NH Homesteader's journal

[NH Homesteader]

Aw too bad she disappeared! I don't see myself doing that, haha. Maybe my turkey loving husband will. I told him that the goats are mine, and I know that if someone needs to stick an arm in to help with kidding issues, it'll be me. So he's in charge of poultry issues! Lol!

 

[Mini Horses]

The turkey is so, so cute!! How many eggs did you start? A person locally had fertile eggs & I was tempted! Didn't go there but, kept her name & number. LOL

I've NOT been getting alerts and so spend much time catching up & replying late. Grrrrrrr.... I'm with your DH on the hens doing the work. Have 4 broody right now, another thinking it's a good idea. Plus the two who wanted to share a nest, did so!! Of course, other hens added eggs. So, when hatching starts, there will be some egg shifting to finish them out. I like to pen my broodies in their own location, add feed/water, enough space to run around....their own home. One is due to hatch her eggs this weekend but, she's always been penned with the eggs I gave her, no others had access. The "sharing" two may begin "anytime" for next 2 weeks. (what a screw up I did there) and I mean 2 weeks of off & on... and #4, possibly #5, will be set onto a clutch this weekend.

So, replacement layers for Fall....excess roos for freezer camp, and Xtra pullets for sale.

I like DH is in line with your cutting back for animals for a "rest" -- we all need that or it becomes toooooo much work!

 

[NH Homesteader]

DH set up a nipple waterer for the baby turkeys. The two "normal" ones are doing great with it already! The special one can't reach it. So there's a little dish with water for him too. Another one looks like it's trying to hatch too!.

We had 9 eggs, 1 was definitely not fertile (possibly waited too long to get it into the incubator), another one may not have been.

DH agrees for the most part. With the pigs anyway. We have a good number of goats (3 does, a wether and a buck coming in June). The chickens I'm not worried about, the biggest issue is incubating and brooding. I don't care how much they multiply out on their own. It'll give us more meat if they hatch out some chicks, so we don't care! And we only have 4 adult turkeys. Everyone that hatches for us now and that the broody turkey hen hatches will go in the freezer. Hopefully we will only need one butcher date, probably October or so, to get all the birds in the freezer.

DH is starting to pay more attention to the money aspect. He used to want everything, but he's now more frugal with the feed bill. And while we get a good deal on pig grain, it takes him 2-3 hours to go get it plus gas money and he has to have a friend go with him to physically help him get it in the Jeep. So... Is it really worth it? I mean, it's better than paying full price but it's a pain and he loses half a day of work. It's the only thing I physically cannot go get for us.

 

[Mini Horses]

So, if a couple more turkeys hatch you will have one every other month for cooking....plus chicken. Sounds ok.

Like you, I'm ok with the hens them hatching & caring for them. In fact, I prefer it as they LEARN to forage, go to roost, etc. And all that in addition to hen doing all the "heat lamp" needs. It's worth not getting eggs from her for a few months. I'd rather have fried chicken than fried eggs.

I haven't missed my pigs since I sold them a couple months ago. Would I feed out more? Maybe. Not planning to breed any. I have plenty of pork in the freezer.

Really, really need to focus on garden veggies this year -- to eat & can, freeze, dry, etc., for winter use. IF I do that, milk a goat or two, use eggs, butcher chickens......I'm good to do almost NO grocery shopping. Just some staples - flour, TP. I make soap, use little sugar, so pretty stocked up. Some beef would be on the list. Love a good steak occasionally.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I love a good steak too - beef is about the only meat we buy unless we get some seafood. Even close to the coast it's hard to grow your own shrimp, lol!

 

[NH Homesteader]

I'm not a huge beef person but I like it on occasion. Mostly I substitute venison as my red meat and I'm ok with that (in stews, etc) and we eat ground pork burgers instead of hamburgers.

I want to cut up my turkeys this year, it's a giant pain for me to make a whole turkey. It'll be eaten more often that way. I have 4 whole ones in my freezer from last year still!

I really need to focus on the garden too. I have to find a way to enjoy it! I never have liked gardening. Hopefully raised beds with weed control will make me happier!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Gardens can sure be a lot of work, and I'm not even sure WHY I love it - but I do! Maybe it's just the wonder of planting a tiny little seed and eventually ending up with tons of free food, lol. At least that's how it's supposed to work!

 

[NH Homesteader]

I hate bugs, I guess that's the worst part for me. And I'm not patient enough to weed. Hence the weed barriers I'm using this year!

We also got mostly seeds for interesting varieties like purple carrots and multi colored green beans (thanks to @baymule recommending Baker Creek!!) so maybe I'll like it more? Lol I also really want to can this year so I must have veggies!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Not too fond of bugs myself - especially stink bugs! They will absolutely decimate tomatoes. Only saw one last year, but it didn't really matter since I didn't have much of a garden last year. I'm prepared to wrap my tomato plants with window screen material this year if I have to. I will have tomatoes!

I'm trying to grow some purple potatoes - hope they do well.

Baker Creek is da bomb!

 

[baymule]

I love Baker Creek! Purple tomatoes! Blue tomatoes! Purple cauliflower! Who knew? I planted Jing Orange okra and the regular green okra. I grow the Japanese Giant Red mustard greens (that are really purple). I love my garden!