Register’s Roost

06/13/2026

06/12/2026

Register’s Roost PSA:
The Pepper Paradox! 🌶️🐔

Hey chicken lovers! A couple of days ago, we talked about how much our girls love snacking on Cayenne and Tabasco🌶️(and how great it is for them!). But there is a huge, important catch you need to know: **while the peppers are a total superfood, the leaves 🍃 and plants 🪴 themselves are dangerous!**
Peppers belong to the **Solanaceae (nightshade) family**. This means the green leaves, stems, and vines contain a natural toxin called **solanine**.
Here is what you need to keep in mind to keep your flock safe:
* **The Fruit is Safe:** The actual peppers (and seeds) are 100% safe, healthy, and a fantastic treat for your hens.
* **The Plant is Not:** The green leaves, stalks, and unripened green peppers contain solanine, which can be highly toxic to chickens if consumed in large quantities.
Trust Their Instincts (But Stay Safe):Generally, chickens are pretty smart and will avoid nightshade leaves because they taste bitter. However, if they are bored or forage is scarce, they might take a peck.
**Roost Tip** When clearing out your summer pepper gardens or pruning your bushes, make sure those garden scraps go into the compost bin, *not* the chicken run!
Keep those fiery treats coming, but keep the green waste out of reach!
Stay safe and Happy Farming— The Register’s Roost Family 🐓✨

06/12/2026

👩‍🌾 What’s in the the Garden at Register’s Roost! 🌾

Summer gardening is in full swing, and I wanted to give you a quick walkthrough of two exciting things we are growing.

Turn your sound on 🔊 to hear a bit about our heirloom Black Beauty Eggplants and Luffas (yes, they grow on a vine, not in the ocean! 🤯).

Drop a comment and let me know what’s growing in your garden right now! 👇

06/11/2026

**🌿 Morning Salad Upgrade at Register’s Roost! 🐔✨**
If you peeked into the coop this morning, you might have caught a whiff of something incredibly fresh! Today, the girls got a special addition to their morning breakfast salad: freshly picked, finely chopped garden mint.
Aside from being an absolute crowd-pleaser (they devoured it!), mint packs some incredible health benefits for our flock:
* **Natural Cooling:** With the Florida summer heat settling in, mint acts as a natural cooling agent to help the hens lower their body temperature and stay comfortable.
* **Respiratory Support:** It contains menthol, which helps keep their respiratory systems clean and clear.
* **Egg-cellent Health:** Mint is loaded with antioxidants and vitamins that support overall wellness and vibrant, healthy egg production.
* **Coop Freshness:** As a bonus, it acts as a natural insect repellent, helping keep pesky bugs away from the flock!
Swipe to see today's fresh harvest and the girls enjoying their gourmet breakfast! 👩‍🌾👇

06/10/2026

✨ **Register’s Roost: Native, and Always Growing!** ✨
At Register’s Roost, our roots are firmly planted in native Florida flora. We are passionate about companion planting, supporting our local pollinators, and maintaining a sustainable ecosystem.
Our established butterfly and hummingbird gardens are already buzzing, but we’re thrilled to introduce six incredible new native additions to the mix! Take a look at what we just added to the homestead:
1️⃣ **Poeppig's Rosemallow (*Hibiscus poeppigii*):** This "Fairy Hibiscus" has showy red flowers, and we can’t wait to see the hummingbirds it attracts!
2️⃣ **Pink Tropical Sage (*Salvia coccinea*):** The ultimate "hummingbird and butterfly central." It self-seeds readily, so we are excited for it to establish a patch!
3️⃣ **Stokes Aster (*Stokesia laevis*):** Stunning purple-blue flowers! This real eye-catcher blooms in the summer, perfectly bridging the gap for our pollinators.
4️⃣ **Bee Balm / Horsemint (*Monarda punctata*):** With its unique pink bracts and spotted flowers, this plant has a reputation. We are planting this to keep the conversation humming with local bees!
5️⃣ **Darrow's Blueberry (*Vaccinium darrowii*):** Yes, blueberries can be native! This low-growing evergreen shrub will have coral-colored flowers in spring, but we’re all about the wildlife-friendly berries that follow!
6️⃣ **American Beautyberry (*Callicarpa americana*):** A absolute staple for Florida wildlife! It features clusters of striking magenta berries that wrap around the stems in late summer and fall, offering a vital food source for local birds.
Great selection of Native plants from Springer Environmental Services Inc
**Why Plant Native?** It's simple. Native plants are perfectly adapted to our unique climate, require less maintenance once established, and provide the precise food and shelter that our local birds, bees, and butterflies need to thrive.
Drop your favorite Florida native plant in the comments below!👇

06/09/2026

🌿🐞 From Garden Bodyguard to Kitchen Counter:
The Lifecycle of Dill at Register’s Roost! 🌾🍲
If you’ve ever wondered why we let our dill completely bolt and go to seed, here is a peek into how a single plant works overtime for the homestead.
Phase 1: The Ultimate Garden Landing Pad (Pics 1 & 2)
Take a close look at that first shot—that’s a ladybug tucked right into a blooming dill umbel (the umbrella-shaped flower head).
Many of our absolute best garden allies—like ladybugs, hoverflies, and lacewings—have very short, delicate mouthparts. They can’t feed on deep, tubular flowers. Dill’s wide, flat, open architecture acts like a giant landing pad and open buffet.
Even better, it signals to adult predators that it's a safe, food-rich place to lay eggs. When the larvae hatch, they immediately get to work devouring aphids, thrips, and caterpillars across the entire garden!
Phase 2: The Homestead Harvest (Pic 3)
Once the flowers fade and the seeds turn brown and dry, the magic moves indoors. We just brought in this beautiful batch of freshly collected dill seeds!
Now that they're harvested, here is how we'll be putting them to use:
🥒 In the Canner: Dropping a whole seed head or two into jars of homegrown pickles.
🔥 In the Fermenting Crock: Adding a handful to our next batch of fire cider or fermented garlic veggies for an incredible layer of savory flavor.
🍞 In the Sourdough: Folding a tablespoon of seeds and dried onions into our sourdough loaves for a classic, aromatic "dill pickle" style crust.
🍵 In the Teacup: Lightly crushing a teaspoon of seeds for a warm, digestive herbal tea invocation.
💡 Quick Homestead Tip: If you're growing dill, always leave a few stalks standing to completely mature and drop their own seed. It guarantees a rolling, permanent population of natural pest control for seasons to come!
How do you use dill in your kitchen? Drop your favorite recipes or your own garden photos below! 👇

06/09/2026

The Secret Behind Register’s Roost's Vibrant Orange Yolks 🥚✨

Think your hens just want standard scratch? Today at Register’s Roost, we’re breaking down why this powerhouse trio of kale, blueberries, and Tabasco and Cayenne peppers keeps our flock healthy, hydrated, and laying the most beautiful eggs in town.

Curly leaf kale is a powerhouse of a treat for chickens. It is packed with essential vitamins and minerals that boost flock health, especially during the peak summer laying season.
1. Richer, Darker Egg Yolks
Kale is incredibly high in **xanthophylls** (natural carotenoid pigments). When your hens digest these pigments, they are transferred directly to the egg yolks, turning them a deep, vibrant orange-yellow.
2. High Calcium for Strong Eggshells
Egg production demands a massive amount of calcium. Curly kale is one of the best leafy green sources of calcium available, helping to support strong, sturdy eggshells.
3. Immune System & Molting Support
Curly kale is loaded with vital nutrients that keep a flock resilient:
* **Vitamin K:** Crucial for healthy blood clotting and bone development.
* **Vitamin A:** Supports respiratory and reproductive health, as well as clear vision.
* **Vitamin C & Antioxidants:** Helps hens cope with environmental stressors, particularly high summer heat.
* **Amino Acids (Protein):** While low overall, the amino acid profile in kale helps support feather regrowth when birds go into a molt.


Just like kale, blueberries are an absolute premium treat for chickens. Our ladies lose their minds with excitement, when I open a pint of blueberries in their run.

High-Octane Antioxidant Boost
Blueberries are famous for being packed with anthocyanins (the pigments that give them their deep blue color). For chickens, these antioxidants work hard to combat oxidative stress, reduce cellular damage, and keep the immune system firing on all cylinders. This makes them particularly excellent for helping birds fight off common respiratory bugs.
2. Summer Heat Stress Management
Chickens don't sweat and can struggle terribly in high summer temperatures (like a typical humid Florida afternoon). Blueberries have a high water content (around 85%), making them an excellent tool for hydration. The combination of hydration, natural vitamins, and antioxidants helps lower a hen's core stress levels when she’s panting through a hot day.
3. Clear Vision and Eye Health
The vitamins and carotenoids in blueberries support sharp eyesight. Good vision is critical for a backyard flock—it keeps them alert to potential predators, helps them forage efficiently, and allows them to navigate their environment safely.
4. Better Feather Quality & Quick Molting
Blueberries are loaded with Vitamins C, K, and B6, along with essential minerals like manganese. While chickens synthesize their own Vitamin C, an extra boost during times of physical stress—such as the annual autumn molt—helps them synthesize protein more efficiently to grow back glossy, strong, protective new feathers.

Tobasco and Cayenne Peppers Benefits:
1. Maximum Parasite & Worm Defense
The higher concentration of capsaicin in Tabasco peppers makes them an exceptional natural dewormer. While it doesn't bother the chickens' digestive tracts at all, it creates a highly hostile environment for internal parasites, roundworms, and tapeworms, helping to keep your flock clean naturally.
2. Ultra-Bright Orange Egg Yolks

Tabasco and Cayenne peppers turn a brilliant, deep red when fully ripe because they are loaded with carotenoids and beta-carotene. When your hens digest these intense pigments, they are deposited directly into the egg yolks, resulting in a gorgeous, vibrant, rich orange color that looks beautiful on the breakfast table.