The Darker Side ******Warning***** This post may upset some.

This year has been insane. I am so sorry to not have written in 6 months! I couldnt believe it had been that long, and I double checked it. But I am back, and I will do my best to keep this up alot more so then in the last year.

This year we've raised geese, lost our guineas to predators and neighbors (accidentally?) and turned over our flock. By this I mean that we've put some in the freezer or found them new homes. There is an old saying that a good farmer friend told me, "On a farm, where there is life there is also death". It stuck pretty deep in my head and I am thankful of that on slaughter days. I don't always want to part with a good chicken, pig or other animal that has gained a special place in my heart. I have to remember the main reason that we ventured down this path into farming, to create our own food. I purchased or hatched that animal, fed it and raised it the best way I learned how to. Most importantly, I have given that animal the best life I could. In the end, it was the best life they could have hoped for, with a certain end.

It's funny how so many people think of animals being slaughtered and cringe. I have had relatives tell me that when they come to visit they are not eating here. I dismiss their ignorance. I think to myself, so they are going to go out to eat and dine on an animal that they have no idea how it was raised, cared for, or how it was slaughtered. They would never know how horrible that is in comparison. I won't drown this post in p.e.t.a. proverbs or the such. The truth of the matter though, is so disgusting I suggest you don't eat while you research my facts, heck- put your fork down now.

Chicken- from nugget to roaster- When you purchase this you are buying meat that has been hatched by the hundreds if not thousands. Chicken eggs take 18-24 days to hatch. Companies will chose a day in that period, and if a few dozen don't hatch 'on time', they are thrown in the trash; sometimes to hatch and die there. Within a day they are let loose in a very large, dark 'garage', but not before having the tip of their beaks clipped off. This outbuilding will house ten thousand chicken each, or more. There is only two steel doors and no windows. a few giant fans in the walls brings in the only fresh air these chickens will feel. Feeders (stuffed with feed that contains antibiotics and steriods) and Waterers hang from cables overhead, motorized to move when they are 6 weeks old. By that time, they have the bare minimum room allowed by law, a measly 4' x4'. Thats like 8 of us humans standing on a twin mattress. At 6 weeks old, the chickens meet the only humans they ever will, as they are grabbed by any part of their body, two or three in one hand, and stuffed into metal or plastic crates. They are shipped for miles until they reach their demise by machine. The meat is injected with a "water solution" that is compromised of mostly water, salt and chemicals to keep it fresh and looking larger, giving it more weight, and prettier until purchase. Then it is shipped again to your store, where it is put in a freezer until being putting out for sale. Most poultry on store shelves is at least 2 weeks old. Yum.

Beef- Any cut- Young calves and heifers are bulked up as much as allowed by the little there is of law in this. Steroids, additives, etc. are added to cheap feed. Sickly get auctioned off or sent to slaughter early, while the healthy live their lives mostly in cramped paddocks off grain alone. From slaughter to table=2-3 weeks. "Aged" beef (specialty cuts) can be much much longer.

Pork- any cuts- Sows are forced to birth as many piglets as possible, the piglets are taken as early as 4 weeks old and the runts are normally culled. They live their lives on feed bulked up with more additives, steroids and medicine, on concrete flooring in small fenced spaces, sometimes not even big enough to turn around in. Once they hit a certain weight, they are electrically prodded into trailers and shipped off to slaughter. Their waste? Hosed down into drains that a special 'tank' feeds sprayers with this stuff as fertilizer on their other crops in the field.  Time from slaughter to table? about 2-4 weeks.

Those 'other' crops I mentioned? Think about that salad that sounded better to you at the beginning.

You don't need a farm or to be best friends with a farmer to eat something that sounds as great raising as it does to actually eat it. You can have the worst green thumb and still make a small contribution to your own food, or your childrens. All you must have is knowledge. Take time to read labels; they all must have certain information somewhere on the packaging. The place it came from, the ingredients (which if your buying poultry, for instance, should only have 1 ingredient- poultry). Proper handling instructions, and the company selling it. Look up that company! Does it have a good reputation? Pictures? facts? free tours? If you cannot drive to the company in a comfortable amount to time, is it still a good idea to buy food that has to get to you in the same amount of distance?

Having a close friend or farmer that raises your food in their backyard eliminates the guesswork. You see everything, from beginning to end, or close to it. That's why we started our own small version, for us and our friends and neighbors. We raise both meat and egg chickens, pigs, and lots and lots of fruits, veggies, herbs, flowers and nuts.

I want to apologize in advance if any pictures, wordings or the such has offended anyone. However- on the same note, if the truth hurts, we all have the power to change it. A small pebble thrown in a lake sends ripples in all directions- just like a small change by everyone would send waves.

In my next post I will give you a great idea that I use every year in my own garden. "How to make your own seed tape".

New ground, Same feet

Onward, to greener pastures and flourishing lives!

Or, so we hope. In the last blog, we were following the new lives of our babies from hatch to 8 weeks. At 8 weeks old, their brooder temperature should be hovering around 65 degrees to 70. Our nursery is set up in a shed, where the temperature is only approximate(sometimes I wonder how accurate that gauge is). It's location is pretty ideal however, it is within 20' of the coop; where they hear our roo crowing everyday. On nice days, we replace the window with a screen, where the sights and sounds of their new flock are within proximity.

Today they are almost 2 months, and happily integrated with their family. It's hard to explain to even Erick how their pecking order works, especially in the beginning. For the first few weeks, we have noticed that typically, they will stick with their brood mates. Exploring through their new territory, they happily chirp and soak up the sun. Within a few days, they easily can manage going in and out of their new home- the coop- without reminding them that is where their food is, and safety.

Soon, they will separate from their brood mates, make friends, and venture to the edges of their run alone. That usually happens right around 4 months to the moment before its time to start mating. Ducks differ only slightly. Most of the ducks that we have within the run stick together straight from the egg. New ducks are put into pecking order by the hens while the drakes seem content on the new mates. Our "bachelors" are put outside the run, yet still wander along with their ladies inside the horrendous fence that separates them.

While the chickens are busy learning about the new residents, us humans have been equally busy. We have gained more babies through some special orders with McMurray Hatchery, our go to for the healthiest birds. We now have australorps, a gold-laced wyandotte, welsummers and our absolute family favorite, the Americana.

 Americana

 Black Australorp

 Gold Laced Wyandotte

Welsummer

These fine ladies are only examples of the breeds that we have acquired. They all lay brown eggs except for the Americana, which is a favorite due to its very lovable, friendly disposition. Ours are very accepting of new flock members, humans and even children picking them up. They adore being petted, hugged and even scratched lightly under their beak. Any new chicken keepers should truly consider an Americana either as a flock or at least a roo. They lay 'tinted' eggs, that vary in colors from a mint green, pale pink, and baby blue. If mated with a rhode island red, their grandchildren will be called an Olive Egger. Those babies will lay a Olive green egg.

Most of our customers prefer our brown eggs over the tinted, but we still have many that do not mind the tinted appearance of the shell. In fact, we have had a waiting list for our farm fresh eggs for months now :) 

In the next blog I'll start revealing our plans for this year. From the Sourghum to the medicinal herbs that are going into a new garden box that is being researched as we speak.

There are no mistakes, only experiments

January is normally the quiet month, but I think this year it didn't get that memo. We put the finishing touches on the nursery and successfully hatched 8 eggs out of the incubator. We also allowed our very persistent broody hen to hatch out an additional 3 chicks. They are now going on 6 weeks old, and are transitioned into the coop holding pen. So, this particular blog will be more about raising your chicks from hatch out to 8 weeks or so.

Once your chicks have been hatched, wait at least 12 hours to open the incubator. This is easier said then done with two very eager children that want to hold the new "babies".

My two girls and their new chicks




    Just make sure that their hands are very clean. The newly hatched chicks are very much like newborns, any dirt, bacteria or contamination can cause illness, so scrub up first! Also, try to wait as long as possible before handling. I am able to direct my girls by saying something like " Lets let them rest after all that hard work, but you can help put them in their new home(aka brooder box) in the morning." Newly hatched chicks do not require food or water for the first 12 hours or so. They have received their nutrition from inside the egg before they hatched.  The next morning, or 12 hours later, you want to have their new home ready for them. Best thing I have used is a water basin used for horses, with a heat lamp attached to one corner, a 1-2" layer of pine shavings and their feeders and water bottle propped on upside down ramekins or semi-flat Tupperware.   

        In the past I have used dog crates or rabbit cages, but whatever you use, make sure that they cannot squeeze through any opening. My mother found that out the hard way when she left her ducklings in a rabbit cage where one slipped through the bottom most bars and plunged to an unfortunate death.

For their food and water I suggest typical chicken starter for the first 2 months. There are two kinds, however. Medicated and Non-medicated. If you ordered your chickens from a hatchery, check with them to inquire about any inoculations the chicks might need in the form of their food. If hatched at home, consider your timing- In the fall and winter, baby or young chicks will not experience the outdoors as freely, nor train their immune system against of Coccidiosis. In the spring and summer, chicks will get very small amounts of this parasite, which helps builds resistance over time. However..... If you had inoculations done by the hatchery or your vet, feeding medicated to the chicks will actually cancel out all your hard work. When in doubt, check with your vet or hatchery.

When it comes to water- bottled or tap works fine. There has been several debates over the actual ingredients in tap water, so it definitely depends on where you live and where your water comes from.  Electrolytes are a fantastic addition in the first few weeks, the babies have worked hard to get here, and that little help makes for some very happy chirps! Electrolytes help with sodium levels and micro nutrients that are essential to growing chicks. They come in powder or tablets, and help your new flock out to a great start. If your in a real pinch, a tiny amount of liquid sugar added to their water will work temporarily. If you do use tap water, check with your city water department to get the low down on any testing that has been done recently, boil the water regardless of the test results, and let the water cool to room temp in an open container (this allows any chlorine still present to evaporate)

Every week move your heat lamp a few inches away. Each week you should reduce the temperature by 5 degrees until week 8. By week 6 I can usually shut off the heat lamp if they are still in the house. Our nursery is set up to have an ambient temperature of 20 degrees above the outside, so on very cold nights in the spring, I have a heater set up just in case. If you use a heater or heat lamp, consider installing a nursery sound machine (where you can hear their chirps). Chicks make noise, and soon you can distinguish between happy chirps and scared, hungry or nervous babies. Make sure the lamps are secure, screw them to a support beam. If using a heater, make sure it comes standard with a safety heat shut off, tip safety shut off and the breaker or circuit it is plugged into is alone. (it is the only device on that circuit).

Check on your babies at least twice a day, topping off their water before bed. Chickens tend to wake with the sun and get their breakfast on, if their sisters or brothers beat them to the punch, you will be woken by some very upset chirps! As they grow, consider using larger feeders and waterers. Ducklings are notorious for making a huge mess with their water, and man... does it stink! With ducklings, consider using an old plastic butter container with half the lid cut off; or a 1/2 gallon milk jug with a hole double the size of their head cut out on the side twice.

With babies comes messes, and so to your new chicks. Depending on the size of your brooder, clean as needed. Once they are about 6 weeks old, consider moving them to the coop. Next blog is all about the young ins getting to know their elders, and becoming part of the flock.

And never forget..... There are no mistakes, they are simply experiments

Birth of the new family

This is a continue from my previous blog, http://stargazerhillfarm.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-start-of-new-family.html.

If you did not use an automatic egg turner, Mark an x and o on each side of your eggs. Twice a day make sure to turn them to the opposite mark. Mama hen does this instinctively, and humans acting like mama need to ensure that they are turned daily as well. This helps the chick get moved around inside the egg as gently as possible, which is essential to a good hatching. An automatic egg turner works in a similar way as a mama hen when she changes positions to make herself more comfortable inside her nest.With chickens, incubation lasts 28 days. This is assuming that all went well and they are standard chickens (not bantams). I will get to issues that may arise during incubation in the next blog.

Day 25 on your calendar is here. Time to take out your egg turner, if you used one. If you didn't, it is time to stop moving the eggs. Very gently place your eggs on the paper towels. Check your temperatures and humidity levels. Humidity at this stage plays the big role. Too low and your chicks cant crack through the shell, too high, and the membranes inside their egg will stick to them when they get out. At this point I take out the sponges and replace with a ramekin of water. I also make sure the temperature of the room is pretty high, in the 80's. This ensures that the incubator doesn't have to work overtime to get back to temp and the chicks don't suffer from a huge fluctuation in temperature.

If you feel it completely necc. you can candle again at this point. You won't see anything much if its still viable. The air sac will be slightly bigger then your first candling, but most of the egg will be very dark, it is filled with a baby! You may see movement, but unless something went wrong during incubation, I suggest you don't candle.

Within the next 4 days you should hear peeps coming from your incubator. The first thing you will see if you were to look into the windows would be a hole in the egg. This is the chick using it's "egg tooth" at the end of its beak to break through the egg shell. Usually within 12 hours of that it will start rocking and you will see it "zip" the top of the egg off where the air sac was. Next it will rock and roll again and finally kick off the egg. A wet, sloppy fur ball will appear. It wall lay belly down and fall asleep, exhausted from all the work it just did coming into the world. Once it awakens, it will finish drying and look and sound like a fluffy, cute chick. It is important not to remove the baby for the first 24 hours of hatch. It needs its rest, to dry and acclimate itself to its new world. During this time too, it does not need food or water. It's egg gave it what it needed for its first day. This gives its' siblings time to emerge as well.

This is apple, one of our first chicks hatched.

Not all eggs will hatch. The average hatch rate is 75-85%. That means for every dozen viable eggs you place in the incubator, about 8 or 9 will hatch out to chicks successfully. Several factors can play their role in the actual hatch rates. Mostly temperature and humidity levels, but also handling, ambient room temperature, candling and the genes of their parents play a role. We placed 8 eggs in our incubator and hatched out 5. That means our hatch rate was 63 %. This is our second attempt at incubation though, and we made plenty of mistakes. Our biggest mistake was that we opened the incubator way too often. Especially in the last week, when humidity levels are vital. Another issue that we encountered is a very mild winter here. With a woodstove, we cannot keep ambient temperature stable other then by 5-10 degrees. But my next incubation I can learn from these mistakes.

It's always a great idea to keep very clear records. Whether its on your incubation, your flock, or your homestead. We here, want to have a healthy flock that turns over once every two years. We love our birds, but their purpose is eggs and meat. By incubating a new flock now, come fall when our older girls are done laying the new ones will just start.  Leg bands are also very useful- especially when there is more then one or two people helping with the chickens. They do not hurt the chickens when used correctly, and can be used to identify age groups, keeps or sells to others, species, etc. The only reputable company that I have been successful in finding them is here. Premier One also has many harder to find products for those just getting into poultry as well as advanced chicken keepers.

Well, that about covers it. I hope I helped anyone interested in starting their own flock or expanding theirs by this blog thus far. I did my best in covering all information on this topic, but if I missed anything or if you still have questions, please feel free to email me or visit my farm's facebook page at any time.  

I do not recommend any company that I have not met in person, or that I would not trust my chickens, farm or family to. As of right now, I do not have any affiliations with any companies, but would love the opportunity to should it arise.

The Start of the new family

In humans, we choose the right characteristics of a mate based on what we subliminally want in future generations. Every offspring is chosen biologically to survive by several factors. With proper care and considerations, they are born to live a purposeful life and recreate at their own interval.

Chickens follow the same rules. Each egg is carefully chosen by its caretaker long before hatch date. Whether that caretaker is the feathered or human variety. Here are some considerations when obtaining your first incubating eggs:

Size: is it too small, large? you want to choose an average size egg. Too large and it might be a "double-yoker". This is common, but rarely do they hatch out successfully. This happens when nutrition is to blame. Consider rationing treats. Too small? This normally happens with a young hen. Try to wait until your layer is well established before gathering eggs from her.

Shape: Make sure to choose a typical shaped egg. As the baby chicken inside the egg matures the air sac gets smaller, and mis-shapen eggs may not allow the same amount of air sac. This is less common then size issues, but it happens from time to time. The egg is perfectly suitable for eating, just not creating a new chicken.

Shell: Is it too hard, too soft? Gently pressing on the egg should not cause any cracks to appear, but if excessive force needs to be used to crack one, the shells are too hard. If they are too soft- try adding a calcium-rich grit to their coop. This is done by adding oyster shell straight to their feed or as a separate option near the feed. If the shells are too tough, reduce the amount. I will throw it in their run as scratch if the shells get too hard, this makes them go search for it if they want it. 

The day or the day before you plan on starting to incubate, start to gather your eggs. You want to collect only eggs that fit the criteria above and that are very fresh. 24-48 hours since laid. Be extremely gentle when handling them, I will put mine in a towel lined basket, plenty fluffed so they don't shift too much with the walk from the coop to the house. Once inside, I candle them just enough to see if there is any hairline cracks not visible on the outside. Also, if it is a newer to laying hen that it is not a wind egg. A wind egg is an egg that has no yolk. Its very common in newer hens. If the eggs are very dirty I take a dry soft cloth and gently try to rub some dirt off. A mother hen lays each egg with an outside coating called a bloom. This protects the egg so you do not want to clean them or rub it too hard. Eggs are extremely porous as well, so I recommend washing your hands before handling them. I then leave the eggs in the basket while I set up my incubator.

Since the type of incubators used varies so wildly, I will explain my use of the brand I use. My incubator. Setting up your incubator at least 4 hours before placing eggs inside. If you just bought yours, disinfect it thoroughly by taking a teaspoon of bleach to 1 gallon of water and a soft cloth to go over every nook and cranny. My incubator also has an automatic egg turner that I needed to wash as well. Once completely rinsed and dried, you can set it in an area where the ambient temperature wont fluctuate too much over the course of about a month. Depending on the species of chicken or ducks you are attempting to hatch your incubation period will range from 16 days to 31 days. Most come with a plastic grate that fits snugly in the bottom. On top of this grate, and below the egg turner (if it is being used) I fold paper towels. I do this to make the transition from turner to grate faster and easier, and clean up after incubation alot easier on the Styrofoam. 3 days before your expected hatch date you will want to remove the turner (if you used one) and gently place the eggs on your paper towels where you will not touch them again until 24 hours after your expected hatch date. Set your heat according to the included directions with your incubator on the species your attempting to hatch, and adjust the humidity. This heating and humidity can take hours, so by being prepared before placing eggs, the start of incubation will be successful. Humidity levels inside your incubator are very important. I regulate mine with clean sponges, two very damp brand new sponges. if my humidity gets too high I simply take one or both out. There are regulators that can be bought, special wicks that can be used, and even the directions say to fill the reservoirs under the grate with water. I did not do this because the first time I ever attempted to place water in it, I didn't realize there are holes to allow excess water out. I ended up with water everywhere except the reservoirs and it was evaporated so fast that I had to refill too often. Once you reach your appropriate temperature, you do not want to open your incubator unless it is necc. The sponges hold alot more water anyways, and if the humidity is too high, I can simply take one out which I cant do if the water is under the egg turner, paper towels and grate.

So, your eggs are ready, incubator is cleaned, to temp and ready to go. But your still nervous, don't be. It can be intimidating at first, but with enough research and dedication; you will understand and get the hang of it. If you are nervous, try incubating white duck eggs first. They are twice as big as a chicken egg, and being white makes candling them very easy. Speaking of candling:

This is a very simple process. Normally it is done 2-3 times within your incubation period. It helps to have all of your schedule on a calendar near your incubator so that you remember when each step is to be done. Find a flashlight and a dark room. Take an egg you plan to incubate and gently put the small end near the flashlight.

Second candling. This is what it should look like by day 7 of incubation. Your first candling should be done before placing the egg within the incubator to ensure the yolk is intact and no hairline cracks are present. As you can see in the picture, the veins are very pronounced, a dark spot in the middle which is the embryo is not moving freely, and at the top a small air sac is present. This is considered a viable egg. Viable eggs mean that the egg is in fact, fertilized and growing according to schedule. If none of these facts exist, and you are following your calendar, as well as ensuring humidity and temperatures are normal, then the egg will not become a chick and is not worth keeping.

Hatching out will be discussed in my blog. Stay tuned! 

It Figures

Ever have one of those times when everything seems to be going great, until you have an "it figures" moment?

Welp, that about sums up the last few months from this blog. I had everything straightened out to really start cranking come new year with everything farm- until my 'it figures' moment happened. My account on google was stalled waiting for snail mail to verify the business, by the time that came in the mail my blog was on lock down due to inactivity.

But now, I'm back in! ready to start somewhere where I left off. It took several months of compilation with the states of Georgia and Tennessee, but we got our egg candling certificate! This allowed us to get an egg license. I'll try to explain:

In 2010, Tennessee revised a law that stated that anyone selling eggs must have a license. It now states that only large commercial people have to hold such a license, those with over 3000 laying hens. In order to hold the license then and now, you must have a certified egg candler inspect a certain amount of eggs out of each 'clutch'. The problem fell in the middle group. I am a perfect example. I plan to only have about 50 or less layers at any given time. However- I want to sell my eggs to local eateries. This secures my income with so many hens. The health department inspects these restaurants, and requires proof of procurement, otherwise known as a bill of lading, from any ingredients used on the premises. If there was ever an outbreak, they could narrow down the culprit. Without having the required 3000 hens, the state says I do not need a license. which stopped all places that a few years ago offered the required class and certificate. As of 2012 not one entity in the state of TN offers the class nor the certificate! The closest states to offer anything similar are Georgia and Ohio. But TN has never negotiated with either state to accept these certificates as valid in TN. After some careful negotiations, and 6 months of talks between states, I was given the green light to head to GA and take the class. My certificate is only 1 of 3 VALID in East TN. 

Long story short: Stargazer Hill Farm is the only small, non-commercial farm in TN with a valid egg license and three candlers on site!

So, over this peaceful winter we have doubled our chickens outdoor run, and been practicing our incubator skills. Our first clutch was only a few eggs that turned out a week later not being viable. Our rooster, Big Red, is a spring chick, and is just now, at 7 months old got the hang of the ladies. Our second clutch we added an automatic egg turner. Erick thinks that will help the hatch rate. I also procured a fantastic book about hatching.  Our second clutch just finished hatching, and I still have some learning to do on the process of incubation as a whole. On my farm's facebook page , I have a contest to guess how many eggs we tried in the second clutch, so I'll divulge those details after that contest is finished. I'll be going into alot more detail in my next blog, I plan to start another clutch at the end of January.

We also set about constructing a 'chicken nursery'. One of our buff orpingtons had been broody for a long time, and despite our efforts, would not take no for an answer. Her name was Buffy- and now it has become Mama. Heres what the nursery looks like

And all finished. Took a few months, but mostly re purposed wood from another shed, leftover chicken and hardware cloth. It can hold about 20 day olds per door (each is a separate pen) or 10 four week olds each. Mama now resides on one side with her clutch of an experimental 4 eggs. She is due to hatch out early next week, so I can post all kinds of pictures of both then.

Well, Its good to be back! I'll be posting my next blog right near the end of the month. My emphasis will be on Hatching, Incubating and Raising chicks as well as safety measures on handling eggs, fertile or not. I hope you enjoyed reading this- and please let me know if the links aren't working or anything seems off. Thanks for reading!