2024 Breeding Groups:
We don't yet have the breeding coops set up, but are making plans to hopefully start offering these breeds and mixes 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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Some of our Breeding Groups are in separate coops or structures, but the goal is to have them be able to be "pastured" or stationary and turning compost piles.
OUR STYLE OF FEEDING CHICKENS
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Free-Choice 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), and hope to modify the system to be more user-friendly, plus find 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.
