Our ducks are still laying... what's going on here?
Pot Pies and Egg Money
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2y ago
One of our Khaki Campbell laying ducks Okay, so it's now December 15, and we are still collecting between 6 and 10 eggs per day from our laying ducks. What's the big deal about that, you ask? Well, normally at this time of year we expect anywhere from very few to zero eggs. Laying hens and ducks do, in fact, have an off-season; typically by mid-November, our duck egg production has slowed way down or even stopped, and starts up again round about mid-January. Why the drop in production? Well, hens and ducks go through their annual moult in the fall, and this is always accompanied by a drop i ..read more
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Start your Christmas shopping early this year: Pure Poultry is here!
Pot Pies and Egg Money
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2y ago
 Check out the Pure Poultry video trailer! I bet you had forgotten you pre-ordered my new book Pure Poultry, didn't you? For quite some time now, the amazon.com page for Pure Poultry showed a release date of November 5, 2013. I was totally taken by surprise last Sunday when someone e-mailed me to say congratulate me on my book that was coming out on October 23! So, on our blazingly slow dial-up connection, I raced to get on the amazon.com page to see for myself. Sure enough, October 23 was the new release date. Aack! I had been right in the thick of a big project for Kitsap Children's ..read more
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Free eggs? Not exactly...
Pot Pies and Egg Money
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2y ago
Dual purpose New Hampshire pullets I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think it's time to address a misconception regarding poultry: If you raise laying hens or ducks, there is simply no such thing as "free" eggs. This is a common assumption. We regularly hear things like, "Oh, it must be so nice to have free eggs." Or, "I'm thinking of raising chickens so I can have free eggs." I can understand why one might expect this to be true, given some of the fairly misleading information out there about raising and feeding laying birds. It is true that many breeds of chickens and ducks, part ..read more
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Equal time for ducks: More on washing farm-fresh eggs
Pot Pies and Egg Money
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2y ago
Thanks for all your comments and feedback on my recent post about whether homegrown eggs should be washed. It occurred to me (after the fact, as usual) that when I wrote it, I was really just thinking about chicken eggs. Probably this is because we wash more chicken eggs every day than anything else, and probably also because every single thing I've ever read on the subject of washing eggs referred only to chicken eggs. As you know, we raise laying ducks as well as chickens. Right now we're collecting an average of 28 duck eggs every day. The ducks have let me know, in no uncertain terms, tha ..read more
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Farm-fresh eggs: To wash or not to wash
Pot Pies and Egg Money
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2y ago
Nice clean eggs, ready to be weighed and packed. I would not have believed how much strong feeling this particular subject stirs up. Some people assert that eggs should always be washed, preferably sanitized too. Others insist that any washing or cleaning is somehow detrimental to the quality of the egg. If I tell you what I think, will you promise not to send me nasty e-mails or (horror of horrors) un-friend me on Facebook? Okay, here goes. First let me say that since we got our egg dealer's license in 2008, we have been obliged to follow the guidelines of the Washington State Department ..read more
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I was going to call it "The Sustainably-Raised Egg and I," but...
Pot Pies and Egg Money
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2y ago
What can I say. I've never been very good at coming up with names for things. However, it is now official: my first book, "Pure Poultry: Living well with heritage chickens, turkeys and ducks," is on its way to being published! The manuscript is now in the capable hands of New Society Publishers, a British Columbia-based company which specializes in "Tools for a world of change, books to build a new society." They have an impressive book list. Take a few minutes to check it out on their web site. Have you read Betty MacDonald's 1945 classic "The Egg and I"? It's the hilarious tale of how Bett ..read more
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Time-sensitive material: Call for submissions!
Pot Pies and Egg Money
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2y ago
If you follow me on Facebook, you already know that I recently received a draft contract for my first book. It stipulates a tight time schedule: the finished manuscript is due on February 1, 2013. Obviously I've got my work cut out for me in January, especially since our business taxes and the renewal of our organic certification are also due by the end of the month. When I originally was planning my first book project, I was envisioning the possibility of including first-person anecdotes from people who grew up around heritage-breed poultry. I would love to hear your stories, or even stories ..read more
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Chicken broth and meat: Making the case for pressure canners (Part One)
Pot Pies and Egg Money
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2y ago
We slaughtered some chickens yesterday, and we'll be doing more Monday morning. The roosters we slaughtered yesterday are all between 1-1/2 and 2-1/2 years old, so they're definitely stewing birds (I feel a pot of coq au vin coming on...). As my supply of homemade chicken broth is dwindling, and winter is a short step around the corner, my plan is to cook up those 4 birds and can the meat and the broth. The roosters to be slaughtered next are younger, all hatched this spring, but they will probably all be cooked and canned as well. You may be wondering why I would bother canning the meat and ..read more
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I-502: A good example of why you should get the facts before you vote
Pot Pies and Egg Money
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2y ago
 [Disclaimer: The following is an op-ed piece. All opinions are mine alone, and unless otherwise indicated, are expressed as generalities. I welcome your feedback, but ask that you please read this article in its entirety before you contact me.] Two weeks from today, Washington state voters will decide on 3 Initiative measures, 1 Referendum, 1 Engrossed Senate Joint Resolution, 1 Senate Joint Resolution, and 2 Advisory Votes. Of course, there are also a few state and federal candidates to pick from as well, but I really don't want to talk about them right now. No doubt my position will ..read more
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If you missed the Mother Earth News Fair in PA...
Pot Pies and Egg Money
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2y ago
well, let me tell you, you really did miss out. I hear there were over 15,000 visitors over the three days of the Fair, and the energy and atmosphere were consistently positive. If I'd been swift enough to bring a camera, you'd see one picture after another of smiling faces, families having fun with each other, and altogether a sense of eagerness to learn and connect with other people aiming to live life more sustainably and meaningfully. As for me, I had a terrific time. The Seven Springs Mountain Resort is quite an amazing place: 5,000 acres of ski slopes, golf courses, tennis courts, in ..read more
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