homestead Archives - Page 2 of 5 - A Country Girl's Heart -Beats that Matter

June 15, 2019June 15, 2019

Horses of CG Heartbeats Farm

0 Shares

Five horses live on CG Heartbeats Farm. In the past I continued to challenge myself with horses I found tougher to connect with, lead and train. Now I don’t mean the actual act of leading a horse with a rope, but rather the act of leadership in the process of teaching a horse to respond in a safe, trusting manner. After my traumatic brain injury in 2011, I found a had a strong desire to branch out my activities and knowledge to include other topics besides horses. Somewhere along the way I began to wonder who did God create me to be? Who was I beyond who I was as an equestrian? The idea of having horses was my sister’s idea when she was 6 and I was 7. I loved my sister that was 13 months younger. I wanted to help her in her desire to have a horse or pony. I jumped on board. Now here I was over 30 years later, realizing for the first time this passion of horses did not originate with me. I had to wonder who I would have become if I had found my own direction, what would I have developed into if I had not been concerned with those closest to me as a child. I do not recall exploring what I liked in any depth. Most of my thoughts concentrated on those around me. Well enough of all that, for now. These ponderings led me to begin looking around.

Horses still put a smile on my face even if all I do is feed and care for them right now. I am not in any way, shape or form ready to no longer own horses. Thus I have found one way for now they can contribute to my homesteading journey. Meet the horses of CH Heartbeats Farm.

Roses Casino

Out of an appendix Quarter Horse mare named Mismatched and a Quarter Horse stallion with Sugar Bar breeding. I purchased Mismatched pregnant, so I have owned ‘Rosie’ her entire life. I spent many hours riding her first training her to be ridden, trail riding, training and conditioning her to run barrels, of course, competing on her at more shows and rodeos than I can remember, team roping practices and simple rides down the road. I would have to stop and count, if I can even remember, the number of little girls we have provided rides for. The longest was one of my nieces when she was only 3 years old, we rode 3 and a half miles before she was tired.

One of my nieces riding with me several years ago.

Brave Diamond Dust

‘Dusty’ is the only horse I bred myself, meaning I picked out the stallion to cross with her dam, Melanie Lynn. This mare is another I have raised from a foal. The story about her that stands out to me the most was the injury she sustained as a 4 or 5-year old. A puncture wound that required surgery to flush out the hock joint to give her a high quality of life. It was a long 4 plus months of rehabilitation. She has a cute, knows what she likes, personality.

Dry Doc Drifter

Drifter before I started riding him with a bit.

‘Drifter’, who was purchased as a 2-year-old was foaled in South Dakota. He was the horse I was riding when I came off and sustained a TBI. He has wonderful stamina and I have yet to truly tire him. He has the breeding to do a job all day long. When he doesn’t have a job to do, he seems to spend his energy behaving badly.

Zips Country Bar Maid

‘Cider’ was bred by one of my sisters and I purchased her as a yearling. She is an intelligent horse who learns quickly, but I have not spent much time riding her. She needs more training, only because I have not made time for her.

Navajo Bo

One of many photos taken the summer we prepared for the 2015 TCA Thoroughbred Makeover.

‘Bo’ was bred to be a racehorse and fulfilled her job at Indiana Grand. A timid mare, on the track, she would back off trying to win if she was bumped. She has a personality all her own. Expressing her displeasure, when not happy with her circumstances, she has proven her willingness to learn. She looks for a leader, but likes to challenge the leader. She is a bit nosey always wanting to know where all the other horses are at and unhappy when they are out of site. My favorite story with Bo is the year we competed or rather participated in the Thoroughbred Makeover at the Kentucky Horse Park. I was not riding at my best level that year, but I enjoyed the entire process. The experience of showing at the Kentucky Horse Park proved to be my favorite venue to complete at. I was sponsored by an amazing grooming product Espana Silk and others helped to make my trip to Kentucky possible. As a part of the competition I was given a blog to share my journey. I wrote 140 posts and, in the process, realized that I liked to write. As a result, the desire to blog about my homesteading journey was beginning to form.

How Horses Contribute to the Homestead

Horses collectively contribute to the soil I use for container gardens. The manure they have produced several years ago now provides a rich fluffy (from the shavings) place that I dig up dirt any time I need to plant in any containers. Basically, this is where I dumped manure, located under trees. I have 2 other piles composting now for future use. These newer piles have more chicken manure compared to the first so time will tell which produces the best.

This is another example of how I have been able to use what I have. I wonder how much money I have saved using my own composted soil instead of buying bags of potting soil? Like everything else one produces themselves, this is the way to know what is in what you are using, or eating. How are you using what you have on your homestead?

0 Shares

April 11, 2019April 11, 2019

Black Raspberries

0 Shares

I remember as a child a long row or two of raspberries in my Grandpa’s garden. If I remember correctly, he had black and red raspberries. I recall how the row had T-posts at each end and along the strip every so often. In between there was string tided at two levels to support the shoots and keep them from falling over. I do not recall being a big fan of the fruit eat fresh, but I always enjoyed the black raspberry jelly made and canned by my Grandma. I remember eating that yummy jelly with butter on bread.

As I have slowed down the last couple years and given attention to what is happening on this 11 acres, I discovered black raspberries growing freely. I enjoyed a bowl of fresh fruit a few seasons. In the fall of 2017 my Dad helped me transplant 7-9 plants that were growing along the house. We may have removed half of what was growing there. The crazy thing to me is that I did not plant them. Actually that area had been more or less let go and the black raspberries had come up on their own. I had decided to plant my own little patch in the intended garden location. We dug up the sod, drove fence posts and planted the pruned black raspberries.

Do you want to learn how to prune your Black Raspberries? Get your FREE printable of How to Prune Black Raspberries today!

Fast forward to last summer, 2018. I had begun attending a local farmer’s market in Bremen, Indiana. Giving thought to what other items I had to sell at the market, I decided to begin picking the black raspberries growing on the property. I knew they seemed to thrive along the woods. I found two spots where the plants were abundant. One spot in particular produced the largest, sweetest berries. The few plants my Dad and I had transplanted a couple years past were only a drop in the bucket compared to all the plants available to pick from last summer.

I did in fact take some berries to market to sell. I spent a bit of time sharing the company of my parents as we picked one afternoon and enjoyed sending them home with the bounty. I even froze a few small containers of them to savor at a later date. They proved to be a delicious treat in the heat of August, pulling out whole frozen black raspberries to cool down on a hot, humid day. I stretched out eating of the last container of them well into January.

As you can see, over the last year black raspberries have made a delightful impression on me. I observed where the larges berries developed. I remembered hearing my grandfather speaking of pruning black raspberries. I researched information as to how exactly this pruning is to be conducted. I learned that pruning black raspberries takes place in March and April. As side note: Black Raspberries and Red Raspberries are pruned differently. Red Raspberries can produce 2 times a year based on how they are cared for. These past couple weeks I begin the process of pruning Black Raspberries here on CG Heartbeats Farm.

The plants located in various places around the property had been growing unattended for a few years. Even the ones I had transplanted received no pruning after transplant. The info I found on pruning raspberries seemed to assume the plants had been pruned previously or at least where for a younger stage in the plant’s life.

A black raspberry plant grows at its tips and grows ‘branches’ as these extend, they fall back down to the ground. They will grow roots where they hit the ground. A wonderful creation of continued life. I am conducting a bit of a trial to see how this works going forward.

Do you see the dead cane or stalk on the left?

In this picture the dead cane has been removed at the base.

I trimmed the canes and removed dead ones. A black raspberry cane lives only 2 years. I am experimenting as I said. I left the shoots that had fallen to the ground and grew roots. I am hoping these will form new plants to be transplanted this fall.

I am looking forward to picking black raspberries, having fresh fruit and taking their bounty to the farmers market. But I might be even more excited to eat frozen ones in the heat of summer. I was dreaming of eating delicious black raspberries, along with memories of days gone by, I pruned black raspberries.

Do you want to learn how to prune your Black Raspberries? Get your FREE printable of How to Prune Black Raspberries today!

0 Shares

March 25, 2019March 25, 2019

Spring 2019

0 Shares

I recently sat down and came up with a list of projects to do on the homestead for the next 3 months. Truth be told there are probably a few more I would like to get started. In fact, I intend to add to this list as I write. I often feel that I my lists look impossible to finish. Do you? I remind myself that is no reason to give up. All that I do accomplish will be steps ahead of what I had done before.

Prepare area for container gardens

One area of the homestead that grabbed my attention was where an older part of the chicken barn once stood. It was torn down shortly after we purchased this property and the remaining barn roof repaired and shingled. The cement flooring remained. While it has cracked and shifted over the last few years, it is still cement covering the ground. Inspiration hit on one of my walks around the property and I decided to clean this area up and turn it into several container gardens. More on the project in a coming post when the project is completed. For now, it is one of my main projects in the coming 2 to 3 months.

That looks like a lot of work to me, to be honest. I have a vision for what I want in this area. Vision + hard work = dream come true and goal accomplished!

Prune Raspberries

Black raspberries abound on our 11 + acres. A couple years ago my Dad and I transplanted them to an actual row in what I want to be a garden. However, I since learned this may not be the best spot for them so I am going to work with them in their current locations around the farm. Non the less I am going to prune them and make them a bit easier to get to. That is the goal for this year for the black raspberries. Look for a coming post on the process.

I am excited to prune these in the near future along with other patches on CG Heartbeats Farm.

Decide where 2019 Garlic will be planted

I have planted garlic the last 3 years. Every year I have increased the amount planted. I am considering converting a section of the yard into an additional garlic plot.

Move portable chicken pens

I have 3 portable chicken pens made up of dog kennel panels and netting. These serve as a great way to work up the sod and convert land to a garden.

In the bottom right of this picture you can see where one of the garlic patches are for this year. Last year (2018) this 5 ft. x 5 ft. area was a chicken pen. The chickens did a great job of removing the soil and fertilizing.

Research Tiller

I have a strong desire to own a tiller for working the ground up in my gardens. I might settle for one of those old time push one. You know the ones with 3 speared tips, a wheel in the front, and two handles from which to push from. I used one of those as a kid growing up in our garden at home. I remember wishing to be stronger. The adults made it look so easy!! I know it would make my job much easier to have a tiller with its own motor (instead of mine). Thus, one of my goals for the next 3 months is to have my own tiller preferable with a motor.

Purchase Additional Silver Gray Dorking

I have added a few different lines (birds from different farms) to the Swedish Flower Hen pens. I want to focus on Silver Gray Dorkings this year, adding to them from another farm.

Decide what will be planted where chicken pens were

The chickens that have been outside in pens killed off most of the sod. In the next month I am going to move those pens and use that ground to plant vegetables for the coming season. I need to decide what I am going to plant there. I am still tossing ideas around. Maybe I will plant cherry tomatoes, maybe watermelons and cantaloupe, or perhaps some of the fun little decorative squashes.

Ground Plowed

A neighbor is willing to come plow up some ground as well. Using the chickens only to prep ground for planting is taking longer than I would like. That is a given of course. But the chickens do a great job in smaller areas. I need to decide where a larger plot of garlic will go, and space for other vegetables I would like to eat fresh.

Woods harvested

The woods have several trees large enough to harvest. Now it is a matter of getting the best price for them.

Clean up area East of Chicken Barns

I have decided to “move” the manure pile. I am not going to move what I have, but rather start dumping in another area. As we were cleaning up some brush around there a few weeks ago, I realized it would not take much more work to completely turn that area into a part of the lawn. Eventually the pile will break down enough to provide excellent fertile soil for growing in buckets and pots or filling container gardens. Down the road a year or two or three this spot may prove to be useful for other homestead purposes.

I have a vision for this spot too. More work followed by maintenance.

Move wood chips to garlic

I planted about 4 times more garlic this year in comparison to last year (2017 to 2018 for 2018 harvest and 2019 harvest). This means 4 times more ground to cover with wood chips. I covered all with chaff last fall, but I have not covered it all with wood chips. I have more available as winter is coming to a close, but I will need to be careful when adding it now. The garlic is already starting to poke through.

Additional projects

As I was writing this post, I realized there are more projects that could use my attention in the coming 3 months. I will notice more. I always do, but here are the ones I am adding to the list. Some of these I rely on the help of others. But effort will be made to get these done

Fencing between south and middle pasture
Cut down 4-6 scrub trees near horse shelter
Dig up and pot Walnut tree seedlings
Re-arrange inside chicken barn

0 Shares

March 19, 2019March 19, 2019

Land of a Homestead

0 Shares

A homestead lifestyle can be created by almost anyone. Those with a small lot in town can produce some of their own food. With today’s technology grow lights even provide a way for people to grow food inside of their houses. Some towns allow hens for producing one’s own eggs. Even if that is not allowed one does not have too look far to find a local farmers market where often farm fresh eggs are available. A drive in the country may reveal signs posted, ‘farm fresh eggs’. There are co-ops to join from which you may purchase farm raised food from both plants and animals. How can you make little shifts in your lifestyle to create more of homestead life style? How have I?

How can I use what I have to produce my own food? This question has been bouncing around in my head for several years. Not always about producing my own food, but always about using what I have. CG Heartbeats Farm is made up of 11.7 acers.

The last week of February 2019 I started a new practice of walking around the property to observe and gain a new perspective. The walks are most enjoyable. I have found them a nice break from getting things done. I allow my mind to wonder and give my imagination wings. I pick a certain area to walk. I have yet to walk it entirely at one time. One day I may get an idea about one area and other days I simply take mental note of what I see. There are several subjects I pay attention to as I walk. Water, air flow, wild life, trees, are observed for future or present potential. Not only do I think about current use of land and use of current buildings, but sometimes give thought to how they could be used in better ways. As I walk, I ask myself is this pasture best located here, or would this ground be better for growing vegetables. I also get ideas for projects I want to do immediately and in the future.

Water

How the water runs, low spots, where it looks like a creek used to be, where water collects after heavy rainfall, how fast does it drain off,

Air Flow

Our climate is not extremely windy most days. We get occasional winds of 50+ mph, but not that strong. I have noticed where the wind seems to tunnel between buildings where the trees block wind from a certain direction and other spots with block, trees or buildings to influence it.

Trees

Almost half of the acreage is currently woods. While I enjoy walking in the woods in different seasons, I question if there might not be a benefit of scaling it back along the edges. Unfortunately, a few years back the Ash bore came through destroying all the Ash trees. A couple must have been getting close to 100 years old.

I am always on the lookout for fallen trees. Several years ago, as I was driving down the road, I could see the topline of the woods looked different. This prompted me to go look for fallen trees. Sure enough, one or more had fallen in that area. It is good to know your property no matter how large or small. Trees provide a break in the wind to help prevent soil erosion and give shelter to animals. I like where the trees break up the property into sections. I think it gives character to the homestead. Where are trees growing that could be harvested and that space would be used for a better purpose. What do I mean by better? I consider income, sustainability and producing plants or housing animals.

Land

As I have been walking around, I have been looking for flat spots to plant garlic and other edible plants. I realized that many areas are not as flat as I would have thought. In fact, most of this ground has some kind of slope. Length of slope and how far it falls over that distance determines how steep a slope actually is. I have not taken any measurements at this time, rather noted the areas that are flat enough to plant in. I have thought a terrace might be in order where the ground is not as flat. I am looking at how a given area is used now. How can it be used for a better purpose?

Wildlife

Not only do I enjoy seeing signs of wildlife, it also keeps me aware of potential predators. I already know many of the animals that spend time in the woods. The most common are dear, turkeys, racoons, ‘opossum, squirrels, chip monks, and ground hogs.

Buildings

There are buildings that need work and others that are newer. I like all things old including old barns. I long to fix up one that needs some TLC. From a practical standpoint, I let my imagination come up with what kind of barn would prove useful. I have an idea for chicken coops that has only manifested in my own mind.

Soil

Top soil and sub soil influence how well an area of land drains. Some plants need a well-drained soil while others need greater moister retained in the ground. In the past while digging fence post holes I have observed areas of this property that has a sandy subsoil and other areas that has a clay subsoil. This is another place I am giving consideration to the best places to plant specific plants.

Projects

I have come up new ideas for changes I want to make. One of them was to clean up an old cement pad. I have plans to use cement blocks I already have to create some container gardens in this location.

Going Forward

This process is a journey. Not all of the changes I want to see happen with happen this month or this year. I have a clearer picture of what this land can do. I expect I will have new ideas and plans while some current plans will turn into better ones. I plan to continue walking the property several times a week. I find it relaxing. In addition, I am provided with an over view of what is going on. I have come across assets I forgot I had. Seeing them may spark an idea for a project or a new way to use what I have.

0 Shares

March 8, 2019March 8, 2019

Catskill Homesteader Chickens

0 Shares

This is a guest post by Maria from Paradise in Disguise Hobby Farm about how she came up with her own chicken breed for her homestead. Her breed is not official in any books, but rather this is the story of a lady breeding for traits that are important to her. Read one way she has made homesteading her own. Be sure to check her bio at the end of this post.

I met Maria of Country Girl Heart Beats Farm on Instagram due to a #catskillhomesteaderchickens hashtag that I use to tag photos of the “landrace type” chickens I’ve been breeding for over 5 years. A conversation started and she invited me to write on her blog about my chickens.

This journey to create a landrace started in 2012 with a broody Easter Egger hen named Daisy and a nest of eggs. One of the resulting chicks grew up to be a handsome rooster I named Michael Jessie. I had wanted to try breeding my own red & black sexlinks with pea or rose combs for our cold winters in Upstate New York, but Michael Jessie and his father, a Blue Andalusian, changed those “plans”.

I realized that while I loved trying all different breeds, each one had pros/cons. And it seemed like the plain looking ones laid the best and the prettiest ones were slackers in the egg department. Through trial and error, plus “research” on Back Yard Chickens forum, I learned the basics of breeding, even though much information was pertaining to pure breeds.

In 2013, I purchased a Genesis 1588 incubator, more broody hens hatched chicks & I quickly become hooked on incubating eggs! “Chicken math” became a reality as my chicken population doubled during that summer, though many were roosters which ended up in our freezer.

It wasn’t until the spring 2014 that I began to formulate goals for breeding. Eye appeal was at the top of the list, along with good egg and meat production. Not only did I want colorful chickens, but colorful eggs too! It was also important that they be excellent foragers and not just stand by the feeder all day or constantly preening to look perfect. The other goal was the produce winter hardy chickens that didn’t need heat, weren’t afraid to go outside in the snow and continued laying through winter (except for when molting). I wanted hardy, independent chickens that didn’t need to be “pampered”, but were self-sufficient, adapting to their environment and reproducing on their own, hatching and raising offspring like they were created to do. Basically, I wanted to create the “perfect chicken” or at least what I considered to be “perfect”!
Things like uniform feather color, leg color, comb type, body type, consistent egg color, clean or feathered shanks – they weren’t a factor. Thus, Catskill Homesteaders could never be a recognized “breed”.

One important lesson I learned in 2013 was I had a handsome Golden Laced Wyandotte rooster, who was a “runt” as a chick, very slow to feather, but was a favorite because he was very docile and handsome. Unfortunately, his offspring either had a deformity, were also runts or failed to thrive before maturity. There was only one pullet that I kept for breeding, though I wouldn’t have if I knew what I know now. Lesson learned: only breed the very best, even if they’re a favorite!

At that time, I also had several Red Sex Link hens which I hatched from, thinking it’d give me great layers. However, every hen crossed with the RSL ended up having reproductive issues, so they were eventually eliminated from the breeding stock.

Breeding group #1

David, rooster of group #1. His father was a Freedom Ranger Rooster

I also experimented with some Freedom Ranger (slower growing meat hybrids) that were raised by Daisy the broody hen and were very active despite their large size. The 3 FRs (1 too, 2 hens) were crossed with other breeds. I got several generations of crosses from their offspring, though their influence in the present stock is very minimal. But again health issues presented themselves due to them not being bred for longevity. The FR rooster began to have trouble walking around 7 months old and was culled & the two hens died of what I think was CHF/ fluid around the heart. The FR rooster’s son also developed leg issues but not until well past a year old. The FRx hens lived several years before being rehomed & didn’t have any issues I was aware of. One of the great-great-granddaughters of the FRs did become an internal layer/ very fatty after she was 18 months old. So while I considered those crosses a success, long-term the resulting Freedom Ranger offering tended to also inherit some of the shorter lifespan and reproductive issues common with “commercial production hybrids”.

My goal wasn’t to produce the best layers or best meat chickens, but ones that could lay eggs over a longer period of time even if not as frequently, while the extra roosters and spent hens would provide meat.

Both Swedish Flower Hens and Icelandic chickens were part of my inspiration for breeding more of a landrace type vs standard breed. I loved all the individual variations within one flock. I had actually considered getting Icelandic chickens, but they didn’t meet two of my most important goals – colorful eggs and decent meat production. I had also found a lady in Arizona who was breeding “Aloha” chickens which I thought were so cool! But she was breeding them to withstand over 100 degrees in the summer, not the below zero temperatures in winter we can have. I even tried breeding pure Swedish Flower Hens and Bielefelders for a few years, thinking they’d be close enough to my goals to satisfy. But I ran into inbreeding issues due to purchasing stock that was unknowingly too closely related. Yet when I crossed them with unrelated chickens, their offspring had great vigor.
Some of the other original breeds I originally used, now have little or no trace in the current flock. They included Rhode Island White, Partridge Rock, Partridge Chantecler and Dominique, with the later two being more instrumental in the original “foundation” stock.

Would I do thing differently if I had to do it over? Oh yes! The main thing is I wouldn’t use hatchery chickens, but purchase the foundation breeds from quality breeders. The only exception being Michael Jessie, as he sired chicks until 2017!

As the years progressed, I outcrossed to better quality, sometimes rare breeds, including Bielefelders, Barnevelders, Buckeye/Buff Orp/EE cross, Swedish Flower Hen and a few others. But, it does takes more work and time to breed for “better quality” than if I’d started with breeder quality chickens at the beginning.

The challenge now is having enough space for all the breeding groups I want to have!

Not only do I have stunningly handsome Catskill Homesteader roosters, but I also have out-cross roosters that I want to use. They include an Olive Egger (Marans/EE), Gold Spangled Spitzhauben, Crested Cream Legbar, Blue Wheaton Ameraucana and a Birchen Marans. Except for a few pure or 2-breed cross hens, the hens are multiple generations from the original chickens or even the previous out-crosses.

Am I pleased with the progress I’ve made in 6 years of “actively” breeding them? Yes. Of course there’s always room for improvement and fine tuning, but any breeder will say that.

But now, when people ask me what their characteristics are, I reply:
Locally adapted, winter hardy, “eye candy” dual purpose chickens who are great foragers, lay a wide variety of colorful eggs and will often hatch and raise their own chicks. To me, that’s what a “perfect” chicken looks like!

About the Author:

Maria lives on 0.6 acres with her brother Joel in Delaware County, New York, where she breeds, hatches and raises Catskill Homesteader Chickens. During summer months she raises meat turkeys. She has a few quail and hopes to add more this year.

She juggles working two part-time jobs at the Heart of the Catskills Humane Society and Mandy’s Farm, which consists of yaks, pigs, sheep, donkeys, poultry & 2 barn cats.

She also has a food waste collection service @delhicommunitycompost, which she is in the process of making into a business. Mix in trying to maintain the house and batch cooking a week’s worth of meals on Tuesday evenings, boredom isn’t in her vocabulary

Maria writes on her own blog titled Paradise in Disguise Hobby Farm. She has two Facebook pages Catskill Homestead Chickens and Paradise in Disguise Hobby Farm.

0 Shares

February 6, 2019February 6, 2019

New Farm Activities

0 Shares

Winter Thoughts

January was full of ideas and planning the year, as I wrote about in Winter 2019. I also gave thought when the idea of this homesteading journey was just that an idea. I commented on a post on FB recently how a few years ago I was foaling out mares and now I am hatching eggs. Hatching eggs is far easier to do on my own. I do sometimes miss the excitement of foaling mares; the tender nickers between mare and foal and all the anticipation, for mares have a much larger window to deliver a foal, as in weeks. A chick on the other hand has a few days in which it may hatch.

As I look around my farm, I am continuing to give thought to the best places for various plants I intend to grow. It is easy to look at it as the land is currently being used and work around that, but I need to be looking at it from the ground and below ground. Where does the soil drain best? Where is the soil retaining water? I need to overlook the fact that trees are growing in certain areas. I did not plant them there and in some cases no one did. That area was not mowed at one time and trees came up on their own. Are random trees really the best use of this homestead? Perhaps not.

I also need to research specific plants to know what will grow best in certain soils. True, some I already know and for those I need to decide a variety.

Attending the farmer’s markets last summer and this winter has given me insight as to what I intend to plant specifically due to customer requests, my own observations and the advice of fellow vendors. I also found a community to interact and share ideas with.

A Look Back at January

The added work of dealing with frozen water and the extra chores to ensure the animals are cared for in the bitter cold has been the first daily priority. After that and sometimes while doing chores, my mind continues to toss ideas around. The last half of January came with bitter cold temperatures. In order to care for the animals I found myself in and out all day. It is a season that can sometimes be enjoyed for the slowdown. Recently I was reminded of the importance to enjoy the winter beauty, in spite of the challenges cold weather presents. I enjoy planning and soon will be ordering seeds for the coming growing season. In only a week or two I will be planting seeds indoors.

My time spent on homesteading activities is divided between planning, learning, caring for grape starts, incubating eggs, caring for chicks, preparing eggs to sell both eating and hatching, caring for animals, and working online. I like to take a few moments to sit and cuddle a cat or watch cute little chicks scamper around in the brooder. They grow up fast and in a week, they will not be as tiny.

New for 2019

As I mentioned, I have spent time over the last month tossing I ideas around in my head. Adding more than subtracting from my plans for the year. I started a farm journal this year to keep hatching notes and document other farm activities, extreme weather conditions and plans. The idea came to me when I learned that Thomas Jefferson kept such a journal that is available to read today. Now I am not Mr. Jefferson, but I may want to refer back to lessons I have learned. I do anticipate the notoriety he acquired, but certainly no one will read my notes(including myself) if I do not write them down. I have found it helps me to remember when I write an idea or fact down. It also gives me reference should I forget a detail. I share some of these pages from time to time on Instagram and Facebook.

Another, new for 2019 aspect of the homestead is a Facebook group I recently started to share in more detail specific ways to help people get started on a homestead lifestyle. From time to time I will offer free challenges in this group as a way to offer support to those who are not quite sure how to get started on a homestead goal. If this sounds like a benefit to you, consider joining the group titled Hatching Chicks, Ideas, and Homestead Practices. To easily access this group click on the graphic below.

I believe one of the biggest changes for this year is less tangible. It is the fact that I have a better picture of the direction CG Heartbeats is going. Attending farmer’s markets, played a large part by giving me a broad view of what might be possible. I learned from what I have seen others doing. Not that I will do things the way they do, but that found encouragement in what is working for them. Slowly digesting the book Ten Acres Enough provided a shift in my thinking. Learning a bit more about online business, including marketing online, has given me confidence. I have also learned to invest in myself, after all the one thing constant, no matter what I do, is my mind. For as long as I am alive on this earth, I intend to do my best to keep my mind with me.

I started hatching chicks earlier this year. The second hatch is in process as I am writing. I have a love of all farm animal babies and their birthing process. I know foaling out mares will always have my heart, but when my life choices take me a different direction, I seem to find a way to enjoy babies in any way I can.

CG Heartbeats Farm plans to attend additional markets during the week and look into a new Saturday Market. Currently the choice of which Saturday Market to attend is under consideration.

These are a few of the ideas implemented and others are still being organized. Likely this process will continue throughout the year. What new aspects of homesteading are you adding this year?

0 Shares

January 23, 2019October 25, 2019

Why Pick Swedish Flower Hens

0 Shares

A conversation with a friend a few years ago had me thinking seriously about owning chickens. I was looking for ways to use what I had. On the homestead stood a 30 by 60 chicken barn with a fairly new roof thanks to my spouse. It served a place to store hay and many other items. We called it the shop. I begin looking at chickens online. I came across a picture of a hen that reminded me of a pet chicken my sister and I had as a child. We called her Debbie. A bit of research and I learned the breed of the chicken I had seen Swedish Flower Hens. The practical side of me held back wanting to learn other characteristics of the breed besides being pretty.

What I Learned

Swedish Flower Hens(SFH) came to the United States in 2010 and have been imported at least 4 more times since. This has allowed for a decent size gene pool to work with as a breeder. I have always enjoyed the process of breeding and genetics no matter the species. In the 1970’s SFH’s were found in 3 villages in Sweden. At that time, they were the only ones in existence in the whole world. They are considered a landrace breed similar to a wild mustang or the Chincoteaque ponies where the breed developed on its own. A natural selection process in which the healthiest birds survived and the ones who escaped the cook’s pot. In that manner, humans did intervene to some extent by culling (cooking) the birds of their choice. That would of course remove a bird from further reproducing of said bird’s genetic makeup. However, who is to say if that bird had already reproduced and the line carried on? Swedish Flower Hens developed over years of old from different breeds brought into Sweden.

This breed has a 20% broody rate among hens according to documents from Sweden, but certain breeders in the United States have seen a larger percentage in their flock. There is not a Standard of Perfection (SOP) for this breed, as they are a landrace breed. In the United States, many enjoy showing their chickens. There are certain traits found undesirable for the show ring that do not affect a chicken’s ability to survive in the wild. An example would be a sprig on a comb. The breeding goals of those who raise SFH’s are almost as diverse as the bird itself. Some who raise this breed in the United States work to eliminate springs in the gene pool. Why you might ask? Springs are undesirable in the show ring. Others freely breed those birds who demonstrate this trait or the ability to pass on sprigs on combs. For this reason, I have posted my Swedish Flower Hen breeding goals at CG Heartbeats Farm for this gorgeous breed.

This breed is known for being an egg laying breed over a meat bird. They do not carry a heavy muscle compared to the Silver Gray Dorking, for example. It has been said they are better stew birds. I have eaten roosters that were harvested at 5 months of age. The meat was not tough, and had good flavor. I am certain how it was cooked also played a part. I read the hens lay through the winter and mine have proven that to be true, even when temps are down around 0 degrees. I have not documented the number of eggs specific hens laid in a year, I have read the numbers are 150 to 200 eggs per year. They do not, of course lay through a molt.

I read Swedish Flower Hens tend to demonstrate disease resistance, but not a specific disease they were resistant to. They have certainly proved to be a fertile breed. Not only here at CG Heartbeats Farm, but for other breeders as well.

My first Swedish Flower Hen chicks. I drove 3 hours one way to pick them up. Might be I was well on my way to becoming a crazy chicken lady. I was hooked,

The more I read about them, the more I learned, I wanted to purchase this breed!!! In May of 2016, I purchased 13 chicks, driving 3 hours to pick up them up(pictured above). I was well on my way to earning the title of crazy chicken lady. I remember the excitement as I drove home and the feeling of starting a new adventure. I continue to learn about this breed and chickens in general. All a part of my homesteading journey, I even took a class to become a NPIP tester in the state of Indiana.

Colors of Swedish Flower Hens

The beautiful color variation in the SFH breed often draws a person’s attention, as they did me. The flowery appearance creates a bouquet of beauty in the chicken yard. I have repeatedly seen questions about the colors of SFH’s. My goal is to provide picture examples to clarity these different color patterns. This is not an in-depth article on color genetics, but rather a picture guide. If you would like your own printable PDF containing more pictures and examples consider signing up for the newsletter. As a thank you, the PDF on SFH colors is yours to keep. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Black, blue and splash make up the 3 base colors of Swedish Flower Hens. The secondary color can present in various ways, but one factor remains the same the tips of the feathers should be white giving these birds an appearance of a flower. Hence their name. Mille fleur, and snoleopard are secondary colors, if you will. They may present themselves on different base colors such as a black based snow leopard verses a blue based snow leopard. The same is true for all the base colors and secondary colors. To make it super confusing they don’t always present the exact same way. Both pictured are snoleopard, but the first is blue base and the second is black base.

Blue Base Snoleopard
Black Base Snoleopard

I have seen folks new to breed interested in learning the colors. I am a visual learner and so instead of giving a bunch of genetic info to wade through I want to provide a quick guide. Consider joining the newsletter for CG Heartbeats Farm. The emails will notify you of new blog posts, farm updates. At times, I may make you aware of items that are for sale.

The purchase of Swedish Flower Hen chicks was one of the first steps I took in living a homestead live style. I was already planted on 11 acres with older buildings and a variety of soils. Bloom where you are planted they say…

Why would you pick Swedish Flower Hens? Leave a comment with your answer.

To see the 2019 Breeding pens at CG Heartbeats Farm use the links below.

Return to Swedish Flower Hen main page or view a different pen by clicking on the pen page you wish to visit.

Silver Gray Dorking

Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner

NOTE: This page or post contains affiliate links. When you click and make a purchase I earn a portion of the money you spend at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support.

Read in this blog post about my go to incubator in 2019. I include tips I use with this incubator.

The Janoel 12 incubator with chicks I hatched from Pen # 7.

Click on either picture. Purchase your own.

0 Shares

January 7, 2019January 7, 2019

Winter 2019

0 Shares

A new year has begun. I for one am excited for the blank slate a new year appears to provide. I have many ideas that have been floating around in my head for the last few years. Projects I have started, that I will build upon and a few new ideas for later in the year. I to take time to look back at what I did accomplish in 2018. I also took a not so pleasant look at the challenges and problems that arose, some still in need of resolution and answers. These are common approaches to a venture such as homesteading and many other walks of life. One benefits from taking time to reflect and evaluate progress and problems.

Now officially winter, the weather has stayed pleasant. By pleasant I mean often temps are above 32 during the day. A warm winter by northern Indiana standards. I plan to use this time of slow down to work on this website, plant seeds indoors, work in my house, hatch chicks and plan for the coming growing season outdoors.

Evaluating and planning chicken breeding pens for all breeds

Swedish Flower Hens currently are by far the most prolific of the three breeds. I am seeing excellent fertility in the eggs I am hatching. I have 2 breeding pairs, 5 breeding pens, and a trio of this breed. My breeding goals continue to be the same as posted. I have plans to add an additional line to include crested Swedish Flower Hen.

The Silver Gray Dorkings are fertile, but it does seem to drop off this time of year. I will continue to hatch as many as I can. I intend to add a line from another farm this year.

The Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiners have proved to be the breed I am struggling with the most. I really like them, but need to figure out why the fertility has been low. I intend to add a line from another farm for this breed as well. I like the eggs they lay and the size of the roosters and hens.

Deciding on locations for garlic, garden space, and fruit bearing plants.

I am super excited to have connected with a neighbor who will be able to plow up ground, increasing garden space and breaking up sod in areas where fruit and garlic will be planted. I am going to be in need of a roto-tiller now with all of the added garden space. I planted around 150 bulbs of garlic this year. This all fit in approximately 100 sq. feet. I would like to plant 1/8^th of an acre this year if not more. I intend to plant all the Concord grape plants I can start indoors over the winter. Right now, I have around 25.

A few of the potted grape starts to be planted outdoors in the spring.

One of my goals includes growing blue berries, at least for my own enjoyment. I know the perfect location on this homestead for them to thrive, but right now that ground is a part of a pasture. Fencing changes need to happen in order to proceed. There are existing apple trees and a pear tree that I need to learn how to manage. The raspberry plants will need to be pruned in the spring. I am giving thought how to manage the raspberries in order to make picking a bit easier, without completely moving them. They do well where they are located. I would like to plant strawberry plants this year. I will be researching both what variety and best growing habitat before moving forward.

I intend to plant sweet potatoes in buckets again. I have a small container garden that will provide a place to plant some type of vegetable. I am working on the details of where the main vegetable garden will be located and how large (or small) it will be. I do not have a final list of vegetable to be planted. These decisions will be made in the coming weeks.

Adding additional farmers markets to this year’s schedule.

Last summer I got my feet wet when it comes to attending a farmer’s market. I am excited to build on that in 2019. I would like to include a display on a regular basis to share where the eggs are coming from. This will also raise awareness at a local level that I breed, raise, and sell 3 rare breeds of chickens, hatching eggs and chicks.

I plan to take many of the same items this year to the market I took last year. I want to plant specific items that may not have been in regular supply at the market last year. The list of what the farm will produce this year is a work in process. I immensely enjoy attending the farmer’s markets.

Planning this year’s web site goals.

I am super excited to be working on updating the pages that share info about the chickens I am raising. I am also excited to be finishing the course on hatching eggs in an incubator. My goal for a release date is the end of Jan or beginning of February. Yes, I am giving myself a bit of wiggle room. Beyond that I intend to continue to bring you a weekly blog post and perhaps two.

If you would like to join a wait list for this course please click on the following: Hatching Course.

I would love to hear what topics you would like to hear about. Leave a comment or send an email to share your ideas.

0 Shares

December 14, 2018June 21, 2019

Indoor Market #2: Culver

0 Shares

On November 17, 2018 I attended my first indoor Farmer’s Market in Bremen, Indiana. I am looking forward to the possibility of a February Bremen Indoor Market in 2019 with a Valentine theme. I decided with eggs to sell and crafts to make I would try a second indoor market. I had seen on Facebook and Instagram that the town of Culver was hosting an indoor Famer’s Market twice a month through April 2019. Further investigation revealed that temporary vendors were accepted as space allowed.

Finding the vendor information and application links on the Culver Farmer’s Market Facebook page, I applied. A few days later I learned I was indeed welcome to attend the following Saturday.

The weather proved miserable by the time I arrived and was unloading the car. Wind driven rain, and temperatures in the 30’s had me shivering. The atmosphere inside was however was warm and friendly to this newcomer. I enjoyed the view overlooking Lake Maxinkackee. A fog hovered over the choppy, wind driven waves of the lake and I felt cozy inside the Beach Lodge. Happy with my display, I settled into painting on a couple different bird houses. I found painting at the Bremen Indoor Market gave authenticity to the finished birdhouses on display. If not for anyone else, certainly for my own satisfaction.

I made a short video to allow you to look at the variety of options to shop for at the Culver Indoor Market. So please be sure to click on the video and enjoy a close up view of many of the items available.

Watch a short video showing vendor wares at the Culver Indoor Market in Culver, Indiana

Each market varies a bit with vendors attendance and I did not get a picture of every available item. If you are local to northern Indiana and southern Michigan, be sure to check out the Culver Indoor Market this Saturday December 15, 2018. Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the first and third Saturday’s now through April. The Market is free to visit and enjoy live music while you shop.

Location: Beach Lodge, Culver Town Park, 819 E Lake Shore Drive, Culver, IN 46511

Time: 9 am to 1 pm

Leave a comment sharing your favorite item from the video.

In Summary

I am happy to have attended this market and look forward to providing farm fresh, NON -GMO eggs, crafts and other items at future markets. I met locals, some who embrace similar values, and will enjoy getting to know how they homestead in their own unique way.

What did I buy?

Local grass fed hamburger and ginger snap cookies.

0 Shares

November 28, 2018December 4, 2018

A Holiday Farmer’s Market

0 Shares

With the garlic planted, I was ready to turn my attention to the upcoming Indoor Farmer’s Market and cweek to prepare for the first Indoor Market in Bremen. Knowing that the hens were molting I wanted to have more to take than eggs, if I would have any. Egg production drops off when the hens molt. I contacted my Mom and she was trilled with the idea of making crafts for the sale. Earlier in the fall I had looked over boxes of craft items my Mom had stored for future creations. The only item I was sure she had was A LOT of fake evergreen.

She had many birds, little wooden bird houses, other wooden pieces, ribbon, beads, fake snow, bows, and other pieces to create to our hearts content. I picked up some paint and found more in my own craft supplies. I probably have not even looked into my craft boxes for over 5 years.

Day 1:
Armed with my hot glue gun, a few bottles of paint, along with purchases I had recently made, I set out on an almost 2-hour drive to spend an afternoon painting little decorative bird houses. My Mom had come up with the idea to make the bird houses as if they were gingerbread houses, but first they would need a base paint. These cute things were no taller than 4 inches. I had purchased brown paint to hopefully resemble a gingerbread house.

After painting a few brown ones, I wanted to play with the red, green and white I had brought along. Time flew by that first afternoon. My mom and I had planned to take a break and make a short trip for coffee and donuts (for Mom) and food with more substance for me. A special way to spend time with family hanging out and expressing our creative side.

Day 2:
I looked out my window to see a whole bunch of white covering the landscape in the beautiful way only fresh fallen snow can. The drive took longer, but the pretty view along the way left me feeling like I arrived in no time. I sat down and went right to work with a paint brush. I seemed to move from one to the other thinking on ideas of what I wanted to create on a previous house as I worked. I switched from painting to work on a wreath. I needed to take a break from the brush. As I worked my thoughts went from gingerbread houses to a winter scene with snow covered pine trees. Humm I wonder…. if I could paint a pine tree….?

I recalled a time in fourth grade, that I had sat down with a blank piece of card board and various colors of chalk. I had messed around a bit with drawing, as a child might, but not with any flow or success. Drawing usually felt like a struggle, something that I had to think hard about. This day I was recalling, the picture began to appear beneath the splashes of chalk. I was looking a painting of 3 collie dogs, but drawing in chalk. I sat alone in our living room, mentally tuning into a creative, artistic zone. I heard the voices of people working in our house trailer that day as if they were a TV playing in the background. In reality, there was many who had come over to clean up a big mess, made when I had unleased an entire fire extinguisher on a single electrical outlet. The act alone, I was told, is why there was a heavy covering of dust like material in the entire house trailer. Had I not acted quickly, there would have been NO house to clean. I felt terrified when I saw flames coming from the outlet. Looking back, I now believe the drawing of the collie dog provided an outlet for emotion overwhelm. That day, the face of a collie seemed to me to simply appear from the strokes of chalk, there was a flow I had never felt before. I struggled many times after that as I attempted to draw pictures, but rarely, if ever, felt the synchronicity of seeing with my mind and creating with my hands. On the day in my memory…I wondered, ‘Could I draw the face of a collie with those pieces of chalk.’ I had found them when working to clean up the mess.

Back to the current day, sitting with a paint brush in hand I again felt the flow from my mind to the picture that appeared as I painted. The fact I was feeling a similar connection between my hand creating and the picture I was seeing in my mind had reminded me of the day of the fire.

Market Day

The day of the market arrived. I made use of the option to take items in the day before, so set up was fast on Saturday morning.

Having been a vendor at Bremen’s summer Farmer’s Market, I enjoyed seeing familiar faces of both vendors and customers alike. This time I sat painting, while chatting with people new and old. I enjoyed this version of a market. There were new to me vendors attending the indoor market, such as Millers Goat and Garden.

This of course caught my attention since I grew up around goats. A bit more about my child hood in the blog post titled: Roots and Wings: New Life ~ Goats. Word has it, a Valentine’s Day Market is in consideration for February. Be sure to visit and like the Facebook page for Bremen Farmer’s Market for updates using the link posted below.

www.facebook.com/BremenFarmersMarket

And stop by the CG Heartbeats Farm Facebook page for farm news, local market updates, new blog posts and other interesting bits of info.

In summary, Bremen’s event, A Holiday Farmers Market, was a success for me. I sold a few things, and conversed with people in the community I had not met before. I also had reason to spend 2 days with my Mom as we prepared. Simply put: A Holiday Farmer’s Market equaled a fun time! This years indoor market was a first time event for Bremen, Indiana. A first of many, I hope!!

A big thank you to Yoder’s Bremen Hardware in downtown Bremen, Indiana for providing the venue along with chairs and tables for the event.

0 Shares