Life on the Farm
Chickens don’t have a nose to wriggle up, like a human who smells something odd or interesting. Neither to they noticeably sniff at things, like a dog does. Nevertheless, chickens have a keen sense of smell. And it’s likely every...
Ginger, along with its cousin turmeric, must be harvested before first frost. Accordingly, every fall I end up with an abundance of both. In seeking new ways to use either one, I ran across a delicious recipe that incorporates both...
Some goats show obvious signs of heat. Others display only subtle signs. How to tell when a goat is in heat is important when you need to determine the right time to bring the doe to a buck. Heat Cycles...
Potimarron is a prolific and easy-to-grow pear-shape squash in the Hubbard family. The flavor of this delicous squash supposedly is reminiscent of roasted chestnuts. Its name is a French combination of potiron meaning pumpkin and marron meaning chestnut. It’s also...
Goat hoof trimming shears are available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Over the decades I’ve spent a small fortune buying and trying just about every style touted as being the best goat hoof trimmer ever. Some of...
Controlling incubation humidity for a successful hatch ensures that moisture evaporates from poultry eggs at just the right rate. Humidity is a measure of the amount of moisture in the air. At a given temperature, the drier the air, the...
Finding a good recipe for homemade kosher dill pickles can be a gamble. I’ve gone through many recipes that didn’t quite hit the mark and some that were downright awful. Finally I discovered a recipe that’s perfect. For starters, these...
When deer congregate under the apple tree and crows drop apples in the driveway for a peck fest, it’s time to make apple jelly. The deer and crows tell us the apples are just starting to ripen. Apples that aren’t...
Supposedly a newborn goat that walks on pasterns doesn’t need its legs splinted. The theory is that the kid will grow out of it. But why take a chance? Causes of Weak Pasterns One of the two main causes of...
Eggs laid on the coop floor, appropriately called “floor eggs,” easily get dirty or cracked. They are unsanitary to eat and unsuitable for hatching. Plus a cracked egg is likely to get broken, making a mess. Hens will sample the...
