Here is the flock from Three Willows Farm, where we're proud to be able to share their eggs with you!! April and Mark love their chickens A LOT, I can definitely atest to the fact that they are members of their family, guaranteed. I asked her to tell me a little about the chicken "business" and here's what she shared with me .
"The chicken in the photos that has the white mantle is our rooster. We call him The White Cowl. He is *very* protective of the hens and is never far from them. If a hen wanders away, he will bring them back to the flock. You can see that the rooster is larger and showier than the hens. Ideally, we would not have a rooster because he crows about 1,000 times/day, but he protects the flock like no hen would be able to.Often, a rooster will compete with a human male, trying to attack him, but The White Cowl really seems to like Mark and often will follow him around the yard. The hens need 14 hours of light in order to produce a single egg. We have a light on an automatic timer in the barn. In good conditions, they will usually produce an egg about every 28 hours, so a "good layer" will lay about 5 eggs/week until they are 2-3 years old, then fewer until they only lay about an egg/week at age 5. Although our hens will live their entire lives here-living until they are around 8 years old, most hens don't live more than a few years. "
I wonder what the chickens and the White Cowl are doing today, what with the freezing rain and all. Yuck!! I suppose they are like my dogs . . . . all cuddled up in their hen house sleeping away the day. The dogs are enjoying a day on the couch . . . . . although we will get out for a walk in the woods yet today.
Mark and April also have chunk honey available for sale from their bee hives. If you'd care for some please feel free to mention it to us and we'll include it with your order. It is a great substitute for sugar in all of those holiday breads.
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