by Jennifer Sartell Photos by author It was a difficult decision to decide to raise our own heritage turkeys. These nine little poults are the first animals that we’ve raised with the sole purpose of harvesting for meat. And while I’m not a vegetarian, I’m still having some emotional issues bridging the gap between cute […]

by Rebecca Nickols Photos by author Inside a nesting box in this coop resides Henrietta, the broody hen … I should have known this would eventually happen. Buff Orpingtons are famous for their diligence and dedication when it comes to sitting on eggs. Even so, I was still surprised that the mother instinct seemed to happen […]

by Meredith Chilson Photos by author Last Saturday was a perfect spring day: warm breeze, sunshine—I was up early with plans for the day. Laundry washed and on the clothesline—check! Garden peas weeded—check! Garage cleaned and materials laid out for making “chick corral”—check! Nest boxes cleaned in henhouse—ICK! Crawly things! Ick, ick, ick. My plans […]

by Jennifer Sartell Photos by author One of the bittersweet things about raising ducks, specifically pekins, is that they grow SO fast. Ducklings are so adorable, and while my heart melts when they’re little, I’m not sad to get the brooders out of the house after they’ve grown. Our brooding time was about a third […]

by Rebecca Nickols Photos by author This week I added three new little chicks to the flock! These new pullets will not only add more color to my flock, but they’ll give me a colorful egg basket also! Fortunately, my town has a local hatchery (Estes Hatchery) where I can purchase and pick up my […]

by Meredith Chilson Photos by author Once upon a time, there was a girl who dreamed of chickens. Not the hundreds of white chickens that her mother raised for “egg money,” but colorful chickens that were delivered by the postman … just like in Margaret Wise Brown’s Little Golden Book The Seven Little Postmen. The […]

by Margaret E. Kellogg Photos by author Hens will lay eggs without having a rooster, so how does one end up with 30 roosters? Well, we started out with one rooster, a Rhode Island Red named George. Then, when we obtained some Light Brahma chicks from the feed store, I got a rooster. They always […]

by Jennifer Sartell Photos by author French Black Copper Maran Chicks Right now at Iron Oak Farm, we have baby everything! Baby chicks, baby ducks, baby goats, and even a puppy! It can be a challenge coordinating all the needs of these growing animals at once, but it’s a job that I cherish and wouldn’t […]

by Jennifer Burcke Photos by author The welcome sign is always out on the coop at 1840 Farm. It usually welcomes guests to our farm. This week, it will be welcoming our new batch of day-old chicks. The big day has finally arrived! Today is the hatching day for our new chicks. We’ve been waiting for this […]

by Rebecca Nickols Photos by author This past Easter my daughter said that she had seen a link on the Internet on how to make a hard-boiled egg in the oven. She said that it was supposed to be a fast and easy way to boil an egg. I simply said, “That’s interesting.” What I was really […]