ELeVan ~ Honaker Farm Journal

[elevan]

Yep, I currently have 6 broody hens...all after I built my incubator

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

Yep, I currently have 6 broody hens...all after I built my incubator

That is too funny. I have buff Naked Neck sitting on a dozen eggs. So far, she is a good sitter. This is her first time.

 

[Mamaboid]

I am so jealous of your broodies. I cannot get one to sit for nuttin.

 

[elevan]

I am so jealous of your broodies. I cannot get one to sit for nuttin.

It has it's downsides...

The broodys tend to take the favored nest box causing a ruckus amongst the rest of the hens and then they have to find a new favored nest box and then they start laying in weird places and I have to go on an egg hunt...

 

[Mamaboid]

I am so jealous of your broodies. I cannot get one to sit for nuttin.

It has it's downsides...

The broodys tend to take the favored nest box causing a ruckus amongst the rest of the hens and then they have to find a new favored nest box and then they start laying in weird places and I have to go on an egg hunt...

I hear that on the egg hunt, we have to do that also. We have two that like to lay inside the dog kennel, inside the igloo house. Works fine most of the time as we don't use the kennel on a regular basis.....but the last week we have been using it during the day because our Foxy girl is in heat and Spike is determined he will visit her. Poor chickens are so confused as to why suddenly they cannot get into their hidey spot, they are laying on the ground right outside the kennel....crazy animals.

 

[elevan]

Well Dove only has one chick. She tried really hard it seems to break another out of it's shell but it just didn't happen for her or the poor chick. The rest of her eggs were duds.

The remaining turkey poults are doing great and the hatchery issued me a credit on the 3 that died.

There is no progress to report on Frizz's eggs which were due last night / today. But she's hunkered down on them and keeping them all really close. The poor girl is still mostly featherless. I think that if she hatches any I'll move her and any chicks to confinement and feed them turkey starter so she gets plenty of protein to regrow her feathers and be beautiful again.

Skeeter's eggs are due to hatch Friday nite / Saturday and are being well taken care of.

Hershey is setting on duck eggs due to hatch on the 28th and she is taking very good care of her nest / eggs.

Helga is already taking excellent care of her clutch of guinea eggs.

I have a buyer who wants chicks at the end of this week and so far I don't really have any available...keep those fingers crossed for good hatches

 

[elevan]

Look what we found in a bucket in the backyard:

We set the bucket down on it's side and away s/he went!

 

[autumnprairie]

Adorable

 

[elevan]

I've been doing a lot of digging into information on herbs lately and ran across some great info on cumin.

Cumin is the second most popular spice in the world (black pepper is the most popular) and is commonly used in Mexican, Indian, Middle Eastern, and North African cuisine. It's what gives taco meat its signature flavor. But while it can be used to add amazing zing to dishes, it also packs many powerful health benefits.

Here are six health benefits of Cumin.

Energy Booster
Cumin is a great source of iron, which helps to maintain healthy energy levels. Iron improves blood flow throughout the body to increase oxygen delivery on a cellular level.

Cancer Prevention
Cumin has been found in studies to have potent anti-cancer properties. One study found that it may have protective effects against stomach and liver cancer. This is probably thanks to its free radical fighting properties. Free radicals can contribute to cancer development and growth, so consuming foods and Herbs that fight free radicals can help to prevent cancer and other illnesses.

Digestive Health
Cumin is beneficial for the digestive system, helping with the symptoms of nausea, indigestion, diarrhea, and flatulence. Cumin contains "thymol", a compound that stimulates stomach acid production and allows the body to get maximum nutrition from food.

Detoxification
Cumin increases the heat in the body, boosting the metabolism as well as improving kidney and liver function. This can help the body get rid of impurities, which will decrease the chances of disease in the body.

Skin Health
Getting rid of toxins within the body can also reduce the incidence of skin problems. Breakouts such as blemishes, rashes, and boils are usually a result of the body trying to remove waste in the body and using Cumin may reduce these symptoms because the waste is efficiently taken care of through the digestive system.

Increased Lactation
In addition to increasing energy, the iron in Cumin may also be beneficial for lactating mothers because it may help to increase milk production. The thymol in Cumin may be another reason why milk production is increased, because it stimulates gland secretion.
By: A Thyme for Herbs

Now that last note "Increased Lactation" got me thinking...has anyone attempted to use this for livestock? I don't know if it would change the milk flavor...cumin imparts a smoky quality to foods and I'm not so sure smoky milk would taste good :/ If anyone has tried it or wants to try it I'd love to hear how it works / how it goes.

 

[redtailgal]

Em, I dont know for sure, but I think that the taste does carry over into the milk. Here's why: When my second was born, I breastfeeding. I made tacos one night with a homemade herb mix that contained a lot of cumin (its my hubby's faborite herb). Anyway, the next day, I was pumping milk to put in reserve and noticed that it smelled like TACOS. lol, we were making jokes about feeding the baby taco flavored breast milk.