The not so easy side of Hobby Farming

Along side of our chickens this year, we got a heard (peck? gaggle?) of Pheasant. They are really cool to watch, as these birds are still very much wild, having not been a farmed bird for long. They coo, chirp, buzz, all sorts of neat noises.

As official caretaker of all the fur and feather babies, I spend lots of time with these guys.

I have been noticing as the weather is warming, the males are getting more aggressive.

Mating season approaches!

We did read they would actually kill each other but had no idea how cruel these animals can be toward each other.

Over the past year, we’ve only lost one to what I’ll call comrade cruelty. It brought me to tears and shifted how I feel about them, allowing myself some distance emotionally. Which, since they are food, is probably a good thing.

This past week, I’ve noticed that we have one dominant male who is chasing the other males. In nature, the weaker males would fly away.

They can’t go far since they are in an enclosure and unfortunately that means they are unsafe.

The little guy pictured above is currently in our “garage hospice” keeping safe from the cats.

The dominant male pheasant has pulled all the feathers from his head and neck and actually attacked his body, pecking through to his back bone. Which you can see in the photo below.

 

This is the hard part of Hobby Farming. (Or farming in general) I have a lot of “I should have separated them” (not like I have any other place for them) going on in my head.

Jim will be home soon, but until he does, I’ve sprayed antibiotic on him and have him in a quiet, and safe space.

This weekend, we’ll be taking down the herd (gaggle, peck…) to only two males and a few females so will not have this happen again.

This has been one of those very hard lessons this year.

Having nearly completed our first entire year as Hobby Farmer’s we’ve sure learned a lot, not all good but not all bad either.

It’s a gift to be pretty self sustainable, it’s hard work, but every meal that goes on the table from our farm feels like it comes straight from God and not from some God-awful factory farm.

For that, I’m grateful.

 

Creamy Egg Frittata

Eggs are amazing. They are versatile unlike any other food I know. You can fry, boil, bake, and fluff an egg. It’s pretty cool. They easily pick up flavors from any seasoning.

Early on in my adulthood, I had a physician tell me to avoid eggs because I had a blood test come back with high cholesterol. Since, at the time, I really disliked them, this was not a problem. I never questioned it, and the bad reputation seems to not have sprouted just from my doctor. I hear time and again from my clients that they shouldn’t eat eggs because of high cholesterol, opting instead for some weird chemical goop in a box. (Yeah, I can see how that’s an improvement…*sarcasm*)

The truth is that all living things make cholesterol. It’s a natural product of your body. If you have high cholesterol, it’s probably not from excess in your diet, but rather because an imbalance in your body creates an inability to properly metabolize it. This all came together for me when I recently read The Metabolic Typing Diet. Not only is cholesterol production and usage unique from person to person, but an imbalance in our bodies’ systems can create a disruption in how our body uses it. 

Even knowing this, I would keep in mind that excess of anything can be unhealthy. I remember a close friend always telling me “Moderation…Tammi, Moderation”.

In celebration of our new collection of eggs, I decided to make something different. 

This recipe takes just a few minutes to put together and is filled with flavor!

Creamy Egg Frittata

6 Eggs
1/2 Cup Chopped Organic Super Greens
1/8 Cup finely chopped celery
1 tbsp organic pasture raised butter
1/2 cube organic cream cheese
Himalayan Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Turmeric
Paprika

In a large nonstick frying pan, melt butter.

Add celery, cook for about two to three minutes. Add cream cheese, stir and break down until nearly runny.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix eggs with greens, sea salt and pepper.

Add egg mixture to skillet. Combine with cheese.

Cover, reduce heat and allow to cook until fully set, about fifteen or twenty minutes.

Just before set, sprinkle turmeric and paprika across the top and cover again.

Remove from heat.

Cut into slices and serve warm.

Serves 4.