Memories from the Past: Feeding the Birds

It was a cold January day in 2009. The snow lay thick upon the ground and ice covered the surface of every tree limb and blade of grass. 

My mother, being the bird lover that she is, suggested that we make a treat for the birds. 

She showed us how to cut shapes out of cardboard, smear them with peanut butter, and then sprinkle them with birdseed, or anything that a bird would like to eat. 

On this particular day we used corn from our grain stash in the barn. We had such fun cutting out all sorts of shapes! When we had made enough we took them out to our orchard and hung them on the trees with twine. It wasn't long before the birds found our little gifts and began flitting about eating to their hearts content. 

 What a simple, creative, and fun activity!!! 

~Clair

My Lovely Ladies

The end of last summer we had an acquaintance add 5 hens to her order of Red Star chickens. She kept them in the basement along with her own chickens until they were big enough to take care of themselves. 

It was so exciting to finally meet my lovely ladies! The most exciting part was that in just --- weeks they would be laying  beautiful brown eggs! Instead of buying white eggs from the store or brown eggs from Mom and Dad McDaniel whenever they had extra we would be raising our own eggs!

They've been free ranging to their heartss content since then.  It was so exciting to gather the first eggs that they laid! We try to always be sure to pen them up at night in the house that Trey built, so they will be safe from critters. Sadly, we have lost two chickens to predators and here lately our geese have taken to attacking them. (Anyone want to come to my house for roast goose? Afterward you can lay back and rest on a goose down pillow if I have anything to do with it! ;0) )

Over the winter they didn't lay many eggs, but we aren't surprised for we don't have a light on them at this point.

About two weeks ago they began laying regularly again and we are now getting three eggs a day! That makes for over 2 dozen a week! Eggs are quite a staple food in our home and I treasure them like gold.

So here's to my lovely ladies! May they continue to prosper and produce nutritious eggs that will find themselves in many unique dishes on my table!

~Clair