| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| nh.farmgirl |
Posted - Feb 13 2011 : 4:25:52 PM
You have got to see this!  Click on my blog link below and see today's picture and post. UNREAL!! 
Barbara xo
"If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint."
- Edward Hopper
www.newhampshirefarmgirl.blogspot.com
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| 19 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| herblady55 |
Posted - Feb 21 2011 : 5:26:01 PM
WOW!!! Talk about "shoving a basketball thru your nostril."....my DH's favorite expression for "giving birth"...lol Poor chicky! I hope she(whoever it was) got an extra helping of laying mash that day!!!
Sister-chick# 905(Sept.14th 2009)
Judy
Hugs&Squeezles!
I am not contained between my hat and my boots! -Walt Whitman-
"Why couldn't I have been born Rich instead of So Good Looking?" |
| nh.farmgirl |
Posted - Feb 20 2011 : 11:30:50 AM
Hi Ann!
I currently have six beautiful Buff Orpingtons. They've been laying all winter, probably because I have a light on in their shed for the warmth.
Barbara
"If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint."
- Edward Hopper
www.newhampshirefarmgirl.blogspot.com
Farmgirl Sister #2694
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| Forrester Farm |
Posted - Feb 20 2011 : 11:21:59 AM
That is an amazingly large egg! How many chickens do you have? We are down to 3, and they were pretty dormant through the cold winter. Now we are getting 1-3 eggs a day. Hooray!
Ann
Forrester Farm
www.forresterfarm.com
(site, blog & shop)
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| nh.farmgirl |
Posted - Feb 20 2011 : 07:59:15 AM
Hi Wende,
Yes! I imagine laying that huge egg didn't come without its pain. Like one of us having a natural childbirth and delivering a 20-pound baby - yikes!!
Barbara
"If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint."
- Edward Hopper
www.newhampshirefarmgirl.blogspot.com
Farmgirl Sister #2694
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| Wende |
Posted - Feb 19 2011 : 09:03:12 AM
All i can say is Wow.. and OUCH!!!
I love my free range organic eggs I get from a gal at our local library. When I run out I have to buy eggs. It is dissapointing they way they taste.
WEnde
You know your a Farm Girl when...
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| nh.farmgirl |
Posted - Feb 14 2011 : 8:02:27 PM
Applause, please: clap clap clap clap clap :-)
Barbara 
"If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint."
- Edward Hopper
www.newhampshirefarmgirl.blogspot.com
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| nh.farmgirl |
Posted - Feb 14 2011 : 7:58:25 PM
Hi Nicole,
Treats? Absolutely!! Do they make "special treats"? Yes! They're called RAISINS :-)
Seriously, I don't know if special treats are sold for hens (although I imagine that they do, somewhere - I've never seen them, nor have I been looking). I don't look for them because I make my own special treats for my hens every day, above and beyond their grain and cracked corn.
Let's see now, almost every day I pop them some popcorn. I grow a ton of mammoth sunflowers every summer, and I save the seeds to give to my hens over the winter - they LOVE sunflower seeds! they also love pasta such as spaghetti which I make for them; the love cooked rice. Sometimes when I have an overabundance of eggs, what I'll do is cook some pasta for them and into the same water I will craack and drop into the boiling water about 6 eggs. It's fine to give them the eggs, as long as they are cooked. Other times I'll make them a salad of dark greens. Mostly do the greens for them during the winter and when they cannot be outside eating grass, dandilion greens, and, of course, ants and other bugs - YUM! LOL!
Into the chopped greens for them I'll toss cornmeal, oatmeal, and sunflower seeds, and a handful of raisins. Let's see, what else. They LOVE crackers that I'll crush up for them. They also love flaked tuna fish and oranges that I will slice in narrow rounds for them. They like tomatoes and about anything else from my garden. They love to have a big spaghetti squash all to themselves that I halve and let them let them work on the filling and the seeds.
Something else I do is save their shells in an old tin pie pan on the shelf over the stove. These I allow to dry, then put them in a plastic bag and crush them up with my rolling pin.
They LOVE blueberries, and every summer they end up with a goodly amount from the lower reaches of my 7 large blueberry bushes. Another thing they love during the summer is Japanese Beetles hat in my green way I do not use pesticides on but instead brush off my garden plants a few times a day into a jar (with lid nearby). Yum! :-) This helps immensely in keeping the beetle population from wreching my garden, and the hens love making fast treats out of them.
I've cooked my hens porridge WITH raisins, of course. :) To their salads I also sprinkle a bits of rosemary, thyme, and sweet basil. They love apples and the peelings from carrots that I chope up fine for them. About once a month I'll add a bit of honey to their water which they seem to enjoy. They like all my homemade bread.
Yes, definitely have a few hens! First make a nice shelter for them such as a secure shed you can close up at night. I think protecting my flock from predators has been one of my biggest challenges as there are coyotes, minks, and weasels here, and in the sky there are owls and hawks all too eager to attack the if they could.
All my hens come easily to me, and I can feed any ne of them out of my hand. three of them vie for my attention as they want me to pick them up for cuddle time.
It probably sounds like I spend ALL my time with my hens. I don't. I see them first thing every moring when I rake out their pens and put in fresh water and grain. Their treats which are the things I cook or put together for them is a quick and easy thing around lunchtime, then again in late afternoon when I again rake any droppings and refresh everything for the night.
They reward me by being so darned sweet that, even if I am super stressed over something going on in my life, and many times there is, I find them soooo relaxing since when I'm with them, thoughts of everything and anything else completely vanishes during my moments with them.
I hope I have answered your question. To see a picture of the sweetie who laid the giant egg, look at my post from today in my blog.
Barbara
"If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint."
- Edward Hopper
www.newhampshirefarmgirl.blogspot.com
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| grammytammy |
Posted - Feb 14 2011 : 6:13:31 PM
Wow weee! Give that chicken a round of applause!!
FarmGirl 2495
God loved us so much He gave His only son to die in our stead. |
| texdane |
Posted - Feb 14 2011 : 12:26:48 PM
Wow, that WAS some egg! Cute story about how proud of herself she was. I hope you gave a special treat...do they make chicken treats?!? I want some chickens...maybe this year. Thanks for sharing.
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE
http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/ |
| nh.farmgirl |
Posted - Feb 14 2011 : 09:20:17 AM
Leigh Erica,
A definite yes there - monster size! :) I'm going to post a picture of her on my blog later today.
Barbara
"If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint."
- Edward Hopper
www.newhampshirefarmgirl.blogspot.com
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| LeighErica |
Posted - Feb 14 2011 : 08:42:33 AM
That is a huge, beautiful egg!!! What a great surprise:) |
| nh.farmgirl |
Posted - Feb 14 2011 : 08:18:56 AM
Hi Belle,
She's a Buff Orpington who are big and beautiful and well known for their sweet and gentle dispositions; they lay big brown large or extra-large eggs. I've never seen one lay a dinosaur-size egg, however. It seemed worthy of special note. I'm going to post a picture of her on my blog in a little bit.
Barbara
"If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint."
- Edward Hopper
www.newhampshirefarmgirl.blogspot.com
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| nh.farmgirl |
Posted - Feb 14 2011 : 08:15:37 AM
Hi Alee,
I'm wondering if she held back her eggs for a few days and this was the result.
I'm so happy to be here, among other farmgirls!! :)
Barbara
"If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint."
- Edward Hopper
www.newhampshirefarmgirl.blogspot.com
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| Alee |
Posted - Feb 13 2011 : 8:15:48 PM
That's a very big egg! What a surprise to find that in the nest! I am glad your hen is okay! I wonder what would cause her to lay such an egg!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
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| Bellepepper |
Posted - Feb 13 2011 : 7:30:47 PM
Barbara, what breed of chicken is she? Did I miss reading this info? Gotta love those fresh eggs.
Belle |
| nh.farmgirl |
Posted - Feb 13 2011 : 7:19:59 PM
LOL - yes, I thought of too. She seemed fine though - strutting around just as proud as can be and seeming like she was real anxious for me to see what she produced! Even my other hens seemed kind of excited by it, LOL. Too cute.
Barbara
"If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint."
- Edward Hopper
www.newhampshirefarmgirl.blogspot.com
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| nh.farmgirl |
Posted - Feb 13 2011 : 7:15:54 PM
Dorinda,
Love your quote! Actually, every single quote I see is nice - it's like these great daily inspirational quotes. Oh yes, garden fresh veggies! I'll be planting about an acre come planting season. I always plant enough for us, enough to share with my mom, enough for the winter, and enough for my giving barrel which is an old antique wheelbarrel I chain to a tree down by the road where neighbors, the poor, or anyone can feel free to take whatever they'd like. Come this timeof yer I can barely wait to plant. Of course, it needs to stop snowing first.
Just had to share my pic of that egg. I've never seen oneanywhere even near that size - ever.
Barbara
"If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint."
- Edward Hopper
www.newhampshirefarmgirl.blogspot.com
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| HollyMaker |
Posted - Feb 13 2011 : 6:11:30 PM
Barbara, that egg is gigantic!!! A one egg omelette it could have been. I have cracked open a few eggs before that had double yokes but I haven't seen one as big as your mother hens. I hope she is alright, lol.
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http://www.chartreuseproducts.com/hlennon.html Natural and organic cleaning products, bath and body, righteous reusables and more! |
| Dorinda |
Posted - Feb 13 2011 : 5:17:13 PM
Wow!! What a huge egg! I bet it was tasty. I love the taste of fresh eggs. Its like the fresh veggies out of your garden. It has a much better flavor. Enjoy your valentine egg!!!! Gotta love your hen...
Seize The Day!
Dorinda |
