Baby Chickens for Sale in Orient, Maine
Baby Chickens for Sale in Orient, Maine
Never Go Hungry Frittata: Backyard Chickens Save the Day
It has been a little over two years since our family grew to include an average of five chickens. Having hens means there is always something to make for dinner. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought there was nothing to eat in the house and was able to pull something delicious together thanks to our eggs. Backyard chickens really do save the day–or at least dinner.
Occasionally I will have dough for a single pie crust (either homemade or store bought) in the freezer and will make a quiche, but I most often make a frittata or tortilla española. Both of those are simply different names (Italian and Spanish, respectively) for the same thing, which is essentially a crust-less quiche. Without the crust it is a little healthier and definitely faster, easier and potentially more affordable (especially if you buy the crust or crust dough.) We also do a lot of scrambles, but a frittata or tortilla just seem a little more “dinner.”
Between baby and work I don’t always make it to the grocery store before the fridge starts looking empty. This week was no exception so I picked a few veggies and herbs from the garden and collected a few more eggs. Zucchini goes particularly well with eggs. :)
I also found a few potatoes and snap peas in the fridge. I don’t have a picture of the frittata fully completed since a little Baby bird started getting cranky, but here it is nearly done:
Never-Go-Hungry Frittata Recipe
This is more of a template than a recipe. Feel free to improvise with the ingredients and make it your own!
Step 1: Pre-cook hard vegetables like potatoes or broccoli (boil, roast, etc.) Please also clean out your fridge of any already cooked leftovers. Oven roasted veggies are awesome, as is any leftover meat. This is a great use of a little meat that would be less than a full serving if eaten alone. (My husband finds it more substantial when I use potatoes.)
Step 2: Sauté aromatics, like onion, in a healthy amount of olive oil or coconut oil (it will also be keeping the egg from sticking) on medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add other veggies and cook until soft. (Options are endless, but try zucchini, mushrooms, garlic, bell pepper, kale and other greens…)
Step 3: Beat eggs with a fork vigorously until light and fluffy. Use at least 2-3 eggs per serving. You want to have enough eggs to cover all the filling that is in the pan. If you need to use more eggs than you will eat that night, do it. Leftover frittata is great. If you run out of eggs and need a little more volume, add in a little milk. Season with salt, pepper and spices and then pour into the pan. Turn the heat down to low.
Step 4: Finish by adding fresh herbs, tomatoes and cheese. (All I had was my truffled goat cheese. Cooking it essentially wasted the truffle salt. Adding any kind of heat takes away the flavor of truffles which is why they should be used only as a finisher. But, hey, I needed the cheese!)
Step 5: There are at least three options for cooking it all the way through:
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook on super low heat until the top appears set.
- If you have an oven proof pan (i.e. the handle is entirely metal and not covered in rubber) you can transfer it to the oven and broil a few minutes to cook the top.
- If you are daring, try the Spanish method. Once the bottom half of the tortilla is cooked, take a large plate and flip the entire tortilla onto the plate and then slide it into the pan so that the other side is now down. Finish cooking until the center is done. (This is heavy and awkward for me personally, so I use one of the first two methods.)
Serve cut into wedges. Goes great with a green salad.
Notes:
If your zucchini grow a little too big, like ours often do, I recommend peeling them and cutting out the seeds at the core. The rest of the flesh will still be good.
Want to know a trick for fluffy eggs I learned in Spain? When I was an exchange student I watched the señora I lived with make tortillas like this: she tipped a bowl so that all the yolks drifted to one side. Then she beat the side with the whites with a fork vigorously until they were completely broken up. Next she incorporated one yolk at a time. Essentially, she beat the whites alone without going to the trouble of officially separating the eggs. I’ve done the same ever since.
Tips for cooking for baby:
Pediatricians recommend avoiding egg whites until baby is one year old. We have given her plenty of egg yolk since around 7 months but we still do not feed her whole eggs. I often reserve the filling just before pouring the eggs in. Potatoes, zucchini and other sauteed veggies make great homemade baby food! In our case this week I wasn’t fast enough. She was getting super tired and the only thing done was the boiled potatoes. Lucky for her she likes baby mashed potatoes….
And here it is:
Baby’s First Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Scrub organic potatoes until clean. Potatoes are a priority to buy (or grow) organic, even if you don’t normally do, since they are sponges for pesticides. Roughly chop and boil in water until they are fork tender. Drain and let cool. Pull off the skin. Mash them in a baby food mill, with a potato ricer, or with a fork. Add a good helping of breast milk until they are smooth and creamy.
Cauliflower is also yummy mashed, either alone or mixed with potatoes.
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Raising Baby Chickens in Orient, Maine
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Orient Maine, including Sussex Chickens, Welsummer Chickens, Turken Chickens and more. Be sure to check out the Bargain Specials, as you can combine different egg layers in smaller amounts and buy as an assortment. Orient Maine also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Orient Maine, bantams for sale, ducks for sale, geese for sale, turkeys for sale, guinea for sale, peafowl for sale, pheasant for sale, chukar partridge for sale, bobwhite for sale, many different breeds of baby chicks for sale in Orient ME.Baby Chicks Facts in Orient, Maine
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Orient Maine catalog is a yearly traditions in many houses. My kids and I eagerly await the Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog. We love looking at all the cool and different chicken breeds available. Catalogs are free so head on over to their site and request one if you are interested.Typically hatcheries online offer both standard breeds
and bantams. Bantams are fun hardy little chickens, they lay tiny eggs
that kids especially love collecting. Bantams typically weigh less than 2
pounds when full grown. Just like ordering anything online there are pros
and cons to ordering baby chicks online. Pros of buying baby chicks in
Orient Maine * Big Selection - If you are wanting a large
variety of different chicken breeds and egg colors, you will find the best
selection at an online hatchery. * Both Bantams and full sized chickens
available * You get to choose what sex you want. If you want a mixture of
both male and female then choosing a "straight run" will save you money
and you will get a mixture of male and female chicks. You can also choose
all males or all females too. * Weekly specials. Hatcheries have sales on
chicks, you are likely to get a good deal if you are flexible with the
breeds you are wanting. Cons of buying baby chicks in Orient
Maine * Order early to get the best selection. Certain breeds sell
out fast, sometimes as early as 6 months in advance of shipping! If you
are wanting a certain breed it's best to order your chicks in the fall
before their orders sell out.
Baby Chicks Breeds in Orient, Maine
Quantity - you must order a certain number of chicks. Typically hatcheries will require you buy a minimum of 25 chicks at a time. The number is necessary for the chicks survival during shipping. All 25 chicks are put in one small box without heat. They are crowded in the box and produce enough body heat to arrive in good shape. * The wait - If you choose to buy chicks from a feed store you will have them the same day but if you choose to go with a hatchery you have to wait until they are ready to ship and then wait for the chicks to arrive. Ordering baby chicks online in Orient Maine is easy and has always been a very pleasant experience of me. It can be a little frustrating waiting for the chicks but it's so worth the wait. When the post office calls and you hear all those little "cheeps" or "chirps" in the background you'll know the wait was worth it! How to Care for your new baby chickens in Orient, Maine Baby chicks are very adorable as well as challenging to stand up to, however it's ideal to plan for their arrival before you get them. Prepare first by collecting not only the appropriate materials, however also the correct expertise to care for them. Raising baby chicks is relatively straightforward, you merely need to offer them with the following: A clean as well as warm and comfortable habitat A lot of food and water Interest as well as love Habitat Your environment could be a simple box, fish tank, pet cat carrier, or guinea porker cage. Line it with old towels and coverings (without loosened strings!) to begin, and also after a couple of weeks use straw over newspaper. Note: Avoid making use of only paper or other slipper surface areas-- or your chicks legs could grow misshapen. You also need something to dish out food as well as water in, such as a chicken feeder and water recipe from the feed store, or a pickle jar lid for food and a family pet bird water dispenser from a pet dog shop. Likewise, as the chicks grow older you can introduce a perch right into the environment to get them educated on setting down. Warmth To maintain your chicks warm you need to give them with a heat resource. This can be as basic as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat light bulb also work extremely well (my recommendation). Chicks need this heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is replaced with feathers (which can take up to two months). The freshly hatched need a temperature level between 90 as well as 100 levels, and each week this can be reduced by approximately 5 levels or so. The heat source ought to be on merely one side of the cage to allow chicks a variety of temperature levels. The chicks are your best thermometer- if they are concealing in the other corner of your warmth lamp, you have to lower the temperature. If they are smothering each various other under the heat (not merely cuddling), you have to put some warmth. House cleaning Cleanliness is crucial and also it keeps your chicks healthy and balanced. Make sure to change the bed linen often and also constantly offer tidy food and also water Food as well as water. Chicks expand really quick which requires a lot of tidy food and water. Supply enough at all times and also check commonly to stop dehydrated as well as starving chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, and also it comes in both medicated and also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the initial two months, then change to a raiser food (~ 17 % healthy protein) for another 2 months, then to a slightly reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed (if you have levels). Soil Some chicks like to get a head start on taking dirt baths, while others won't take up that task up until they are older. If you have the room in your chick room, present a tray of sand or dirt for them to wash in. Interest and love There are a couple of advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First off, they will probably bond with you as well as not escape as grownups. Second, if you analyze your chicks daily and view their actions, you could capture disease or other issues previously. Keep an eye out for hissing, hopping, or various other unhealthy indications. Make certain to also take a look at their poop, as looseness of the bowels could result in matted plumes and also obstructed cloaca. Lastly, it is necessary to watch out for social concerns, such as the smallest chick getting picked on. Empty nest disorder So your chicks are now fully feathered and also its time for them to leave the safety of your residence and also relocate outside into a cage. Look into our part on chicken cages for more information about cages and proper coop environments.Baby Chicks Home Baby Chickens Habitat
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