Guineas, Chicks and Lock-Ins

I feel like I'm caught up in a whirlwind!  A few nights ago our Boy Scout troop had their quarterly Court of Honor.  That's when each scout is recognized for their accomplishments for the past several months; they're awarded merit badges for the work they've completed and rank advancement as they climb the proficiency ladder towards earning the highest honor of Eagle Scout (of which only 3 percent of all boys involved in scouting ever achieve). The ceremony is always a fun family night as the young men are honored - we've become a close knit group of families with our troop, some of us having been involved for as many as seven years. After the awards ceremony we enjoy food and fellowship, so before driving into town I had to make Friendship Bread - it was long overdue - thankfully the starter is quite forgiving. You're supposed to make the bread on Day 10 and I think I was pushing 14! While I was at it I made two loaves of Zucchini Bread as well.

There are 12 precepts in the Scout Law:
A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent.  We understand that there is an unwritten 13th rule: A Scout is Hungry!

                                             And sometimes pretty silly!

This was also the last day of school for the year so a Lock-In was planned at the Scout hut following the Court of Honor to celebrate. Bob volunteered to chaperone overnight so after the ceremony I was on my own.
Earlier that day, besides making bread, on my way out to milk I was greeted by a multitude of chickens and a brand new Mama Chickie with 16 baby chicks!  I had Joel catch 13 peeps and bring them inside for safe keeping.  Too many chicks and the mama can't protect them. In our area there are many hawks, foxes, feral cats, possums and other predators that would eat baby chicks in a heartbeat.  My hope is to raise these hens and hopefully re-ignight the setting instinct in my chickens.

And then there are these - 13 brand new guinea keets.

Both of which are in the house right now and stink to high Heaven and their bedding has to be changed every day!  But they are darlin' aren't they?!

I'm finding myself so exhausted these days and I'm caught in a Catch 22: We're working hard getting many needed projects done, but we're so tired that we're not enjoying the farm. We'll never be as young and strong as we are today, so I feel a push to get the work done while we're able and get the farm set up and working the way we'd like.  These are some of the plans we'd like to see accomplished:

* Hydroponics system in the greenhouse using our tilapia tank
* Grey water system to water the "downstairs orchard"
* Finish the horse paddock and round pen
* Clean out and organize the three barns and semi to use the space more efficiently
* Year round gardening
* Hydroelectric system - power production to help become more self sufficient using the creek.
* Sheltered workspace and other maintenance and building projects: Honey House, Reloading Room, Outside Kitchen
...and on and on and on.

And then of course there's the daily maintenance
* watering
* keeping fences tight
* mowing orchards
* honey bee upkeep
* feeding, watering and milking of livestock
....and on and on and on.

There has to be balance. There's no sense working every spare minute and not taking time to enjoy what we have, so here's what we've decided - it's time to get Back To the Basics.

 “On the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made”  (Genesis 2:2-3)

So from Friday night until Saturday night - (...and there was evening, and there was morning - the seventh day,") we will rest. We will relax, we will do our necessary chores ie feeding, milking, watering ..., but we will take some time to enjoy THE HOMESTEAD LIFE.
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God”  (Exodus 20:8-10)

Maybe now I'll get to enjoy Lucy and Dixie!

SHABBAT SHALOM!

Chickie Mama and Auntie

This is Chickie Mama

Several weeks ago, I noticed her on the same nest for three or four days in a row and thought that perhaps she was "broody" and was going to sit her eggs. Because of the prevalence of incubator hatched chickens nowdays,  most hens have lost the inclination to sit eggs. I talked a little about that in  THIS  blog. It took me a few days to decide that maybe her intentions were pure, but until then, each day when she left the nest to eat the grain I throw every morning - talk about mayham!

Each morning about 30 chickens greet me at the porch steps and walk with me - in front of me - under my feet - to the gate, where another 30 or so join in the procession to the feed barn. They all crowd around me, quite frightening really, like an Alfred Hitchcock movie, while I scoop a can of oats to throw, just to get them away from me. Then hastily I scoop feed for the two horses and another can of oats (I find it takes them longer to eat scattered oats than layer pellets, which I throw for them later, after the horses are fed.  I have to act fast because when the oats are finished a good many run to try to steal the horses feed. Obnoxious!

I digress.  For days I took the eggs out of Chickie Mama's  nest while she ate, until I saw that she had  the intention of patiently sitting her eggs for 21 days until they hatched. So I let her be.  Because chicken nests are community nests, I assumed that other hens had been laying there, and, that there were probably quite a few eggs under her. I was sadly disappointed when she got up the next day and there were only three eggs in her nest. I added 7 more.  And there she sat.
I really didn't pay much attention to her - she just kinda did her thing and I did mine until one day I saw THIS...

and became concerned that she had deserted her nest. I also noticed the large number of eggs gathering in the nest behind her. Broody hens become quite territorial and a bit aggressive when sitting eggs, so I had neglected to gather the ones in the back that I could not easily reach.
And then later I saw THIS...

I was disheartened to think that Chickie Mama had given up sitting her eggs and had moved to another nest. As I've mentioned before, I've had a chicken sit a nest of eggs for 18 days and then get up and walk away. It takes a full 21 days for chicken eggs to hatch, which, when you think about it, is a really cool thing. For days, chickens lay their eggs in a community nest until a broody hen decides that there are the correct amount of eggs in the nest and that she is ready. Some of these eggs may have been sitting in the nest for a week or more, but once a hen begins to set, in exactly 21 days all the eggs that are fertile will hatch, and a day or so later she and her brood will leave the nest. (Of course, this story has a different ending and will not give credence to my chicken facts)
So here I was, afraid that not only had Chickie Mama ruined the chance of  these eggs hatching, but that now she was going to waste another nest full of eggs. She obviously hadn't honed her "setting" skills.
And then I saw THIS...

Ah, back on her rightful nest and "hunkerin' down". I was relieved. It shouldn't be long until her eggs begin to hatch.  Wait. WHAT'S THIS??...

NOW it all makes sense. There are TWO chickens: Chickie Mama and Auntie.

One morning, not long after, while Chickie Mama was out feeding, I spotted a yellow peep in the nest. Now, typically, a hen will sit eggs in a hidden location and then appear with her hatched brood of chicks. Chickie Mama, on the other hand, had chosen the center of commotion to sit eggs, and throughout the 21 days, when she left the nest for short periods of time, other hens had come and laid their eggs in her nest. I believe this is what fouled her incubation rate. Within two days, two more chicks hatched, and yesterday, Chickie Mama left the nest with her three babies and began showing them the ways of the world.
Auntie has decided that she would rather be outside helping than sitting so she is the self appointed guardian of the flock.

The two hens will scratch the dirt almost continuously and cluck to their chicks to show them how to hunt for bugs and grain.
They will return periodically to their nests with the babies to rest.
Except... Who the Heck is THIS??

Choosing Chickens

OK, so I can understand that not everyone is crazy about skinning rabbits... But who among you can resist THIS!?

Right out of the incubator. Yesterday.

We bought our first chickens in New Mexico in 1999, back when you could buy a bag of feed at the feed store and get a chick for a penny - surely it was a one weekend special. We bought a bunch!

                   We bought Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons and Barred Rocks.

                                       To this day they are still my favorite breeds.

I believe that everyone, especially children, should have the opportunity and experience of raising chickens, and if you are fortunate enough to live in an area where it is permissible to raise them, and if you've decided that this is something you'd like to do, here are some things you should know:

There are typically three ways to acquire chicks
* a feed or farm store
* mail order (yes, they come in a box in the mail - we did this once)
* hatch them yourself in an incubator

I believe most people will buy their newly hatched chicks at a local farm store. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing your chicks:

* the colder it is outdoors when you purchase baby chicks, the longer you'll have to raise them inside. Chicks need a very warm, clean environment (90-100 degrees and the bedding must be changed regularly. Don't worry, you will - they begin to stink very quickly!)
* You can purchase either "Straight Run" or "Pullets"
    *Straight Run means that the chicks have not been checked for gender. They are generally cheaper and you get what you get. We've found that you get too many roosters with this choice.
    * Pullets are female - worth the additional expense if you want eggs.
* You only need ONE rooster! Chickens do not need a rooster to lay eggs - they just won't be fertile. I believe a good ratio is one rooster for every 30 chickens.

Determine your needs: There are basically four different types of chickens:
  * Egg layers
  * Meat Birds
  * General purpose
  * Fancy chickens

The best egg layers are Leghorns. They are a white, light breed that matures quickly and produces approx 280 eggs per year. Because of their light body weight they are typically not used as a meat bird. They lay white eggs and are the breed used for grocery store production.

Cornish Cross or "Broilers" are the standard meat production bird. They grow much faster than egg laying breeds and can reach a weight of 5-7 pounds in 6 weeks.

Cornish cross are the white birds you see in the picture above.
Personally, I think they're kind of gross. All they do is eat. They belly up to the feeder and will lay there and eat all day if given unlimited feed.

General Purpose Chickens are used for both meat and eggs.  These include breeds such as: Rhode Island Red, Barred Plymouth Rock, Sex Link, Buff Orpington, New Hampshire and Ameraucana.  There are other breeds that I'm less familiar with, but these, with the exception of the Ameraucana, are generally the brown egg laying chickens that can also be used for Sunday supper.

Here on our Homestead we have what we call "Mutts". Once upon a time we had the farm store, purebred breeds, but because our chickens are free range and our roosters breed indiscriminately, we now have quite the colorful mixture! It doesn't help that we incubate our eggs as well, further mixing the various traits. That's ok though, as long as they lay eggs and taste good!

These are a few of the chickens roaming our farm - they are not always the easiest to photograph - they don't stay still very long! I did try to find close examples of what each breed should look like, but they do have minor traits from other breeds as well.

 RHODE ISLAND RED

One of the most popular breeds because of it's abundant egg laying -approx 200 eggs per year. They lay brown eggs, are hardy, docile and weigh about 6-8 pounds as an adult.

PLYMOUTH or BARRED ROCK

A hardy breed and quite friendly, the Barred Rock is a prolific egg-layer and weighs between 6 and 8 pounds. She lays brown eggs.






LEGHORN

This bird is produced for her egg-laying capabilities. She can lay between 280-320 eggs per year. Her eggs are white and are found on the grocery store shelves. They are less docile and tend to be somewhat nervous in behavior. They weigh between 4-6 pounds full grown.

BLACK SEX LINK

This is a hybrid chicken that is produced by crossing a Rhode Island Red with a Barred Rock. They can lay as many as 300 brown eggs a year








AMERAUCANA

 Characteristically these chickens have full tails, muffs, beards and black or slate colored legs. They typically weigh between 5 and 6 pounds and they lay blue eggs.

This chicken is often confused with the Araucana and the Easter Egger. All three lay blue eggs.

ROOSTER

This is the predominant rooster at our farm. I have no idea what breed he is. After each major hatching, once we can determine the roosters, we choose ONE to continue to live on the homestead. He is usually chosen for his good looks and gentle demeanor.

MUTT

For the Love of... EGGS!

It is officially spring on the farm. I know that, not because baby goats are being born or everything is in bloom or our honeybees are rockin', but because the hens are laying again!

During the winter, egg production drops way down because hens require 14 hours of light to maintain egg production. We choose not to stimulate our chickens to lay by using artificial light, so  from November until early March, fresh eggs become scarce. During the spring and summer we have an abundance of  fresh, natural,  free range eggs - so much so that we are able to sell the excess. As a matter of fact, the chickens are the only animal on our farm that actually pay for their own feed.
A hen will start laying eggs at about 6 months of age. The eggs will be small at first, and she will lay an average of  5 eggs per week. Production is highest during her first two years and then tapers off. By 4-5 years old she will lay very few eggs.

Nutritionally, farm eggs are far superior to commercially produced, store bought eggs. Eggs provide the highest quality protein found in any food because they provide all of the essential amino acids our bodies need in a near-perfect pattern.
According to nutrient tests conducted by Mother Earth News comparing pasture raised hens to factory egg layers, it has been determined that free range farm eggs contain:

• 1⁄3 less cholesterol
• 1⁄4 less saturated fat
• 2⁄3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene

These studies also indicate that farm eggs contain between 4 - 6 times as much Vitamin D as store bought eggs.

We believe that eggs raised in natural conditions are the perfect whole food, therefore our chicken roam free - we coop them only at night for protection from predators.
I'll be talking more about the merits of chickens and the things we've learned along the way in future posts, but in the meantime I'll leave you with this - I saw it yesterday and I just had to stop everything and make these!

HAPPY SPRING!