Category: Poultry

Farm Fowl: Cheered By Chocolate (Eggs)

~ Carrie
Respectably reddish-brown in sunlight, but see the same eggs in indoor light below

Winter is tap, tap, tapping at the door – officially, still a couple of days away, but the temperatures here suggest that it has arrived already. As the daylight hours decreased and our layers molted, egg production dropped off. Way off. While I’m sad that the days of bountiful eggs are over for the year, our French Black Copper Marans have resumed laying (apparently not put off by the freezing temperatures) and I think you’ll agree that their eggs are cause for celebration.

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Musings: The Distraction Of Fall Chicks

~ Carrie

My “project” olive egger chicks are a week and a half old now, and ready for some outside adventures. To be clear, this doesn’t mean that they can be outside at night yet – they still need supplemental heat – but with the unseasonably warm weather, they can be in a (secure) tractor during the warmer parts of the day. Recently, they had some “first” experiences – each time, a new world opened up for them…and I was there to share it.

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Reality Check: The Melted Farmer

~ Carrie

As someone who currently lives in a humid subtropical region, I expect some heat and humidity in the summer. I do. But what I don’t expect is days-long stretches of heat and humidity that reach 110F with the heat index and nighttime temperatures in the 80s – heat waves that necessitate “excessive heat warnings” from the weather service that basically advise rational people to stay indoors. How, exactly, does a farmer do that?

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Farm Fowl: Weathering The Heat

~ Carrie

We’ve been suffering the effects of a “heat dome” here for about the past week. Temperatures have been in the 90s during the day (reaching 105F+ with the heat index), and it doesn’t cool off much at night. This makes for dangerously hot weather, for people and animals. We’ve learned some tricks over the years that helps keep our flocks healthy and resilient, and are employing them now.

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In Print: My Newest Article In Mother Earth News

~ Carrie

You may already know that I’ve previously written for Mother Earth News, and that I’ve done a podcast with Mother Earth News & Friends. Right, the links are in the “Publications and Podcasts” menu of our website. My latest piece, on raising roosters as a sustainable meat source and a practical means of managing unexpected cockerels, is in the June/July issue that just hit newsstands (and maybe your mailbox already).

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