The Huntley Homestead

The Huntley Homestead A journey back to sustainability and self sufficiency.

We have future family milk cows, alpine goats, heritage chickens, heritage sweetgrass turkeys, honey bees & we make and preserve natural products.

BCM test batch is set. ✔️
02/07/2026

BCM test batch is set. ✔️

Yesterday’s egg collection was picture worthy. I used one of my favorite pair of bibs for the backdrop. 😂 Is anyone else...
02/06/2026

Yesterday’s egg collection was picture worthy. I used one of my favorite pair of bibs for the backdrop. 😂 Is anyone else a fan of Duluth bib overalls?

Here’s a tough part of farm life…predators‼️ I found one of my beautiful splash Ameraucana’s dead this morning inside th...
02/02/2026

Here’s a tough part of farm life…predators‼️ I found one of my beautiful splash Ameraucana’s dead this morning inside the coop with clear signs of a weasel attack. How do I know? Because I had a weasel take out half of my flock last winter before we finally outsmarted it and caught it. I had never seen a weasel before that and now we have another a year later. Weasel’s feed on blood by biting the head or neck and leaving the dead bird behind. They can get in through small cracks, even through chicken wire. We currently have two live traps set and the pictured trap below that my 12-year-old son made today out of scrap wood with tuna as bait. Now, we wait…

I highly recommend this book if you’re new to dairy cows and you’re thinking about getting one. There is also a, “keepin...
01/31/2026

I highly recommend this book if you’re new to dairy cows and you’re thinking about getting one. There is also a, “keeping a family cow” private group here on fb. There’s tons of good information in the book and lots of experienced people willing to share tips and advice in the group.

A pretty mixed dozen from the weekly collection.
01/29/2026

A pretty mixed dozen from the weekly collection.

They have fancy pads in their nesting boxes but the ladies have decided to shake things up a bit. Fresh straw in pens = ...
01/27/2026

They have fancy pads in their nesting boxes but the ladies have decided to shake things up a bit. Fresh straw in pens = egg hide and seek.

Black Copper Marans originate from the port town of Marans, France and are best known for their dark, chocolate-colored ...
01/24/2026

Black Copper Marans originate from the port town of Marans, France and are best known for their dark, chocolate-colored eggs. They are also a great dual purpose breed. The BCM roosters were heavier than some of the American Bresse roosters at processing time last year.
An important note: Black Copper Marans eggs naturally lighten in color throughout the laying season as the brown pigment coating wears thin or the ink runs low, usually starting darkest and fading as the hen approaches her annual molt. Eggs will return to their darkest shade after a rest period. My hens have aready been laying for several months.
I built my tiny but mighty Black Copper Marans flock by hatching eggs from Double Diamond Farms.

Welsummer eggs have become my favorite eggs to gather. Some of my pullets recently started to lay but their eggs are sta...
01/23/2026

Welsummer eggs have become my favorite eggs to gather. Some of my pullets recently started to lay but their eggs are starting to darken up into that terracotta, warm and earthy color that the Welsummer hen is known for. Who doesn’t love a good speckled egg?!
I built my little Welsummer flock by hatching eggs from Simply Feathered Acres, Webbed Foot Farm and Goats&WattNot.

Our blue eggs are gathered from our beautiful blue, black and splash Ameraucana flock. It’s definitely hard to get an ac...
01/23/2026

Our blue eggs are gathered from our beautiful blue, black and splash Ameraucana flock. It’s definitely hard to get an accurate picture of a blue egg. They are not as bright of a blue as they look in the basket or maybe they are depending on the lighting. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Ameraucana chicks are the cutest little fluff balls. 🙂

Ameraucana chickens are a hardy, docile, best known for laying about 200 medium-sized blue eggs per year. Developed in the U.S. in the 1970s, they feature pea combs, muffs, beards, and clean slate-blue legs. They are medium-sized chicken breed.

Key Characteristics and Details:

Appearance: They have a distinct "chipmunk" face due to muffs and beard, and they hold their tails upright.

Colors: Recognized APA colors include black, blue, blue wheaten, brown red, buff, silver, wheaten, and white. Splash is also common.

Temperament: Known to be gentle, friendly, and calm, making them excellent for backyard flocks.

Hardiness: They are cold-hardy due to their dense feathers and small pea combs, which resist frostbite.

Egg Details: They lay consistently, but some lines may decrease production in winter. Their eggs are blue and they breed true.

Distinction: They are often confused with "Easter Eggers Americanas” or Araucanas, but are a separate, distinct breed.

Caught a glimpse of the northern lights last night. 🤍
01/20/2026

Caught a glimpse of the northern lights last night. 🤍

I made a small trial batch of frostbite prevention/healing salve for my American Bresse rooster’s comb and wattles this ...
01/19/2026

I made a small trial batch of frostbite prevention/healing salve for my American Bresse rooster’s comb and wattles this morning. He was free ranging with the cows until I got him in the coop with the American Bresse hens. The hens started pecking at the frostbite on his comb and wattles and he’s so nice he just allowed it to continue. Now he looks a mess in quarantine until he heals. This salve contains beeswax, plantain and jewelweed infused oils, pine resin, frankincense and tea tree eo and I’m hoping it will speed up the healing process. 🤞

Rendering my own tallow is something I tried for the first time in 2025. It is a simple process but it can take days. Th...
01/18/2026

Rendering my own tallow is something I tried for the first time in 2025. It is a simple process but it can take days. This tallow is from venison fat. It was wet rendered twice and then melted back down to pour into the jars for storage. I’ll be using this venison tallow this year to make my personal whipped tallow and infused healing creams for my family.

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Burt Road
Brant, MI
48614

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