Using eggshells in the garden can help provide calcium to plants and can also help fight off blossom end rot in some plants, such as tomatoes, squash, and peppers. Before using the egg shells, rinse them out first.  Doing so will help to keep unwanted animals away and will also assure that the shells don’t […]

I’m a couple weeks behind in my year of the chicken updates. For those of you who are just starting with the series, The Year of the Chicken is where I follow one of our chickens from egg to laying hen. To see the last post visit The Year of the Chicken: Collecting Hatching Eggs. […]

Last week I shared with you a recipe that uses a lot of eggs at one time…something needed when all of our ladies started laying. Today I want to share another recipe that showcases the incredible egg.  As with most of my recipes, I like to keep it simple.  But this recipe…it has a kick […]

Our ladies are all laying eggs now!  As exciting as this is, I must admit…I quickly had a stash of eggs growing in the fridge…even after sharing some of the bounty. I had become somewhat complacent with not so many eggs… The flock was new(ish) and of course the winter usually slows down production.  I […]

The Iron Oak Farm Year of the Chicken   It’s Spring! And for most, the chicken keeping year starts in the spring. Perhaps you’re bringing home your first chicks, or maybe last year’s pullets are beginning to lay. Maybe you’re collecting eggs for the incubator, or maybe you’re a seasoned chicken keeper who’s just thankful […]

Have you ever looked at all the numbers and letters on an egg carton and wondered what they all mean?  I found this outline from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) very helpful.  It explains the egg’s grade, expiration date, packaging date, and plant code found on egg cartons sold in grocery stores. Each […]

How to keep eggs from freezing in the coop is a concern for many of us this time of year. During the colder months each egg that you collect is like a prized possession.  They can be few and far between.  Having to trash them because they are frozen and/or cracked can be heart breaking. […]

Don’t you just love a recipe that you can quickly whip up before you go to bed and put it in the fridge ready for the next day?  In the morning pull it out of the fridge, add the topping, and pop it in the oven.  In 45 minutes you have a delicious breakfast.  As […]

This is the time of year when it’s dark before dinner and the production from the chicken coop is way down. One egg today? Hurrah! Whether the lack of eggs is from fewer daylight hours, the annual molt, or just the lull before this year’s pullets begin laying (and I’m inclined to believe it’s a […]

This past weekend, I was at a local craft show/charity bazaar. There were awesome displays of craftsmanship, wood working, homemade soaps and lotions, painted gourds, baked goods and more. One booth really caught my eye and got me thinking about all the ways that chicken keepers are crafty. They have ingenious ways of turning ordinary […]