Accomplishments of the Day

There was a lot I wanted to accomplish today and I didn't do too badly. I didn't get the crackers I wanted made and I didn't get the fish tank cleaned but I got most everything else done.
I started by making waffles this morning for breakfast and so that I could have some to freeze for Michelle to eat for breakfast during the week.

 

I then got one of my home raised chickens into the crock pot; added some soy sauce, garlic powder and a bit of pepper (I added a few herbs later). It is done now and we are about to eat. It smells SO GOOD! (picture is before cooking).

After that I got out the other crock pot, added the milk, dry milk and sugar for yogurt and got it to heating. There is a blog post here on how I make yogurt. I think it is on the Preservation page but it might be in Recipes. 

I then got out to the pens, gave everyone a quick feed and proceeded to butcher quail. I took six of the males out of the big brooder as they have reached maturity now. I cut the heads off and took them inside in a pail for plucking and eviscerating.  I always dry pluck my quail. Sometimes the skin tears a little but it is a lot less mess than having to scald them and usually they pluck easily.

After these were in their ice water soaking, I started on the brooders. The baby quail have already been moved out of the brooder with the ducks, either the ducks were squishing them or it was just too wet and I was losing quail so they now have a small brooder in the closet of their own. The three big chicks went out to the outside brooder and the chicks and ducks inside had to be separated. A week or so in with the ducks is about as long as I want to leave them as the ducks have started to really wet the brooder. Anyway, both inside brooders had to be completely cleaned out and the babies reorganized.
Everyone in their nice clean brooders again.

I then went on to make Ranch dressing and pasta salad but I will save that for a new post.