Buckeye Chickens
Boy do we love hens. They are lovingly referred to as "The Girlfriends". Hens perform several important jobs around here. They supply us with fresh, bright orange-yolked eggs and chicks that grow into tasty meals; eat plenty of bugs and serve as mini garden tillers. Fringe benefits include entertainment and comic relief.
After reading about the merits of Buckeyes as a dual-purpose birds with unique personalities, we decided to give them a try. We have not been disappointed. We ordered the chicks in September 2010, and they have been a hardy bunch. Our goal was to retain a small breeding flock of 6 hens and 1 rooster. Hardy, docile layers of large brown eggs; they make a full-flavored table bird if left to mature for 16-20 weeks. Buckeyes are also active foragers and friendly and curious enough to get underfoot at feeding time. They will be put to work improving new garden beds and providing us with plenty of chicks.
Chicks will be available in the spring.
Silver Appleyard Ducks
Through the years, we have had
different varieties of ducks. Khaki Campbells were the first ducks we
owned. They were excellent for egg production. Next we added Indian
Runners. They also laid well and were flightier than the Campbells. My husband loved roast duck so the heavier Pekins and Rouens provided meat.
The Silver Appleyards are my favorite duck. They are much calmer than the Campbells and Runners and lay a respectable number of eggs. The build is more elegant than the heavy meat ducks whose bodies nearly dragged along the ground. They are a rare breed that was developed as a dual purpose meat/egg duck. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy has them on the "critical" list.
We got these ducks to do some herding training with the dogs, for the eggs and to preserve the breed. They flock well and move away from the dog in an orderly fashion.
Ducklings will be available in the spring.
The Silver Appleyards are my favorite duck. They are much calmer than the Campbells and Runners and lay a respectable number of eggs. The build is more elegant than the heavy meat ducks whose bodies nearly dragged along the ground. They are a rare breed that was developed as a dual purpose meat/egg duck. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy has them on the "critical" list.
We got these ducks to do some herding training with the dogs, for the eggs and to preserve the breed. They flock well and move away from the dog in an orderly fashion.
Ducklings will be available in the spring.
