It’s always so exciting when we have babies at my farm - this time, cute, fluffy, little chicks.
Last month, I attended the 2024 Northeastern Poultry Congress - a poultry show held every year in Springfield, Massachusetts. The event features more than 2500 birds, including large fowl, waterfowl, turkeys, pigeons, Guineas, and of course, a variety of wonderful breed chickens. I brought eggs home with me to hatch - and so far, we have 15 healthy Silkie peeps that are nothing short of adorable.
Enjoy these photos.
We set up our incubating and hatching equipment down in my Stable feed room. It is all from GQF Manufacturing, Inc. in Savannah, Georgia – a company that specializes in game bird and poultry supplies. There are several crucial conditions needed for proper embryo development in all birds. These factors include: proper temperature, controlled humidity, and sufficient air circulation.
When the eggs arrive, they are placed into the incubator where they are safe from other birds and closely monitored until they hatch. Chicken eggs take 21-days. While the eggs incubate, they are automatically turned once a day, 45-degrees each way, back and forth during this period.
From days 17 to 21, they’re placed into this hatching cabinet, where it is still very warm. Eggs are placed in divided sections, where they are safe and cannot roll during the hatching process. Here is the first peep to hatch. The chicks remain here until they can walk and their down is dry.
Once stable, the chicks are moved into this cage in the same room where they are checked often. Towels are placed on the floor of the cage for good footing.
This is a hat lamp, which keeps the chicks warm – it is very important.
Over the weekend, the cage was full of adorable chirping chicks. The heat lamp, which has a red bulb is on. The red color of this bulb helps deter chicks from picking at one another and also makes it easier for them to sleep.
We always keep a record of when they hatch and are moved into the cage.
Within a couple of days, they are all alert and very curious. All the chicks are walking around and exploring their new surroundings.
Fresh, clean water is always provided. In fact, every chick is personally shown where their food and water sources are, so they know where to find them.
The chicks are fed organic chick starter for the first six to eight weeks.
Baby chicks need constant monitoring until they are at least a month old. Chicks require an air temperature of 95 degrees during the first week, 90 degrees the second week, and so on – going down by around five degrees per week until they’re ready to transition to a coop.
Wherever one goes, the others follow. There are eight Silkie color varieties accepted by the American Poultry Association. They include black, blue, buff, gray, partridge, splash, and white.
Because they are raised here at the farm, they quickly become used to everyone on the crew and all the noises.
Silkies were originally bred in China. They are best known for their characteristically fluffy plumage said to feel silk- or satin-like to the touch. Underneath all that feathering, they also have black skin and bones and five toes instead of the typical four on each foot.
This breed grows a bit slower than other chicken breeds. Both male and female chickens have combs. Baby chicks hatch with tiny combs that get larger as they mature.
Silkies are also adaptable and playful. And, they are naturally more calm than most other breeds.
Because the Silkie’s feathers lack functioning barbicels, similar to down on other birds, they are unable to fly, but they can stretch and flap their wings.
At this stage, it is difficult to know which are the males and which are the females, but some signs will start to show around three months old. The female Silkies will keep their bodies more horizontally positioned, while males will stand more upright, keeping their chests forward and their necks elongated. Males will also hold their tail more upright, where females will keep it horizontal or slightly dipped toward the ground.
There are still more eggs waiting to hatch, but our 15 babies are all doing very well.
In general, chickens are quite vocal. When full grown, they make around 30 different calls to communicate with each other, expressing everything from “I am hungry” to “there’s a predator nearby.” While these birds are a bit quieter than others, they still peep and communicate within their flock.
It is believed that the Silkie was first mentioned by Marco Polo around 1290 to 1300 during his journey across Europe and the Far East. Although he did not see the bird, it was reported to him by a fellow traveler, and he wrote about it in his journal, describing it as “a furry chicken.” The Silkie chicken made its way westward either by the Silk Road or by the maritime routes, most likely both. Experts accepted the Silkie into the British Poultry Standard of Perfection in 1865 and the American Poultry Association standard in 1874. These little feathery puffs will certainly enjoy their time here at Cantitoe Corners. Keep following to see them grow and thrive.
If you're ever in Northeastern Connecticut, stop and visit Logee’s Tropical Container Plants for Home and Garden where you can choose from hundreds of varieties of plants, most of which are all propagated right there.
Last week I shared photos of items I brought home from a recent trip to Logee's - Anthuriums, two Staghorn ferns, a hanging citrus, and Begonias. William Logee started the business in 1892 as a cut-flower shop and then expanded it to include many tropical container plants. It is now very well known for its inventory of fruiting, rare, and tropical plants, and its hybridizing achievements in the world of Begonias. During my visit, I took some photos inside the greenhouses, and at the end its current owners, Williams’s grandson, Byron Martin, and his business partner, Laurelynn Martin, gifted me with a box of citrus fruits - beautiful grapefruits, lemons, oranges, tangerines, and an assortment of kumquats. I am so excited to try every one.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Logee’s is a great source for all kinds of plants – orchids, succulents, fruit trees, exotics, etc. Once Byron took over the family business, he wanted to be sure Logee’s was a place that could provide unusual tropical flowering and fragrant specimens that performed well in pots. Logee’s nursery now has six tropical greenhouses.
The greenhouses are packed with a large assortment of amazing plants – neatly arranged and organized. This is a holding bench for young plants.
This area is for begonia propagation. The genus begonia contains about 1500 different plant species and hundreds of hybrids. Begonias are native to tropical and subtropical climates, so many specimens are kept indoors as ornamental houseplants.
Logee’s propagates its begonias in two ways – by leaf cutting and by seed. Here is how they do leaf cutting propagation. Although this way is quicker for the begonia to take root, it takes longer to form the plants’ bulbous trunks.
In leaf cutting propagation, the leaves of a plant are cut from the mother specimen or fallen leaves are saved. Then, they are placed into a tray of seed-starting mix.
The leaves are nurtured in the greenhouse until they take root and are ready to be transplanted into containers. Begonias are also remarkably resistant to pests primarily because their leaves are rich in oxalic acid – a natural insect repellent.
Look what is being propagated here – Begonia Martha Stewart, an exclusive Logee’s hybrid that Byron and Laurelynn named after me. This Begonia features deeply spiraled leaves in soft tones of tan, chartreuse, and bronze with small chocolate markings at the leaf edges.
Jasmine is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family. It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia and Oceania. Jasmines are widely cultivated for the characteristic fragrance of their flowers.
Philodendrons are fast-growing, easy plants. They range in growth pattern from graceful and vining to bold and bushy. Philodendrons are generally forgiving and will tolerate low light, poor soil, and inconsistent watering.
This is a Camellia. Camellias are large, attractive, broad-leaved, evergreen shrubs that are highly prized for their flowers, which bloom from winter to spring. There are more than 2300 named cultivars registered with the American Camellia Society.
And this is Cyphomandra crassicaulis, the tree tomato – a South American delicacy which produces edible, egg-shaped fruits that taste like custardy guavas.
One of Byron and Laurelynn’s major interests is citrus which can be found throughout their greenhouses. Many of my citrus come from Logee’s.
This is a multi-variety citrus tree in the “Big House.” Planted in 1964, this tree is showing grapefruit and temple oranges.
I visit Logee’s at least once a year – and I never leave empty handed. This time, I also picked a lovely box of tasting fruits. Look at all these wonderful oranges, lemons, grapefruits, kumquats, etc.
Robertson navels originated in an old Washington navel tree in an orchard near Redlands, California, where it was found by Roy Robertson in 1925. Robertson navels are large orange round fruits with hints of red which are usually ready for picking in winter. Temple is one of the more full–flavored, complex citrus fruits with a spicy–sweet taste and a hint of tartness. Vaniglia Sanguigno oranges are medium in size, seedy, with a smooth orange rind of medium thickness and an acidless, sweet taste.
I grow many Meyer lemons here at my farm. The Meyer lemon is a hybrid citrus fruit native to China. The fruits are smaller and more round than regular lemons, with smoother, thin, deep yellow to orange skin, and dark yellow pulp. Palestine sweet limes can be enjoyed by eating or juicing for fruit drinks, smoothies, and cocktails. They are often used in sauces, marinades, chutneys, and relishes.
And many recognize grapefruit. The grapefruit is a subtropical citrus fruit known for its relatively large, sour to semi-sweet, somewhat bitter flavor. The interior flesh is segmented and varies in color from pale yellow to dark pink and red.
The Fairchild tangerine is a cross between a Clementine mandarin and an Orlando tangelo. The skin is thin with a deep orange color and it is juicy with a rich and sweet flavor.
Here is an assortment of smaller citrus fruits – Changshou kumquats, Meiwa sweet kumquats, Nagami kumquats, and the kumquat-lime hybrid, limequats. Kumquats have a similar taste to oranges, but with a kick − the skin of the fruit tastes sweet, and the inside is tart.
And you probably know this giant fruit – I have a beautiful potted tree of this type of citrus at my farm. It’s a Ponderosa lemon, a citrus hybrid of a pomelo and a citron. Ponderosa lemons are highly acidic, developing a bright floral, fruity, and tangy flavor mixed with a subtle sweetness. There is so much to see and learn about at Logee’s and it is open year-round. If you’re ever in the area, stop by Logee’s Tropical Container Plants for Home and Garden in Danielson, Connecticut. And be sure to check out their web site and catalog – there is something there for everyone.
As the owner of a large property and farm, I work hard to maintain its natural beauty - it's always interesting and inspiring to learn how others do the same in their own backyards.
Over the last few years, naturalist Murray Fisher, and his wife Emily, have worked hard to transform 50-percent of their property back to "wild." The initiative is called "rewilding" and it is an effort to give space back to wildlife and to nature in order to heal the ecosystem. Doing this decreases greenhouse gas emissions and increases biodiversity, while maintaining the existing aesthetics and preserving agricultural value of the land. Earlier this week, I joined fellow members of The Bedford Garden Club for a very special lecture and presentation by Murray on what he did at home to "rewild" his yard and garden.
Enjoy these photos.
Much of my Bedford, New York farm includes acres of woodlands. I work very hard to maintain them – not just for me, but for all the animals and plants that live there. This is one of several babbling brooks on the property.
Every year, I plant hundreds of trees in the woodland to replace the old, damaged or diseased ones that had been removed. Doing this creates a healthy habitat for wildlife and encourages more growth – it’s part of maintaining the “wild.”
Murray Fisher is an expert naturalist. He dedicated years to making New York Harbor healthier, more biodiverse, and more abundant. Murray is also passionate about improving biodiversity in our own backyards and gardens and the effort to “rewild” these spaces.
First, Murray talks about the American yard, and how developed lawns and spaces have affected biodiversity in our country.
Murray says rewilding the American yard helps to combat climate change and bring back biodiversity, which is all the different kinds of life one finds in an area – the wild animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world.
Since Murray and his wife, Emily, transformed their own yard by “rewilding” they have noticed many changes – wildlife has returned, including many species of native birds.
At my farm, Cantitoe Corners, I welcome all the wildlife and am so pleased with all the creatures that live and visit. Here is a Cooper’s Hawk sitting on my paddock fencing watching the activity around my farm.
Here is a group of wild turkeys crossing one of the carriage roads in the back field.
And here is just one of many wild birds that represent the more than 125 species that frequent my feeders every single day.
Murray says he discovered more than 1200 species of living animals that share our backyards just here in the Westchester area.
There are also coyotes in my woodlands – they thrive in the brush surrounded by forest and nature.
Murray also talks about the many native plants that prospered after “rewilding” his yard. (Photo from Murray Fisher)
Fortunately, I am able to design many gardens at my farm that include such different, interesting, and native specimens.
And smaller beneficial insects, moths, and butterflies thrive in an area that has “returned to the wild.” (Photo from Murray Fisher)
Here is a monarch butterfly feeding on flower nectar in one of my gardens.
Among the list of efforts one can do to “rewild” a space and increase biodiversity is to do less and allow the landscape to heal naturally.
In order to cut down on mowing at my farm, I eradicate a lot of lawn space. In this area, we laid down old burlap, no longer useable for covering the boxwood, on the grass surrounding my azaleas.
And then we covered the fabric with organic mulch made right here at my farm.
The beautiful trees in my pinetum are also now surrounded with mulch and not grass. The area is filling in so nicely, creating more habitats for visiting animals.
Murray offers resources for ideas on “rewilding” a space. “Rewilding” a garden doesn’t mean one has to live amidst a forest, but instead find a compromise for sharing the environment with wildlife.
Here I am with Murray and his wife, Emily. Thank you Murray, for sharing your wisdom and thoughts on how we can improve the earth for future generations and save our wildlife.
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