Here on the farm our hens are secure in the coop at night but completely free range on pasture during the day. We built the ladies many nice nesting boxes but they seem to enjoy laying all willy nilly in our barn and in little secret spots around the field. While it may take a few more minutes to collect the eggs, our smallest farm hand is getting eggcellent practice for when easter rolls around the stakes involve stickers in plastic shaped eggs.
Here are some fun images of our ladies in action:
This little pearl leghorn loves to hide out and nest next to our straw bedding
While these eggs were left behind by one of our olive eggers and a rhode island red under a tarp that covers our alfalfa.
Thankfully many hands make light of the work that is collecting the days eggs:
 The olive egger chickens we sell are F1 (first generation) and are a mix of our Amerucana hens with our Little Peddler French Black Copper Marans Rooster. When folks come to pick up hatching eggs for those chickens from us the eggs will always look blue! Imagine mixing the bright blue of these eggs with the chocolate brown of the Marans eggs and viola, you will get a preview of the eggs our olive eggers will lay – pretty snazzy eh?
We love all things beautiful and functional here on the farm. Guinea hens are typically rare in the average persons backyard flock but let us tell you why we think you should add one (or two!) to your backyard.
To make cleaning the coop floor swift and easy we put hinges on the wall side of the roost and a clasp on the other side so it can swing up to the ceiling and get anchored while we rake out the straw and give fresh bedding.
The small breeding flock inhabiting the mobile coop loves their home and if it is a particularly hot day they can be found resting and laying eggs under the trailer, content in the shade!
Here is a fun image of the progression from egg to chick to full grown mating adults. We love working with the French Black Copper Marans because the roosters are so immaculately tame. Our Little Peddler Roo has never looked at me with a sideways eye and will let any of us pick him up for a love squeeze. If they escape out of the pasture the hens like to come up to the back door and look into the window to see if anyone will bring them treats.
Warning: This article on hatchery vs. our breeding practices is a bit unsettling but important to read if you are serious about raising chickens and want to know where your eggs and meat come from .
