Washingtonians

[RonB]

Hey I'm so excited, the girls finally figured out where to roost! They will be 8 weeks old tomorrow! I went to "tuck them in" tonight and they were all at eye level on the highest roost fighting over the spot to the far right. I'm wondering though, they are seriously AWFUL to each other when they fight over the roost space! Is this normal for them to peck at each others' necks and faces to fight for a better position? I know there's a pecking order but so far all evidence I've seen of that comes with body language and "standoffs" between two birds at a time, not all of them having a free for all over a roost location! OK, rant over. Calm me down and reassure me they are happy and just learning how to do the whole chicken thing.

Yes fighting for their spot on the roost is normal! with some of my girls its a nightly battle ! But most find a spot and are calm. Some of mine have the same spot night after night

 

[Farmin Momma]

WOOHOO Kate the peahen is nesting!! I noticed she went missing 2 days ago and my neighbor hadn't called to tell me she was visiting. Will (Peacock) has been calling for her constantly (he has a broken wing, so doesn't follow her anymore - there are terriors roaming around the neighbor's place)......anyway, I saw Kate today roaming through my yard looking for her red feed bowl - she was soaking wet, so I know she hasn't been roosting in the shed! I wish I knew where her nest was (I have about 4 acres of just woods), and I hope they stay safe. I haven't had any problems with critters since I've started collecting fowl the beginning of March. I am so excited to see little peafowl running around here soon! OOOOH - Now I REALLY need to finish my big coop and cover up the pen!

Color me VERY jeliouse. Peacocks are my favorite animal! I am aloud to have them here but there are a few things I worrie about. One is the calling they do durring mateing time, I would not be worried about the neighbors but more DH. And the other is I would not want them all pened up but I also do not want them roaming or getting ontop of the car. I bet my neighbors would be fine with a Peacock running around but we have one lady that lets her D*#% dogs out by them selfs all the time and I have had to send my dogs after one of them that likes to come try for a chicken. Also our property is right on a public popular trail, and I would hate to have some stupid person call animal controle on my pea! The other concern with that is I don't trust people and am worried that teenagers that walk the trail would mess with it if he or she was out walking the road! BUT I WANT A FEW SO VERY BADLY!

 

[Chickielady]

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE (and be forever indebted to you for) a gluten free RECIPE. Right now we just found the Bob's Red Mill GF pizza dough mix and while it was tasty, I don't want to have to pay for that every time I want pizza. I was so happy the kids ate all their pizza too! We also can't have dairy or soy (yeah, tell me about it!

) so the pizza had no cheese but it was still yummy with bacon, homemade sauce in our new Vitamix (DH bought it for me as a surprise a few days ago!!!), and olives. YUM.

The best packaged pizza mix is "Namaste" Brand.comes in a brown paper bag type package at quite a few stores.
Makes 2 crusts.
We use a Pizza Pizzaz machine....
I cut a circle of parchment, mix the tsp oil & water into the crust mix & "paint" it on the parchment with a rubber spatula..............then set the turning pan on to the Pizza Pizzaz & cook it.
Cook it for a while top & bottom & then flip it over & toss the parchment.
I cook it til it is a hard cracker

Then apply home made sauce & toppings, and cook more.
If you do not cook the crust to cracker-like consistancy...it will get kinda gooey after sauce & toppings go on.
So far, this is the best & easiest crust .
This crust should cook fine in a regular oven on a pizza pan ON PARCHMENT....otherwise it can stick.
I put the pan on the parchment, draw around it & cut it out with scissors.....easy.
Hope this helps !

 

[Chickielady]

We're talking about getting a big green house. We have plenty of room for it, just there is other things that need the money spent on them first. I'd love to try some nice heirloom tomatoes then.


My Mom is allergic to wheat, so we've had a severe issue finding stuff she can eat. She can't handle any of Xantham gum or Guar gum they use in much of the gluten free stuff, so she's had no relief buying that stuff. She now has some mix of sweet rice flour, tapioca flour, sweet potato flour, and glutinous rice flour (texture, not actual gluten) that she's had good success making all sorts of stuff with. Biscuits, cookies, and pizza and pie crusts. She was experimenting and found out the sweet potato flour makes a very good breading recently. It doesn't take much and fries nice and crisp, stays on the food and doesn't burn. The only unfortunate thing is she can't get the sweet potato or glutinous rice flour down where she is, and they don't carry the super fine sweet rice flour that isn't gritty either. So I get a big shopping list to go buy at H-Mart before I go visit.

WOW I have never heard of anyone allergic to Xanthum or Guar Gum !!
That is awful !!!
I have issues with wheat, glutens & soy !!!
What is H-Mart ?

 

[FirewifeJess]

WOW I have never heard of anyone allergic to Xantum or Guar Gum !!
That is awful !!!
I have issues with wheat, glutens & soy !!!
What is H-Mart ?

Sucks don't it!? Add dairy to that and you've got my life in a nutshell! Imagine trying to feed 3 little kids with no dairy, soy, or gluten

 

[Chickielady]

I would love the recipe also. My wife just found out that she has developed a wheat allergy.

I have, made some from scratch w/yeast.
I use gluten free baking flours, mixed up alot like Hinotori mentioned.
I use:
Coconut flour
Buckwheat
Quinoa
Oat
White Rice
Brown rice
sometimes Teff.......
about equal amounts of all.
Mix in a giant bowl & bag & keep in the freezer.
When I bake, I use standard recipes, except I add Xantum Gum.
The gums hold the stuff together so it can hold air & rise & not crumble apart.
Not being able to eat the gums is a BUMMER !!!
I make my own bread that comes out wonderful !!
But the Namaste Brand Pizza Crust mix is so easy......and fast.....and only needs water & oil added !

 

[Chickielady]

Sucks don't it!? Add dairy to that and you've got my life in a nutshell! Imagine trying to feed 3 little kids with no dairy, soy, or gluten

Me too.
Although I can eat some cheese.
I have Celiac Disease & IBS from Soy & Casien.
Since cheese is mostly milk fat, there is not so much casien in it.
The casein is pressed away as whey when cheese is made.
Found out the hard way as even lactose free cow's milk gets to me bad.
So, I am not lactose intolerant, I am casein sensitive.
Glad I can eat sea food & eggs !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And we raise our own chicken & vegies.

 

[itsren]

Just one thing I gotta mention - I have a big greenhouse, my growing season is from starting indoors in Feb til the first serious/hard frost, anywhere from Oct-Dec. Between then my temps are 70-95 degrees, big difference. So, I'm able to grow just about any tomato which may not work well for you at all if you have no protection for it.

I've tried most of these tomatoes before I had a greenhouse just simply outdoors, and, umm, out of over 70 plants I got ONE ripe tomato. I'm sure most of you live in better summers than I do though and will be better off, but, I always recommend a greenhouse, coldframe, hoophouse, whatever you can work with. It really is worth it.

I *thought* I was going to keep my tomatoes in my greenhouse this year to see if I could get them to fruit and ripen earlier (DH bought me a pop-up greenhouse for Valentine's Day). I usually don't have trouble growing them, but when grown outside they ripen in late August. I'd like to have ripe tomatoes earlier and extend the season. Every year I make the mistake of planting way too many and end up stepping on tomatoes that roll all over the yard. Right now, the tomatoes have been booted to the elements so the chicks can have an outdoor play space.

I have 23 tomato plants sitting in the rain on a patio table. Family of 5 and 23 tomato plants... another case of "what was I thinking?". Hopefully, this year I'll actually put those canning classes that I took to good use. Home canning scares me a little. I don't want to mess up and accidentally make my family sick because I did something wrong.

 

[VelvettFog]

We like you, don't worry

Are you all settled back in at home after your weekend build?

Mostly

Still have tools to put in their proper places - and a splinter to dig out of a finger. Planted my first garden yesterday.

Woke up this am to a headless bird. What predator eats the head and neck?

 

[Chickielady]

I am making Toll House Cookies (with my GF Flour) today.
Just following the same recipe on the chocolate chip bag.
Add a 1/4-1/2 t of Xanthum Gum.
I have no idea if you can make the recipe minus the Xanthum Gum....maybe ?
Never tried it.
After all my life..........whole foods are the only way to go!

Speaking of Food Allergies....................last Poultry Show we had a Pot Luck & CR mentioned he felt bad afterwards...he ate something & had a reaction.
Just wondering if CR found out what it was ?
Better find out !
Next time the reaction could kill ya !
I have very violent- anaphelactic-like reactions when I get even a speck of gluten.
I carry an epi-pen for it.