New Feeders! Always Trying to Improve!

For those of you who follow the blog, you are likely aware of the stages we have gone through with feeders. The chickens like to dump their food on the ground, and we also have issues with summer monsoons bringing water nearly parallel to the ground, wind gusts and micro-bursts, and also with wild animals. It is the wild animals that bring us the greatest concern, since they not only eat a lot of food, but also can bring disease, so we have been through several versions of feeders to try to come up with the best solution for our animals, who rather enjoy their treats along with their soy-free, corn-free, non-gmo organic feed!

Wyatt recently found these feeders he was hoping to try. So we purchased one and brought it home, hoping to see of it would help with all of the competing needs. The Silkie pen was first for this new feeder. 

Being that there was already a hook in the pen, and they don't have as much rain reaching the area where that would put hte feed, it was a good first choice. I added a scoop of feed, which would usually last 2-3 days with them. I didn't figure that would require filling it all the way, which would also mean that I didn't have to fret so much about losing a lot of feed if this idea was a bust with them!

I raided Bailey's stash of bailing twine, and tied the feeder to hang high enough that the Silkies stand properly as they eat, nothing can jump in it, but that the geriatric White Faced Black Spanish hens that are in retirement in the Silkies' pen can still eat just fine. This was very early last week, and it took them much of the week to go through the scoop I put in there. I regularly saw all of the different chickens that reside in there munching away, so I decided it was worth trying a wider spread application of the new feeder.

We cannot afford to purchase new feeders for all of the poultry at one time, but I did go ahead and buy two more last Saturday, and Wyatt and I stood and decided the next to pens for roll out were the main laying pens, the A pen and the Big pen. These pens usually go through about a scoop per day in this weather. So we started in the Big pen, where this 4x4 is angled near the doorway of their barn, helping re-frame it after a micro-burst several years ago. I ran in a longer, thicker cup hook. It wouldn't angled or hang properly if I left it on the hook, so  we put it high enough that the feeder would swing freely and not have any pests feeding on it from the support beam, but still have it centered in and back far enough from the opening of the barn.

As soon as Wyatt poured the scoop in, we were surrounded by hens who felt the need to push us out of the way so they could be among the first to enjoy their new feeder.

The A pen was a little more challenging. There is a metal support for the roof, which was pretty easy to tie the feeder to, since the corners are favorite roosting spots and we didn't want accidental poop in the feeder or rain from the monsoons. The blue in the edge of the photo is a plastic tabletop that we use for nesting boxes to sit on, and that arrangement may have to be revisited if they fuss over the feeder or knock into when they fuss over next boxes (don't all hens want to use the same box at the same time at your house, too?)

So far, all of the new feeders are working beautifully. Feed economy might be slightly improved, although Wyatt is having a hard time with filling the feeders which are slightly smaller than the feed scoop. I will have to help him find a better solution for that this week. We also found a couple white buckets that still have the handles on them, which we plan to try to rig as temporary hanging feeders in the grow out pen and a couple of the breeding pens, I will try to take photos when we work on those so you can try it too, just as soon as we get the buckets unstuck!

What all have you all tried? Where do you put the fodder feed for your chickens for those of you who also use fodder? Please share your photos and solutions with us, and let me know who to credit so that I can share them with others trying to learn! 

Have a great day!

The Sprouting Project Part 5/6

Sorry I missed yesterday's post.  So here we are, six days after I started the first sunflower seeds in the prototype fodder system. Today I added the top right box, as well as the entire left stack.  Tomorrow, I believe the chickens will be celebrating the New Year with their first taste of the sunflower seed fodder sprouting project!

These are the seeds I just started today...

These are the ones which now reach tot he top of the box!

And these are the seeds sprouting in the open topped colander.

I also purchased a few larger boxes to try, depending upon how it all goes tomorrow. We shall see!

Kevin's New Friends, Chocolate and Snipe...

This morning, I brought home some new little friends for Kevin. Bailey helped me move a few birds around, and then once we had the VERY skittish Kevin in with the two little ones, we let them be for an hour or so with only checking in.  At first, Kevin was in the open section of the hutch, and the little ones were in the closed section.

Then, a little over an hour into it, Bailey went out to check, and Kevin and Chocolate were talking. Snipe was still in the other room.  But this was headway, so I asked Bailey to sneak out with the camera. (Excuse the already dirty hutch, please, the black feathers and poop make it look like I hadn't cleaned it before the move in!

Then Kevin went back in and visited with Snipe. Kevin seems to be taking a very friendly protector role with the two little ones, careful to step around them, even when being skittish, and gathered them up in the closed side for bedtime.

It is lots of fun to watch them together, it really makes me think Kevin was definitely needing friends to care for! We will see how they do, but for now things look great.  As you may remember, the guineas will grow to be part of our organic pest control support team. =) Such fun, and I look forward to watching them come into their own!

Vegetarian and Vegan Soap?

I get a lot of questions about soap on the blog, at farmers markets, and elsewhere. Some folks are content by the notion that all products are natural, and wherever possible, locally sourced. Along with that, there are a lot of questions about whether our products are all natural, vegetarian or vegan, and what that really means.

All Natural
All Natural is one of those terms that leads to misleading information more often than not. I cannot tell you the number of times folks have asked me at the farmers market, "Is this all natural?" At that point, I want to launch into educating people, but also try to be mindful not to go too crazy.  As far as a legal definition from the feds...

 The FDA stated:

“Although the use of the term ‘natural’ on the food label is of considerable interest to consumers and industry, FDA’s intent was not to establish a definition for ‘natural’ in this rulemaking....   The agency will maintain its current policy … not to restrict the use of the term “natural” except for added color, synthetic substances, and flavors as provided in [21 C.F.R.] § 101.22. Additionally, the agency will maintain its policy … regarding the use of “natural,” as meaning that nothing artificial or synthetic (including all color additives regardless of source) has been included in, or has been added to, a food that would not normally be expected to be in the food."

In the case of Patriot's Dream products, the bath products, including soap, lotion, lotion bars, etc, began because our eldest child was allergic to synthetics and preservatives. So even in the cases where you might expect such, they will be omitted on our products, because we expect more from ourselves and the performance of the products we provide. Curious as to what is in something or why we chose to put it there? Just ask! We are glad to make it public!

Vegetarian
Vegetarian is of special import to a number of our clients.  Sometimes folks are opposed to all animals products, sometimes only some products, sometimes to animals fed in certain ways. It is widely accepted that vegetarian will not include products which include animal fats or similar items, but that eggs and milk from animals are considered acceptable. In the case of soaps, goat milk is considered vegetarian, but not vegan. Some folks will like the goat milk, but only if the animals are fed organically or corn free or with other specific diets. Curious? We are open to these discussions, and it is important to honest with our clients! Just ask!

Interested in the origin of certain products? Shea butter comes from a tree in Africa, Cocoa butter comes from a plant. Olive oil comes from a number of sources, but we only use extra virgin, because this is the type which has been scientifically linked to the real health benefits.

While some folks love Emu Oil for their skin conditions, it is rendered from the fat of Emu at processing, so it is definitely not vegetarian or vegan. The same applies to lard and other animal fats often used in soap making, and for some these are excellent options, but not for all. You may find something listed on the site which was originally made as a special request for a customer, and the leftover is still available, so if in doubt, please ask and let us know what your concerns and restrictions are so that we may serve you better! As we often say, we love special requests, so we are glad to accommodate individual needs.

Also read on to the caveats of some less commonly known products rendered from animals in the next section.

Vegan
As I mentioned before, vegan means no milk, eggs, etc of any type from animals. While milk is fine in vegetarian soap, it is not permissible in vegan soap. There are some oils which, while they seem vegetarian or vegan, may involve processes in the rendering or acquisition of the oil which would not be considered vegan.

What names should you watch for? Tallow, suet, and lard are pretty straightforward. But there is more to it, things like oleic, palmitic, stearic, palmitoleic, linoleic and myristic acid can be sourced from animal fats or vegetable fats. If you have concerns, ask. I typically only use straightforward oils in our soaps, as this allows me one quick glance to know EXACTLY what is in a bar or bottle when helping a client at the farmers market.  

I don't believe I should ever need to hide anything from a client.  That is not why I do this. As a rule, I need to be able to look at any product, or my child should, and know whether she can use it safely.  She has me to interpret the label. My clients, or those they gift products to, may only have the label.

Wondering about other label items? Post as a comment, message or email me, and i will tackle that in a coming post! I am so glad you all give me the opportunity to have the privilege of serving you! Have a great night!

More on the law and all natural here:
http://www.natlawreview.com/article/does-fda-have-definition-natural-or-not

Bugs for livestock feed?

Bugs for livestock feed? Could this be the solution? How do you approach the organic question for bugs?

I recently listened to a piece on NPR regarding using bugs for livestock feed. It is funny, because we so often hear about the way other countries use bugs for nutrition, and in fact, some insects are considered delicacies. As a matter of full disclosure, I consider anything with more legs than the dog or fewer legs than the children to be a no go. While I understand that might be short sighted, I fully admit to my irrational fears in these areas. In this particular reporting piece, the discussion was not in solving the world's problems of feeding everyone through serving bugs to people, cooked in a variety of ways and farms on large scale in small areas, but instead the focus was in using the insects as protein source for livestock.

One issue I find myself discussing frequently is the use of genetically modified corn, soy and other crops in livestock feed.  What our livestock animals eat is passed on to us in the food, milk and eggs they provide for us to consume. While some of the studies are admittedly small in sample size, there is documented correlation in the health of the livestock eating GMO feed, and also in the insecticides being passed on through use on the crops fed as feed.

When we were in visiting our (sort-of) local organic pest control place a couple weeks back, Wyatt was thoroughly entertained by the fly traps. Funny how that works. Very excitedly, the representative showed us a different trap she thought we would like. She told us to wait on purchasing it, as she felt certain it would go on sale, but we had to admit- it is pretty neat! The trap itself is a metal screen, formed in a cylinder with a cone on top, that works on the principles of which way flies can actually fly.Essentially, flies fly in looking fro the smeely bait, but get trapped, dry and dehydrate. In the end, what is left is shrunken, dehydrated flies that can be fed tot he chickens as treats. I know, it doesn't sound remotely like a treat to me, but the chickens love them, and they are high protein and nutritious overall.

The insects they are talking about for livestock feed are, in fact, flies.  Pardon my squeamish nature, but they raise flies from larvae throughout the life cycle and use the final end product as an ingredient to provide protein in feed. So yes, all the life phases.

So here is my question... how would that work work with organics?

I set to researching this one. Logically, what they eat should be the output. The only research I found discussed that when fruit flies eat organic fruit, they live longer and reproduce better. So I suppose they could establish breeding stock that, having been fed organically for a certain period of generations, were organic. (Yes, I understand this is an odd train of thought.)  Additionally, some baseline would have to be established in order to prevent genetic modification of the flies, as we know there would be some preference to the "horse" flies or other larger flies. (I am far from any type of expert when it comes to organic, I went to the research realm for this one, because I really feel as though I am missing some of the angles.)

Hmmm...

So, what is your take on this one? Animals don't worry about eating flies like we do. Their mamas don't tell them, "No, no, you don;t know where that has been!" But when our food is the end result, we have to consider all of the pros and cons. What do you believe those pros and cons might be?

Hi, My name is Kevin...

Hi, my name is Kevin. The mama human who feeds me seems to think I should be friendly and socialized, so she keeps having me sit on her lap.  Then she proceeds to tell me I don't look like the chickens.  Funny but she got me to do a job the chickens don't do.

Ticks are prevalent in this area, and keep finding their way onto the property. When the mama human and the boy, Wyatt, went to the organic pest control place, they recommended guineas. That opened the door for a new job and a new home for me!  Apparently us guinea fowl like bugs even better than the chickens do. If you ask me, protein is protein, but I guess some birds are picky!

They promise me they are going to pick p a couple friends for me in the next few days. I am looking forward to that, because I am not quite as big as some of the birds here, but bigger than others, even though I am only a little over a month old.  The Wyatt human convinced the mama human that i look like the bird from "Up." I think that should mean treats and a movie, but apparently not.  So being that I am the first of the guineas to arrive here at Patriot's Dream on the anti-bug mission, I get the lead name of Kevin.

Wyatt also says the others will be Snipe and Chocolate, but I don't know what that is all about. I am just trying to grow up and am looking forward to more friends like me to arrive at the farm. Oh, and mama says she will keep you all posted about the progress of the mission, and to tell you that that is food I had in my feathers that landed in her lap. I don't know about her, but those human types are funny! I suppose as long as they keep feeding and being nice to me!

Urban Farming in Our Nearby "Kinda-big" Town of Tucson

Tuesday night, after work and the Farmers Market, I dashed downtown for a community meeting regarding urban livestock and gardening.  This is quite a hot button topic around the country these days.

From back in the historical context of our government encouraging all citizens to have two hens per person as layers and food source, to the modern times where folks seem to have come to believe that chicken comes without feathers on a Styrofoam plate with plastic wrap, there has certainly been a departure from the centrist viewpoint. As small farmers who believe in free range and organic, non-GMO practices, I read the notice talking about the concerns of the community representatives and thought I should go listen ot he concerns and, if needed or appropriate, be a voice for the middle ground.

In the meeting, were city officials looking at amendments to the city code, their staffers, and other farmers who managed livestock in the county area, as well as community members who believed in the proposed change for sustainable food sources, city livestock owners and gardeners  and community representatives from neighborhoods who were very concerned about the potential problems from  urban agriculture. There were abundant copies of the presentation slides, in addition to the legislation notes they were proposing. They took time to listen to everyone.

The staffers and those from the community who had been involved in the drafting of the proposed changes to the code had come into the meeting thinking they were ready to ask the council for a study session in October. But the folks who had been representing the community representatives hadn’t previously brought forward some of the intense concern being felt in a few of the neighborhoods.

Even in the most law abiding of communities, there are folks who abuse the rules and sometimes. We have a habit of sending eggs or pomegranates or homemade breads over the fences to thank neighbors for putting up with us in the Spring hatching and raising season before county fair. We are so lucky that our neighbors look at our silly little abode as a great neighbor, where they know what is going on and can drop by with grandchildren to check out the baby animals. But it isn’t like that for everyone.

And so, I ask, if this were your community, what would you think? What rules would you think were appropriate?