Tag: Raising Chickens

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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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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Farm Fowl: Omnifarious Olive Eggers

~ Carrie

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.

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