Feathers and Brine

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Feathers and Brine Homestead on less than a 1/2 acre in Central PA exploring self-sufficiency in a modern world.

Our doggie, Dahlia, hasn't featured much on this page. Dahlia is a 3 year old Beagle and American Foxhound mix. She is a...
21/10/2024

Our doggie, Dahlia, hasn't featured much on this page. Dahlia is a 3 year old Beagle and American Foxhound mix. She is a far cry from what many people might choose as a "livestock guardian." So yeah, we live in the city, on less than a half acre, and we have a teeny raised bed garden in front with a little chicken coop in the back. We don't grow enough to feed ourselves, let alone sell surplus. We can't keep up with egg production because none of us get up early enough for breakfast before our daily work and school obligations. But from the first time this girl met a chick, she pledged to be a chicken protector and has taken her job seriously. Every day, she makes her rounds to be sure the chickens are safe, and if one of them gets free of the run, she's the first to sound the alarm. We think it's funny that a dog whose breeding has nothing to do with birds or herding has such an innate sense of protection over these girls.

I can’t begin to explain why seeing this egg was so impactful to me today, but just know that this first blue egg is a b...
04/08/2024

I can’t begin to explain why seeing this egg was so impactful to me today, but just know that this first blue egg is a beacon after years of heartache. That may sound silly to most, but it is the very thing I needed to see today.

Like many of us in zone 6(a?b? pick a year) I put my plant starts into the garden over Memorial Day weekend. This year, ...
29/05/2024

Like many of us in zone 6(a?b? pick a year) I put my plant starts into the garden over Memorial Day weekend. This year, I took a sort of “kaizen” approach and intentionally split the weeding and planting into a few days, so I wouldn’t wear out and do things half-assed. Still, I got sweaty and wore out my back, which is necessary when doing things right. This year, I bought my first intentional pretty pollinator plant, a bee balm. I admittedly got a little overzealous when transplanting and attempting to break up the roots, and these two stems snapped right off. In earlier years, I would have been swearing and maybe crying at my lack of reverence for the delicate life I was transplanting. This time, though, I thought it could be a great time for an experiment. I got a little excited at the prospect of using my propagation station, despite not knowing if this will be a success.

Last year, I decided to take break. I let my garden be taken over by weeds, I was chicken-less for the first time in 6 years, and I didn’t ferment or can a single thing. (I did freeze some stuff, I’m not a total washout.) The intent in taking a hiatus from these things I love and value so much was to find out what I really and truly wanted in my life, because it was useful and brought me joy. What I also discovered by taking a break was how much “analysis paralysis” was bogging me down. So I learned two very important things about my homesteading style: I must ALWAYS have chickens, and I just can’t sweat the small stuff. Throw the seeds in, take a chance, get a little rough, embrace what follows. Sometimes it’s nice to wonder what parts of your life might grow roots ❤️

Providing chick TLC in my pajamas today.
29/03/2024

Providing chick TLC in my pajamas today.

It’s been ages since I made my own sauerkraut, but last weekend, my husband and I found smoked salts during a visit to L...
17/03/2024

It’s been ages since I made my own sauerkraut, but last weekend, my husband and I found smoked salts during a visit to Lititz, PA and I knew what I had to do. I don’t know if there’s a better way to use up the rest of a head of St. Patty’s Day cabbage. 🥬

A year without chickens in my backyard is a year with a little less joy. It’s official- I’m a chicken mama again ❤️🐥
16/03/2024

A year without chickens in my backyard is a year with a little less joy. It’s official- I’m a chicken mama again ❤️🐥

How long has it been since I’ve fermented something?! Gotta be ages! Getting back to some simple pleasures this year wit...
21/01/2024

How long has it been since I’ve fermented something?! Gotta be ages! Getting back to some simple pleasures this year without overdoing it. Today’s ferment is an effort to reduce food waste. Hoping to have some fizzy tephache in a few days. 🍍🍹

Hot off the hook: a granny square tote bag 🧶
21/01/2024

Hot off the hook: a granny square tote bag 🧶

Most of my crocheting this year involved experimenting with this pattern for Christmas stockings. Good friends of ours g...
17/12/2023

Most of my crocheting this year involved experimenting with this pattern for Christmas stockings. Good friends of ours got married this year, and asked me to make stockings for their beautiful blended family. I was finally able to hand them over yesterday, and received this picture today! Looks like they’re all ready for Santa!

I haven’t been posting much, but I had to share this beautiful ornament that we purchased from our friends at Patchwork ...
03/12/2023

I haven’t been posting much, but I had to share this beautiful ornament that we purchased from our friends at Patchwork Planting to adorn our tree this year. We bought a set of four, and they’re the perfect addition to our eclectic Christmas vibe 🎄🧑‍🎄🎅💐

If you haven’t checked out Patchwork Planting yet, especially if you’re in Pennsylvania, give them a look!

I miss looking out the back door and seeing chickens pecking around the run. The choice not to keep chickens this year w...
02/07/2023

I miss looking out the back door and seeing chickens pecking around the run. The choice not to keep chickens this year was one of necessity, really- I had taken on way more than I could manage in all aspects of my life. My goal is to start a new flock next year, but for now, the backyard is a MESS and every time I look back there, I think, “another day.” Today, Doug and I addressed one small task in the backyard that took us to the chicken run and we found, much to our surprise, FOUR beautiful tomato volunteers growing happily! I won’t be getting any chicken eggs from that space this year, but with any luck, I might get a few yummy tomatoes. Lord knows there’s enough fertilizer!

A selection from my Mother’s Day gift for Father’s Day dinner. The Onion-tended Consequences burger for my onion loving ...
18/06/2023

A selection from my Mother’s Day gift for Father’s Day dinner. The Onion-tended Consequences burger for my onion loving husband.

If I think I’ve had a tough day, it’s nothing compared to the day this little one had. It looks like what started as a r...
08/06/2023

If I think I’ve had a tough day, it’s nothing compared to the day this little one had.

It looks like what started as a renewed homesteading enterprise has resulted in one very cherished pet. Logic dictates that we call it Lucky.

After a day of snuggles and hand feeding (which was super well-received!), Lucky has been set up in freshly cleaned, cushy accommodations under stringent security measures. Good night, new pet. Dammit.

07/06/2023

Got up this morning and thought I’d top off the quail food while I waited for my coffee. I went into the back porch where I keep the brooder, and looked in to find that something had massacred my birds during the night. Out of 34 chicks, one survived. I’m completely crestfallen.

Two hutches available, used one season. Hinged top, removable tray for droppings. Front reinforced with hardware cloth t...
07/06/2023

Two hutches available, used one season. Hinged top, removable tray for droppings. Front reinforced with hardware cloth to protect against predators. $50 or best offer, message for details or barter!

FIVE DAYS. First pip was on Sunday, first round of hatches went to the brooder Monday, second round Wednesday. After mov...
02/06/2023

FIVE DAYS. First pip was on Sunday, first round of hatches went to the brooder Monday, second round Wednesday. After moving the second batch, I noticed something I dreaded. At least two eggs had become shrink wrapped when I opened the incubator to move the second batch.

I opted to help them hatch, knowing there was risk involved. In my view, not helping them meant they were doomed to struggle and die, as there was no way they could break free without help. This evening, all FOUR of my c-section babies went to the brooder, looking good and healthy.

After I moved the last four, satisfied with a great hatch and a job well done by all, I unplugged the incubator and sat down in the living room to do some work. After about 20 minutes, to my utter astonishment, I heard a desperate peep coming from the incubator! Running to investigate, I found another chick, that despite the room temperature and low humidity, hatched AFTER I moved the other chicks. Then I saw ANOTHER egg in progress and a shrink wrapped chick fighting for life. After two more surgeries, I closed the lid and hoped for the best. The chick you see is exhausted but determined to be here.

I’m leaving the incubator on. I can hear some healthy peeps and I’m hoping for the best, but I never expected this hatch rate. In total, we have 38 chicks. Anyone looking to get into quail?

Bowl full o’ babies.
29/05/2023

Bowl full o’ babies.

It’s hatching day! I’ve counted at least 14 since yesterday morning, and I’m seeing plenty of “pips” and a few “zips” to...
29/05/2023

It’s hatching day! I’ve counted at least 14 since yesterday morning, and I’m seeing plenty of “pips” and a few “zips” today. Our last covey fizzled out completely over the winter, so we’re starting fresh this spring with all new birds.

I bought 50 eggs from a reputable farm and set them in the incubator 18 days ago, thinking I’d have plenty of time to prepare their brooder and spruce up the breeding cages. With all the rain we’ve had in the last few weeks, finding the motivation to do outside tasks just didn’t happen. So as always, I’ll be doing all life-sustaining duties at the eleventh hour.

Newly hatched chicks can stay in the incubator for up to 48 hours without food or water because they’re still absorbing the rest of their yolk sac. It’s hard to wait that long before reaching in and scooping up that fluffy cuteness, but opening the incubator can be deadly for chicks that are still hatching, since letting out the humidity can “shrink wrap” the membrane on the inside of the shell. In hindsight, I can see how my excitement and impatience may have caused low hatch rates during earlier hatches. Live and learn.

I will expand more on this in other posts, but I’ve chosen to scale wayyyy back on some of my homesteading efforts this year, with the hopes of building back up in the next few years. I chose to take a hiatus from chickens this year, and it’s been hard to look into the backyard and see the empty coop. It’s been really nice to hear peeps again. 🐣

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Let gardening season begin!

It’s taken FOREVER to gather enough eggs to incubate- guess that means we just need more quail! Here we go again!

You can do it!

It’s here!! I’ve decided to take a leap and raise quail for eggs and meat this year. After doing lots of research, I think the best option for me is to start with fertile eggs rather than live chicks. Plus, part of keeping quail for meat means breeding and hatching- they won’t hatch their own eggs so you have to do it for them. Looks like it’s time to order the eggs!

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