Help me get my "homestead" started - Chickens, Ducks, and Bees

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

Took longer than I planned but the duck house is done. Going to get temporary fencing now.

 

[EddieWalker]

You got skills!!!! That's a really nice duck house. How will you get them to use it?

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I'm planning on treating them like chickens once I get a temporary fence set up. I'll put them in it at night and open the door during the day so they have access to about a 10x10 fenced area when they want it. I'll also have their feeder inside it. I hope they associate it with safety. Once they are old enough to be out on their own I'm going to float it in the middle of the pond. I'm hoping they will use it at night so the coyotes have a harder time getting them.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

Test run was a success!

 

[Jstpssng]

Nice job. When you fence in the area you might consider covering the top also. Then you won't have to worry about hawks and 4 legged animals going over the top, plus it eliminates the need to lock them up at night.

 

[SandburRanch]

If difficulty peeling hard boiled fresh farm eggs has been discussed on this topic i didn't see it , so here is something i actually learned from the Net .

It's common to place the eggs in a pot of tap water and boil .
Well , for easier peeling that's not how it's done .

Boil the water first then place the eggs in the boiling water . A ladle works well to gently put them in the pot so none crack . Boil for about 2-3 minutes , shut the heat off and allow the eggs to cool to near room temperature while in the water .

Now the eggs can be peeled with little difficulty because i suspect the rapid expansion of the shell pulled the 2 membrane layers from the Albumen . With 1 egg the wife actually peeled one end , squeezed the opposite end and the egg popped out of its shell . Another method is peel the large end , make a little hole in the shell small end , place the hole at your mouth and blow . Sometimes they pop out and sometimes not , but the kids or grand kids have fun .

 

[Jstpssng]

My sister says that steaming fresh eggs is helpful, when the time comes to peel them. I just let them set in the frig for a couple of weeks, then they are fine.

 

[SandburRanch]

My sister says that steaming fresh eggs is helpful, when the time comes to peel them. I just let them set in the frig for a couple of weeks, then they are fine.

A DIL of mine has a steamer and she reports that does well for peeling . i suppose the steamer has the same effect as boiling water . i know the eggs don't need to be completely submerged in the water .

 

[lman]

We've found that an Instant Pot works the best for boiling eggs.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]