looking toward spring

It may only be the end of December, but farm planning for next spring is already in full swing. Did you get your Burpee’s catalog in today’s mail?

To try to better keep up with demand for baby chicks, I’ve ordered a second incubator. I’m very excited to offer outstanding heritage and rare breed birds this year – farm-proven robust birds at an affordable price. My birds aren’t only beautiful and productive, they’re a link in the chain back to our forefathers and foremothers who did what needed doing instead of waiting for permission from Uncle Sam to lead their lives. Rebel birds? Well, you know how I feel about homesteading and self-reliance, so I’ll skip the soapbox (this time).

I’ll fire up the incubators on March 1st, with a hatch-date of March 28th and I suggest that if you know what you want, you contact me to ensure you get the chicks you want, when you want them. As last year, it’s first-come, first-served, and unless otherwise noted, the birds are straight run (unsexed). I’ll be offering the following breeds (and please note that there will only be purebreds this year – no mixed breeds). These birds are proven layers with the roosters making outstanding meals through the winter. Most of my birds are on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy list or on the Ark of Taste.

Ameraucana: I have Blue and Black Ameracaunas. They are fluffy, regal-looking birds that lay a small to medium sized blue egg. Their beards and muffs protect them from cold wind and frigid temps, and their pea combs do not get frostbitten in winter. They are a bird that, in my opinion, has a lot of personality for a chicken. If you have a small flock and spend time with them, they’ll become very tame and even learn tricks. In larger flocks, they tend to be loners – sort of the James Dean of chickens. Hens weigh out at about 5 1/2 lbs and roos at about 6 1/2 lbs. The roosters are tall and appear larger than they actually are. They dress out very nicely and make a small but tasty roaster.

Ancona: I have too few of these to offer them this year, but I hope to increase my breeding stock to offer them next year. They are a smaller Mediterranean breed with mottled black and white plumage and very large combs. Their smaller size and larger comb makes them a little less ideal for this climate (heavier birds with compact combs stand the cold better), but their more skittish nature makes them a great addition to a free-range flock because they alert the other birds if danger is present – thus saving you from heavy predation losses. They also lay plenty of large, white eggs.

Barnevelder: It was quite an effort to get these Dutch birds into my flock, but worth the effort. These are a great dual-purpose bird – they lay plenty of eggs, but are meaty enough to dress out to a respectable roaster as well. The birds’ glossy dark brown plumage is both old-fashioned and very pretty. Our stock is double-laced, meaning that the hens have a dark-light-dark V-shaped pattern on their feathers. The roosters are a dark brown that is nearly black, with lighter brown wingtip. Because of this color difference, sexing is possible once the chicks have “feathered out”.

Barred Rock: Always a New England favorite, no flock is really complete until you have a couple of Plymouth Barred Rocks. They are an outstanding dual-purpose bird and they have the added bonus of maturing faster than some of the other heritage and rare breeds. Barred Rock pullets are often laying by 20 weeks, and they lay eggs no matter what! I love my Barred Rocks. My roosters have all been docile despite their considerable size and are a stunning sight to see as they strut their stuff in the barnyard.

Blue Lace Red Wyandottes: Another great dual-purpose bird, the BLRW has a rose comb that eliminate frostbite as a worry. The hens are good mothers, the roosters are outstanding protectors of the flock, and the birds are docile and calm. They love to free range, and their coloration gives them good protection in most settings. This was my first breed of chicken, and I love them as much now as I did when I first got them.

Delaware: A fabulous American breed that matures quickly and reaches impressive size. And once the pullets have the hang of laying, they lay whopping big brown eggs with regularity. They’ve been described as gentle giants, and I would agree. I love their calm dispositions and beautiful plumage, and appreciate the fact that the pullets start laying early while the roosters mature quickly enough to attend freezer camp before I’ve spent too much in food on them.

Maran: I have the French, feather-legged strain of Blue Copper and Black Copper Marans. They are absolutely gorgeous birds and they lay incredibly dark brown eggs all the time. I’m amazed by what productive layers they are. They take a little longer to mature than the Delawares and Barred Rocks but they are well worth the wait. They’re a great dual purpose bird and once the pullets have a bit of age on them, their egg size increases to fit the ‘extra large’ rating.

Welsummer: A striking Dutch breed of chicken that always gets comments when people visit the barnyard. The roosters look like storybook roosters with their stunning coloration. Those big combs are a bother in the wintertime, but the occassional touch of frostbite doesn’t seem to bother them at all. These chicks can be sexed when they hatch with 100% accuracy due to differing coloration between males and females. They lay a good-sized egg that’s very dark brown. They’re a gentle, friendly breed of chicken.

As last year, I’ll be offering Guinea fowl when the Guinea hens start their laying season. That’s not something I have any control over, but we did enjoy a long laying season last year. Guinea fowl are amazing tick-eaters – since we got our first guineas, we have not found a single tick on our property. They are also amazing guards, and will notify you of anything out-of-the-ordinary happening around the barnyard. Unfortunately, they go through a phase (I call it their teen years, LOL) when they set off an alarm for anything … and for this reason, I do not recommend Guinea fowl to anyone with neighbors very close by. When Guineas are laying, they lay an egg every day and although the eggs are small, they’re tasty. I recommend that young Guineas have their wings clipped for their first half year, and if possible, they’re kept in a netted enclosure to prevent them from straying. Adult guineas will not budge from their home site, which is why you should never purchase an adult – it will simply try to fly home. I would not have a flock of chickens without at least a pair of Guineas to warn me of danger. Our original pair possess the recessive gene to provide a wide array of colors in their offspring, ranging from white to nearly black.

I’ll also be offering ducklings this year, thanks to our prolific Pekin ducks. Pekins are an exception on the farm – they are not endangered, nor is there anything really special about this breed. But they lay a very large egg every single day, and young Pekins will dress out at about 6 pounds when only 9 weeks old.

I held out for two years to wait for the breed of geese I wanted: Pilgrims. They are on the ALBC critical list, so they are very difficult to find. I hope my breeding trio will be prolific. These wonderful animals act as guards for the rest of my flock, fearlessly driving off strange animals and even people; yet they are friendly and curious with the people they know. Pilgrims are not an aggressive breed of geese. They are also smaller than many other breeds, weighing in at about 14 pounds when fully grown. Newly hatched males and females differ in color, making instant sexing possible.

When our triplets were born in October, it was a surprise to all of us, but we can’t imagine being without our Nigerian Dwarf goats. A small goat that is friendly and curious, the Nigerian Dwarf produces an amazingly rich, creamy milk that’s ideal for culinary use as well as for use in soaps and beauty products. They make great homestead animals and are fantastic to have simply as pets. We hope to have a barnful of bouncing, bleating kids this spring.

And lastly, I’m delighted to have a breeding trio of rare Silver Fox rabbits. These wonderful animals are in critical status and I hope to do my part in restoring their numbers. My does and buck are show-quality animals, and their babies will make excellent pets, show animals, or meat animals. Silver fox rabbits are docile, calm, and incredibly beautiful. The does make excellent mothers and weigh in at around 12 pounds when full grown. The bucks are slightly smaller, and just as easy to handle as the females. I love ours, and can hardly wait for our first litters!