Processed most of the FrankenChickens last week. Hopefully doing the balance on Sunday. Linda is coming to help. Manda was going to come too, but has 4 sick kiddos at home, and she doesn’t want to pass it on to me. So grateful that she doesn’t want me ill too.
We have another herdshare family, Todd and Emily. He’s been over a few times, with their kiddos, a 5-year old girl, June, and the cutest 3-year old twin boys. I haven’t met Emily yet, but did meet Becca when she came to collect their milk on Wednesday. So have 10.5 gallons of milk leaving the farm at present. Had some other enquiries too.
2nd lot of venison biltong is ready, not as salty as the last lot, so think I’m getting the hang of it. If Brad gets a few more deer, maybe I can supply some ex-South African family. Would also like to try some beef again, and make boerewors and dröewors too. As our beef is sooo lean, maybe I could add some sheep fat. That’ll have to wait until January, when our next beef is booked in for processing.
Got some more canning done - pickled beetroot and the venison. Made a pot of stew yesterday with 2 jars, baby Yukon Gold potatoes, lots of carrots, onions, garlic, fresh tomatoes and just a bit of celery I had previously frozen, and then some Bisto. Went great with my creamy, mashed potatoes and a baked Buttercup squash. Also roasted 1/2 a bushel of gorgeous Roma tomatoes to dry them out a little, and they’re currently in the crockpot. Plan on making Tomato Sauce (ketchup). Still want to can some potatoes and the squash.
Was hoping to put my greenhouse up this week, but the cold weather moved in before I found the plastic. Found it today :). Got some treated 2x4s, rebar and additional plumbing piping from Menards for it, drew out my plan, so think I’ll get it done early next week, before I need to process the chickens on Wednesday.
Put tick and flea collars on all 4 of the dogs, but pulled ticks off Sheila and Anni yesterday again. Lisa seemed clear, and I haven’t checked Rosco. Poor Rosco, I didn’t cut his fur this year and he’s matted and felted. Found one on Cooper the other day too. Tux is such a funny girl. After all the scraps of raw chicken and venison they’ve been getting, she wouldn’t eat her canned, wet cat food the other day. Kept running back to me, meowing for raw meat. Spoilt girl. She’s killed and semi eaten at least 2 of my new chickies, but I put chicken wire around the kiddie pool so she can’t get in with them anymore - I hope. I’ve moved their feed bowls to the garage. Once all the layers have been processed, I’ll clean out the chicken house, disinfect it, add some more roosts and block off the rafters, then move them in there. Only issue, we don’t have electricity there anymore. Seemingly, the underground cable had been damaged, probably by my cows walking to and from the pasture to the lower barn everyday. So no lights, nor power for the heated stand for their water.
After last nights’ freeze, there was just over an inch thick ice on the water troughs this morning, all 5 of them. Need to run the extension cords and put out the water de-icers again. Then going to have the tripping of the electricity box :(. Damn, our whole house needs to be rewired. Herbie said the drywall has to be taken down first. Say it isn’t so !!! Our furnace works like a dream, thanks Dad, although the thermostat seems to have a mind of its own. Just had to go downstairs to turn it down again. 76 is far too hot for while we’re sleeping. This morning I had to turn it down as well. Need to find the instructions and re-program it.
I irritated Herbie last week by spending too much at WalMart, buying 5 replacement fire alarms for the house (methinks they expired in Nov 2012 and he just took the last one down as it was pipping), 2 stretchy hosepipes, some thermals for me as well as flannel sleep pants for him so his leg doesn’t goo the bedding, and a bright orange sweatshirt for me and a luminous yellow one for him, so we can walk in the woods and not be shot, as well as the normal shop. The 2 x 100 ft hosepipes have worked great so far, although I can’t just pop them into the water troughs, they shrink. Added a short 5ft normal hosepipe to the end so I can wrap it around a post and don’t have to physically hold it to fill the troughs. When I’m finished, turn off the tap, disattach the small piece and the hose contracts, spewing water as it shrivels. The dogs find it fascinating and I’ve been drenched, twice !! I shouldn’t have to drag 200 ft of hosepipe down the driveway to drain it. Isn’t that a marvelous invention ?? The ends seem rather thin brass though, so think they may not last too long.
Herbies’ leg is on the mend, at last. I mixed an oil for the bruising, swelling and hardness of the whole leg, and sprayed the infected blisters with peroxide, then spread lavender essential oil on it. 2 days of this, and the pus has cleared, it no longer stinks, the scabbing is looking healthy. Massaged his leg with the oil, put gauze over the yucky part behind his knee and wrapped the compression bandage from the knee down. He takes it off when he dresses for work as it hurts when he moves too much. Even his foot is black and blue now. The medical bills are arriving - $5,000 for the Emergency visit, the CAT scan was $2,750 and $62 for the tetanus shot !!! Then another $300 for radiology. Medical is such a rip-off. He’s been back to the other medical Drs 2 or 3 times already, and we haven’t received their bills yet. His cheque this week was about $600 less than usual for the 2 days he didn’t work. It’s not fair. He’s scheduled for a 12-hour work day, but only gets paid for 8 if he takes a personal or sick day. But I’m happy that it’s healing, and he’s not as grumpy. Poor man.