I've had spells where they ate the eggs, but don't worry, not all is lost. There were good suggestions here, and you can increase there food a little. They will probably stop as they get a little older.
This weeks preps check-in
- Thread starter Trapper
- Start date
Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:
Wow, how sweet is it?
This was full sweet tonight. It will continue fermenting and eat up some of the sugars over the next several weeks, making it higher octane, but I made this batch to stay a little on the sweet side. I like to take a sip and it taste really good, or it's not worth drinking.
I'm going to give the hens some sand for their craws to see if their bodies might be craving the egg shells for that.
William, I just spoke with my sons friend who breeds commercial chickens, he says it may be lack of calcium in their diet.
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2013
- Messages
- 18,467
Get some ground oyster shells too. The added calcium will help make stronger shells.
Mine seem to be doing this lately. A friend recommended getting the ceramic decoy eggs, so I got some of those, and I'm trying it. Used to get about 6 eggs a day from my 6 chickens. Now, I'm lucky to get 2 (and they aren't molting or anything). I also increased their feed to see if that works, and added some cracked corn and oyster shells in the mix. Will keep you posted.
Every situation is unique. All you can do is keep trying until you hit on something that works. I've read that small enclosures can have this effect too.
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2013
- Messages
- 18,467
Hey Brent, looks good. I'll take a couple bottles!
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2013
- Messages
- 18,467
Yesterday it was 14 degrees in the morning. We've only had 1/2" of rain in the last 3-1/2 month's. This morning was 50 and they're predicting 3" of rain (which is a LOT of rain for here) with flash floods, land slides and high winds. That will mean a lot of downed trees too. Guess I shouldn't have put off putting the last of the gravel on the driveway.
If you're ever in my neck of the woods you're welcome to some!
Wow, 14 degs! We were about 50 this morning and I was shivering! I recently planted a last batch of green beans
, peas, potatoes, onions and spinache. Of course it was all in the greenhouse. I knew it was late for the potatoes but I wanted to experiment and see how late I can get away with here. I doubt I'll heat it at night in a few weeks, but I might be inclined to get another crop of potatoes. Right now I just close it up in late afternoon and it keeps well above the plants suffering.
Definately envious of the rain. One of the three ponds in my front yard is bone dry, the middle one is down 4 feet, and the first one dosent have anything flowing into it anymore. Still nothing on the 10 day forecast either.
Interesting. They have a decent sized coup, but during the storm, we put them in one of the horse stalls, to be out of the weather more...(the stall is bigger than the coup), and we did see more eggs. That may be a way to go. Would suck to have the coup go to waste though....and I'd lose a stall converting it to a henhouse....
Of course, the family did want to get an iguana at some point, and I suppose it would be a pretty good enclosure for one...especially if I added a big log, some rocks, and a small little pond, etc. Hmm.....
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2013
- Messages
- 18,467
Tempting. I may just have to take a road trip back east this winter...
i canned some more pints of beans n spam,as well as beans n franks,since this last Saturday..got some batteries for 2 lanterns..put 4LB'S of pintos and 3LB'S of rice into my dry food storage.now im rearranging things in my bedroom for better storage.on account my bedroom closet floor and that corner of me bedroom is where,im keeping my home canned foods,and emergency foods at..as well,as dry foods..
Iguanas would do well in the barn during summer, but would have to be brought inside during winter. They don't do well with even the Florida winters.
Score! I got two bricks of 22's at Walmart today. 1100 rounds total. He had gotten about six bricks, I got two of them, and he said there was a three box max per person. I figured two was enough so walked away. Within five mins I went back to get the third and he had allready sold out. The moral here is never hesitate!
Silly bugger, within 5 minutes of TSHTF or an economic collapse one 22LR round will replace the paper dollar as currency.
Your probably right there. It really was encouraging to see it on a store shelf again though. As I discovered, people are still hoarding it, but at least the supply is rolling again. Damned having to live within a budget. That's what made me hesitate to begin with....
I didn't get many chives this year. Just too hot I guess. Luckily I found a Baggie full of some I dehydrated last year. Stuff has a way of hiding in my freezer.
That's something else I miss since the move, I used to dehydrate huge amounts of chives and parsley from the garden. I have none left. However a plan is afoot.
Expensive mistake, hopefully not a fatal one, punish yourself go and buy three more bricks when it comes in.
Chives and Mint grow wild in my garden.
Just put a nice black 5.11 Rush 12 pack into EDC/GHB duty I normally have different bags for EDC and GHB but with the Rush 12 it will happily do both jobs, The Admin pouch and the lined pouch plus the top extra pouch accommodate all my EDC needs, and I have set up a GHB container that just slips into the main section of the Rush 12 if venturing far from home.
Got 24 1 gallon glass jugs from a friend today! They are for wine storage, but could be used for any liquids. I like these for aging wine as they are the equivalent of five regular wine bottles which makes it a lot quicker and easier. Ok since this guy obviously drinks a lot, I recriporcated with four liters of a good, strong muscadine wine for him. I love the barter system, everybody leaves happy!
Now the dehydrator is to hand, I got some bags of frozen veg to dehydrate. If you don't have any growing space, buying bags of frozen veg is an economical and easy way to fill your store cupboard. I simply put the veg on the dehydratoe trays, leave them to defrost and then dehydrate. No preparing, no blanching ready to go.
Fiendishly clever
That's interesting. How do you store them once dried? And how do you use them when ready? I know for a fact that I can buy them cheaper than growing. I really haven't had any luck with stuff like broccoli or cauliflower recently. It's gotten too hot too quick for any real success. Might be a good backup plan.
Fiendishly clever
Yip
I store them in Kilner (canning) jars with an oxygen absorber.
Because I have a very basic dehydrator I only dry smaller or chopped veg such as peas, beans, sweetcorn chopped carrot, things like that. But I think you could probably do more irregular shapes with a more sophisticated machine. I know a friend has done broccoli florets and cauliflower but she did break them up quite small.
