Over the last couple of years it has been almost impossible to get chicks or ducklings as it's been an epic couple of years for people wanting to learn to grow their own food and take care of their families. ! I would stop in Tractor Supply, knowing they had just gotten a new shipment of chicks in, only to get there 15 minutes after delivery and they were already gone. It was unprecedented! And forget about trying to buy new feeders or waterers as they were sold out just about everywhere! Even with ordering my chicks online, I couldn't get them until the end of June or early July, when I usually get them delivered mid-May. While I'm amazed and excited to see so many people wanting to move towards a bit of sufficiency, one thing I'm noticing is that people don't know what types of chicks they are wanting. I saw many people in the store getting "straight run" chicks (because they were cheaper) and talking about how they couldn't wait to get fresh eggs. Now, I'm sitting back and watching as people are realizing they have a bunch of roosters and live in areas where they can't keep them and are having to get rid of them. I'm not going to lie when I say that I may have picked some up, finished raising them to the proper size and will be harvesting them for my freezer! Don't be one of those people in the spring and spend money on chickens that you aren't going to be able to keep.
What's the Difference?
What's the Difference?
It's hard to walk past the bins at Tractor Supply or other farm stores and see all the cute little fluff balls and not buy any. My husband knows by now that he can't send me in the spring or fall because I inevitably will come with more saying "But look how cute they are!" or "But I don't have this breed yet!" (I think I've got about 42 hens right now plus we've had around 50 meat chickens, 6 turkeys....they were all CUTE too!)
But what exactly is the difference between "straight run" and "pullet"? It's pretty simple-straight run are sort of an "As is". Whatever the eggs hatch is what you get so will have a mix of future hens and roosters. They typically say you will get roughly half and half but you need to know you could get 100% roosters by doing this. When buying pullets, you are getting all females (with only an occasional male by accident). This is the best way to assure that you will have eggs in a few months, but is also a little bit more costly per chick.
How do I get started buying my chicks?
But what exactly is the difference between "straight run" and "pullet"? It's pretty simple-straight run are sort of an "As is". Whatever the eggs hatch is what you get so will have a mix of future hens and roosters. They typically say you will get roughly half and half but you need to know you could get 100% roosters by doing this. When buying pullets, you are getting all females (with only an occasional male by accident). This is the best way to assure that you will have eggs in a few months, but is also a little bit more costly per chick.
How do I get started buying my chicks?
My best advice on buying chicks is to find your breed you like (I'll write about my favorite breeds in later posts) and decide if you are wanting to harvest some off possibly to put meat in the freezer. If so, go with straight run, this way, you'll end up having eggs on the counter and meat in the freezer. If you know you only want eggs, then you want to go with pullets. This year, out of all of my pullet chicks, I only had one stray rooster make his way in there.
Knowing the difference will save you time, money and possibly your kids heart breaking as they have to give up their beloved chicken because mom or dad didn't know and purchased the wrong thing! Join me at The Inexperienced Homesteader on Facebook to learn more about starting to provide food security for your family, learn from my mistakes and realize that anyone can farm!
Knowing the difference will save you time, money and possibly your kids heart breaking as they have to give up their beloved chicken because mom or dad didn't know and purchased the wrong thing! Join me at The Inexperienced Homesteader on Facebook to learn more about starting to provide food security for your family, learn from my mistakes and realize that anyone can farm!
I can't help but feel a collective exhaustion going around these days.
Whether it's mental exhaustion from the last 2 years, recovering from "the thing" that's been going around the last 2 years, confusion because we are constantly told something different each time we sit down at the computer or turn the TV on.
Maybe it's just exhaustion from having to show up everyday, a smile on our faces, acting like we have our SHIZZ together.
We are pulled in so many directions. Everyone is needing something from us. Everyone is calling our name, needing our attention, often all at the same time.
Activities that once provided support from our peers, like sporting events, social gatherings, even business meetings or lunch dates, seem to be much fewer and far between. People aren't going to church and are opting to watch it on Facebook or Zoom instead of being around germs....I mean people!
I recently had a patient come in who tends to go nowhere but my office for her appointment every other week. She was in all out panic mode because she had a large funeral she had to attend. It was her best friends husband so she didn't feel she could miss it, but having not been around a group of people in almost 2 years had her extremely nervous. We talked about how it would go and how her fear is making it worse than what it will really be. I told her that more than likely once she gets there, she will realize that it's not as uncomfortable as she thinks it will be. She double masked (vaccinated and boostered too) and went. She admitted that it wasn't nearly as bad as she expected and that once she got there, it was nice to see her old friends. Since then she's gone out to dinner, something else she hasn't done in 2 years and is learning how to live her life, slowly but learning. She was so happy and much more relaxed this week when I saw her....that little bit of exposure to people and society was good for her!
This is a major contributor to our exhaustion and overall fatigue. The "circumstances" of the last 2 years have controlled just about every aspect of our lives...and we are just plain TIRED!
Validate your feelings or the feelings of those around you. Know that you aren't alone. There are millions of people feeling the same exact way you are.
Do something kind for someone you know is struggling. Send a card or some flowers. Even simply buying the coffee for the car behind you in a drivethru will make both you and the other person smile. It's safe to assume they are dealing with some tiredness too!
Don't be afraid to ask for help. (I'm not speaking to myself on this one. I don't EVER ask for help! LOL) Individuals who are burnt out are often too tired to think of ways that others can help them but it's important for them to know it's ok to ask for help. If you aren't suffering currently but know someone who is, don't ask them how you can help, because they won't know. Instead, offer to pick up dinner for them or grab a gift card to a local restaurant and throw it in the mail to them. And know your limits! You can do anything but you can't to EVERYTHING!
So, grab some coffee or tea, kick your feet up and go get lost in Gray's Anatomy for a little while! It's ok to spend a little bit of time, not being ok! You aren't alone!!! Just don't stay there. Take your time to be exhausted and burnt out, then work to bring yourself back to the superhero you are! You are amazing! You are capable and you are worthy!!!
I read an article today written by Meghan Markle, Dutchess of Sussex, who suffered a miscarriage in July. In a world where up to 20% of women will suffer at least one, it's ok to talk about your pain and miscarriage. In fact, it's beneficial to talk about it, both to yourself and others. I've always been very vocal and open about mine! Just like Meghan, it was my second child. It was traumatic! It was scary, but somehow we had peace during it. One of the worst parts about that day is that it was Tim's birthday (which he shared with his Abuelita/Grandma). I was in a Catholic hospital and despite blood dripping off of the bed and literally into the hallway, pouring out of my body at high rates, the hospital wouldn't/couldn't do a D&C until they 'found tissue" to confirm I'd actually miscarried. They almost let me die on that bed in the ER that day. Several doctors stopped in thinking there was a major trauma or gunshot victim in my room. Finally, a beautiful Indian female doctor came in, gave me a little "wink" and said "I think we've found tissue. I'm sorry, but you have lost your baby". I know that as soon as they would get me "cleaned out", the cavity would fill up with blood so fast that they couldn't see anything. I KNOW the other doctor was getting frustrated because of not being able to follow protocol because of the way my body was reacting to this loss. And I KNOW this doctor didn't find any fetal tissue. But I also know that she was true to her Hippocratic Oath she'd taken and knew she was doing me harm by not getting me in to surgery.Tim and I cried and held each other for a few moments and suddenly a literal breeze came through the room and we were done crying. Our tears were dried. He looked at me and said "Ok, we keep moving forward". The peace in that moment was truly of Biblical proportions! "The peace that passes understanding!" In that moment, I truly knew what the verse meant. I had such a peace as they wheeled me to the OR to start the D&C. Don't' get me wrong, I was sad and nervous, but I was at peace with the situation.
I had eaten just a few hours before and so they couldn't put me under like they typically do. I heard all the sounds, smelled the smells, saw all the lights and heard the noises from all the machines. It was traumatic, and one that I feel (personally) that if women HAD to experience when they had an abortion, many wouldn't go through with it! Those memories in that room will live with me forever, more so than the pain of my miscarriage.
My body healed despite having a spinal headache that I thought would kill me for the following week. My memories and sadness faded. I've never had issues talking about that day or sharing with other women who are going through something similar. And 22 years later, I find myself hearing of other women's stories, feeling their grief and sadness as they navigate it alone. People didn't ask me if I was ok. Instead some of the comments were quite hurtful, unintentionally, but hurtful none the less. "You'll have another baby". "You got pregnant and carried a baby before. You'll do it again". "I just know that was my granddaughter". "You'll get through it. Thousands of women before you have!" "You're strong". Those aren't the words I needed. I needed to be simply asked "Are you ok?" or "What can I do for you?"
So I'm asking YOU....ARE YOU OK???
Have you had a miscarriage or other loss of a child in the past that you still struggle with? Is it still haunting you, creating painful memories that you are ready to let go of and heal through? I'm here for you! I've got big shoulders and am a good listening ear. ❤️ YOU ARE NOT ALONE! ❤️
Go read Meghan Markles words. Then open up and share your story! It may help someone else who is suffering alone in silence.
