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Castle Duncan Forums > CRAFTWORKS *** DAY to DAY LIFE > AROUND THE CAULDRON
Duncan
This is a short list of what goes on around Castle Duncan.



Research!!!!

Metal work of different types including forge/anvil and fabrication

Weaving and Spinning,

Lace work,

Knitting and crochet,

Different Fibers and Silk preparations,

Tanning hides,

Natural dyes,

Growing our own fibers including wool, silk, cashmere, cotton and several more including spider silk harvesting,

Cheese making,

Soap making the old ways of course, not glycerin,

Dabbling in spirits, {?}

we make our own vinegars, some are also a by product of the spirits,

Making Kefir, Butter Milk, kombucha, Herman, {sour dough starters},

Making our own Leavening Agents,

Baking from our own grains which are milled here,

We have two Gardens one for wild herbs and one for the normal vegetables,

cattle, goats, rabbets, hedge hogs, cats, dogs, etc. etc. and etc.

We teach classes on most if not all of the above, as well as being taught by those we help to learn some of the old ways,

AND

A large Castle being built with all the research and labor that it in-tells which is a story unto it self!

Thecleaver
I could probably ask a billion questions on how you do all of those things, but one part of it sparks an immediate interest. Do you butcher any of the livestock? If so, are there any regulations to that? I'm sure in a commercial operation there are health codes, but for home consumption does anybody check for proper disposal methods or god forbid, diseases and such? Just curious.  :icon22.gif:
I'll definatley be cheesemaking once we are up, but the idea of providing meat is another avenue of research for me. Even if just for special occasions.
Duncan
Right now since we are not in a commercial situation and the meat is used here at home we haven't a need for the inspections.
BUT
we do follow health guidelines even for our selfs with far less occurrences of things going wrong around here it seems after listening to the news about places having problems.

We have a rendering plant not far away and the dog and/or the wild coyotes take care of whats left over which isn't much considering so much that is normally waisted actually can be used for purposes not in common use any longer but are practiced here still.
(you ought to see her brother with a gut strung bow, hes so good its scary!!)

As far as the Cattle go, we are trying to build our heard numbers and right now acquire our beef form other sources like the in-laws who run a good size operation them selfs.

All of our animals are inspected by us and treated at the first sign of any health problems. We don't have Vet's come out often and only when we can't do whats necessary our selfs.
Meg and I are certified for A.I. and Jen is a graduate in bio science with studies in vet. science's.

Right now we have a few too many roosters but a good stock pot will handle that little problem.

When Meg gets into the large scale cheese making we are purchasing a 18 foot wide X 60 foot long single wide trailer and refurbishing its inside to include a commercial kitchen and cold rooms.
It's easier and more economical that way until the castle can be finished.

So go ahead and ask, I'll try to answer the best I can whilst Meg is away.  laughlong.gif
Thecleaver
Thanks for that info. I get a better picture of the place. Here's another: How many chickens are enough for say, the two of you...meaning, a constant supply that won't run out with the adequate time for mating and raising the chicks for the next round?  :icon22.gif:
Duncan
We've got three good layers right now and they average 3 Extra large eggs a day.
Meg would know what kind the breed is but I haven't a clue.  We give a dozen eggs away about once to twice a week.

We have 8 more growing up that will be laying soon and 8 more that are still very young.
Not counting roosters that are intended for the pot.
We always keep a couple of our favorite ones around like our  BIG red attack guard roosters. Eyecrazy.gif
Thecleaver
Hens for the eggs, roosters for the pot. 8 per layer gives you plenty off excess for the two of you. Got it.  Now how many days from hatching to laying, and how much time before they cannot lay eggs anymore? Ratio of males to females? Can you tell by looking at the egg? How many roosters does it take to lay the 8 hens to lay the 3 eggs per day? (Sounds like math class word problems!)
tounge2.gif Sorry for so many questions at once, but I figured they would be easy to answer.  :stupid.gif:
Just trying to ball park the number of roosters and hens I'll need to supply eggs and occasional chicken for the staff and guests.
Duncan
well to confuse things a bit more, we lost several of our hens to a female bald eagle who thought this place was a drive through, and i guess to her it was, swoop.... pick up four at a time and she's gone.
didn't leave a tip though....
OK so thats why we are replacing so many hens.
The roosters were because we didn't buy a straight run of all hens as we have these 16 that are growing up.

Each breed has their own number of days from hatching till laying and the same for laying up till they go into the soup pot. That is if we are lucky to keep them that long.
The same goes for how many eggs they lay depends on the breed types.
We were going to get the Easter egg type that lays multi color red, blue, yellow, eggs but we didn't this time around.

You do not need roosters to get eggs, only if you are going to hatch them, and of course the guard roosters that attack wild dogs, people and my truck.  Eyecrazy.gif

ratio of roosters to females  1 per flock of hens, or none  = per chicken yard.

We have some free range hens that have the guard roosters (2) per the three hens we talked about and will be adding more hens to that flock for the third time.

one chicken yard and hen house that has (1) rooster and one rooster in stand by due to its breed type, these things are huge!!!!! so we are going for hatching these eggs.

and one other hen house and barn yard that is smaller that can be used as an over flow or for isolation or what ever.


rule of thumb..... there are none i know of for this,
check into a breed that will lay the amount of eggs you will need. Some make better fryers (like our huge white ones) then layers.
Thecleaver
Thanks. I'll have to put on my chicken translation hat for all that, but I think I get the jist of it. Sounds like your eagle friend decided to supers size his meal on his way to the drive through. cheeburga.gif Where do find breed types? Farmer's catalog of some sort?
Thecleaver
And what the hell's that emotiacon doing under my avatar? Blowing bubbles? ???
Duncan
Theirs several catalog's that are published for poultry but when you go to buy yours they most often will have the information and books covering everything.



donow having a good time?
Thecleaver
How about incubators for the chicks? Probably not, huh, since it's all done old school. Where do you get the catalogs? Do they have ones for other livestock as well? How about "heirloom" varieties? You know, not genetically crossed?

By the way, I couldn't help but notice your avitar change. Is that your imortal self? Full moon tonight, you know?  :shocked.gif:
Duncan
We use incubators and other modern stuff too. But a small light bulb or a candle is still the best way to see if a egg is fertile.
The chicken catalog I may have one around here some where and if I can find it I'll post the address.

For other live stock?
I'm not sure....we get several items in from being members of the Highland cattle association and I know theres something for the dairy cattle association, but I don't t think these are what your looking for.

we get one for heirloom plants and the chicken catalog has the old variates in it of that I'm sure.

I was a wee bit bored is all, your right it is a full moon, hmmmm.....i ain't say-en gov-nor!
Thecleaver
Cool. I'd like to see a catalog for chickens. Do they wear nightware and sexy pajamas the keep farmers interested in reading them?  :rasp.gif:
Laureen
yeah...its called 'Victoria's Cackle' or Vics Chix for short...these babes have real wings


rasp.gif
Thecleaver
Sorry, I'm more of a thigh man. I like to dress my chix up and get em real hot before I indulge. Sometimes there's even various sauces involved and a vegetable or two. One time I even used my fingers... its kinda messy but you get used to it.  ??? What? you never tried coq au vin?  :dozingoff.gif:
Laureen
Hey, ....can you read and translate medieval cook books per chance?
Duncan
If we can we have.

Have no idea what coq au vin is, and after those posts  :p I'm afraid to ask what it is rasp.gif
Thecleaver
Medeival cookbooks can sometimes be tough. You really have to know the terminology, which i don't. Luckily, many have been translated already. Check out the site called "A Boke of Gode Cookery" Its a site devoted to medeival cooking with several translated books available on line. Not sure if there's a printed version to buy. Interesting stuff, I have to admit. idea3.gif I think with a little bit of familiarization of terms, I could do a rough translation of an English recipe book. Duncan, any chance of adding a topic or two to the crafts forum? One for beer and winemaking and one devoted to cooking?   happy.gif
Whitemanfrtown
It was informative reading this string.
As a note, Cleave, Uncle got-connections has raised chickens and has experience.  He could give additional data on local available types and all that.   :wink2.gif:

I like the "having-eggs" thing.  But i dont want the rooster attacking my tights, ok?
Thecleaver
Uncle got connections comes through again!  :cool:
Galla
So curious, do you have an apiary (or practice the art of beekeeping)? I am working on research now and hope to begin my first hive by late spring '05, granted I won't be working with skeps due to legal restrictions.

I would be very interested in any information to beekeeping in Wales or Italy during the Medieval or Renaissance periods. I appreciate the help! read.gif
Duncan
Meg used to keep bees years ago and we still know a few keepers but we don't our selfs any longer.
We buy our propolis from them as needed.
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