Feather your Nest Friday, 27th May, 2022.

It has been a better week!  Lucy is home and I am helping her for a few days.  This makes everything feel right again.   Everyone is ok.   Pheww. 

Where to start?  We had some true nest feathering going on.  

Last Saturday the eggs in the incubator reached 21 days.   Right on time by Saturday evening there was action.   I had four eggs wobbling and chipping.  

I did not know the chicks could chirp while still inside the egg!  It was tough leaving them alone but I had to try.  I could very easily have stayed up all night watching.  In the end I went to bed and work up to three little chicks.

One egg that had started to hatch never made it any further.  Another was just starting and not progressing.  mmm.  I put both eggs to my ear.   I could hear chip chip chip inside one of them.  As one had died at this stage I ended up helping the second one hatch.    I helped a bit then left it and helped some more.  In the end I had another little black chick.  I researched what was the problem that these two didn't make it on their own and it was my humidity was probably a bit low and it meant the membrane was too hard to break through.   But I ended up with four chicks that are going very well.

I set up a brooder... a cardboard box with a hotplate that keeps the chicks warm.  They were soon eating and drinking for the first time.

It is a big learning curve.  I identified a few things that hopefully will give me a higher success rate next time.  But it's a start. And I loved it. It has been so much fun!  

Once the chicks were in the brooder I had an empty incubator.  I cleaned it out ready to start again.   It sitting there doing nothing was irritating me so I posted on my buy, swap and sell group and my produce swap cart group and asked if anyone had any Silkie or Quail eggs.   Within minutes someone posted that they had Quail eggs!   The man sold me 12 Quail Eggs for $5.  He was not chatty.  All his sentences were one word.  So whether they are fresh fertile eggs or not well it's a gamble.  (He knew I wanted to incubate them.)     I picked them up got them in the incubator on Tuesday.  They are just beautiful.  I love speckled eggs!  

Then I thought oh,  what if these actually hatch in 18 days?  I will need another brooder!! And this is how it goes.  Chicken maths.

I harvested Celery.

As the fire is going now I am giving my dehydrator a rest and using baskets to dehydrate over the fire place.

I dry all the leaves because to me they are the best part.  Celery leaves make the most beautiful broth or stock.   A whole head of Celery dehydrates down to fit in one jar.  So good to have.  I have so much growing I can do this once a week.   Some Cream of Celery Soup is on the menu next week too.

I planted more beans and more garlic. 

I worked on coat hangers.

Andy cut and brought in more wood. 

I cut Andy's hair for him.  

I was able to do an Aldi stock up shop.  I was really pleased with that. 

It rained.  This is what we need!  

Lucy's garden has a patch of Dill.   Tomorrow I am going to dig some up to transplant into my garden and some plants for the swap table.

How was your week?  I hope you had opportunities to add to your pantry or garden and build up your home.

I am going to share a video that is packed full of information on how to stretch meals and retain nutrition.  For anyone with a family there is so much information here.  I found several tips I can use that are new to me.   

Marys Nest. Top 7 Meal Extenders.    

Have a lovely weekend! xxx