Three Stone Farm

I’ve been AWOL for a while due to a big project for my night job (graphic design). Also, our storage shelter hoop house tarp tore apart (so much for UV-resistant, warrantied tarps!) so now we are in the process of starting to build a barn. Wood has been ordered but not delivered, and Roger has been doing some grading for the foundation of the building. We unfortunately were outbid on metal roofing of the right size at the Amish auction on Saturday, so we’ll have to be a bit inventive on finding more. I will hopefully get some pics up soon.

Tags: building

I always cringe when I see eggs at the grocery store labeled “Vegetarian Fed!”. Contrary to what these protein-pushers believe, chickens are not vegetarian. And no, they are not carnivores either (since some people seem to believe that things are only either herbivorous or carnivorous). There is a third option: omnivorous. That is what chickens are.

Chickens on pasture have access to many things as part of their daily forage. Eating bugs and other critters is a totally normal part of a chicken’s diet. I have even seen my flock of chickens, just moved onto fresh pasture, excitedly chase down and devour a nest of field mice. Chickens also eat a LOT of grass. Upon butchering our chickens, I have found their gizzards completely stuffed with green grass along with their daily corn and oats that we get from the organic farmer that rents part of our land.

Along with pasture, our chickens also get free-choice kelp meal and crushed oyster shell. This provides a wide range of micronutrients, as well as a lot of calcium to make strong shells. As a result of this diverse diet, we get amazing eggs with incredibly rich orange yolks. This used to be the norm, and why cakes were yellow. Now with factory farming, we get pastel yellow yolks that are a pale comparison to their pastured counterparts. And “yellow” cakes are now dyed to mimic the cakes of yore.

Eggs are a surprisingly good seller for us at market, so we are increasing our current flock of 20 hens and 2 roosters with an additional 24 layers. We also have both Blue Swedish and Muscovy ducks, though they are not laying right now. Our broody hens only managed to hatch out one extra chick and I’m hoping that it will turn out to be a hen, otherwise we’ll be making rooster stew.

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Tags: chickens, farm animals, omnivorism

I hate flies!

That’s all I have to say.

ok, I’ll say more. Poor cows are suffering from the flies out in the field. It’s been hot and humid and that means lots of flies. Now’s the time for biting flies too, so we have face flies, horn flies, manure flies, horse flies, and these weird green biting flies that I don’t know the name of but they’re big and gross like the horse flies. I’ve been using Ecto-Phyte as a fly spray but Popcicle hates being sprayed and I want something that will actually kill the flies, not just repel them. I’m looking into fly predators and various traps. Suggestions welcomed.

More cow news…we have added two Holstein 2-month old calves to the herd who are destined for the freezer. Our eldest named them Buckwheat and Chard  (alternatively, Steak and Loin). We are making manure like crazy.

Tags: cows, manure, pests