Tilly's Nest

A Taste of Thai Stir-Fry

2013-05-20T13:03:00.000-04:00

Serves 4

Sitr-fry Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breasts-cut into strips

1 cup celery-sliced on an angle
1 cup carrots-cut into bite size pieces
2 cups sugar snap peas
1 cup broccoli florets
1 medium onion-sliced in strips
1 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp cooking oil

Sauce ingredients:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic-diced
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp lemongrass paste (look in fresh produce area of your local grocery store)
1 tbsp ginger paste (look in fresh produce area of your local grocery store)
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp fresh cilantro-chopped
3 scallions-diced
1/2 tbsp cornstarch

For the rest of the recipe, please visit my post over on Community Chickens. I created this recipe just for them. I hope you enjoy it. My family practically licked their bowls clean.

Photo Credit: Tilly's Nest

Craft a Home Sweet Home for Ladybugs

2013-05-17T08:45:00.001-04:00

This week we made a lady bug house. Lady bugs are just one type of beneficial insect that can help in and around the garden. It sure beats using pesticides any day and stays in line with our organic gardening, even the roof is green with succulents! I used a birdhouse we found on-sale at the craft store, salvaged some fallen bamboo from around Cape Cod and of course-chicken wire was used on the roof. Learn how to make one of your own, head on over to HGTV Gardens where I have shared all of the instructions.

Photo Credit: Tilly's Nest

Down Home Blog Hop~Number 37

2013-05-14T21:03:00.000-04:00

Typing is a strange thing. Sometimes, it seems as though my fingers are faster than my brain. Do my subconscious thoughts sometimes flow from my fingers as I place the words upon the pages? I think so. Sometimes when I begin to type "chi...", chicken will automatically appear on the page, typed by my hands. When it was supposed to be chill, children, chip or the like. Today, as I was entering the title of this post when I came to the word "Hop" my fingers typed Hope.

Perhaps my mind is trying to tell me something. Life around Tilly's Nest has been taking its sweet time to emerge from its winter slumber. The chickens are now laying eggs regularly everyday. The gardens are beginning to bloom. The spring peepers are croaking in the pond and gentle evening breezes blow through the window fragrances of life; hope.

These past few weeks I have spent many hours tending to the gardens. Connecting with delicate new fronds of ferns, dainty Lilies of the Valley blooms, and gently mulching around the tenderest of tiny stalks of Lavender. All these give me hope. Audrey Hepburn said it best, "To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow."

The Columbines are blooming.

The tulips I planted last fall are spectacular.

The Robins have returned to nest.

The bees are busy in the gardens.

The garden is beginning to grow.

Now it is your turn. This is a blog hop. Share with us your stories, crafts, cooking, baking, homemade creations, talents, animal keeping and the like. Feel free to share this hop with your friends and family because all are invited and with this hop, there can never be too many wonderful places to connect.

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Winner: Chickens in Five Minutes A Day

2013-05-13T16:24:00.000-04:00

Thank you so much to Randall Burkey Hatchery for sponsoring this giveaway. If you would like to read more about my review of this book, click here. One winner was randomly selected to win their very own copy.

Congratulations

~~Pumpkinpatchprim~~

Unfortunately you did not leave an email address and I did not hear back from you,

so I had to redraw another winner.

Jennifer Collier

You won!

~~Please email me your US shipping address so that we can get a copy to you in the mail. You have until 5/18/13 to get in touch with me.~~

I had your email address, so check your inbox! Thank you to everyone who entered.

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly in Keeping Chickens

2013-05-10T09:50:00.001-04:00

Good

Fresh eggs

Entertainment

Chicken snuggles

Life's Lessons

Companionship

Composters

Pest Exterminators

Bad

They are addictive.

Sometimes you can't pull yourself away from watching them.

Saying goodbye to a flock member

Relentless broody hens

Overzealous garden assistants

Dirty fluffy butts

Jewelry Theives

Mean roosters
Frozen Waterers

Ugly

Broody poop

Predator Attacks

When chicken poop gets on your clothes

Bully hens

What else would you add?

Down Home Blog Hop~Number 36 & A Giveaway: Chickens in Five Minutes a Day

2013-05-08T09:58:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted to review a new book on keeping chickens. Murray McMurray Hatchery has a book that will release later this month. Truthfully, I am surprised that it took a large hatchery this long to bring a book like this to market.

Murray McMurray Hatchery has been bringing chickens into people's lives for over 100 years. They sell oodles of baby chicks and chicken keeping supplies every year. Immediately, I found the title catchy! I was intrigued. Like all introductory books, all aspects of getting started with backyard chickens are covered. It is an introductory book perfect for the beginner. Like all backyard chicken keepers, they too have their own style in raising chickens that they suggest in the book. I especially could not help smile, when I read the section when they called watching backyard chickens, Chicken T.V. I did a post titled, Chicken T.V, on just that subject back in 2011!

What I love about the book is:

It has lovely abundant illustrations.

It is simply written and anyone can pick up this book and feel confident in starting out with chickens.

It is thorough and concise.

They are sharing their own techniques on raising chicks.

They stress the ease and minimal time requirement to keep a flock.

They keep things uncomplicated.

I can say that most of the book runs parallel to what I recommend to fellow chicken keepers and other times, suggests different techniques that are effective but that I do not feel are are not always necessary, such as adding sugar and Quik Chik (a product exclusive to their hatchery) to chick's drinking supply or trimming a chicken's beak to deal with pecking.

Overall, it is a nice addition to add to one's chicken keeping library. It is also another wonderful place to start out for beginners. Of course, once you do get chickens I think you will find that you will find yourself wanting to spend more than 5 minutes a day with them.

Enter to win!

Chickens in Five Minutes a Day

1. Leave a comment on this blog post. Be sure to leave an email address so that I can contact you.

2. Subscribe to Tilly's Nest (options are on the right) or follow us on Facebook.

If you can't wait, you can pre-order a copy here.. Also be sure to check out all of our friends that have linked up to this week's blog hop below. I always enjoy visiting new places. I think you will too! Link up your site as well. I'd love to come visit.

Fine Print: One comment per person. One winner will be randomly selected. This item will ship to a US address only. I was provided a complimentary copy for review, but the opinions shared in this post are my own. This giveaway ends on 5/13/13 at 12 noon EST.

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A Simple Garden Fence

2013-05-06T16:42:00.000-04:00

I have been spending most of my time outdoors these past few weeks getting the yard in shape. I have mulched, planted the vegetable garden, and have been busy with the beehives. The chicken coop got an inspection and will need some reinforcements of the latches and some dabs of paint here are there. But this past week, most of my time was occupied with building a small fence to keep the bunnies out of the raised garden beds. I also wanted to add a small extension of the fence to keep the puppy away from the beehives. As of today, the only final touches left to put on the fence include trimming down the fence posts and adding the decorative caps.

I have never put in a fence before, but with a bit of research and muscles I think it came out nicely. It had to meet a few criteria.

1. It had to be attractive.
2. It could not block the view into the garden.
3. It had to be cost-effective.
4. It had to keep out the critters and deter the chickens.
5. It had to be simple enough not to be intimidating for me to tackle.

Here is what I did:

Map out your fence blueprint style. Take measurements. Decide on placement of your gate and which way it will swing. Determine how deep and how you wish to secure your posts. Also determine what type of lumber you will be using. It is best to avoid pressure treated lumber in the garden.

Working on one side, place the first and last post into the ground with a post hole digger. Be sure that they are level on adjacent sides.

Once the posts are level, tie a string between those two end posts to create a straight line for your fence posts on that side of the fence. Typically fence posts are 6 to 8 feet apart. Place the posts at equal intervals.

Using deck screws, screw in some cross rails to the top and bottom of the fence posts. Be sure they are level. Repeat the above steps on the remaining sides of your fence.

Build and hang your garden gate.

Finally, with heavy- duty staples, staple some garden wiring or chicken wire from the top rail to the bottom of the ground to keep the critters out.

Thanks to Susan at Itzy Bitzy Farm for lending a hand on my
second to last day and to David with the gates!

Photo Credit: Tilly's Nest

How to Requeen a Beehive: My Latest Adventure

2013-05-03T06:30:00.000-04:00

A queen cage-the queen bee and five attendants

Beekeeping is never predictable. This is why I think I enjoy it so much. They are very much in control of their world. I am only a privileged observer, trying to help anticipate and tend to their needs.

When we last left off, Briar was going gang busters and had yet to be fully inspected for the spring. The numbers were excellent, so my mentor and I deferred from Briar and focused our energies on Willow-my recently struggling hive. Upon my previous inspection, there was little brood and I could not see any visible eggs or larvae. I did not see the queen. So, luckily, I was able to pick up a queen from the local association. My mentor would be over tomorrow to help me split Briar. Late in the afternoon, I laid the queen between two frames in Willow and used the empty candy board as a shim. The bees immediately came to investigate the new queen in her cage.

Investigating the new queen in her cage.

Tomorrow came, and we decided to do the split first. However, when we opened up my bustling hive,Briar, no queen could be found. Was this hive queenless too? Three of us scoured the hive looking, seeking and hoping to see signs of her or discover her on a frame. We never did. This hive needed a queen.

Next we took a peek in Willow. Unbelievably when I peeked into the queen cage, two of her attendants were dead-most likely stung to death. Was there a queen in the hive after all? Last time I went in there were no signs of a living queen. We did a complete inspection. There was very minimal brood. Then in one frame we saw eggs. She had laid quite a bit of them since I was in there last. Then, we found the queen. She looked good, plump and moving around the frame. Perhaps, she had been stunned by that one chilly evening we had a little over a week ago when it dipped down into the 20s. So we removed the new queen from Willow and placed her in Briar. The bees immediately surrounded her. There we placed her on top of the frames, with the candy board shim, inner cover and outer cover in place. In approximately three days, if the bees have not eaten through the candy plug, I will remove it and hopefully she will begin to lay.

An inverted candy board makes a great shim

To say these last few days have been an adventure would be an understatement. The learning curve has been high. I have been wrong. I have been disappointed in myself. Yet, the bees are teaching me lessons about myself as a person. I am enjoying being wrong. I am enjoying not predicting what has occurred. I am enjoying not being in control of a situation. I am enjoying letting nature take its course. I am enjoying learning to let things just be. I am enjoying not having answers. I am enjoying not knowing. I am enjoying being a beekeeper.

How to Requeen a Hive:

1. Do a thorough hive inspection and look for the queen or signs of the queen. If you see the queen you will need to squish her.

2. Remove any queen cells. (Some folks just leave them be and let the new queen deal with them. It all comes down to personal style.)

I removed this capped queen cell from Willow.

3. Remove the cork on the side with the sugar plug. Leave the other side's plug intact.

Two corks on the cage. Remove the one on the side with the food.

4. Place the queen cage between the top of two frames so the bees can tend to the queen.

5. Wait three days. Check the hive again to see if the queen has emerged. If not, you can remove the plug and carefully release the queen down into the hive.

Photo Credits: Tilly's Nest

Winner: Timber Press~Ready, Set, Grow Giveaway

2013-05-02T20:08:00.000-04:00

Congratulations

Brenda

You won a copy of Vertical Vegetables and Fruit.

Please check your email for details.

For more chances to win from Timber Press, head on over to enter

their Ready, Set, Grow prize pack for May. Thank you so much to everyone who entered.

Down Home Blog Hop~Number 35 & A Pressed Flower Cell Phone Case

2013-05-01T01:00:00.000-04:00

It all started with the beautiful ruffled pansies that I picked up the local garden center. Their blooms were too pretty not to preserve, so I pressed them into little delicate works of art.

I then decided that adding them to the back of a plain cell phone case would make a

very lovely homemade Mother's Day gift.

So that is exactly what I did. You can find the tutorial on this crafting project over on my

blog post for HGTV Gardens.

Thank you so much to everyone for linking up last week! It was so wonderful visiting all of your blogs and websites. I can't wait to see what you will share this week. Feel free to tell your stories. Inspire us with your creativity or what has been happening in your neck of the woods. All are welcome. Thank you for linking up to this week's blog hop.

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Queenless

2013-04-29T09:39:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, as I closed down the pollen trap on Briar to collect a sample for the Harvard Study, I decided to take a peek into Willow. In my last post, I was unsure that the queen was there. As I entered the hive, my worst thoughts were suspected. The population has dwindled. Most of the bees are remaining in the lower deep and there is only a very small amount of capped brood. I did not see any eggs or larvae. On the 5th frame in the upper deep I did find a lone capped queen cell.

I now believe that this hive is truly queenless. Something happened to the queen between late winter and early spring. The hive could not have survived the harsh winter without her and the early initial inspection of the hive had revealed a very strong colony initially. In fact, I was even considering the need to split this hive! Now, this is not an option. It is even possible that I could have squished her, in an earlier inspection.

I need to make some decisions now as the population will continue to decrease:

1. If there is a queen in the queen cup, it will be at least 20 or so days until she hatches, flies out and mates and begins to lay eggs. Should I wait it out and see? One queen cup makes me nervous. Time is crucial for bees to build up their population on Cape Cod due to the short seasons of warm weather. This hive is almost starting over.

2. Do I crush the queen cup and order a new already mated queen? This ensure that I have a successful queen. She will not leave the hive to mate, as sometimes queens fail to return and the hive needs to make another new queen. I can have a laying queen in the hive within a week.

3. Do I forgo the split of my other hive, Briar, and take some brood and nurse bees from this colony and have Willow use this brood to make another queen? I would like to see just more than 1 queen cup as I found earlier.

Decisions, decisions.....I think it is time to call my mentor.

Photo Credit: Tilly's Nest

Kentucky Derby Centerpiece

2013-04-28T10:24:00.000-04:00

Just around the corner is the 139th year of the Kentucky Derby. This year, I created a simple easy centerpiece that makes me think about the hallmarks of this iconic race.

From the horses, to the red roses, mint juleps and the traditional red roses quilt,

this arrangement incorporates them all.

Click on over the HGTV Garden to read on how you too can create one for race day!

Winner: Brooder Kit from Randall Burkey

2013-04-27T17:07:00.000-04:00

Thank you so very much to Randall Burkey for sponsoring Tilly's Nest and this giveaway! It was so much fun to see what folks would love to put on their own chicken wishlists. A huge thanks to everyone who entered for their chance to win this awesome chick brooder kit. One lucky winner was randomly selected.

Congratulations

Angela

You are the winner!

Please check your inbox. I sent you an email.

Timber Press: Ready, Set, Grow Giveaway

2013-04-26T15:18:00.000-04:00

Timber Press, one of my favorite publishers, is having another fabulous giveaway to get folks outdoors! During the months of April and May you can enter to win a different prize package full of wonderful reading selections to help inspire you.

April's prize package includes 14 books, seeds and fertilizers:

The Layered Garden
Tulips
Beautiful No-Mow Yards
The Speedy Vegetable Garden
The Book of Gardening Projects for Kids
How to Eradicate Invasive Plants
50 Beautiful Deer-Resistant Plants
The Vegetable Gardener’s Guide to Permaculture
Sugar Snaps and Strawberries
Concrete Garden Projects
The Perennial Gardener’s Design Primer (from Storey Publishing)
Vertical Vegetables & Fruit (from Storey Publishing)
The Four Season Farm Gardener’s Cookbook (from Workman Publishing)
The Perennial Care Manual (from Storey Publishing)
Plus organic vegetable seeds and liquid fertilizers from Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply (GrowOrganic.com); sorry, fertilizers can only be shipped within the US

Click here to enter the giveaway mentioned above from Timber Press. You can also enter to win here at Tilly's Nest too! We are giving away a copy of Vertical Vegetables and Fruit to one lucky subscriber.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this blog post. Good Luck!

The Fine Print: Contest ends 5/2/1313 at 12 noon EST. One entry per person. At least 18 years of age. One randomly selected winner will win a copy of Vertical Vegetables and Fruit. This item will ship to a US address only.

Down Home Blog Hop~Number 34

2013-04-24T09:09:00.000-04:00

Unspeakable tragedies have been occurring all over the United States. My heart is heavy and my mind is distracted from everyday things. To say that life has been easy would be an understatement-Boston, Texas, a dear family friend whose husband's parents were taken in a freak accident last week and a family member that clings to life in the hospital. These days are trying. I find that somehow when visiting the chickens these things, if only for a moment, melt away from my mind. My flock and friends' flocks have changed, faced predators, and suffered sad and painful losses sometimes with mass casualties These birds continue to teach me more about life each day and for that I am grateful.

Each Day is a New Day.  No matter what happened yesterday, the sun will always rise, life will always be filled with new opportunities and new adventures.

Seize the Day.  Always make each day a good one. Seek the silver linings even in the gloomiest of days.

Let you heart find closure. Saying forever goodbyes or dealing with tragedy is one of the most difficult things that we face as human beings. Find a place in your heart to keep the happy memories.

Camaraderie.  Being alone during these difficult times is not the answer. Seek comfort with family and friends and begin to make new memories to replace the hurt.

Persevere. Continue on never forgetting yet don't fill your days with dwelling on the past.

Be Brave. Face your fears head on. Stand tall and protect those smaller than you.

Believe in the good of those around you. (Unless of course, you live with my friend Lauren's chicken, Lil' White.)

Time heals.

Welcome to this week's blog hop. I invite each and everyone of you to share. Feel free to tell your stories, share what is in your heart and mind. Inspire us with your creativity or what has been happening in your neck of the woods. All are welcome. Thank you for linking up to this week's very special blog hop.

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Harvard and the Beehives

2013-04-23T09:43:00.000-04:00

Earlier this spring, Harvard University reached out to our local beekeeper's association. One of their researchers in the School of Public Health is doing research on honeybees. His goal is to study the distribution of pesticides in pollen across the state of Massachusetts. He is particularly interested in pesticides containing neonicotinoids, as they have shown potential links in previous studies to cause massive honeybee death (Colony Collapse Disorder).

I completed the questionnaire for candidacy and awaited an answer to see if I would be participating in the study. Yesterday, the FedEx truck arrived. My criteria must have matched what they required. We are part of the study.

Over the next few months, I will be collecting pollen samples and a honey sample to send off to Harvard for analysis. I am so excited and happy to participate in studies like these, especially if we can get some answers to so many questions that have plagued beekeepers across the state and country. I will be collecting my first sample on the next warm, sunny day in April when the bees are out foraging. I'll be reading up on how to attach the pollen collector to the hive entrance.

Photo Credit: Tilly's Nest

Rustic Recycled Garden Markers

2013-04-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

I admit it. I save empty seed packets. I find them too pretty to just toss into the recycle bin. I'm sure many of you gardeners out there will agree. Typically each year I create garden markers from simple Popsicle sticks. Often they get lost or become victim to my scavenging children and their fairy fort creations. This year, I decided to recycle the prettier packets into rustic garden markers. The idea was simple, I needed to create a garden marker that served a few purposes.

Create markers that the kids could understand whether they can recognize the plant photo or not.
Describe for the kids what is planted in that location, such as lettuce, peas, carrots and so forth.
Be able to record the specific variety of plant in the garden this year.
Keep track of the planting date and approximate days until harvest.
They had to be weather resistant.
They had to be reusable.

Peas, variety-sugar snap, seedlings into garden on April 10th,
seed to harvest approximately 70 days

Supplies:

Remnant cedar shakes from house siding (stands up to weathering nicely)
Shims
Old seed packets
Outdoor Mod-Podge
Foam brush
Pencil
Ruler
Utility knife
A small piece of copper flashing
Scissors
Sharpie Marker
Weatherproof glue
Nail Polish remover- to erase your writing

Preparation:

On a protected surface, very carefully with the utility knife, cut out a square of cedar shake. Then cut out the picture from the seed packaging to fit. Leave some room around the edges and at the bottom of the cedar square. Using the Outdoor Mod Podge and foam brush adhere the packet to the cedar shake. I recommend a few coats of Outdoor Mod Podge. Allow to dry until moving on to the next step.

With the scissors, cut out a strip of copper flashing to run across the bottom of the cedar shake. Use caution as the edges can be sharp. Glue the copper strip in place with weather proof glue.

Cut the shims in half lengthwise with the utility knife. These will become the garden stakes.

Then, glue a stake onto the back of each garden marker.

Once you have harvested your crop, reuse the markers for your next plantings. Simply wipe off the copper strip with a paper towel and some nail polish remover.

Photo Credits: Tilly's Nest

This post is linked up to the Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop and the Clever Chick Blog Hop.

Brooder Kit Giveaway from Randall Burkey

2013-04-19T07:49:00.000-04:00

Chick season is in full swing and our fabulous sponsor, Randall Burkey Company is giving away their starter brooder to one of our subscribers! This brooder comes will everything that you need to get off to a great start with your little ones. You can even order your chicks from them too! Check out their 8 Five Chick Specials.

This includes Brooder Kit Prize Package includes:

Single Lamp Infrared Brooder
Red Glass Brooder Bulb
Thermometer
Corrugated Cardboard Chick Corral
Quart Jar Waterer
Quart Jar Chick Feeder
Grogel Plus B

Enter to Win

This brooder kit retails for approximately $40

Leave a comment on this blog post to enter and tell me what you would put on your wishlist from the Randall Burkey Company's website. Please be sure to leave an email address so that I can contact you if you win.

~BONUS~

Click here to enter to win a Randall Burkey Signature Chicken Coop as well as a year's supply of Nutrena Poultry feed and Happy Hen Treats.

The Fine Print: Contest ends 4/26/13 at 12 noon EST. One entry per person. At least 18 years of age. One randomly selected winner will win a Pak10 Brooder Kit. This item will ship to a US address only. Chicks are not included in this giveaway and must be ordered separately.

Down Home Blog Hop~Number 33 & Fairy House

2013-04-17T01:00:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite things to do with the family is tend to our fairy garden. Each year we add to our sweet little miniature worlds. Click here to see our backyard chicken fairy garden. This year, I created a coastal inspired house just for our garden that I had the pleasure of sharing over on HGTV Gardens. The coastal pine forests, sand and sea were my inspiration. Please click here for the instructions.

Exterior walls from mosaic seashell pieces

A shingled roof from deconstructed pine cones

An airplant to mark the entry

A peek at the profile

In an upcoming post for HGTV Gardens, I will share how to make these miniature landscapes come to life.

Now it is your turn! Thank you so much to everyone who shared their blogs with us. I am continually amazed, inspired and delighted by your adventures. I'm looking forward to seeing your crafting, homesteading, creativity, animals, family and friends updates. So, feel free to share up to three links. Also, if you don't mind, please link back to the blog hop so others can find us.

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Tour de Coop: Melissa in Mashpee

2013-04-15T20:35:00.000-04:00

"Hope is a thing with feathers."~Emily Dickinson

Melissa has become a friend of mine that I met through social networking. Ironically, she only lives about 20 minutes away from me. Our paths seemed to keep overlapping and I was thrilled to have been invited to her house to see her coop and meet the girls.

Tucked away in a corner of her backyard are her two beautifully made coops. Of course, like most of us, she started with the smaller one on the right and realized that she had to have more chickens and a larger coop. She is currently in the process of acclimating newer pullets on the right into her existing flock on the left. She keeps the runs divided with a pass through door in the center. Immediately I was greeted at the gate by her beautiful flock.

Each coop has plenty of nesting boxes for her hens. She uses hanging metal feeders and metal waterers. Pine shavings fill the coops and nesting boxes.

Two of her older girls were busy laying eggs in the other coop. They were curious to see us take a peek under the lid.

She also keeps her chickens locked up for safety. Believe it or not, people are listed as predators for chickens. Sometimes, people will come into your yard and steal your flock.

Her chickens are very docile and friendly. Most enjoy being handled and held.

Melissa's coop and run set up is thoughtful, practical and well thought through. The runs are large with ample space for her two flocks with room to grow in the future. She treats them to scratch and treats during the day and there is a flock block in the run as well as a treat ball hanging nearby. The best part are the eggs that Melissa is rewarded with on a daily basis.

Click here for over 20 more coop tours.

Photo Credit: Tilly's Nest

Introducing A Puppy to the Flock~Part 2

2013-04-12T08:36:00.000-04:00

Sara Jane

As with raising a child, caring for a new puppy is a similar adventure. Like children, they have no rules, they only work on impulse. They must start from square one. They learn where to go potty, how to express when they are hungry, tired and when their teeth hurt. They also begin to learn your rules and what is expected of them. Integrating a new dog into an existing flock takes time and cannot be rushed, taking baby steps to accomplish this goal.

Sara is a Miniature Schnauzer. Her coloring is Liver Parti.

Start Immediately~ From the first moment your new puppy arrives in your house the basic training should begin. Every effort should be made through all the members of the household to be on the same page. Priorities should be placed on knowing where the food is, when to have downtime and rest, and potty training. Crate training is very helpful and allows the dog to have a "safe place" that is all their own away from others.

Use the Same Terminology~I cannot stress that every family member should use the same words when training. This not only keeps things consistent but helps the dog to learn much quicker. A few examples:
DOWN- when the dog is jumping up on people
KISSES- when the puppy is nipping and you would prefer licks.
LEAVE IT- when the puppy is getting into something that is off-limits or is overly excited about a new found smell or item that you do not want it to bother with.
SIT
STAY
GO POTTY- We differentiate potty and walking. We want her to know when it is time for business vs. fun. Outside, we say, "Go potty." If we know she has to pee, we tell her, "Go Pee." and vice versa.
HEEL- used when walking

Set Boundaries~ Be sure to limit the area where the puppy has access. They should not have free-reign of the place until you are sure they are potty trained completely.

Self Control/Instinct Control/ Impulse Control~ By practicing commands and getting your puppy to pay attention and learn what you are asking helps to accomplish all of these. It is so important that your puppy learns this because you want to be sure that they will not be as inclined to act upon instinct. This is very important for your flock safety.

Respect~ The dog must come to learn that you are the boss.

Pack Position~ As your puppy enters your life and family, it will view your family as its pack. It is critical that the puppy quickly learn and understand that their place is in the bottom of the pack.

Knows Commands~Prior to fully introducing your puppy to the flock, it is very helpful if they know the rules and commands.

Follows Commands Consistently~Just because they know the commands does not mean they will follow them. This is very important if you are ever thinking of leaving your dog alone with the flock.

The chickens are part of the pack~ Teach your puppy that they chickens are part of the pack family. They should learn this difference that the chickens are not food, toys or prey.

Teaching about Predators~ When the opportunities arise, teach your dog about who is allowed near the chickens and who is off limits.

Consider a Behaviorist~ Always consider getting a behaviorist involved. Often it is the family that needs to be trained, not the dog.

Sara is now almost 5 months old. She has come so far and learned so much. Currently, we are working on impulse control and learning that the flock is part of the pack. She has yet to be anywhere near the chickens without a strong hold on the leash and us being on the same level with her. She spends most time, watching the chickens as they are safely in the run. As she gets older and wiser, we will begin by keeping her tethered near the chickens on the lead. I am confident that she will one day, guard the girls and keep watch as they free-range in the gardens.

Stay Tuned for Part 3 of this on-going series. Click here if you missed Part 1.

Sniffing the breeze.

DISCLAIMER: Introducing a new dog at any age to the flock can be risky and dangerous. The dog and the chickens can be harmed if you are not careful. This post is for informational use. If you choose to use any of these techniques, please use them at your own risk. We will not be held accountable. When possible, it is always best to rely on a professional dog behaviorist/trainer for help.

Down Home Blog Hop~Number 32

2013-04-10T09:36:00.000-04:00

Welcome to another fabulous week of the Down Home Blog Hop. Thank you so much to everyone who joined in last week. It sure was fun seeing so many of you return and new friends join us too.

Yesterday I was craving curry chicken salad. It is a simple, easy recipe that comes together in a matter of minutes but tastes so rich and full of flavor. I had some left-over chicken that just worked perfectly. Whenever I make this I practically lick the bowl. Today, I'm sharing how you can make this too. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup diced pre-cooked chicken
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup Smokehouse Almonds
3 stalks celery-diced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp curry powder
black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix until well incorporated. Adjust the amount of mayonnaise to your liking.

Try a scoop on your next salad or make a delicious sandwich. For more recipes from me, click here.

Welcome to this week's blog hop friends! I can't wait to see your crafting, homesteading, creativity, animals, family and friends updates. Feel free to share up to three links and please link back to the blog hop so others can find us. Thank you.

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Photo Credit: Tilly's Nest

Chicken T.V.- Starring Roles

2013-04-06T20:33:00.001-04:00

Peering up for some snuggles, Oyster Cracker's loving gaze is captured.

If you are like me, you spend a great deal of time watching your backyard flock. On nice days and even on not so nice days, you can typically find me out in the gardens working, weeding, mulching or just plain procrastinating by the chicken coop. This is one of my favorite ways to pass the time since they arrived on our doorstep. I likened it to watching chicken t.v. Though, I have noticed over time that most girls in the flock have a distinct role.

Oyster Cracker is the lookout hen. She takes her job very seriously and spends most of her days perched up on the stump of a log. She stands tall. Her tail is in the air and she is busy surveying the land and the skies. Other times she can be found pecking at all things shiny like my earrings. She takes time off to take deep messy dustbaths with the Silkies. Her sheer size alone allows her to dig deep and wide holes in the run in no time. It is not unusual to find her piled into a great pile with herself and two other Silkies. I just know they are completely content when I find them laying there in assorted yoga positions or when they have just decided to go totally boneless.

Officer Sunshine

The police officer is Sunshine. She is always butting into the other hen's business and very busily and purposefully spends her days going to check up on all of the other hens. "Whatcha doin?" seems to be her slogan. She cocks her head in question. She nibbles on shared snacks. She checks on the egg laying process and she often finds and tests ways to scrape her beak. She always seems to have a rough scrape on the top of her beak. For the life of me, I have never figured out where that sharp place is that she visits frequently over the years.

The DollyMama

Dolly is the Mother Hen. She is completely content to spend most of her days broody in the nesting boxes. Just as quickly as she snaps out of her broodiness, she heads back into the zen like trance. She has been this way for years so who am I to tell her that she should live her life any other way. I don't think she will ever have her poofy head feathers return and that doesn't seem to faze her one bit. Sunshine has been doing a very good job at policing them and making sure they do not return.

Somebody has to drag this branch all over the yard. It might as well be me!

Tilly is the Queen or head hen as most are known in all flocks. She is a wonderful, sweet, graceful girl who takes her job very seriously. Amazingly, despite her smaller size, she has been head of this flock since the first week in the brooder. Being different had its advantages. She was not a Buff Orpington nor a Silkie Bantam. She co-mingled with everyone and everyone enjoyed her company and her snuggles in the brooder. She is well liked and i think she makes a wonderful head hen.

Feathers

I like to call the three other Silkie Bantams, Feathers, Fifi and Autumn, the flock members. Their job is to help provide safety in numbers. They never really have show me any clearly distinct roles. They happily co-exist with all the other members of the flock. They rarely exert themselves and are happy to live life as just one of the gang. They have their times of broodiness. They lay beautiful perfect little tinted eggs of cream and white. They help give off extra body warmth in the winter time.

Fifi

Interestingly enough when I was putting them to bed last night, I found that Dolly, Tilly, Sunshine and Oyster Cracker are all sleeping near each other these days. In the past, we have been known for some strange sleeping arrangements. The three other Silkies each prefer one of the nesting boxes. Sometimes at night when I put them to bed, I discover a warm egg laid late in the day. Amazingly, after over 3 years of having these girls, I don't think I can really ever train these Silkies to sleep on the roosts. Maybe I should start to call them "The Rebels". There is always one in every group. Why not three in ours?

Autumn

Photo Credit: Tilly's Nest

Down Home Blog Hop~Number 31 & 9 Tips from a First Year Beekeeper

2013-04-03T01:30:00.000-04:00

Nine Tips from a First Year Beekeeper

It has been almost 1 year since I started out on beekeeping. I hardly know everything, but the learning curve has been steep and I can say with confidence that I am a beekeeper. I read all that I could get my hands on. I took a local beekeeping class and joined the local beekeeper's association. I networked with those around me. My bees survived their first year and so did I. Today, I thought that I would share with you some very important tips that I have picked up along this past year's journey. I cannot guarantee that these will work for you, but I can certainly share what has worked for me.

Bees clean honey and nectar off burr comb I scraped from between the deeps.

Feed your bees. From most preliminary data gathered this year, it seems that most of my fellow beekeeper's hives perished this winter from starvation. Bees need to eat and sometimes, we are located in places and climates less than optimal for them. All too often, Mother Nature does not provide as much as we would like. Be sure to check the feeders once per week. Try to keep them refilled on a regular consistent basis.

Become a believer in Honey B Healthy. This stuff works. It smells great and I believe really helped my hives to get off to a great start. It is also wonderful to mist on your bees instead of the smoker.

Keep more than one hive. Two hive are truly better than one. Keeping two hives allows you to make comparisons between the two and become aware of issues earlier, discover what is "normal" vs. "abnormal", allows you to combine hives if one is not thriving come the colder seasons and also helps you to re-queen a hive absent of a queen and any brood.

Find a Mentor. If are lucky enough to find a mentor who has at least kept bees successfully for 3 years than consider yourself to have one of the greatest assets in the hobby. Treat them to lunch or dinner now and then and the relationship will grow and thrive. It is a nice way to return the favor of their time and expertise.

Never underestimate the supply of bobby pins at the local drug store come spring. Every spring around here there is a huge shortage because folks are building their frames and support the foundation with bobby pins. Watch all year round for sales and pick them up during alternative times. They will sell out.

Watch Sugar Prices. Hungry bees can gobble up to 5 pounds or more of sugar in a week. Look for sales and watch the club stores. Always keep an extra 10 pound bag on hand for those unexpected situations.

Check on your bees. Open your hives on sunny warm days when the bees are flying and the breeze is minimal. Take a quick assessment and be sure there are signs of the queen. It is not always necessary to find the queen. Just be sure she is there, laying a healthy pattern of brood. Be sure to assess for any pests, parasites or signs of disease.

Watch your bees. Get in the habit of watching your bees from outside the hive. See if they are returning to the hive loaded down with pollen. Monitor for robber bees. Watch for any signs of impostors entering the hives and be on alert for bee predators such as skunks.

Follow beekeeping practices as others do in your area of the country. Be sure that you are adapting practices of keeping bees that are appropriate for your gardening zone and climate. Some folks never deal with freezing weather. Some people harvest honey year round. Some beehives spend all winter covered in snow.

Welcome to this week's blog hop friends! I can't wait to see your crafting, homesteading, creativity, animals, family and friends updates. Feel free to share up to three links and please link back to the blog hop so others can find us. Thank you.

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First Week of April~Update on the Beehives

2013-04-01T16:49:00.000-04:00

A fellow beekeeper's hive with a healthy brood pattern
(center of frame-each cell filled with a new baby bee waiting to emerge)

As you read in my last post a few weeks ago, both beehives survived the winter and both underwent a bit of spring maintenance. Today, it was sixty degrees outside and the sun was shining brilliantly in the sky. Both hive entrances were bustling with activity. It was time to take another peek inside.

First I opened up Briar. The bees were abundant. The had not started building out the 10 new frames of foundation but there were bees checking out the new addition of space. I removed the candy board. Today, it was time to convert the bees over to a 1:1 sugar syrup with Honey B Healthy. This hive was still booming. The bees were returning loaded down with pollen. I scraped off the IPM board (Integrated Pest Management). There was lots of pollen, hive debris and a few Varroa Mites. This is the first time I found them in this hive. Their numbers are very low. I will decide if I need to treat them in about a week when I make a full inspection.

Since December 2012-candy board usage until today. Both started with 5 pounds of sugar each.
Willow (L) and Briar (R)

Willow was next. I removed the candy board. This hive's population has dwindled a bit. The bees were confined mostly to the lower deep. I needed to take a peek to see evidence of the queen. I removed the extra uppermost deep that I had placed on a few weeks earlier. The bees did not need the extra space. The frames in the upper deep had a few bees and glistened in the sun with fresh new nectar. A bit dripped off as I flipped the frames. I removed this deep, set it aside and went into the bottom most deep where the majority of the bees were at that moment. One by one I inspected the frames looking for signs of the queen. The bees were a bit unsettled. They started flying at my face. One by one they bounced off of my beekeeping veil. They were protecting the hive. It is what comes natural. Once I reached the inner most frames, I saw signs of a queen. She has begun to lay again. Pearly white larvae were curled up inside the cells. Once I saw this, I put the hive back together. There was no need to look further for fear of crushing or injuring the queen. There is a queen present. I am unsure if the original queen is back from a laying hiatus or if the hive re-queened itself. Hopefully the numbers will increase. Willow's IPM board had about the same amount of Varroa Mites as Briar.

Photo courtesy of gardenweb.com

Once I closed up the hives, I brought in the candy boards and removed the remaining sugar. I weighted the collected sugar on the scale and ran the calculations. I made a 1:1 sugar syrup for feeding. I strained the syrup with a mesh strainer to remove any lingering debris in the melted sugar-paper, dead bees and the like. I filled a bucket feeder for each hive. After the sugar syrup cooled completely, I removed the top lids of the hives and placed the feeders on top. I am hopeful that the Honey B Healthy will help the smaller hive's numbers. Next week, I have a date with my bee mentor. We will open the hives, assess the Varroa Mite situation and look for a growing amount of bee brood (babies) in Willow.

To read about my adventures in beekeeping from the very beginning click here.

Photo Credits unless otherwise stated: Tilly's Nest