Wannabefree...guess what I got in the mail today!?!?!?!?

[Wannabefree]

I can't seem to find my mojo around here anywhere... The new pup is absolutely the most stubborn, vile, chewy, poopy, furry lump of madness you can find in a beast this week...I can't get anything done, and that is THE LAST TIME I let DH talk me into an animal I AM NOT READY FOR!!!!!

Speaking of animals....we have new neighbors..no that's not the animals, though I am beginning to wonder. I think the people are hibernating. Anyhoo...They have a dog, and not just ANY dog. They have a HUMONGOUS MONSTER dog. Looks like a Mastiff, probably weighs more than me, and has been lurking in MY yard around my chicken fence I shot it with the BB gun yesterday. It gave me a really stupid look..like as to say "lady, if you do that again, I shall call you lunch" kind of look...so I shot it in that big ole fat lip of his to make sure it stung him good, and he just casually turned and started to walk away. I think I may have a bit of trouble out of this one :/ I tried to speak with the owners, but they wouldn't come to the door(suspected hibernation)...now it's just a waiting game. Wonder which will happen first, dead chicken, or dead dog?

I still have not gotten my tags :/ I haven't been anywhere except down the road to pick up some black walnuts. Courthouse is closed today Guess we'll be skipping church tonight. I got some pieces of siding for free though, that my buddy was not going to use, so I need to figure what to do with that...other than just letting it be a yard ornament like it is right now.

What do you all do with black walnuts? I have cracked some pecans this week and I know what to do with those The chickens like them too But....I just haven't eaten many black walnuts, and they are hard as heck to crack! Any good ideas or recipes using them?

 

[Denim Deb]

I've heard of people running over them to crack them, but can't see how that would work.

As for recipes, I'm not really into black walnuts. About the only thing I like them in is Watergate Salad. But, I know people put them in brownies, chocolate chip cookies, etc. IMO, they mess up some perfectly good food doing that!

 

[framing fowl]

Whoa... you're feeding pecans to the chickens??? I literally just came from the grocery and they were $7/lb shelled or $3/lb with the shell on. I bet shipping from TN to KY wouldn't be bad... I'd buy some from ya! (But not at grocery prices )

 

[Wannabefree]

Whoa... you're feeding pecans to the chickens??? I literally just came from the grocery and they were $7/lb shelled or $3/lb with the shell on. I bet shipping from TN to KY wouldn't be bad... I'd buy some from ya! (But not at grocery prices )

HA! If I could get enough for the both of us! You'd still be second in line to my sweet little momma though I know they are EXPENSIVE! I buy them in bulk WHEN I buy them. I likely won't get enough for myself even off this single tree, though I do have another prospect if the guy will let me pick out of his yard. They're just laying there gonna rot...I hate to see waste! I may be able to find you a lot better deal though, if I can find out where my uncle goes in Alabama and buys them in bulk. Want me to check for you?

I only fed the chickens a couple that had a bug in the shell...otherwise...they'd get nuthin! I love pecans!

I have about a 10 gallon container of black walnuts to shell. :/ Not sure if I want to!

 

[AL]

There is Lewis Pecan Co in Greenville, Al. We have here locally Renfroe pecans. YUM
http://www.renfroepecan.com/
ETA _ Renfroe's ships (I have no interest in this company and do not benefit from sales )
My parents have 4-5 pecan trees, but they don't have anything on them this year. That is probably why they are so expensive - fickle trees.

 

[Wannabefree]

Thanks for the link! They're still $7.25/lb though. :/

 

[framing fowl]

Eat a pecan for me then! As long as they're not going to the chickens!!!

 

[Wannabefree]

Eat a pecan for me then! As long as they're not going to the chickens!!!

I will!

My homemade vanilla is DONE!! Aint it purty??? I got these two bottles at a yardsale for a buck!! LOVE THEM! The first is a experimental bottle of Gin made into vanilla extract, the second I did using vodka. Not a whole lot of difference, but some. Gin on the left, vodka on the right. The vodka was MUCH darker in the end than the gin, and the gin soaked longer!!

 

[Wannabefree]

I want piggies....the more I think about it/learn about them, the more I want them!!! I sold two hens yesterday and delivered them on the way to church this morning. The guy had some nice Durocs, and I peeked around at his setup. It doesn't look too difficult to do. I'm just the type who feels more comfortable with visuals or I tend to mess things up a bit

I'm researching Kunekunes...and others, but I want wittle piggies. I don't want a huge honkin hog tearing up my whole backyard and snacking on my free range chickens I have a small freezer anyway, and couldn't put a whole hog in there at one time. I'd also like to get something small and manageable to raise more without having to keep buying. we have plenty of feedstuffs for them to get most of their feed from this property. I'm still pig shopping at the moment though. I don't have the setup just yet, and plan to have it DONE pre-piggies! It's taking all my will power to not buy a weiner from my buddy!

I researched chickens for 2 months, but they are small and easier! I think I will stick with them until Spring, but pigs are just a few steps away...and then tasty tasty bacon!!! Just the mere thought of it.....

 

[dragonlaurel]

I haven't raised them but I've heard that you should keep at least 2 pigs together if you raise them. Whenever one eats the other almost always will too- so they fatten up faster than if alone. They might try to escape more too if they are bored and lonely.
If you raise the 2nd one for somebody else, you could make some $ back, on the feed. Somebody here might know the best way to handle that part.