But summer went on

Our experiment was not successful. My broody Australorp decided she had enough for being cooped up, pardon the pun, and went for a walk about. She abandoned the eggs, including the duck egg, she had under her for about 20 days. It just was not meant to be. She is back to laying delicious eggs and sales are doing great. The last time I counted our fund we already met my goal of $150 and we still have lots of year left. Way to go girls!

Speaking of good causes...have you heard of Empty Bowls? Wikipedia has it defined as “Empty Bowls” is an international project to fight hunger, personalized by artists and art organizations on a community level". If you Google it you will find lots of local Empty Bowls events. This is a great way to do something small and make a big difference. The Oregon Potters Association is a good example of a group of artists raising money for the hungry. Their event happens in conjunction with the Waterfront Blues Festival every year. Take a look around for these events in your area.

Spread the word, spread the love and Be A Good Egg!!!

-The showcased chicken today is Stacey. She is an '05 Araucana that likes to make a lot of noise, but is a consistant layer, even after all these years.

Crossing our fingers

Yesterday I got the sad news that a good friends Khaki Campbell duck, Stonkelbonk, was killed by a raccoon. Her mate Goober is devastated. She laid an egg the morning of the attack and last night we placed it under my Australorp, Teri, who is broody and we'll hope for the best. It's a long shot, but maybe Stonkelbonk and Goober's love will live on. I've read that the incubation period is 28 days. This puts us around the 16th of July. Cross your fingers and let's hope Mother Nature works her magic and gives us a lovly Khaki.

Remember to Be A Good Egg!!!

Chasing bugs

The summer season is moving right along and we are having fun on the farm. Sadly we have lost two chickens this year to either a hawk or coyote. Not a lot of evidence to support a theory of either one so we just move on and hope we don't lose any others. We are working hard chicken proofing the deck and garden. I love my girls and want them to have lots and lots of outdoor time, but they sure do a lot of damage to a garden in a short period of time. So it's a constant chore to revise chicken proofing. One of my Australorps has been trying to go broody, but it just doesn't seem to be taking. Maybe June will be a good month for her.

Another big deal on the farm this month is the discovery of three baby barn owls. Their fuzzy little white heads have been peaking out the owl box, curious to what the world has to offer them. Our mason bees are hard at work, but the squirrels have discovered how tasty they are and have been cracking open the bamboo tubes and eating the larvae. We figured we have lost several hundred eggs. So squirrel proofing the mason bee nests became a priority.

Be A Good Egg!

Making a difference one egg at a time.

So we were driving home from a wonderful trip to Wisconsin a year ago and I was reflecting on what a happy life I have. I am so lucky to have a husband who is my best friend, a charming old farm house as my home, a fantastic view from our land, and the most beautiful friends and family anyone could imagine. I also get to wake up every day and if I so choose, do what I love...Make Pottery (muddyfishstudio.blogspot.com). While thinking about this I thought about my chickens and how they've changed my life. They are walking lawn ornaments. They are zen. They all have different personalities and are entertaining. I glow when friends ask me about my chickens. It's so incredibly silly, but it's true I just love them. So if they could make me so happy, maybe there was a way for me to spread the love and have them make others happy too.

I started out with 8 chicks in 2005 and have added chicks in '06 and '08. I had been giving my eggs away to friends, but all my friends where always willing to pay for them. So I thought I would change course a little. I would sell my eggs and the money raised would go to Heifer International at the end of the year. This way my customers get a good quality egg, free roaming for at least 8 hours a day, plus they have a very spacious coop and cage area when they are in at night, and my clients can also feel good because there purchase will go to a wonderful cause. My girls put out an egg-cellent product and at the end of the year they will be making other families in other countries very happy too.

My goal was to raise $100. I have already met that goal and still have three months of egg sales left. Be A GOOD EGG!

Namaste

P.S. The featured chicken is one of my Aussies, Teri. She is an Australorp and part of the '08 group. Australorps are known for their gentle nature and year round egg laying. Since I had decided to sell eggs I needed some winter layers. My Araucanas lay beautiful eggs, but come December/January they shut down the shoot and take a few months off. This will be the first winter with Australorps, we'll see how they do. So far they have lived up to their reputation for being gentle, they are very sweet natured and curious. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the dog in the picture is our chihuahua Meadow.