All posts tagged: green fire farm

Connecting With Your Flock

Connecting With Your Flock

February 13, 2023 alchemist_farm

Not sure how to connect with your flock and start establishing that sweet relationship? Give these suggestions a try! 🙂

  1. Spend time with them: The best way to connect with chickens is to spend time with them. This can involve simply sitting with them, watching them as they go about their day, or providing them with treats and interacting with them. Chickens have unique personalities, and getting to know them can be a rewarding experience.
  2. Handle them regularly: Regularly handling your chickens can help to build trust and a bond between you and your birds. Start by holding them gently and talking to them in a calm and reassuring tone. With time, they will become more comfortable with being handled and may even start to enjoy it.
  3. Provide a safe and comfortable environment: Chickens are social animals and do best when they feel safe and comfortable. Providing a clean, spacious coop and run, along with access to food and water, will help to keep your birds happy and healthy. Adding a dust bath, perches, and other environmental enrichment can also help to make their living environment more enjoyable and increase their overall well-being.

In addition to these three ways, it’s also important to be patient and gentle with your chickens, and to always treat them with respect and kindness. With time and effort, you can develop a strong bond with your chickens and enjoy the many benefits of having these fascinating and entertaining pets in your life. May you all connect sweetly today with your flocks!

 

alchemist_farmConnecting With Your Flock
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History of The French Black Copper Marans

History of The French Black Copper Marans

February 10, 2023 alchemist_farm

Ever wonder About The backstory of this amazing breed

The Black Copper Marans chicken is a breed of domestic fowl that originated in France. The breed was developed in the town of Marans, located in the Charente-Maritime region of France, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The breed was originally used for both egg production and meat, and it was prized for its rich, dark brown eggs.

In the early 20th century, the breed became popular among French poultry fanciers, who worked to standardize its appearance and improve its egg-laying ability. By the 1920s, the Black Copper Marans had become one of the most highly prized breeds of poultry in France, and it was soon exported to other countries, including England and the United States.

In the United States, the Black Copper Marans remained a relatively obscure breed until the late 20th and early 21st centuries, when a growing interest in heritage poultry breeds led to a resurgence of popularity for the breed. Today, the Black Copper Marans is widely recognized as a high-quality layer of rich, dark brown eggs, its attractive appearance, and its gentle, docile temperament.

They are one breed not to miss in your flock! We have chicks available from Feb-October of each year and we ship nationwide! 🙂

alchemist_farmHistory of The French Black Copper Marans
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How An Eggshell is Formed Inside Of A Chicken

How An Eggshell is Formed Inside Of A Chicken

February 10, 2023 alchemist_farm

Fun Friday Fact
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We would love to start a new # entitled #AlchemistFarmFridayFact on our social media platforms of Instagram and Facebook if you have a nitty gritty question about chicken keeping, tag us and use the tag so we can see you. We will fold your question into our weekly Friday learning series!
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For this week: we are discussing how an eggshell itself is formed inside of a chicken.
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The formation of an eggshell inside a chicken takes about 20 hours. The process of egg formation, from the time of ovulation to the time the egg is laid, typically takes about 24 to 26 hours. The majority of this time is spent forming the egg white, yolk, and membrane, with the formation of the shell occurring in the final stages of egg formation.
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Once the egg reaches the isthmus, the next part of the oviduct, a gland called the uterus gland coats the egg with a thin layer of calcium carbonate, which will become the eggshell. This is where those cool colors come in! The egg continues to move through the oviduct and is eventually laid about 24 hours after ovulation. The exact time it takes for an eggshell to form may vary slightly based on the age and overall health of the chicken.
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Shown here is a basket of lovely shades that I think are a meeting of the land and sea. The greens remind me of our forests, the blues our ocean and the gentle creams are the clouds above at sunset.
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Dark greens: Moss Eggers
Light greens: Sage Eggers
Blues: Azure Eggers
Creams: Double Silver Laced Barnevelders.
Basket: Franchesca’s Easter Basket from when she was a wee lass!
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What do you see in these blends of color?
#alchemistfarm #AlchemistFarmFridayFact
#learnsomethingnew
#chickenhatchery

alchemist_farmHow An Eggshell is Formed Inside Of A Chicken
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The Cycle Begins

The Cycle Begins

February 3, 2023 alchemist_farm ,

This week we turned on the incubators for our 2023 season and began the process of turning these incredible shades of eggs into baby chicks for you all.

It is a remarkably powerful moment that begins our weekly cycle from now until November of hatching. Every day I go into our hatching space and quietly touch each incubator, feeling the hum of its little motor. This practice helps me connect with the life that is quietly growing inside. I pray with each one for healthy chicks, solid hatches and the homes that each chick will end up in. We are all so connected, when you support us with your energy we support you back with these incredible beings and the prayers that go along with them.

We are 18 days away from seeing our first little Alchemist chicks emerge. This is that moment of the year that holds so much anticipation and excitement, it is hard to contain it!

This year orders have been a bit different, I believe folks are feeling the unsettled state of the greater poultry industry so they are securing their chicks early. If you know you are wanting chicks in spring I recommend ordering on the sooner side because February and March we are sold out of some breeds already.

We are so grateful for your support over the years and we look forward to adding to your flocks in 2023! ❤️
Eggs by color from the top:
French Black Cooper Marans
Heritage Welsummer
Sage Egger
Two lighter colored Moss Eggers along with Alchemist Blues
Azure Eggers
Dark Moss Eggers

alchemist_farmThe Cycle Begins
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Chickens in our Everyday Language

Chickens in our Everyday Language

November 16, 2022 alchemist_farm , ,
💫Our Language💫
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Some may think that a chickens behavior is simplistic and nothing like her own. Step back for a minute and look at all of the interesting phrases we have in our English language derived from a chickens behavior and from our interactions with them.
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We don’t count our chickens before they are hatched, we certainly don’t want to put all of her eggs in one basket. We like to hatch out ideas, we can be cocky or we can chicken out, if we are worried we find ourselves walking on eggshells. Feeling frazzled? Perhaps you are running around like a chicken with your head cut off! If we are feeling stifled we want a chance to spread our wings and we definitely don’t like being cooped up!
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Perhaps we are far similar than we realize.😉
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Pictured here is the gorgeous feathering of one of our French Black Copper Marans Roosters. Presales for this breed and many others are open on our website for 2023!
alchemist_farmChickens in our Everyday Language
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Want To Know All About Backyard Chicken Keeping? We Have You Covered!

Want To Know All About Backyard Chicken Keeping? We Have You Covered!

February 17, 2017 alchemist_farm

Hey Everyone!

Spring is in full swing and chick season is upon us.  Every year our head chicken wrangler gets thousands of questions from folks of all sorts of expert levels in backyard chicken raising. This year for the first time she is offering two full class days (March 11th and April 1st) when two classes will be taught back to back. The first class offered on each class day is “Backyard Chicken Raising For Beginners” and the second is “Advanced Backyard Chicken Raising”. You can come to one or both classes on either class day to brush up on your chicken whispering skills and expand your knowledge base!

Check out the descriptions below for a full outline of each class as well as locations and times.

Class 1: Beginners Backyard Chicken Keeping Course

 This two hour class is designed for those who are interested in keeping backyard chickens and want to know the basics from which breeds to select for your flock goals to how to build a predator proof coop. We will discuss brooding of chicks, feed for all stages of a chickens life, proper coop maintenance, integration of existing flocks, collection and storage of eating eggs, how to set yourself up for success in relating to your new yard companions and how to look for signs of illness.

 

Class 2: Advanced Backyard Chicken Keeping and Hatching

 This two hour class is going to be packed with all of the nitty gritty details that the experienced backyard chicken keeper is looking for clarity on. We will discuss various incubation techniques as well as incubators available on the market, selecting correct eggs for incubation, testing for signs of fertility, candling, feather color genetics and how to breed for specific looks in your birds. On the health front we will cover vaccination, holistic health management of your flock, setting up proper biosecurity, what it means to be NPIP certified and if it makes sense for your flock, what to keep in your home veterinary kit, treatments for common ailments, class questions.

Saturday March 11th
This full class day will be held at Alchemist Farm in Sebastopol (space is limited). Cost for each class individually is $55 or $100 for both classes. Our Beginner class begins at 10am and goes until 12pm we will have a lunch break and if you are joining us for our Advanced class it will begin at 2pm and go until 4pm. This class day includes viewing of some of our breeding groups in action and is a rare opportunity to come beyond the Alchemist front gate. Clean booties to maintain biosecurity will be provided. To register for this class you can email us at: [email protected]

 

Saturday April 1st

This full class day will be held at: SHED located at
25 North St. Healdsburg, CA in Healdsburg. Cost for each class at this location is $45. For class times and registration you can follow this link:

http://healdsburgshed.com/events/beginner-chicken-keeping/

http://healdsburgshed.com/events/advanced-chicken-keeping/
Class participants in either class day receive 15% off a chick or hatching order placed in 2017!

alchemist_farmWant To Know All About Backyard Chicken Keeping? We Have You Covered!
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Little Chicken Wranglers

Little Chicken Wranglers

December 19, 2016 alchemist_farm

Endless entertainment for little hands. We love having friends over to play when the sun is out. Many little ones have never held a chicken but our birds are patient and happy to accept cuddles from all ages 🙂

alchemist_farmLittle Chicken Wranglers
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Talking Chicken At The Gravenstein Apple Fair

Talking Chicken At The Gravenstein Apple Fair

November 17, 2016 alchemist_farm ,

Talking chicken at the Gravenstein Apple Fair!

We are committed to educating folks on humane ways of raising chickens and were thrilled to be invited to speak at this years Gravenstein Apple Fair. The head chicken wrangler gave a 45 minute presentation on chicken raising basics with Patricia the partridge silkie happily tucked under her arm. Topics covered ranged from how to predator proof your coop to which breeds are best for your family.

If you have a local group who would like to learn about chicken wrangling don’t hesitate to reach out – we love chatting chicken with people!

alchemist_farmTalking Chicken At The Gravenstein Apple Fair
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