The most embarrassing thing to do as a small hobby chicken farmer is to buy eggs from a store. I cringe just thinking about it. But it's a hard truth. In late September, my girls went on strike for the first time since I started raising chickens in 2016. It's been a full-on egg drought, … Continue reading The Walk of Shame
Chickens
Mama And The Big Angry Molt
Molting is one of the most natural things to happen in chickens; generally speaking, it occurs in the fall when the weather is just starting to turn. On our little hobby farm, this year is the exception. I was cleaning the coop on Boxing Day and noticed one of my senior gals, Mama, looking rather … Continue reading Mama And The Big Angry Molt
Rainbow Eggie Goodness
Ever wonder why chickens lay colourful eggs? Me too! So, I did a little research and found some neato facts about chicken eggs! Did you know? The colour of an eggshell is directly associated with the breed of bird - not by what she eats! Only the yolk colour is determined by diet. Chicken eggs … Continue reading Rainbow Eggie Goodness
For The Love of Birds
I was four when my family moved to the 'Windy 3rd'. It was a beautiful little community nestled in the rolling hills of Northumberland. We lived between two lovely large families. All treated us like family from the moment we arrived. I always felt like I had two extra sets of grandparents and spent a … Continue reading For The Love of Birds
Loss
When you start a little hobby farm with laying hens, like mine, you go into it knowing there will be a loss. After all, nothing lives forever. But when it happens, it's a strange feeling because it's not quite like losing a pet. It's pretty darn close, but the connection is different. A few weeks … Continue reading Loss
You Give Me Fever… Chicken Fever!
It's chick ordering season again; decisions, decisions! Every year I get the itch; the itch is stronger this year but somehow feels different. I've flipped through the chicken catalogue several times (only having it since Wednesday); it's full of pencil marks and worn out already. I always have a difficult time making this decision each … Continue reading You Give Me Fever… Chicken Fever!
Chicken Math
Chicken math is a real thing. You could just count how many chickens you have. But, if you want a more accurate number, you must use chicken math. According to this method, I have one chicken. Chicken Math Explained - Calculating Your True Number of Chickens - Farmhouse Guide Here's my version: 2016 I had … Continue reading Chicken Math
Gordon, The Great
I will always fondly remember my first rooster, Gordon (Ameraucana); he was hand raised, in my first-ever batch of homegrown chicks, in the spring of 2019. He was such a cute chick - of course, we didn't know he was a rooster until the day he crowed several weeks after arrival, haha. Gordon was majestic … Continue reading Gordon, The Great
For The Times They Are A-Changin’
The beginning of shorter days and cooler nights means two things around our place, the onset of Fall and molt season. Now, almost through this process, my poor gals are still looking pretty rough around the edges; the coop is full of discarded feathers, so many you'd think there was a massacre! I've learned, over … Continue reading For The Times They Are A-Changin’
Not So Fantastic Mr. Fox
One of my favourite things to do is sit on the back deck and watch the chickens free-ranging in the yard. For the most part, they stay in our yard; on occasion, they will cross the road to peck around under the neighbours' tree (answering that age-old question!). In the spring of 2019, I had … Continue reading Not So Fantastic Mr. Fox
Willowfell 