Fodder: Day 3

I'm posting a bit earlier today than I did yesterday. I'm hoping these guys sprout a bit more by this evening. Then I'll spread them out in a tray to continue growing. 

I started soaking the wheat hubby brought home. We'll see how it does compared with the oats. 

I'm truly hoping the oats work because they are much more readily available to me. 

Scilla is still holding those babies in- Silly Girl!

Fodder: Day 2

It's been about 18 hours now since I started soaking my oats. I put them in repurposed strawberry "clam shells" and have wet them down a couple times today. I am just now starting to see some little roots poking out. 

I just moved the oats I started soaking last night into "clam shells".

Hubby found a sack of wheat today. From what I've read, people have had better luck with wheat or barley than oats. Goodness knows where I'll find barley in these parts. When I called the feed store Hubby was at today they acted like I was crazy for wanting it. I'll see if Family Feed can get me some next time I'm in there. 

Still no kids out of Scilla. Today is day 150. 

Fun with Fodder

I am experimenting with a tray of sprouted oat fodder for the goats and chickens. 

Tractor Supply didn't have barley or wheat and I didn't have time for a trip to Family Feed so oats will have to do. 

This morning I rinsed the oats then soaked them in water with a tiny bit of bleach for ten minutes. I rinsed them again and left them to soak in fresh water. 

Tonight or in the morning, I will spread them out in a tray to germinate. Hopefully in a week or so I will have a tray of yummy oat grass for the animals. 

If they like it, and it works well, I can increase the size of my little fodder operation. 

Looking for an Alternative to Goat Feed

I am looking for a goat feed formula to replace the commercial feed I've been using. They only get a small amount of it on the milking stand, but they really don't need to be eating even a small amount of GMO corn and soy. 

Do any of you goat people have your own recipe? I'm looking at oats, black oil sunflowers, and perhaps kelp. I'd like to come out around 16% protein.  

I found one recipe that has you add 12c of molasses to 100lb on a tarp. Let me be honest with you, I don't have time for that sticky mess each month. 

I've also started feeding Chaffhaye which already contains some molasses. The girls adore it and so far it seems to be more cost effective than the GMO questionable alfalfa pellets I had been feeding. 

What about a fodder system? Kris, you've done that before, right? 

Any ideas or suggestions are appreciated. Basically I need a cost effective, nutritious, non-GMO system that won't take me a ton of hours a week to implement. 

Speckled Eggs

I love speckled eggs. My Marans hens lay the most beautiful eggs! 

The only issue I have with my Marans hens, is their eggs seem to have more blood spots than the eggs from some of my other breeds. 

With Market season around the corner, I thought this would be a good time to talk about spots in eggs. 

Blood spots or meat spots in eggs is completely normal and safe. They are caused by a bit of blood vessel or tissue getting trapped in the egg as it's forming. 

Inside the hen, little "yolks" are attached to her overy and fed by a series of tiny blood vessels.  Each day, one of these develops and starts its journey down the ovaduct. Along the way albumen (egg white) and a shell is added. Sometimes tiny bits of blood vessel get trapped in before the shell is added. This is more common in brown egg layers and happens more often as the hen ages. 

These spots do not mean that the egg is developing into a chick! Even with a rooster present, an egg will not start to develop until it's been incubated at about 100 degrees for 24 hours. 

Why don't you find spots in store bought eggs? All those eggs have been candled-i.e.  they have had a bright light shone through them to detect any spots. Eggs with spots are not thrown out, they are just put into bulk egg products instead of your dozen. 

Bottom line, enjoy those farm fresh eggs and appreciate the variety in the hens and their eggs.  

Spring is in the Air- NOT

 

I was convinced yesterday, that spring had finally arrived to our neck of the woods. It was sunny and warm. The flowers were blooming. Birds were singing (including that blasted cardinal who has returned to the bush under my bedroom window this spring and wakes me with his enthusiastic singing at 6am). Then today I get up to clouds, drizzle, and 44 degrees.

I guess that makes it a good day to knit. I finished my "Water for Elephants" socks and they turned out amazingly well if I do say so myself.
I am working on a pair for a friend. I bartered socks for cream.

 

I managed to get my seed potatoes cut up yesterday. Now if I could get a decent day, I'd plant them. I am planting them in the new section of the garden this year where hopefully I can avoid the leaf-cutter ants that plagued us last year. 

 

 

I still need to go out and feed. A farmer can never truly hibernate the day away. 

Fence v. Deer

Big thank you's to my dear husband, dad, and father-in-law for making my new garden fence a reality.

We have more than doubled the size of the vegetable garden and replaced the hodgepodge of other fences with one 8 foot beauty!

Now to improve all that soil!

Today's dose of cuteness- the barn kitties getting used to their new digs. 

Only 1 week left until kidding starts!