How to Render Lard
As we strive to have a sustainable home, we want to use the most of our farm raised animals. Today that means using fat from our pigs to render lard.
2017 Hatch #2
Our second hatch of 2017 resulted in Easter Egger, Oliver Egger, White Leghorn, and Delaware chicks.
2017 Hatch #1
This first hatch batch of 2017 was in preparation for the Spring Poultry Homesteading Faire. In the past, many people at the Faire have shown interest in Marans. Currently, we do not have a Marans rooster. So, instead I focused on Olive Eggers. I also hatched White Leghorns and Delaware chicks.
Spring 2017 Poultry and Homesteading Faire
It has been a couple years, but I finally made it back to be an Oregon Poultry Swap vendor. OPS has grown a lot over the years and are now known for more than just poultry. It makes for a fun event. There was, of course, many chickens and other poultry for sale. Also rabbits …
Black Copper Marans
We have had Black Copper Marans for a few years. They are not my favorite breed. However, they do have a place in our flock. We breed our Marans based on the French standard, as well as the APA, which means they have feathered shanks and toes.
What is an Egg Tooth?
Most birds and reptiles have an egg tooth, which is an essential part in the hatching process. On birds, it is small, sharp, and sits at the tip of the upper beak.
Marans
Marans are a heavy, dual purpose bird. They are generally raised for their dark brown egg, but also make a good meat bird. Marans are named after a port town in France. Over the centuries local birds were bred with birds brought from seaman coming to port. The modern Marans breed began development in the …
White Leghorn
White leghorns are another of my favorite birds to have on our farm. They are a basic, no nonsense bird. They rarely cause any trouble. They eat. They lay eggs. They are on the flighty side, so aren’t the best choice for a pet chicken. But, as part of our barnyard flock they are perfect. …
Candling Eggs
Candling chicken eggs is an exciting part of the incubating process. I don’t always candle them, but I usually do. Candling the egg gives you a glimpse at what’s happening inside. When I use an incubator to hatch eggs, I typically candle them a couple times within the 21 developing days. I don’t bother candling …
2016 Hatch #3
The previous hatch did not go as expected. I wrote the company from where I ordered the eggs. Their policy is no refunds, etc. since they can’t control what happens with the eggs after they leave their farm. Understandable. I still wrote them, though. Number one, as a company I would want to know when …