How to Repel Summer Flies

Flies are an ugly part of every homestead Whether you have 3 backyard hens or 100 free ranging jungle fowl, flies come with the territory Attracted to poultry feed, feces, and anything gross and moist, flies love a good chicken coop!

To make matters worse, the humid heat of summer provides the perfect fly spawning environment Doesn’t it seem like flies pop up out of nowhere after a summer rain? They suddenly appear, landing places you don’t want them, and spreading germs It can make animal husbandry in the summer miserable!

Luckily there are MANY ways to combat flies around your

Summer’s Bounty Quiche

If you’re looking for a healthy, colorful way to use up your abundance of eggs this summer, look no further!

Quiche recipes can be a bit overplayed, so it’s time to add a fresh new spin to this classic With the right ingredients, a quiche can easily be transformed to deliciously fit anyone’s taste!

I love to have visitors over to our little farm! After touring the coop, barn, and fields, it’s nice to treat your visitors with a meal Why not share the bounty of your land with your guests! Eggs from your hens, veggies from your garden, and maybe

Does Eggshell Color Affect Taste?

It is no lie, we eat with our eyes!

Having a meal that is pretty on the eyes, can make it seem to taste better! Even something so simple as serving your meal on a beautiful plate, instead of a paper one, can make a huge difference!

That leads some to ask, can the eggshell color affect the overall taste and nutrition of an egg?

 

The answer is no!

All eggs are basically the same inside Each egg, no matter if it is white, brown, speckled, blue, or green, each is around 70 calories and has

Breed Highlight: Prairie Bluebell Egger™

One special breed, unique to Hoover’s, is the Prairie Bluebell Egger™

 

As well as having a whimsical name, the hens of this breed produce LARGE, bright blue eggs It has been my pleasure to have owned several of these PBEs over the last few years They are always a staple on our farm, and help fill the egg basket with dependable color

According to Hoover’s Hatchery, the lineage of the Prairie Bluebell Egger™ comes from crossing White Leghorn and Araucanas The first reported blue egg layer came from South America in the early

Chore Tips

Who needs a gym membership when you’ve got animals! You’ll definitely get your steps in on a farm!  Here are some tips to make chores easier- no matter if you have a few hens, our a whole menegarie of critters!

  • Have everything in one location

Have you ever seen an old farmhouse painting with the white cottage, big red barn, and chicken coop all peacefully nestled together on a green piece of land? One thing you’ll notice is, all the animals buildings are near the house! Try to plan your outbuildings all within walking distance The closer together your buildings,

Exotic Sunday Brunch

Oyakodon

Which came first? The chicken or the egg?

This dish has both!

If you raise your own meat chickens AND have fresh eggs, this is a money-saving, exotic dish for you!

With spring comes lots and lots of eggs! It is such a beautiful time of year! Flowers are blooming, grass is a bright green, and here on the farm, our hens have started laying lots and lots of eggs! You may be searching for some fun and new ways to use them up! There’s only so many ways to cook scrambled eggs and quiche, so today, I’m taking you across the

Edible Flowers for Chickens

Spring is a wonderful time to add fresh freebies to your flock’s diet! Here are some flowers that are safe for your chickens to eat, and chances are, you already have them growing in your yard!

Chickens are omnivores and need nutrients from both animals and plants to thrive If you let your hens out to free-range, they can usually find these goodies themselves You can let your flock free range without worry Chickens like to test everything, but they seem to know what’s good, and what’s not One little bite and they know instinctively if a plant is safe

Chick Journey- Part 4

Our sweet teenager chicks are officially 2 months old! This week it was time to kick them out of the chicken tractor (I had more babies hatch that needed the space too)!

At this age, they are about half the size of a grown hen They are fully feathered in their adult plumage, but still chirp like babies

When moving your teen chicks in with the adults, expect some fighting Chickens have a hierarchy and the top birds are most always the oldest Luckily our little flock of one rooster and 4 hens had been exposed to the teens a little

Chick Journey 1.5 Months

Our chicks are currently 15 months old and loving their lives outside!

They are permanently outdoors 24/7, living in their chicken tractor The bottom floor space of the tractor is 8’x8’ This is plenty of space for 7 teenage chicks, but after one whole day, they are ready to be moved onto fresh grass

Having them in a movable tractor works amazingly well! Each morning I quickly check on them, move the tractor, and give them about 2 cups of crumble The feeder is hung on a rope, so it doesn’t touch the

Do Ducks Need Water?

Do ducks need large bodies of water to thrive?

No

Do they WANT bodies of water?

Yes!

Ducks must have a water source to safely eat From the time they hatch, ducklings and ducks will always need water Unlike chickens, ducks must “mix” their food with water They start by grabbing a mouthful of crumble Next, they waddle on over to their water, and combine the two in their mouth This mucky dabbling ensures they can swallow the feed without choking Consider it like eating oatmeal Having wet oatmeal is much better than trying to swallow it dry It can make quite a