peeperjj's Journal, 05 May 2020

We let our hens free range sometimes too. They have a huge pen but sometimes they just want to run a round the whole 4 acres. I raised rabbits for awhile in 4-H. I couldn’t stand the thought of butchering them. We sold the bunnies and someone else butchered them. I cried and cried when I realized what the buyers planned until my mom agreed to let me give away my mama rabbits. They ended up as pets to a nice family.  

Yeah, our chickens have a cute little coop that Mom bought herself for her birthday. It cost $100 but was cheaper than Wilco and totally worth the money; it's so awesome! They have a handle that goes through the fence so you can shut the door without going into the coop and there's a metal tray under the roosts and nesting boxes that we just pull out and rinse off. After cleaning up for 100+ chickens and building a coop and run for them (the coop is now a shed the size of our living and dining room put together), this coop is a miracle. I wouldn't have minded about the rabbits as long as Cloud could stick around. After the middle stage when they fit in your cupped hands I sort of go into business mode and don't care. We tried 4H with a lion head named Mister Bunny...that was before the butcher rabbits and I didn't take care of him so Mom gave him away after many threats to do so. She would have said no to me caring for the other rabbits, but I was the only one small enough to fit through the door of Cloud's cage so I could clean it. That's one up-side to being an ecto-meso, I guess. 🤷🏻‍♀️🐰 

That coop sounds awesome! Ours is just a 12x12 three sided metal building with chicken wire on the 4th side. My husband built 5 nesting areas in it. A few like to lay their eggs on the dirt floor. Their ‘pen’ is probably 12’ by 80-100’. We also have a movable fence that we move around the back yard to make sure they have plenty of grass and bugs. That more than triples their pen size.  

Cool; our coop is a bit small because it was made for banties and we have full-size chickens. Mom has never had banties before, but we had a few silkies in the second year that lasted up until about three years ago. There was is big white rooster named Elvis (this was back when we name our roosters after famous rock stars and other singers), a sweet little white hen who had smooth feathers but the build, black skin, and personality of a silky who we named Dove, a red silky named Red, and a black silky who we named Inkblot (from a series of books Mom read to us called Wild Magic). Even though Dove took any chicks that were hatched into her care, every single one of them were little Inkblots. Well, except one little grey one who Red kind of...let's just say it wasn't pretty and that one doesn't count. Why am I talking about silkies? I get carried away. 😂 

And I forgot to add the ducks to our list of pets. We have three movies that have an interesting history. The neighbors kept losing their pets and one day we saw a big white duck and a bunch of little ducklings (I think there were ten) waddling around our yard and playing in a big puddle in the driveway. She stayed there for a few days, then she left. The ducklings by that time had come to like us, so they didn't follow her. One eventually waddled down to the neighbor's house and we told the neighbors about it, and they said we could keep them because they were moving and the ducks liked us better anyways. After that, we didn't see the neighbors again, so we kind of Googled our way through things, and the one duck came back to his siblings. After a few months, all but four went to the auction with the rabbits we couldn't keep up with. We were going to get rid of the one duck who followed his Mom, but he was the sweetest male and Serena just couldn't part with him. So she got four ducks of her own and named the only white female Lacy, the brown female Freckles, the black-and-white female Checkers, and the male Chevron. She even built a coop for them, but that didn't work out so Dad made a coop with a bunch of big pools in it so they can have fun in their little Waterland. They were scary at first because they have talons and sharp points on their bills, but now they seem like cute little dogs to me. They wag their tails, run to you when you call them, and sort of hiss to communicate. They quack when they are really scared and do this weird dance when one has been separated for a while and returns. I like to joke around and call it a ceremonial dance, because it kind of looks like something like that. It's so goofy, but kind of sad when you first see it. Freckles didn't make it; she died suddenly for no apparent reason just when she was getting her dark feathers in. It's really hard for the others when one dies because they are so close together. It's almost like they have a sense of families being together forever. And this is long, I think you get the point. 😂 

Wow. I didn’t know that about ducks! I’m not a bird person. We got the chickens for a 4H project for the girls and because we wanted the fresh eggs. I have no proof but I think they are healthier than store eggs. Especially when ours get to run around and eat natural things whereas caged hens don’t get that. Thanks for educating me about ducks!  

Yeah, I agree about fresh eggs being healthier. Whatever you feed your chickens will go into the eggs; fresh grass and lots of worms, weeds, and treats make for bright yolks, firm shells, and tasty breakfast. We gave them asparagus once but too much...dark yolks and kind of stinky breakfast but still edible. 😂 But the eggs from the store are crap. They don't give them calcium, so the shells are wimpy, and the yolks are way too bright and a bit tasteless. The poor things live in filthy little cages all the time and are probably freaked out, so that doesn't help with the shells. Even Wilcox eggs are something to laugh at. I will always have a few good Sexlinks or Rohde Island Reds for eggs. And a nice, healthy apple tree because I seriously have only eaten half of a store-bought apple since we started getting Dale Graff's fresh produce. I'd rather have nothing than those tiny things.  

I agree on the chickens and eggs! Our shells are really hard and the yolks are a bright orange color and very flavorful. We used to feed our chickens oyster shells but they haven’t needed it lately. We give them a high protein layer pellet and treats like garden produce. Everything else they get from the yard like bugs and worms. Thanks for the info on asparagus. I’ll make sure not to feed them any! We have 3 apple trees. There’s nothing better than walking out to a tree and picking a fresh apple to eat! The ones in the store are small and don’t have as much flavor as ours do. I want a pear tree but the hubby and kids don’t like pears. The kids want a banana tree but I don’t think I can grow on in Oklahoma.  

Haha, a banana tree would be great, but Washington is not the best place for those. 😂 We also have five apple trees, though one of them is just a really big stick stuck into the ground with like one flower on it and a few leaves because we get deer. I caught one munching on our berm last summer, right past the Burberry bush. 🙄😕 

I'm loving the Esther-Peeper convo! 

😁 

I’d love if we had deer here. Hubby is a hunter though so we would have to make our acreage a hunter free zone lol. We tried to plants trees and bushes so the deer would stay around instead of wander through but my father in law puts calves on that pasture and they would knock down the fence and eat al the trees and bushes. They trampled most once they were done eating the leaves 😞. I wasn’t happy after all the money we spent and time getting it just right. We even hauled water to the trees and fertilized them so they’d grow well. I ‘hunt’ with him in my own stand sometimes. They wonder why I haven’t bagged a deer yet but I go just to watch them lol. It’s so relaxing just sitting in a tree for a couple hours by myself watching the wildlife.  

Yeah. I kind of want to try some venison and rabbit meat...whatever you call rabbit meat...but I like looking out the window and seeing the deer look at me like "uhh...I wasn't eating that." 😂 I got the perfect picture of that once but it's on my camera and I don't feel like moving them onto here. Dad was going to go hunting a couple of years ago ago but then - suprise - my sister Jamie (the "bucket" gal) had an unexpected wedding (and I love telling that story but I'll spare you). So, no hunting. Then he lost his job and went a few months without one, and now he's just getting used to this new job and when he's not working or sleeping, he's spending time with us. I kind of like it that way, the poor guy doesn't have the time or energy to spare for hunting. And he loves animals too much anyways; that's part of the reason why the rabbits didn't work out. He stalled a little with some of the chickens when they were sick and they ended up dying the hard way. I have also noticed that he's totally a cat person, and (shh 😛) it's kind of cute. But yeah, anyways, no hunting. Bummer. BTW, sorry I was gone for a couple of days, this stinking thing wouldn't let me in. 😒 

And, yeah, this is a pretty long conversation. 😂 

I’ve had rabbit and squirrel and like both. Can’t say I care for venison. I actually dislike it immensely lol. Hubby likes it though. We save back a roast or two for him and I make the rest into jerky. Deer jerky is awesome if you use a hickory or mesquite seasoning. The pepper seasoning is too strong. I’m a sucker for all animals which is why I haven’t gotten a deer yet. I took a shot one time and just nicked her. I ‘hunt’ with a bow only. I’ve promised the in-laws I’ll get a deer but I didn’t say when lol.  

Hubby used to be a hunter, but as long as I've known him he's only hunted quail & pheasant. We have lots of deer on our property. He jokes about shooting one so we can have venison but I always say " Not our deer!!!!" It's not my favorite anyway but I could never eat a deer I knew. 

Esther for such a young lady you have a way with words that draws people in to your conversation. Are you going to be a writer some day ? You sound like you could write some really interesting fiction and non fiction novels. I like reading your comments. 

My brothers were hunters and I have had venison just a few times... but not for about 40 years. Sometimes during the December holiday I may have some of their deer jerky. I can tolerate that which is really tasty. Growing up my grandfather had a farm. I had a pet calf named Ferdinand. My parents used to stock our freezer with beef from that farm. I was young and never realized the food in the freezer we called hamburger was actually the cows ! Until one day my older mean brother mentioned something about Ferdinand being on my dinner plate. I will never forget that day. LOL  

We used to eat my animals. We have three feeder steers for us and family now. I’m doing my nest to ‘tame’ them and not make them pets. I have a hard time eating anything I’ve tamed. The one that’s coming along nicely will be the one my aunts or in-laws get. You’d be surprised at how many adults don’t understand where food from the grocery store comes from. I love getting comments on my FB about raising our own beef, how I’m so mean to do it and should just go to the store and buy meat there where no animals were killed.  

Growing up around farmers both of grain and livestock I have an appreciating for where the food on my plate comes from.....I hope to someday soon find a local farm where I can purchase chicken, eggs and some beef products. I would feel so much better about eating it from those sources.