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)”Tag: French Black Copper Marans
Now Hatching: Almost-Fall Chicks
Just because goose laying season ends doesn’t mean hatching season is over. The chickens are still laying, and the incubators are languishing…so why not set some eggs? With at least a couple of months of mild (or even warm) temperatures, it’s a great time to raise littles in time to lay their first eggs next spring!
Continue reading “Now Hatching: Almost-Fall Chicks”Post-Hatch Recap: First Chicks of 2022
The first hatch of the year is over. The hatchers have been cleaned and disinfected and the chicks are warm and safe in their brooders. Join us for a quick look back on how the hatch went!
Continue reading “Post-Hatch Recap: First Chicks of 2022”In The Incubator: First Hatch of 2022
On Christmas Day, I filled an incubator with eggs from our flock: dark brown eggs from our Black Copper Marans and blue eggs from our Easter Eggers (hatching Olive Eggers). It’s been a couple of weeks now, so our first hatch of the year is just around the corner!
Continue reading “In The Incubator: First Hatch of 2022”Farm Fowl: Omnifarious Olive Eggers
Having raised both purebred and mixed breed poultry, I’ve seen the benefits of genetic diversity, such as heterosis (also known as “hybrid vigor”). When we crossed Easter Eggers that laid blue-green eggs with French Black Copper Marans roosters, we expected that the pullets would eventually lay olive eggs…and they did. And these girls turned out be some of the nicest birds we’ve raised to date.
Continue reading “Farm Fowl: Omnifarious Olive Eggers”Farm Fresh: Eggs In Oyster Sauce Rice Bowl
As is expected at this time of year, egglaying has slowed in our flock. I don’t begrudge the girls their break from this resource-intensive task, and I don’t artificially light their areas to encourage them to resume laying. All things in their time. The eggs we do collect, though, are still lovely and delicious, and they make a tasty one bowl meal!
Continue reading “Farm Fresh: Eggs In Oyster Sauce Rice Bowl”