Great News!! We are officially approved breeders with the Norwegian Buhund Club! There is only a small handful of approved breeders and we are very honored to now be 1 of them!!
Visit www.buhund.org for the complete list and to learn more about this wonderful, AKC recognized rare breed!
Don’t forget TO GET YOUR PUPPY RESERVATIONS IN NOW FOR OUR EXPECTED LITTER JULY 2013!
Cherokee wins an AKC Major Event.
Late last night we had a predator visit our yard. Not sure what it was, we never got a good look at it before the dogs chased it off (the Norwegian Buhund is a great protector of the farm and you can reserve your puppy now from our litter expected July 2013) but whatever it was, it had the chickens making such a racket!
Over the warmer months, we do not lock our chickens up in their coop at night due to the heat. The chicken coop is inside the chicken run. In the 2 years we’ve been raising chickens we have not lost a single one to a predator! Our secret…..a chicken run that’s built like Fort Knox! No one is getting in! Here we have to worry about raccoons, opossums, hawks and skunks, but there’s also fox and coyote which are a little rarer but around nonetheless. Our chicken run is also inside our fenced in yard.
The chicken’s run is a large chain link dog kennel. Chain link is not sufficient itself in keeping your chickens safe from predators. Raccoons and opossums especially, can reach thru and pull them out! It doesn’t seem possible but believe me when I say it is! The bottom 3 feet of the run is also wrapped with chicken wire on the inside! You do not want it on the outside because chicken wire is also not a sufficient aid in protection. Many predators can either chew right thru it or pull it down/off. Then we used hardware cloth which is much stronger than chicken wire to create a “roof” on the top of the run. This prevents anything from flying or climbing in and we make sure our roosts are low enough to be out of reach from would be “grabbers” from above. Now for the issue of diggers from underneath. We again used hardware cloth and anchored it flat on the ground 3 feet out from the bottom of the run on the outside. Then we put large patio blocks on top of that all the way around the run. Our ground was too hard to bury it so that’s why we laid it flat. It didn’t take long for it to disappear under the soil and grass.
If you live in a more rural area then southeast MI you may have to tweak this a bit depending on what predators you have to worry about. I will tell you that this is no challenge for larger more dangerous animals such as bear or mountain lions, but it has worked great for us!
Rose Shadow’s Cinnamon
She is Full Peruvian, Grand daughter of the famous Nic Nac, daughter of beautiful grey herdsire Grey Wing. Check out the dark silver around her nose and the beautifully long grey eyelashes. She is ready to come to your farm and all this for a special price of only $600.00!! First come first serve basis.
Cinnamon
I was just reading a variety of articles on the commercial chicken industry on the internet. I am not going to share any of them because I don’t want a bunch of arguments or debates going on here. But, I will say, commercial chicken is DISGUSTING! Not only disgusting but UNHEALTHY for you too! I will tell you that I realize that raising your own chickens for meat is not for everyone however, if you’re going to buy commercial chicken think twice! I can’t remember which one it is, but either Purdue or Tyson has a commercial where they claim their chickens are fed a “vegetarian” diet. Let me make this clear, CHICKENS ARE NOT VEGETARIANS THEY ARE OMNIVORES! A vegetarian diet is not a healthy diet for a chicken!! Instead buy your chicken from a reputable local farmer, one that does not feed their chickens primarily corn. One that does not inject with vaccinations or antibiotics, or where the “farm” has so many chickens they can’t turn around and they stand and lay down in their filth!
Ever wonder why we as Americans seem to have so many medical issues these days? Why the cancer rates are sky high? Why more and more people have gluten issues? Why our children seem to be being diagnosed more and more with learning disabilities, food allergies, and behavioral issues? The list goes on……IT’S THE FOOD WE EAT AND THE TOXIC ENVIRONMENT WE LIVE IN!
We are blessed to be able to raise our own chickens for meat. They live a happy and healthy life prior to making it to our dinner table. They free range on bugs, grass, weeds, seeds, and whatever else they like to eat in our chemical free yard. They live the life they would if they were wild, as it should be. We will NEVER buy disgusting and unhealthy commercial chicken from a grocery store ever again!
Today is the 16th day since Cherokee’s first breeding and the question remains, is she or isn’t she pregnant? Leave your vote on our facebook page under the post leading you to this post. This is just for fun.
Cherokee wins an AKC Major Event.
Ok folks, it’s finally official, Cherokee had her first successful breeding yesterday! Unfortunately, it’ll be some time before we know if it took or not, but I have high hopes and we are so excited!! For those who may not know, we have waited 15 long years for our first litter of pups, so this is really a big deal for us. We will be taking her for at least 2 more attempts to help increase the chances of a pregnancy and with any luck, by mid July we can expect that first litter we have so patiently waited for for 15 years!
Cherokee wins an AKC Major Event.
After a long stud search and even a couple disappointments with would be studs, we settled on a handsome boy from Zodiac Ranch. Meet “Cato.” (see below) Isn’t he a handsome fellow! We think he compliments Cherokee well!
So, considering this will be our first litter, we are rookies and will be doing lots of research and studying on how to care for our pregnant bitch, her diet, how to build a whelping box, labor and delivery and raising new born pups. With that said, any and all advice, suggestions, tips, tricks and what have you would be greatly appreciated!
We’ll keep you all posted and in the meantime, please keep your fingers crossed with us that their breeding was indeed successful!
Cato
One thing about keeping chickens that I am completely amazed by is all the different colors of eggs! I have a variety in my flock and my favorite are the blues and pinks.
This picture doesn’t do the blue egg justice but I assure you, it is a beautiful shade of baby blue.
These 3 eggs were laid by my Red Sex Link (a hybrid layer) my Buff Orpington laid the pink egg and my Lavender Ameraucana laid the blue egg.
*According to the Chicken Encyclopedia by Gail Damerow,* colored shells are the result of pigments added during shell formation. Brown layers produce shades ranging from barely tinted to quite dark. Most of the pigment of a brown shell egg is deposited in the bloom, the last layer added to the outside of an egg just before it is laid, leaving the inside pale or white. The pigment of a blue shell egg is spread throughout the shell, which means it is just as blue on the inside as it is on the outside. Green shells come from crossing a blue layer with a brown layer, resulting in blue shell eggs with a brown coating. Interesting huh!
Some people believe that colored eggs taste different or have more or even less nutritional value than brown eggs. THIS IS FALSE! The nutritional value of an egg has nothing to do with the color of the shell, but rather, what the chicken’s diet consists of. So don’t be afraid to eat those beautiful colored eggs.
Today is a very exciting day here on the ranch! Cherokee has passed her eye (CERF) and hip (OFA) exams with the AKC and is in heat, which means, time for breeding!!! We have waited 15 long years for our first litter of Norwegian Buhund puppies!! With any luck, the breeding will be successful and within a week or so after July 4th we can expect our first litter of PUPPIES!!
Cherokee wins an AKC Major Event.
We will be breeding her to a beautiful boy from Zodiac Ranch! (Pictures to come.)
NOW is the time to reserve your puppy! Please email us at [email protected] for more information on how to get the process started. We already have a couple people on the list and puppies are being reserved on a first come first serve basis, so don’t delay!
Stay tuned for updates………
So you bought some chicks a few weeks ago and they are quickly outgrowing their brooder, they grow fast don’t they! Now you’re wondering what to do with them. If you have an existing flock and are a seasoned chicken keeper you probably already know that introducing new members to your flock can be challenging. If this is your first time introducing newbies, here are some helpful tips to make the transition go a little smoother.
1. Never put newbies in with the flock without a proper introduction!
~ If you just open the coop and put new birds in, the already established flock will not be welcoming at all! They will chase, peck at, and ultimately attack the new intruders and this can result in death! Chickens can be territorial! To prevent that, you MUST properly introduce them by sectioning off an area both in the coop and in the run where both sets of flock members can both see and hear each other without anyone getting hurt, put the newbies in this “safe zone.” You will want to do this for a week to start. After a week, you can let them out under careful supervision! If it does not go well, put the newbies back in their “safe zone” and try again in another week. This could take several attempts so be patient! Eventually everyone will learn to accept one another. However, I have personally had experience where just 1 bird was being a “bully” and picking on all the newbies even after several weeks. If this happens within your flock, simply reverse the situation. Instead of locking up the newbies, lock up the bully and repeat the “safe zone” steps until everyone is getting along. As I said, be patient, this could take a month or so!
2. Never introduce just 1 bird to your flock!
~ Introducing just 1 bird is basically a death sentence for that bird. Always introduce more than 1 at a time.
3. Offer hiding places and distractions!
~ Having hiding places gives scared new birds an outlet from any bullying they receive. It is a chickens natural instinct to establish “the pecking order.” There WILL BE pecking even after a proper introduction, this is normal as long as no one is bleeding. If bleeding occurs, remove the bleeding bird, treat, and put back in the “safe zone” until the wounds heal.
~ Offering distractions when introducing new members is also helpful. It gives would be bullies something else to do. Distractions can be anything, but new treats work best. Many feed stores sell treat cakes which take chickens awhile to get thru. Or you can hang a head of cabbage or 2 to keep them busy. Use your imagination.
Applying just these few steps can make things go so much easier on all of your feathered friends.
The other day, I was having a serious chocolate craving, but not just any chocolate, nutritious, healthy chocolate. So as I was digging thru my various recipes, lightbulbs starting going off and here’s what I came up with…..
Yumminess
I call them Breakfast Bites (yes they resemble meatballs) because I quickly thought they would be fantastic for those crazy busy mornings when you’re running out the door, and they are sooooo delicious and good for you too! The recipe is so easy and so customizable, you can put just about anything in them! The ones pictured are what I made and here are the ingredients I used.
2 cups dry oatmeal
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
3/4 cup ground flax seeds
3/4 cup raw honey
1/2 cup ground almonds
3/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
mix all ingredients in a large bowl well, refrigerate for about an hour, then roll into bite size balls. Viola, yummy, scrumptious, nutritious, alternative to a candy bar! ** keep stored in the refrigerator.**
Other ingredients that would go well would be coconut, any other dried fruit, any other nut or seeds, instead of cocoa, you could use chocolate chips or butterscotch, the possibilities are endless.