Benefits of Raising Children Around Livestock

In today’s culture, over sheltering and germophobia have become commonplace Parents cringe at the thought of their child picking up a beetle, or walking barefoot in the grass While caution and safety is very important, equally important is giving your child time outdoors Compelling research has recently been found to backup the positives of raising our children to have outdoor time and even to be around livestock Our great-grandparents who grew up on the farm, definitely knew a thing or two!

Generally More Healthy

Children raised around livestock are generally more healthy According to John Hopkins University, babies who were regularly

What is a Meat Spot?

Have you ever cracked open a farm fresh egg, only to find a strange little brown blob on it?

It is called a “meat spot,” and as off-putting as that name may sound, a meat spot is actually an indicator of freshness

 

A meat spot looks like an irregularly shaped brown/red speck It is always found inside the albumen, or white of the egg A meat spot does not indicate a fertilized egg Meat spots can and will occur in non-fertilized eggs The odd speck is a piece of tissue that accidentally attaches to the egg while being formed in the

Is Something Stealing My Eggs?

Have you ever suddenly experienced a drop in egg production?

While seasonal changes can often be to blame, sometimes the accuser can be a crafty predator or even one of your very own hens!

Extreme temperatures of late summer and mid-winter darkness can trigger a lapse in egg production Also, a hen’s feather molt in late fall can also be a reason she will lay less However, if one day you are getting lots of eggs, and the next you have almost none in the nesting box, you might have an outside culprit

If you are finding drastically less eggs, broken eggs

Crows: Wild Guardians

A flock of free-range chickens strut around the yard on a sunny afternoon They are busy pecking around, hunting for bugs in the green grass Suddenly, the yard goes quiet Squirrels run into the trees and songbirds disappear in the blink of an eye The chickens are too enthralled in their foraging to notice the wildlife disappearing A crow calls out from a nearby tree, and the chickens scatter for cover They run into the woods, under a garden shed, and back into the coop as quickly as they can A huge red-tailed hawk sees her cover is blown,

Special Trick for Boiling Fresh Eggs

With the warmer months now upon us, fresh eggs are more and more abundant!

The hens are now laying on overdrive, supplying us with tons of nutritious eggs everyday!

A fresh egg is still at its peak of nutrition Fresh eggs make splendid cakes, custards, scrambled eggs, quiches, the list goes on

But- have you ever tried boiling fresh eggs?

The eggshells always stick!

Boiling fresh backyard eggs for me, personally, has always been a huge challenge! I’ve tried it all; adding baking soda to the water, adding baking powder to the water, having the eggs

Table Scraps for Your Flock

Feeding table scraps to your chickens feels good, is full circle, and eco-friendly!

My husband and I used to live in the city (a city in Japan to be exact) Everyday we had to separate our burnable trash from the recyclables The amount of burnable food trash that 2 people could create was eyeopening We felt ashamed of all the food scraps we ended up tossing in the trash bin The good news is, if you have chickens, many of your table scraps can go to the birds!

Chickens LOVE table scraps!

Chickens are naturally

Chicken and Fluffy Dumpling Recipe

Chicken and FLUFFY Dumplings

One of my favorite recipes for the Rudd Rangers is chicken and fluffy dumplings

Fluffy as a biscuit y’all! Last year, we processed our some of our favorite meat type birds to date: the Rudd Rangers

Our Rudds were raised on our property and allowed to free range as soon as they were old enough to stay outside Each consumed traditional chicken feed, but also had a rich diet of green grass and all the bugs they could catch

At precisely 3 months of age, they were ready for processing

This recipe is one of my husband’s favorite meals It

Tips for Photographing Chickens

Who doesn’t love to snap some proud parent photos of their flock?

We love our chickens! Just as each one looks unique, each has an individual personality Nothing is more rewarding than capturing that in a beautiful picture

If you’ve ever tried photographing a chicken, you may have quickly realized it can be quite a challenge! Rarely ever is a chicken totally still! They move with lightening like reflexes, constantly bobbing their heads and running around

Here are some quick and easy tips anyone can use to get some excellent pictures of their chickens!

1)

Why Does My Hen Squat?

Have you ever walked near one of your hens and she suddenly hunkers down to the ground with her wings slightly open? She freezes and squats, not moving? This behavior is no cause for concern! Although it may seem like she is scared or in pain, squatting in this manner is a normal part of rooster/hen behavior

As I once heard one person say, “Well, she’s easy” All joking aside, many people assume this behavior means they want to be picked up and are tame The funny, and kind of bizarre thing is, she actually sees the human as a

Easter Fun

With Easter fast approaching, many of us backyard chicken owners are ready with baskets full of fresh eggs!

Hens really start laying on overdrive when the weather warms up and the sun decides to hang around later each evening Those eggs we waited for all winter, may now be arriving in droves! Easter is the perfect time to use up lots of those delicious eggs!

 

No Easter would be complete without dying Easter eggs, and when you have your own eggs fresh from your hens, it makes it all the more enjoyable

White, cream, blue, green, and dark brown- many of us