Smoky Buttes Ranch

05/29/2017

Tomorrow is a big day! My first hatch of Faverolles chicks (about 120) will be 16 weeks old. That is when we make our preliminary selection for next season's breeders. Everyone gets weighed and those that pass that test get additional evaluation/scoring. The winners get kept, the others start eating heavy, preparing for freezer camp.

05/17/2017

05/17/2017

We had 17 - poultry interested 4-H'ers - show up for a farm tour and Heritage Poultry talk on Saturday morning. It was a great time with a great group of kids.

04/12/2017

Just transitioning out of the winter greenhouse garden to outdoor gardening. Cleaning up the last of the Spinach and Kale crop. Getting ready for asparagus!

02/23/2017

Here are some Erminette chicks from my second hatch. Quite a bit of color variation in this pen. You can see white, black and blue. Hatched 120 total from 3 pens.

02/11/2017

Just hatched the first batch of chicks of the season. 175 Salmon & Mahogany Faverolles. Set 291 eggs, hatched 175 chicks. The chicks are 4 days old in the pics. Eating and growing strong!

01/19/2017

The Soay's are pretty much at home in the snow

12/11/2016

I learned a new technique for preparing heritage chicken. It is called 'spatchcocking", yes that's a real word! It involves cutting out the backbone, allowing you to flatten out the bird for more even cooking. Actually makes for great presentation. Did this one with some lemon/basil butter rubbed under the skin. It tasted fantastic!

12/03/2016

The ranch grows some wild livestock as well.

11/27/2016

Thor, the youngest member of the Guardian Crew is really growing up. Will be a year old next month.

10/03/2016

Attention Poultry Friends!
Here is your chance!
Good Morning Poultry Friends,

For the next ten days you can save money when you register NOW for the 2016 National Conference of the Sustainable Poultry Network USA!

October special only available from October 1-10, 2016!

We are very excited to invite you to our 2016 SPN-USA National Conference. It will be in Asheville, North Carolina - November 10-13, 2016. Thursday and Friday, (the 10th and 11th) will be pre-conference and then the conference will take place on Saturday and Sunday. It is going to be an awesome event! Don't miss this one of a kind poultry training event!

A FEW HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE

Favorite Instructors Returning: Including Jim Adkins, Jeff Mattocks, Kenny Troiano, Pat Foreman, Mike Badger.

New Expert Instructors: Harvey Ussery of the The Small-Scale Poultry Flock, Grady Phelan of Cobb Creek Farm and more.

Veterinarians: Not just one, but both Dr. Mark Bland and Dr. Micaela Collins will be teaching a whole series of classes that relate to us as breeders and growers of standard-bred birds!

Large Scale Pastured Poultry Workshop: A two-day workshop led by Mike Badger and Grady Phelan (and many other instructors), aimed at anyone interested in raising birds commercially in a manner we can be proud of. So if you are courting any growers, make sure to let them know!

HERE IS WHAT YOU CAN SAVE:

SAVE $35 if you attend the entire conference; including the pre-conference. (Thursday - Sunday)
SAVE $25 if you attend the main conference. (Saturday & Sunday)
SAVE $15 for the Large Scale Pastured Poultry Workshop. (Thursday & Friday)
SAVE $10 for the Backyard Poultry Workshop. (Saturday only)

(Disounts will show up when filling out the form for a limited time: now through October 10th!)

Listen folks, there is no conference like this anywhere in the USA! If you are interested in starting a small flock in the backyard, a small farm poultry business, wanting to learn how to breed, grow or market poultry products - this spectacular training event is for you!

I can't wait to see you in November!
Jim Adkins
President/Founder
SPN-USA




Visit the Sustainable Poultry Network–USA website @ www.spnUSA.com

05/16/2016

Lambing is complete! Ended up with 32 lambs from 29 ewes. 19 of the babies are ewes, 13 rams. Here are a few pics to enjoy..