Monthly Archives: January 2014

A Basket of Eggs

Posted on January 31, 2014 by

Collecting eggs every few hours is always a pleasure. Some hens are consistent and lay their eggs in the same nest. Others move from nest to nest. And then there are Lucky and Peach. Lucky lays her eggs in one … Continue reading →

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Japanese Chicken Varieties

Posted on January 30, 2014 by

The lack of varieties of chickens sold in supermarkets in the US is rather surprising. Some stores make distinctions between organic versus conventional, pastured versus broiler chickens, but rarely do you see a selection of a variety of chicken breeds … Continue reading →

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Six Week Old Chicks – A Long Way to Go

Posted on January 29, 2014 by

When you watch these small six week old chicks running around with their mother, it’s hard to imagine that many broiler chickens are six pounds and ready to be butchered by six weeks. How is that possible? What happens to … Continue reading →

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The Most Important Things Have No Value

Posted on January 28, 2014 by

When you are outdoors taking care of chickens and crops, you realize how essential pure water, pure air, and non-toxic soil are. We need them. The chickens need them. The insects the chickens eat need them. All the plants need … Continue reading →

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Sven a Swedish Flower Chicken

Posted on January 27, 2014 by

The Swedish Flower Chicken is a landrace chicken that developed in Sweden. Landrace is a breed which has developed over time by adapting to the natural and cultural environment in which it lives. Swedish Flower Chickens are colorful birds. No … Continue reading →

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Each Chicken Is Unique

Posted on January 25, 2014 by

Each chicken is unique. Each chicken has its own face, its own personality. You can see their personality develop as chicks. Among siblings, there are outgoing chicks, quiet ones, curious ones, timid ones. As they grow, their personalities develop and … Continue reading →

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Hanging Out With Mom

Posted on January 24, 2014 by

It doesn’t seem like January. The sun has been out all day and the chickens are having a great time. When you see how the chicks enjoy hanging out with their mother, even hopping on her back, isn’t it obvious … Continue reading →

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Never a Dull Day

Posted on January 23, 2014 by

This is one of the hens laying in a beautiful, quiet nest high up a stump. Chickens love it when you stir the compost and add to it. There are so many good things to eat, especially earthworms and insects. … Continue reading →

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Learning How to Bathe

Posted on January 22, 2014 by

Chickens are born knowing how to take dirt baths, but when they get to learn this behavior from their mother, they sure enjoy it.

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Nest at the Top of a Stump

Posted on January 21, 2014 by

Chickens are always looking for great places to build a nest. Yesterday I heard a white Bresse cackling by the side of a ten foot tall stump. I climbed up to the top and found a nest with eight eggs. … Continue reading →

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Hazel’s Egg

Posted on January 20, 2014 by

Every hen lays a special egg. To lay wonderful eggs, chickens need good food, plenty of exercise, and a quiet place to sit.

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Never a Dull Moment

Posted on January 19, 2014 by

With chickens, there is never a dull moment. It’s a sunny, January morning. The hens in the nesting boxes are sounding an alarm. Minutes later, all is calm. Outside, the chickens are enjoying the winter sun. Chickens are constantly on … Continue reading →

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Dirt Bath in the Sun

Posted on January 18, 2014 by

On a sunny day, chickens enjoy taking dust and dirt baths. They can really kick up a storm, turning upside down even to work dust and dirt deep into their feathers and onto their skin. They do this to clean … Continue reading →

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Up a Tree

Posted on January 17, 2014 by

Chicken producers talk about providing enriching environments for their birds, but none of the large producers ever provide trees for their chickens to climb. During the day, a growing sequoia is an enticing place to hang out, either underneath it … Continue reading →

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Strike a Pose

Posted on January 17, 2014 by

Every chicken at a man and his hoe® has a story. Lucky had an unfortunate accident as a chick. Somehow she scraped the back of her head and for several weeks had to be separated from her siblings and mother … Continue reading →

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One Month Old Chicks

Posted on January 16, 2014 by

The chicks which hatched December 19, 2013, are four months old now, nearly a month old. They are getting quite independent and running ahead of their mother. She’s the one trying to keep up with them now. Some mothers stop … Continue reading →

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Svenda’s Egg

Posted on January 13, 2014 by

Each chicken is unique. Each egg is unique. The variety of colors and patterns of chickens is endless. With each new chicken you can see evolution at work, trying new colors, patterns and personalities. The differences can be very subtle, … Continue reading →

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This Is Chicken?

Posted on January 12, 2014 by

The variety of meat chicken can provide is truly remarkable. Below is the leg and thigh meat of a roasted, fully grown rooster. The flavor and texture is very similar to a mild goat roast. If you closed your eyes … Continue reading →

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Morning Eggs

Posted on January 11, 2014 by

Even though it is still early January, the hens are laying more eggs. Their winter slump has ended and daily egg production has gone from five to seven up to eighteen. It will double from that in a few months. … Continue reading →

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Where Do You Want Your Chicken to Come From?

Posted on January 10, 2014 by

Where would you prefer to get your chicken? From a plant like this Foster Farms processing plant which was recently closed due to cockroach infestation? At a plant like this, up to 140 chickens move through the processing line a … Continue reading →

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