2024 Breeding Groups:
These were the groups we had in 2024.
1. Autosexing - Welbars, Legbars & Bielefelders
(Pure hens x pure roosters = either will be pure or mixed but still autosexing)
2. Blue & Black Copper Marans
(BCM, plus Legbar & Green/Olive hens x BCM rooster = pure Marans & Olive Eggers)
3. Olive, Green & Blue Eggers
(BCM, Welsummer, Brown Leghorn, olive & green egg mixes, Legbar hens
x Olive/Green rooster)
4. Wyandottes & "Laced" Mixes
(Blue Laced Red Barnevelder hens, BLRW, GLW & SLW hens x BLRW rooster)
5. "Mottled" group
(Speckled Sussex, Swedish Flower Hen, Russian Orloff x SS and/or Orloff Rooster)
6. Bantam group
(Seabrights, D'uccle, 1/4 Silkie mix, bantam mixes x D'uccle or mixed roosters)
7. Eggmobile group = Catskill Homesteaders / barnyard mixes (including some pure hens, such as Buff Orpington, Buckeye, Sapphire Olive Egger, Brown Leghorn, Buff & Partridge Chantecler and whatever hens don't put in the other breeding groups)
OUR STYLE OF "FREE RANGE" / "PASTURED" CHICKENS
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Year-Round Outdoor Access
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"Eggmobile" moveable coop on wagon frame
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Rotational Electronet Paddocks Containing Fresh Green Forage (Spring - Fall)
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During Winter or depending on location of "paddock", free to Scratch & Forage in Compost Piles or areas where larger livestock have been, leaving hay, leaves, manure behind
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Free to Run, Flap their Wings & Even Fly!
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Lay Eggs in Nesting Boxes or wherever they choose!
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Broody Hens Welcomed & Encouraged to Raise Chicks
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Protected by Guard Geese
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Breeding Groups are in separate coops with electronet fencing which are periodically moved during spring through fall.
OUR STYLE OF FEEDING CHICKENS
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Age-Appropriate Commerical Feed (Starter, Grower, Layer, etc)
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Food Scraps from our household & a few other sources
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During "gardening season", we feed weeds, garden produce that's not usable, and anything that's nutritious and edible for the chickens.
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For several years, we Fermented Feed, Soaked Whole Grains + Supplements*
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Due to our large flock size & lack of man-power, unfortunately we've had to stop fermenting feed, but definitely recommend it. We hope to eventually return to fermenting feed.
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We have grown fodder (2013-2014), but don't currently. The biggest hurdle was finding a reliable source of whole grains suitable for sprouting.
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We tried growing meal worms in 2014, but due to moving & grain mites, had to stop.
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We would love to feed only GMO-free or Organic feed, but due to lack of demand & 3x the cost to buy such feed, we have chosen to promote health and nutrition in other avenues.
