There are several little buff or red chicks in the mixed layers.

Our mail-order baby chicks have arrived at the ranch! We ordered from Hoovers Hatchery Poultry and ordered 80 chicks. We are splitting them with my in-laws so I’m not putting 80 chickens in the backyard, don’t worry. We have 40 Cornish Cross which will go into the freezer the end of May, and 40 heavy-layer mixed pullets (baby hens).

These bright yellow chicks are the Chicks-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named

The Cornish Cross chickens are a breed that are specifically designed to grow very quickly and be ready for butchering in about 8 or 9 weeks. The breed is known to convert feed into body mass very efficiently. In my opinion, too efficiently. The birds are difficult to raise and keep as layers because they break legs very easily and can even hurt themselves (as in kill themselves) jumping off a regular chicken roost. Bottom line – these are highly specialized chickens that cannot be part of a homestead backyard chicken flock. They just aren’t suited to it. Part of that really bugs me.

On the other hand, they were purchased specifically for butchering anyway. I call them “The Chickens Who Shall Not be Named” in an effort to avoid growing too attached to them.

More examples of the variety of chicks we got in the mail-order package.

The other 40 chicks we ordered are my favorites. It’s a mixed package of laying hens in a multitude of breeds. I see at least six different breeds so far and will get individual photos later as the chicks get a little bit older. Once they are ready to be outside on a more full-time basis, we’ll go to the ranch and pick out 10 or 12 for ourselves to keep here at the house and the rest will live at the ranch. I cannot wait to see what happens as these chicks (who probably WILL be named) grow up and I can better see which specific breeds we have.

Even a small backyard chicken flock can produce many eggs.

Why Free-Range Eggs Are Nutritionally Better

Chickens allowed to roam freely on farms are able to get a varied diet.  Caged hens are subject to the same feed daily, much of which is genetically modified.  Free-ranging chickens can eat bugs, grasses, and other plants which will give them a variety of nutrients.  They are often kept with a rooster, which means the eggs are fertilized.  Being in the sunshine and fresh air is a more natural environment for any animal.

Nutritional Differences of Free-Range Eggs

Eggs from chickens who are roaming free have been compared with USDA certified eggs from caged hens in several studies. The free-range hens’ eggs contain 1/3 less cholesterol and 1/4 less saturated fat.  Their yolks are much darker owning to the fact that there is up to 7 times more beta carotene in them.  There is also 2/3 more vitamin A and up to three times the amount of vitamin E.  One nutrient in which more people are becoming deficient is vitamin D. Free-range eggs contain 3-6 times the amount of vitamin D than those bought in the typical supermarket.

Eat the Yolk or Just the White of an Egg?

While many dietitians tell you to only eat the white of the egg, they are basing their research on nutritional levels from caged hens. Most people will not be satisfied with just the white of the egg. As the Bible states in Job 6:6: “Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg?”  It’s simply bland. The vitamins E, D, and K are found in the yolk. The yolk contains at least half of the protein in the egg and is where the omega 3′s are. There are 2 times the omega-3′s in range-fed eggs verses caged chicken eggs. The yolk also contains lecithin.  Lecithin with the omega-3′s will balance the cholesterol and saturated fat content.

Eggs Are a Powerhouse of Nutrition

When range-fed eggs can be purchased, there is not nearly as much reason to limit our egg intake.  They contain many valuable nutrients and are a good protein source. Moderation is the key to all things, but eggs certainly don’t derserve the bad rap they’ve been given if the hens are raised the way they were intended to be.

Chickens are easy to feed, and a small backyard flock can be sustained from homegrown feed sources with good success. Many garden vegetables and produce are suitable for chicken feed, and having a home garden can create additional foraging ground for a backyard laying flock.

Letting Chickens Graze Garden Spaces

Many garden vegetables and winter cover crops are fantastic chicken feed, including clovers, winter wheat, oats, grasses and more. Place chickens into a fenced in garden area to scratch and dig for grubs, eat weeds and grass and clean up any leftover plant material from the previous season. If you don’t have a fenced garden, use a portable chicken tractor to house the chickens over a specific area of the garden.

Pests will be eliminated, the garden overturned and fertilized, and your food bill reduced. Not to mention that your chicken flock will be healthier and your eggs more nutritious! Some homesteaders also allow their flocks to roam through a fruit orchard and berry patches where they help clean up pests like weevils, grubs, cicadas and Japanese beetles.

Growing Crops for Additional Feed

If you have some garden space, homesteaders and backyard flock owners can grow some of their own chicken feed to get through the winter when less is available through free-range. If you have a cold-box, green house or ability to grow indoors, chicken owners can grow many of their own winter forage materials. Sprouting seeds are high in protein and other easy to grow crops like kale, rape, potatoes and winter squash (which store well over the winter) can provide supplementation for chickens.

Mulching Chicken Runs for Increased Forage Material

Another way to provide feed for chickens through the winter is to provide them with deep layers of mulch in their chicken coop, runs and other areas. While dormant grass would be destroyed by winter foraging, a chicken will find lots of organic material to eat by scratching through deep layers of straw, bark chips, shredded leaves and grass clippings.

In our family, we use mowed grass clippings and raked leaves to create a deep layer of mulch in the garden bed and chicken coop areas. Releasing the chickens into these areas during a sunnier winter day means a bustle of activity, squawking, scratching and fun with full crops to be enjoyed by all. A bit of chicken supplement feed scattered in the middle of the afternoon allows us to fill in any gaps, but our chickens are thriving in this type of situation.

Having the deep liter scattered about allows insects, earthworms and other yummies to have a place to live, giving your chickens something to dig for. In the spring, we just clean it up and throw it into the compost pile!

Raising a few chickens to supply your family with eggs is fun and easy. Even if you don’t live out in the country, you can easily raise chickens in a small backyard, and you can’t beat the flavor of fresh eggs. There are a few things you need to know before you start raising your own chickens, such as whether your town allows chickens, what kind of housing you want to use, and what breed you will want to raise.

Find Out if Your Town Allows Chickens

Just because you live in the suburbs or even the city does not mean that you cannot have chickens. Many towns and even large cities allow the keeping of small numbers of fowl. If you are not sure of the rules for your town or city, check online or call your local government office.

Most cities do not allow roosters because of noise concerns, but you do not need a rooster to have eggs. If your town currently does not allow chickens, consider trying to get the law changed by applying to your city council. 

Backyard Chicken Coops and Chicken Tractors

Now that you have verified that you can keep chickens, you need to decide how you are going to house them. You may decide that a traditional stationary coop is the best for your needs, but most people in an urban or suburban setting would do better with a moveable coop, or chicken tractor.

A chicken tractor is usually small and moveable and will hold about 2 to 6 hens. It has an open bottom that allows the hens to get to the yummy grass and bugs, but will keep them contained, safe from predators and out of your flower beds. 

There are many pictures of chicken tractors online to give you an idea of how to build one, or you could purchase one like the Eglu. Whether you chose a stationary coop or a chicken tractor, make sure that there is at least 4 square feet of space for each full grown bird.

Which Breed of Chicken is Right for Me?

The first thing you want to ask yourself in regard to which breed of chicken you want is whether you want bantam hens or standard hens. Many people in an urban or suburban setting decide to keep bantam hens because they are smaller. However, bantam hens’ eggs are also about half the size of standard hens’ eggs, so you need to keep that in mind. You also need to decide if you want chickens that lay white, brown, or even green eggs. 

For white egg layers I recommend staying away from the production breeds like White Leghorns, as they tend to be flighty and not very friendly. A breed like the Hamburg is better suited to backyard living. For brown egg layers there are so many great breeds out there. Brahmas are considered to be one of the friendliest and most docile of the brown egg layers, consider also Australorps, Buff Orpingtons, and Rhode Island Reds.

For green eggs you will find the breeds listed as Easter Eggers, Araucanas or Ameraucanas, and they are many times sold interchangeably. All of the breeds listed above will do well in any climate, and should do well in a small backyard setting.

By popular demand – here is a photo of Liberty’s Rocket from behind so the zig-zaggy tail coloration can be seen.

I little frizzy from swatting at flies – but isn’t it hilarious. Zig-zag-zig-zag…. hehehehehe

Angela <><

Well our paint mare finally had her foal and WOW! Was she ever worth the wait!!

This is only her second foal – a filly this time – and she is amazingly painted. Very unique markings. She was born late in the afternoon July 6th and these pictures were taken on the 8th.

As you can see she is everything a little paint filly should be….inquisitive, leggy and AMAZING.

See the unique coloration down her rear leg and around the throat?

Pretty spots!!

Angela <><

Here are some photos of the new baby filly we had – she was born Thursday, April 12th! Isn’t she super cute?

“Are you lookin’ at me?”

Eating time!

Not!

I did however manage to pick up a new one! **laughing** Yeah – my FIL is teasing me about it too. But to be fair – I gave her one of my horses and she gave me one of hers.

Her name is Chloe and she is one of the most beautiful mares I’ve seen in a long time – she is a gorgeous tri-color bay paint with minimal white markings. Chloe is more refined looking than a straight Quarter Horse – I think she must have Thoroughbred in her background and am working to track down her ancestry if possible.

We put her in with Rowdy today – our big medicine hat stud – I can only imagine how incredible their babies will look.

I think I’m in love.

I miss King but the truth is he will have a better life there. They manage a thousand acre ranch and by the end of the summer he will be herding cattle and riding fences all day long. We looked at the facility before we traded and he will be well-cared-for and spoiled rotten BUT will also be worked the way he deserves to. Chloe on the other hand has a minor ankle problem that they didn’t feel comfortable riding her hard or heavy with but in no way impairs her mobility or breeding potential. So on OUR ranch Chloe will be used for light pleasure riding and for breeding – which she definitely deserves but wouldn’t get where she was. A trade made in heaven.

Pictures will be posted as soon as I get them uploaded and have a chance to fiddle with them some.

Angela <><

Have you ever seen a picture that just makes you cry? I’ve been following the story of Baker Bean, a rescue horse, since one of the volunteers at the center first told me about him. He was so bad when he first came in he couldn’t get up to his feet on his own. He’s doing better now but it amazed me that someone could let a horse get this bad.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/76339/horses_that_capture_our_hearts.html

Especially when they found out later that there was enough hay in the barn to feed the horses for another year. They just weren’t being given any of it.

Heart breaking isn’t it how cruel people can be?

Angela <><

So, now that I live close enough to the England ranch to work with the horses, Sidney and I have taken in hand Evan’s little colt. He is now two years and will be three next year (horses are considered next year in age January 1st no matter when in the year they were born. That’s why race horses are bred to foal in January or February so they can have the most growth possible to race well in their age divisions….just a little FYI for ya’! *grin*) although he was actually born the end of March.

Anyway, here’s the link to a thread I started on a horse group with some pictures uploaded to it for all to see. Is he not the most beautiful thing!? http://www.johnlyons.com/dboard/showthread.php?t=9339

There is a mare born the year after he was that is full-blood sister to him who looks very similar.

Angela <><