My Little Egg Farm

01/15/2024

While not an actual picture of Andres, he looks much like this lately after tending the chickens (as did I when I took on the task this afternoon).

Extreme cold temperatures add much work to keeping the chickens cozy. Water, once drawn from the barn, is now hauled from the house. The heated waterer must be checked for malfunction often. This plastic shower curtain liners, which keep drafts out of the openings, must be removed before entering the coop and re-secured when leaving. Heat lamps are carefully hung near roosts, a radiant coop heater is placed under nesting boxes to keep eggs from freezing. Birds are given pumpkins & other enrichment treats to prevent boredom and stress since they are not allowed out in the cold.

We are all looking forward to spring!

12/25/2023

From our nest to yours, have a very Merry Christmas.

05/07/2023

Just Swingin' with a Chicken

While all of our chickens are more than livestock to us, this little hen has a special place in our hearts. Here is her story:

Forrest arrived at the post office on June 15, 2022 as a two day old Plymouth Barred Rock chick. She was ordered from a hatchery, and shipped with her "friends" on the day she hatched. Upon arrival, she was much smaller and weaker than the others. She had to be syringe fed for her first 3 days. There was clearly something "different" about her. The other chicks would scatter when we reached into the brooder. She would not move, as if she didn't see us. She is not blind, although we thought she was at first. She was dumber than a rock, not really finding her food purposely. She would stumble on it, and peck it, but much of the time, she missed what she was aiming for. This is why we named her Forrest, after Forrest Gump. While she was gaining weight and growing, she was still much smaller than her friends. We hand fed her much of the time, making sure to give her extra protein. Eventually, she was doing well enough to eat on her own. Thankfully, none of the other chicks ever bullied her, which is often the case when there is a smaller, weaker chick in the flock.

Soon, it was time to move all the chicks to the barn and begin training them to move to and from the chicken tractor. This meant that they were fed twice per day, and were able to forage for themselves between feedings. They needed to learn to associate us with food. With 22 "siblings," it was difficult for her to get a "spot at the table,” so I would pick her up and hand feed her while the others ate their fill. She seemed to appreciate the gesture enough to expect it.

Now, Forrest is full grown, and still smaller than her other two barred rock sisters of the same age. She is still "special" in more ways than one. Her name still fits her, but she now holds her own in the flock. She is a fantastic layer--nearly 1 egg per day, and her eggs are large--just as large as everyone else!

For those of you that wonder, it's fun to swing with a chicken.

04/20/2023

Look at the size difference - chicken eggs vs. guinea eggs! If you haven’t seen guinea keets before, they sure are tiny and super cute!💕

03/30/2023

That’s one big egg and we ain’t yolkin’!

03/09/2023

Packaging Day! Our eggs are hand gathered and hand packaged. Each carton contains fun messages to bring a smile to your day!

02/22/2023

These taste as fantastic as they are beautiful! Eat fresh and buy local. PM me for details!

02/14/2023

Every day is Fry-day at My Little Egg Farm!

01/28/2023

Breakfast time at My Little Egg My Little Egg Farm! Leftover pancakes and Honest Os (Organic Cheerios). Yum!

01/22/2023

We got our chicks in early June and saw our first egg on October 30th. By the time she starts laying, you have now invested about $50 worth of feed in that $4 chick. Suddenly, those eggs aren’t such a bad deal after all.

We love what we do, so let us and our girls do that work for you! PM me for fresh eggs.

As baby chick season approaches and the price of eggs keep rising, I’m sure a lot of people are tempted to raise chickens themselves. Before people flock (no pun intended 🤣) to their local farm store and start buying all the baby chicks please consider the following 10 fun facts….

1. Most hens do not start laying eggs until 18-22 weeks of age (that’s about 5 months give or take)

2. For the first few weeks of their lives baby chickens need to be kept at a temperature of around 95 degrees Fahrenheit

3. Chicks need to eat…SURPRISE! And like the price of everything else chicken feed has went up. A 50lb bag of layer is over $20.

4. Chickens molt…what does that mean? Your chicken will become ugly and stop laying eggs for a period of time.

5. Chickens don’t lay as many eggs in the winter months.

6. The average lifespan of a chicken is 5-10 years.

7. Predators such as foxes, coyotes, neighbor’s dogs and even raccoons will hunt your chickens.

8. Chickens will p**p EVERYWHERE and I mean everywhere so be prepared to clean their pen often or if they are free range be sure to check your step or look before you sit.

9. Chickens love to dig holes and destroy bedding around flowers in the yard, good luck keeping them from doing so.

10. Chickens can get medical issues just like any other animal.

I’m not trying to discourage anyone from raising their own food in fact I think it’s great. However chickens are animals, animals that require attention and proper care.

So while I get that you don’t want to spend $7 on a dozen eggs double think your decision before you go gung ho on being a chicken farmer. Just do your research, it’s not like getting a fish 🤦🏼‍♀️

Sincerely,
A fellow chicken owner

01/17/2023

Save money, eat healthy, and support a local farm all at the same time! Our cage free eggs are cheaper and healthier than those in our local grocery store. PM me for details!