Friends with Coffee

At least once a year my friends from Georgia come up to Chicago to see their family and stop off for a day on the farm.

K always brings preserves and coffee. She likes good coffee!

They have done this every year for eight years so they know their way around the kitchen and the farm. It is really a lovely day.

First Mike and K went rummaging about in the late fall garden. Then Mike made an amazing chicken soup with a zuchinni and tomato sauce starter and K made a fab pumpkin bread with a white pumpkin from our garden and we started the seeds drying from both the pumpkin and zuchinni.

The PopPops were determined to get in on the fun and escaped twice, so they are staying in their secure pen until I can totally remake their outside run.

When they escape they run like the wind in all directions – they are not moseying about – they are at full speed – frantic to connect with anyone with food. So the only thing to do is start to run myself then they follow me and we race through gates to the barn. They always go in but it is not a calm process.

I have never seen pigs with so much confidence.

So it was a very busy day. In a different way. with company.

Did I tell you the hen with all the chicks only has one chick now. They all disappeared in a night. So that was sad.

R brought some ceramic eggs to put in laying boxes to begin training the pullets to lay. Yesterday we found three small pullets eggs so I hope that soon we have more eggs for all the families. Presently we collect 5- 7 a day.

They have a light on a timer to extend their light hours to 14. I don’t usually do this but the pullets are at the point of laying now and I don’t want them to get fat.

Another trick to bring the laying on is to increase the protein in their food or feed them hot chillies.

Pullets eggs make great pasta due to the higher yolk-to-white ratio. Being so small. Contrary to popular belief the protein levels are the same as a standard sized egg.

However I am looking forward to making some pasta soon. Just as soon as it gets a little quieter.

Will it ever get quieter?

Good morning!

I hope you have a lovely day today.

Celi

PS My photos from yesterday were awful. Tomorrow’s will be better.

Don’t forget to pop into Substack to read your Sunday Farmy newsletter abd see the walk about video and remember that if you upgrade to a small paid subscription – over there – you will also get a ten minute ambient video from the farm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. At 5pm.

Our farm blog here will always be free. Of course.

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