Chicken-Zilla

I watched this chicken eat no less than 7, possibly 8, mice while cleaning out the chicken house ( I mean while I was cleaning out the chicken house, she's not THAT awesome). This is also the chicken that lays the giant double yoked eggs some of you may have seen in the eggs you bought from MamaP. I've identified the breed (I think) as Dark Cornish.

My current plan is to transition our flock of layers into a mix of those and barred rocks. I need our chickens to be predictable, hardy, and nice with kids and these seem to fit the bill.

I'm raising 30 barred rocks as meat birds this year to see how it goes. I had decided to standardize on these two breeds before I realized that they are the breeds the mega-chickens are created from, which is some kind of interesting coincidence. I don't have anything specific against the crosses, though a lot of people seem to - but based on my reading they are just too fragile for me. Our chickens get a scoop or two of food a day between the 19 we have currently and are allowed to free range for the rest of the day. I like this laid back approach - I have a friend who let her crosses go a few weeks longer than expected and her chickens could hardly walk. No doubt proper feed management could be playing a role there, but I'd rather not worry so much about it. I'm willing to give up some efficiency to get a little extra hardiness out of the chickens we do raise.

Farm Working Weekend

Dearest stepped on a nail. Luckily the bone stopped it. Right. He kept working outside until the pain was unbearable and THEN came in, ate dinner, and went back out. Sigh. Now he is upstairs after I cleaned the wound and he has ice on it.

Tomorrow we are going to the local birth center to interview and tour the facility. Hopefully, since we will already be there, I can convince him to at least get a Tetanus shot. It is one of the few shots we vax the girls with, because of this exact risk out here. There are nails, old tin, rusty barbed wire. I am quite certain that even I have had the T shot updated since we moved here. Poor Dearest. Not much to do for him tonight but bring him Coke on ice and ice in bags and pillows and hugs.

This weekend we also got the chicken house cleaned out and more of the garden fence up and the pond picnic area and house yard mowed. By we, I mean Dearest. I stayed inside and worked on my class set up and cleaned and did laundry. It also seemed like I gave the girls at least 6 baths each in the last 24 hours and they NEEDED each and every one. It is mud season in southern Iowa!

Monday we will tour the birth center and then come home, eat lunch, and sort toys. We are keeping only sentimental, well constructed, and age appropriate toys and only 2 bins worth at that. We have 8 bins of mostly happy meal type toys that have been in storage and not even missed for a year. We will do it together though. I don't intend on tossing/donating my daughters' things without their consent and cooperation. It will be tougher than if I just did it behind their backs, but that's like stealing in my book. These are their belongings and it will be a good exercise in charity. I hope. It is a good rainy day project and we'll haul the stuff to DM on Thursday to donate to a charity garage/yard sale. I have more clothes to bring too.

Summer classes start Monday. I hope the class load is not too much. We'll see.

That's the update. I'm trying hard to get back into blogging and not on facebook. So I am doing my facebook updates by twitter and blogger and not getting sucked in to the reality there. Social media is good for the farm, but not good for my family relationships. I have changed a lot of settings there too. I'm still hooked in, just not as present. We'll see how long it lasts or if it helps ease the drama. At least I am trying. :) My effort will be on being present for my family and friends and working on our farm. And yes, that should have always been my focus, sadly I became too distracted.

Raincloud on a Sunshine Day!

 I realized yesterday when confronted with a variation of an old cliche that my attitude is what my problem is lately.

It is all about point of view, perspective.... For example, my family and I can be described as such:

Pig farmers in podunk Iowa.....
or
Natural food pioneers who are raising heritage breed pork, apples, and heirloom vegetables.

Homeschoolers......you know the kind that that morning tv show really slammed.
or
Interest led learners who pursue education in a nontraditional, yet legal, method.

Me:
Teacher
or
Adjunct Professor at a local community college

Me:
Stay at home mom/housewife
or
Mother, household and farm manager, nutritionist (who happens to like bon bons.....perhaps to a fault)

Lil'Bug:
A sassy, ill tempered child who gets really bossy with other kids.
or
A spirited child with lots ideas to communicate, her own opinion, a HUGE imagination, and who is a natural leader.

I could keep going but retyping some of the negative things that have been said about us lately is kind of draining.

We lead the lives we choose to live, make happiness where we are or choose to throw it off. It doesn't matter that I don't teach in the field of my Master's degree (historic preservation), nor that I didn't end up a field rep in Chicago, nor that I left my career behind to raise my beautiful children. I chose every one of those options.

I chose to battle infertility, examine the food we eat and pursue better options. I chose to look for a farm. I chose this life. Nothing about this makes me unhappy. Yet, I find myself really being negative with my sister and others lately. I could chuck it up to my frustration with the blood tests for the pregnancy... we are on #5 now, each one negating the results of the previous and finding something different. But seriously, it is all me. My attitude. My spin on things. I was in fact this cranky at 11 weeks during my last pregnancy too....at least according to the blog archives. :)

So once again, I am trying to take these lemons and put a different spin on them, be grateful for what life has handed me and stop being so sour, so to say. I will be fighting the harsh words and spins on our reality as long as we continue to choose such an unconventional life...... I might as well make lemonade, kick back in the rocking chair, and breathe in the fresh country air. Keep living this amazing life and keep inviting people to share in our adventure.

Happy Happy ME!

That is what Blueberry gleefully exclaimed all day yesterday! It was great. We actually had a pretty good, though cold day. I got all the dishes done, made lunch, dinner, and 8 meat pies for Dearest to take to work, cost $8 to make, saved $56 in eating out for Dearest. Sweet.

Up today, wash beddings and clean fridge our really well. I need to purge the freezer and pantry of expired things as well. Clean bird cages and do chores in the cold rain. Next week= sunshine, right?

Lil'Bug hauled firewood, stating that it was an important farm chore. Which prompted a family discussion about what is important to the farm as far as chores go, and laundry and picking up after yourself, toys and clothes, are just as important chores as firewood or mowing. We all do our part. To which she ROLLED HER EYES. Oh no.

Today I am thinking about raspberries. We have some planted, but I really want a PATCH not a row. I think I will need an acre or so for my cultivated berries. Gooseberries, currant, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. I have lots of wild, but those fruits are small and hard to get to. We also have elderberries, lots of them. I am thinking I might bring those to "market" if anyone is interested. Thoughts?