Bird Nest Snack Cups

The quintessential reason that I blog is to chronicle our journey as a family with backyard chickens. A close second is being able to inspire others. Teaching is a noble profession and one I highly revere. Each month, from November to April, I lead a program with my fellow Master Gardeners at our local library that reaches "Little Sprouts" from the ages of 2-7 years old. We read books, sing songs and complete a hands-on activity at each class that has something to do directly or indirectly with horticulture. The theme for the evening not too long ago was all about birds. We read three wonderful books: Birdsongs by Betsy Franco, Bluebird’s Nest written by Dorothea DePrisco and illustrated by Jo Parry, and Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni.
You can find so many great books about birds at the local library. Our library has a book sale twice a year and I always find a book or two for the girls about chickens, chicks, hens or roosters. If you are thinking about raising chickens with your family, consider doing a little research beforehand like we did. Read some chicken-themed books together. There is no better way to spark interest and excitement than with a great book!

Since spring has sprung here in north-central Pennsylvania (and is feeling more like summer!), I wanted to share a fun recipe that we used for the evening's snack. It was very tasty! I highly recommend substituting the Kashi brand cereal because it tastes incredible! How much fun would this be to make for a spring birthday celebration or Easter party? It's so easy that it would make a great afternoon snack for your little bird lovers. I adapted this recipe slightly from the blog The Adventures of Bear.

Recipe for the bird's nest snack:

2 cups shredded wheat biscuits (I used Kashi's Island Vanilla cereal instead)
1/4 cup coconut

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

grapes

muffin liners

Directions:
Crumble the shredded wheat biscuits into a mixing bowl. Use a spoon to stir in the coconut and brown sugar. Pour the melted butter over the shredded wheat mixture and mix together. Line muffin tin with liners. Press the shredded wheat mixture into the lined cups. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Let cool. Remove from muffin tin and fill the nests with grapes as eggs. Makes roughly six nests. Enjoy!

The Tale of the Very First and Sort of Poopie Egg

It was another exciting day for us! Our chicken, Sunshine, has just started laying eggs! With the unusually warm weather, she started laying this week. We weren't expecting her to lay until spring, since we opted against supplemental lighting to get her to lay during winter. I was able to get the girls' reaction on video this afternoon and am happy to share it with you. The egg we found today was not in the nesting box. We found it entrenched in a whole lot of poop! When Ara pulled it out, it was covered in some rather large gobs of poo. So it made me wonder: "What the heck do we do with a poop-covered egg?" I found a stellar site from Colorado State University Extensionthat explains in detail what to do. Here is an excerpt from their site that succinctly addresses our questions:

Caring for the Eggs

Collect the eggs often. Eggs that spend more time in the nest have an increased chance of becoming dirty, broken, or lower in quality. Collecting eggs at least twice daily is recommended, preferably before noon. Consider a third collection in late afternoon or early evening, especially in hot or cold weather. Coated wire baskets or plastic egg flats are good containers for collecting eggs. Discard eggs with broken or cracked shells.

Cleaning. Dirty eggs can be a health hazard. Eggs with dirt and debris can be cleaned with fine sandpaper, a brush, or emery cloth. If eggs need to be washed, the temperature of the water should be at least 20F warmer than the egg. This will prevent the egg contents from contracting and producing a vacuum. It will also prevent microscopic bacteria from being pulled by vacuum through the pores of the egg. A mild, non-foaming, unscented detergent approved for washing eggs can be used. A dishwashing liquid that is free of scents and dyes is acceptable. Eggs can be sanitized by dipping in a solution of 1 tablespoon household bleach to 1 gallon of water before storage. Dry eggs before storing because moisture may enter the shell pores as eggs cool on refrigeration.

Storage. Store eggs in the main section of the refrigerator at 35F to 40F; the shelves in the door tend to be warmer than interior shelves. If collected and stored properly, eggs can have a safe shelf life of greater than three weeks. Date the storage carton or container and use older eggs first. If you have more eggs than you can use, you can break them out of their shells and freeze them. Only freeze fresh eggs. Beat until just blended, pour into freezer containers, seal tightly, label with the number of eggs and the date. Add a small amount of salt, sugar, or corn syrup to prevent gelling and improve the keeping quality of the eggs. It’s a good idea to note any additional ingredients on the freezer container. The whites and yolks may also be frozen separately.

Preparation. Never eat eggs raw. Undercooked egg whites and yolks have been associated with outbreaks of Salmonella enteritidis infections. To prevent illness from bacteria, cook eggs until yolks are firm and cook foods containing eggs thoroughly to 160F. Use a food thermometer to be sure. Do not keep cooked or raw eggs at room temperature for more than two hours.

Here's the link to a wonderful two-page fact sheet (in PDF format) that you can print for an excellent reference: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09377.pdf

Here's another interesting blog post that I found with some great information on cleaning eggs:
http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2011/10/eggs-to-wash-or-not-to-wash.html
I'm not a big fan of bleach, so I'll be skipping that option for cleaning soiled eggs.

I hope you find this post helpful in answering questions you may have about cleaning, storage and preparation of eggs.

Pickin' Chickens

Lands at Hillside Farms visit

We all have been busy thinking and talking about the chickens.

The girls checked out pictures online of various breeds. Ara loves Silkies, as do I. We saw them on one of our fall ventures to the Lands at Hillside Farms.

Silkies have amazing temperaments, according to my readings. The drawback is that their eggs are very small. I've been mindful of what breeds I see doing well close to where we live, because they will do the best in our climate. When I started researching last year, I knew I wanted to go with a heritage breed because many are endangered and I'd like to do my part to keep them around. Our neighbor recommended the Delaware breed and explained, "Delaware's are a heritage breed with many desirable characteristics: The hens lay nice brown eggs, the roosters are not aggressive, they are excellent foragers for bugs, they can roost in trees if need be, and the young roosters that you may not want to keep taste great." All great reasons for us. I also learned researching online that they are critically endangered and at risk for extinction.

Some Silkies off to the right by the feeder

Of utmost importance to us is having a breed that will be good with the kids. My first foray into the world of hendom as a child wasn't what I'd hoped for. I was 8 or 9 years old. I can still clearly remember trying to help my childhood friend Molly move her hens to their new coop with her family. Those chickens squawked and flapped and clawed. After trying fruitlessly to move a hen, I backed away from the cloud of feathers and decided to just watch as others scooped them up with ease. It wasn't a scarring experience. I did walk away thinking chickens weren't very personable and very skittish.

Another consideration is consumption. I love brown eggs and the Delawares lay large size brown eggs, perfect for cooking. I have seen an app from MOTHER EARTH NEWS. I finally relented and spent $2.99 for the MOTHER EARTH NEWS Pickin' Chicken Breed Selector App and gave it a try on my iPhone. I have to say I liked it well and it was worth the money spent. It confirmed what my neighbor had told me about the Delaware breed and gave me photographs and more detailed information specific to the breed. Nine other breeds also met my requirements, and we may consider them down the road. So we are going to start with a few Delaware chickens this summer and will add to our flock the next year with a couple of Silkies.