It’s been….forever? since we had fresh eggs on the farm, and we are elated to have a new flock of hennies generously bestowing us with around a dozen per day again!
We feed soy-free, non-GMO organic feed from New Country Organics. Our birds forage on grass year-round with a rooster and our livestock guardian dog, Opal for protection. Eggs are available here at the farm and through Farm To You for $6.00 per dozen.
Last summer we hobbled together a rag-tag bunch of laying hens, amid an unusual scramble {swidt?} for backyard birds. One of the many COVID silver linings – lots more people with the time and desire to raise their own food! We are thankful for the many blessings of 2020, even if it meant we didn’t get out first choice in birds.
We got about 24 day-old chicks {all pullets} from Tractor Supply in July and then another 20 chicks {straight-run} from MyPetChicken.com {yes, that’s a real website}. I don’t remember our exact numbers, but here’s what we ended up with. {These are not affiliate links, just trying to help you get more info!}
California White hybrids look almost exactly like the White Leghorns they were developed from but are slightly larger and usually have a few black spots on their white feathers. They are laying dynamos that produce about 300 large white eggs a year! California Whites are quiet, calm, easy to handle and one of the best white egg layers for backyard flocks.Winter hardy and good winter layers, they bear confinement well and are also active foragers. with their smaller size, they consume less feed while being efficient at converting feed into egg production. Adding a few California Whites to a flock of brown egg layers adds color diversity to the egg carton.
Learn more at TractorSupply.com
ISA Browns are one of the top sellers in the industry because of the number of eggs they lay and their calm demeanor. Their eggs have excellent shell quality and texture. This especially sweet, docile, gentle bird, is extremely easy to work with and are great birds for new chicken owners or young families. ISA Browns produce almost an egg every day and do well either in confinement or free ranged. Hens begin to lay around 4-5 months of age with adequate daylight hours. When they are hatched, the pullets are red and the cockerels are white for this color sex-able sex-link.
Learn more at TractorSupply.com
Our Americanas will provide an assortment of egg colors from blue, to green to light brown to brighten up your egg basket! The Americana breed comes from the Araucana and Ameraucana cross which produces many different colored plumage variations, such as red, brown, black, white and any combination of these. Because of this genetic combination, our birds are not meant for exhibition but provide a nice touch of variety to your egg basket and backyard flock. These docile, friendly, inquisitive birds are cold and heat hardy and do well in confinement.
More at TractorSupply.com
Golden Comet chickens are great sex-link hybrid chickens that have great egg-laying qualities, making them another top, red sex-link choice for your backyard flock! Golden Comet chickens are fast to mature and begin laying at a younger age than most chickens. These docile, laid-back birds are a great breed for beginners, get along well with other breeds, are excellent for young families, and tolerate confinement well.
More at TractorSupply.com
Cinnamon Queens are easy-going chickens that take the best qualities from their parents, Rhode Island Red roosters and Silver Laced Wyandotte hens. They are wonderful egg layers that get their cold hardiness from their parents and are mostly rose combed. Even through the winter, these beloved chickens will ensure that you have eggs all year long! These birds can be broody and do tolerate confinement well.
More at TractorSupply.com
Orpingtons are big, friendly dual-purpose birds originally developed in the UK. For many small farms and homesteaders, Orpingtons are the only way to go! They’re cold-hardy due to their fluffy plumage. Wonderful mothers, they do go broody. There is not much more charming than seeing a mother Orpington and her fluffy new baby chicks peeking from beneath her wings in a field on a sunny day. Plus, they’re gentle and friendly on top of being good layers. The Buff Orpington is the most popular of all varieties of Orpington–a pretty, bright, pale “buffed” copper color that is striking as eye candy against a green lawn.
More at MyPetChicken.com
So, what breed is our favorite? We have had Buff Orpingtons since the very beginning, and have loved them from Day One. They are friendly, consistent layers and extremely easy keepers. The roosters are pretty gorgeous too, if that means anything to you. Last summer we purchased a straight run, hoping to end up with a few males for the freezer. Right now it’s looking like we have 3 males, so we’ll likely do a quick batch this spring while we wait for our 50 {fifty!} Freedom Ranger broilers to grow out. More on that next time!
Until then, do us a favor and subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss any news from us! We have exciting plans for 2021 and in an effort to disconnect from mainstream channels of communication that are profiting off us while scanning our messages for content they deem “inappropriate,” we’re not going to be utilizing a newsletter service anymore. Updates about the farm will be HERE on our website or on MeWe. Please check us out and tell your friends!
{OvO}
Yes, I will subscribe to the blog to see future posts…how do I do that? I don’t know what mewe is–I will do it that way, if it doesn’t involve passwords or lots of information. I am through with all that! We stayed at your place long ago, on a trip to find a place to relocate (which we did, but maybe not to the right place, if only I knew the world was going to freak out…) and it is lovely to see you are still at your wonderful farm! I hope the chickens are working out well. On a similar note, I have guineas living in my house since the coop is not done yet. It is as icky as you might imagine. 🙂
Wow! Welcome back to the farm! 😉
I will find the blog subscription link and let you know asap!