The Buckeyes Are Here!

The Buckeyes Are Here

You can probably tell from the pictures these Buckeyes don’t fall from trees. These are Buckeye chicks and they are on the “threatened” list on the American Livestock Breed Conservancy website. This organization works to help preserve breeds that might otherwise be lost. After several months of research our family has decided to work with the Buckeye chickens. Our young son refers to them as the “extinct” chickens. We were able to purchase 36 Buckeye eggs and that is where our story begins.

We have been waiting 21 days for this glorious moment. It was late Saturday afternoon when we discovered the first peep hole in one of the eggs. This is when the excitement begins to build. Not only can we watch for this egg to break open, but we watch for other eggs to start the hatching process as well. Just to be sure the audience doesn’t stray too far, we can hear cheeping noises from inside the eggs well before the chicks make their debut. The first chick took several hours to finally break free from the home he was quickly outgrowing. With one final effort, the chick freed himself from the egg and we saw a wet, weak bird resting in the warmth of the incubator. Before long, he was up and about exploring his surroundings and calling for other chicks to follow.

Once the chicks rest and dry we move them to the brooder box. Here their beaks are dipped in water. This is a typical method of “showing” the chicks where to find water. A bit of food is spread on newspaper so they learn food tastes good. After they have a taste of the good stuff, they try to eat shavings and leave them alone since they don’t taste good. The chicks will huddle under the warmth of the heat lamp, and will stray away from the light when they are warm enough. When the chicks are tired they simply flop forward on the ground for a nap. If we didn’t’ know better we would think they were dead. It is truly a unique sight.

So what makes the Buckeye chicks unique? In our few hours of experience we have noticed the chicks are very inquisitive; they come toward humans, rather than running away. One chick, only a few hours old, climbed on top of the feeder as if to say, “I have conquered the art of feeding and I am proud of it”! We anxiously look forward to the day these reddish, blond chicks become the regal, dark red beauties we have only enjoyed in pictures.

Potato Seeds??? (For Dummies Like Me)

When kids are asked where French fries come from, they can typically tell you they come from potatoes. The next logical question is to ask where potatoes come from. After explaining they don’t just come from grocery stores, some folks might not be sure they can answer the question correctly. For years, my father told me potatoes (and watermelons for that matter) grew on trees. How was I to know any different? Fortunately, I am finally learning the truth about potatoes.
Potatoes don’t come from seeds, they come from seed potatoes. So what is that you ask, seed potatoes are potatoes that have been kept from the prior year. (If they are purchased, they tend to be more expensive that you might guess.) A root cellar is a great place to store potatoes after they are harvested. Potatoes kept in the root cellar long enough develop eyes. These eyes are the beginnings of new potato plants. The potatoes are cut up with at least one eye in each section. The sections shouldn’t be too large or too small. Sorry, but I can’t be more specific than that because I seem to inevitable cut some too large and some too small, or at least that is what I am told. After these cut sections are allowed to dry out a few days, they can be planted.
As the plants grow, the soil must be “hilled up” around the plant a few times. This allows the plant to grow up and the potatoes to avoid growing down too deeply. When the time is right the potatoes are dug up from the ground. This would be much more difficult if the potatoes were very deep. A pitchfork can be used to dig up the potatoes or a potato plow can be used to turn up the soil and the potatoes. The newly dug potatoes have a thin, delicious skin. With time, the skin becomes slightly thicker and drier. This is God’s way of preserving potatoes.
So, in case you missed the point, potatoes grow under ground. If you come to the farmer’s market and find dirty potatoes, this might just be the sign they are very freshly picked and washing would tear away the delicate skin. You simply take these home and wash them just prior to cooking. The fabulous, fresh taste will be your reward.

The Chickens Are As Happy As Pigs In Mud

Really, they are happy. Both the chickens and the pigs are happy. It is a sunny and warm day in March. The kind of day that makes you want to work in the dirt, plant flowers, and pretend like spring is really here. There are still wet patches from the 5 inches of rain we got earlier in the week. The lower side of the pig pen is still muddy, but they like it that way. After a good roll in the mud, one so thorough the sow with the white mantle, looks entirely black, the pigs move to the grassy area to bake the mud dry in the warm sun. A slight turn and a soft grunt are all they bother to offer us as we walk past. Yes, they are truly content with life.

The chickens like their dark brown earth slightly drier and freshly turned. We created one of their favorite gourmet buffets today. After planting several new apple trees for our small orchard, the ground was tilled to prepare it for grass. As the tractor is turning up the ground, the chickens come running. They fall in right behind the tractor and fight over the smorgasbord of worms and bugs. One side of the fresh dirt is pecked and scratched by the dominant rooster and his harem of hens. The other side is filled with younger chickens. There is a hurried excitement in the pullets that are experiencing this feast for the first time.

While the chickens are happy and the pigs are happy, I must admit they still aren’t as blessed as I am.