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The hatch is over and there are fluffballs in the brooder. It’s been a few days, and the chicks are growing fast – some have even gone to new homes already. Let’s look back at how this hatch went and visit with one chick who needed a little extra help.
Continue reading “Post-Hatch Recap: Lavender Ameraucana #1 – And Chilly’s Story”
If you’ve been waiting to hear about how the first Lavender Ameraucana hatch of the season is going, thank you for your patience. Where does the time go?? Read on to find out how this set, now two-thirds of the way to hatch, is doing!
Continue reading “Hatch Update: Lavender Ameraucana #1 (2023)”It’s technically not spring yet, but the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the chickens are laying. The trickle of eggs from winter has grown into a steady stream and – always exciting – our second generation Lavender Ameraucana pullets have laid their first eggs!
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.
Continue reading “Farm Fowl: Cheered By Chocolate (Eggs)”
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.
Continue reading “Farm Fowl: Weathering The Heat”
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).
Continue reading “In Print: My Newest Article In Mother Earth News”