It’s sad to say we’ve gotten used to losing chicks. It still sucks. But, the first time around it was a punch to the gut. The sensation of failure was pretty extreme. When it happened again, despite us having demonstrable success on our own side, we knew we weren’t the only issue. And on the …
Category: Farm Updates
About our Trans Rooster
What happens: In short, chickens have a spare gonad. They simply can’t develop both of them into a fully functional egg production machine. Given the right circumstances. That second, dormant gonad will wake up and start producing androgens. More Info Live Science Article about it: https://www.livescience.com/13514-sex-change-chicken-gertie-hen-bertie-cockerel.html Here’s a research paper on the subject: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3212/3e90aac57f9607210adcb3e53ddf98f51b5c.pdf?_ga=2.78224018.70789312.1525872700-808396487.1525872700
Our Second Video
This time we build a quick little coop, check in on the brooders and plant some elderberry cuttings in the new orchard.
We’re On YouTube!
We’ve been promising to get a YouTube channel going since before we had the farm. We’ve finally pulled the trigger on it. It’s a major learning curve and commitment, but I think it’s the best possible way to let everyone know what’s going on with the farm. Please Like and Subscribe!
Spring has Sprung, March 21, 2021 Farm Update
We end the week with a win and a loss. First the loss, We’re missing a Rouen hen this weekend. We’re not sure what happened, but she never came home with the rest of the flock Friday eve. The other 2 ducks seem perfectly fine, so we aren’t entirely sure what happened. She may show …
Failing With Our First Chicks
We’ve ordered two batches of baby birds to grow our flock this year. First to arrive will be a large collection of chickens. I ordered them early so we’d get a jump on the season and hopefully be getting plentiful eggs by the end of the summer. After careful consideration, I settled on a brooder …
Homestead Update 7/1/2020
We spent the past weekend on the road, visiting French Lick Indiana. It’s a beautiful place, but it meant I wasn’t putting much effort into the homestead when I was sitting by the pool. Perhaps the most notable outcome from the trip at this point was the chance to see blazingstars in bloom for the …
Friday Flowers (June 26, 2020)
The big surprise this week was a single prairie smoke in bloom. I wasn’t expecting anything from them this year, and it’s awfully late in the season for it, but I’ll enjoy it all the same. Unlike other Geums, the real show with this plant is the seeds, not the flowers. So hopefully I’ll have …
Homestead Weekly Update (6/20/2020)
This week was a slow week on the homestead. I was mostly out of commission, focusing on work and a series of headaches. My biggest asset in this entire enterprise is my capacity to work. My time, energy, grit, and physical resilience require management. Towards that end, I’m taking the fact that I’m feeling burnt …
Homestead Weekly Update (6/15/2020)
I’m posting a bit late this week. I spent the weekend dealing with family business two states away and I spent most of the time driving. Because of that, nobody finished much yard work this weekend. Dave managed to cut back and resmother the evil rose bush by the garage, but the rest is up …