What started with three Red Sex-Link hens, increased to over 30 chickens.  However, we are currently in transition with our chicken flocks, having sold both our French Blue Copper Maran flock and Cream Legbar flock.  We are entering into raising some Bantam Chicks and will decide by autumn 2020 which new direction we will take with our flocks.  We only have a few older layers left of varying breed that are our pets. Our chickens are pampered, well-cared for, and loved.  They each have their own personalities and we enjoy being entertained by their chicken antics. Our coops are kept very clean to aid in the prevention of diseases and parasites.  Our chicks are fed a medicated balanced start and grow feed, which they are weaned off of about a month before anticipated egg-laying. Our adults are fed flock raiser feed which our ducks also eat.  Both chicks and adults  have about 1/2 acre of land to free-range and forage and they also receive fresh and dried fruits and vegetables, seeds, and dried worms.  Once at Point of Lay, they receive free choice crushed oyster shells. During cold weather we also feed our chickens scratch to aid in keeping them warm. We often save their eggshells, feeding some back to the flocks and composting the remaining shells for use in our organic vegetable garden.  Their manure is composted and used in our garden, as well.
We felt God’s pull to an important goal in our poultry ownership.  In an effort to fulfill our mission as good stewards of God’s creation, we felt it was God’s plan and future for our farm to do our small part in protecting endangered poultry.  We began raising Welsh Harlequin Ducks which are on the Watch List of the Livestock Conservancy.
In the spring of 2017 we began raising the critically endangered Holland chicken. Unfortunately, of the ten Holland chicks we received, seven were roosters and only three were hens.  We did not have success in the hatching of future generations of these birds and predator attack, age/illness did the remainder of the flock in.  We began reevaluating our chicken flock status and as spring 2021 came upon us, so did COVID. We chose to purchase a few Bantams for our own enjoyment but for any other decisions regarding our flock we decided to remain in a holding pattern.
