The Jumbo Double Yolker!

Next to a regular size L egg

Joy Joy came earlier all excited because one of her chickens laid a giant egg!
It was too big to put away so she cooked it up, and it was a double yolker!  She was kind enough to share with her mommy. I tasted really good!

Couldn't fit it in the carton.

It was a 2 person egg. Two Large Yolks in it. Yummy!

Chicken Eggs and Weaving Looms

All 5 hens are now laying! Alpha's is far left (the little one) That is her 1st!

 All five of our hens are now laying, so we get 3 to 5 eggs every day. They taste so much better than store bought. If you have never had a fresh egg from a chicken that lives a really good life, full of grass, bugs, kitchen scraps, and yes, laying feed, not to mention, fresh air and sunshine. You have know idea what you are missing!


If you remember my post about how I was teaching myself weaving, I have finally finished my original project this weekend. I took it off the loom tied the edges, and then crocheted  (because the edges were a mess!) the edges to finish it off and make it look nice(er).

Blue scarf finished on the Hauser Homestead Heritage Ridged heddle Loom, and baby doll blanket  on my  4  heddle loom .

 Our genius friend who designed and built the Port-a-Coop chicken tractor, (Plans are available for purchase here )designed and built Joy Joy a ridged heddle loom! I tried it out by making a scarf for Bug a Boo. She loves it. I still have some warp left on both of them. I will let Joy Joy practice on her loom and I will practice some more on my 4 heddle loom.

The Hauser Heritage Ridged Heddle Loom. Coming soon!!!

Other news on the homestead: It has been a very mild winter here in the foothills of NC. The buds are coming out on my peach tree too early, and I fear a freeze.

I am ready to go out and start getting my soil ready for the garden. This last year, not much grew. I am praying for a much better crop this year!

Cooking Rooster, Making Soap, and Day Dreaming about Gardening.

• 

  Chicken Stock/broth

Homemade Soap. 

Well it happened. We could not find a home for Big Red. My husband was going over to help a friend butcher their roosters and he took Big Red along.
This happened last Friday and my Joy Joy did her best to be strong, but there were a lot of tears. All I could do is hold her and cry with her.
Sunday she went to a friend's house and I roasted the chicken, and yesterday I tried making bone stock. Frank had kept and skinned the feet for me, and I simmered it all day. It did not got get thick like I thought it would. So maybe it is just broth? It will make soup one way or the other!
I went over to a friends house Monday and we made soap. This was my 2nd time making it. This time I contributed Red Palm oil, olive oil, and Lilac oil. I wish I could make the picture scratch and sniff! The soap has: goat milk,olive oil, red palm oil, Shea Butter, Coconut oil, lilac and some other pretty smelling stuff she had. Oh, and lye of course. I have 13 bars and they are sitting on my shelves smelling good. They need to cure for about a month before we can use them.


I watched a really good movie called Back To Eden Film. (Click on name to watch it.)
 Here is what it says about it.
"BACK TO EDEN shares the story of one man’s lifelong journey, walking with God and learning how to get back to the simple, productive methods of sustainable provision that were given to man in the garden of Eden. The organic growing system that has resulted from Paul Gautschi’s incredible experiences has garnered the interest of visitors from around the world. However, never until now have Paul’s methods been documented and shared like this!"
It was long, but well worth watching. It talks about using tree clippings, (the stuff the tree services chop up) and putting that right on your garden. No tilling! I have already called one tree service and he took my number for the next time he is working in my area and will bring me a load of chips! I can't wait.

Today, I am suffering from a head cold. I am going now to cuddle up in a blanket and drink some hot herbal tea with honey.

Up-date On Our Rooster, Oh No, Roosters!

Saying good bye to Mr Waddles

It is hard to believe it has been 2 months since my last post! Life gets very busy with the start of school.
I did not plant a fall garden as planned. I was digging out beds and adding compost, leaves and kitchen Scraps in layers. It was slower going than I planned. Our soil has so much clay, that you would have thought I was digging virgin ground!
Then I popped a tendon in my right hand (not while digging, or doing anything hard!) and have not been digging anymore. Injuries are extremely frustrating when you have a long list of things you want to get done.


Good news is, we found a nice home for Mr Waddles!

Our two late blooming roosters.

Bad news is, a couple of weeks after finding Mr Waddles a home, Anna and Big Red started growing pretty tail fathers and crowing. We were not happy at all! Anna, if you remember is my gardening buddy. More good news though, the neighbors don't mind the crowing! So Anna stays and Big Red is in the classifieds.

Anna stays.

Joy Joy also picked out 2 white hens from a friend and we added them to our little flock. I will take pictures soon.

Big Red has to go.

Frank finished the shed except for the siding he wants to put on. We got our Christmas tree up, and I have been doing some little jobs (house cleaning and photography) to earn money for gifts. All in all, life is good and we are very blessed. I will try to post again soon with pictures of the shed and new hens, but if I don't before Christmas, let me wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Rainy Day Post

Little things that make me happy.

Today is the third day in a row of clouds and rain. I could use a little sunshine about now. I will have to content myself with a good cup of coffee. I would go for tea, but I was up with Nate the Great last night who was very croupy, so strong coffee this morning.

I wanted to share my new favorite preparedness blog, Purposeful Preparation for Survival, with you. This family has all sorts of great info! In fact I have been planning on making a lot of these, "paper products".  After school today with my kids, I plan on having a nice warm cup of tea and reading this blog.

We are still trying to find a home for our rooster Mr. Waddles. I am afraid, that my Honey may have to learn a new survival skill soon if we don't find him a home.

Apple Picking

Bug-a-boo going after the high ones.

 It has been a crazy few weeks. I thought with the start of school life would calm down into a nice routine. HA! Not so. The good thing about homeschooling is that you can take on life as it comes at you. Like caring for grandma when she is to sick to help herself. That in itself is a life lesson you cannot find in a workbook.

He found THE perfect apple.

We took an afternoon away from the craziness to pick some yummy apples at a friends apple orchard. They also took three of our hens that needed a home. Now we just need a home for our rooster Mr. Waddles. I was going to offer him for free in our local paper, till I heard he would find a home quickly, as a  cock fighter! That is not going to happen. It would be much kinder to put him in the stew pot. Not sure if we are hungry enough to do that though.

Joy Joy found a new home for 3 of her girls.

I did not get a fall garden planted. You have to be home to do that! My Honey love has been busy building us a garden shed as funds come in.
We got 4 and 1/2 pumpkins from the compost pumpkin plants. A half you say? Yes. A ground hog got the other half. He could go in the stew pot too, as far as I am concerned. I wonder what groundhog tastes like?

My Honey love building me a garden shed!

I am planning (but will it really happen?) to go out and put the garden to bed and get it ready for next year. I have some clover seeds to put in, and I should get the litter (wood chips and chicken poo) out of the hen house spread it around the garden and put fresh in the coop for the winter. Then we will have more nice litter for the spring.
The chickens have much more room in their yard with the 3 hens gone. The chickens seemed unusually subdued for a couple of days after we gave away their sisters. Thankfully they are acting like themselves again.

New Readers and The Port-A-Coop Update

I was excited (giddy actually) to find out our Port-A-Coop was featured on the Community Chicken Mother Earth E-news letter! This is a great sight that I go to all the time for information.
   So first, I want to welcome our new readers and thank those who have e-mailed asking about the port-a-coop. It has brought to my attention, some things that need to be addressed.
We have been using the prototype port-a-coop since mid May and so far it is holding up wonderfully.
 I should mention, that we picture the girls moving the coop, and they do. When it is going across the yard they pick it up and swivel it to the side, or they can move it down hill. It is heavy enough that when we are moving it up the hill, it takes Dad, or myself and my teenage son to help me move it. It would be nicer if it was lighter and easier to move, BUT that would have a down side too. After it was built in May, we had a large storm that was taking down trees and sending horizontal rain, but the Port-a-coop stood strong. You can't really tell from the pictures, but our backyard is quite a hill. Our garden is at the bottom where it it almost flat. I really believe a lighter one would have gone down the hill into the gully behind our yard and been broken or at the least tipped over. So I can't complain about the weight, as it helps it stay put when you don't want it moving.
The cost to build was roughly 300.00$ to build.
It has 4, nesting boxes, the house is 4'by 4' and the yard is 4' by 8'. It can hold 4 large hens comfortably or more of a smaller breed.  We will be keeping 5 mixed breed in ours. 4 are going to another home, as soon as he has his place for them ready... I hope it is soon.
I have added some wood chips to the inside (we use the deep litter method) but have not had to change it out yet. I will probably change it out before it gets cold so it will make it through the winter before it needs changed again, and so I can use it on my garden to help winterize it.
If you have anymore questions about it, please ask in the comment section below. I will try to answer to the best of my knowledge.
Thank you for reading!