Some dissapointments and successes
I am on a big learning curve about breeding poultry. We successfully hatched 13 out of 17 turkey eggs in an incubator. When we moved them to their heated box two of them died within the first few hours. One of them had never looked really well but the other one looked fine. So we are down to eleven as you can see from the picture they look OK and hopefully they will all grow up now.
I also had a chicken sitting on a dozen eggs and was optimistic that I would get a dozen chickens. Right on schedule on monday morning I noticed she had one little black chicken. The next day she abandoned the nest with ten eggs still unhatched. So we only got two chickens. Both little black ones.
There was another broody hen so I decided to set her on some eggs as well. As Peter is busy building I have been trying to do all the poultry management. So I made a nice nest area with a dozen eggs and went to get my chook. She made a bit of a fuss but not too much and I was gently carrying her into her nest when Rocky the rooster flew at me. He has always been a friendly fellow so I was completely suprised, shocked, scared and dropped my poor chook. Later on I shut Rocky in another pen and moved her again but the damage was done and she didnt settle. Now it is too late to set another hen before we go on holidays at the end of the month. The worst things is that Rocky hates me now and stares at me balefully each time I go near the chookpen.
Feeling a little downhearted about all of this I decided to make a cake. We have an abundance of lemons and eggs. So of course a Lemon Syrup Cake was in order. I dont really bake a lot anymore unless we have vistors and had forgotten just how good this is.
Zest and Juice two large lemons.
Pulse zest with 150g of caster sugar in a food processor.
Add 250 g unsalted butter
4 large eggs, i used turkey eggs
250 g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
Mix until smooth.
Bake about an hour at 160 in a fan forced oven in a tin lined with baking papar.
When cooked poke some holes in it with a wooden skewer and pour over syrup made from half a cup of caster sugar and the juice from the lemons boiloed together. allow to cool for half an hour and serve with thick greek yoghurt.
I also had a chicken sitting on a dozen eggs and was optimistic that I would get a dozen chickens. Right on schedule on monday morning I noticed she had one little black chicken. The next day she abandoned the nest with ten eggs still unhatched. So we only got two chickens. Both little black ones.
There was another broody hen so I decided to set her on some eggs as well. As Peter is busy building I have been trying to do all the poultry management. So I made a nice nest area with a dozen eggs and went to get my chook. She made a bit of a fuss but not too much and I was gently carrying her into her nest when Rocky the rooster flew at me. He has always been a friendly fellow so I was completely suprised, shocked, scared and dropped my poor chook. Later on I shut Rocky in another pen and moved her again but the damage was done and she didnt settle. Now it is too late to set another hen before we go on holidays at the end of the month. The worst things is that Rocky hates me now and stares at me balefully each time I go near the chookpen.
Feeling a little downhearted about all of this I decided to make a cake. We have an abundance of lemons and eggs. So of course a Lemon Syrup Cake was in order. I dont really bake a lot anymore unless we have vistors and had forgotten just how good this is.
Zest and Juice two large lemons.
Pulse zest with 150g of caster sugar in a food processor.
Add 250 g unsalted butter
4 large eggs, i used turkey eggs
250 g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
Mix until smooth.
Bake about an hour at 160 in a fan forced oven in a tin lined with baking papar.
When cooked poke some holes in it with a wooden skewer and pour over syrup made from half a cup of caster sugar and the juice from the lemons boiloed together. allow to cool for half an hour and serve with thick greek yoghurt.
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