Curious about something? These are actual questions I get through comments and site searches. Some can be pretty strange. If you have a question or an answer just send it through the comment section of the Questions and Answers for Simple Living page or any post page.

Critter Queries

Q. How old are chickens when they go broody?

Q. Can I keep chickens in the garden?

Q. How long should my runner duck sit on her eggs?

Q. How old are Indian Runner ducks when they lay eggs?

Home and Health

Q. Can i put straight apple cider vinegar (ACV) in my ear?

Q. Can I leave ACV in my hair?

Q. Do the voices in my head bother you?

Learn and help us and others learn about homesteading, farming, gardening, critters and living the simple life. Post your question or answer today.

These are actual questions I get through comments and site searches. Some can be pretty strange. If you have a question or an answer to a question just send it through the comment section of this page.

Critter Queries

Dogs & Cats

Q. How can I grow my own cat grass?

A. Easy Peasy. Grow your own wheat grass.

Chickens

Q. How old are chickens when they go broody?

A. If she can lay ‘em she can hatch ‘em. I’ve had 2 hens go broody. They were both about a year old. Many breeds of chicken have had the instinct to go broody bred out of them so they’ll produce more eggs. Just one of the negative impacts of chicken factory “farming”.

Q. Can I keep chickens in the garden?

A. Well, that depends. During growing season we keep them out cause chickens can cause harm in a garden pretty quick. They will scratch around delicate roots, eat tomatoes, scatter mulch and trample down plants.

But during the off seasons we let em have it. They will cultivate and fertilize the garden spot. When we dig for planting they love to follow behind and gobble up delicacies like grub worms and beetles that have been hiding underground. In the process they help break up the soil.

Q. Is it ok to feed chickens Nutritional Yeast?

A.

Ducks

Q. How long should my runner duck sit on her eggs?

A. Duck eggs take about 28 days to incubate.

Q. How old are Indian Runner ducks when they lay eggs?

A. When ever she decides to… but she should start laying eggs between 4 – 6months.

Q. Are all Indian Runner ducks the same color when they are babys?

A. Five of our eggs hatched. We had 1 white, 1 black and 3 grey(blue). I understand that some females have the gene to produce offspring of all colors. Our Bonnie apparently has that gene. The ducklings are 2 months old now and their color has not changed in any drastic ways.

Home and Health

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

Q. Can i put straight apple cider vinegar (ACV) in my ear?

A. Yes, It’s great for getting soap residue out of your ear. Using ACV in the ear has shown to help an earache. Though it is just as effective to mix 1/2 ACV and 1/2 water.

Q. Can I leave ACV in my hair?

A. Why not? It’s a great conditioner. The Ph level of ACV is very close to your hairs’ Ph level.

Q. Will vinegar take perm smell out of hair?

A.

Sugar

Q. Can you use raw sugar or honey instead of white sugar when
making (canning) jellies and preserves?

A. I use raw sugar just as I would use white sugar.

Honey can be used to replace sugar when canning jams, jellies, preserves, chutney’s, fruit, etc. To use honey in place of sugar in canning, use 7/8 cup for every cup of sugar, and don’t change the other liquids.

In baking some folks use honey cup for cup, others prefer 1/2 cup – 2/3 cup of honey per cup of white sugar. Also in baking, reduce the amount of other liquids by 1/4 cup for every cup of honey used and lower the oven temp by 25 degrees to prevent over-browning.

Q. Is raw sugar low glycemic?

A. No.

Q. Is raw sugar as bad as white sugar?

A. I like how jugalbandi.info describes raw sugar as “minimally processed, granulated cane sugar that has not been tortured or molested in unmentionable ways unlike it’s white counterpart. Has a richer flavor and more nutrients.” They have a well written and very informative article on the subject of sugars. Check it out.

Slowly, Put the Chicken Down & Step Away from the Keyboard!

Q. Do the voices in my head bother you?

A. Umm, why don’t you sit down and have a nice cup of Chamomile Tea.

Q. Why does your nose RUN and your feet SMELL?

A. Uh, anybody? I guess maybe I’ve been cleaning out the hen house?

It’s been a while since I posted a favorite simple recipe. This is for my favorite salad dressing. It only takes minutes to make. It’s so good that when my salad is gone I turn the bowl up and drink any dressing left in bowl! Our dog Opie even likes it! This dressing is also great for slaw and as a marinade for meats.

Homemade Honey Vinegar Dressing

In a bowl or dressing bottle mix together:

Equal amounts of(I use 1/4 cup or 1/3cup for the 2 of us. It usually last for a couple of meals.)

• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Honey
• Oil
• Water

1/2 teaspoon Lemon Juice

1 clove minced Garlic

1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

Dash of Ground Black Pepper

Stir it to dissolve honey. Shake or stir before using.

I have one of those Good Seasons salad dressing bottles. I have also used a glass measuring cup with a pour spout. You can also reuse / recycle those glass bottles that store bought dressings come in.

I’ve been using the “no poo” method since last August. I did not taper off the shampoo. I went straight to baking soda & ACV. I have not used shampoo since then.

My method is to put a few tablespoons of baking soda in a plastic drinking cup. I wet my hair under the shower, hold the cup with the baking soda under the shower, fill 1/2 way, stir with finger and then fill the cup the rest of the way to full. This way it is nice and warm. I then pour it on my hair and continue with the rest of my shower.

At the end, I rinse my hair with water and then rinse it with a ACV/water mix rinse. I leave the ACV in my hair. The vinegar smell will dissipate.

My reasons for using the no poo?

• It’s simple and inexpensive. Simple ingredients that have so many other uses around the house.
• There’s no shampoo bottle to recycle. The baking soda box can be recycled and would have less impact on the environment if it wasn’t recycled.
• My opinion about shampoo is that it strips the natural oils from your hair. The scalp then works overtime to replace the oils and overcompensates. So the next day your hair is oily and guess what? You need to shampoo your hair again! Do you know which 3 words doubled the sales for the shampoo manufacturers? *Rinse*and*Repeat*.

I am very happy with my hair. I have found that I can use baking soda one day and just plain water the next day. Some days I don’t use anything. I have short hair and this works very well for me. I even use it for our dogs.

The ACV rinse is also great for the rest of your body. I make sure to include my ears when I rinse my hair. But I use it all over, if you get my meaning.

The only problem I have with baking soda is that it is mined and processed. It’s not something that I can grow or dig out of the ground where I live. But it is something I use for other things like cooking and cleaning every day. Though I am looking for alternatives. Perhaps growing Soapwort…

No Poo For Pets

Pickles Fermenting in Crock

Basement

07/22/08

Leave for 2 Weeks

08/05/08

Then Can

This is the note I wrote to myself & placed on the refrigerator. Yesterday I canned them. Fermenting makes a milder, tastier pickle than just canning with water,vinegar & spices.

Here’s how you do it [Read more →]