Some Freebies

A good way to save money is to get things for free and an easy way to do that is to get companies to give you their products. Extreme couponing is a big thing these days, and if you have the time to do it, as well as stores nearby that will double or triple your coupons, you can save big, but be careful. Often the products are prepared foods that aren't good for you, or are for items that still cost more than other alternatives after the coupon.

Still..a deal is a deal.

Free case (after rebate of up to $50.00) of Valvoline Racing Oil. http://www.valvolinevr1racingoil.com/
Expires 5/31/11.

Next post, I'll list some places you can sign up for free special offers at.

Keeping Laying Hens

In the past 3 weeks, I've had several people ask me about raising chickens for eggs, so it seems like a good topic for a post.

Firstly, you do not need a rooster to get eggs. You will need a rooster if you want to get hatched eggs, but at least you start, you won't want to.

I have 4 hens. I purchased two of them from a friend and bought another two from a local farm. All are ISA Browns, which are hardy and lay a steady supply of eggs. I didn't raise any of them from chicks. I bought them as pullets (chickens under one year) so I got them when they were almost ready to lay eggs. Most chickens will start to lay around 20 weeks. I've seen prices from $5-15.00 advertised, but would think anything more than $10.00 was too much. Just makes sure you get them from a reputable business or farmer.

The number of eggs you get in a day depends on a number of things, including health and age of the hen and the amount of daylight hours. I don't use a heat lamp or light bulb in the winter, and so I get one or maybe 2 eggs per day, from 4 birds. If you choose to use a lamp, you will get more eggs in the winter. I do use an electric waterer. If you're home enough, you can provide thawed water to them several times in a day, but I can't do that, so the electric waterer works well. Pretty pricey, though. I think mine was $30.00 when I bought it, but worth it to keep the birds alive. The other risk in the winter is frozen eggs. If they're too frozen, they'll burst their shells but that doesn't happen very often. For the most part, my birds lay in the morning, so the eggs are still warm when I get them, but I usually keep the frozen ones to feed to my dog.

In the summer, I get 3-4 eggs per day. Younger chickens and older chickens lay fewer. Eggs get larger as the hens get older.

I let the hens range in the summer, so I don't have to feed them much. I either feed them vegetable scraps or a Layer feed I get at the local farm store, along with some scratch and some crushed oyster shells. You have to provide calcium to keep the shells good. In a pinch, use the shells of the eggs, but they have to be well rinsed and crushed very finely to prevent the chickens from figuring out they can eat their own eggs. If you feed the birds grain in the winter, be sure to also provide grit, which helps them digest the whole grains. Currently, a bag is about $12.00 at TSC and less if you buy in bulk quantities from the feed mill. I buy a few bags throughout the year, but have never kept track closely. I store the food in galvanized trash cans, although a non-working deep freezer works well, too.


For a coop or hen house, you need to provide enough space for the birds..each should have around 2 square feet. They also need something to roost on..a 2x4 with rounded edges works well. Nesting boxes are nice so the hens have a place to lay but I don't use them and the birds have figured out that laying in one corner or another of the hen house works. Make sure the hen house gets some ventilation. I use straw for bedding for mine although you can use wood shavings or paper, or whatever is convenient, but the material should be absorbent, and ideally, easy to compost.

If you have a garden, you'll probably want to fence it in. My chickens decimated my tomatoes the first year. They also like to root around under mulch and can damage flower beds.

The other question I get asked often is how long eggs keep. The answer is much longer than you think. Eggs are laid with a coating on them. As long as the coating isn't removed by washing, you can leave them on the counter for a week or two and they'll likely still be good, but I tend to refrigerate  mine as soon as I can. In the fridge, they'll keep for a minimum of a couple of months. If you ever question whether an egg is good, put it in a pan of water. If it floats, its bad. If one end rises, its old. If it sinks to the bottom, its fresh. Newer eggs are harder to peel, so for making hard boiled eggs, use ones that have been around for a while.

Raw Milk - Lessons Learned

I've been using raw milk for the past couple months and using it for milk products and have learned a few things in the process.
-Don't use the milk the first day. Let it sit a day or so to get the cream to rise and the milk to age a little bit.
- My butter was not very good and tasted bitter. I found that cooking it to about 145F for a few minutes and then letting it sit for an hour or so and its much better..bitterness is gone.
-Yogurt is not as firm for some reason, as it was when I'd make it from pasturized milk, and if you try to drain it for soft cheese, it will be very soft and almost runny. If you leave it in the fridge for a week or so, the cheese sets much better.
-Raw milk doesn't go bad nearly as quickly as I expected and yogurt, cheese and butter all keep for quite a long time..a couple weeks at least.
In general:
-To make butter, have the cream at room temperature for a couple hours. It won't spoil.
-The longer you let the yogurt set in warm water, the tangier it gets. After 6 or 7 hours, its very much like sour cream.

Medical - Helpful Youtube Videos and Links

Firstly, if you haven't already, call the American Red Cross or your local fire department or ambulance service and find out how to take at a minimum, a basic first aid and CPR/AED class. If you've already done that, consider a Medical First Responder, or even a Wilderness First Responder class. In the meantime, here are some websites to review.

Please note that the links below should not be used in place of proper first aid training but can be used to supplement or refresh that training. Also, remember the use of proper Personal Protective Equipment, and that you need to check for pulse, movement and sensation in the limb before and after applying any splinting materials. This is to ensure that you have not inhibited circulation to those areas of the body.

N95 Mask Use:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d_RaKdqeck

How to tell a sprain from a broken bone:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeFlH1pQBuU

Use of a tourniquet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyRDJCAs9Vo

Use of SAM Splint:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPmVTKuSbio

Applying a Shoulder Sling:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJZGuGa8JEY

How to Apply a Pressure Bandage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA-vHanFv1o&feature=fvwrel

First Aid Guides in .pdf
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/FirstAidIndex/FirstAidIndex
http://www.ashinstitute.org/PDFS/ASHI_BasicFirstAid_SG_Sample.pdf

First Aid/Medical Kits

I've been asked several times what items belong in a first aid or medical kit and I've created a few lists. What level of items on the list you choose to get is your decision and should be based mostly on how far you are, or expect to be, from definitive care. Many items in the equipment list require some additional training but in general are not especially invasive. I have not included items like suture kits, IV sets, catheters or anything beyond the most basic air way adjuncts because of the risks associated with using them without proper training. I have also not included prescription medications.

PPE:
Nitrile Gloves
N95 Masks (learn how to fit these properly.)
Safety Glasses

Supplies:
Bandaids, various sizes
Gauze
New Skin Adhesive
Sterile 4x4 pads
Maxipads
Tegaderm
Quickclot Sponges
Medical Tape
Occlusive Dressing
Syringes for flushing wounds
Triangle Bandages
Vet Wrap
Elastic Bandages
Moleskin
Dental Repair Kit
Dental Floss
Safety Pins

Medical Equipment
Thermometer
Tweezers
Scissors
CPR Mask
Tourniquet
Emergency Blanket
SAM Splints
Pen Light
Magnifying Glass
Blood Pressure Cuff
Stethescope
Blood Sugar Test Kit
Ambubag (Comes in Adult/Child/Infant sizes)
Nasopharyngeal Airways (Come in Adult/Child/Infant sizes)
Magill Forceps
Asherman Chest Seal
Crutches
Joint Braces
Pulse Oximeter
AED (Expensive and may require a prescription)

OTC Medications

Aceteminephin
Naproxin
Aspirin
Benedryl, liquid
Glucose/Frosting/Honey packets
Pepcid-AC
Tums
Primatene Mist
Robitussin
Mucinex
Hydrocortisone Cream
Aloe/Burn Cream
Antibiotic Cream
Ambesol
Saline Solutions
Iodine
Peroxide
Rubbing Alcohol
Espom Salt
Diarrhea Medications
Laxatives
Aquaphor

Vitamins/Supplements
Daily Multivitamin
Vitamin D
Niacin
Calcium
Fish Oil

mygrocerydeals.com

Pretty good website. Requires registration but good way to find what's on sale at what stores. Using it, I discovered a smaller local grocery with great sales.

Homemade Coffee Creamer

14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk
1.5 cups of milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

You can make ameretto flavored creamer using almond extract and cinnamon or use maple syrup or other flavors.

Blend well.