Introducing the EZ Miser

August 19, 2013 Posts No Comments

Every year, I’ve updated
our DIY instructions
file to include
more tips from the field, but our original pre-made waterer has
largely stayed the same.  At long last, Mark and I felt we’d
come up with a way to make an even better waterer that would be
easier to fill, easier to mount, and would keep your chickens drinking clean even if
you fill their waterer with creek water (like we do).  The
result was the EZ Miser EZ Miser— a totally new premade waterer!



To thank our loyal
readers and fans, we’re offering the EZ Miser for $58 (with free
shipping) this week only.  You’ll be receiving a waterer with
the capacity of three of our Avian Aqua Miser Originals, along
with all of the perks of the new product.  Please consider
giving it a try, and spreading the word to your chicken-keeping
friends!  And do drop back by to let us know what you think
— your suggestions are what makes the next generation of our
products even better.

Summer egg recipes

August 16, 2013 Posts 3 Comments
Sausage and tomato quiche

Due to my mistake of
keeping our heirloom hens for a second year, egg production
declined dramatically in 2013.  We ended up buying about half
our eggs from the grocery store this summer, so I’m thrilled to
finally be swimming
in eggs again!



However, I have to
admit that I might have overdone our egg production just a little
bit.  Keeping a dozen pullets means that we’re getting about
ten eggs a day from them, plus another two or three from our old
hens, and that’s nearly too many even for our egg-loving
appetites.  Six eggs for Mark’s and my breakfast, two eggs
for Lucy’s dinner, and we’ve still got another couple of dozen
eggs per week looking for a home.



One use for all those
eggs was a delicious, crust-less sausage-tomato quiche. 
Here’s the recipe:

  • 1 pound of Italian sausage
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1 cup skim milk
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1 cup of fresh basil leaves
  • 3 tomatoes
  • Swiss and parmesan cheese

QuichePreheat the oven to 350
degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9×13-inch pan.  Cook the
sausage and let it cool slightly as you beat the eggs with the
whipping cream, milk, salt, pepper, and diced basil leaves. 
Pour the mixture into the greased pan, top with slices of
tomatoes, then add slices of Swiss cheese and grated
parmesan.  Bake until the center doesn’t jiggle when you
shake the pan, then cool.  Serves 9.

What’s your
favorite way to use up extra eggs along with in-season summer
produce?

An automatic chicken
waterer ensures pullets always have enough water to lay
those extra eggs.

How long will hens keep laying

August 12, 2013 Posts No Comments
Old hens
“What
is the average laying life of hens?  I don’t know what is
considered ‘too old’ in chicken life.”

— Sara




This
is a good question, but there’s no single right answer. 
Unlike human women, who pass through menopause and lose the
ability to reproduce, chickens keep laying eggs as they age. 
However, old hens lay far fewer eggs each year, so most people who
are serious about making their egg operation break even
financially only let their hens lay for one year, or possibly two
years, before replacing them.

Rainy chicken pasture

When you read about
the laying ability of old hens, most books will tell you that
heirloom breeds lay just as many eggs over the course of their
life-times as hybrid layers do.  The idea is that heirlooms
aren’t as productive as hybrids during the first year or two, but
the hybrids burn out faster, so the total number of eggs laid by
each hen comes out to be the same.  However, my own
experience doesn’t support this oft-repeated hypothesis — our
old Golden Comets (a hybrid) kept laying
pretty well even into their fourth year, while our two-year-old Australorps and Marans declined drastically in
productivity after their first year of life.



Our new policy is to
raise a new batch of layers each year so we always have plenty of
eggs and aren’t giving expensive chicken feed to hens who are
barely producing.  As long as you don’t treat your chickens
like pets, this method will also produce very
tasty broth and meat when it’s time to eat the old hens — even though their egg
production has declined, they can feed you one last time.


We’ve noticed that
older chickens tend to drink more water, making our automatic chicken waterer
even more important in their coop.