Chicken Update

Greetings from Baker Heritage Farms;

As promised, this is the first of two updates. This update is about our chickens.

Egg production is down. At our peak, we were getting upwards of 15 to 16 eggs per day, sometimes as many as two dozen. We are now (as of today) down to 12 hens, having lost the others (including Red, our rooster) to our local fox. The fox is getting more daring and has taken at least 3 hens in the last week (in the past, the fox was taking 1 hen about every 7-10 days) and is even coming into the yard to get the hens. In fact, he actually tried to take one when Donald, Debbie, and Danielle were in the front yard today (he came back and got one anyway). As a result of feeding the fox, as well as colder weather setting in, we are now getting between 6 to 8 eggs per day.

Because the eggs are so good, and in high demand, we will most likely keep raising chickens, but will not add more until we can make some changes. While our intent was to be cage-free and free-range, we will no longer be able to offer free range once we ramp up our chicken operation again.

We are currently considering converting our small barn (right by the chicken pen) into a hen house and putting a roof (netting) over the pen so that they cannot fly out. We will be limited to a smaller area (the area that is currently fenced with permanent fencing) so will raise fewer chickens (probably about 10 - 12 instead of 25 plus). We will also work on the breeder pen so that we can raise our own.

The major change will be that, while they will still be "cage-free", we will not be able to call them "free-range" as they will not be able to leave the pen. This will also require us to have an ample supply of hay and supplemental feed available on the hill, which we will supplement in the summer with small garden crops that can be moved into the pen to provide a natural food source.

In addition, we will have to get another rooster, which is always a gamble, but well worth it. The chicken operation is a fairly easy operation to maintain, but we will need to work on curtailing feed costs.

We hope to start working on converting the small barn into a hen house the first of the year. We will partition off one-half of the barn for the chickens and will include nesting boxes and an area that they can occupy in cold weather. The other half will be left for feed, supplies, and equipment (candling, scales, egg cartons, etc.). We also hope to be able to run electric to the barn to provide for heat in the winter. We will need to purchase strong netting and build a "roof" over the pen to prevent them from flying out (they cannot get out under the permanent fence, nor can a fox get in). We may also add electric fencing around the pen just in case.

This is the one operation we will continue during the next year.

Our next blog will provide an update on our turkey operations.

Blessings from Baker Heritage Farms.

"Everything that is really great and inspiring is created b the individual who can labor in freedom." Albert Einstein

13JUL21

Greetings from Baker Heritage Farms;

Ahh ... The incredible, edible, farm fresh egg ...

Farm Fresh Eggs

By Saturday, we had 10 edible eggs from our chickens (one was not edible as it was broken), and Saturday evening Debbie and Donald celebrated by enjoying a dinner of fried potatoes and eggs ... farm fresh eggs.

After about 4 1/2 months, our chickens are finally producing. While it generally takes 5 - 6 months for them to start producing, many will start earlier. Our first batch of eggs were very small, requiring 4-5 eggs to meet the needs of what three eggs will usually meet.

Our Silver Laced Wyandotte's can produce up to 200 eggs a year. With 22 chickens, that could be a whole lot of eggs. The eggs are pale (or soft) brown or tan (tinted) and have a very full flavor.

The chickens and turkeys have been keeping us busy. Between feeding, watering (they eat a lot of feed and drink a lot of water, particularly in the summer heat), and keeping them in their respective pens, they are turning out to be a very busy part-time job. If you are not planning to sell eggs, fertilizer, meat, or chickens, 3 - 4 hens should suffice for the back-yard farmer.

While the chickens tend to stay around the pen when they escape, we cannot say the same is true for the turkeys. If you have woods nearby and inadequate roosting in the turkey pen, you will most likely find your turkeys abandoning the pen in favor of the woods. Ours love to roost in the trees. They also tend to fall out of the trees, and are apt to fall outside of the fence line. They also love to fly and several get out at a time. We are fortunate to have trees inside the pen, but we are concerned that they may find the woods more attractive, so we try to get them back in as soon as we know they are out.

This weekend was a loss. The chickens are in need of fresh hay, both in their yard and for their nesting boxes (they apparently rather lay their eggs in the soft grass under the copse of trees in their extended pen, then in the harsh pine shavings in their nesting boxes). Donald planned to go down to the pasture and cut hay Saturday to bring up, but as he was preparing equipment Friday afternoon we were hit with a severe thunderstorm that dropped over 1.5 inches of rain ... so much for getting hay up Saturday. On Sunday, he again prepared to go down and we started getting pop-up thundershowers. We do not want to take a chance putting wet hay in the chicken coop, so he decided to once again postpone cutting hay. Hopefully we will be able to get some cut early in the week.

As he could not cut hay, he spent Saturday morning in the barn working on cleaning it up and trying to get it more organized.

Brenda, Donald's sister, is interested in raising alpacas, so she is doing the research to determine the feasibility of raising them here in Oklahoma. We have looked into this in the past, but have concerns about how they will do in the humidity. If it is determined that they can do well with the humidity, we will look at them as part of our livestock operations.

Until next time,

Blessings from Baker Heritage Farms

"He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment." Proverbs 12:11

13APR12

Greetings from Baker Heritage Farms;

While it was stormy with plenty of rain, wind, and even some winter mix, this week, today was sunny and very nice.

Debbie and Donald were out late this morning to start working on our 'Total Farm Makeover' (part of our "ReThinking Baker Heritage Farms" program). Our 'Total Farm Makeover' will include getting the yards in shape, making them look nice for our own piece of mind, and hoping to be able to better maintain them throughout the summer.

Donald started to tackle the "mound" in our front yard. The mound has been there since we moved in. It comes from when Donald and his Dad started clearing the land, was added to when the pad for our home was put in, and further added to when the house was put in. Yes, we have been slowly burning it away, but every year it gets added to. You could consider it a burn pile; however, it is more rock now than brush. Donald wanted to have a "rock party" at the rock pile, but learned quickly that it needed to be burned first ... so he started burning it.

Rock Pile Being Burned

Debbie started picking up rock from the second rock pile we started years ago. It is in a copse of trees by our parking area and makes it difficult to mow around. Danielle, Adam, and Donald eventually joined her and we got most of the rock moved. The rock from this pile, as well as the second pile we all started working on, has been placed around the base of the chicken coop fence.

We also moved the first set of chickens into their new home (there are 13 chickens in each group and two groups for a total of 26 chickens). We are hoping to raise Wyandotte Silver Laced chickens, a heritage breed.

First Batch of Chickens in their New Home

Shortly after relocating the chickens to their new home, Spunky, Debbie's dog and our fence security consultant, found access into the chicken run so we had to make some adjustments. The rock we picked up in the front yard was placed around the base of the chicken coop fence, and Danielle added more hog rings (what we use to secure the fence to the bottom wire) to the fence.

Danielle Adding Hog Rings to the Chicken Fence

Hopefully, the chicken coop is now secure. Tonight will be the real test.

Tomorrow, the second (and last) batch of chickens will be relocated to their new home (joining the others) and the brooders will be cleaned and prepared for the arrival of the Turkeys next month.

Until next time,

Blessings from Baker Heritage Farms

"When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God." Leviticus 19:9-10