Weekly Chicken Gazette Issue 16🐓

Welcome to this weeks version of mother2chicks "Fuss & Feathers" Weekly Chicken Gazette Issue #16. Barely made it in the nick of time for this weeks edition.

For you newbies to the "gazette" let me introduce you to the girls. Blanche, Sweetpea,The Professor, Brownie, Blue, Dot, Maryann, and Shelly.

Some of you may remember that "Blue" injured her leg a couple weeks ago, she has made a nearly complete recovery. In her mind she is still a disabled chicken. She stands at the coop door looking longing up at me until I place her into the nest box where she has been in rehab for 2 weeks. She used to squak and flap around like I was taking her to the crock pot, but now she is just a Spoiled little bird!

"Brownie" loves to sleep next to Blue in the nest box. When all the rest of the girls are still out foraging she quietly sneaks in early each evening to get her prime spot before her nemesis Shelly can jump in her box. They are way smarter then they look!

Homesteading is both an honest and humble way of living. It really makes you appreciate the things others take for granted each day. It's important to make the most of the experience and learn as much as possible to become good stewards of the land. There is value in growing your own vegetables and even raising chickens, it's a way of life that delivers sustainable outcomes and satisfaction.

One of the best options for improving the soil are of course the chickens! Chickens perform a variety of functions including pest control, tilling the soil as they scratch around and they provide a great natural fertilizer in the form of their manure. Chicken manure is great for plants, it contains lots of nutrients most importantly nitrogen. I have used it in my mini worm farm as well, the cooled down version.

Egg shells can be composted providing nutrients such as calcium to the soil. You could even crush them and add them to your vegetable garden. Good grief, they even sell for 12 to 15 dollars at pound online. Get your fresh egg shells right here! As many eggs as I drop that could be my next new business.

I clean the coop completely weekly. If there's lots of poo , and no I don't observe the shape or color, which I know will disappoint @hethur after a busy day of free ranging I get my special plastic rake and remove it. So while they play I work. I use sand in the floor of the coop, hay should not be used . It gets wet and can cause respiratory problems in chickens. It's stinky too! Of course hay is used in their nest boxes where they lay the eggs. It gets changed as needed.

When we first got the chickens I used pine shavings, but in my opinion sand works much better. It is like cleaning a cat box just rake and scoop. Put the waste into the wheel barrow or composter. It needs to cool first for a few weeks. The girls get fresh water daily and I clean the container. It holds five quarts, chickens drink a lot of water. I fill the chicken feeder with layer feed mixing in calcium chips. Crushed granite chips helps with their digestion so I toss a handful in their coop and run.

Fast Facts
Chickens have 30 distinct vocalizations they use to communicate with each other. From coos and chatter to flat out boukks, particularly at roost time.

Weekly Egg Count
Blue and Dot are still molting so 3 to 5 daily. I have had my doubts about 2 of the EEs laying at all lately. The best layers by far are the Leghorns.

Purchases this week
Meal worms, free hay from Reddick Brothers, Granite chips

This Weeks Recipe
Wait for it...... Chicken Enchiladas! Don't tell the girls!

1 and quarter pounds of chicken breast cut into thin strips
1 pkg of cream cheese 8 oz. cut into cubes
1 small can of green chiles old El Paso
1 package of flour or corn tortillas
2 cans of red or green enchilada sauce
Half a cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Set oven to 400 degrees

In a medium sized skillet cook chicken until throughly done
Stir in cream cheese cubes and green chiles.

Spoon ingredients above into tortilla fold and place in baking pan.
I always fill the whole pan.
Top with the enchilada sauce sprinkle cheddar cheese over top

Pop into oven and cook about 20 minutes.

Can't finish them all. Left overs are great heated up with a fried egg on top
for breakfast. Add a little fruit on the side. Tada!

Stay tuned to @mother2chicks for next weeks Issue #17