Washingtonians

[Chickielady]

I am selling eggs in the commercial grade weights:
Small $2.75
Med at $3.00
Large$3.50 and
XL at $4.00
That is still far lower than store prices, and Greg is correct that our product is far better & healthier than the commercial egg "factories"
Mother Earth quoted:
Eggs from hens raised where they can eat seeds, grass and bugs are far more nutritious than eggs from confined hens in factory farms.
Research shows that eggs raised from hens on pasture have:

1/3 less cholesterol
1/4 less saturated fat
2/3 more vitamin A
2 times more omega 3 fatty acids
3 times more vitamin E
7 times more Beta Carotene
and 4 to 6 times more vitamin D
Details and research are available at www.MotherEarthnews.com/eggs

 

[Chickielady]

Well, I have to go surf that very good seafood quiche recipe that I made for Christmas, and now seem to have lost..........

Mr Dungeness is staring at me from the kitchen counter, claws raised.....it is time to grab my hammer & take him out..

.be back later~~

 

[Zgoatlady]

Quote:
Ok so Im scared of them but if they are really friendly like you say I might want them. Ive always wanted some put they all seem to hate me.
Tell me more.

 

[Greg Richardson]

Ron. I'm down to 11. Sold some about a month ago. You need to add in your other costs cause those two feed items effect how much feed they go through.
A lot of factors go into figuring out cost for everyone like.......................

How much you are can free range them if at all?

How many molt and for how long?

Do they start right back up laying after molt?



Last year half my flock molted and the rest didn't as I had different ages and the ones that did were short molt and right back to laying.

This year over two months almost no eggs and now around 2 a day.

I invite my egg customers to come see their coops, runs, where they free range, so they can know how they are treated.

I educate them about the difference between store bought and farm eggs.

What has happened to feed costs just in the last three years it's been huge.

The more info they have the more happy they are to pay what they are worth.

If they don't have this info they look at store prices and think huh?

It's all about informed clients.

 

[ultasol]

The female will follow but doesn't want to be picked up,... the male likes to be picked up and will follow you around. They are white chinese, I have no idea on age. I have no idea how he will be during breeding season but some of my geese are starting to act like it's breeding season and the chinese gander seems as friendly as ever. I have no idea how he is around children as I don't have any, and I haven't had him around dogs... although most ganders worth their salt will hiss at a dog.

Very very personable. Chinese geese do have a loud honk, although these guys aren't all day, all night honkers they will go off when I come home, when someone comes over, or to greet me when I talk to them.... but this means they don't belong in a development. They like to graze. Chinese geese are a light breed of goose and they have the reputation for being one of the most prolific of the geese since they lay very well (for geese, don't expect eggs out of season). As to how these two lay, I have no idea. I am trying like the dickens to keep my goose areas free of any extra light as I don't want an early breeding season this year.

I believe they are male and female based on behavior, vocalizations, and personality but I have not vent sexed them. I suppose I should do that.

 

[Stumpfarmer]

Quote:
*sigh*

I need to go somewhere and order Too Much Dungeness soon, I think.

Spent the day fiddling with stuff- put a photocell timer on the lights on the north side of the house, did some laundry, tried to make a permanent fix for Bacchus' feed pan, this, that, and the other.

My son, who started working at the Ellensburg Fred Meyer's in September as a seasonal hire, just got a real permanent-track position with them, including a substantial raise. I'm thrilled to bits, although his gleeful "I get to learn how to drive a forklift" gave me pause. For no good reason- I learned to drive a tractor at ten, and used to know how to use a JD 350 Cat, and he's a good automobile driver (which I never have been).

Wondering about the weather- I don't trust 51 in January, but that weird kink in the jet stream is back. Hope the heck it sticks around for calving season, I had a round-eared calf from last year who was born on that 5F night. I've got twenty days before the babies should start showing up.

 

[pettec63]

Quote:
Have you guys had any experience with green zebra tomatoes?? I just saw it on The Victory Garden?? They say they are sweet like red ones, they are just green?? Just curious, I wouldn't even know where to get something like that??

My husband said the pineapple tomatoes I grew this year were great and non-bitter... also they were gorgeous colors, nice texture for slicing, a good fresh eating tomato. I was not impressed with the texture of some bush tomatoes bred by park that I grew... and I always plant a lot of romas.

Wow! cool! I'll have to try that!! I grew TONS of Romas, kind of an accident really. I don't have a green thumb and so I made sure I started a bunch in case they died and they didn't !!!

Which in the long run was a good thing, but I had no clue how to can, I learned really quick!

 

[pettec63]

Quote:
My husband said the pineapple tomatoes I grew this year were great and non-bitter... also they were gorgeous colors, nice texture for slicing, a good fresh eating tomato. I was not impressed with the texture of some bush tomatoes bred by park that I grew... and I always plant a lot of romas.

there are a ton of green tomatoes out there... I have not tried the zebra ones but I am ordering tiger striped cherry toms this yeah to try... I like all the different flavors but try to stay with heirloom/older varieties so they have the acid content needed to can without pressure cooking.
(the newer varieties have had the acid bred out to make them "sweeter" but in fact the acid is a good thing!)

Really? This is good to know!! So your list of tomatoes are all heirloom then??? Is that why in most canning recipes for tomatoes they tell you to add lemon juice???

 

[pettec63]

Quote:

good one!! welcome to the thread!!

 

[Rainwolf]

Quote:
there are a ton of green tomatoes out there... I have not tried the zebra ones but I am ordering tiger striped cherry toms this yeah to try... I like all the different flavors but try to stay with heirloom/older varieties so they have the acid content needed to can without pressure cooking.
(the newer varieties have had the acid bred out to make them "sweeter" but in fact the acid is a good thing!)

Really? This is good to know!! So your list of tomatoes are all heirloom then??? Is that why in most canning recipes for tomatoes they tell you to add lemon juice???

Yes the lemon juice is to replace the acid that used to be in toms...

the list I have I don't know how the acid content is.... some heirloom's are naturally low acidic but you normally tell when cooking/eating... we also might add a little vinegar if the canned toms are for sauces to help the acid level if they are low.

as my mom says.. canning means one of 3 things.....
Sugar, Acid or Pressure.

jam = sugar preserving
pickles or vinegar canning = acid preserving...
everything else needs to be pressure cooked...