The Little Things in Life are the Big Things

I know......I've been a BAD blogger, nearly 2 weeks from my last post. It is nice to feel missed as evidence by an e-mail I received last night from my cousin.

One of our Muscovies hatched out 10 ducklings a couple days ago. Aren't they just the cutest animal EVER? CB's incubator is full of duck eggs so we have more on the way.
Life has been busy but.....I will be posting again real soon.

GOOD DAY EVERYONE!

Every Picture Tells a Story

Last weeks we started hearing squeaks coming from Country Boy's incubator.

Within a few hours they were busting out of their shells. We helped the above chicken break out a bit because he was really struggling and one of the last to hatch. We've never had good luck with "helping out" but amazingly this little guy survived.

Not a great incubation rate this time around. Only 10 out of 40 eggs hatched. Better luck next time around. The key is to keep a moist environment which we lacked on a little towards the end. Our bad!

CB sold them within a couple days. Now he has his incubator filled with Muscovy eggs. We also have a Momma Muscovy sitting on a nest of eggs. Hers will hatch out way before the batch in the incubator. Remember last year when one of our hens hatched out and tended 26 ducklings? Now that is just crazy!

Just Ducky

Warning: this picture has nothing to do with the post.

I like making some of my own cleaners mostly for financial reasons but I also feel that it allows for a little less plastic consumption. Nothing fancy, just quick & easy. In the past I have bought the plastic squirt bottles at the dollar store or from a local department store. Most recently I bought one at Sally's Beauty Supply. It did cost a more but the sprayer seems much more durable. The cleaners I like to have on hand: ammonia & water for as a window cleaner. Bleach & water for my counters and cutting board. A mixture of half rubbing alcohol/half H20/splash of vinegar, and a dash of essential oil (eucalyptus is my favorite) as an all-purpose cleaner. For quite some time I made my own laundry detergent. I have been lazy lately using store bought. I do however have supplies on hand and could easily throw a batch together if I run out so I don't have to make a special trip to the store. Would love to hear if you make your cleaners and how? I am interested in making my own wood floor cleaner, anyone have experience with this?

Birds of a Feather Flock Together ~ day 16

Maine Man has his Ducks in a Row! ;)

Ha.....the morning after MM processed all the drakes but 1 he found this sight in the barn.

All the Muscovies were high up on a beam out of reach from MM.

They wanted NO part of the Merry-Go-Round aka Chicken Plucker.

Couple FUN facts about MM's Chicken Plucker Post

• It is the #1 visited post of this blog
• Yesterday out of 339 visitors to this site 75 of them were checking out that post
• Since he posted that in Jun 09' it has been viewed 9,409 times

Impressive, huh? I give him the spotlight just twice and he steals the show.....lol. His other post that is quite popular is a how to skin a pig.

Stolen picture from a friend that I gave a duck too, too pretty not to post. MM processed 11 ducks, we gave 2 away and we've eaten 1 so far. We all enjoyed, I think it tastes similar to roast beef. Not something you'd eat every week but good for a change.

Duck Eggs- day 8

Duck eggs are my ABSOLUTE favorite to bake with! I cherish them in the winter because it is the only season of the year I get them. The rest of the time the hens are either sitting on a nest of eggs for hatching or they are free ranging at the pond. They don't seem to be as ritualistic as chickens laying in the same spot. They are real good at hiding their eggs.
The shells are like 100 times thicker then a chicken's egg
(slight exaggeration on my part but you get my point)
Not like a chicken egg. If you have hens you know the deal. You slip it in your pocket, accidentally lean against something and you have a pocket full of yokey nastiness. Do you know how many times I have done that?
I have lost track. Even did it once at the kids school.
Waiting for them to get out, stuck my hand in my pocket and you know it.
I learn lessons hard and slowly.

Have you ever baked with duck eggs?
You must try just once. The only way to describe the end result is "fluffier".

Muscovies - day 2

When we first bought Muscovies the intention was for meat and eggs. As everything here on our small farm, it must serve a purpose. Well.....we came to liking them and they became a novelty around the farm. We occasionally sell some to a friend that takes them to market and bring others to auction. Maine Man just really hates killing them and our freezers have been well stocked. We have only eaten one and honestly it was the best duck we've ever had! One word to describe what they taste like is roast beef. Any how we are couple months into winter here and we have too darn many of them! In the summer even if we have a bunch they are mostly at the pond but this time of year they are in the barn and the door yard. A little too much poo for my liking. Yesterday when I pulled in the yard between the ducks & the chickens I thought for sure I was at a freakin zoo. So today MM is doing the deed along with his 8 year old daughter as I hide inside doing chores and preparing lunch. Not a good day to be a duck on the farm.

The Furry & The Feathered

Our newest addition Basil or Bullet, depends who your asking.

Above is Louie and one of his gals. All together we have 3 Khaki Cambells. They spend 3/4 of the year at the pond and winters in the barn. The only nice thing about keeping them cooped up is their delicious eggs which I LOVE to bake with!

I adore our Muscovies although at the moment we have too darn many of them. We will keep three hens & a drake through the winter. They forage so much food for themselves, they are pleasant to watch as the free roam throughout the barnyard. On a few occassions I've see people pulled watching them and not long ago a lady stopped and was taking pictures. They are SUPER Mommas. Remember that post I did about the hen that hatched out 26 ducklings.

Their eggs are great for baking with too. We ate one of the Muscovies this summer. I thought it tasted similar to roastbeef, tasting nothing like any duck I've had in the past.

H1 & N1 out to pasture. They have are surrounded by electric fencing that is about 4-6 inches up from the ground and have yet to escape. By the beginning of January they will be replaced with 2 more piglets. Only one of these is ours and the other we are raising for a friend. We like to keep at least two of every animal here on our small farm.

Sir Loin is to the left and we are raising T-bone for another friend. He is actual going to be given to our old neighbors as a token of appreciation for saving for our childrens college funds since they were born.

In addition to the animals shown above we have 2 other cats, 2 dogs, and a dozen laying hens, and a mean rooster named Bob.

New Life

Yesterday morning I went out to the barn to discover one of our Muscovy Mommas had hatched out 26 ducklings.
I couldn't believe my eyes! We have 3 adult females & 1 drake. This is our 4th hatching this season. The first one hatched 2, then 5, then, 4. 26 has to be a record ;) They are adorable. We never bore of new life on the farm.

Her way of letting me know I am getting a bit to close for her likings.


With a little time and effort she manages to cover them over quite well.
Have you ever heard of a duck hatching out so many babies?

Not so Ugly Duckings

We have 13 of these sweet little things running about the farm.

They were hatched out the way nature intended, by their Mommas. No help from Country Boy's incubator. The way I most prefer but hatching out eggs with the incubator has been a great learning experience. CB has made some money with it as well. It has been running continuously since April. We just hatched out our 4th batch of rhode island red chicks this past weekend.

Unlike chickens the ducks have yet to cause any destruction to the gardens this season hence why they are still running free and the laying hens are behind fencing. They actually seem to be helping with the bug population. This is the first year ever we have not had problems with insects destroying our crops. Maine Man had to dust a few plants with diamatacious earth once but that was it.
Muscovies are by far are one the EASIEST farm animals. They require very little care, they are quiet & clean. They gather in the barn at night and free range during the day. They forage much of food they eat.

Have I ever mentioned that I love baking with duck eggs?

Pumpkin Custard

Attempting to use up some frozen pumpkin I came across this tasty recipe. Then I made it for a second time the same week. It comes from Taste of Home. I will definitely make it again and again and.....you get the point!
I didn't have custard cups so I used the above dish. I didn't even cook it in a water bath as the directions said and it still came out good.

Next time I may attempt to make it with milk to lighten the calorie load. If I had a milking cow almost all the ingredients would have originated from the farm. I did use duck eggs in this recipe as I am starting to use in all my baked goodies. Not sure exactly what it is about them but they just seem to make things fluffier and tastier.


Ingredients
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
2 eggs
1 cup half-and-half cream
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt


TOPPING:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Whipped cream and ground cinnamon, optional


Directions
In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients; beat until smooth. Pour into four greased 10-oz. custard cups.
Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan; pour hot water around cups to a depth of 1 in. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 minutes.
For topping, combine the brown sugar, pecans and butter. Sprinkle over custard. Bake 30-35 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm or chilled; top with whipped cream and cinnamon if desired. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 4 servings.

Weekly Summary

Maine Man suggested I do a weekly post summarizing the chaos of our lives. Not sure this will be a regular thing but this was a perfect week to do.

* Kitten takes ride to school with MM to pick up kids......under suburban. Amazingly unharmed.

* Rabbits get loose for 282nd time this summer. MM open fires and guess what we have for dinner.

* Boxer injures 1 duck and kills 2. Last week she killed a rabbit.

* Pumpkin & Ham don't go well together! Pigs.....Pumpkin some how gets into Ham's pen and Ham nearly shred her to pieces. Never seen anything like it! THANK GOD MM had not left for work yet!

* Flower Girl & I were struck with a horid gastroenteritis.

* MM was down with a nasty respiratory illness.

Those were just a few of our finer moments so far this week, still have 4 days left.

You had to hear MM narrate of the kitten story, I laughed until tears. Glad the little man was safe.

As for rabbit meat, we all love it. I think it tastes better then chicken. The first time MM cooked it he used a slow cooker. It was ok. Along with it he cooked a duck. FG's exact words were "I liked the bunny better!" I had to agree. I really did not care for the duck. Second time around he coated it and baked it in the oven, yummy!

P.S. BOXER FREE FOR THE TAKING!

Life Learning-Growing your own ~ pictures only~

It's the simple things.....

100 Muscovy Ducklings.....we will keep a bunch and sell the rest. They are said to be good Mommas and good at reproducing. Oh yes and I hear they are good eats. I have eaten wild duck before and I did not like. We will see!

Turkeys are getting big. We raised 4 last year and we have 5 now. I wonder if the plucker MM built will be able to handle them? In the next couple weeks I will put together the pictures of that and have Maine Man do a post on how he constructed the plucker. Thanks for the book Angie, it was a great reference for John. It came out nicely!

Over the weekend I heard a meowing under the barn and out came this friendly, starving kitty. His name is Grislo thanks to the purple tag. It also had an out of state phone number listed. Called the number, no answer, voice mail in another language. I'm thinking this is a joke, someone dropped him off. Sure enough the owner calls back. He's from 2 towns over and has been missing for a month. As Leah said "back to his righteous owner." Don't ya love happy endings?

Wordless Wednesday

Best Blueberry Buckle

This past summer I put up 20 lbs of blueberries. So as I use up my freezer preserves I am always in search of a good blueberry recipe and this is the BEST yet. This recipe could easily be made with another berry if that is what you have on hand. I promise you will not be disappointed if you make it! I made this last weekend for the in-laws served with vanilla ice cream and fresh warmed maple syrup.


It was rated 5 stars with 16 reviews

Best Blueberry Buckle (Blueberry Crumb Cake)

Streusel Topping
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (2 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, softened but still cool (1/2 stick)
Cake
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool (1 1/4 stick)
2/3 cup granulated sugar (about 4 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
4 cups fresh blueberries, picked over (about 20 ounces)
Directions
1 For the streusel:.
2 In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt on low speed until well combined and no large brown sugar lumps remain, about 45 seconds.
3 Add butter and mix on low until mixture resembles wet sand and no large butter pieces remain, about 2 1/2 minutes.
4 Transfer streusel to small bowl and set aside.
5 For the cake:.
6 Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-inch round cake pan*(I used a shallow rectangle white dish and it cut neat squares) with 2-inch sides with nonstick cooking spray.
7 Whisk flour and baking powder in small bowl to combine; set aside.
8 In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, cream butter, sugar, salt, and lemon zest at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes; using rubber spatula, scrape down bowl.
9 Beat in vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds.
10 With mixer running at medium speed, add eggs one at a time; beat until partially incorporated, then scrape down bowl and continue to beat until fully incorporated (mixture will appear broken). With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat until flour is almost fully incorporated, about 20 seconds.
11 Disengage bowl from mixer; stir batter with rubber spatula, scraping bottom and sides of bowl, until no flour pockets remain and batter is homogenous; batter will be very heavy and thick.
12 Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries until evenly distributed.
13 Transfer batter to prepared pan; with rubber spatula, using a pushing motion, spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface.
14 Sprinkle streusel evenly over batter.
15 Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes.
16 Cool on wire rack 15 to 20 minutes (cake will fall slightly as it cools).
17 Cool until just warm or to room temperature, at least 1 hour. Cut into wedges and serve.

Enjoy Your Weekend!

Hare Today......Gone Tomorrow

Today MM picked up our 1st ever meat rabbits, New Zealand/Californian crosses. Interestingly they are not as available in Maine as we expected. We have 3 does and a buck. The does are 2 months old so we need to wait until the end of June before we can breed them. Their gestation period is approximately 1 month and rabbits are best to eat between 4-6lbs so we have a ways to go.

Any suggestions for a name for our buck?

Then we had a early delivery...



102 Khaki Campbell's (egg laying ducks) Can you believe these little babies made it all the way from Pennsylvania in this box? No fatalities thus far. They are hardy birds! The kids have enjoyed having these little peeps in the wood stove room. So have the cats...

At all times there has been at least 1 cat standing guard. Just waiting for the kids to leave the cover open.

We will keep a dozen for ourselves and the rest are for sale. Any Mainers interested leave me a comment or you know my number!

P.S. Maine Man's idea for the title...not mine!