Geek.Farm.Life

Comment by John G

January 14, 2007 @ 8:03 pm

Bloomington/IU has a great market for violins, so you might want to contact some of the instrument people down here if you have a really good one. Let me know if you want some more detailed info.

Thanks for the reminder on Craig’s List. It IS a great resource!

Comment by Tom

January 15, 2007 @ 12:19 am

Eggcellent podcast. It’s great to have a bit of insight into where our food really comes from. I learned a few things. Thanks!

Warning: Tom is about to ramble on, muse, and imagine.

On a family farm everyone works. One of the first jobs a child might have is gathering eggs. It doesn’t take muscle, just care and observation.

In the spring the poultry is unleashed from the winter digs. In their joy to be free, they may not choose to lay in the coop. They find their own hidden places. If nobody finds the nest the hen will go broody. Adult humans just don’t have the time to hunt for the errant eggs. A little boy or girl with a mission can scout the property and proudly return with breakfast. A job well done. It’s been that way since farmers have raised family and fowl.

There’s a modern tradition where children hunt for eggs in the spring. We don’t remember why, and the adults have to hide the eggs (and candy).

Wikipedia says “Easter egg origin stories abound..”. Well, there’s mine. Take it or leave it, but I like it.

Question: You sell goose eggs on ebay. Blown out, or fertile, or edible?

Thanks again.

Best,
Tom

Comment by India

January 15, 2007 @ 1:20 pm

I know why you ended up in the ’sports’ section - it’s all the pig wrestling that Andrew does!
On the subject of strange reactions to duck eggs, I think it is simply that we are all so divorced from our food and eat such a restricted diet to boot - I know that I think ‘yuck’ about duck eggs but there is NO rational reason for this, for goodness sake…

Comment by Joy

January 15, 2007 @ 2:32 pm

Hi Andrew and Misty,
long ago and in another lifetime when I had geese, I tried to hatch a few eggs and had a miserable failure. I was terribly unsophisticated about it, all i did was keep a light shining on it, very nearby to hope that some warmth came from it, and turned it every so often. do you have an actual brooder box (or whatever it’s called?) is it harder to brood? hatch? geese than other birds? would the age of the geese affect the viability of the egg? just wondering!
Thanks!
Joy

Comment by Ash

January 15, 2007 @ 8:26 pm

Dear Joy..
I’ve hatched many birds (or, at least I’ve attempted hehe) From Ducks, Chicks, Geese to Guinea Fowl (those are pretty tough). Each type of bird needs a different level of heat or humidity. I use a large three level incubator box. I’ve found that Geese and Ducks are much easier for me to hatch then chickens. And Guinea Fowl have been nearly impossible lol But I haven’t noticed a huge difference in the hatchability of eggs from young to older birds.(tho some people might disagree with that) But, naturally as they age they do tend to become less fertile. I have noticed that certain breeds don’t breed well. I can’t hardly get any eggs out of my standard Cochin chickens, and even when I do they don’t hatch readily. So different breeds and weights can effect hatchiblity. I’ve heard that diet can make a difference too.. but I don’t know that to be a fact. I have a good rate and I free range all of my stock.
Cheers!

Comment by Ash

January 15, 2007 @ 9:23 pm

Andrew and Misty,
I wanted to tell you about our California White Leghorn hens. They often do lay two eggs each a day. I think one hen a week will lay two eggs, but it does happen regularly. It depends on the weather I think. But what I really wanted to tell you guys is that our hens are laying very heavily right now. We just did turn a heat lamp on, so it wasn’t encouraged by a lamp. We’ve had great success with this breed, although they don’t have alot of meat. So we end up getting a larger weight rooster to put with the hens to get chunkier youngsters. I also have Americauna hens the same age as the White’s and they are producing just as well. But, I don’t really like the breed as a whole because the roosters are very agressive to the hens and other animals. And obviously you need one to keep the breed pure. But, I’ve begun just breeding for production and interesting looking birds. (along with meat). We have some mixed breed banty (miniature) and standard sized hens also that are laying fairly well, but not as well.
I love your podcast, keep up the good work!!

Comment by Kitty

January 16, 2007 @ 2:07 am

Ya’ll mentioned bloodspots? in the eggs. Are eggs with bloodspots inedible or simply visually unappealing (unmarketable)? Thanks! Kitty in Tokyo

Comment by India

January 16, 2007 @ 3:57 pm

I’m getting nervous - the Royal Mail and USP don’t seem to have their act together right now - or maybe someone has eaten the tablet en route….?
India

Comment by andrew

January 16, 2007 @ 4:30 pm

Wow, all this feedback! How great is this?

Tom! Thanks for info about the easter egg hunt. Heh, it makes a lot of sense, and I’ll admit some days it feels like easter came early. :)

Hey India! Hopefully I’m done hog wrestling for a little bit. I’ve had enough of it this year! The hogs win way too often. :(

I’m sure your tablet is on it’s way. Depending on the type of service used it could take a little bit. I think what we sent you took a couple of weeks. Plus it was a federal holiday yesterday. Then again maybe Misty is keeping it all to her self. ;)

Joy, we use real incubators. I haven’t had great luck with goose eggs yet, but this year they should be old enough. A heat lamp doesn’t really match the humidity requirements, and hand turning is never as good as an auto turner. Just not enough nutrients washed over everything. In past years with another breed of ducks I did very well, hatching 80% or more. Like Ash said, certain breeds seem to do much better than others.

Ash, that’s great to hear about your birds. Yes, white leg horns are the real khaki campell of the chicken world. Good egg layers. Thank you for the encouragement!!!

Kitty, they are just visually unappealing. All commercial eggs are candled and anything big is removed. On the farm though I’ve seen some very big ones, the size a dime (say 1cm). It’s vary rare, maybe 2 in 3 years. When I sold eating eggs, a customer ended up with one like that and never asked for more eggs. Such is life.

Thanks everyone!! Keep it up!

Comment by misty

January 16, 2007 @ 8:25 pm

We got the tablet! It’s fantastic. Thank you so much. It’s like an Indian candy that I have had before that’s made with milk curd. But smoother. Really nice! And thank you so much for the beautiful card. Did you take that picture?

Comment by India

January 17, 2007 @ 11:40 am

Glad it arrived - I was getting anxious about the quality, but I reckon with so much sugar it’d probalby keep for decades!
I wish I could claim that picture as mine, but sadly not.
India

Comment by andrew

January 20, 2007 @ 6:46 pm

Thank you so much India! I really love it. :) I have a sweet tooth, I bet you wouldn’t have guessed? ;)

Here’s a picture of how it arrived:

You’ll have to send me the recipe so I can try making some when this runs out. :)

Comment by India

January 21, 2007 @ 6:04 am

ok - here is the recipe

1 large can Condensed milk plus the can full of water http://www.nestle.co.uk/OurBrands/AboutOurBrands/CreamsAndDesserts/ NOT evaporated

3 oz butter
2lb sugar
real vanilla essence

put all into a DEEP, heavy based pan. Stir on a lowish heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. This is really important, if the sugar has any crystals left the end result will be ’sugary’ and horrible. I check on the back of the wooden spoon with my finger - once it has cooled, of course :0)
I have to use a heat diffuser to stop the mixture boiling before this stage.
Once the sugar has dissolved, bring to a rapid boil. It will rise up the pan and be exceedingly hot.
Stir all/most of the time until the soft ball stage is reached - again, diffuser is great to help prevent it sticking to the base of the pan.
The soft ball can take anything form 5 minutes to half an hour. When a small amount dropped into cold water forms a ball, it is ready.
Take off the heat. Leave for 5 mins to cool a little, then add vanilla to taste - I use a capful, but then I don’t know lid sizes in the US!
Then, beat like hell!
This is the really tiring part. YOu must beat the darn stuff untill it is practically setting in the pan.
Pour into a shallow pan lined with baking parchment, and there you have it.

Enjoy - but not too often ;0)
India

Comment by India

January 21, 2007 @ 6:06 am

Looks like it was a little moist in the packet???? Hope not, if it was it was defintiely the travelling that did it, but you will see when you make some for yourself
India