Friday, January 10, 2014

The Chicken Saga

It seems as though when ever updating our laying hens, comes into conversation there is a soft hearted 7 year old that bursts into tears and says "Not Cricket."   He has a special bond with this one.  She was one of the first and fell asleep in Adin's hands as a chick.  :(

You see our girls are getting older and not producing they way they used to... they didn't produce a single thing for months this fall.  Then I started talking about butchering all the girls but the 2 youngest and now, with the cold and everything I have eggs.

 I don't think all of them are laying, but it is so hard to figure out which egg goes with which lady.  I know Lucy's egg, she is a Leghorn = white egg.  But then there are Lady Cluck and Red who are Buffs, Cricket who is a Dominique, Fancy Nancy who is an Australop and Cinnamon who we think is a Rhode Island Red (she was an "oops" in the first meat chick batch last summer - she was not a Cornish Cross).  All of these ladies lay brown eggs.  Miss Cricket has always laid these petite perfect eggs and we just haven't gotten one in a while and Cinnamon is just now starting, I think they are her's, giant eggs (we have only had 3 so far.)

In the winter we have only one of our two coops running as we only winter over 6-7 birds (Swamp the roo included) and use the 2nd in the summer for our meat chickens.  But I am thinking of firing up the 2nd one a separating some out to see which lady is laying what or not at all.  Then I can do some selective butchering and maybe get a few new pullets from a co-worker of my hubby and get some more egg production going.

We'll have to see.  I keep telling the kids that this is what raising chickens is all about: food.  It is it too much for him, I may have to seek retirement housing for Cricket at my sister's coop.  Sis had a hard time putting any of her girls down and seeing as I took Swamp off her hands, maybe that will work.  Hmmmm.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

A Time of Firsts

The last few weeks have been a time of first's.
1.  Adin had his first time of going deer hunting with us. (On my birthday - I was a happy mamma)

 2.  We had our first family Christmas cookie baking session with my Mom, Sister, one 2nd grader and 4 kindergartners.  Lots of fun and flour all over my kitchen.  I can't wait until next year.


3.  My first adventure making Grandma Deloris Donuts.  She said that they passed the test.  :)  Yay!

4.  First time we celebrated Christmas at our house with everyone, instead of at my Mom and Dad's.  Their house is in the process of being built.  It would have been a bit chilly.

And hey, it is the first day of 2014.

I am hoping for many more firsts this year and a great year ahead.