Make Your Own Creamed Honey
Creamed honey is often called whipped honey. If you wish to make your own, the first thing you need to know is this: Whipped honey is not whipped. You actually do not want to incorporate any air into so-called whipped...
The Origin of Chicken Talk and Human Speech
The mysteries of the origin of chicken talk and human speech may be found in the goings-on among the frogs and toads in your farm pond, says my ornithologist friend Gene Morton, who has written extensively on animal behavior and...
Motion Activated Camera Captures Farm Visitors
Our area is outside normal black bear range. So when someone spotted one, about 5 miles from our farm, it created a stir throughout our community. Three days later our Reconyx motion activated camera caught this black bear crossing our...
How Many Words Do Chickens Speak?
Anyone who spends much time around chickens can tell by the sounds they make if they are frightened, contented, cautious, and a whole range of other emotions. But no one has definitively resolved the question: Exactly how many words do...
The Grackles Are Back
It’s been several years since massive flocks of grackles have visited our farm, as they once regularly did. Although grackles remain among North Americas most abundant birds, scientists have identified the common grackle among 33 bird species in steep decline....
Lebkuchen — Traditional German Honey Cookies
Lebkuchen are spicy honey cookies traditionally served at Christmas time in Germany, and are an essential part of Christmas in our household. These cookies are not only delicious, but also pretty enough to give as gifts. Large and round, they...
Why Honey Crystallizes & What to Do with It
Honey is a supersaturated solution of sugar and water, which means it contains more sugar than the water can naturally dissolve. Honey crystallizes when the water releases excess sugar. If you’ve ever had the fun of making rock candy, you...
How to Correct a Nubian Goat Kid’s Folded Ears
Nubian kids are sometimes born with folded ears. If you don’t correct a goat kid’s folded ears right away, the ears will remain permanently folded. Why goat kids are born with folded ears is anyone’s guess. One conjecture is that...
Clean Burnt Residue from a Non-Stick Griddle Plate
A dishwasher safe non-stick griddle plate will accumulate a film of burnt-on food residue, no matter how careful you are. And the gunk seems to sneak up — the griddle looks clean, until one day it suddenly isn’t. That’s the...
Talk to Guinea Fowl — They Will Listen
The first flock of guinea fowl we had on our Tennessee farm consisted of mostly pearl guineas, with a few white guineas in the lot. Unfortunately, white poultry of any kind are usually the first to succumb to predation, and...