Egg production up

Slowly but surely, the hens are beginning to lay more eggs. Today I got 6 eggs, two of which were smaller than the rest. I'm assuming they are from two of the spring chickens that we raised.

They began laying the week before last, with us getting only one or two a day. I went for a 4-day visit to my Mom's and my son said he was getting more eggs. He thought maybe we'd got about a dozen during my visit, several of which he used for meals.

Right now I have about a dozen and a half in the fridge right now, so I'm pretty happy about it. We ate some for supper after I got home and I still have that many left.

Most of the eggs are too large to fit into the egg cartons I have on hand. You can't close the lid on them, and they were for large eggs at the grocery store. I suppose that means these are jumbo eggs? Regardless, since the hens free-range during the afternoons, and we don't feed any medicated feeds to them, I'm pretty happy with what they are giving us now.

If the production continues to improve, then I'll have enough to sell a few dozen a week to help offset the cost of feed.

Technorati Tags: eggs,chickens

The Place for Us

The Author of this post is Cheryl Martinez

Moving here was an undertaking…it’s so far out in the country I had to learn all kinds of new stuff about pest control and satellite internet and even well water. Well water! I’m a city girl through and through but at the end of the day it just made sense with all the dogs that I would move outside of town and end up with more land so that’s what I went looking for late last year. I’m finally starting to settle in here and the boxes are more or less all unpacked and the dogs are just in hog heaven with the big yard to run around in and the park nearby. I’ve always been an animal lover and when I adopted my third last year I knew I had to make some changes to my lifestyle to accommodate them. I don’t mind it at all though since they’re so happy and they feel loved. That’s my goal in life, to love these dogs and make them as happy as possible!

Technorati Tags: dogs,home,moving

Quail for supper

We culled 5 of our quails today. One of them wasn't perking along very well anyway and the others had picked at him. Another one was picked at as well. So, those two needed to be dispatched. The other three were smaller males. We plan to keep the largest males for breeding, which will occur probably around March.

The quail hens aren't laying much right now, even though we are keeping a light on them at night. Like chickens, quails need at least 14 hours of light per day to continue laying. The next thing will be to add drop lights next to the cages with incandescent bulbs in them to produce some warmth. We'll add one to the chicken house, too.

We already wrapped the cages with clear plastic. No, not so much as to smother the birds but enough to keep out the cold wind and rain. They don't do well if they get wet and chilled. Hypothermia can really take its toll on quails.

We fried the culled quails like chicken and had them for supper. We had enough leftover to share with some friends, too.

There's something very basic and satisfying about raising your own livestock and using it for food on the table.

Technorati Tags: quail,quails,eggs

Planning for a utility trailer

For me to continue with my small homesteading projects, I'm going to have to either get a pickup truck or a small trailer. I need to be able to haul building materials, feed, hay, barrels (for the feed and for rainwater caching), and other items that are too large or bulky to fit inside the back of my Explorer.

I don't want to get rid of the Explorer. It's been such a good vehicle with few issues so far. It's fairly comfortable to ride in and drive. There are times, such as when I bought a lot of quails and had two cages to haul them in, when I need it for protecting what I'm carrying. It's also handy for groceries, to keep them from getting wet when it rains.

My oldest son has a small utility trailer he's willing to let me use, if I can just find tires for it. I think I may have two tires that will fit it already. What I don't have, though, is a trailer hitch for the bumper or a receiver hitch. This means doing a bit of shopping for curt trailer hitches or something similar to add to my Explorer bumper. It also means wiring in a light plug and making sure I have a way to hook up safety chains.

So much to think about!

Technorati Tags: truck,trailer,hitch,homesteading

Unique gift giving for Christmas

No, it's not even Thanksgiving yet, or even Halloween, but this is when you really should be shopping for Christmas. While there aren't throngs of shoppers you can shop as you will, taking your time, searching out the best deals, and not being hassled by salespersons.

This is also the time when you won't be inundated with TV ads for everything from lighted sneakers to kitchen gadgets. You can think and decide with a clear head.

The truth is, some of my most treasured gifts for Christmas have been ornaments for christmas decorating. They aren't all tree ornaments, either. Some are parts of vignettes that I set up around the house. They have mostly been gifts from my dear Mother, who thinks in terms of things that aren't faddish but which will last with memories of Christmas past.

That's exactly how I like to give to others, as well. It's not always about the latest kitchen gadget or electronic device. Sometimes, it's about a handmade work of Christmas art that connects to a memory.

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High cost of higher education

I recently watched a video centered around how much it costs college/university students to complete a degree. It was pretty scary thinking about how much these young people wind up owing by the time they graduate. Even scarier is how much they wind up owing after going back to upgrade their degree. Then, so many of them can't even get a job in their chosen field.

Gone are the days, it seems, that a young person could work their way through college and be debt-free at the end of it. There was a time when a kid could work at a burger joint, play guitar at a local eatery, or even work on campus to foot the bill for classes, labs, and books. Some kids are still able to do this. One things is they don't live beyond their means. They use their income for education and basic necessities, not for dining out, nights on the town, fast cars, or designer duds.

Maybe that's the real answer -- learning to budget.

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Cool mornings

Fall is coming on in spurts this year. For instance, a few days ago it was in the 70s for overnight lows. This morning it was in the lower 40s. Brrr! I know, that's not the coldest it's going to get, but it's definitely time for flannel jammies instead of teddies lingerie.

In fact, when I woke up this morning I was quite reluctant to come out from under the covers. I did manage to brew a pot of coffee, but I sat on the sofa with a throw wrapped around me, sipping the steaming coffee. I was just trying to warm up.

I don't want to run the heaters yet and increase my electric bill. As long as I can layer on some clothes or wrap up in a blanket, I'll keep them off. I know that in a few weeks it's going to be a lot colder and that tactic won't work. Then, I'll roll out the heaters and use them, but with great care and discrimination.

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Eggs and beans

Well, we finally got our first chicken egg today. It's a promise of more to come. This will really help supplement our diet and could save money on groceries, as soon as they are laying enough to offset the cost of feed. The quails give us a few eggs each day, too, though they are so small it takes at least 4 of them to equal one medium to large chicken egg.

I'm still picking beans and peas from the garden. Some of the plants have pretty well quit producing, but the butter beans are still gorgeous, blooming, and producing pods. We have eaten quite a few delicious meals from all the beans and peas. I pull a couple of carrots to throw in with them and it makes for a nice medley of veggies.

I have late tomatoes and cucumbers growing. I'll be surrounding them with heavy plastic to make a sort of mini-greenhouse and keep them going for awhile.

Technorati Tags: gardening,chickens,eggs

Growing into a job

It's funny how things turn out in life. We begin with big dreams of being rich or famous, but later we sometimes dream of just raising the kids and making ends meet.

Sometimes, though, we happen onto a job that offers us advancement and more good pay. Maybe even good benefits. My younger daughter has done just that.

She started out in food service, working at a sandwich shop. She then changed jobs and began working at an eye doctor's office. Mostly what she did was fit people for glasses. Now, she has advanced in her job and her training so that she works in a Medical & Clinical Laboratory for an ophthalmologist, assisting in the eye surgery wing and helping people with contact lenses.

I'm really very proud of her.

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More self-sufficient

Things are rolling along here pretty well. I've added 50 more quail to the "livestock" plus 3 more rabbits and 4 more hens. This should be enough to establish some good breeding that will give us meat for the freezer in the next couple of months. Plus, we will have eggs to eat as well.

My gardens have about played out, but I'm still picking beans and peas. I planted a fall crop of turnips and cucumbers. I figure I'll have to cover some things with plastic to keep them going for a long enough time to really produce. For instance, I have three late tomato plants that will need protecting.

The intense heat of a few weeks ago really took a toll on everything else. Add to that the fact that we were and still are under drought conditions, and you have an idea of how poorly some of the vegetables produced. Yet, we have had some meals from the gardens which means I saved some money on groceries. (Seeds are cheap.)

I managed to save some seeds to plant next year because I grow non-hybrid, non-gmo vegetables. Also, some of the seeds I purchased this year have been saved because I had only so much space for planting and there is a minimum amount you buy from the seed store.

I am hoping by next spring to have a couple of milk goats here, which should round out my food needs pretty well. Plus, when they have kids, the kids can be sold or butchered for meat.

My plan is to not have to buy so many groceries. Maybe only cooking fats, butter, flour, and coffee. Doing so will greatly reduce my need for more income.

Technorati Tags: country living,gardening