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

Chick Journey Weeks 2-4

Our lovely little mystery chicks have been growing and changing! At about 2 weeks of age, they outgrew their little brooder set-up in our mudroom You’ll know when they are ready for bigger and better things! I knew it was time when my 5 year old came running in the kitchen to find me! With excitement, she quickly told me that one of the chicks had FLOWN out of the brooder! Time to go outside!

The chicks still did not have all their feathers yet, so they spent the next couple of weeks in a larger brooder in our garden

Chick Journey Part 1

CHICK JOURNEY

PART ONE

WEEKS 0-2

 

With the promise of Spring, comes the exciting prospect of new chicks on the farm!

I like to restock my flock with new birds at least once every two years I am able to find buyers for some of my “old” girls quite quickly Everyone is always looking for laying hens, and I’m happy to make a little extra feed money with the cash

This year, I sold all but 5 of my best hens and one Turken rooster, named Chimp

After making room, the fun part begins!

Usually, my daughter and I spend hours looking over the catalog, picking

Smokehouse Scrambled Eggs

If you’ve decided to eat better this year, you can’t go wrong with farm fresh eggs!

Full of flavor and nutrients, these smokehouse inspired scrambled eggs are sure to satisfy! Pretty much everyone can cook scrambled eggs, so the whole family can chip in with the preparations!

 

One of the traditions we have in our home is a big, hearty weekend breakfast If the weather is decent, we like to spend our weekends outdoors We need a full, healthy breakfast to keep us going! Our smoky scrambled eggs stemmed from another weekend tradition: Friday night BBQ

On most Friday nights, we love

What is a Turken?

If you’ve spent any time watching cooking shows, you may have heard of a turducken However, have you ever heard of a Turken?

 

Yes! A Turken is a real thing, although it is not as it sounds A Turken is a special breed of chicken that lacks feathers on its neck and vent area It is not actually part turkey Turkeys and chickens are unable to breed and produce offspring (Although guinea fowl and chickens can!-but that is a story for another time!)

 

Along with being a great conversation piece, Turkens actually make quite amazing backyard chickens Turkens, or Naked Necks,

Preventing Frostbite

With the cold weather officially here, the danger of frostbite rears its ugly head

Frost bite occurs when moisture in the air freezes This moisture tends to settle on the faces and combs of our chickens As the chickens are sleeping, their breath is released, creating moisture in the air Chickens with larger combs are more likely to get frostbite for the single reason that they have more unprotected surface area on their faces Parts of the body covered in feathers are protected from the settling moisture The freezing particles of water burn the skin and actually cause tissue damage

DIY Winter Feed Mix

Winter can be a very enjoyable season to raise your chickens One of my favorite winter pastimes is sitting on the front porch with a warm cup of coffee, and watching my colorful flock explore the yard Winter can be great- you don’t have to contend with flies in the coop, and lets be honest- the barnyard doesn’t have that summer time stink

Despite being a relatively easy time to have chickens, winter does come with its own challenges

Chickens are omnivores, meaning they need to consume both plant and animal matter In the warmer months, there is a steady supply

How Eggs Get Their Colors

If you’re deciding on new chickens and what new breeds to add to your flock, egg color is probably one of your top considerations Long gone are the days of plain white eggs

How did colored eggs come about?

Eggs from the very first chickens of the wild started out as tan, or light brown Wild jungle fowl were domesticated around 2000 BC All our domesticated breeds stem from these wild fowl

All eggs start out INSIDE the hen as white Through simple genetic tweaks, eggs now can come in white, tan, dark brown, speckled, blue, green, olive, and every color in

Tips for Treating Bumblefoot

Bumblefoot is one of the most common ailments in poultry If you have chickens for any length of time, you are sure to run across it Bumblefoot is the term used to describe a bacterial infection in the foot, most often on the bottom The bacteria responsible is usually staphylococcus It is imperative you wear gloves when treating!

Unless you regularly flip over your chickens and look at the soles of their feet, then you might never know they have it One of the first noticeable symptoms is a limping chicken They