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I guess nest searching probably isn't a good sign?

You got it NH. I've got the cans, so I'd rather use that rather then a plastic bag. I suppose this should really be under "what did you preserve today?"? Ah well, it's in cans, homemade from home-raised. It counts :D :hide

Do you have a root cellar or equivalent? It's all about temperature maintenance. I don't have anything so I've been accumulating ideas, there's lots out there. I'm curious to see what others use. I have tried things like wrapping in newspaper in a box out in a shed...but I just ended up with...

Some chicken stock/broth today. To freeze.

This is still my first year with chickens so I don't have a methodology. But I do plan on having a holistic approach as I want a sustainable flock that produces eggs, meat, work (compost/garden), can forage/pasture well, tolerate the cold, and have a good temperament suitable for a family with...

Lol, yes, they will be part of the "meat program". And if the hens are broody I'll be using that feature as well

Eggs will be my first farm sale, so I really wanted to see what kind production I was getting and so I wouldn't have to do as much guesswork. But yes, I believe the December avg is already on track to be less then the November :(

Nice, I'm planning on getting Dorkings for 2019 and was thinking about trying some crosses with them :) I will most definitely be following your thread!

That's my 2018 goal! The only thing I've kept track of is egg production; I have a chalk board with "today's egg count" that I mark through the day, then that night I transfer to an excel sheet with the date and daily count.

Oh that's exciting! So which 3(4) breeds are you crossing?

Awesome! Yay for improved soil!

***Though I should note that I will likely require more intensive methods to get rid of perennial weeds and other deep rooted plants. Plus years of soil amending to turn this clay into something more loam-like. But I have been dreaming lol. I have visions of this bountiful garden now. Hopefully...

I'll probably be getting mine from a small local hatchery/breeder. I'm really lucky to have such a place close by, they have a good selection so I haven't looked at any large hatcheries.

Yes, that's what I'd like to do! I was just telling DH last night that I needed some muscle to get the hay over there. It's close which is great, but not particularly mobile.

I had leghorns last year for the winter, production wise, wow, they barely missed a day. I'm planning to get some EEs in the spring!

I have a couple roos I should have culled, but now it's cold and we really don't want to! We'll be more vigilant next year. It's all a learning experience right now.

Also considering this is it's natural range: It's no wonder if most people aren't familiar with it.

I wanted dual purpose, cold hardy, friendly temperament. The Barnvelders fall a little outside that criteria, but they have pretty eggs :D

Why don't you cut them down? They make great firewood I hear...

:) They're a novelty to me. Their range is restricted due it's ancient nature, so it's not like any are naturally growing in northern areas.