First Litter of Bunnies

Blackberry had her first litter on July 3rd after a 32-day gestation. Although most rabbits kindle after 28 days, it is typical for first-time moms to take a little longer. Also typical, Blackberry built her nest outside of the nesting box. Fortunately, we put the animals to bed pretty late on the night of the 2nd. We discovered Blackberry gathering up her grass into the typical "hay mustache". We gave her a lot more hay and enjoyed watching her move it around just so. In the morning she had 3 babies in the nest! Not so fortunately, all the rabbit info books suggest a very quite birthing environment. For our rabbits, the very next day was the 4th of July, complete with neighbors shooting off fireworks. Blackberry was slightly anxious at first and bounded in and out of the empty nesting box, not injuring the newborns in the neighboring nest.

New-born kits, hairless and closed eyes

After a couple days, we noticed that the baby rabbits were spreading out around the cage, running the risk of getting chilled in their hairless state, and one had even gotten on top of the hay and lodged its head into the wire above the smaller "baby-saver" wire - we were able to carefully free it. Therefore, we decided it was worth the risk of Blackberry rejecting the kits if we touched them to move them and shift the nest into the nesting box. Everything progressed fine. 

When we checked on the rabbits on day 10, when their eyes were supposed to open, we discovered that the largest white baby had passed away. The other white bunny was much smaller than its blue sibling, and also had a bad eye infection and some hygiene problems. I gently washed the bunny and dried it with the hair dryer so it wouldn't get a chill. Over the next several days, we wiped it's crusty eye, rinsed with saline solution and spread antibacterial ointment around it twice a day. We are happy to report it seems happy and healthy now!

Todd shows off the two week-old baby bunnies

The kits get their first weigh-in. The white one was definitely smaller at 7.0 oz. compared to its sibling at 9.7 oz.

Blackberry grooms the kits when they rejoin her

The Ugly Chickling

There is one chick getting some extra attention these days, and it (she?) is actually very cute. But like her namesake, the Ugly Duckling, she is the odd one out. Of the 18 chicks, she was the only one not accepted by the surrogate mother hens. She continues to get immediately pecked in their presence. We have been fostering her inside the house and find opportunities for her to get out and run around outside, such as when we are watering or harvesting in the garden. Fortunately, the other 5 hens tolerate her so she can hang out with them when they are out in the chicken yard. When she is in the garden with us, sometimes she runs after us following really well. Other times we walk away from her and she doesn't know where we have gone and she starts chirping really loudly and we squat down and say "chick chick" and she'll come running! It's fun to get to interact with her more than the other chicks. She'll probably be the best one in the end!

Last night, after an afternoon out with the hens, Chick Chick the foster chick was feeling very snuggly. She sat on my shoulder for at least an hour, sweetly peeping.

A Peak at the Peep Show

Our chicks have hatched! Here's the full story...

When our hen Lacey went broody in May, we decided to get her some fertile eggs to sit on as she had successfully hatched out and mothered Uno last spring. We purchased 2 dozen eggs from a farmer in Manor who raises and sells eggs and meat from chickens, ducks, geese and more. We received eggs from up to 6 different breeds: Naked Neck, Delaware, Maran, Buff Orpington, New Hampshire, and Jersey Giant.

On May 16, we gave Lacey a dozen eggs to sit on and placed the other dozen in an incubator inside the house, which our neighbors loaned to us. Lacey's eggs were marked with "X"s in pencil so that we could distinguish them from new eggs laid by our chickens, which we gather each evening.

 

Marking the eggs

Chicken eggs incubate for 21 days. On day 8 we candled the eggs. We used a high wattage flood lamp with a piece of foil over it to focus the light to an egg-sized hole. With the light shining through the eggs, we could glimpse the development of the egg, actually seeing a moving black area inside! We removed 2 eggs from Lacey and 1 from the incubator that were not developing.

Candling equipment

Part way into the incubation period, another hen, Solo, took over sitting on the eggs. Taking pity on Lacey, we took 3 of the eggs from Solo and gave them to her. One afternoon as I was checking on the chickens, I found an egg in the chicken coop, where the chickens sometime lay. I picked it up but then noticed that it had an "X" marked on it. Apparently it somehow got kicked out of Solo's nesting box. Sometimes hens will roll eggs out of their nest if they sense something wrong with them. I saw cracks in the small end of the egg but optimistically placed it under Lacey to see if it would still hatch.

Lacey takes a break from her eggs (in the right box) to explore the center nesting box and stare down Solo (on the left)

On day 19, Solo's chicks started hatching out, and on day 20, Lacey's followed suit. We believe that the warm temperatures outside caused the chicks to hatch a bit early. By the end of the day, all six of Solo's eggs had hatched, and 3 of Lacey's, with only the cracked egg remaining. The eggs in the incubator were finally starting to pip. On the 21st, I opened the nesting box to check on the chicks and found a few of Solo's in the center nesting box all by themselves. 

Solo and her chicks in the nesting box

Fearing that they no longer had enough room in the nesting box and that they might fall out, I moved the birds to the grow-out areas we had constructed over the weekend to keep the chicks and their mamas separated from each other and the other hens for safety. I moved the unhatched cracked egg into the incubator when I moved Lacey and her chicks. During day 21 and 22, 9 of the 12 eggs in the incubator hatched out including the cracked egg! As it was our first experience with an incubator, we discovered that the newly hatched chicks staggered around, knocking around the remaining eggs. Fearing that this movement would mess up the unhatched chicks' staging for hatching, we set up a brooder box with the candling light, a small dish of water and a small dish of food where the chicks could dry and rest. 

Newly hatched chicks in the incubator

Chicks huddling in the brooder box

9 of 12 eggs hatched in the incubator, including the cracked egg brought in from the coop (in hubby's hand)!

Once they were up on their feet, we took the chicks down to the chicken coop and integrated them in with the other chicks. I have read that this must be done before the chicks are more than 4 days old and in the evening if possible. We found that we could slip them in while the mother hen was dust bathing and not paying as much attention to the chicks as when they would all huddle under her to nap.

Several problems that arose:

The chicks were able to slip through the wire openings between their pens. Solo got upset when most of her chicks migrated over to Lacey. Solo and Lacey started fighting through the wire. I crawled under the coop and tied up cardboard to solve the problem.

Also during the scuffle, a grey naked neck chick who had looked unsteady on her feet earlier, got stepped on by Solo. I took it back to the house for some TLC. It was having problems staying on its feet and kept tipping over backwards onto its back. After some online research I hoped it was only a nutrient deficiency and had hubby pick up Vitamin E capsules and Selenium tablets on his way home from work. What a miracle cure! We crushed a quarter tablet (for 50 mcg) with one capsule of oil (400 IU). We scooped up a bit at a time with a blunted toothpick. We scraped the oil mixture onto the side of the chick's beak and she would then swallow it herself. Over two days, we gave her two doses. She was looking spunky and we placed her out with Lacey and she continues to do great!

Time to take your medicine

When I checked on the chicks one afternoon and added more feed to their dish I noticed that two that had just been added in with the rest that morning looked very listless and were separated from the rest of the group that was running around eating. I scooped them up and brought them inside to try the Vitamin E oil and selenium treatment. We split two dosages between them over twelve hours. Once they were looking perkier, we moved them back outside. Unfortunately, the brown and tan one we dubbed "Chipmunk" has had a hard time being accepted by the mama hens. In Lacey's pen she stayed by herself so we tried her with Solo who gave her some hard pecks and sent her onto her back. We moved her back in with Lacey and once night fell she huddled up with the other chicks under Lacey. But this morning Lacey gave her some pecks too. I'm not sure if it is happening all the time or if my presence brings out the behavior. We'll have to continue to observe them.

Two chicks, including Chipmunk (on right), after some TLC

But the good news is that we have 18 chicks. We could spend all day watching them run around and climb on each other and their moms. For now we'll let them grow and then make decisions once we determine male and female identities.

The grey naked neck is steady enough on its feet to climb Lacey while other chicks sleep beneath her

This yellow chick loved jumping on Solo and sliding off again

Solo picks food from the feeder and drops it on the ground for the chicks

Or as the chicks grow they climb into the feeder themselves

Lacey and her chicks

Winter Squash Feast

Due to the weather heating up and the presence of the squash borer bug, our winter squash vines are starting to die off. We've harvested most of the produce although a few butternut and delicata are still growing. It's still hard to believe that we grew these large, yummy squash on our own in our yard!

A super delicious dinner of grilled halved delicata squash and roasted tomatoes, kale, garlic, onion, hot pepper, and green onion. So amazing and every ingredient (except the oil) was from our garden!

Blackberry & Peach Inspiration

The end of May reminds us that it's time for Fredericksburg peach season! We hoped to return to the pick-you-own farm we visited last year, but some online research revealed that the late freezes that killed our own summer squash and tomato plants decimated the flourishing peach blossoms. What the freeze didn't kill, subsequent hail storms finished off. We found a peach stand further north near the Highland Lakes still offering some peaches and located a pick-you-own blackberry farm nearby. We started our Memorial Day day trip with a visit to Krause Springs near Spicewood, Texas. Despite the cloudy weather, we had a refreshing morning in the cool water, jumped off the rope swing, watched a snake swim by us in the water, and enjoyed a picnic lunch.

These delicious peaches went fast! We tried some new canning recipes this year. For all recipes, start by peeling the peaches by lowering them into boiling water for 30 seconds for small peaches to 1 minute for larger peaches. Then transfer into a bath of ice water. Peel off the skins and remove the pits.

Peaches Pickled with Red Wine
adapted from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/victorygarden/eat/recipes/peaches.html by Chef Alice Waters

Chef Alice Waters says these pickled peaches are especially delicious to accompany grilled cured duck breast or pork

Makes 6 pickled peach halves, so multiply the recipe as needed.

Ingredients

• 3 peaches
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
• 4 cloves
• 2 allspice berries
• 1/2 stick cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf

To make the pickling solution, combine the water, vinegar, wine, honey, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, cinnamon and bay leaf in a heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the peach segments. Scoop into clean jars. Process for 20 minutes in hot water bath.

Peach Cobbler Preserves with Vanilla & Bourbon
adapted from http://southernfood.about.com/od/jamsjellies/r/r80910b.htm

Makes about 5 half-pint (8-ounce) jars. Note: for every 1 1/3c fruit

we used 1 1/2T low-sugar pectin to reduce the sugar amount used.

Ingredients

• 5 cups diced ripe firm peaches (8 to 12 peaches, depending on size)
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 1 scant teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 1 pouch liquid fruit pectin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine the peaches with the lemon juice and 2 cups of the sugar; cover and let stand for 1 hour.

To the peaches add the remaining sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter, if using to prevent foaming. Heat uncovered over medium heat, stirring often, until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Increase the heat to medium-high. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Add the pectin and bring once again to a full rolling boil. Boil for exactly 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and skim excess foam from the mixture. Stir in vanilla.

Fill jars with hot fruit mixture, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Top with bourbon. Boil in hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Sweet-Hot Pickled Peaches -- We loved the flavors in this one when we taste-tested it!

adapted from http://www.bhg.com/recipe/appetizers-snacks/sweet-hot-pickled-peaches/

ingredients

• 6pound small fresh peaches (about 18 peaches)
• 2 1/2cups  water
• 2 1/2cups  cider vinegar
• 0.5cup  granulated sugar
• 3cups  packed brown sugar
• 4sticks cinnamon
• 2 - 4piece fresh gingerroot, peeled and cut in strips (more ginger=hotter taste)
• 1 1/2teaspoons  crushed red pepper
• 1teaspoon  mustard seed
• 8whole cloves
• 1small sweet onion, cut in wedges
• 1medium red sweet pepper, seeded and cut in strips
• 
  
• For the pickling mixture combine the 2-12 cups water, vinegar, sugars, cinnamon, ginger root, red pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, mustard seeds, and cloves. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugars. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.

Add peaches, onion, and sweet pepper to pickling mixture; Stir and return to boiling. With slotted spoon divide peaches, onion, sweet pepper, and cinnamon evenly among four clean, hot 1-quart jars. Pour pickling mixture into jars. Process in hot water bath for 20 minutes.

We also spent about 1.5 hours picking gorgeous blackberries. These plants, complete with their prickly thorns, brought back the picking skills we developed scavenging wild blackberries from the park near our apartment in Georgia. We are making our favorite blackberry and lavender jam with most of the berries. A search of recipes for blackberries came up with many appealing options for the rest, but this one just had to get made!

Goat Cheese Tart with Blackberry Preserves

adapted from http://thegoatmilkmaid.blogspot.com/2010/03/winter-treats.html

Ingredients: 
8 ounces goat cheese

8 ounces ricotta
4 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest, for garnish
1 9inch homemade tart crust
1 jar of homemade blackberry lavender preserves

Zest the lemon into a small bowl.

Blend the cheese, eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until smooth.

Pour the mixture into the pre-cooked tart shell, place on a cookie sheet at bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
Let the tart cool and serve with a dollop of blackberry preserves sprinkled with lemon zest and we appreciated a side of arugula fresh from the garden!

Hot Weather Garden Beginning to Produce

Our taste buds are beginning to re-orient themselves to summer flavors as the first sprinkling of ripe tomatoes and squash grace our meals. I still can't quite believe that we successfully grew such amazing winter squash in our own garden!

A happy rainbow of winter squash and tomatoes

Orange kabocha, striped delicata, and golden spaghetti squash grown from saved seed

Roasted spaghetti squash

Spaghetti squash with an olive oil, tomato, olive, red onion, basil, and feta topping

Onion Overload Is Awesome!

This post is a little late in coming, perhaps as this is the picture of our first harvest on April 30 of our bulbing onions whose stems had flopped over. Since then, we have been harvesting onions about once a week as their stems bend, signaling that the roots will no longer be receiving nutrients from the foliage. We did not apply any additional water to the bulbs in the ground at this point in order to allow them to begin to dry and cure, although we did get a few rains that may have compromised some of the larger bulbs, which we took into the kitchen to use sooner than those we are trying to cure. We have developed a method for processing the onions. We harvest a bunch, cut their tops off for fresh use in the kitchen (yummy in homemade bread) leaving about 8"-12", and allow them to dry on a surface with good air flow in the sun for a day or two depending of the level of sun and heat until the roots are noticeably drier. Then the onions are moved onto upside down crates salvaged from the farm last summer which allow for good air flow. The onions are stored on the back deck in the shade to cure for another couple of weeks until the neck is thin and dry and the roots dry. The crates are perfect in the event of a rainstorm, when we can stack them and move the crates to the covered entry by the front door for more protection from moisture but air can still circulate between the crates! Then the tops are cut off to 1" and the roots cut off and they are put in perforated bags (from grocery store citrus) for storage. The small onions are taken into the kitchen after harvest for immediate fresh use. We have enjoyed a Spring Onion Soup found here http://www.sippitysup.com/spring-onion-soup-completely-unadorned/. Add some extra garlic into the recipe and some steamed broccoli and swiss cheese on top as garnish for the taste of fresh deliciousness in a bowl!