The Chick is in the Mail

 I received my order of Murray McMurray chicks in the mail today!

They were boxed very securely and all look very healthy and were quite vocal about their dislike of being shipped in the mail. All but one survived.

I had to pick them up from the Post Office and since my back is killing me, I am home from work and was able to do so. I could hear them peeping as soon as I walked in.

I had the nice lady at the post office help me carry the chicks to the car(not that the box was all that heavy, it is basically full of fluff) and brought them on home to their coop. Light was already set up and ready for them. Filled their water, I made sure they all got a sip and now they are exploring their little pen.

 I have 25 chicks. I purchased the Meat-N-Egg combination from McMurray's Hatchery and the meat birds will be slaughtered at about 7-10 weeks old.  Approximately fifteen of the chicks should be meat birds and the rest should be egg layers.

Because the meat birds are a young age when slaughtered they are much more tender than the old hens I had culled to get the coop ready for this shipment.

Meat chickens are bred to grow fast and provide a lot of breast and thigh meat. In fact, some breeds grow so fast and get so heavy in a short amount of time that their legs break. In order to attempt to mitigate or avoid this, you can purchase a vitamin booster. I had the Broiler Booster included with my order as well as a package of Quik Chick. I haven't tried these supplements before so this is a test run for me. I will see how it turns out!

The meat birds that are included in this combination is Cornish X Rocks and/or Cornish Roasters. Both are big breasted, big thighed birds. They remind me a little of me... Anyways, they are bred to grow fast and big. The Cornish X Rocks (Cornish Cross Rocks) should hit their  mature weight 3 to 4 lbs and be ready for slaughter anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks.  While with the Cornish Roasters you have the option of using them as Fryers at 8-9 weeks and they will be 3-4 lbs at that point or you can slaughter them at 12 weeks or so and they will be Roasters at 8-9 pounds!!! That is a big bird!

Meat birds are bred to be much more appealing in looks once dressed, meaning they have the common yellow skin you see in the grocery stores.

I am not sure what egg layers I have in the bunch since with the Meat-N-Egg combo you do not get a choice, but they should be from their batch of rainbow egg layers, so this means they can be just about anything!

Only one bird did not survive the shipping... McMurray's credited that amount for my next purchase. Which was more than fair and very good customer service.

In the past I have always purchased birds from the local grange or feed store, but they never carried meat birds. I think this might be the best option for future orders!

Hurry! Hurry, Murray McMurray!

(had a bad case of insomnia last night which brought on an anxiety attack this morning, so I decided to stay home from work since I am pretty much worthless at work today. Gives me a chance to work on the blog!)

My chicks are on order from Murray McMurrays Hatchery and should be here the first week of February!

I've ordered the Meat-N-Egg Combo. This is a combination of 15 meat birds and 10 egg-layers. It was the best deal, in my opinion, for what I wanted; enough meat birds to last me several months and then the egg-layers to last a couple of years!  Yes, yes, I know that that is over the amount allowed in the city, but since the meat birds will be culled at 7 to 10 weeks. I am justifying this decision.

I have been slowly culling the birds I currently have, a couple every week in order to make room for the chicks on order. The boyfriend is more attached to the birds and I don't make him help me. Once the chicks come, I get the feeling he will be out in the coop cuddling baby birds every chance he gets.

There was an online discussion recently concerning culling (killing and butchering) versus giving the birds away. I am personally of the culling ilk and I have been called a chicken murderer on a regular basis. I feel that all you are doing by giving the birds to someone else is shuffling the responsibility to another person, potentially a kind-hearted person who does not necessarily realize that the birds will not lay regularly. They will then either have to decide to cull the birds themselves, give them to another kind-hearted person who will then have to make those decisions or let them loose, which is illegal.

I tend to believe that if you are going to go into keeping chickens you need to consider what you are going to do with them once their egg production slows to the point that it is not economically feasible to keep feeding them. If you want pet chickens, then you need to know that birds can live upwards of 7 to 8 years and only lay eggs regularly during the first couple of years. Like most female animals, chickens have a finite number of eggs they can produce.

Chickens are also extremely territorial and adding chicks and hens to a flock can be a traumatic experience, full of maimings and fights to establish pecking order. Chicks might be killed outright be older hens if introduced directly to a flock and will be constantly beat up if introduce when older, which may subside or it may not.

If you are fine with this and just want a pet chicken, then go with them. Chickens do make wonderful pets. They can be sweet if properly socialized, just like any pet. They are smart and can be trained. They are funny and can provide hours of entertainment. They have personalities. But they do have relatively long lives.

But if you just want them specifically for their eggs, you need to consider your plans for them when they are no longer laying as often as they once had. You get approximately two good years of regular laying, after that it tapers off significantly each year. If you plan on giving them away, ask the person taking them what their future plans are for the birds. Or if you are interested in learning how to cull the birds, there are classes available on how to dispatch your birds humanely and quickly, and to butcher them for your meal.

There is a class coming up in February through the Seattle Farm Co-op. Contact them for information on this.

Yes, You Can! Carrots!

Today during lunch, I walked through the Pike Place Market. I like Wednesdays at the Market. Those are the Farm Days.

On Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays the local farms bring their wares. Today I was able to find carrots that traveled no more than 50 miles. Now other than the carrots I grow in my front yard, you can't get any more local.

I did grow carrots this season, but I did not grow enough to can for the winter, so I am supplementing my crop with those of a local farmer. Four dollars for a couple of glorious bunches. The stall worker asked if I wanted to top the leaves, but I give those to the chickens for a treat, so I said, "No. Thank you!" and was on my walk back to the office.

I love a beautiful carrot and these are some lovely carrots, and sweet!

I cut off the tops and threw them to the chickens who happily and noisily noshed on the greenery.

I scrubbed the carrots down and then gave them a peeling, scrubbed them down again and plopped them into a bowl of cold water as I got the jars and lids ready.

 I gave the peelings to the chickens which made them even happier! I like happy chickens, that means they lay happy eggs which make my belly happy!!

In the meanwhile, I had started getting my jars ready. I give them a quick wash and rinse and then plop them in my big pot full of water and bring them to a boil and then drop the temperature to med to just keep them hot and sanitized. In a small sauce pan I put my lids in to boil.

I like canning veggies in pint jars because I feel that is the right amount for two people most of the time. Less waste than opening a quart and then not finishing it. Others might prefer quarts.

I like my carrots diced in the round, others like sticks. It is a preference thing, do whatcha like.

I will usually slice my rounds about a half inch thick. Does that mean they are all a 1/2 inch? No. Some are 3/4 of an inch and others are 1/4 inch. It all evens out.... (bad joke, sorry)

Anyways, I get my carrots sliced up and I put a kettle on to boil. I figure if I do not have to ladle hot liquids if I don't gotta then I wont.

I pour my carrots into a hot empty jar (sadly I do have to add the empty jar part...) and pack them in tight until they squeak.. Then I add about a half teaspoon of salt and poor in my hot water from the kettle. Easy Peasy!

 Now, the important part.  Make sure to read this.

Vegetables in order to be canned safely must be pressure canned.

If you have not added any kind of acid, such as lemon juice or vinegar and are simply strait canning vegetable with a water base then the vegetables MUST be processed in a pressure canner in order to make sure all pathogens and bacteria have been killed.

A water bath canner will work for jams, jellies, pickles, pie filling and such because fruits are generally high in acids, you have added an acid; such as vinegar or lemon juice, or you have used a large quantity of sugar. These factors retard bacterial growth on these items.

Unfortunately with vegetables they are lacking in acids and in order for them to be safely canned only the high heat and pressure of a pressure canner will sufficiently kill the natural bacteria that can grow out of hand.

If you do not have a pressure canner make pickles. Do not attempt to water bath can vegetables. You will usually hear of one or two families in the news every year that have got extremely ill because of badly canned green beans.

And now that I have sufficiently scared you...

You will now process the cans at Ten lbs in your pressure canner! For pints you will need to process them for 25 minutes at ten pounds and for Quarts, 30 minutes.

Make sure to read the instructions for your pressure canner. Most now-a-days are very easy to use and you should have very little fear of the exploding pressure canner of olden days. The ones made in the last 30-40 years are very safe. Be a little wary of your grandmother's pressure canner though, the ones that have clamps. As long as you keep an eye on the pressure you will be fine.

Do not try to remove the lid when it is still processing or until the pressure gauge has dropped down to zero. When you go to take the lid off, do not be surprised if it makes a POP sounds.

I tend to remove my jars once the pressure has been released and let them cool on the counter. Other people leave them in the pressure cooker to cool down inside. Both work.

Be very careful, the jars are scalding hot and will be for a while. You will know that you are properly sealed once you hear the ping of the lid and the top is firm. The sounds of the pop/ping of the lid sealing is one of my most favourite sounds.

When you are ready to pop open your canned carrots in the winter, look into the jar closely. Is there any growth along the top or sedimentation that looks iffy on the bottom? When you pop open the jar does it smell funny? If there is ANY doubt, throw it out.

Botulising yourself is not fun. Don't even chance it.

Yes. You Can Can!!

• Kody - You are a brave woman. My mom recently got a new pressure cooker and she's still afraid it's going to explode.

  Yesterday at 4:38pm ·
•  Me - The newer ones dont explode as often as the old ones. This is the one that Andy gave me and although it has a quirk or two, it works pretty darn well! I'm less afraid of it exploding than the jars breaking because I can't see them....

  Yesterday at 4:40pm ·
•  Kody - Is that a pressure canner or cooker? Or is it the same thing? We just can with a hot bath, I know no other way.

  Yesterday at 4:41pm ·
• Me -  If you are canning veggies, you HAVE TO USE a pressure canner/cooker (same difference) Veggies do not have natural acids to kill botulism, so in order to be safe you have to pressure can vegetables. Jams, jellies, pie fillings you can do in a water bath because you usually add sugars and most fruit already have a high acid amount

  Yesterday at 4:44pm · 
• Me - You usually will hear about someone getting really sick from home canned foods a couple times a year and the most common thing they get sick from is improperly canned green beans.

  Yesterday at 4:45pm · 
• Kody - Remind me to never eat canned veggies unless they come from your house.

  Yesterday at 4:46pm ·
• Me - Pickled veggies you can do in a water bath because you are usually using vinegar which adds the acid you need

  Yesterday at 4:46pm · 
• Kody - I've only ever canned fruit, Applesauce/butter, or jam.

  Yesterday at 4:48pm · 
•  Me - Try veggies! Just borrow your mom's canner! Go in on it with friends, easy peasy and safe as long as you follow the rules. This is an awesome website for dat shit:http://nchfp.uga.edu/

  

  National Center for Home Food Preservation

  nchfp.uga.edu

  The National Center for Home Food Preservation is your source for methods of home food preservation.

  Yesterday at 4:49pm · 
• Kody -  I need to get my blueberries picked this week and get some apples for Applesauce.... I'm a little behind. :)
  
  I want to do pickles!

  Yesterday at 4:51pm · 
• Me - Bill Pace in Bellevue has 25lb boxes for $25 I believe... But your local fruit stand should have cukes, too.

  Yesterday at 4:55pm · 
•  Kody - I'm going to check Country Farms tomorrow. I'm out of canning jars - I use them to store my dry bulk stuffs.

  Yesterday at 4:55pm ·
• Me - LOL! That is very good too!!

  Yesterday at 4:57pm · 
• Andy -  I am SOOOO glad you didn't blow your head off!!

  Yesterday at 5:25pm · 
• Me -  ME TOO!!!!

  Yesterday at 5:32pm · 
• PJ -  I just picked some green beans from my garden (that's right...i'm all growin' veggies n shit), so it's good to know that I now have to get all the canning stuff. *sigh*

  23 hours ago · 
• Me -  If you need to borrow a pressure cooker, just holler

  23 hours ago · 
•  PJ - Is it possible to pressure cook meat in a jar?

  23 hours ago · 
• Me - Actually, yes. You can a lot of meats raw and they will cook as they are being sealed

  23 hours ago · 
• PJ -  Good to know. I've started making home cooked meals for the dogs to wean then off of kibble and to help Josie's allergies. I just freeze the batches, but it would be nice to just leave them unfrozen.

  23 hours ago · 
• PJ -  Can you just bring the pressure cooker over and teach me? PLEASE TEACH ME!!!!

  23 hours ago · 
• Me - Happily

  22 hours ago ·

Summer in Seattle

Well, Poop.

I am currently laid up after throwing out my back, so I have been taking a look at my stats for this blog.

The most common search phrase that brings you to my blog?

"raccoon poop"

That is right, the most common thing that causes people to come to my blog is.... Poop.

Last year, after finding a raccoon latrine on the roof of my garage, I wrote a long rant about the walking bio-hazard I consider them to be. You can find the "Walking Biohazards" post here.

I am not sure how I feel about "poop" being the common denominator that causes people to find my blog. I guess like celebrity, any traffic is good traffic. But, really? Poop?

In total the blog has had 3,780 hits. That means that since I started this blog in March of 2011, I have had 3,780 hits, which in my mind is pretty awesome!

Of that, 1,808 of those hits are due to searches for information on raccoon poop! This is the shit that people want to know about. (pun intended)

They want to know what it looks like. It looks like blunted cat poop with seeds.

Where they can find it. On roofs, in attics, under trees, in crawl spaces. Basically, any flat location that a raccoon has access to.

They want to know is it dangerous? HELL, YES. It is foul stuff full of roundworms and other nasty things.

I hope that people are able to find helpful information on how to deal with a raccoon latrine, but I still feel weird that poop is the reason so many people do end up on this blog. I kinda feel like I should be writing a very different blog...

Entertaining

 I like entertaining my friends.   Unfortunately, or fortunately, I have a little house. My tiny Seattle home is 580 sq ft. of "cozy serenity". No fooling, that is what the ad said about the house when I first came to look at it.

The house is small but the yard is goodly sized, as you have seen with my garden and livestock(snerk).

But I rarely invite people into my house, because it is, well, small. It gets very tight in here very quickly. So I wait for the warmer months to entertain.

Last month, I worked on expanding my patio a bit, with extra paver stones my neighbor had I was able to bring the flat spot a little closer to the house. Opening up more space for people to gather and tables to be set up.

It isn't fancy by any means but it works and keeps drunk people, mainly me, from tripping and falling due to uneven divots.  Not that I would know from any experience...

It is well know among my friends that I make a most evil sangria. It has caused many a friend to fall down. My friends act badly, drink too much, talk too loud, tell colourful jokes in mixed company and are generally wonderful.

It may be a cocktail party but a good gathering should be filled with too much loud laughter, crass conversation and inappropriateness in my opinion. I have been to too many stuffy, boring cocktail parties where people don't drink to excess and don't talk about anything interesting.

A patio on a warm summer's night with good friends laughing uproariously and loudly, enjoying good food and good drink is always wonderful. Wear your best outfit if you must, but if you showed up in clam diggers and a wife-beater, I wouldn't kick you out of the yard.

Patios were made for such things. Just avoid falling into the pool... Carlo the pool boy hates that...