Barn Cleaning

Wow! We've been cleaning out our chicken coop and rabbit barn over the last two weekends. Every spring we move the poo into the garden as soon as we can get the tractor over the ground without causing ruts. We processed the older laying hens last fall, so we're also taking this opportunity, while the coop is empty, to make repairs and disinfect everything. Replacement chicks will be here at the end of May. We've ordered Delaware chicks this time. They're on the ALBC endangered list as "critical". That means there are so few breeding flocks accounted for that they could become extinct. These are an American breed, used in the past as fast growing meat chickens that also lay wonderful brown eggs. They were replaced by the new fangled hybrid cornish x chickens that have been modified to grow to full size in 8 weeks. The problem with these is that their legs break down on them when they're almost grown and the meat is almost flavorless. Oh well, a lot of people like them. I guess they never tasted a real chicken.

The rabbit barn is almost cleaned out. Lots of repairs needed in there, too. I've found some of the rabbits I've been looking for!!! Yippee!!! The American Chinchilla rabbit is also on the ALBC endangered list as critical. They are a historic American breed of rabbit, developed for meat and fur. The meat rivals the famous New Zealand White that is so popular, but they also have a beautiful banded fur that resembles the actual chinchilla fur animal. We are practical farm people. Animals that are intended for food and fur are raised for their specified purpose.

I also planted a 20 foot row of sugar snap peas today. Then I pruned 10 fruit trees. I'm saving some of the apple wood trimmings to give to the rabbits to chew on. I have one more apple tree to prune, but the old shoulder gave out. I just took the ice bag off to write my blog tonight. Before coming into the house, I walked the cattle pasture to count fence posts. We'll be putting up about 1,500 feet of new fence this spring. $$$$$ every spring it takes $$$$ of inputs to keep a farm half way decently repaired.

Now that I'm inside, I see the house could use a good cleaning.....Oh well, maybe tomorrow.

Winter Farewell

I hope you'll take a look at the picture I've included. This is my grand-dog Ernie. No grandchildren yet, but we have Ernie. Over spring break the husband and I will be watching Ernie while my daughter and son-in-law fly to the west coast to visit family. This will be fun, if I can keep it all together. We have a small dug out at the back of the garden to hold rainwater. Ernie found this last summer and had a joyous time jumping in and out of the water. We named it Ernie's Pond. Guess what! It's full of spring rainwater. I'm getting the towels and rags gathered up as we speak because I'm going to need them. Also, take note of the snow? They still have a foot of snow in their yard. Yup, they live in northern MI. The daughter will have a warm ocean at the coast, but Ernie will have Ernie's Pond to play in. Hmm, I wonder who will have the most fun?

help

To my wonderful family who have left comments for me........help;-) I can not figure out how to comment on your blogs or how to respond, so here goes to Vicki and Michelle in a public forum, you are very welcome. I'm glad the salve is working for Livvie's baby bottom. So many babies have been made content from my salve. Its healing their sore bottoms all over the place. Let me know when you need more and I'll mail it to you. I saw the new pictures and they are wonderful. Olivia is an absolute doll!

Chick are Coming - Clean out the Coop

Spring is finally fighting back! The snow is gone and the frost is coming out of the ground. Fence posts are heaving up out of the ground and will need to be reset. This weekend I will be cleaning out the chicken coop and the rabbit shed. We've ordered 50 meat chicks and 30 Delaware chicks. The Delaware is on the ALBC "critical" list and I have decided to help preserve this heritage breed. We raise meat chickens and brown egg layers. Yum yum! Luckily we have a great neighbor who helps us with processing chickens and takes care of them when we go up north to visit our daughter and son-in-law. Its also time to get the rabbit does bred. We have New Zealand whites we raise for the freezer and sell the extras. I'm looking for some American Chinchilla Rabbits. These are a great breed of meat rabbit that is on the ALBC "critical" list. Meat rabbit producers prefer white rabbits and these have a beautiful banded grey fur. As for the meat? Just as prolific and delicious as the New Zealand. These rabbits and the Delaware chickens are in the slow food usa listing.

Next weekend I'll be starting a couple of seed flats. I have two good south facing windows to use for this, if I can keep the cat out of them. I'll probably get a tray with a lid. I bought my usual vegetable seeds from Gurney's this year, but I also bought some heritage seeds from the Seed Savers Exchange. I will plant these away from the commercial seeds. I thought I'd see how they grow and taste.

Every year I tell my family that I'm going to stop raising so much produce, but every spring I make a larger garden and order more chickens, raise more rabbits and buy a beef calf. I think I need to join work-a-holics annomyous.

Pine Tar Soapmaking Time

I'm getting the itch to clear out the junk that seems to find its way to my soapmaking station and make some good old fashioned Pine Tar Soap. The cold winter is the best time for me to make it. I need to have the lye solution so cold that its almost frozen to make a good batch of this soap. The pine tar creates so much heat, during the saponification process, that the whole batch will seize up and solidify, prematurely, if the lye solution is not cold enough. I mix up the lye and water, then wait until it cools to room temperature. Once cooled, I'll pour it into a sealable container and set it in a snowbank until its almost frozen. When its ready, I'll make the soap and Voila! A batch of the best old fashioned Pine Tar Soap you'll ever get, has been created! I have some friends and family members that have skin problems like psoriasis and such. They tell me this soap helps give them relief and doesn't dry out their normal skin areas. Pine Tar Soap is kind of stinky, but nobody seems to mind.

No January Thaw this year

Perspective: The snow is over a foot deep on this roadway.

We always look forward to a January thaw. It gives us hope that spring is not far off; that we have a reason to thumb through those seed catalogs and plan for the new gardening season. It reduces some of the snow depth and releases the plants and buildings from the strain of load bearing all this snow.

I had to laugh at the hearings in D.C. this week. Former Vice President Gore's testimony on global warming was very amusing; in the middle of the most severe winter the U.S. has experienced in many years. Everything is cyclical and bound by natural laws that the good Lord set in place to govern the creation. In my opinion, it is the height of ignorance to think that mankind can alter the course of the earth.

I remember in the late 1960's and through the 1970's where we had fierce winters here in Michigan. The earth was cold and summers were mild. The cold tapered off with an occasional blizzard in the 1980's and '90's. Well, its been fairly warm for about 30 years now, with the last couple of years being very warm. However, the last couple of years has also seen an almost total elimination of sun spot activity. That, to me, was an indication that change is coming. The extra warm earth caused a very large amount of water to be evaporated into the atmosphere. Eventually that water will come back down; either as snow or rain. Looks like we have the snow this year. I wonder if the currents in the Atlantic have pulled more cold water farther south than usual? If the Redoubt volcano erupts in Alaska, it may get even colder once the ash hits the atmosphere. Seattle Washington had an earthquake this week. I hope Mount Rainier isn't waking up.