Marchaven Meadows

Our egg production has been a bit up-and-down this year. The weather certainly plays a role, but we also stirred things up a bit with the addition of new chicks. Some we collected and hatched ourselves, but we also brought in some new genetics. Our goal is always happy, healthy birds, but we also love diversifying our egg shades.

There’s a lot of science behind the colour of eggs! Different breeds trend to different shades, and mixing those breeds strategically can result in some really fascinating colours. For example, Ameraucanas are known for their beautiful blue eggs. Marans lay deep chocolate tones. When you combine the two, the resulting hens will lay eggs in various shades of green.

Although it’s a lot of fun for us to collect a rainbow every day, and reenacting “Green Eggs and Ham” may be a bit of a bucket list item, eggs from different coloured shells don’t taste any different. But that won’t stop us from trying to make our egg cartons as pretty as possible!

Living in rural areas means cohabitating with nature. While we happily share our field with local fauna, including bears, coyotes, deer and the occasional bobcat, we also try to discourage them from coming too near our structures

Enter, Sammy! The other half of our dedicated Livestock Guardian Dog pack, Sammy is Zuko’s younger brother and partner in crime. Although not quite the social butterfly his brother is, they share a love of our tiny humans and a drive to keep the farm safe.

When he’s not on duty protecting the kiddos from bears and such, Sammy adores splashing in any water he can find, and also snacks. He’s definitely the more food-motivated of the two pups.

If you’re picking up eggs you may catch a glimpse of one, or both, or our sweet pups. Be sure to say hello!

It might not be spring yet, but it’s sure feeling like it around the farm! The frogs are croaking, plants are waking up from their winter nap and everyone is making the most of the nice weather.

Especially Zuko, our resident Guardian dog and self-appointed community ambassador. He loves nothing more than playing with his littlest human on a sunny day, though exploring the neighbourhood is a close second.

As a bonus, we have a set of eggs set to hatch next week. Spring really is the season of new beginnings!

The days are getting shorter, and colder, which means our hens are slowing down. Did you know that hens generally need 14-16 hours of daylight for peak egg laying? We dont use artificial light, except an hour around bedtime so we can do our headcount and tuck everybody in for the night. Nature has the right idea; winter is a great time to let our hard-working ladies take a much-needed break.

They might not curl up with a nice book and a cup of hot cocoa like we do, but the vibes are the same. And they sure like a warm bowl of oatmeal on a cool morning!

It’s been a very busy year on the farm getting settled in and organized. We’ve all been hard at work and can’t wait to share updates as that work comes to fruition.

I hope you look forward to seeing what we have in store. Thanks for supporting us!