Jacob Springs egg program - Revision history

Ahoussney: /* Care and feeding of our egg flock */

2016-09-20T20:45:04Z

‎Care and feeding of our egg flock

Ahoussney: /* Care and feeding of our egg flock */

2016-09-20T20:44:52Z

‎Care and feeding of our egg flock

Ahoussney at 20:44, 20 September 2016

2016-09-20T20:44:14Z

Ahoussney at 20:41, 20 September 2016

2016-09-20T20:41:20Z

Ahoussney at 16:33, 25 February 2016

2016-02-25T16:33:00Z

Ahoussney: /* Breeds */

2016-02-25T15:53:51Z

‎Breeds

Ahoussney at 01:32, 21 February 2015

2015-02-21T01:32:43Z

Ahoussney at 01:32, 21 February 2015

2015-02-21T01:32:25Z

Ahoussney at 01:29, 21 February 2015

2015-02-21T01:29:55Z

67.176.57.155 at 22:42, 13 February 2015

2015-02-13T22:42:54Z

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 [[File:Eggmobile.jpg|thumb|300px|right]]
-In our [[egg mobile]] production system, hens are fed a wide variety of foods, most salvaged from pre-consumer waste from a local organic burrito factory and waste produce from a local organic grocery department. A small amount of [[Fehringer Farms]]' organic, no-corn, no-soy layer feed is occasionally fed supplementally. In winter, when few forages are available, hens are often penned in the barnyard, here they assist in the [[composting program]] as cheep labor employed to turn and scratch through the pile. ''see'' [[composting with hens]]
+In our [[eggmobile]] production system, hens are fed a wide variety of foods, most salvaged from pre-consumer waste from a local organic burrito factory and waste produce from a local organic grocery department. A small amount of [[Fehringer Farms]]' organic, no-corn, no-soy layer feed is occasionally fed supplementally. In winter, when few forages are available, hens are often penned in the barnyard, here they assist in the [[composting program]] as cheep labor employed to turn and scratch through the pile. ''see'' [[composting with hens]]
 Spring, Summer and Fall, they live on the [[Jacob Springs eggmobile]], out at pasture. The egg mobile follows the [[rotational grazing|grazing rotation]] of the cows, picking out the insect larvae hatched from eggs laid into the manure and scratching and distributing the manure to get at the organic [[millet]] fed to the cows for this purpose.

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 [[File:Eggmobile.jpg|thumb|300px|right]]
-In our [[egg production]] system, hens are fed a wide variety of foods, most salvaged from pre-consumer waste from a local organic burrito factory and waste produce from a local organic grocery department. A small amount of [[Fehringer Farms]]' organic, no-corn, no-soy layer feed is occasionally fed supplementally. In winter, when few forages are available, hens are often penned in the barnyard, here they assist in the [[composting program]] as cheep labor employed to turn and scratch through the pile. ''see'' [[composting with hens]]
+In our [[egg mobile]] production system, hens are fed a wide variety of foods, most salvaged from pre-consumer waste from a local organic burrito factory and waste produce from a local organic grocery department. A small amount of [[Fehringer Farms]]' organic, no-corn, no-soy layer feed is occasionally fed supplementally. In winter, when few forages are available, hens are often penned in the barnyard, here they assist in the [[composting program]] as cheep labor employed to turn and scratch through the pile. ''see'' [[composting with hens]]
 Spring, Summer and Fall, they live on the [[Jacob Springs eggmobile]], out at pasture. The egg mobile follows the [[rotational grazing|grazing rotation]] of the cows, picking out the insect larvae hatched from eggs laid into the manure and scratching and distributing the manure to get at the organic [[millet]] fed to the cows for this purpose.

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:44, 20 September 2016
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	==Care and feeding of our egg flock==		==Care and feeding of our egg flock==
		+
		+	[[File:Eggmobile.jpg\|thumb\|300px\|right]]
		+
	In our [[egg production]] system, hens are fed a wide variety of foods, most salvaged from pre-consumer waste from a local organic burrito factory and waste produce from a local organic grocery department. A small amount of [[Fehringer Farms]]' organic, no-corn, no-soy layer feed is occasionally fed supplementally. In winter, when few forages are available, hens are often penned in the barnyard, here they assist in the [[composting program]] as cheep labor employed to turn and scratch through the pile. ''see'' [[composting with hens]]		In our [[egg production]] system, hens are fed a wide variety of foods, most salvaged from pre-consumer waste from a local organic burrito factory and waste produce from a local organic grocery department. A small amount of [[Fehringer Farms]]' organic, no-corn, no-soy layer feed is occasionally fed supplementally. In winter, when few forages are available, hens are often penned in the barnyard, here they assist in the [[composting program]] as cheep labor employed to turn and scratch through the pile. ''see'' [[composting with hens]]

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 The quality difference is visible and is due to the much higher nutrient content of a egg raised where chickens are being fed a much more varied and interesting diet than is practical on a commercial scale. ]]
-One of [[Jacob Springs Farm]]'s most popular [[Jacob Springs Farm#Farm programs|programs]] is the self-serve egg bin on the farm. Eggs can be purchased from the egg bin, which is simply an old chest freezer, at any time, however, eggs are only added to the bin Monday through Saturday at around 8:30am. Frequently, eggs are sold out within a few hours of being placed in the bin.
+One of [[Jacob Springs Farm]]'s most popular [[Jacob Springs Farm#Farm programs|programs]] is the self-serve egg bin on the farm. Eggs, produced by our [[eggmobile]] can be purchased from the egg bin, which is simply an old chest freezer, at any time, however, eggs are only added to the bin Monday through Saturday at around 8:30am. Frequently, eggs are sold out within a few hours of being placed in the bin.
 Eggs are sold for $10 per dozen. This works out to about $6.67 per pound. Egg buyers are encouraged to bring their old, empty cartons when they come to buy eggs.

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 One of [[Jacob Springs Farm]]'s most popular [[Jacob Springs Farm#Farm programs|programs]] is the self-serve egg bin on the farm. Eggs can be purchased from the egg bin, which is simply an old chest freezer, at any time, however, eggs are only added to the bin Monday through Saturday at around 8:30am. Frequently, eggs are sold out within a few hours of being placed in the bin.
-Eggs are sold for $10 per dozen. This works out to about $6.67 per pound.5 Egg buyers are encouraged to bring their old, empty cartons when they come to buy eggs.
+Eggs are sold for $10 per dozen. This works out to about $6.67 per pound. Egg buyers are encouraged to bring their old, empty cartons when they come to buy eggs.
 ==Care and feeding of our egg flock==

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:53, 25 February 2016
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	==Breeds==		==Breeds==
−	Each year we rotate between starting chicks of one of three large bodied breeds of brown egg laying chicken, [[Black Australorp]], [[Barred Rock]], and [[Cinnamon Queen]] with a smattering of dark egg laying [[Welsummer]] and green-egg-laying [[Easter-egger]]s sprinkled in for variety. Each year we focus on one of these breeds for replacement of the older hens of that breed, who are [[ushering\|ushered]] into our [[Jacob Springs spent hen program\| spent hen program]] as soon as the young of that breed are about to start laying, in this way we can immediately tell the age of the hen by her color and we can easily cycle our flock without unproductive, older hens overstaying their time. We retain eggs of a particular breed for [[incubation]] and hatching in out [[Henmulator]] incubator the summer before they are slated for the cooking pot.	+	Each year we rotate between starting chicks of one of three large bodied breeds of brown egg laying chicken, [[Black Australorp]], [[Barred Rock]], and [[Cinnamon Queen]] with a smattering of dark egg laying [[Welsummer]] and green-egg-laying [[Easter-egger]]s sprinkled in for variety. Each year we focus on one of these breeds for replacement of the older hens of that breed, who are [[ushering\|ushered]] into our [[Jacob Springs spent hen program\| spent hen program]] as soon as the young of that breed are about to start laying, in this way we can immediately tell the age of the hen by her color and we can easily cycle our flock without unproductive, older hens overstaying their time.
		+
		+	==Raising replacement layers==
		+	Sometimes we retain eggs of a particular breed for [[incubation]] and hatching in out [[Henmulator]] incubator the summer before they are slated for the cooking pot. Other years, we order chicks through commercial hatcheries and raise them until laying age, first in the [[brooding chicks\| brooder]] later in [[portable chicken shelters]] outdoors, and finally integrated into the flock - either in an [[eggmobile]] (summer and fall) or a [[chicken house]] (winter)