Goats!

Hi everyone.  I am so sorry for not posting for a very long time.  I have been very busy with my Daniels Fresh Eggs business and school so I haven't had time to post.

Today I want to talk about goats.
So I am getting two goats next year.  Actually in the spring.   Their names are going to be Prince and Daisy.

Prince is a peer-bred Lamancha  neutered male.  I found him at Lolly Pop Farm in Rochester, NY.

A Lamancha goat is a very docile breed.  They are a non-meat goat.  They are a dairy breed, but Prince is a male so we can't milk him.  We can't breed him because he is fixed.

When we went to LollyPop Farm, Prince immediately came over to me and wanted me to pet him and walked with me and followed me around.  

I would like to find a Saanan breed.  I will name her Daisy.  I would like to find one in milk.  That means that I would be able to get milk from her right away.  If she isn't in milk, then I would have to breed her and after she had a baby, then she would give milk.  I would cross her with a Lamancha buck.  

Goats can be out in cold weather.  Even down to 12 degrees.  They don't like to be wet though.  

Goats sleep about 5 hours a day.   Dogs sleep about 10 hours a day.  

When I get my goats, I will post pictures on my blog.  

Have a Merry Christmas from Daniels Fresh Eggs!

Winter Chickens

Since winter is finally getting here, it is getting colder out, we are going to talk about how to keep chickens throughout the winter, so they can lay, lay, lay all winter long.

We have our chickens in a round metal chicken coup.  We have put a blue tarp over part of the chicken run so the snow and rain won't get in the door.  Also, it provides shade on sunny days.
Inside the chicken coup, we laid down a thick coat of pine needles and then a thick coat of straw to build up the base to keep the ladies warm.  We will have to change out the bedding weekly.  The chickens usually poop right by the door so that makes it easier to clean, we won't have to change all of the bedding, just the stuff with a lot of poop on it.
We have to check the water frequently to make sure it doesn't freeze solid.  If it is a light coating of ice, the chickens can peck through it, but they won't if it is thick.  They eat more during the winter and colder months because they need to stay warm and eating helps them do that.  So you have to make sure their feed stays full.  We also give them table scraps and extra veggies to give them extra yummy stuff to eat.  They love pumpkins and squash.

The chickens will still lay eggs during the winter as long as they stay healthy. Their production will go down, but we have been getting about 3-6 eggs a day still.  Probably during the late winter we won't get as many eggs because the chickens need sunshine to lay lots of eggs and here in NY we don't get much sun in the winter.  If the eggs freeze, it is ok to eat them still.  They will thaw in the refrigerator.

Chickens and Goats

 All of the Chickens have started laying eggs.  We are getting about six eggs a day.  The Chickens are about full grown so that is good.  Mom's Silver laced Wyandotts are laying speckled brown eggs.   My Rhode Island Red layed one egg this morning.  While I was cleaning out the chicken coop, one of Dads chickens was laying an egg while I was in the coop.  It is important to keep the chicken coop clean because you don't want worms to infect the chickens.  Also to keep maggots and mites from living there.  That would be gross.  When the chickens have layed an egg, it should be clean and not have poop on it.  If they are covered in chicken poop, that means they have worms and your chickens should get dewormed.  The eggs should look clean and fresh.  When the chicken eggs first come out, they feel warm.  It is ok to not wash them off and they can be left on the counter, unwashed, for a few days if you want.  Once they are refrigerated, they need to stay in the fridge.  We choose to keep our eggs in the refrigerator, but we don't wash them off because they always come out clean and it helps keep them fresh longer.


I have decided to get a dairy goat next year.  I want a dairy goat because they give milk. Meat goats give meat and I don't want to eat a meat goat.  I want to drink the goats milk.  I went to Sunny Cove Organic Farm in Alfred and tried some of their goat milk and it was soooooo good!
You can make cheese, soap, lotions and drink the goats milk.   I think they are better than dairy cows because you only have to milk a dairy goat once a day.  A dairy cow has to be milked twice a day.  A cow eats a lot more and are more picky than goats.  Goats eat just about anything that is growing.
My favorite type of goat is the Nubian and Saanan goats.  The Nubians come in any color and have floppy ears.  The Saanan come in white and have straight up ears, like a deer.

All Eggs on Deck

     Sorry it has been so long between posts.  I had a very busy summer and I have been very busy with school starting up again.
 I have exciting news, my sisters Easter Eggers have started laying their eggs and my dads barred rock chickens have just started laying today as well as my Rhode Island Reds!  We are still waiting for my moms Silver laced Wyandots to lay.
It has been very hot the past week, so the chickens are liking the warm weather.  The chickens are starting to love being held and pet. I think they are because I have been giving them apples from the apple tree that is out side of their run.  They also enjoy getting cantaloupe, watermelon, squash and other snacks from me.  I believe my chickens are the friendliest because they run up to the fence and walk along side me when I am in the run with them.  The funniest thing is to watch all of our chickens run. They have a waddle when they run and they put their heads down then kind of stick their wings slightly out to the side then take off full speed. Its so cute!
When they lay eggs they make the funniest noises.  They cluck and chatter VERY loudly.  It really is fun to listen to them.

Here are a brown and green.  The brown is from the Rhode Island Red, the Green is from the Easter Egger

This is a pale pink.  This one is from the Easter Egger

Chickens are bigger

Sorry it has been so long, I have been busy with planting things and doing school and baseball.   Now school is over so I can do more updates and talk about chickens more.

The chickens are so cute and they are almost big enough to start laying eggs.  Only 6 weeks away hopefully.  The coop is a nice round place for them to stay in at nice.  The chicken run is a nice grass area but they are stomping it down, it is covered with netting so large animals and birds can't get them, such as hawks, eagles, cougars, fox, raccoon's, and possums.  They seem to love it.

The chickens are eating chick starter as well as watermelon, which they LOVE! They eat other vegetable table scraps.  They eat a lot!

My chicken, Hope, is the calmest chicken there ever way.  Winter is the sweetest and Willow is adorable.  My moms chicken, Peck,  pecks.  She is very pushy.   Ally's chicken, Ruth, is the most curious chicken around.  She gets her beak into everything.
Here are a few pictures to see what they chickens look like.

Dad's Barred Rock 

4 friends

  

This is Hope

This is Winter

Willow, and 2 Barred Rocks

The white one is Ally's, Ruth.

Mom's Silver Laced Wyandotte, Henny

Barred Rock and Penny

Here are the Chickens

Our chickens are growing.  We put them outside in their new chicken house last week.  The chicken coop is a round coop and all metal. Predators can't get our chickens.  It is really nice inside, it has a wooden floor that we covered with wood shavings.  It has windows to let in the light.  My Dad covered the windows with chicken wire and then made wooden shutters to close at night.  We have a heat light on them at night still.  This week we are going to put the fencing up so they can start running around outside.
They are growing so fast.  The first week they were tiny little chicks but now they are about 6 inches high.

I am going to do 4-H and show my chickens at the Allegany County Fair.  My sister is going to also.
To tame a chicken so they are easy to show is by holding them a lot and petting them, giving them treats and talking to them.  I give my chickens watermelon and they love it.
So far I have tamed 3 of the chickens.   They come to me and let me pick them up and sit on my hand.

What do Chickens eat?

Chickens eat lots of different things.  
When chicks are first born, they don't eat anything the first day.   When they are fully fluffy and a day old, they start eating chick starter.  Some people use Organic and some people use medicated chick started.  
When the chicks are old enough to go outside they can eat chick feed, bugs, worms, and vegetables.   
It is good to feed your chickens crushed egg shells to help make their eggs hard.  
If you have free range chickens, your dog might chase after them and kill them and eat them.  If they are free ranging, they eat lots of bugs out of the yard.  They eat ticks.  At night they will go  back to their nesting box for the night to lay their eggs. 
If you keep your chickens in a pen, you can still let them eat bugs and worms.  They also like almost anything you give them.  They will eat grapes, orange peels, table scrapes and even pieces of cooked chicken.  In the fall, they love pumpkins.   If you give your chickens onions they will taste like onion eggs.  
For treats you could give them Happy Hen Treats.   Here is a link where you can buy them. 
http://www.happyhentreats.com/qswzcijbp2nip3ns03vhz078gunkqc

You can also make your own treats by putting pieces of fruit, meal worms and other yummy things in ice cube trays filled with water and freezing them.  Give them one cube to peck at.  This gives them water and treats and gives them something to do.  

COWS

What are cows called before they have a baby?  They are called Heifers.
What are cows called when they give birth? They are called Cows.
What are boy calls called?  They are called Bulls before they are fixed.  They are called Steers when they are castrated. 
What do cows eat?  They eat grass and grain.
What do cows drink?  They drink water, like me and you.
What do cows do? They sleep, eat and poop.  

 

The chicks are here!

Chicken day has arrived!

I got my 3 Rhode Island Reds today.  Everyone else got theirs too.
       

     

My Rhode island reds are named Hope. Winter and Willow.   They have to stay warm. The temperature has to stay about 90 degrees when they are little.
They are the cutest little chicks ever.  This morning my dad, sister and I went to pick them up at 7 am from the post office.  They were chirping away.  They came in a shipping box for chicks, with holes and a heat pad.
When they are bigger, I will give them happy hen treats.   All if our chicks are hens.

Going to the Dogs

Today we are going to take a break from talking about chickens again.  Our chickens have been shipped and we are waiting for them to get here.  Hopefully tomorrow we will have pictures of our new babies.
In the meantime I want to talk about some different types of dogs and what kinds would be good for kids.

One of my favorite types of dogs is a Golden Retriever.  They are gentle and sweet.  Their temperament is reliable, confident, trustworthy and intelligent.  They are big dogs so if you have little kids be careful they don't get knocked over.  

Another one is a Labrador Retriever.  They come in gold, brown and black.  They are outgoing, even tempered, gentle and kind.  

Another dog I really like is the German Shepard.  They are watchful, alert, obedient, loyal and courageous.  They would be good protectors.  My cousin Grace used to have a German Shepard named Jett.  He was huge and very gentle.  He died when he got struck by lightning. 

Long Haired Dachshund are another favorite of mine.  They are so sweet and calm.  They are lovable and cuddly.  

Here is a list of dogs I don't think would be good for kids.
Chihuahua, pugs, jack Russell terriers, Chinese crested dog .  

I don't think an unneutered male would be good for kids.  I think everyone should have their male dog neutered.  Because if you are out walking your dog and a female is walking it wouldn't be good because male dog would go crazy.  

Here is a funny dog video.

Hens or Roosters?

When choosing chickens you need to decide what you want them for.  Some people want them for breeding, some want them for meat, others want them for eggs and still others want them just for decorations.  

If you want them for breeding, you need a rooster and a hen.  A broody hen is a girl chicken who wants to hatch eggs.  Some chicken breeds are more broody than others.  Buff Rocks, Buff Orpingtons and Cochins are good chickens to have if you want to raise chicks.  

If you want chickens for meat only,  you can use male or female.  Male chickens grow faster and are bigger, but sometimes taste funny.  Female chickens are a little bit smaller but taste good.  

Hens are the way to go if you want chickens for eggs.  You don't want a rooster because you might end up with a fertile egg and that is gross.  If an egg is fertile, you will see a bloody spot.  

If people want chickens only for decoration, you could have hens and roosters.  


I like Rhode Island Red hens best because they produce excellent eggs.  They don't go broody.   I only want hens because I want eggs.  

Roosters are aggressive and mean.  They also crow like crazy and wake you up early in the morning.  If you want to get woken up at 5am then get a rooster.  

You can tell the difference between roosters and hens by the size of their cones on the head.  A rooster will have a large cone, and a hen will have a small cone.  
The roosters will be larger than a hen also.

I will be selling large brown eggs when my chickens get big enough.  They come this week and I am so excited.   

Chicken Breeds......

Today we are going to talk about different chicken breeds.  Which ones are good to have for eggs, which ones are not good for eggs and which ones are for meat.

Let's talk about Rhode Island Reds first.   This breed is excellent for a beginner and I highly recommend this breed.  They produce nice, large brown eggs.  They are friendly and calm.   Everyone seems to like them.  

Barred Rock chickens are good egg layers as well.  They produce large, plentiful, brown eggs.  They are calm and make good backyard chickens.

Buff Orpington chicks are good egg and meat chickens.  They also make nice backyard chickens because they are sweet birds.  They also lay brown eggs.   These chickens are good for colder climates.

Red Ranger birds are good for meat.  They grow quickly and live well in a cage or free range.  

Now we will talk about breeds of chickens that just look cute but don't offer much else. 

Silkies only produce one egg per day and they are very small. These chickens are cute and make fun pets.

Last, we will talk about Modern game birds.  These chickens don't lay good eggs and aren't good meat birds.  They are only for ornamental purposes.  They look like part chicken and part human.

Florida trip

Today we are going to take a break from chickens and talk about our recent trip to Florida.

I had so much fun in Florida and I did so many things.

My favorite thing I did was riding my bike around my grandmas community.  There are ponds, a church, a community center, a fountain and a nature trail.  
The ponds have fish, turtles and alligators in them.  On the nature trail there are snakes, cows and birds and fresh orange trees.  
I had so much fun riding around and seeing the lizards and sand cranes.  Sand cranes are tall birds and they walk slow and eat bugs as they walk around.  
I got really close to hitting a squirrel, but I slammed on my brakes.
I have really cool lights that blink so people can see me at night.  I used them a lot.  
Here are some pictures from where my grandma lives.

Another thing we did was go to the beach.  I played in the water and on the sand.  It was really warm and sunny.  I got a sunburn on my back, but the sunburn is better now. 
We saw a dolphin and a shrimp.   My brother caught a brittle starfish.  He let it go.  We saw stone crabs, horseshoe crabs and fiddler crabs.  The fiddler crabs are small crabs that come out of a hole in the sand and if you get to close they run right back in.  

We went kayaking a few times and that was fun.  I really like to kayak.  When we went to the Weeki Wachee river, I swam with slayt down the river.  I saw a manatee but didn't pet it.  My sister and brother did.  It was really cute.  The manatees name is Barbara. Here is a link to the Weeki Wachee State Park. 
https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/weeki-wachee

Where do you like to go on Vacation?  What do you like to do?  
Leave your comments below.
Thanks!