Self-taught farmers confidently raising chickens, ducks, geese, and pigs. Our focus is on practices that are environmentally harmonious and respectful to our livestock. We appreciate the beauty around us, clean eating, fermenting, and responsibly utilizing the bounty of the land. If you like thinking for yourself, continuous learning, and connecting with the homesteader lifestyle, check us out.
Our white Chinese goose, Daisy, began laying her first eggs about a month and a half ago. It was especially exciting because they’re the first goose eggs laid here at the farm! Since we have plenty of chicken and duck eggs for eating (and goose eggs are huge), I figured it was time to try my hand at artificially incubating some.
Well, it’s become clear that summer is over and winter is nipping at its heels: we’ve seen frost in the morning. The temperatures at night have gotten down into the low 30’s (from recent 60’s) and daytime temps are only in the mid-40’s to low-50’s. Shorts and flip-flops have been put away for another season and thermal underwear are at the ready! The change in weather means changes around the farm, too, for the health and happiness of the animals.
The precipitous drop in the mercury shortened the timeline to move the Cuckoo Marans pullet group (ten 14 week olds) into the main coop with the rest of the laying flock. We had hoped to wait until they were 16 weeks old, but the girls are nearly the size of the adult hens, with big attitudes to match. Continue reading “Weekly Roundup: Chilly Weather And Several Integrations”
We’ve been considering adding geese to the farm for a while, and have been researching different breeds to find the one that we think will be the best fit. We’re pleased to share that yesterday, we brought three young Chinese geese home.
Why Chinese geese? They’re known to be good guardian animals because they’ll create a racket if they see something that doesn’t belong (this could be a downside if you live close to neighbors), they’re some of the best layers, they can obtain much of their nutrition from eating weeds and pasture greens, and they’re lovely creatures. You know how we like pasturing our animals! Continue reading “New Farm Denizens: White Chinese Geese”