S-A-T-U-R-----D-A-Y NIGHT!!

well, I guess it is actually morning, but I have that song stuck in my head. For those of you that don't know yet, Saturdays I post on WNDN. Today's topic. . . Turkey



Howling Hill tagged me a few days ago about sharing sweet potato recipes with little sugar. I have an article on All Foods Natural dealing with the subject.



Sweet Potato Casseroles

In a time with money woes

I really don't need someone getting a hold of my husband's account number and spending what little money we have.

Luckily the bank is working with us and this should be sorted out soon.

Dealing with a Broody Hen

Stephanie asks what do I do about a broody hen.

First I rejoice! Do a little happy dance, and count my blessings. Hens going broody with a commercial stock is rare. That wonderful trait has been bred out of most large breed birds. However, your little bannies haven't been messed with. And they will more than likely be the ones to go all broody on you.

One problem with the broody hen, is their lack of self preservation. They will sit the entire month on those eggs without eating or drinking. And here is the issue. You really don't want that, it isn't good for your mother hen. However moving them to eat can cause havoc, and they might decide not to go back to the eggs. What to do?

We have areas for the broody hen to go, inside the chicken yard. While the other hens all seem to enjoy sharing the same nest inside the coop, your broody hen wants to be left alone. You can tell this by the way she hisses and spits at you when you approach. Or the way she tries to take your finger off if you reach in. What we have done is place the top half of a plastic dog house, littered with straw, outside of the coop, but still in the yard. This way she can have her privacy. Most of the broody hens will use it, however some will not.

Above is a silkie using the dog house top.





This English game hen was thought to be dead, until my husband reached into the box that was on a high shelf in the barn and she attempt to eat him. This mother hen found sanctuary behind an old cooler in the sheep's shed.

Unless you plan to keep them locked up, you never know where they will decide to brood. Bring them water and a little feed everyday, and hope they will eat it. The last mother hen in these photos, was the only one that would eat or drink before the chicks were hatched.

Growing your own; Chicken feed

Hickchick asked over on The Back Forty. . .

I'm late to this post...but I'll throw this out to anyone still still reading...does anyone have experience with growing their own feed for winter or buying whole grains-something other than the expensive 50# bags from the feed store?

Just so happens, I do. Black Sunflower, cow peas and popcorn make great scratch. Depending on the size of your flock, will dictate how much you need to grow. I also feed my birds leftovers. Just be careful what you give them. They love rotting milk and meat. Watch out for the green peppers and onions, even though they seem to really enjoy eating it, their eggs will taste like an omelet. Dry greens, like clover, for a winter feed as well. Jerusalem Artichokes are a great sustainable plant to grow in your chicken yard. Bugs love this plant, the birds love the bugs, the plants love the poop, and you'll love the tuber.

As for the expensive feed, I go to my local co-op and spend a lot less on my egg layers mash than I do at the chain feed stores. You can also look around for a local mash maker. My b-i-l buys his from a man relatively cheap. Hope this helps you.

As for the rest of you, do you see what you have brought me to? Answering questions to other people, on my own blog. SHEESH!

The Back Forty Wants to Know!

1. Do you have a particular favorite breed of chicken, and if so what is it and why do you prefer it? Or if more than one, which ones, etc? I love bannies, Frizzles to be exact. Bannies are great mothers, and although tiny, great canning meat. As for the large breed birds, I don't have a preference, except I really don't care for Leghorn roosters. Those are some mean suckers!

2. Do you use your chickens for your family, to sell, or both? Meat, or eggs, or both? All of the above.

3. What advice would you give to anyone wanting to start out raising them, other than reading some good books on the subject? Reading is super important, but nothing beats hands on experience. Chickens are one of the easier livestock's to deal with. Just make sure you have some good fencing to keep neighbors and other animals out.

4. Do you primarily keep your chickens in a coop/enclosed chicken yard, or do they roam your property? My birds roam, but I do lock them up at night, in a yard and coop.

5. Do you ever let them into your garden? If no, do you have a fence or something to keep them out? I do allow them in the garden before anything starts to fruit, after that they stay out unless they want to get eaten. I have a fence that keeps all the animals out until I want them in.

6. Do you ever use a chicken tractor, and if so, is it for meat birds only? do you use electric/ net poultry fencing? I'm interested in which has worked for you and which has not. What has been your experience with pastured poultry 'a la the Joel Salatin sort (follow behind the livestock grazings at the optimum time), if that applies? No, I do not use a tractor, but have thought about it.

7. Do you keep chickens year-round, or raise them for seasonal processing? Year round

8. How many chickens of a certain type do you raise at one time (what works best for you as far as how many to raise at a time?) It varies. I raise 30 chicks at a time. Sometimes a few of those die, some times my adult birds go missing, and sometimes we cull.

These questions come via, The Back Forty. She would like as many chicken wranglers as possible to answer. So, got 'em, answer 'em.

Poop or Cute?

I don't think that any of you really want to hear about my weekend shoveling poop. So here is some gratuities cute.




my middle son got extra candy for this outfit, and a whole lot of attention. We had to wait as the door greeters called out for other people in the home to look at him.