Poultry
I will have to say we really did start off with a bang this spring. We got almost every single kind of poultry (we did forget a couple of poultry species). In late February our first batch of birds arrived in the mail ( Laurel and Hardy) our king pigeons. Next came 17 quackers of different breeds. Our little fuzz balls of ducklings arrived in march and now have grown into beautiful birds. Next arrived over 50 or 60 (I forgot how many) chickens of different breeds and colors. We have never had geese before so we thought lets try some and so we did. In April they arrived big, happy and healthy. In the past years we had turkeys and with thanksgiving around the corner we ordered 20 birds that arrived in late July. And a couple of days ago we added 15 more animals which were quail. Now that our poultry enthusiasm for buying interesting and new poultry species have dwindled and I think that no additional poultry species will be added to the farm for the next couple of years. :)
King Pigeons
Our pigeons Laurel and Hardy are very beautiful. Right now we are content with just having one pair for raising squab, but we might purchase a pair or two more if we really enjoy them. They are a surprising birds with beautiful feathers and great personalities. They are always waiting at the bottom of their coop for food in the morning. I will have to say Hardy our male pigeon make cooing noises. That make our barn sound haunted. Over all these are great birds
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Dewlap Toulouse Geese
Our pair of Toulouse geese our simply marvelous! They are still growing and should start laying next year. Their names are Febe and Fil. They are mostly feathers right now, but they will eventually reach 20 to 30 lbs. Dewlap Toulouse Geese lay on average 25 - 40 eggs per year. We are excited for future baby goslings. This breed is very calm and docile. We are working with Febe and Fil, because they are a little bit skittish, but they are slowly warming up to us. The Dewlap Toulouse breed is a great goose. They are calmer, less active and quieter. Then other goose breeds. I would give this Goose a 5 star rating.
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DucksWe have several duck breeds: Saxony, Welsh Harlequin, Khaki Campbell, Anacona, Duclair and Cayuga. Right now we have two drakes (a Saxony and Anacona) that will be used for breeding. The ducks enjoy grazing on pastures, playing in the pond and snacking in our mud puddles. Ducks really add humor and laughter to our farm. Our ducklings that hatched in March are already starting to lay eggs! Soon we will be selling hatching eggs.
Click on the button below to learn about our breeds of ducks |
Celadon and Jumbo Japanese Coturnix Quail
We recently bought quail to start our flock. In the future we will be purchasing Jumbo coturnix quail. Currently we have celadon quail which lay a light blue egg, instead of the normal grey egg with brown spots. In a few more weeks our birds will start laying, but right now they are only two weeks old. Quail eggs are healthier then chicken eggs. Quail eggs are smaller than chicken eggs but contain more fat, protein, iron, riboflavin, and vitamin B12 by weight. A quail egg is about the size of a quarter. Their meat is delicious and can be used as an appetizer or a side dish. They grow up to five or six ounces. They are wonderful birds to keep in your backyard and their care is minimal. Quail is a great project especially for younger kids.
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Our Chicken Flock
Click on the name of the bird to learn about the breed.