Hippychick's Gardens

Here are the updated available baby chicken pullet girls by breed - most babies are at four weeks old.  i was able to pick up a few welsummers, ameraucanas and marans last minute - they are at two weeks of age.

i will not release the girls until they are at least five to seven weeks of age.  this ensures that they are indeed girlygirls and that they have made it through their largest growth spirt in good health.

if you are interested in reserving one of the girls - contact me at hippychickenfarmer@gmail.com.  a deposit may be required.

* speckled sussex - developed in the county of sussex in the early 19th century. layer of creamy to light brown eggs - 5 babies ( 2 claimed - 3 available)

* dominique - developed in new england in early 19th century. not distinguished from the barred rock until apa standards were developed. most modern dominques may be traced to stock developed by a. q. carter after 1900. layer of brown eggs. - 3 babies   (2 claimed - 1 available)

* appenzeller spitzhauben - developed in switzerland centuries ago. layer of white eggs. - 5 babies   ( 1 claimed - 4 available)

* golden laced wyandotte - developed in new york state and wisconsin in the late 19th century. layer of light to rich brown eggs.- 2 babies   ( 2 claimed - 0 available)

* barred plymouth rock - developed in america in the middle of the 19th century and was first exhibited as a breed in 1869. layer of brown eggs - 3 babies   ( 0 claimed - 3 available)

*ameraucanas - south american breed. layer of blue green and tinted eggs. - 3 babies   ( 3 claimed - 0 available)

* cuckoo maran - developed in france in the early 20th century. layer of dark chocolate brown eggs. - 3 babies  ( 1 claimed - 2 available)

* welsummer - developed in holland in the 20th century. layer of terracotta colored eggs. - 3 babies   ( 1 claimed - 2 available)

and a few who are not rare or heritage in breed but are great egg laying birds to add to your flock

* black sex link - is the result of crossing two purebred standard breeds; the rhode island red rooster and the barred rock hen. - 3 babies   ( 0 claimed - 3 available)

well it's that time - central texas july - a.k.a. too freakin' hot and dry for the maters to keep at it without getting whipped by the spider mites - time. which means the fresh matermater train is just about to leave the hippychick station with a hopeful fall return.

i spent a short bit of time this evening topping the plants off to a little over 18" in height. i will keep them in their place in the garden and if all goes well, they might just throw out more shoots for a fall round of maters. there is the chance that they'll die off hot as it's been - we will cross that bridge when we get there. i discarded the trimmings and pulled a good bit of the bamboo mater support system up and out.

i have one last clump of maters still going. looks to me like they might go for another week or two - not quite sure. these are the yellow pear maters - prolific, tre' yumme' and tougher than most. i understand they are pretty darn good at reseeding themselves too so i've not made huge efforts to pick up every little mater i happen to drop when harvesting. it would be nice to see the little sprouts come up their own. fingers crossed.

the hotty hot hot garden growing goods now include

• cow peas - a.k.a. black-eyed peas - white and yellow
• christmas lima beans
• red long beans
• okra
• green peppers - small fruits this year
• eggplant - they are battling critters too but holding on
• sweet potato
• muskmelon - slow to fruit but growing steady
  
• watermelon - slow to fruit but growing steady
• cucumbers - i will be pulling up the early crop in the next few days
  
• chard - struggling a bit but holding on
• malabar spinach - hot weather climbing
  
• amaranth
• basil - four types
• mint
• oregano
• rosemary
• sage
  
• sorrel - rockstar plants grow in all conditions
  
• bunching onions
• cardoon
• artichoke - did not fruit this year
• asparagus - beautiful fronds time - maybe a fall/winter harvest
• lemon - great crop this year
• limes - ditto!
• zucchini - fingers crossed i get a few before the vine borers discover their tasty bits
  
• papaya - growing steady - we'll seeeeeee
  

the peaches and apples are done. the squirrels took the best of the fruit harvest this year - not a single apple for me - they beat me to each and every one. i hope they were yummy. i guess i can assume they were since they left none for me - poo.

hippychick's super-d-lovely organic fed chickeny eggs!
the chickenchicas at hippychick's gardens provide beautiful fresh eggs daily.

*i feed the ladies coyote creek organic feed. they also enjoy organically grown greens, tomatoes and the occasional melon from the garden, along with any goodies they can scratch up with their own two chickeny feets.

-- $3.50 pullet dozen (white, brown, bluegreen)
-- $4.00 large dozen (brown, white)
-- $4.25 extra large dozen (white, brown) -- these babies are big!

now that it's hot hot hot - i begin thinking about meals that keep you cool cool cool.

one of my ole' stand by summer meals includes a good herbed or honey sweetened cheese with whole grain crackers, sliced veggies, an iced chilled glass of tea and melon slices to finish.

not too heavy - fills ya up - makes great use of fresh out of the garden veggies and requires not the use of an oven.

so i pulled out several pints of the recent homemade yogurt - wrapped it up in multiple layers of cheese cloth (which in fact appears to be more a guaze than a cloth these days) tied the top. i then set the bundled future cheese out suspended over a dripping pot. soon enough, another batch of yogurt cheese at the ready for nummy nummy eating.

for now she's
- dripping dripping dripping the weigh away

note - you can easily use store bought yogurt.

also - i save the weigh and use it for baking bread, pancakes, bisquits and sometimes i just drink it - it's good for you. don't drink it if you don't like tart - it will turn ya. the chickenychicas would probably love it too!

upon today's travel home i pondered

how could i put this heat to work for me? if you can't beat them join them right?

and the first thought that came to mind was bread! bread rises in no time when it's warm out - so i surmised that this would indeed be a perfect day to make bread. i had recently, as early as this morning, been thinking about breaking down in the bread universe which would have lead to a stop to the fancypants grocer to pick up fancypants bread rolls. nope nope nope - i'm not going to do that - that's $4.oo that i could easily save or spend elsewhere on more useful items.

note i have begun to think about money in terms of "dozens of eggs". my question goes something like this - is this $12.oo item actually worth three dozen organically raised eggs from my own home flock?

i then ponder the possibility of my bartering three dozen eggs for that same item. if, in my mind, i say "no way!" would i barter three dozen of my organically raised eggs then i decide not to make the purchase. is this a sign that i am now traveling the proper path to farmdom or is this the way i should have been thinking long ago. either way it's where i am at now. better later than never ah?

this current pondering makes the occasional starbucks coffee a tough purchase to justify. in fact sometimes i close my eyes, order the coffee and pretend it's ok when i know inside that it's not. especially when i am not on the road, especially when i know that i already make my own coffee at home for a fraction of the cost. i think...

"self, it's time to plan better" maybe you ought to keep a small storage of iced coffee at the office so that when the urge hits for a little extra go, i am able to indulge without guilt.

and so i will - bring my own iced coffee storage to the university work place.

back to the bread. i love a good bread roll. on most bread baking days i bake in loaf form. then, and it is always the same, i eat too much bread - just one more slice - ah just one more slice - naw naw that is not going to happen this time. for some unknown reason i have greater portion control when it comes to bread rolls. one roll and i'm a happy camper. i guess to my brain, eating a bread roll is like eating my own personal bread loaf - the synapses trigger a variation that i cannot explain. either way, it works, so today i choose to work in the roll version.

i decided to keep it simple - half wheat- half white with an egg washed toasted sesame seed top. they look yummy don't they? and the heat part - well it took just about 30 minutes for the rise, possibly less. i must admit that i was a slight bit pre-occupied with the prepping of a few more quarts of homegrown mater sauce.

i am feeling very domestic today. there are fresh cleaned clothes on the line, bread in the oven and sauce sealing away in the hot water bath. this is a good day.

so you might be wondering what the future for the bread rolls looks like? it looks like this.

fresh sliced maters and cucumbers
feta and/or fresh mozz and/or fresh farmers cheese
homegrown homemade pesto

or

fresh basil leaves
fresh slice maters
drizzle of olive oil
sprinkle of black peper

or

ab&j - love the almond butter and jelly option

or

butter
fresh rolls are always great with butter
and there you have it!

if you can't beat the heat, use it.

stay tuned for the first use of the solar oven. a bit of time may soon be showing it's face so that i can give the solar oven a proper first go.

the sauce report - 2 full quarts put up and ready for storage - not bad!

total quarts of sauce put up this current season - 9 (so far that is!)

the pullets are moving quickly.  it's great to see so many folk adding these rare and heritage breeds to their flocks or starting new flocks for the very first time.  every baby step towards sustainability counts.  thank you all for making efforts to preserve rare breed chickens. give us a holler if interested. 

i will keep the below blog listing of the various types and numbers available updated daily.  it has been my pleasure to meet so many fine feathered friend loving folk.

cheers!

hippychickenfarmer michelle

hippychick's victory chickens - all birds raised on coyote creek organic chicken feed

 the pullets are moving quickly. it's great to see so many folk adding these rare and heritage breeds to their flocks or starting new flocks for the very first time. every baby step towards sustainability counts. thank you all for making efforts to preserve rare breed chickens. give us a holler if interested.

fourteen week dark cornish hens and roosters - $20 single bird - claim your pairs or single birds now
- i raise the dark cornish as a meat and egg laying breed. they are a great bird, smaller in size, beautiful, energetic, lovely personalities and are known to be fantastic parents.

 limited numbers available - claim your babies now

eleven week old organically fed rare and heritage breed pullets - $15 pullet
* lakenvelder - developed in germany in early 19th century. layer of white to lightly tinted eggs. (all sold)
* welsummer - developed in holland in the 20th century. layer of terracotta colored eggs. (all sold)
* blue wyandotte - developed in new york state and wisconsin in the late 19th century. layer of light to rich brown eggs. (all sold)
* easter eggers - south american breed. layer of blue green and tinted eggs.(all sold)
* cuckoo maran - developed in france in the early 20th century. layer of dark chocolate brown eggs. (all sold)

please email your breed preference to hippychickenfarmer@gmail.com all sales cash only

cheers for local organic fed chickeny egg sellers!

the chickenchicas at hippychick's gardens provide beautiful fresh eggs daily.

*i feed the ladies coyote creek organic feed. they also enjoy organically grown greens, tomatoes and the occasional melon from the garden, along with any goodies they can scratch up with their own two chickeny feets.

-- $3.50 pullet dozen (white, brown, bluegreen)
-- $4.00 large dozen (brown)
-- $4.25 extra large dozen (white, brown) -- these babies are big!

i sell by the half dozen too! simply cut the price by half.

email me @ hippychickenfarmer@gmail.com
all sales cash only

it's that time

• the heat is hitting hard
• there is no rain in site
• the ground is dry dry dry
• and the garden droops even before the noon hour - looking like heat stroke to me
  

time to pull out the back up - time for the early morning or later evening garden sprinkler spa therapy. this is not something i like to do regularly but when the green growing babies need a big slow drink i give in. i do keep in mind the following habits not to practice as they both lead to water waste which not a single one us can afford these days.

• windy days don't work - it all dries up before it can penetrate the ground
• middle of the day won't work - ditto double ditto waste waste waste

another quick way to hit a few plants in these hot days is to always re-use the dirty - going to be dumped before i refresh - chicken water. in fact, i always use the older chicken water for the garden plants and trees - waste not want not right? truth is i cannot see why you would not use the water for a second purpose - it's good stuff. if you're not re-using your waste water you might want to consider starting. keep in mind that if you use toxic and/or damaging bits in the water, it's best to send it down the drain but if you are like me, you are making choices about the soaps and cleaners you use.

i stick by my dr. bronner's. it is bio-degradable. it does not contain salt which is bad for plants and dries out the soil. most of all it gets the job done. and if you wanted to add one more plus there are some great naturally scented variations of the stuff. do us all a favor and find a way to re-use your water. once you make it part of your daily practice - you might wonder what ever kept you from doing so.

back to the sprinklers -

the tricky part is watering around the bees. i have to position the sprinkler just right. i don't want it to spray directly into the front or back openings. nor do i want for it to land to heavily around their primary flight paths. in the case of the bee, the early morning and/or later evening watering time slots are best as those are the times when the bees prove less active.

back to saving water - things you might consider for conservation

• rain barrels or a large size rainwater harvesting system
• you can also use garbage cans, large buckets and pails, any old thing that might collect a bit and save a bit of rainwater for later use - when rain hits my area, you'll find me running outside to place each and every one of my galvanized tubs under a spout or a good drippy rain collecting spot.

• composting toilet - i'll be looking into these once i pay off bills a bit further
• a large bowl or bin that fits in your sink to collect used washing liquid - i keep a cheap plastic rectangular bin for the job myself
• timers for your hoses - in case you forget and/or for ease and control - it's no good leaving the sprinklers on alllll day - in fact that's bad, very bad
• fix your dripping pipes and faucets - you'll save more water than you can imagine with this one smooth move
• water only the plants that really need it - i have sprinklers where i can control their range of motion. i target the areas i want to hit and let the others fend for themselves.
• watch the weather - there is no need to water if rain is coming
• set up your garden with slow drip irrigation and/or soaker hoses. i use soaker hoses and keep them buried just under the soil and mulch layer.
  

i am sure there are even more ways to save but these are a start. plan now and you'll be ready for the big heat. one thing i wish for you all - is that you do not have to endure the heat we here do.

interested?  *come on by or give me a holler to arrange a possible delivery or mutual meeting place. * hippychickenfarmer@gmail.com

these young girls are nearing nine weeks of age. they have been happily raised on coyote creek organic feed. if you are interested in raising your own chickens then give us a call. prices will vary with breed.

 

 

here are the breeds available -

* cuckoo maran - developed in france in the early 20th century. layer of dark chocolate brown eggs.

* golden lakenvelders - developed in germany in early 19th century. golden lakenvelders are not standard. layer of white to lightly tinted eggs.

* welsummer - developed in holland in the 20th century. layer of terracotta colored eggs. * blue wyandotte - developed in new york state and wisconsin in the late 19th century. layer of light to rich brown eggs.

* easter eggers - south american breed. layer of blue green and tinted eggs.

also available - dark cornish juvenile hens and roosters

the eats for the parteeee May 24, 2009

- meats - slow roasted ancho ginger seasoned brisket, grilled chicken, grilled elgin sausage

- roasted veggies - corn, squash, onion, chard, maters

- salads -cucumber & strawberry salad, potato salad

- sides -chips, salsa, sour cremes, tortillas

- yummies - pie - apple, peach, cherry

 - beverages - YOU BRING THEM!

come join us for a casual sunday gathering at the hippychick homestead.

sunday may 24
4pm - 7pm

there will be light eats, friends, creature visits, garden walk abouts and nice places for some slow sittin' and chattin'.

you will meet folk from austintown, bastroptown and areas near by. we'll be celebrating the beauty of the season, graduation for ut austin theatre and dance folk, friends for friends sake and those who just want a peek around the place.

* no pets please - just small, medium or larger sized humans *

you can find hippychick gardens @ 906 spring street bastrop texas 78602

www.hippychicksgarden.blogspot.com

good news!

the bees are here
yes houston the bees have touched down in the hippychick universe
and all is well
here is a first look
there are two hives
both located in the outback garden in and amoungst the berry sticks, fruit trees of all sorts, sunflowers, artichokes, herbs and comfrey.

this is hive one about 3o minutes after the bees have been hived. they are coming and going and some are flying all about but a distinct system of comers and goers seems to be in action.

to the left of hive one - blackberries and strawberries
to the right of hive one - a plum tree, a rosemary bush and volunteer squashes
behind the hive - blackberries, raspberries, lavender and sunflowers
this is hive two.
you can see the transport cage in front of the hive. i'll leave it out overnight. most of the bees have exited the transport cage. they may be sopping up every last bit of sugar syryp still present. bees are not wasteful. they will take advantage of every resource they come upon.

to the left of hive two - artichoke, mint and kale
to the right of hive two - an apple tree, a pear tree, a peach tree, comfrey and blueberries
behind hive two - an apricot tree, sunflowers, more comfrey and volunteer squash
here you can see the bees at work
boy i'm excited to see how having these babies around effects the garden
and the honey, oh the honey

that's really something i should save thinking about for later
for now i have got to keep my fingers crossed and hope both hives accept and love their queen.
long live the queen!

interested in seeing the bees in real time?
stop by hippychickenfarmer @ youtube
i have posted a short hippychick bee movie