Back in the 90’s, I saw the Indigo Girls live several times. I knew and loved almost all of their songs, a glaring exception being one that they insisted on jamming out to for an extended version at every concert. I’m not sure exactly what it was about “Chicken Man” that rubbed me the wrong way. But fast forward a couple decades…
Read moreMath — It’s What’s for Dinner
People who have the misfortune of spending a lot of time with me know that I have a slight tendency to talk about chickens. One person even went so far as to call me an expert. Flattering, yes, but I don’t expect there are enough years left for me on this rock to truly attain expert status.
Read moreThe Hard Decisions
Let’s start with the obvious: farming is not easy. Sometimes the heartaches come from Mother Nature— weather or wildlife ruining a crop or killing an animal. But then there are times where we have to make difficult decisions of our own.
Read moreBe Careful What You Wish For
Last year I was doing a little tractor work for a friend and had to stop in my tracks several times for mother hens and their chicks. To the owner’s frustration, two free-range hens decided to sneak off and hatch out clutches of fluffy cuteness. It was a welcome intermission to a dusty job, and I found myself growing envious of their self-sufficiently reproductive chickens. Thou shalt not covet they neighbors chickens!
Read moreThe Measure of a Man
Not that any week on the farm is a slice of pie, but last week lobbed us problems and concerns from multiple directions. Bryon faced the main challenges head on, and we’re relieved to be on the other side.
Read moreDo the Fun
Sometimes you just have to take a break from what you normally do and do something else.
Read moreRain on the Parade
These days I haven’t felt much like writing, or anything else for that matter.
Read moreA Word About Eggs
Not that long ago, I was drowning in eggs. Each daily gathering would overwhelm, watching them pile up faster than I could sell or use them... despite lots of creativity in the kitchen. Now, my problem is reversed—not enough eggs to fill orders for my regular customers.
Read moreThe Birds and the Bees
There’s tired, and there’s “can’t do another dang thing” tired. We just experienced our craziest week at Star & Sparrow, other than the first real snow, and it left me begging for mercy. Mostly, it all boiled down to birds and bees.
Read moreThe Untold Dangers of Poultry Keeping
Before we became bird herders, Bryon and I expected hard work and complications, many of which have come to pass. Trudging through nasty weather to complete chores, sickness and death, bad temperaments (rest in peace, Merle). But there was one problem I didn’t fully consider…
Read moreMystery Eggs and the Quest for Butter’s Color
Last month we posed a question to our readers: what would the eggshell color be from our enigmatic chicken, Butter?
Read moreAnalysis Paralysis
In my past life of collared shirts and conference rooms, one of my most common activities was that of analysis. Data, processes, problems, solutions - anything that exists can be analyzed and just about any question about it can be answered with an educated guess.
Read moreBird Brains
While we can’t socialize with human friends and family like we normally would this time of year, we are fortunate to have many new feathered friends to hang out with.
Read moreThe Next Generation
I sometimes refer to myself as a chicken mom, and I can now extend that naming protocol to proud chicken grandma. Last month, we witnessed the first hatching of eggs from our own hens.
Read moreEggs in Baskets
When we left off with our last chicken update, the ladies had just moved into their new chickshaw in early June. Since then, they’ve enjoyed pasturing with the geese, moving locations every week or so. But the really glorious advancement is that we are now getting eggs!
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