Filling the Freezer

Overheard this morning: "You fell on your wrist, that's how you got your concussion." (Matt talking to Emily)

I bought some meat chickens yesterday at IFA. I wasn't going to buy meat chickens this year, but they lowered the price to $1 apiece and I couldn't pass up the deal! Our goal for the year is to get some meat tucked away in our freezer and vegies from our garden bottled and in the pantry, so I figured it would help us with our goal. Steve loves the idea of eating the chicken, it is just the in between stuff he is unsure of; I, on the other hand, am looking forward to the beautiful bottles of fruit in my pantry, but am not looking forward to bottling!

The chicks that I bought yesterday are about 2 weeks old and have their wing feathers and most of the feathers on their bodies. My ducklings are now about a month old. I am thinking of rigging a light to a chicken tractor that Steve and I made a few years ago (look at some pics of chicken tractors at http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/tractors.html). That would keep the mess and smell out of my house.

My meat chickens never taste like store bought, which is a little sad too. They are tougher. I was talking to Jared last night and he wondered if I let them free range too much, and so they get too muscle-y. That might explain it. He suggested putting them in a smaller encloser so that they can still walk around, but not run around and strengthen their muscles. Maybe we'll try it.

I also need to build/buy some nesting boxes and build a hen house. We have had a goat shed to protect them from the weather, but I could put nesting boxes in a hen house and keep them in the house overnight to protect them from critters and maybe redirect their egg laying to a nesting box instead of bushes and behind trees. Every day is like an Easter egg hunt at our house.

I'm also thinking of a way to make a small pond for the ducks without taking away space from our garden and without it getting stagnant and smelly. I am still looking into it.

Today, though, I have to take my mom to the doctor and have him check/rebandage her incision site from her surgery on Wednesday. She is getting ready for dialisis and had a fistula created. Here is a site explaining fistulas if you are intereste: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hemodialysis/DA00078

I also am feeling a little under the weather, so aside from necessary tasks I plan on taking the day off.

Have a great day!