Been a while since I updated or the laying habits of older chickens.

Breakfast Eggs

Last year was tough. I seemed to spend more time with doctors than with chickens. So- the plan is to not have any accidents and stay healthy. I am sure that the chicks will appreciate the effort!

Many of you have noticed that my girls are not currently laying- that is to say I get maybe 2 eggs, maybe 8 eggs a day out of all those chickens. I am used to getting more than enough eggs during the winter to pay for their feed habit.
What is going on here? Not to worry, the girls don’t have some horrible problem. They are just getting older.

As your chickens age, egg production drops off dramatically. The first year is amazing. You get eggs almost every day- and they are huge!
Then the chickens molt- they lose many of their feathers, moan a lot and stop laying eggs until they grow the new feathers back in.

Now for the second season: They still lay eggs, but maybe 3 or 4 a week. The eggs are also quite a bit smaller. They still eat just as much food though, so the cost of keeping the birds has not gone down at all!

Time for another molt going into the 3rd year. You guessed it- fewer eggs than last year. Maybe one or two eggs a week if you are lucky. Now this is not a problem if your chickens are also pets- they will keep laying eggs for a number of years- just very few compared to the first couple of years.

How do we deal with this on the farm? Our strategy is to keep new chickens “in the wings” so to speak. That means that we must always have new chicks coming up to replace the older layers. The downside is that it takes 5-6 months for a chick to start laying eggs- and she is only cost effective for the first two years (Now you know why home pastured eggs are so expensive- it costs a lot to get the birds to laying age and the laying window is way too short)

Last year being what it was, we did not get our replacement chicks going until late fall. So we have beautiful black sex link chickens out back who look like they should be laying eggs- but won’t until the weather warms up.

So, we are asking you to have patience with us. Once this batch gets going, we can start on another batch. And soon it will be warm enough to start the meat chickens once again. Boy do I miss fresh chicken!

I will post an update when we start getting eggs again! Yeah!

 

Need some fresh chicken for your BBQ this weekend?

Barbecue chicken-02 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have just a few fresh chickens left in case you need a last minute addition to your holiday menu. We saw a recipe for grilled Mexican style chicken (see link here) that sounds sooooo good that we chose to make it the star of the BBQ today!

I also have some potatoes that need digging up and some extra eggs, so my hubby will get some of his favorite potato salad. And Nascar is on so he should be one happy hubby!

Enjoy your weekend, and give me a call if you want a chicken (we will throw in the fresh herbs just for you)

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Do you want some chicken with your arsenic Sir?

 Wow! I just read an interesting article from the New York Times. It seems that our food supply is getting even scarier every day. It turns out that the chickens that we buy so cheaply at the grocery store are being  fed substances like arsenic, benadryl and sedatives (on top of the antibiotics and pesticides that we already know about!).

Check it out here

Some of you may know that my husband is a truck driver. He told me that last week he met this great guy on the road who has one of those big chicken farms in the midwest. He told David that the company sends him the chickens, sends him the feed- and all they do is manage the chickens for a few weeks until the company sends a truck to pick them up. So it really does make sense that these growers don’t know what is in that feed. Really scary stuff!

I hope that anyone reading this blog doesn’t think that I am being an alarmist here. I just think that this whole thing has gone too far. I have grandchildren to think about and I worry about their future health. We need to make sure that if things like this are added to our food supply that we are given that information so we can make an informed choice when buying and feeding these products to our families!

Thanks for listening America!

Related articles

• Arsenic and old poultry (kottke.org)
• Ask your Senator to support the Ban Arsenic Bill by Food & Water Watch (socialactions.net)
• Chicken Contains Arsenic Says FDA. “But It’s Safe to Eat” Says National Chicken Council. (paramita.typepad.com)

Chicken Remedy (Or, what to feed the birds when they are feeling puny)

Poultry and his nutrition (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes my girls need a little boost.
They may be molting, it may be hot outside, or just because I want to give them a little treat.

I read something about this mixture years ago in an old book on raising chickens and it sure has worked for me.
A little side benefit is that it is supposed to help deal with those nasty intestinal worms (Yuck- but they all have them if they are outside at all).

I don’t have an exact recipe, but here is my approximate formula:

4 cups regular chicken feed
1/2 cup fresh garlic
1 cup olive oil
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup cayenne pepper (or hot sauce)
1/4 cup dark molasses

Mix all of the above with a little water if needed to make a moist mash. Feed the chickens in a bucket (I use those round rubber feed pails from tractor supply).

Don’t wait for the applause, they will be too busy eating!

Finally! Fresh chickens are rolling in!

Chickens (Photo credit: Allie's.Dad)

Greetings! I have the first batch of chicken ready to go. These are roasters and are best cooked by poaching in herb water, roasting in a sealed pan long and low, or our favorite- in a crock pot.

Don’t forget I am still having trouble with my speech, but I am sure we can communicate anyway!

These first chickens are packaged in halves (each chicken is split lengthwise) to make it easier to cook (and because they won’t fit into the bags whole)

This weekend we will have the smaller fryers. These are great marinated and prepared with your favorite recipes. Just don’t forget to cook them at a lower heat and for longer. Truly free chickens use those muscles don’t forget!

Update: April 13 We have fresh chicken again this weekend as well as frozen fryers. These fryers are air chilled and then vacuum packed for long term freshness!

 

Call me at 707 251-8991 to schedule a pickup, Thanks!

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A little bit about egg labeling- what does cage free really mean?

I just read a short but interesting article on the definitions found on egg cartons.

See: Lexicon of Sustainability: Cage free vs. pasture raised

Image via Wikipedia

People want to know how their eggs are produced and what kind of living conditions the chickens are subjected to. I agree that this information is very important and questions should be asked. Every animal has certain requirements for a healthy and satisfying life and chickens are no exception. A chicken who is raised in such a way as to be active, healthy and content will provide the best nutrition for the people who consume their meat and eggs.

A chicken who is unhealthy or stressed out will produce a lot of stress hormones just as people do- and these hormones are passed along through the eggs and meat to our dinner table. It doesn’t take a lot to imagine that this would not be as beneficial to our bodies than what happy, stress free chickens have to offer.

So what are we doing to keep our birds healthy and contented? We give them a very safe shelter at night and then let them go wherever they need to go during the day. Sure we lose a lot of chickens (which in return is very expensive), but the overall happiness of the flock is worth it.

Animals are also a product of what they eat. You feed chickens a healthy food, they make healthy meat and eggs. None of that cheap seed meal based food imported from China for the birds on our ranch! We try to grow as much healthy, pesticide free food as we can for them. Next, we sprout healthy grains that are not only green but highly nutrient dense. Finally, we supplement all that free ranging, bug eating behavior with the best packaged grain that we can afford making sure that they have enough healthy calories to stay active during the day and warm at night.

So I guess our hens are “free ranged” plus!

(like us on Facebook at Clerici Chicken Ranch for updates and availabilities)

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• Europe Bans Battery-Cage Eggs (planetsave.com)
• Free Run, Free Range, Cage Free-What Does It All Mean? (plowinginpearls.com)

Blog Review: Big Red Kitchen

Braised Chicken in Milk- Recipe and Tutorial

I love finding a new blog, especially one that comes with so many great ideas to try out. Click on the picture above to visit their site.

This week I am totally in love with PVC pipe. I know that may not be the best environmental choice, but sometimes when you are on a tight budget it is the best choice. Her dad built her a PVC cover for one of her raised beds that I am going to adapt for my garden!

AND she has some delicious and practical recipes. Try this yummy variation on baked chicken!

Tangy Fresh Tomato Salad Dressing Recipe

We are being optimistic here- hopefully we will have early tomatoes. All these unseasonable storms keep knocking the fruit off our plants, but things are changing weather wise around here anyways- fresh tomatoes arriving soon!

We keep little baggies of poached chicken in the freezer for quick meals. During hot weather we love garden fresh salads, and a vegetable salad topped with tender moist chicken is a favorite.

Making your own salad dressings can be quick, economical and very healthy as well. This one takes a few more minutes to pan roast some garlic cloves but is so worth it in terms of fresh flavor.

You can zip this dressing up with some horseradish or even dijon mustard for a delightful seafood salad if you like:

• 6 cloves garlic, roasted then peeled ( I throw them in a frying pan with a cover on low heat while I prepare the other ingredients)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 medium Clerici Ranch tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup onions, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons Clerici Ranch Lemon Vinegar
• 1/3 cup Clerici Ranch basil, finely chopped

Throw all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Keep refrigerated if not using right away.

Enjoy!

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• Recipe: Michael Symon’s Summer Salad (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Roasted Ranch Chicken (AKA how do I cook these birds?)

Image via Wikipedia

One of the first things that people notice is that the chicken meat we sell on the ranch is denser and richer. This helps add a layer of flavor you just can’t get from a factory chicken. Because the meat is different, most people need to make adjustments to the way they cook these birds.

Don’t worry- it isn’t hard at all. Just turn down the heat and count on cooking a little longer. Some recipes may require a little more moisture to make up for the longer cooking time.

We often work outside for most of the day and the last thing I want to do is cook an elaborate meal when I am soooooo tired. On those days I will either poach a whole chicken by throwing it in a liquid bath with vegetables and herbs over low heat or if I want something really special I will put a bird in the oven to roast:

Clerici Ranch Citrus Roasted Chicken:

1 roasting chicken (usually between 5-7 pounds)
2 lemons, oranges or other citrus fruit sliced
Fresh herbs or dried herbs such as oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary
Olive Oil to coat chicken
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Wash the chicken under running water and pat the chicken dry.
2. Select a sturdy baking dish that the chicken will fit into- one that has a tight fitting lid is best as it will seal in the moisture. Otherwise cover with heavy foil and seal the edges well- no need to peek or baste!
3. Rub the surface of the chicken with some oilve oil.
4. Sprinkle the cavity (inside of bird) with salt and pepper to taste). Stuff the cavity of the bird with the herbs and citrus fruits.
5. Salt and pepper the outside of the chicken and place more herbs on the top of the chicken if desired.

Bake at a low temperature (no more than 325 degrees) for about 35 minutes per pound. If you pull on a leg it should be very loose and the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken should read at least 180 degrees.

Sometimes I will add root vegetables (carrots, onions, potatoes, etc. during the last two hours of cooking. I just chop them into quarters, toss them with olive oil and salt and throw them into the pan- magic!

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The Best Fried Chicken recipe starts with farm raised chickens

Image via Wikipedia

I am often asked about the best way to cook our chicken so that the wonderful taste doesn’t get lost in the ingredient list. The best answer is to just relax and use your favorite recipes- but there are a couple of things to keep in mind to get the best results.

One of the first things that people notice if they choose the Amish Ranger chicken is that the meat is darker. It is also denser, and the pieces of meat are usually larger than what you may be used to cooking.

That being said, when cooking this meat, go for a little longer cooking time and a lower temperature. Personally, I prefer to brine my poultry for a couple of hours before cooking so it stays moist and tender.

We are big fried chicken fans here at the ranch. I recently discovered a great recipe by Tyler Florence called the Ultimate Fried Chicken Recipe. He starts by brining the chicken for 2 hours and goes on from there. The results are fabulous!

Related Articles

• Thomas Keller’s Fried Chicken Recipe (averagebetty.com)
• Recipe makeover: Lemon-ginger fried chicken (cnn.com)
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Note: If you look at Thomas Keller’s recipe above, he calls for a smaller younger chicken than you usually find. We can supply the chickens at that age for you if you can let us know in advance!