So after googling until I thought I’d go cross-eyed, I found that other than growing their own veggies, a lot of people were also choosing to raise their own hens because apparently the process that the eggs we buy go through isn’t exactly the greatest. … Shocker! What I found was disturbing to say the […]

by Melissa Caughey of Tilly’s Nest Have you ever wondered why sometimes your chickens lay eggs without shells? Yes, it can happen! These eggs feel like squishy bouncy balls and there are a few reasons as to why they happen. Sometimes these reasons are reversible and other times they are not. This post will take […]

by Meredith Chilson A lady came to my house for some eggs.  She said, “I’m a vegetarian.  I need vegetarian eggs.  Are these vegetarian eggs?” I said:  “Well, hmmm….maybe yes….and maybe no.” Maybe yesbecause: ·       Vegetarians do not eat animal flesh.  The eggs in question are not fertilized.  We do not have a rooster in […]

by Jennifer Sartell of Iron Oak Farm The Michigan Renaissance Festival ended a couple weeks ago. Sadly, we haven’ been in a few years but the memory of fall weekends walking through the festival are clear in my mind. The festival is somewhat overwhelming…but in a good way. You walk through the gates and are […]

Our friends across the pond, Wells Poultry, recently sent us this infographic we think you’ll love. Find a variety of different chicken breeds, their origin, size, purpose, egg laying quantity and egg color/shape/size in this excellently crafted chart. You can download the full, unsplit, version of the graphic here. We suggest you print it and […]

by Jennifer Burcke During the summer growing season here at 1840 Farm, I spend a few minutes each day trying to decide the best way to make use of our daily harvest.  Some days, Mother Nature doesn’t give me many options, on others, she grants me an embarrassment of riches. Now that we have finally started […]

by Jennifer Sartell of Iron Oak Farm We’ve been eating a lot of stir fries lately. It’s my go-to dish for when we’re inundated with green beans from the garden. I love throwing a mess of veggies in a pan with some olive oil, soy sauce… oyster sauce… hoisen sauce, what ever sounds good, and […]

by Meredith Chilson We have a chicken that seems to wait too long before heading to the nest boxes.  About once a week, I find an egg that’s rolled into a corner of the hen yard, or under a branch, or even in the middle of the coop floor.  I’m never quite sure how fresh […]

by Melissa Caughey of Tilly’s Nest Just like it is important to make sure that we are getting all of our dietary needs on a regular basis, it is the same with chickens.  Did you know that there are a variety of supplements that you can use in your chicken’s diet to help promote their […]

I have an abundance of eggs.  A plethora. A….LOT!  Stacks of cartons in the refrigerator; a full basket every day.  It’s wonderful!  I’ve used some of the eggs with our fresh asparagus to make frittata, I’ve baked and fixed breakfasts—I’ve even taken eggs to church on Sunday morning and handed them out. Today, I’m putting […]