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DBN Farms is creating a small-scale organic egg product system that is very different. Our goal is to create a mutually beneficial relationship that respects the chicken’s right to a reasonable quality of life. Unlike institutional farms which cull their layers annually as their egg production begins to decline, we have made a commitment to our chickens that they can live out their lives in a free range setting regardless of their egg production. (Recently we heard the record lifespan for a chicken is 34 year…we might have to set up a chicken trust for after we’re gone at that rate.)
Anyway, our hens are fed organic laying mash produced at OEFFA www.oeffa.com certified Curly Tails Farms located in Frederickstown, OH. Also unlike institutional eggs farms which confine their hens to small cages (the size of a car battery), our chickens have free range of the fields and white pine forest near our current home. This helps to supplement their diet with some high-protein bugs and other pests. They get special treats like over ripe vegetables from the garden, fruit and yummy piles of weeds.
To minimize the effects of medication on the entire flock and wasted eggs production, we also do something novel--medicate only the chicken that is sick. Now this took some doing…first of all, most medications are packaged in amounts to put into 250 gallons of water. A single chicken drinks less than one pint per day, so this means that we had to figure out the single chicken, single dose amount…which is about the size of some spilled table salt. Next we had to figure a means to get the medication into the chicken. After many iterations, we have landed on mixing it with tomato sauce, putting it into a small syringe that has the end cut off, and squirting it into the chickens mouth. Lots of work right, but it is worth it. Believe it or not, the chickens that we have brought back to health this way have remained some of the friendliest chickens we have.
In addition to eggs that are fresh and have the firmest, yellowest yokes you have ever seen, the chickens provide us with great by-products like manure from their coup, pest reduction, free, but definitely uncontrolled rototilling, and plenty of entertainment.
At this point our production is pretty limited, but as we gain more experience and feel comfortable that we can increase the flock safely, we hope to provide local stores and the Saturday Farmer’s Market with fresh organic (pretty much) eggs.
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