, it does; Anna got me a reproduction of a Japanese painting of roosters in Amsterdam last year, too. Reality keeps intervening on the framing stuff, though- the tie was getting ruined, so it had to be done, but other stuff...

For instance? Today? I was supposed to get a fasting blood draw, but when I went to let Ruby out for the fourth time since 6:30, the back door knob lock was totally broken. Broken locked of course; I knew it was going to. I spent more time than I had last spring looking for one that would work with a round drilled steelclad mobile home standard door, with no luck (even the one I thought would work was mislabelled; someone had repacked a broken lock in a wrong-brand case: luckily it was free). So now instead of getting a blood draw, going out to breakfast, buying a Christmas tree, coming home and doing chores and going out again to get groceries and chicken feed, all of which still have to be done, I have to figure out how to open that door and plug up the knob-hole; luckily it has a separate deadbolt so I don't have to figure out how to fix it all the way right now today immediatly.

The rational thing would be to replace the whole door with a new one, especially since it's so out of true that the outside air comes in as if it weren't even closed. I'll get right on buying that winning Lotto ticket.

It's a little hard not to take this personally, since it's about the ninetieth thing to go wrong in thois fashion this year.

 

[Totalcolour]

Sourdough bread wreath​

For one loaf (this is from the book, "World sourdoughs from antiquity, by Ed Wood, page 48 called "World Bread")

(Unfortunatley, this requires a "culture", made from an activated starter, the day before. The starter is activated with 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup warm water, and proof for 6 - 12 hours. Then, the culture is made by adding 2 cups warm water, mix briefly, then add 3 cups flour, one cup at a time and mix. Need not be smooth. Proof for about 12 hours. I do this the night before. Next day use this "culture" for the sourdough)

2 cups culture
1 Tbs butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs sugar
3 cups bread flour

Melt the butter (or use oil). Warm the milk, add the salt, sugar and butter. then add this to 2 cups of culture in a big bowl. Stir in the flour. Knead hand or machine, until satiny. May require slightly more, or less flour depending on humidity. Dough should not be too tight or it won't rise well.

Form into desired shape and proof for about 2-3 hours. Should rise well. Cook in 375 oven for about 35 - 40 minutes (for the wreath type) longer for a solid loaf.

This only has one rise!

I have also made this with the addition of a whole egg, and it came out very well.

BUT, since this takes a while to make, just use you own sourdough recipe - for this loaf it's really the forming that makes it special!

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Well, having exerted myself mightily I have removed the broken lockset. The tongue was so broken in locked position that I couldn't make it retract with a direct blow of the hammer, even after everything but the cylinder was cut off.

The good news is that the door is not in fact steel framed, so I can cut a new mortice for the strike plate instead of going out and buying a whole new door.

The bad news is I've been paying interest for 19 years on a $500 door I did not in fact receive. (and which I suspect was removed after my first inspection and replaced with an inferior door, isn't that amusing).

 

[Farmin Momma]

Wow, all the quilts and knitting stuff you guys do is great!
That sourdough wreth is awsome!

I can see that every one is still alive and surviving the end of our world lol.

So very exited, just got confirmation that my 25 chicks (EE's and White Leg Hrns) will be arriving between the 3rd and 5th of January!! Can't wait.

CR- I really hope someone can make it to help you on Saturday.

 

[CarolynF]

Sourdough bread wreath
For one loaf (this is from the book, "World sourdoughs from antiquity, by Ed Wood, page 48 called "World Bread")
BUT, since this takes a while to make, just use you own sourdough recipe - for this loaf it's really the forming that makes it special!

Thanks so much for the recipe and the link. I have their book (Artisan Bread) but haven't looked at it in quite a while.
The bread recipe I use has only 1 lb. of flour, 12 oz. water and 1/4 C starter, so I'm thinking my loaf would be considerably smaller. But that's ok for me. Do you put it on a cookie sheet or maybe you use a baking stone? Water?

Is the oil for dipping?

 

[Sudsy Chick]

I lost princess buttercup last night. I think whatever scared the girls a couple weeks ago was back. (If you recall - I had to go get Frodo from the neighbor's yard(s) as she was so scared.)

I found her partially eaten when I got home last night. Just the head/neck area, I am pretty sure that I scared off the predator in the middle of dinner, I was only gone an hour.

And I'm pretty sure the predator was a possum.

We've seen one hanging out so I've been gathering eggs right away and putting feed in the coop at night, but this critter is not afraid at all. It's been there in the light of day a few times, and my chickens all freak out and fly into trees and make a ruckus.

So sad. I checked the fenceline for holes again this morning - nothing. It's getting over the fence.

I am looking at options...our yard is our run and the neighbor's dogs have kept out raccons, etc. in the past. It might be time to get a chicken protection dog. I don't know...I don't want to do anything rash but I don't want to lose anymore.

 

[VelvettFog]

I lost princess buttercup last night. I think whatever scared the girls a couple weeks ago was back. (If you recall - I had to go get Frodo from the neighbor's yard(s) as she was so scared.)

I found her partially eaten when I got home last night. Just the head/neck area, I am pretty sure that I scared off the predator in the middle of dinner, I was only gone an hour.

And I'm pretty sure the predator was a possum.

We've seen one hanging out so I've been gathering eggs right away and putting feed in the coop at night, but this critter is not afraid at all. It's been there in the light of day a few times, and my chickens all freak out and fly into trees and make a ruckus.

So sad. I checked the fenceline for holes again this morning - nothing. It's getting over the fence.

I am looking at options...our yard is our run and the neighbor's dogs have kept out raccons, etc. in the past. It might be time to get a chicken protection dog. I don't know...I don't want to do anything rash but I don't want to lose anymore.

From what I understand, it is Racoons that eat the head and neck first. An Opossum is most likely to begin it's meal from the other end of the bird.

It's never fun to lose a bird.

 

[Farmin Momma]

 I lost princess buttercup last night. I think whatever scared the girls a couple weeks ago was back. (If you recall - I had to go get Frodo from the neighbor's yard(s) as she was so scared.)

I found her partially eaten when I got home last night. Just the head/neck area, I am pretty sure that I scared off the predator in the middle of dinner, I was only gone an hour.

And I'm pretty sure the predator was a possum.

We've seen one hanging out so I've been gathering eggs right away and putting feed in the coop at night, but this critter is not afraid at all. It's been there in the light of day a few times, and my chickens all freak out and fly into trees and make a ruckus.

So sad. I checked the fenceline for holes again this morning - nothing. It's getting over the fence.

I am looking at options...our yard is our run and the neighbor's dogs have kept out raccons, etc. in the past. It might be time to get a chicken protection dog. I don't know...I don't want to do anything rash but I don't want to lose anymore.

From what I understand, it is Racoons that eat the head and neck first.  An Opossum is most likely to begin it's meal from the other end of the bird. 

It's never fun to lose a bird.

I am so sorry you lost your girl!
But I do agree, I have read that Coons take the head and neck.

 

[Mumsy]

I lost princess buttercup last night. I think whatever scared the girls a couple weeks ago was back. (If you recall - I had to go get Frodo from the neighbor's yard(s) as she was so scared.)

I found her partially eaten when I got home last night. Just the head/neck area, I am pretty sure that I scared off the predator in the middle of dinner, I was only gone an hour.

And I'm pretty sure the predator was a possum.

We've seen one hanging out so I've been gathering eggs right away and putting feed in the coop at night, but this critter is not afraid at all. It's been there in the light of day a few times, and my chickens all freak out and fly into trees and make a ruckus.

So sad. I checked the fenceline for holes again this morning - nothing. It's getting over the fence.

I am looking at options...our yard is our run and the neighbor's dogs have kept out raccons, etc. in the past. It might be time to get a chicken protection dog. I don't know...I don't want to do anything rash but I don't want to lose anymore.

I'm so sorry you lost precious birds. I have never seen a possum on Whidbey Island but I do know raccoons will remove the head and crop of chickens. Leaving the carcass. Great Horned owls will take off with birds and bantam ducks and eat the head and crop. I've seen it happen. It's hard dealing with predators. There are so many. I have electric fencing set six inches from the ground surrounding my coop. Birds go in at dusk.
I wish you success in figuring it out. Truly sorry. I've lost more birds to predators than I can count. I keep them in the barn when I'm not out with them these days. I used to have a dog years ago that was good at watching over them...Until he killed one and tasted it one day. He was ruined as a chicken watching dog from that day on.

 

[CarolynF]

I lost princess buttercup last night. I think whatever scared the girls a couple weeks ago was back. (If you recall - I had to go get Frodo from the neighbor's yard(s) as she was so scared.)

Dawn, I'm so sorry! I don't know how well possums climb but I've watched racoons climb our 6' cedar fence with ease. I hope you can figure out a solution. It seems like we've had a lot of people plagued by kills this month. I fell bad for everyone, and hope mine are as secure as I think they are.