NH Homesteader's journal

[frustratedearthmother]

That is so horrible. I lost two baby chicks this week - and my guess it's from rats. I need to let Gracie into the barn yard more often...she hates rats as much as I do and she's much better at catching them!

 

[NH Homesteader]

I hate them. Hate!

Our next dog will be either a Jack Russell or rat terrier. I prefer rat terrier but they're harder to find around here. Our dogs are too slow! I just groan at the idea of another dog because our 2 year old Alano has been rough on me. She's insane and still acts like a puppy in so many ways.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I used to have Westies - great ratters too, but I think a rat terrier or JR would be great without all the hassle of the Westie hair. I don't think you'll ever regret getting a good ratter!

 

[baymule]

My husband can only take so much killing at a time I think. He doesn't say that but I know it weighs on him.

I say a prayer over my chickens, thanking them for giving up their life so that we can eat. I thank God for providing us with good food. And I apologize to the chicken when I cut their throat. It might sound wacky, but it makes me feel better. Maybe you and your husband could pray over your animals.

 

[NH Homesteader]

We aren't the praying type, but we do thank our pigs in particular, and give them a last meal (usually pumpkins, apples and a half a beer or so, since we typically butcher in the fall).

I don't think it's wacky. I think it's the right way to do it.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Westies, they're cute! I do not do complicated, don't want a dog that needs to be brushed much or groomed. But boy they are cute!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I say a prayer over my chickens, thanking them for giving up their life so that we can eat. I thank God for providing us with good food. And I apologize to the chicken when I cut their throat.

We do the same thing...it always makes me feel a tiny bit better.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Ah.. Well we sorted through the meat birds and checked for bite marks and disposed of any that had them. We now have 13. I am happy (ish) because I was afraid we might lose them all. No new rat bites. One of them has been pecked a bit by the other idiots so I'll probably put some blue-kote on him tomorrow.

Our special handicapped turkey died overnight. He had a bad leg, apparently that's not all that was wrong with him. Kind of sad but he wasn't right from the beginning.

My husband built all new nest boxes this week, Yay! He made it much easier for me to get eggs without getting too up close and personal with any roosters. We are keeping 2, so we will have 2 groups of chickens for the winter. And I'm ordering more for spring since we will be raising more heritage birds instead of Cornish x meat birds next year. We have an incubator and two brooders so we can hatch out a couple batches too.

I made blackberry crisp last night with berries I picked in the woods behind our house and it is amazing!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Ahhhh... poor turkey - but sometimes Mama Nature knows what she's doing.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Exactly. We called him Little Dude. We were going to butcher him soon because he was getting heavy enough he was really struggling to get around. I say him but I have no idea if it was a tom or hen, it wasnt mature yet.