Washingtonians

[itsren]

So if anyone is interested in processing meat birds for the freezer, we are open to having another Freezer Camp 101 next Saturday or Sunday. Just PM me and I will send you the address and time. DH will be home this coming weekend, so the class should be better organized and faster paced.

Please let me know if you choose next Sunday afternoon. We are gone camping with our Cub Scout group Friday/Saturday.

I was bummed I didn't get to be there today. I went to Yelm to pick my son up from camp. On a long road that seemed like it was in the middle of no-where - but, thankfully, very near camp, I heard a loud grinding noise and my gas pedal started shaking hard. Then it stopped and started and did this a few times over and over. I got to camp, let the car rest for a couple of hours and let my son show me around camp, and checked the fluids before heading out. I drove it back to the city of Yelm & took the kids to pizza for lunch (so they had full tummies just in case we got stranded and had to wait a couple hours for AAA to show up). It seemed fine on the drive home. I don't know what happened. DH is guessing I may have gotten a rock stuck somewhere. He'll drive it tomorrow to work and see how it goes for him.

My son absolutely loved camp and wants to go back next year! His only regret is he refused to take the swimming test last Sunday. He was pretty freaked out on Sunday and I don't think he was emotionally ready to tackle anything at that point. Because he didn't take the test, he wasn't allowed to use any of the floating islands or water slides that they have all week long. I asked him if he'd be willing to take the test next year and he said he definitely would. He knows how to swim. I'm sure he would have passed the test. It's a bummer he didn't get to use the islands and slides - they looked like they would have been pretty fun. He loved the rest of the activities that he did at camp though. I'm so glad he adapted to being away from home so well. He slept in the bunk above his counselor, and I think knowing there was an adult near by helped him a lot.

 

[FlyRobinFly]

My son absolutely loved camp and wants to go back next year! His only regret is he refused to take the swimming test last Sunday.

That is great news!

It was a big, brave step for him and for you as parents for him to go off alone for the first time, and hopefully this successful experience will give him the confidence to try other scary/unknown things in the future.

 

[Hinotori]

Ok, I gave my girls the Scratch and Peck layer for 4 months. I think I gave it a fair shake with that time frame. I was wetting crumbs and making sure they ate them, too. Egg production dropped and dropped during that time frame. It got down to me having days two days where I got 0 eggs from 16 birds, with 4-5 eggs being average. I always have oyster shell available. I was constantly having soft shell eggs and the rest were porous or thin. We sell about 4 to 5 dozen eggs a week and I wasn't getting enough good eggs to keep up. Two weeks ago I ran out and got some cheap Nutrena layer on sale. Within a few days there was a visual difference and egg production picked up. I haven't had a soft shell in a week and a half. All shells are back to hard and I'm getting 10-13 a day again for the last week.

Egg production didn't drop that much the week I didn't get to the store earlier this year and they had to eat my 12+ seed scratch and whatever they could forage up themselves. I think it only dropped a couple eggs a day. I do record egg count and any soft shells every day.

What the heck is up with that? I thought everyone was that was using the Scratch and Peck had good results on it. I'm just frustrated with that, blah.

 

[Hinotori]

I found a cricket in my back yard yesterday. Almost fed it to a chicken. Yesterday, DD asked me "How come summer is so short this year?" I told her summer went to the rest of the country this year. She doesn't think that's fair.

Mom's over on the dry side on the Columbia River in Oregon and she never believes me when I tell her the temps here. She's like "but it was always 100 at the end of school and during summer and you never had a problem growing up." I tell her that's all find and dandy if you're acclimatized to that type of temp. Right now I'll stick with what feels like fall to me at the moment. I've been telling my friends across the country that our summer ran July 5-20 and that was our two weeks. I can't repeat what they say in polite company.

Just a wee bit hot for them.

Mom wants me to come visit in a few weeks. She entices me by telling me that the watermelons are running now and I think she said one of my great uncles will have some early potatoes next week. So I can see my niece who is due next week and pick up food in one trip. I'm torn. I prefer seeded melons since they taste better, but I don't really want to drive down alone. I don't think they sell any of the seeded to the stores, but there are always some for the cross pollination of the seedless crop.

 

[justbugged]

Quote: If you could get me a pet skunk, I would be will to fly to MI to show you how to process your own birds. I have always wanted a pet skunk. My DH travels a lot for work, so I can fly nearly anytime I find a reason to go some place. I love the pictures of your skunk.

 

[justbugged]

WOO-HOO!!! First egg tonight! And my sweet little pullet even left it in the nest box, despite being out free ranging. What a good girl! I don't know who left it, so all the girls got an extra handful of mealworms.

Yea, chickens!

--Nikki

Congratulations!!!

Have you done the math on what that egg has cost you yet? We estimated our first egg cost us 800.00.

 

[justbugged]

Quote: I am so sorry that you missed freezer camp today. But I do know how it is when the car threatens to kill it's self. I am going to ask my DH what could cause symptoms like you have described. My DH is amazing when it comes to troubleshooting things.

I happy that your son had such a great time at camp. It's wonderful that he can learn that it is okay to do somethings for himself. I believe that his self esteem will grow quite a bit by the experience.

 

[JNB]

WOO-HOO!!! First egg tonight! And my sweet little pullet even left it in the nest box, despite being out free ranging. What a good girl! I don't know who left it, so all the girls got an extra handful of mealworms.

Yea, chickens!

--Nikki

Congratulations... its so exciting getting the first egg!!!!!!! Well done that the sweetie even put it in the box

 

[JNB]

okay, so here's the Scotch eggs I did for our crabbing tomorrow.

The egg in the middle is an EE - the Scotch eggs are ducks eggs wrapped with ground, seasoned chicken thighs. We had one for a starter before dinner tonight, cut up and dipped in mustard. It was fabulous.

Those look FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JNB]

Something kinda weird / Funny today... My hubby has been complaining that the Rooster I keep has been attacking him when ever he goes into the coop or even to open it. Now I have never seen this roo do anything more than puff up and charge, but then waddle off chattering to himself . Minus one time shortly after he arrived that he came after me and that ended with him running off with the feed bucket on his head. He and I have gotten along well since and so has my kids and the caretaker that looks after them when I'm away...

Anyways I have been thinking my husband was just overreacting.... until tonight. We had let the chickens all out to free range while we were unloading hay into the barn. When the Roo spotted my hubby he went silly crowing and puffing up flapping his wings...... I shooed him off and we kinda laughed about it.. About 10 minutes later... ( there's a loft in the barn) the roo came flying down at my husband. He looked possessed.. I have never seen him act like this.. Hubby knocked him back and I swear I'm not fibbing the 2 of them went round in circles. I t was a little like watching a MMA fight. I told Hubby he had to "win " the fight and actually catch the Roo . Hold him upside down by feet and put him in time out ( small kennel ) I don't know if that's the best way to handle an unruly roo. It is how I was taught by my father and grandfather (except they weren't always as patient, we often ate combative Roo'
s the same night ) it has worked well for me when dealing with the boys over the years..

I asked hubby what the heck he did to the bird to make it hate him so. He swears he has never done a thing. A friend of ours that was here helping with the hay told hubby that the Roo just looks at myself and my daughter as a more of "his women" and that must be why he dislikes hubby.. haahaa LOL

Now for a bit of funny.... later on I walked out to toss some melon to the girls... Here was hubby sitting next to the Roo still in his time out box.. Talking... yes my husband was talking to the Roo. Telling him that he knew he was" just protecting the women and all but dammit I pay for your food and you don't even give eggs.. so buddy shape up or well ...." I was pressing my hand over my face so hard to stop from laughing I almost couldn't breath . See my hubby really tries to be the tough guy esp when it comes to the animals.... so I quickly backed up and headed back to the house... When hubby came in I asked so did ya put "Hulk" (that's the roos name). Hubby replied "HECK NO.. if I put that so and so anywhere it will be it will only be into a pot." I told him no worries Id go put him back in... but really I was smiling to myself because I knew otherwise....