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The Two Ewes are together for this episode. Join us as we discuss our time at the NoCKRs retreat, Marsha's travels, and our continued obsession with Emotional Support Chickens. We also have a little bit of other knitting, spinning and weaving to talk about. Full notes with photos and links can be found in the podcast section of our shop website: TwoEwesFiberAdventures.com Join the community on Ravelry or become a patron and support the show on our Patreon Page. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe on Android Knitter's Haven is a gathering spot for crafters located in LaQuinta, California. Coachella Valley Yarns is located inside selling various yarns including the owner's hand dyed yarn called Smirligans. Marsha's Projects Emotional Support Chicken: Finished! Chicken Mania is real! I've made two so far. Number One looks a bit like a Barred Rock and Number Two vaguely like a Buff Orpington. Camella Hat: by Katie Pomper. Using Meeker Street Olive's Outerwear DK in the colorway Dragon's Breath. Nanny Meier Tea Cozy: Inspired by Lily Pulitzer colors. Using Cascade 220 in hot pink and lime green. Cast on the second side. Fine Sand: by Heidi Kirrmaier. Using West Yorkshire Spinners Illustrious. Finished the second sleeve but I don't really like the sweater. Bringing to California for Kelly to give me her thoughts. Socks: The Artful Ewe Clackamas. Starting toe of first sock. Baby Surprise Jacket: by Elizabeth Zimmerman. Went to buy yarn at Fiber Gallery to use my gift cards but they have moved and not yet reopened the store. Mountain High Combo Spin #3: About halfway done with the body. Combo Spin #4: I've spun two bobbins and started the third bobbin getting ready for a 3-ply. Kelly's Projects I am continuing on the Classic Knitted Ripple baby blanket using the Red Heart from my mom. There were two grays, black, white and a partial skein of red. I decided I needed to use the white and the pink. The blanket is wider than a typical baby blanket and will take more yarn. I'm about 12 inches from finishing it. Chickens! Finished: One worsted weight, one fingering weight (size 1 needles). Started one boucle chicken. Out-of-Hibernation Along February 1 - June 1. Have you started? Find something that has been in hibernation and get it out and do something. Back to active status, frogging and reclaiming yarn, giving away, throwing away, composting–this is spring cleaning for your project list. Check in with your progress in the Ravelry thread. Patreon Pattern Giveaway!
Let's take a Meyer Moment to introduce our Birds of the Month: the Barred Plymouth Rock, White Plymouth Rock, and the Rhode Island Red! This month, we're shining a spotlight on these production breeds, focusing on their prolific egg-laying capabilities. Check out more of our High Production Layers here.Join Linda as she talks more about these favorites!
The Barred Rock chicken is one of the most beautiful in the world. It's no wonder so many people want these stunning creatures in their coops. But more than just having beautiful feathers, this bird is known as an incredible dual-purpose chicken. A color variant of the infamous Plymouth Rock, these chickens are ideal for backyard enthusiasts looking for perfect purebred poultry. In our complete guide, we give you all the information you need. So, let's get started! Full: Barred Rock: Everything You Need To Know
I think we can all agree that chickens are great. And while some people get chickens simply because chickens are awesome, today I want to talk specifically about getting chickens for the purpose of laying eggs. There are several things to consider when choosing what kind of egg birds to get! Let's talk about 5 common mistakes people make when choosing which egg bird breeds to bring to their homestead. *Hear this blog post as a podcast episode by pressing the triangle play button near the top of this post!* 1. Don't choose an egg bird because the breed is "cute". Or beautiful. Or trendy. Just because the breed looks good on Instagram doesn't mean it's going to be what you want for your homestead. Many years ago, before we were at the farm, I decided at one point I wanted Silkies—because Silkies are cute and fuzzy and basically a cross between a bunny and a chicken, right? However, Silkies don't lay a ton of eggs, the eggs they do lay are small, and it takes them longer than most chickens to even start laying. A couple years ago we were due to replace our flock of laying hens, and since Brahmas were taking the internet by storm (thanks to a video of an enormous Brahma rooster...) I decided that Brahmas were what I wanted. However, I once again failed to fully research the breed and we ended up short of the eggs we were hoping for from the amount of chickens we were feeding. 2. Don't decide on a certain breed of laying hen for their supposed “personality”. Everyone claims that Buff Orpingtons are a calm, friendly, and social breed—so that was one of the breeds we started with many years ago. We must have got a bum flock, because our Buff Orpingtons were anything but calm, friendly, and social. Be careful when people describe an entire breed based on personality. A breed may tend towards certain behavior, but individual chickens may vary. I would be more apt to choose a breed on how likely they are to sit on eggs or how long it takes them to start laying than how likely they may be to take a treat from my hand. 3. Don't fail to consider where you live. There are chickens that tolerate heat much better than they tolerate cold, and vice versa. There are chickens who are better suited for free ranging and foraging than others. Again, it's a "generalization", but certainly something to consider. Look at the climate you live in, as well as how your property is laid out for feeding, and take those things into consideration when choosing the best egg bird breed for your homestead. 4. Don't overlook how many eggs the breed actually lays. How many eggs does your family need? Are you selling eggs to family/friends/neighbors? How many eggs are you hoping to get per week? There is a lot of math involved in getting chickens, and one of the most important is to know that different breeds lay different amounts per year. If you want a lot of eggs, check out breeds like Leghorns, California Whites, or Barred Rock (as well as many others). Conversely, if you don't want/need a lot of eggs, keep in mind that you probably don't want a coop of 25 of these hens—or you will quickly become overwhelmed (or need to find more egg customers!) Likewise, if you do want a lot of eggs, make sure the egg breeds you're choosing lay a lot of eggs. If you're hoping for dozens and dozens a week, you're going to need quite a few Brahmas or Silkies (for instance) to make that happen. Remember to compare stats among hatcheries and in articles that fellow backyard chicken mamas and papas have written. Take into consideration that while some hatcheries may state a certain breed lays a certain number of eggs per year, actual homestead stats may differ. Do your research. Note: For those of you who want a whole rainbow of egg colors to do "eggscape pictures", understand that some of those beautiful egg colors come from chickens who don't lay very often at all. While there is nothing wrong with various colors of eggs,
Want to take a peck at keeping chickens- but feeling shell-shocked by the details? Maria Jansen and her clan have EGGSactly the perfect option for you! The Easy Chicken, a family-owned enterprise, will help you launch a Chicken Adventure, worry-free, by leasing everything you need: Coop, Hens, feeding and watering gear, even a starter sack of super-healthy Chicken Feed. You get to try what may be THE most popular Green home-hobby for up to six months - with expert support from the Jansens, grown-ups and boys. If it works out, GREAT - rental can apply to owning your chicken-keeping kit. If not, you can return your flock for others to experience. Voila! EASY, ethical, healthy, nutritious, bug-eating FUN. Other options - as you'll hear from Maria, 8-year-old Gabriel, and Zebra the Barred Rock hen - include Baby Chicks for classrooms, visiting their farm to take that first peek at potential peeper-keeping, buying the whole setup you'll need outright, even Chicken Parties. Maria's new sustainable venture, Jansen Sharpening, can get your good knives tuned up too, but maybe don't tell the hens . . . Music: Washboard Suzie, performed live at KDHX by Zydeco Crawdaddies. Thanks to Anna Holland, Earthworms engineer (skillfully dodging Zebra's interview jitters mealworm fling), and to guest volunteer engineer, Matt Abel. Related Earthworms Conversations: Keeping Geese, Making Cheese (November 2017)
Episode 60. In this episode, we share the story of a young Barred Rock rooster who had his life flash before his eyes, ponder coping with scissor beak, wonder of chicken nipples freeze in cold winters, and then discuss whether city slickers should be allowed to raise chickens.
Episode 49. In this episode we?talk about the extra care required for rescued battery hens and whether they have a place in your backyard flock. New Hen Apron Pippa, one of our Barred Rock hens, has been sporting a standard hen saddle for a little while now, but we noticed that her rooster is still […]
[hr] Episode 35 Show Notes Lt. Tso to the Rescue! Suzy was attacked by George, our Barred Rock rooster with an attitude problem, and Lt Tso, who is one of our Golden Laced Wyandotte Roosters, came to her rescue…. twice! Tips for Buying a Chicken Coop Online Owen sent us? message and asked if we […]
Updates from around the farm: Chickens - they love the round bales in their area for winter Lower egg production - no heat lamp Pigs- not in winter paddock yet- no real snowfall Cat in a hoop house Snow fence is up- why do we hate doing that so much? In the CoopCast Community Gaertagang Farm- Bogs boots Maple View Farm- Overalls Nicole- favorite podcasts and online tools Homemade gift idea- seeds or help starting a garden This week's Farmers Choice is a discussion on different egg layer breeds What we like and don't about: Barred Rock, Speckled Sussex, Buff Rock, California, Golden Comet, Rhode Island Red, and Tetra Tint