CheerioLounge - Desert Dreamin'

[CheerioLounge]

Good morning to you Miss Kelly! How've you been? Are y'all enjoying a "warm up" too? I am so thankful for this forum and all y'all! If it weren't for you guys and the "witty repartee" I would have gone insane!

 

[rathbone]

Repartee - I couldn't for the life of me remember how to spell it.
yes, isn't it strange/amazing how strong these relationships online can become in our lives? I so depend on all of you as my friends.

I am really excited about your possible mealworm farming. I have been considering doing the same but I am a little hesitant/scared. So I will be watching you to see how you do it and maybe I can follow suit.
AND you might be getting chicks...so very exciting.

 

[CheerioLounge]

I only spelled it that way because Chrome has spell check!

I'm excited about the mealworms too! And you know I'll be posting my progress...

Yes, I definitely need to get at least a second shift of layers. These girls are going on their second year and they ain't gonna lay for ever! I've gotta get that chicken yard done this week! So glad it's warming up and that winds are supposed to be mild for a little while at least...

 

[rathbone]

Half of my hens are second year layers. The other half are just now starting. So to my way of thinking, I would like to continue on like this, each year hatching my hens that would be next year's layers, retaining the last year's hens, and stewing the 2 year olds.
That said, it will be difficult come butchering time. My two year olds are the BO hens I started with. Having had them this long, I am quite emotionally attached to them. They have been such good gals, so sweet natured and faithfully laying for us. I am quite realistic but these little ladies will be much harder to butcher than the roosters we have raised and processed...I suppose because with the roosters I always had in my mind that they were raised for the table.

 

[CheerioLounge]

How many 2yr old BO's do you have? I know what you mean about the first birds. It would be hard for me as well. If I am able to afford to feed them (and that's a big if), I may just let them live out heir lives.

 

[rathbone]

I have 5 BO's that are two years old. I had started with 10 but sold/traded half of them. I also have a silver sussex and a light sussex and a marans hen that are 1 1/2 years old.
My next generation are all about 5 to 8 months old. I have 2 marans hens (daughters of the above marans hen), 2 light sussex (daughters of the above light sussex) and one "sussington" henny. She is the product of my BO hens covered by a light sussex roo. I had sold all the others but I kept this one just because I was very curious as to how the cross-breed would turn out.
So if you are keeping count - that is 13 hens, 9 of which are laying.

 

[CheerioLounge]

So 4 BOs for the stew pot. Gotta do what we gotta do... I'll have to see what happens with mine, when the time comes.

 

[SSDreamin]

Ah, breast augmentation. That's on my list of things to do before I croak

Do you have trouble keeping your bread 'fresh'? Mine is great the first 2 days, then gets good only for toasting, in my opinion. I make large loaves, so DH has enough to get him through a weeks worth of sandwiches, but wish I could figure out a way to keep it 'soft' longer, without yucky chemicals!

 

[Denim Deb]

Have you tried storing it in the fridge?

 

[SSDreamin]

Every time I store it in the frig, it seems to dry out faster :/