Homemade Egg Candler

New at the Farm

New here at the farm this year is Quail. We recently purchased 18 quail to see how we like raising them. While researching the benefits of the eggs, we learned that they are supposed to help with your HDL or good cholesterol. Dewayne has a problem with his, so that's enough for me to want to try them.
So far, we are still trying to figure out the best way of housing them. We have some stacking rabbit cages that we're not using so we tried them in the barn. That did not work! Quail are very messy. I don't need something else to do every day, so outside to the extra rabbit hutches they went.
So far, I think I like this set up better. We are having a terrible time trying to find the right food though. You would think game bird feed would be at every feed store with every other kind of feed. There are 17 different kinds of layer chicken feed but no game bird except for a tiny little bag of it. That would last about a day.
Right now they are on meat bird feed. I'll see how they do on that until I can find the other. They have laid a few eggs, but we haven't tried them yet. I plan to hard boil them this weekend when I fix the Easter eggs.

The garden is cleaned up and ready

Dewayne starting working in the garden the other day. There is a small spot for the first potatoes to go in.

Burning off the old stuff from last year. 

No tillers are used. Good old fashioned tools are all that's used here. When we get the taters, we'll work up this area with the rotary wheel before planting the spuds.

NEW BUNNIES!!

NEW BUNNIES BORN 3/23 AND 3/24


HAVANAS
Katie -- Wildfire's LC16(broken chocolate) x Bo-- Meyer's 5CB1 (chocolate)
Kindled 3/23/16
3 solids

Gemini--Dawnbeats Gemeni 2DH2T (broken black) x Wildfire--Wildfire's W193F (black)
kindled 3/24/16
2 solid, 2 broken

I'VE MISSED THIS!

OH HOW I'VE MISSED the sight of a momma rabbit stashing. I put the box in for Gemini, our broken black Havana, and she started her hay stashing for her nest. Woo hoo!

The Rabbits Think It's Spring

The rabbits must think it's Spring. I got 7 of the Cals bred today. All 3 of the Havana does were already bred and 7 other Cals were already done. One left to go!

We got the quail set up in a different cage lay out, so hopefully they will like it a little better.

Dewayne, Daryle and Camden got the garden burned off and we got the new greenhouse set up and moved the plants over to it.

We spent some time out around the cabin and had some lunch fixed out there. The grandkids enjoyed the day outside. Today is dreary and rainy and not a good day to get things done outside. Sounds like a really good day for reading and watching tv

I FOUND SOME CUCKOO MARANS!

I've been wanting to get some Cuckoo Marans chicks. They lay a very dark chocolate colored egg. They are a dual purpose for laying and for meat. I think I like the name the best, lol.

I brought home 6 from the local farm store yesterday. They have joined the 26 Cornish cross that we got on Thursday. Man what a size difference. They will be separated soon before the Cornish outgrow them any more than they are!

WHO NEEDS "ENERGY" PILLS? ALL I NEED IS SPRING....AND THAT'S FREE!

Today's project was the carport. Good grief, we have a lot of crap. Anyway, it's now organized. That took most of the day.

I've been seeing a lot of people posting about taking different Essential Oils, or other types of stuff that "gives you loads of energy". I have loads of energy......all I needed was Spring!

THE FRONT PORCH IS CLEAN!

Well, today I got the cucumbers, spaghetti squash, zucchinis, Calendula, and pumpkins started. I thought I was finished with seeds.....until I came in the living room to see a packet of cantaloupe. Guess what I'll be doing in the morning.

I didn't get much else done today. Most of the day was spent cleaning off the front porch. Sad to admit but it was a total disaster area. We acquired dozens and dozens of mason jars from several people and they were piled up along with all kinds of crap that we have gathered over the winter. It seems winter makes me lazy. Critters are always taken care of but not much else gets done outside. Spring means more around here than planting time....it's clean up the junk that I was too lazy to take care of when it was so stinking cold out. Now I'm so sore I can hardly move. Porch looks awesome though and I feel like I accomplished a lot. It was a good day. Special thanks to our son and daughter-in-law that helped me get a few of the heavy items moved.

THINK "OUTSIDE THE BOX" FOR YOUR PLANTERS

This is an old enamel pan that we used to use for feeding critters. They have all but destroyed the poor thing. The bottom is just barely hanging on. I lined the pan with burlap then added the compost. It is setting on a piece of rubber roofing to help protect the table. I don't know yet what I will plant in it....thinking flowers like Brocade Marigolds. May even plant Basil in it.....we will see!

Camden and I went on a scout out back over the weekend and found this. It's a hog feeder. Strawberry planter now!

We've been talking about this for a long time. Just finally got around to doing it. Dewayne cut this barrel open and bolted the ends together. He drilled a few holes in the bottom and then we put some burlap in the bottom. This will be our "Salad Garden". Spinach, leaf lettuce and kale will be started shortly. Radishes will be grown in the fronts as well as a cucumber that I plan to drape around the outside of the planter as it grows. The short barrel on the left will be for a cherry tomato plant. We thought the tomato would take over everything so decided to put it by itself. 

I CAN NOT wait for salad time!!

DON'T THROW OUT THOSE EGG SHELLS!

I save all of our egg shells. I let them dry for a few days, then crush them to make a powder. My weapon of choice for crushing is the mortar and pestle. 

Finely ground, you can add the egg shells to your chicken feed or to your plants for a boost of calcium. 

TODAY IS MARCH 7, 2016

Today is March 7, 2016.

Today I moved the started plants to the small greenhouse outside. It’s supposed to be in the 60’s all week so we’ll see how that goes. This is Illinois after all. If it cools down too much next week I can always bring them back in.

Today I also got the “chickery” set-up. That’s our inside-on-the-back-porch-set up for our new chicks that I will be picking up tomorrow or Wednesday. We just use one of our rubber stock tanks set on saw horses. The back porch temperature is cooler than anywhere else in the house, but easier to maintain then being out in the barn. They will stay in that for the week, then be moved to the big brooder in the barn. I like to keep them close for awhile.

Today I moved the quail. We had them in three different pens and I put them all into one. We just got them on Saturday and I still am not really sure what I want to do with them. They are outside in the rabbit hutches and are fine, but I might decide to move them to the barn. They are very messy critters I have discovered. That’s one reason I don’t want them in the barn. As messy and wasteful as they are with their food, I don’t want them to draw in rodents. The other birds are out there, but they clean up all of their food pretty good.

Today I moved the recent batch of meat birds from the brooder to the goat stall and kicked the goats outside. Don’t worry, the goats are fine. They usually love being outside anyway. They have their pasture shelter that they seem to prefer to being in the barn. I just choose to feed them in the barn during the winter so it’s easier for me. That way I don’t have to pack hay and water out through the pasture.

The Pasture House for the goats

I don’t know what else I will do. Times a wasting. Need to go.