Where the heck is Hawk??

Ginger broke into the chicken coop the other day and had Ducky cornered when we walked out there. So the next day I can't find Hawk...

Me: Where is Hawk??...Oh no...Ginger ate her...no...I would have heard that...oh no...she died from the heat...(walking around the yard) where the heck is she??

Miss Adventure walks outside: Where's Hawk?? (This is her favorite chicken)

Me: Uhm...I don't know sweetie...oh Lord let me find her first...

Finally I check behind the AC unit on the side of the house...

*Gasp!* Is that what I think it is!? It is! An Egg!! Yay Hawk!

One egg?? No way 3 of them...

(No, I don't think this looks like a comfy spot to lay an egg either.)

The kids and I were so excited!! The next day she laid one more so Miss Adventure and I had 'Hawk Eggs' for lunch. Can you tell she thinks this is the coolest thing?

Now let me tell you...it was kindda wierd thinking...I own that bird. I feed it. I watch it walk around my yard.  And now I'm going to eat it's eggs...what if a baby chick is in there?? (impossible btw) I dunno I was just a little freaked out about it. For your information a fresh homegrown egg is hard to break, has firm yolks, and has a deep orange coloring. This was all new to me. 

Mmmm...fresh eggs and turkey bacon...it was a yummy, satisfying, powerful, homegrown experience {Grin}

Today as we pet her we made sure to say thank you for her eggs...

I never thought

I'd be making my own dog food...

But for this sweet girl...why not??

This is Ginger and she is our new first family dog.

We picked her up from my in-law's ranch and had to treat her for fleas...they were everywhere; poor girl. Even in between her toes :(

Then a couple days later she got Parvo. Guess what...If a property ever has a dog with Parvo on it all your future dogs will get it to. It stays in the land forever! Crazy right?!

Just in case you have a puppy that comes down with this...Pray! And then keep her fed and hydrated. Dogs don't die from the virus but from starvation or dehydration. Ginger lived on Nutri-Cal, milk, and watered down gaterade. She lost a bit of wieght but she's alive and thriving.

Shortly after this I ran into a neighbor and she said that I should look into the cons of feeding your dog corn meal. So I went home did a bit of googling and found these two links that were very helpful...

http://www.dogster.com/forums/Food_and_Nutrition/thread/330428
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=myths

Here's the jist of it (from the first link)...

The digestive systems of dogs (and cats) are made to digest meat better than anything else. Corn is used in dog food as a source of protein that's much cheaper than meat is. Some dogs have problems digesting corn, and even if they can digest it, it's usually not fully digested (which is often why dogs tend to have smaller poops on a corn-free food than when they ate food with corn in it). Also, corn is a common allergen for many dogs.


That said, if meat is the first ingredient in the food and corn is relatively far down on the ingredient list, then it's more likely that it's there for a little extra protein, as opposed to making it the sole protein source of the food. The problems happen when corn is the first ingredient, or there are a couple of different corn products in the list (called ingredient splitting: if meat is first and then three different types of corn are next, there's most likely more corn than meat in the food). Corn is considered a filler--something that bulks up the food for not much nutritional value, and little cost.

Protein from meat is much more bio-available to dogs than protein from corn (or other grains), meaning they can use the protein more easily. So even if you get a food with (for example) 22% protein with corn as the main protein source, there's actually more usable protein in a food with 22% protein with meat as the main protein source.

So I priced the 'Right' dog food and decided we couldn't afford $60+ to feed our puppy. Then I found out you can make your own...duh...and that dogs need a diet that consists of 40 percent meat, 30 percent vegetables and 30 percent starch.

I have a whole bag of Boots and Barkly dog food so I'm mixing 1/2 and 1/2 to keep costs down. Ginger was still recovering from the Parvo virus and would play for a bit but then her energy would sputter out. So I fed Ginger her new food yesterday morning and within 30 mins she was playful and running around like crazy having a good ol' time. Her energy didn't fall out like it had before. From this I was sold...I can't feed her perfectly but I can do my best for her and hope she doesn't develop any arthritis, blindness, or sickness in her later years due to her food. 

You can do it too! Today I mixed up 2 big chicken thighs (cooked), 5oz tuna, 1 lb peas/ carrots mix (mashed a bit), and 2 cups brown rice (2cps measured dry). Costs were about $5...and this will last a week.

Next week I'll do 1-1 1/2lb ground beef (cooked), 1lb peas/ carrot mix (mashed a bit), and 2 cups macaroni pasta (2cups measured dry). Costs will be about $5 for a week.

Meat can be: Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Tuna, Salmon
Veggies can be: Anything I think...Carrots and peas seem to be the most common. No onions and only tiny bits of garlic.
Starch can be: Oatmeal, Potatoes, Rice, Pasta

You can also throw in plain yogurt, cottage cheese, and/or eggs.

Make sure they get plenty of exercise of course and enjoy your new dog...she'll thank you I'm sure {Grin} 

Great Pets!

"Chickens are the best pets!"

This quote is from my husband who is NOT an animal person.

That is a BIG deal.

And he's right, they are cool 'pets'.

Chickens eat snails, slugs, ants, and some left overs.

You don't even need to pick up any poop because it's just free fertilizer.

 I also found out 4 chickens can gobble up 4 tomato plants in minutes. Not so good.

We had a big snail problem before the chicks but now it's hard for

Ms. Adventure to find any in the morning to play with. Sad for her but great for the garden.

Chickens are so easy too!

Babies need:

A box to keep them in (we used a 20gal Rubbermaid box for 4 chicks) $12

A heat lamp + bulb (got ours at Walmart) $12

Chick waterer $4

Chick feeder $4

Chick food $30 for 50lbs

We use Organic food.

It's so gross to me that the minute those sweet chicks are born

 they are given a food with hormones and antibiotics.

If that is not a gross factor for you food is much cheaper.

Just today I mixed some oats, lentils, and split peas in their food.

(chopped a bit in my magic bullet)

They seem to like it and I really want them to eat more compost food

so I've been trying that too. I think you have to train domestic

chickens to eat left overs. Mine only eat real food when they are really hungry. 

Once they are about 6weeks old and/or have their real feathers

they can be moved outside. (at least 60* at night)

Outside Chicks need:

A Coop $40

Feeder and Waterer off the ground $8 each

A dowel they can roost on $5

Nesting boxes for laying $10 each or make your own

Chicks will start laying around 20-24 weeks

Door on the right will be where we put our nesting boxes

for easy egg collecting.



And that's it! We let ours roam the backyard from 8am-8pm.

Then they get locked up for the night.

We love having chickens! They are so fun to watch.

The kids love them and their

eggs will be nice too {Grin}



Herb of the Day

Herb: Fenugreek
Part used: Seeds
Primary Nutrients: Choline, Iron, Lecithin, Minerals, Protein, Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, and D

Now on to the cool stuff....

It was first used in Asia for inflamed bowels and stomach problems because of it's bowel-lubricating abilities.
The Greeks used it for respiratory problems.
Is able to dissolve hardened masses of accumulated mucus in the body!!
Helps rid the lungs of mucus and phlegm in the bronchial tubes.
Combined with honey and lemon juice can help soothe the throat and reduce fever.
Helps expel waste through the lymphatic system!!
Contains antiseptic properties that help kill infections in the lungs.
Contains choline and liptropic which aids in lowing cholesterol.
Reduces mucus in cases of asthma, sinus and bronchial congestion!!
Can be used as a poultice on wounds, inflammations, boils, and skin ailments!!

Isn't that so neat!! 

Primary Applications are....
Allergies                              Loss of Appetite
Catarrh, Bronchial               High Cholesterol
Diabetic Retinopathy           Gas
Gastric Disorders                Lung Infections
Excessive Mucus                Sore Throat

Secondary Applications are...
Abscesses                          Anemia
Asthma                               Boils
Body Odor                         Bronchitis
Cancer                               Swollen Eyes 
Fevers                                Gallbladder Problems
Heartburn                           Inflammation
Sinus Problems                   Ulcers
Uterine Problems                Water Retention


Now if that doesn't excite you I'm not sure what will!! lol Just kidding of course...

Anyways we used this for my son because you could hear the mucus build up in his lungs and chest and the doctor wanted to treat him 'like' bronchitis. For an adult you could probably drink 3 cups of tea a day. For a child I would do a 1/3 cup of tea 3x a day. I just brewed one cup in the morning and had him sip it through out the day. It took all day but I was happy with that from my picky little guy : )


Information taken from Today's Herbal Health By Louise Tenny MH
and Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child By Numerous Authors

Phew!

Little Astronaut was sick from onset to today 12 days! Ugh ...so glad it's over but we learned so much in that time. This was his list of supplements...

Fenugreek Tea (once a day)
Echinacea (2-7x a day)
Golden Seal (2-7x a day)
Vitamin C (3x a day)
Euctalyptus (chest rub, neck, foot rub)
A Zinc chew (2x a day) 
Garlic (3x a day)
And as many fluids as possible

Needless to say I'm tired but thankful. The last couple days he had only a dry cough and an on and off fever. So I was thinking we may have been fighting a bacterial infection after all...but! Low and behold yesterday he said his ear hurt. I never thought I would have been happy about an ear infection but I was! It meant he was successful in fighting his first thing  and on to something else. That issue should be gone by tomorrow and this brings me to my next few posts...an Herb of the Day series! Aren't you so excited!? I think Fenugreek may be first...only because it's kind of fun to say. {Grin}

In His hands...

Food heals. That's what I tell people. That's what I believe.

But when my son starts struggling to breath we turn to the Lord and thank him that I saved the inhaler for emergencies.

Little Astronaut was struggling to breath Tuesday morning. Then that afternoon...and then again that night. When he gets sick we have to watch him because he has gotten croup a few times. The humidifier has really helped us avoid medical intervention. But this time it was within minutes he was not able to speak between breaths. Scary. I pray. We used his emergency inhaler and 3 hours later it happened again. I pray. And a wonderful friend of mine flew to my house with her nebulizer and saved me a trip to the ER. We had to use it again that night.

God can heal us right? I know it. He says it. I believe it. 

The next day he's so much better. We take him to our doctor and she says...Hmmm...there's definitely something going on in there (listening to his breathing you could hear the mucus). We'll treat it as bronchitis. It's probably viral but I'll prescribe you antibiotics. (I'm thinking...yeah right) I ask if there's a way to test if it is bacterial so I know if he needs antibiotics and she says no. She obviously knows me (and other mom's like me) and says with a smile I can wait 48 hours before I give it to him. She prescribes a nebulizer, Albuterol and a steroid. She gives him a breathing treatment there (Albuterol) because his oxygen level was low. 

So we leave and I head to our local health store. I'd been reading about Fenugreek; an herb that dissolves mucus, so I get that. I'd also been reading about Ginger; an herb that increases circulation and get that. We go home and there I am...

Food heals. That's what I tell people. That's what I believe.

Do I believe it enough for my son?

This is not a cold, the flu, chicken pox...this is serious.

I call a mom that has become a mentor to me and I surprise myself and breakdown on the phone with her. She prays. I feel peace. I call my husband. I walk into the kitchen and mix Simply Oj with Echinacia and a cup of Fenugreek tea...I give it to my sweet boy and I pray. I pray some more. I pick up our nebulizer and Albuterol for emergencies and wait.

Today is Thursday and Little Astronaut is doing wonderfully.

Thank you LB. Thank you TE. Thank you for being there for me. Thank you dear friends whom I can reach out to and you pray.

What I've learned from this...
I am not in control. No matter how much I know and read; I'm not The Healer. 

The minute that Little Astronaut gets congested we will start treatment immediately with herbs and vitamins. And I will not be afraid to use our emergency medical supplies.   


**I'm not telling you what to do with your kids medically or herbally. I just wanted to share what the Lord was reminding me... He's got the itty bitty children in his hands {Grin}**

A Mother's Prayer...my prayer

Dear Lord,

         So far today I've done all right. I haven't gossiped, I haven't lost my temper, I haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or very indulgent. I'm very grateful for that. But in a few minutes, Lord, I'm going to get out of bed, and from then on, I'm going to need a lot more help. Amen.