Our Backyard Poultry Class is highly recommended for both people just starting with chickens as well as people wanting to change over to organic and humane methods. It is a Chicken 101 class but focused strictly on rearing chickens organically, sustainably, and humanely. Also, it seems that so much of the information available to backyard chicken owners is a modified version of factory farming methods. It seems some books don't even take into account that the backyard flock will be out in the daylight hours experiencing the seasons and eating more than the rations provided in commercial feeds.
Pre-ordered Heirloom Chicks Ready for Pick up ~ mid-April - 2011 dates to be announced. Please email us with your orders by February 1st!
Pre-ordered Feathered Pullets will be available for pick up end of May - 2011 dates to be announced. Please email us with your orders by February 1st!
Backyard Organic Poultry Rearing Workshop - Saturday, January 29th 2011, 10 am - 12 noon
Backyard Organic Poultry Rearing Workshop - Sunday, February 13th 2011, 10 am - 12 noon
Cooking Eggs - Midsummer Farm's Best Egg Recipes and Methods - Sunday, March 13th 2011, 9 am - 11 am
Backyard Organic Poultry Rearing Workshop - Sunday, March 13th 2011, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Cooking Eggs - Midsummer Farm's Best Egg Recipes and Methods - Saturday, April 9th 2011, 9 am - 11 am
Backyard Organic Poultry Rearing Workshop - Saturday, April 9th 2011, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Cooking Eggs - Midsummer Farm's Best Egg Recipes and Methods - Sunday, May 1st 2011, 9 am - 11 am
Backyard Organic Poultry Rearing Workshop - Sunday, May 1st 2011, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Cooking Eggs - Midsummer Farm's Best Egg Recipes and Methods - Sunday, June 12th 2011, 9 am - 11 am
Backyard Organic Poultry Rearing Workshop - Sunday, June 12th 2011, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Processing Meat from Your Own Poultry - July 16th 2011, 9:30 am to 12 noon
Other workshop dates in 2011 still to be scheduled.
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Backyard Organic Poultry Rearing Workshop
Choose from 6 different sessions planned for Spring 2011:
Saturday, January 29th 2011, 10 am - 12 noon
Sunday, February 13th 2011, 10 am - 12 noon
Sunday, March 13th 2011, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Saturday, April 9th 2011, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Sunday, May 1st 2011, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Sunday, June 12th 2011, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
For anyone who has dreamed of walking out to your own chicken coop and collecting fresh eggs for breakfast, this course will guide you through starting up your own flock and in organic and natural rearing methods. We will discuss all of our secrets to Organic chicken care that we have discovered over the years. Chickens are wonderful stewards of the earth; and kept in proper conditions, chickens are valuable assets to the garden, lawn, and compost pile. They also provide backyard joy. They are easy to take care of, are not noisy or smelly, and are an important part of the Organic garden. (Please be sure to check with your town to make sure that chickens are allowed where you live.) Workshop takes place mostly outside (dress appropriately - wear boots) and is weather permitting. Cost is $36 | please register a couple days in advance.
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Cooking Poultry - We share 5 of our favorite Summer-Style Poultry Recipes
Date to be announced~
Class will cover techniques for both conventional meat-bird cooking as well as artisanal/backyard meat bird cooking. We'll also cover some other types of fowl and techniques for younger vs. older birds- and have meat for sale as well after the workshop. Cost is $36 |
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Cooking Poultry - We share 5 of our favorite Winter-Style Poultry Recipes
Date to be announced~
Class will cover techniques for both conventional meat-bird cooking as well as artisanal/backyard meat bird cooking. We'll also cover some other types of fowl and techniques for younger vs. older birds- and have meat for sale as well after the workshop. Cost is $36 |
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Cooking Eggs - Midsummer Farm's Best Egg Recipes and Methods
Choose from 4 different sessions planned for Spring 2011:
Sunday, March 13th 2011, 9 am - 11 am
Saturday, April 9th 2011, 9 am - 11 am
Sunday, May 1st 2011, 9 am - 11 am
Sunday, June 12th 2011, 9 am - 11 am
Includes breakfast in the sunny greenhouse!
Everything from simple tips like how to tell the freshness of an egg, or how to hard-boil a freshly laid egg, to building our favorite egg recipes like Nicoise Salad, Luscious Acadian Style Scrambled Eggs, a variety of Frittatas and Omelets using seasonal ingredients, Shirred Eggs with Spring Greens, and more! Participants will also receive a copy of our new Midsummer Farm Egg Recipe Book. Cost is $36 | please register a couple days in advance.
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Processing Meat from Your Own Poultry
July 16th 2011, 9:30 am to 12 noon~
Workshop takes place at Two Pond Farm in West Milford, NJ
and is taught by Allison Hosford and Roger Knight.
This workshop focuses on how to humanely and properly process your own poultry for meat. There are two ways to participate: Hands-On: limited number of spaces available. You will slaughter and butcher 2 humanely and pasture-raised birds from Two Pond Farm with the option to take home your freshly dressed birds at $2.80 per pound! Or you can take it as an Observer-Only. (You can still purchase humanely and pasture-raised meat from Two Pond Farm.) Two Pond Farm is located at 176 Weaver Road, West Milford, NJ 07480. There is a 'Fresh Eggs' sign at the end of the driveway. Please dress appropriately, this is a messy process. Wear something over your hair as the feathers will be flying. Cost is $36 | Registration closes July 12th 2011.
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Organic Backyard Chickens Workshop Outline:
When kept properly, rather than for high production, chickens are wonderful stewards of the earth � a real part of any home or farm that is sustainable. Chickens are the ultimate ingredient in a permaculture system or a healthy organic garden. And you get the freshest, healthiest, most delicious eggs too!
Prepare ahead � have your routine and living arrangements ready before the chicks or pullets arrive. It is extremely hard to break habits in birds!
Coop / Nighttime shelter / Runs / Pasture-Raised vs. Free Range
Predators
Chicken tractors
Roosts for sleeping
Nest Boxes for laying
Deep-Bedding method for Composting within the Coop | Cleaning | Composting of foul manure
Resting of Runs � cover cropping (mustard, grains, clover)
Chicks vs. Pullets | Breed Types � chicks are adorable, but purchasing older, weather-hardy pullets is easier.
How to care for chicks
Breeds � Winter-hardy vs. Mediterranean | brown vs. white egg layers
Roosters or not ?
Incubating your own chicks | quality and instincts in mixed breed chickens | broodiness
Feeding
Chicken food is usually divided into three categories for egg layers - chick starter, pullet developer/grower, and laying feed. Nature�s Best / Kraemer Organic Feed / GMO soy and high protein poultry feed Blue Seal also makes an Organic Feed that is easier to find, although we like (and the birds seem to prefer) the Nature�s Best the best!
Supplements for chicks:
dried green herbs (nettle, plantain, blackberry leaves) or chopped fresh greens (spinach, lettuce, dandelion) lightly boiled egg (mostly yolk is best) slippery elm powder acidophilus powder honey in water garlic and ground pumpkin seeds ketchup or red-colored jam will get them to eat anything!
Adult birds also always enjoy the chick supplements and any table scraps you may have (avoid feeding them bird meat though). Chickens are Omnivores.
Effects of what the birds eat on the eggs
Omega 3 high eggs � fish oil vs. cracked/slightly ground flax seed | Cholesterol myths and eggs
Calcium � oyster shells, eggshells, dark leafy greens, other Ca sources | Granite Grit
Problems to be Prevented � prevention is always the easiest way of dealing with problems!
Tonic foods to keep birds strong and healthy �
Feed with changing of season, during times of stress, if you feel a bird is congested, etc.
Nettles, Comfrey, Onions and Garlic, Sprouts
Teas / Watering
Worms
Garlic, onions, horseradish, mustard greens, add sardines or salmon to get them to eat it!
Always deworm during the waxing of the full moon and then again 14 days later.
The bug guns of herbal deworming (NOTE: These are all poisonous in large doses!) � wormwood, southern wood, sweet annie, tansy, senna pods, hyssop, rue
Homeopathic dewormers
External Parasites
Nest box cleanliness � keep clean and fluffy � spicy powders � clove, nutmeg, eucalyptus, quassia chip (don�t breathe-in quassia chip powder � it is a potent insecticide actually).
Spray down walls with eucalyptus/mint/thyme oil
Roost cleanliness � ice scraper, spicy powders
Dust baths
Sniffles/Congestion/Bronchial problems
Garlic, onions, mustard greens, horseradish
Elecampane root tea
�Aconitum napellus� and �Arsenicum album� Homeopathics
Older Birds in the Flock
Heat in Summer and Cold Winter problems
And an individualized Question and Answer session
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We offer chicks and breeding stock of many of our heritage breeds, and we are dedicated to encouraging people to start their own flocks of laying hens - large or small. We offer workshops throughout the year on Organic and Sustainable Poultry Rearing.
Cuckoo Marans
Salmon Faverolle
Speckled Sussex
We also offer Ameraucana chickens for sale. These are mostly mixes and are not pure bred stock or show birds, but they are beautiful healthy birds and lay green and blue colored eggs.
