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Sunday, June 29, 2025
Friday, July 03, 2020
Ok, see, look....it's like this....
Yeah, ok, the new blog never panned out :) I don't have a good excuse for not keeping this blog up, other than I don't really have the time to write something on a regular basis. Of course, if I'm honest, the real reason is that I don't take the time to write something on a regular basis.
Need to work on that...
Need to work on that...
Friday, August 14, 2015
Friday, September 07, 2012
Friday, February 25, 2011
New Blog In The Works
I've been tinkering with my home computers and learning a bit about the Linux OS. I'm at the point that I have a web site hosted from home (http://lucnet.dyndns.org). Part of this web site is a blog which I intend to use instead of this one. The Blogger platform has been great, but it's geek-out time and I'm having more fun managing the entire operation from the back-end.
Stay tuned for updates on the blog (it's there, but it's not very perty.)
Stay tuned for updates on the blog (it's there, but it's not very perty.)
Monday, June 14, 2010
No Chicks Yet, But Garden Doing Well
Well, the duck and chicken eggs proved to be too much for my little broody hen. Other chickens kept laying eggs in her clutch while she was out eating, and eventually it became too much for her little body to effectively set upon. Clearly I need to facilitate the process with a separate enclosure for the broody hens (if I ever have any more).
Meanwhile, I've set up the incubator again in my second attempt to hatch chicks without a hen. Keeping the temperature within an acceptable range to promote growth has been a trick, but after a week, veins and hearts can be seen by candling the eggs. With any luck, we'll have some young pullets ready for slaughter by fall (finally some tender chicken).
Egg sales have been slow, but we do have a few regular customers. We sold a bunch during the weekend of the Caribou City Wide Yard Sale, along with two large coolers full of fiddleheads (we picked more fiddleheads than we could can, so we sold the surplus cheap just to get rid of them).
Most of the vegetables I planted this year are growing. Some are doing better than others. I learned (after I planted) that lime is required to get a good crop of peas. Needless to say, we're not going to have too many peas this year. However, the string beans, corn, and cucumbers are doing quite well. Lettuce and spinach should have been started indoors and are not doing so well. Tomatoes seem to be doing fine. We bought them started from Phil's Florist in Caribou and they've already blossomed.
We do have a few unplanned crops in our garden this year. I found some onions discarded at the wood pile at the local landfill (I know). Some of them seem to be doing well in their new home. We bought two basil plants at a local greenhouse just a couple miles down the road from us. We've already enjoyed some of those in a tomato and basil pizza that Kim makes (yum!). We have also acquired a rhubarb plant from Kim's parents. It's producing small and very sour (and very delicious) stalks right now. I'm hoping for a nice big bush of it in a few years.
Meanwhile, I've set up the incubator again in my second attempt to hatch chicks without a hen. Keeping the temperature within an acceptable range to promote growth has been a trick, but after a week, veins and hearts can be seen by candling the eggs. With any luck, we'll have some young pullets ready for slaughter by fall (finally some tender chicken).
Egg sales have been slow, but we do have a few regular customers. We sold a bunch during the weekend of the Caribou City Wide Yard Sale, along with two large coolers full of fiddleheads (we picked more fiddleheads than we could can, so we sold the surplus cheap just to get rid of them).
Most of the vegetables I planted this year are growing. Some are doing better than others. I learned (after I planted) that lime is required to get a good crop of peas. Needless to say, we're not going to have too many peas this year. However, the string beans, corn, and cucumbers are doing quite well. Lettuce and spinach should have been started indoors and are not doing so well. Tomatoes seem to be doing fine. We bought them started from Phil's Florist in Caribou and they've already blossomed.
We do have a few unplanned crops in our garden this year. I found some onions discarded at the wood pile at the local landfill (I know). Some of them seem to be doing well in their new home. We bought two basil plants at a local greenhouse just a couple miles down the road from us. We've already enjoyed some of those in a tomato and basil pizza that Kim makes (yum!). We have also acquired a rhubarb plant from Kim's parents. It's producing small and very sour (and very delicious) stalks right now. I'm hoping for a nice big bush of it in a few years.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Sloooooow Cooked Chicken
Ah, the wonderful slow cooker. How we love thee. Eight hours in the crock pot turns those tough old birds into succulent dinners for two. We've had a few of them now and are ready to get crazy with new recipes for our chickens. The hens are laying at least a dozen eggs a day now, so we're rapidly running out of room in the refrigerator. Kim has finished a fantastic sign for the side of the road to advertise our farm fresh pastured eggs. I'll be putting some pictures of this up shortly. We'll start at $2.50 a dozen and see what happens.
As for butchering and cleaning the birds, I still need practice. I did the last one myself and spent about an hour on the job, which is far to long. Marcus watched me kill the hen, which he handled quite well. He missed most of the gutting due to homework obligations.
Dick gave us a dozen duck eggs from his farm, so I put them in the nesting boxes for the broody among the hens. I have one that's setting consistently, the one that hatched a clutch last year. A couple of the others have tried it, but seem to be on the fence about it and would rather be foraging. Hopefully we'll have both chicks and ducklings within a few weeks.
For a brooder, I'll be using a large wooden box I brought home from the dump. It's deep and long, perfect for a big bunch of chicks. We purchased a heat lamp from the new Tractor Supply Company store in Presque Isle yesterday. The one I bought last year fell apart completely (cheepie from Walmart).
As for butchering and cleaning the birds, I still need practice. I did the last one myself and spent about an hour on the job, which is far to long. Marcus watched me kill the hen, which he handled quite well. He missed most of the gutting due to homework obligations.
Dick gave us a dozen duck eggs from his farm, so I put them in the nesting boxes for the broody among the hens. I have one that's setting consistently, the one that hatched a clutch last year. A couple of the others have tried it, but seem to be on the fence about it and would rather be foraging. Hopefully we'll have both chicks and ducklings within a few weeks.
For a brooder, I'll be using a large wooden box I brought home from the dump. It's deep and long, perfect for a big bunch of chicks. We purchased a heat lamp from the new Tractor Supply Company store in Presque Isle yesterday. The one I bought last year fell apart completely (cheepie from Walmart).
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