A Homestead of Flowing Milk & Honey! https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com Our homestead adventures in Central, Vriginia Sun, 30 Mar 2025 00:57:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://i0.wp.com/farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/cropped-cow.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 A Homestead of Flowing Milk & Honey! https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com 32 32 195785864 First batch of Chicks for 2025 https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/2025/03/29/first-batch-of-chicks-for-2025/ https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/2025/03/29/first-batch-of-chicks-for-2025/#respond Sun, 30 Mar 2025 00:57:31 +0000 https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/?p=2276 The first batch of chicks have hatched for this year and things look good. We do not have a final tally yet, but we’ve picked up a good batch of Cream Legbar and Wellsummer chicks (there are some Salmon Favorelle crosses that we tossed in from a mix that we like.)

Chicks in one of our brooders
3 day old chicks from the first hatching of 2025

The new incubator seems to be doing a really good job. We had “dry membrane” issues with 3 eggs, but I don’t think we’ve seen that before. We did open the brooder up a day early, because of all the ones that had started hatching 3 days before. Next time, we’ll wait for the target day, to see if that prevents this issue.

Recently hatched chicks in a brooder
Wellsummer Chicks

Most of these chicks are meant to bolster our current numbers, but we plan to start a batch of Blue-laced Wyandotte’s next along with a batch of barnyard mixes and bantams to sell. The operation seems to be working, if we can keep the predators at bay!

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Wire Wrapped around Cow Leg! https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/2025/03/23/wire-wrapped-around-cow-leg/ https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/2025/03/23/wire-wrapped-around-cow-leg/#respond Sun, 23 Mar 2025 19:06:58 +0000 https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/?p=2265 To remedy this, I purchased a used cow catch just north of Lynchburg, Va (about an hour and a half from home) and had installed it on some 4×6’s set in cement. I created an offshoot from my main chute but was never sure it would work. Today, it worked like a champ!

Cow catch
Cow-catch ready for business

Yesterday, I noticed that my bull calf was limping. He was basically not putting any weight on his back, right hoof. Once I got closer, I realized he had a piece of wire wrapped around his leg, just about the ankle. He weighs around 400 lbs, so now was the time to put the cow catch to the test. Plus, my hay guy had offered to help me put a band around his genitals.

Wire wrapped around calf's leg
This doesn’t feel good

The Lord truly blessed me today, as I was able to isolate the calf, get him into the catch-chute and actually secure him in the catch. I eased a piece of rope around his leg with a slip knot and, with the help of a couple of folks, was able to pull it back off the ground and secure it to a post. This allowed us to cut the wire and free him from his problem. We also had to cut his genitals out and wash it with iodine.

Bull calf in cow catch
Secured to address issues!

In the end, he walked off looking better than ever. I’ll have to monitor him for a few days, but one more adventure down on the farm!

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Healthy Black Copper Maran Chicks! https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/2024/05/11/healthy-black-copper-maran-chicks/ https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/2024/05/11/healthy-black-copper-maran-chicks/#respond Sat, 11 May 2024 11:22:00 +0000 https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/?p=2254 We had a great hatching of Black Copper Maran chicks and around a dozen or still available! Reach out if interested!

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Our Broody Bantam…Jo Annie! https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/2024/02/16/our-broody-bantam-jo-annie/ https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/2024/02/16/our-broody-bantam-jo-annie/#respond Fri, 16 Feb 2024 21:22:26 +0000 https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/?p=2206 One of our young hens, named Jo Annie, went broody in late January (when it was definitely VERY cold) and managed to hatch out a ton of chicks, despite leaving the nest for extended periods during the setting time.

Bantam hen with her 8 chicks
Jo Annie taking care of her kids!

Interestingly enough, they did seem to hatch out around days 22 or 23, instead of 21, but she did an outstanding job with them. She hatched out 11 but we did lose 3 after the move to the nesting box. Unfortunately, the roosting box in our coop is a good 3 feet off the ground. The last time we had a hen hatch in this box, she brought the chicks out and when she went back to the nest, several of them didn’t make it back up the ramp and died that evening when it got too cold. It was heartbreaking.

So, now we move the hens to ground nests in a different coop, where the chicks can easily go to and from the nest. We’ve done this countless times – always at night (so the hen is less prone to vacate the new nest when we put her in) but never in the dead of Winter.

Jo Annie & Her Winter Brood

Unfortunately, it appears that 3 were somehow unable to get warm that night and did perish. Not an ideal situation and we’ll probably do some extra “post move” checking the evening we next move a hen in the Winter.

Regardless, we have 8 little bantam chicks running about with “their mama” (really a collection of eggs from the various hens that were laying at the time.)

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First Chick Additions of 2024 https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/2024/02/10/first-chick-additions-of-2024/ https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/2024/02/10/first-chick-additions-of-2024/#respond Sat, 10 Feb 2024 18:22:25 +0000 https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/?p=2202 In an effort to increase our genetic stock, we ordered 15 chicks from Myer Hatchery. Although it’s only a few days since the chicks arrived, I must say that I am impressed. A lot.

We ordered Welsummer and Cream Legbar chicks, adding to the genetic diversity of what we have. What’s truly amazing is that we placed this order in mid-January and these things arrived on Feb 6 (pretty much exactly when they promised.) The key here is February! I expected them to ship in late March or later, due to the weather. These little chicks made the trip overnight, when the temps dropped to near freezing at our house, and all arrived seemingly healthy. My daughter says they included a heating pad, which must be the case. I was really amazed with this whole thing.

Chicks at Waterer

In the first 72 hours, we have lost two chicks. If we manage to have 13 make it through the first 7 days, I’ll be very happy. All seem strong and healthy now, but you never know.

I’ll definitely be using Meyer again!

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Things Are About To Take Off! https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/2024/02/05/things-are-about-to-take-off/ https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/2024/02/05/things-are-about-to-take-off/#respond Mon, 05 Feb 2024 20:34:12 +0000 https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/?p=2191 Late January and early February are some of my fav times of the year and not just for the Snow skiing:)

Raised Shallot Bed in February
Just before the nasty weeds take hold!

This is the time of the year when lots of prepping starts. We have lots of eggs in the incubator, setting to hatch out of the next 7 days, one hen that’s broody and should hatch out this week, a bunch of fun breeds of chicks coming soon, honey bees that are building up for Spring and vacant garden slots that need tending!

Whew. It’s actually sort of exhausting when I write it out like that, but today’s post is focused on the Garlic/Shallot beds. I’ve found, over the years, that the main onslaught of the mid- to late-Winter onslaught of weeds hits hard towards the end of February. Therefore, I used the last week of January (and, because of usual delays…the first week of February…) to weed out my winter plantings (primarily garlic and shallots these days) and mulch or put a weed prevention down.

The beds all already have a few weeds (the early birds, I suppose) poking through. I was able to get the raised beds weeded today and put some weed prevention down. We’ll see how well it works.

Raised Garlic Bed in Feb
Not Many Weeds….Yet!
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My First Solar Chicken Door https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/2024/01/03/my-first-solar-chicken-door/ https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/2024/01/03/my-first-solar-chicken-door/#respond Wed, 03 Jan 2024 05:19:44 +0000 https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/?p=2163
Solar Automatic Chicken door
My First Solar Chicken Door
Automatic Chicken Door from chickendoors.com
Chickendoors.com Automatic Chicken Door

Although this was the second automatic chicken door that I purchased, it was my first venture into the solar powered doors. For reasons that I do not recall, I chose one from chickendoors.com – a standard pullet, solar with battery. They have other sizes, but they all appear to operate on the same design.

Solar panel
Nothing to mount panel with

To begin with, I must applaud them for good customer service. It may be a small shop, but I feel like I receive pretty quick, personal response from the people that are running the show over there. They are friendly and quick to try to help with issues.

The first negative about this setup is that the solar panel comes without anything to easily attach it anywhere. Mine didn’t even have screw holes – picture just a flat panel. If I had spent the extra effort to fabricate a holder for this panel, I probably could have avoided some issues. As it was, the thing would occasionally blow off the chicken tractor, which was a hassel.

Complicated cable setup going to battery
Somewhat flimsy wire setup on battery

The second negative is the hookup’s. Wires run from the solar panel to the battery and then from the battery to the door (obviously, this is necessary…) The problem is that it’s not a simple male/female plug at each interface. Things are quite complicated and I ended up having to patch or fix various pieces of it a couple of times.

The third negative is that there was no app to manage this thing (at least when I purchased it.) I only mention this as the other two doors that I have experimented with both have apps, which make it easy to manage the opening and closing of the door.

The forth negative is the price. It came at quite a premium to the others that I have been using and testing out.

For the final negative, I know about their good customer service because I did have issues with this door. I installed it towards the end of February, 2022 and it stopped working towards the end of November, 2023. The company has given me a number to call to fix it (which I do plan to do), but my other door was working so seamlessly that I decided to just purchase a new door and deal with it later.

For me, after trying three doors (one of which was this one), I do not recommend this door to my friends that ask for recommendations. Other models have proven to be better for my needs.

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Automatic Chicken Doors are a Blessing! https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/2023/12/30/automatic-chicken-doors-are-a-blessing/ https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/2023/12/30/automatic-chicken-doors-are-a-blessing/#respond Sat, 30 Dec 2023 15:48:48 +0000 https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/?p=2156 When we first moved to the farm, we had a single chicken tractor that we moved about the farm. It was NOT the most efficiently built (it seems that I always overbuild something the first time around…lol), but I was able to use a trolly on one end to move it through out pastures.

Then the wind came… We live in the rolling hills of central Va and our pastures surround our farmhouse on top of a hill. The Fall winds, as we were to discover, were quite strong on top of these hills. After the tractor was blown over the first time, I attached rope to each side and staked it down. But, the wind still proved too strong and still damaged the tractor. Eventually, I moved it to it’s current location, at the bottom of the hill where it is subject to very little wind.

In all of this time, we would get up in the mornings to let the chickens out and go out in the evening to close them up again. Although sort of fun at the start, it became quite the honorous task…especially if we were out in the evening and not due home until late. With the doors open, the coons, oppossums and foxes had free range on our chicken… I needed a way to automate this.

Fortunately (and per usual), someone had already encountered this problem and resolved it with the automatic chicken door opener! After some research, I decided on what appeared to be a good brand and give it a try. I have since tried 2 other brands and will report my findings here, in future posts.

These doors make or break it on the FMH. They require little maintenance and keep the chickens safe from the nightly predators (who I regularly catch on my game cam every night!)

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Flock Dynamics https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/2023/12/21/flock-dynamics/ https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/2023/12/21/flock-dynamics/#respond Thu, 21 Dec 2023 22:47:34 +0000 https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/?p=2123 Chickens are interesting animals that all have their own unique personalities. While some chickens may be naturally more bossy and straight forward, other birds will be less confrontational and more submissive. When you have a flock of 40+ chickens, the exact pecking order can be harder to distinguish. However, I have managed to figure out the hens at the top of the pecking order and then those who are last. It’s the hens that linger in the middle that are tricky. Anyway, from what I’ve seen, our oldest and most watchful hen is at the top of the pecking order. We laugh about how she is constantly trying to attack some poor bird that lingered too near, while other times she snuggles right up to her fellow flock members. Meanwhile, it seems that our two Salmon Favorolle pullets are at the bottom of the pecking order. I’ve noticed and read that Favorolles tend to get bullied in mixed flocks, which seems to be true, but it’s nothing to the point of concern. Well, for our hens. When I put our Favorolle rooster out, Flash came at him whenever the poor guy came near. It was so sad and seemed constant, so I put the Favorolle rooster back into the coop. I need to put him out soon, now that I think about it…..

Figuring out the pecking order for the 5 roosters is much easier. Flash (Cream Legbar) would be the main man closely followed by our other Cream Legbar rooster. I say closely followed because the two are constantly butting heads. However, Flash remains the winner. Anyway, in third would be Mr. Maran, and no that’s not his name. I just call him that because he’s a Maran rooster and why not? Then our big boy Easter Egger followed by, last but not least, good old Welsummer. A bit off topic, but someone is coming this week to pickup the last Welsummer rooster that we have for sale, which is good. We have multiple people coming to pick up the roosters, so I hope to have no more roosters for sale by the end of the week! Yay!

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Our First Snow! https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/2023/12/11/our-first-snow/ https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/2023/12/11/our-first-snow/#respond Mon, 11 Dec 2023 17:21:31 +0000 https://farmofflowingmilkandhoney.com/?p=2111 There is nothing quite like the first snow! It gives a both a feeling of peace as well as beauty. I think the blanket of pure white snow gives us a feeling of clean, so to speak! We went without any major snow last Winter, so we’re hoping for more blasts this year.

A dusting of snow as the sun rises on the farm
1A light dusting of snow overnight

Snow also heralds in a few tasks on the homestead. Oddly, the main task involves our song birds. Snow makes foraging for seeds a bit more difficult in the wilds, so we make sure the bird feeders are full and scatter some extra feed on the ground for our friends. Snow also can mean frozen water for the animals, so we check all of the rabbit and poultry waterers, in addition to a quick check for the cow troughs. All in all, everything was fine this morning (the temps barely hit 32, which didn’t cause any issues for our animals), but it was a good reminder for what is to come.

Basket of Eggs
Early December Egg Run

Interestingly, we are starting to get a rise in egg laying. I’m pretty sure it really starts to turn on after the Winter Solstice (around Dec 21), when the days start to get longer. But, we’re already seeing a slight uptick now.

Lots of fun on the horizon! Spring is just around the corner!

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