No Shampoo???!!!

So, thanks to Lili :-p , I have no more shampoo. She used the rest without telling me, so I ended up washing my really dirty hair the other night with body wash. Not the best wash, but at least it left my head feeling clean.

Then I started thinking, why not go ahead and make my own shampoo. I'm currently waiting to run out of deodorant to make my own version of that as well. So, I started looking up recipes for homemade shampoo. At first everything I found was using castile soap, which I do not have and cannot purchase right now.

So, after looking and reading all kinds of herbal recipes, I am going to start with the basic baking soda and hot water shampoo and see how that works before venturing further. 1tbsp baking soda to 8oz of hot water. Wash as normal, then adjust as your head feels- still too oily add more baking soda, too dry or has a whitish residue, less baking soda.

I don't typically use conditioner, but I do have some leave in spray that I'll finish using before trying the many recipes I found for conditioners.

I'm really excited about this. We just made some more laundry detergent and dishwasher powder last week, so I want to start slowly with the rest of the house on homemade products. It feels so much better knowing what's going in stuff we are using. And the dishwasher powder works awesome!!! Sean will have to post the recipe. The laundry detergent, I'm not overly happy with yet, the clothes are clean but I miss a scent to them, so I want to add something light but not sure what yet.

Overall, I'm loving changing our lifestyle! And it's not as hard as I thought it would be if we do it in stages.

Chickens and more chickens!!!

 The biggest of these littles is the only Easter Egger left  that we got back in April. She is Lil'Momma, she adopted the 3 biddies that we got after that, the black links. They did not want me taking their picture yesterday apparently...

This is Ms. Priss... and yep, she is our doll girl! She loves to be petted and acts all prissy all day. Not that she would be still, but her feathers make her look like she's wearing a dress.  

These two are Sunrise and Sunset. Lili named them and I honestly have no idea which is which. She keeps telling me, but I think it changes every time. The are the 'hen bosses' of our little group. 

Planning for fall and Tomatoes

So, the other day a friend on Facebook mentioned fall planting. I had not even thought about the idea of planting anything for fall. I'm still waiting on our tomatoes to turn red...there's about 20 of them out there right now :-D

                                   

                                   

While I'm impatiently waiting on the tomatoes, planning for fall does sound like a good idea. Since we don't really freeze here and the frost doesn't come until October or so, we have plenty of time to grow more. So, googling I went for 'winter garden in Georgia'. Got several really good sites, the best graphic though was this, showing zone 9 planting times from the folks over at VeggieHarvest

This gave me more ideas but I needed more info. So, back to the search I went. Found this site, Lovetoknow Garden and their list was exactly what I needed. So, after combining the two we have this list.

• 90 Days to Maturity
  • Beet
  • Carrot
  • Parsnip
  • Rutabaga
  • Globe onion
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
• 60 Days to Maturity
  • Early carrot
  • Leek
  • Turnip
  • Kohlrabi
  • Early cabbage
  • Swiss chard
• 30 Days to Maturity
• Chive
• Radish
• Leaf lettuce

Of course, there were a few I removed like the collards since I am the only one who eats them. Now, some of these I have no idea what they are or what they will taste like. But, if they will help cut our grocery bill and help teach us and the children how to be more self-sufficient then I'm up for trying them. Except for the beets, Sean and the kids get all those! 

Any ideas or tips on what kohlrabi, swiss chard, leeks, parsnips taste like or how to cook them would be much appreciated!!! 

Off now to work on laundry and making some more laundry detergent. 

Hiding Rooster

We, well I, was freaking out the other night because when it was time to go in I couldn't find Kristoff. Never did find him that evening with the rain and darkness, we put the girls up and hoped for the best. He is not one to skip roosting, always in there before the ladies and well before dark. So you can see why this had me concerned, but there was nothing else I could do.

Next morning I heard him and looked in the coop and there he was just crowing his happy head off. I thought Sean had put him up during the night, nope. Repeat that same evening....no Kristoff to be seen. So, Sean was checking in the coop and almost got pooped on... all the way in the top rafters was Kristoff.

Sneaky boy!!!

Candling pictures from Day 9.

Here is our attempt:  pictures and video of candling.





And here are pictures and the video from Day 9

Learning lessons

Ok, so I wrote about incubating redneck style. Well, I don't know where we went wrong or what the learning curve should be but there is only 1 egg or fluffy as Lili calls it that seems viable. There isn't even any development seen beyond air sacs in some of them.
Here is incubation photo day 11

Now, we have no training candling or hatching eggs. This is our very first go round. So, we are completely going by what we have been able to read and rig up for the eggies. We are trying very hard to keep the re-use factor above the expense factor. So far, we have. But now I'm questioning should we buy an incubator? I'm still hoping that we will have a broody hen at some point, but just in case I've been looking at different incubators and pricing them and that's a scary process!

Check this out:
Incubators   as you can see the prices start around $50 and go up from there depending on how much you want to spend really. From internet reading, different people have different results with all the systems, so there is no stand out favorite.

It seems to me, the main parts of the incubator are
1. box of some type that will hold heat, but have some vents
2. Light for heat most common temps seem to say keep it 99-104 until the 18th day.
3. Thermometer for measuring the heat, you don't want them too warm or too cool. They won't develop properly or will cook.
4. A chart to mark the 3 times a day turning that is necessary until day 18, when you stop turning.

Some people use humidity along with theirs as well which requires a different gauge and monitoring. We are going with the 'dry air' method, especially given where we live. There is always humidity here.

So, in approximately 7 more days, we will find out if we were at least one successful hatchers :-) Then we will see about making adjustments to our system, maybe make it a little less redneck and a little more scientific, unless of course one of our girls decide to go broody!

Speaking of the girls,

This may be why nothing is growing really well in the garden yet! 

Day 1 - Incubation

So, since none of the hens seemed to be going broody, we took all 14 eggs out of the nest boxes. We rigged up a diy incubator- redneck style and got a temp steady and have them all in there to try that way. We have turned them twice today since they have been in and recorded temps to check. We are going the dry incubation way since it's so humid down here in Georgia.

Tomorrow we start with three times a day turning until day 18 which is marked on the calendar already along with day 21. These eggs are from the last week up to yesterday, so I'm sure the hatch rate and dates will vary, but I'm hoping that we will be able to hatch some out at least.

Lili was peeking at the box earlier, I told her she couldn't touch and that she had to leave them alone and to read up on incubation, so guess what she read while finishing supper :-) That girl is gonna know her some chickens by the time she's 10.

Tomorrow is picture day for our little EE girl and the her three adopted baby black links :-D They are growing so quickly. Will be time soon for them to go out into the small pen to start to see/smell/hear the big girls even though its a while until they'll get to mingle.

Garden update tomorrow, pictures if its not raining like it is right now... 

Picture Time!!!

Everyone in for the night 

Our roo, Kristoff (he's a handsome fellow)

Everyone hanging out

They all want to come on the back porch

Losing her balance on the handrail.

Ladies trying to sneak in the door when I go in. They didn't make it.

Miss Priss. Thought she was going to go broody on us, but no such luck. 

One nest, they seem to prefer this one to the other. Old re-purposed litter box

Our new family members, The EE and 3 black links that have adopted her as Mama. 

The EE is almost 5 weeks old now and the blacks are almost 2 weeks. 

Waiting, Eggs, More Waiting

So, we have our hens and a rooster. Hen and Rooster get 'friendly' and those eggs should get sat on by hen until little chicks come out right?? As of right now, we have a nest with 6 eggs in it, but no hen setting on there yet. The first egg was laid Monday, the last one today. I'm hoping that over the next day or two we will start to see some hen setting going on in the coop.

According to The Old Farmers Almanac  

How to Calculate Dates to Set Eggs

• Chicks take about 21 days to hatch.
• Those born under a waxing Moon, in the fruitful signs of Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces, are healthier and mature faster.
• To ensure that chicks are born during these times, determine the best days to "set eggs" (to place eggs in an incubator or under a hen.)
• To calculate the best days to set eggs, find the three fruitful birth signs. Find in your Almanac or purchase your own Moon's Sign Calendar here.
• Using only the fruitful dates between the new and full Moons, count back 21 days to find the best days to set eggs. See Moon phases for your area.
• Example: the Moon is new on June 12 and full on June 26. Between these dates, on June 13 and 14, the Moon is in the sign of Cancer. To have chicks born on June 13, count back 21 days; set eggs on May 23.

2014 Best Days to Set Eggs

• January: 11, 12, 20–22
• February: 8, 16–18
• March: 16, 17, 25
• April: 12, 13, 22, 23
• May: 9–11, 19, 20
• June: 6, 7, 16, 17
• July: 13, 14
• August: 9, 10, 18
• September: 5–7, 14, 15
• October: 3, 4, 11–13
• November: 8, 9
• December: 5, 6, 14

I have discovered that waiting on a hen to do something...well, it can drive you batty! I keep checking to see if there are more eggs or what's going on out there and nada. I think I might be driving them crazy. 

We tried to candle the eggs earlier to see if they are fertile, but it was still too light out. So, we get to brave the mosquitoes and try again in a little while. Yay, love those mosquitoes.  ;-) We (I) am really hoping they are fertile and chickies are just waiting until there are enough eggs in there to complete their clutch for them to hatch. 

I've read so much information online that I don't even believe I am processing it anymore.  But mostly, I found that average time you should candle the eggs is 7 days and that yes, the hens wait until they have the right number before they sit. So, now for more waiting. No candling until Monday night :-( 

Armadillo Invasion!

The other night, our dog was making an unholy ruckus out in the front yard. The kids were trying to sleep, so I went outside to see what she was going nuts about. As soon as I saw them, I laughed. Our silly dog had a pair cornered. A male and a female, and as armadillos tend to be solitary it made me laugh harder when I realized what the dog interrupted. It is springtime, after all.

Now, I didn't know that much about armadillos. So, I didn't know i we needed to do something about them, if our kids might be in danger, or if they might have some mischief planned for the garden or the chickens. So, off I went to do some research.

I went to Wikipedia first to get some quick ideas. But I learned more from Joshua Nixon's website. Armadillo-Online It's worth a read if you want more information than I provide here. He knows his armadillos, and has done plenty of homework already. An excellent and valuable resource on the subject.

So, are my dog or cats in danger?
Nope. Armadillos are not aggressive unless cornered and threatened, and given the chance, they will flee. They have strong legs, and can jump pretty high all things considered. Our mutt is part greyhound, and they outran her. Now, to be fair, she was excited and tryin to chase them in two different directions at once, but they are pretty darn quick and mobile for something that looks like a rat turtle.

But, they carry leprosy!
Yes, some of them do, and it has been transmitted to humans. Humans who like their armadillo a little too rare. When properly cooked, there is minimal danger. Then again, for humans there really is no danger, unless you eat them.

So, even my chickens are safe?
This was my worry. But in order for an armadillo to want to eat a chicken, it has to be dead first. Armadillos prefer insects, soft plant shoots, and carrion.

They are tearing up my yard!
Well, you can get used to it and wait them out, or you can move north. They don't like tundra. You can also build fences, or trap them and move them to a more remote area. Some people prefer 00 Buckshot as a solution. While this is effective, it is also not really needed. Unless you plan to eat them, in which case, cook them thoroughly.

They are destroying my garden!
Well, maybe. Raccoon, Possum, and other nocturnal omnivores are more likely. Armadillos like to dig in softer earth to look for insects and worms and such. While they will partake of your fresh produce from time to time, it will usually be eating the leftovers from other invaders. Even a small fence will keep the armadillos out, as they will normally go around, to find easier food elsewhere.

Burrows! They are digging under everything!
Ok, this can be a problem, as it can let other animals in, or erode away under the foundations of buildings. For solutions to these problems, I will refer to Joshua Nixon's wonderful website again.


Armadillos eat insects. While they will tear up your yard looking for earthworms and grubs, they will not stay long. They have a range they prefer, but are not as territorial as other animals are. They will move on, and you can do your yard repairs. Nothing to worry about, and no need for extermination.

The Two New Easter Egger Chicks New Home

Our little chickies... in the crate on the back porch now. 3 weeks old already. They outgrew their first box already and were flying out of it. So, we wrapped the dog crate in screening to keep them from slipping through and gave them a new home. Added a few logs and a box for comfort with the moss in it, although they prefer to sleep in the mason jar most of the time. I don't understand it, but I guess it keeps them warm. We are watching to make sure that they aren't getting too big to get in there, don't want any stuck chicks.
If you look at the pictures from the end of April, New Additions you can really see how much bigger they are. They still love to get up on Lili's fingers though and perch. I wonder how long that will last. She loves it. 
They seem to be enjoying exploring the big cage and all the different things in there to explore. And we are loving watching them, even Jack says 'oh so cute', which is awesome in his 3 year old voice.. :-)

Then hens and Kristoff still don't seem to be 'getting along' yet, but it's early still. Am hoping they will soon. Lili finally realized yesterday what having Kristoff could mean for the eggs and she is all excited! So for her sake, I'm definitely hoping some action goes on out there. Guess we'll be waiting and watching...

Lila's Sunday post

I love Lilies.

I love Kristoff!!!

  I love mustaches!!!  

    

Playing Chicken

Playtime for chickens? Sounds really odd. But, it is definitely something we will be trying over the next few weeks. I want to try the small plastic container with treats and will be hanging some cds up, I have a ton that I don't listen to anymore. I think we might see about a swing or some extra up and down area for them.

Chicken Toys


I love some of her ideas. As we work on our coop, I can imagine our flock will be getting some of these toys as well to have in their run. Probably try and keep them (the toys) in the run instead of all over the yard like my other kids do!

Speaking of my other kids... gotta be Mommy and show off a bit.  Here's my 2 favorite kids in the whole wide world!!!

 

WooHoo!!!!

It's a boy!!!!! 

Meet Kristoff, our new 'roo that we got today. He's in a separate crate up on the porch for a few days to get used to his new home and for us to get used to him. From everything that I've read he needs to stay separated for a while to make sure he isn't sick and then be introduced slowly to the flock. Can you call 3 whole hens a flock? I don't know what the limit is to make a flock....  Lili said on the way home with him, "He's a beauty!" and I have to agree! 

 The chicks are doing well and getting bigger it seems day by day. They get lots of attention from the kids and Lili is doing pretty well about keeping them fed and watered. Gotta clean that box out tomorrow though.... can't say I enjoy that, but I know it's better for them. They are almost 3 weeks old now :-)

New Additions :-)

These are the new babies we got today.... 6-  2 week old pullets. They are Easter Eggers- so in other words they are mutt chicks. :-)
Here is some more info, as this is the first time we have had EE's, we are going to be learning about them and their personality.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/products/easter-eggers

http://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Easter-Eggers-B145.aspx

I can't wait to see how these girls feather out. Right now, you put your hand in, as you can see hubby doing and they will jump right up on your finger. They are gonna hang out in the house, nice and cozy for a few weeks and then start going on the porch in the dog crate/chicken crate, then to the brooder box we have and finally into the pen with the girls :-D

According to what we've read, they start laying somewhere around 4 months, so we might see some eggs from them this year(which would be awesome to see which colors) or if it gets cooler, maybe not until next year. I'm hoping for this year!

http://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/5406815/width/500/height/1000/flags/LL