A good year it was

So 2010 is here, but 2009 was a good one. My goal for my little egg selling project was to raise $150 for 2009. The girls came through and we ended up donating $165 to Heifer International. I went with 5 donations of chickens and the rest to where ever it is needed most.

I'm planning on adding a few new layers this year to keep production going. The winter months are very slim on eggs, but they are stilling running around enjoying life on the farm.

A huge Thank you to all my loyal customers. My girls work for you.

Remember to do for others when you can, it feels good even when it is something small and a lot of times the small things you do for others are the most important.

Spread the word, spread the love and BE A GOOD EGG!

P.S. the picture is of Meadow and William. Meadow loves to guard eggs so sometimes we just put a few in the grass and leave her in charge. She won't let the other dogs or chickens near them.

Happy Helping Hens 2008 Donation!!!!

What a great first year of the Be A Good Egg project. The donation was just made to Heifer International of $130.00. My girls want to send a big THANK YOU to all their customers for buying their eggs and making this donation possible. The $130 went to buy 6 flocks of chicks and an additional $10 donation. There are lots of gifts to choose from and with $130 I had lots of choices at that level, but I finally went with my original intention of putting the money toward chicks. As I've said before, my girls bring me joy, entertainment, nourishing eggs and are zen like so buying chicks for families in need and not just giving them nourishing eggs to eat and sell, but the entertainment and joy the chickens bring too...well, I had to go with this choice.

Here is the description in the Heifer online catalog for chicks:
Chicks: A Good Choice

A flock of chicks can help families from Cameroon to the Caribbean add nourishing, life-sustaining eggs to their inadequate diets.

The protein in just one egg is a nutritious gift for a hungry child. Protein-packed eggs from even a single chicken can make a life-saving difference.

Heifer helps many hungry families with a starter flock of 10 to 50 chicks. A good hen can lay up to 200 eggs a year - plenty to eat, share or sell.

Because chickens require little space and can thrive on readily available food scraps, families can make money from the birds without spending much. And chickens help control insects and fertilize gardens.

This is the message from Heifer after making the donation: Thank you for making a gift through Heifer International's online gift catalog. Because of your donation, we can continue doing our work across the globe — offering livestock, training and other resources to struggling families can become self-reliant. And because of the commitment each recipient makes to "Pass on the Gift", one purchase from you can create a ripple effect that soon empowers entire communities to lift themselves out of hunger and poverty once and for all.

A BIG Thank You again to our customers. Our girls should be laying again soon, but we have a little snow right now and they are not very happy about it. I encourage other small flock owners that just give eggs away to do the same. Our friends are very willing to pay for our eggs and especially knowing the money is helping others. It's a win win.

Don't know what to get for the person that has everything or wants nothing this holiday season? Heifer International is a great way to give in someones name or consider your favorite charity.

Spread the word. Spread the Love. Be A Good Egg!

Breast Cancer Awareness

October is almost over, but the awareness of Breast Cancer needs to be available all year, everyday. Let's all take time to learn more or spread the word to our sisters, mothers, aunts, cousins and ourselves. Lot's of information is available online...here is one spot nbcam.org. Be a Good Egg and remind the women in your life to take care of themselves and have regular exams.

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

Gallus Domesticus facts

That's Latin for chicken. It's molting season and egg production is way down. The girls look terrible. Most are practically naked and new feathers are not attractive when they are coming in. Apparently molting is triggered by lower light levels and after molting young chickens eggs will get bigger.

-Chickens were domesticated about 8000 years ago.
I thought this one was pretty interesting, 8000 years, wow.
-A hen lives an average of 5-7 years, but can live up to 20 years. She'll lay eggs her entire life, with production decreasing every year from year one.
I get asked a lot how long a chicken lives. Until now I didn't know. I get asked this because I have no intentions of eating my chickens. My girls are here to lay eggs and have a peaceful, lovely life eating bugs and being cute. So far my oldest chickens are 3.

Remember, spread the word, spread the love, be a Good Egg.