DANDELIONS!

I don't know if you get excited about dandelions or not.

Around here we gather them up.

Last year I collected trays of them and dried them.

We used them for tea. I also gathered enough to make a salve.

There is so many different things to do with them.

Last summer I used the leaves in our salad. 

The leaves are high in vitamin A and C, also is a powerful diuretic.

So many other benefits.

 Lots of dandelions here. I can also hear the honey bees on some of them.

 Today, I am gonna make some tea. 

I have some gathered. I will rinse them in a ACV and water mixture for 20 or so minutes. Then rinse them good and clean. Remove any grassy stuff and dirt. 

I placed them in a 1/2 gallon jar and put some dried peppermint leaves in and added about 1/4 cup of sugar. I let it steep for 20 minutes.

Strain it and refrigerate it.

I am hoping to have time this weekend to make some dandelion jelly! Now that sounds delicious!!!!

BABY CHICKS & DOGS!

Another exciting day on the homestead!

Can we just say baby chicks!!!

I just really love baby chicks. Not sure why other than they are so darn cute!

If ya'll forgot I have two favorite hens here on the homestead. If you ask any of my family or friends they will say they are all my favorite ones. So lets rephrase that, my favorite broody hens.

I have 2, yep only 2 black copper marans. They tend to go broody for me. They are the greatest. I care for them and they care for the baby chicks. Down side is I don't get to mess with the baby chicks for a while. When I do they scream so bad that momma has a fit.

Recently, I posted about Ms. Boss and her babies. They are doing well. Babies are growing and don't need mom. So Ms. Boss is back with the rest of the flock.

Sassy-Pants has started hatching out her babies.

She isn't revealing them very easily this time.

Mostly because some are in the middle of hatching.

She knows what she is doing.

The two little yellow ones are buff orpingtons.

Sassy-Pants was sitting on 10 eggs. Nine of them hatched and when I checked the tenth one, it wasn't fertile. Pretty successfull hatching.

These little chicks are hard to get a picture of.

There are 4 black ones (mix of black jersey giant/barred rock), and 5 pure buff orpingtons.

Meet my newest broody hen, my silkie hen.
She just decided she was gonna stay on the eggs. I kept removing her but she kept going back on them. So she is sitting on 5 eggs.

I might possibility have another broody hen. Ya'll remember our banty hen, Charcoal? Skylar mentioned tonight she was sitting on some eggs. I will know for sure tomorrow.

Willow

Scout

Shadow

MORE CHICKENS IN THE GARDEN!

We already put the Rhode Island Reds in the garden last weekend.

That was a chore catching them.

 We added a few more hens in the group.

That gives us 8 hens and 1 rooster.

They are doing a great job in the garden.

 Tim moved the other chicken tractor last night after we finished putting on the chicken wire and tarp. This tractor is going to keep our Golden Comets. So this morning the girls and I caught (more them than me) 7 hens and 1 rooster. Not sure if we have anymore. 

 They are some hardy birds. So while they work in the garden, I will be collecting and hatching out more of them. 

Double Duty!

Here are both tractors set up so far.

I have two more to bring into the garden. We will try and do that this weekend. Just not enough hours in the weekdays to get it all done. It will wait for another day.

MOVING MEAT BIRDS (BROILERS)!

Today is the day, the meaties are going to the pasture.

The weather has warmed up enough and they grew in their white feathers. Besides, they started to out grow the space they were in.

 Kaitlin and I were busy getting food and water in the chicken tractors. Skylar loaded up a few in a rabbit cage and put it in the wagon. That was much easier than trying to carry them across the pasture. We use the wagon to haul the water too.

We just didn't feel like getting out the hoses and dragging them through the pasture yet. That day will come.

Tractor 1

We put 19 birds in here.

 I thought we would get a bigger reaction than this.

They just kinda stood there not sure what to do.

 A few of them finally decided to eat.

 Tractor 2

We put 19 in here.

As soon as they came out, they ate!

 Three tractors were completely done and moved to the pasture last night. 

 The other one was already made last year but needed to be pulled out of "storage" and the tarp put on. Skylar and I worked on getting the tarp on. Kaitlin worked on getting the food and water.

 Tractor 3

Looks the same doesn't it? We put 19 in here.

By the 3rd tractor we were getting wore out. 

Repeat, Repeat and Repeat!

 Half ate and the other half just hung out checking out the grass instead.

 Tractor 4

This one has 20 in it.

They all went to the feeder to eat.

Don't have a picture of them as I took the top off to help Skylar put them out.

 All four meat bird tractors.

I did go back and number all of them so I could keep record of the birds in each tractor.

All the birds seemed full and content after the stress of moving them.

** Update: Next day we didn't lose any overnight. 

All is well with them!

SIGNS OF SPRING ON THE HOMESTEAD!

We had a cold and long winter this year. It's been snowing and cold.

It's hard to get things ready for a garden when winter doesn't want to leave. In over 30+ years I have never seen snow on Easter. Cold yes, but come on snow? The ground was covered! Funny thing is we should of hid white eggs as opposed to the colored eggs. Change things up.

It's like laying in bed and the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, it's 70+ degrees outside and the furnace is turned off.

Ya know spring has sprung!

Well, actually on our homestead it's roosters crowing, dogs barking, birds hitting our glass windows and the furnace is turned off. The first part sounded better.

 The grass turns green and starts to grow.

We are working on our mower this year.

(Flat-tire)

 Time to start collecting the dandelions.

 Hawthorn Tree is like the first tree to be bursting blooms for the honey bees.

 The chives are ready!

Chives don't mess around.

 Catnip

Herbs start sprouting up again.

 Lettuce loves cooler weather.

Not long before we start eating this stuff.

 Wild flowers start blooming.

Winter can't hold them back when they are ready.

The garlic I got in late last year.

Yep it is growing. 

It's getting closer to start getting the garden in. But for now I will enjoy the little buds that are emerging from the ground all on it's own. God is good!

MORE BABY RABBITS TODAY!!!!

We went out to do morning chores this morning and look what we saw....

Baby rabbits!!!

Looks to be 7 babies.

 Snow (babies mama)

This is how she keeps them.

It is colder today. What happened to the spring like weather.

Cold and rainy here on the homestead.

BABY RABBITS ARE GROWING!

Baby Rabbits grow up so quickly!
These are Amber's babies, they are already 3 weeks old!

They are so chubby!

These are Rains babies they are 6 weeks old

I am selling 3 of the 4 of Rain's babies (all of the white ones), if you are interested in buying baby bunnies or (coming soon) rabbit meat you can go to our website by clicking here