This is only a page outline. We will be developing it as quickly as we can, since we are a new website and I wanted to get the page structure in place quickly.
Our homestead flocks page is devoted to our poultry. Currently we raise Embden and Pilgrim geese (previously have also raised Toulouse, Chinese, and Africans), mixed breeds of ducks (Indian Runner, Buff, Khaki Campbell), Muscovy ducks, and various breeds and mixes of chickens (Rhode Island reds, Barred Rocks, Silver-laced Wyandottes, Buff Orpingtons, our own black sex-links, Black Australorps, and Silkies). We have raised Guineafowl in the past but no longer do, and are looking into turkeys and quail for the future.
Our goals as a homestead are to produce flocks that are healthy and self-sustaining. We aim to raise our own babies, and to feed them naturally. Emphasis is placed on forage ability, broodiness, ability to raise babies. We aim for good egg-laying ability in our chickens and ducks especially, and are developing birds that lay well, producing eggs with large yolks. Utility for other purposes is important as well, producing meat, and serving as pest control as well as lawnmowers and even watchdogs (the geese provide lawn service and guard duty, LOL). (Article added: Goals of breeding homestead flock – chickens)
We feed as naturally as possible, using whole grains and sprouted grains, and growing a variety of feed. Our chickens are fed a wide variety of foods, since they eat practically anything (except onions). All of the poultry free-range on pasture and among other livestock. We have an interest in growing natural foods from the garden and other forage plants for our poultry.
As we develop them, we will include links to posts about all our poultry, including chickens, ducks, Muscovy, geese, guinea fowl. As well as opinions about turkeys, quail. For now you can read blog posts about our chickens, ducks, muscovies, and geese.
We will also include anecdotes, video, and photos of our own poultry, including:
Muscovy (2 drakes + 4 hens) tales of our muscovies and information on breeding, etc.
Ducks (drake + 5 hens) – duck breeding, photos, etc.
Geese (Pilgrims, The babies, Francesca, Playgirl, Boss, etc.) breeding information, feeding, etc.
Chickens (Red, Sgt. Rock, Randy, Rowdy, Hopalong Cassidy, Fidgit, Pearl, Rosie, Harlot, etc.) – photos, feeding, our plans for flock development and raising homestead chickens, sustainable chicken flock, raising your own chicks from within the flock.
Much more to come – as we are a relatively new website, we have a lot of developing to do. Please bookmark us and visit again, and if you are interested in any particular topic, feel free to leave a comment and we will do our best to address it first. (Updated June 28, 2012)
Thanks, you might not believe it, but we have been looking for information on these topics! I’ve spent all day looking for articles relating to them. I wish I had found you sooner, it would have helped me out. Have a great day!
Just started my own Eggsventure, and to help me out on this venture I applied for a mini grant from the Natwani Coalition which is part of the Hopi Foundation. With the small grant, I was able to purchase some the the supplies needed to build the run, and I am converting a storage shed into a coop. Gave my final report and presentation yesterday, and I have to say that I appreciate all the information and assistance that McMurray has given me through out this project. The chicks are doing well, and I now have a 3rd batch on order. The next batch, half will be given to my mother-in-law, who, sad to say, lost 17 of her chickens to dogs, this is part of the grant that we give back to the community . I also highly recommended you to all those who may be planning to get their own flock of chicks started. I have never made a run before, so pictures will be coming, and I am proud to say that I did at least 80% of it myself, a definite learning experience. Now I know why gloves and steel toed shoes are a must.
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Broward’s Morning Show:We think that feeding duck and geese might make them get too close to poelpe. This can be harmful because they might bite poelpe and spread disease.
As a matter of fact, if you HAND FEED geese you can cause them to become biters when they grow up. I always feed in their trays/bowls, or toss tidbits to them.
But as far as being bitten by ducks and geese and getting diseases … I never worry about that. There may be some diseases out there that can be gotten by being bitten by waterfowl, but I don’t know what they are, and I doubt mine would ever get such diseases. Waterfowl are extremely hardy against disease, and there are not many diseases that can spread from waterfowl to humans. Honestly, it’s just never a concern on any farm I’ve ever known.
Hey Erin,OMG, I just looked up some of those books on Amazon and we oreerdd one called Chick Days which tells you how to raise chickens which is a beginner’s guide to raising chickens from hatching to laying, plus we also oreerdd another book called Just In Case , which is a book that tells you what to have on hand, and how to survive should any kind of disaster (natural or man made) hit. It tells you how to survive without electricity, how to purify your own water, canning food, storing food using the food saver vacuum sealer (an appliance we have and I recommend everyone have one). I love the country life, but I am also very aware that the state of our economy is very fragile, and I think things are going to get worse before they begin to get better. So I hope nothing catastrophic hits us, but this book Just in Case really caught my interest. Plus I oreerdd two other books: one is called Dog Psalms , and Dog Psalms 2 . I started reading them in my vet’s office, and they are really cute and talk about how much dogs give to us humans. Dale was raised on a farm, so thankfully he knows a lot about the farm life. I was a suburban kid, so he took me out of the city life to the country, and I love it!
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Those are great ideas; I use two or three of them already, and I’m interested to learn more about how you protect your chicks from snakes while they are with the hen.
Thanks, I’ll try to get a pic posted in the next few days!
Hi my name is Johnny and i like your blog. It is very nice. The design is great!
This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I love seeing websites that understand the value of providing a quality resource for free. It is the old what goes around comes around routine.
Hi, Neat blog. There is a problem with your site in internet explorer, might test this… IE still is the market leader and a big component of other folks will pass over your wonderful writing because of this problem.
Unfortunately, my regular computer is down and I’m on a borrowed mac. I don’t want to install IE since it isn’t mine. I’ll try to get to a computer at the library to check it out, thanks for letting me know!