Double A Ranch

09/03/2026

07/28/2026

As much as I'd love to continue shipping hatching eggs, due to the weather at this time I won't continue to do so until temps back off a bit here in NWOK. We are scheduled for temps over 100*, with heat indices over 110* for the rest of this week.

Most of our birds have insulated coops, all have shade, get fresh water multiple times a day, and are currently receiving fermented feed to keep nutrition intake up. However, even though I'm collecting eggs 3+ times/day, the eggs feel very "warm" when I gather them. After bringing the eggs down to room temp (I've given up my dining room to eggs again, the egg house is too hot), when most eggs are cracked the yolk breaks and spreads rapidly throughout the white - which is a strong indication that fertility was damaged due to the heat... Not to mention what a rough ride in the back of a truck at 150* would do to them (even with insulation and a cold pack).

Imo, if I'm busting my butt to keep birds alive due to the heat, roosters probably aren't doing their job, hens aren't laying as well, and it's too hot to ship eggs! I don't want customers to waste money or time trying to hatch eggs that aren't at their optimum! I don't know about y'all, but we work hard for our money around here and like to get the most bang for our buck!

Thankfully, our temps are forecast to cool down a bit next week - some days the predicted high is only 90*! Assuming both the weather and the birds cooperate, we hope to resume shipping the second week of August. But, this is Oklahoma, the weather is nothing if not unpredictable!

(Early spring pullets are starting to come online laying. I'm super excited to see egg colors from some of our back crosses! Our standard and silver welsummer flocks as well as both opal and white legbar flocks will be expanded. Plus, there are some new breeds and unique crosses that should be available in late fall... Stay tuned!)

07/10/2026

A little surprise was waiting for me when I went out to water. I was happy to "rehome" her this morning!
I lost almost my entire Silverudd's flock to a c**n due to an auto door failure last week. (Which seems to be the internet chicken theme lately.) Then I lost a few of my "old ladies" randomly while free ranging in the day. Not gonna lie, I sat down and cried when I saw my last OG Australorp laying there. She was my original pink layer and a super sweet bird. (I also yelled vile promises to the c**n who did it.)
Evidently my LGDs were on an unapproved vacation. After a stern talking to, the dogs brought up a c**n yesterday morning, we caught a possum in a trap, and now this c**n. Hopefully we've either caught them all, they continue to find the traps, or the dogs earn their keep. Neither my pocketbook nor heart can handle much more of this.

07/07/2026

This is what it's all about! Sixth generation NW Oklahoma cattle ranchers in the making! These girls have helped feed, sort, count and move cattle since they were born. Today they helped select a few keeper heifers from the (almost) yearlings that are going to town next week - and they loved every minute of it!
Shawn Allen Teri Allen Morgan Leigh Gonzales Paul Gonzales

06/23/2026

Just a little history of Cattle population and beef prices!

The last time America had this few cattle, Harry Truman was president.

That's not a metaphor. According to a report from WHO-TV in Des Moines, the U.S. cattle inventory has now fallen to just over 86 million head — the lowest level since 1951. And if you've noticed your grocery bill feeling heavier every time you pick up a pack of ground beef, this is exactly why.

The average price of a pound of ground beef hit nearly $6.75 in May — roughly 75 cents more than the same time last year. That's not a small jump. Over a month of meals for a family, that adds up fast.

But here's what makes this story more complicated than just a price increase: the shortage didn't happen overnight, and it won't be fixed quickly either. According to the Iowa Cattlemen's Association, years of severe drought in western states combined with skyrocketing costs for fuel, fertilizer, equipment, and rising interest rates have made it increasingly difficult for ranchers to keep — let alone grow — their herds.

So the herd shrank. And shrank. Until it hit a 75-year low.

Craig Moss, president of the Iowa Cattlemen's Association, was direct about what comes next. "You're looking at 3 to 5 years before you start to see meaningful change," he said, "because the life cycle of cattle is so long." He described the current situation as "unprecedented times" for the market, noting that the cattle industry typically runs on a 10-year cycle — herd numbers fall, prices peak, producers expand, supply grows, prices drop. But right now, that rebuild is still years away.

And in the meantime? Fat cattle in Iowa were selling for around $4,000 per head last week — roughly three to four times higher than prices seen just a few years ago. That cost doesn't disappear. It moves down the chain, straight to the checkout line.

Industry leaders say consumers should expect higher beef prices to continue for the foreseeable future. The Iowa Cattlemen's Association is pushing for more flexibility in federal conservation programs to open up additional grazing land, hoping that could help ranchers gradually grow their numbers.

But gradually is the key word. There are no quick fixes here. And we're speaking in terms of years not months.

05/27/2026

I keep saying I'm going to downsize... But look what the ladies gave me tonight! First time to get that dark turquoise ombre egg at the bottom. (Legbar egg on the left and Shetlands hen egg on the right for color comparison.)

05/03/2026

Speckled egg Saturday! Can you guess the breeds? Which is your favorite?
You might have to zoom in on some, but I promise they all have speckles.
These and their siblings are ready to fly the coop on Monday! NPIP from NWOK.

05/02/2026

I'm so excited to get my first peahen eggs!! 🦚 I was literally singing "Hallelujah" in their run! My two little dogs (who always go with me to collect eggs) were looking at me like I'd finally completely cracked up! 🤠 Tbh, the LGDs were right there with them, and Smith and Wesson (my peacocks) even stopped eating their treats to give me a strange look, lol.
Anyway, these babies are either going in an incubator OR back under a broody hen in the next few days - hopefully with a few friends.
Once fertility has been verified I will have India blue Hatching eggs ufd.