Homemade Poultry Block

My birds (chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese) like to eat everything.  They follow me around hoping for a special treat.  It is so sweet.  These wonderful birds bring me so much joy.  That is why I love to find create new ways to give them healthy treats.  Just like every other animal on this ranch, my birds are highly spoiled.  

So far, I make three different treats, egg-based flock granola, gelatin-based poultry block, and bird bread.  Yes, I bake bread especially for my birds, but more on that later.  Each of these treats is gobbled up immediately.  

Making these treats is fun, and I feel good giving them something that is good for them.

Gelatin-Based Poultry Block

1 ounce plain gelatin
2 cups water, divided
eggshells, how ever many you have
1/2 Tablespoon Poultry Cell supplement or 1/4 cup Egg Maker granules
7 1/2 cups grain, seed, nut, fruit, vegetable
1/2 cup ground flax

Soften gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water.
With stick blender pulverize eggshells in 1/2 cup water.
Heat 1 cup water to boil.
Add heated water to gelatin, stir to dissolve.  Add eggshells and supplement.  Stir to combine.
In large bowl measure grains and flax.
Pour gelatin mixture over grains, mix well.  
Allow mixture to rest for about 10 minutes to absorb liquid.
Repeat stir and rest 2 or 3 more times until all liquid is absorbed.
Press mixture in 13x9 pan, or several smaller pans.
Refrigerate or freeze several hours or overnight.
Place in dehydrator at 125 for several hours or overnight until no longer sticky.

Recently I made a raisin grain block with milo, corn, sunflower seed, wheat, and of course, raisins.
Also made a fruit block with milo, corn, sunflower seed, wheat, peach, pear, and raisin.  I used the juice from the can of fruit as part of the water.

Get creative.  Use any fresh, canned, or leftover fruit or vegetable you have as part of the grain mix.  Your birds will love it.

Best of Show

My last Cochin Rooster.

He is a beauty.

While I no longer have Cochin chickens, there are still some of my birds at other farms.  This handsome fellow went to live with a young man who loves to show livestock at the county fair!

  
This 12 year old junior 4-h poultry showman won BEST LARGE COCK and BEST OF SHOW with his white Cochin!!  I am very proud of him.

This really gets me excited to breed more show quality livestock.

What Livestock Would You Like to Add to Your Homestead/Ranchstead?

We enjoy our livestock her on the ranch so much.  We have a small assortment right now, but I still would like to add a few more breeds of birds and maybe another type of animal or two.

One day we will have a few other critters around here...possibly
Saxony Ducks
White Call Ducks
Lavender Orpington Chickens
Polish Chickens
Quail
Dairy Goats


Post the list and knock one off immediately.  I just ordered some Lavender Orpington Hatching Eggs.  They should arrive next week and then in the incubator they go.  

What do you think?  What would you like to add to your own homestead?

Whole Grain Poultry Feed

We have decided that our birds (chickens, turkeys, and ducks) should have better nutrition that what is offered in a bag of highly processed layer feed.  Even though we were feeding a high quality layer mix to our birds, the pellets just seemed a bit unnatural.  I have enjoyed researching and creating my own special blend of whole grains for my birds.

I have learned many likes and dislikes with my birds while experimenting with grains and mixes.  

Moonglow a Mama-To-Be

Our beautiful Moonglow is hopefully now expecting a little one.  Sweet Midnight Moonglow was born and raised right here on Saltbush Flats.  She is the daughter of our sweet Mia.  Moonie is so sweet, she has turned out to be a great little heifer.  We know she will be a great mama.

Artificially Inseminated April 16 2015
Calf Due January 24 2016

And Fantom, where ever he may be, is going to be a proud papa of another little darling.

Ranch Call

Rancher Roy is out with the livestock several times during the day.  When he needs me for something, one would think he would just call out my name or sweetheart or some term like that.  Or maybe, he would even make a sound like

Homemade Biscuit Mix

Want to make a great biscuit every time?
Want biscuits and gravy that is better than any restaurant?

Sausage Gravy Recipe coming soon

Easy, delicious,

New Baby Ducklings!

Cute, Cute, Cute!

These little two-day old fellows are having so much fun.  They are so happy

What Is the Most Common Phrase on Your Homestead?

We are busy all day long every day on our ranch.  Rancher Roy and I talk to each other and work with each other a lot.  He is so wonderful and I do so enjoy being with him as we tend to the stock and garden chores each day.  

The most common phrase I say each day is

Pink Eggs

I have an Ameraucana that lays pink eggs.  Yes, you read that correctly, pink eggs.  They are such a rich pink color, just beautiful.  I have tried and tried to get a good picture of the color with no luck.  That pretty pink just does not come through the camera.

The pink eggs are in the middle.

Pickled Pineapple

What?  Pickled pineapple?  Cucumbers are pickled, not pineapple.

That is what I thought, "pickled pineapple... ewww."

But since I have all this pineapple, I thought, "why not?

New Baby Chicks

Saltbush Flats had a successful hatch of 16 little sweetheart Easter Egger chicks March 26.  They are the cutest little things.  I could cuddle with them and

Pineapple - No Part Goes to Waste

Every part of the pineapple has a purpose on this ranch.  Rancher Roy and I are not the only ones here that absolutely love pineapple.  The cattle, chickens, and ducks gobble down whatever pineapple they can get.

There are many uses for the delicious tender fruit as we have shown, but what do we do with the rinds, tops, and cores?

Pineapple Salsa

YUMM!!!

Oh my!  This is the most wonderful salsa.  It is the perfect combination of sweet and heat.  You really must try this..... now!

Home Canned Pineapple

Home canned pineapple is delicious .  Its tastes is far superior to the commercial canned stuff.  I prefer putting up my own canned fruits

How to Clean and Cut Fresh Pineapple

Cleaning and cutting a fresh pineapple is quick and easy.  Just follow these simple instructions.


1.  Using a carving knife, cut off top and bottom.

Pineapple - The World's Most Delicious Food

Yum!  I love pineapple.
fresh cut pineapple, pineapple pie, pineapple sherbet, pineapple milkshake, smoked pineapple, candied pineapple, dried pineapple, pineapple syrup, glazed pineapple, pineapple upside down cake,

Ranch Horse

Well, we finally did it.  We got our first ranch horse.  Rancher Roy has been wanting a horse since we established Saltbush Flats.  We brought home our handsome fellow and fell in love with him immediately.  He is so sweet

Incubating Eggs

It is that time of year again to hatch little chicks and ducklings.  

Today I filled one incubator with chicken eggs and the other with duck eggs.  

It takes 21 days for these little baby Easter Egger chicks to develop in the shell.  Today is Wednesday, March 4.  These little chicks should hatch about Wednesday, March 25.

Update:  16 beautiful baby chicks!

Garden Season

Garden Season

It is garden season.  Which should have all of us asking:  Do we garden?  Do we can, dehydrate, freeze, or preserve?  Do we put part of the bounty away to get us through until the next harvest season?