Category: Farming

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What the…duck?

I got my first ducks by accident. A friend had a small flock and was annoyed by how much work it was to get them into the coop at night. Her daughter wasn’t really interested in the ducks anymore and not helping as much with them (she was still pretty young too). I was newly on the farm and eager to give anything a go, so I was happy to take them on!

Five years later and I still have ducks. I fell in love with them quickly. Not only are they adorable, but their eggs are amazing!

Want to find out more about duck eggs, why bakers love them, and how they’re great for everyday cooking? Read on!

How are duck eggs different than chicken eggs? 

The quality of the egg is determined by the poultry who made it. Our chickens and ducks eat the same GMO- and soy-free fermented feed, but the ducks tend to forage more. This is apparent when my ducks eat less in the summer than the winter, while my chicken’s food consumption doesn’t change as much. The ducks also forage longer each day. Visit anytime in the evening and you’ll notice that the chickens head to their coop around dusk whereas the ducks stay out until twilight (which is after 9 pm now that it’s June)!!! Good foraging means a more diverse diet and thus a better nutrient profile for the eggs…. [read more]

Find out more by reading our article on duck eggs!

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Prevent illness with herbs!

a jar of herbs covered in apple cider vinegar and alcohol

I want to share with you a recipe I use ALL the time here on the farm, and at home. Here we call it CEEG, for Cayenne, Echinacea, Eleuthero, Garlic. It’s an immune-boosting tincture that I use on both animals and humans at the first sign of illness. While the recipe suggests using it in the winter, we use it year-round. I make mine with ever clear and apple cider vinegar and the dilute it before use. It is HOT! My kids do not like it at all. However, the animals don’t seem to mind it. We add it to water for a general immune boost and administer it orally as often as possible for more acute situations. It’s not a cure-all but it does seem to help the animals and people fight illness and is our first line of defense.

Find the recipe here: https://frugallysustainable.com/herbs-for-winter-health-a-recipe-for-hot-echinacea-tincture/

I get most of the herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs. While I can’t sell tinctures because of the alcohol content, I’m happy to create a tincture kit if you’re interested (I provide the herbs; you provide the fresh garlic and alcohol)!

Note: due to the garlic content, we don’t use it for our cats or our dog.