Welcome to my little plot on the web!
Who we are?
Lucy Predator deterrent...
On a small family farm in Anderdon (Amherstburg) Ontario, we specialize in breeding dual purpose poultry and have worked with assorted poultry and occasionally dabble in other farm animals, including goats and rabbits over the years. Our flocks contain a good assortment of breeds and colours; variety is the spice of life after all! We like our heritage breeds and work with pure bred poultry bred towards the Standard of Perfection (the breed standard association of the poultry world-like AKC or CKC in regards to dogs). We started in poultry over 15 years ago when we moved to our farm. I was raised up in 4-H and have completed over 30 clubs. I've also belonged to Southern Ontario Feather Fanciers, American Rabbit Breeders Association, as well as the Harrow, Leamington and Comber agricultural societies. Currently we keep Turkeys, Quail, and Standard Sized Chickens.
We Produce all the eggs we could ever want and sell the extras to friends and family. We also produce our own Poultry for consumption. I'm a firm believer in growing your own food, it doesn't get any fresher then that and you know what goes into it so its super healthy too! Between our birds and the gardens in the summer, we could get by on that alone! Also the breeds used for meat by commercial standards are a lot different then the ones used around the farm. Comparing a heritage turkey to the commercial broad breasted white taste wise the heritage bird will blow the white out of the water every time. I encourage everyone to give them a try, If you need any help or tips or have any questions, feel free to send me an e-mail. In the spring and summer i sell chicks locally and sell hatching eggs that can be shipped anywhere in Canada.
We Produce all the eggs we could ever want and sell the extras to friends and family. We also produce our own Poultry for consumption. I'm a firm believer in growing your own food, it doesn't get any fresher then that and you know what goes into it so its super healthy too! Between our birds and the gardens in the summer, we could get by on that alone! Also the breeds used for meat by commercial standards are a lot different then the ones used around the farm. Comparing a heritage turkey to the commercial broad breasted white taste wise the heritage bird will blow the white out of the water every time. I encourage everyone to give them a try, If you need any help or tips or have any questions, feel free to send me an e-mail. In the spring and summer i sell chicks locally and sell hatching eggs that can be shipped anywhere in Canada.
Breeding to the Standard of Perfection (SOP)
Ever wonder why the buff orpington you get from a hatchery doesn't look anything like the orpingtons you see at a show? It's because hatcheries (for example) don't often breed their birds in focus to the true breed standard (be it what the bird was orriginally designed for or the key characteristics that make the breed what it is). Hatchery orpingtons (for example) are often undersized compared to their exhibition quality counter parts. Often times they can be full of faults or even disqualifications such as improper comb type or size, poor feather colour, wrong skin colour ect. Rhode island Reds are another good example of the difference between a hatchery bird and a true breeder bird. When you put them side by side the difference in size and colour will blow you away! A true RIR will be deep mahogany red and be a big solid bird (built like a brick).
When ever trying to decide on what breed(s) to keep do a bit of research and talk to a breeder. But most importantly, find out what that breeders source and goal is. There are a lot of well meaning poultry fanciers out there that got their stock from hatchery (or hatchery descended) birds, who are not breeding the breed to its true standard. Make sure you find a good breeder who is breeding to the SOP, that's the only way to get the real deal. If you have the space, try out a couple breeds and keep only the one(s) that you like the best. Different breeds have distinct personalities, Orpingtons for example are lumbering laid back birds and are generally mellow, where as marans are feistier and a bit more aggressive (pecking order).
When ever trying to decide on what breed(s) to keep do a bit of research and talk to a breeder. But most importantly, find out what that breeders source and goal is. There are a lot of well meaning poultry fanciers out there that got their stock from hatchery (or hatchery descended) birds, who are not breeding the breed to its true standard. Make sure you find a good breeder who is breeding to the SOP, that's the only way to get the real deal. If you have the space, try out a couple breeds and keep only the one(s) that you like the best. Different breeds have distinct personalities, Orpingtons for example are lumbering laid back birds and are generally mellow, where as marans are feistier and a bit more aggressive (pecking order).
How we keep our birds
With the exception of the quail (who wouldn't come back) all our poultry is allowed to free range when we are home and its safe. We believe free ranging is the best thing you can do for your birds. They get variety in their diet by eating lots of greens and bugs which helps with the feed bill as they eat less grain. It also gives them plenty of sunshine and fresh air to promote healthy growth. Due to predator issues many of the birds that are kept outside all the time are kept in portable enclosures called tractors. The tractors allow them to be outside but remain safe from predators by enclosing them. The real benefit to them is that they are easily portable so every so often they are moved to fresh grass and have a new set of bugs to annihilate lol.
We try to give all our birds the best life they can have. Even birds raised for meat are raised on "pasture", it produces a healthier more flavorful bird. Just because they are going to be dinner doesn't mean they can't enjoy the time they spend on the farm. Besides, a happy bird is not stressed out, which leads to fewer health problems and better growth. This style of poultry keeping has allowed us to keep a diverse flock of healthy birds and because everyone is happy and healthy, we rarely have to deal with any health issues so we rarely use any medications. That being said we are not against using a medication if need be. If something is suffering or sick, there's no reason to hold back what it needs to recover. Using medications responsibly and very selectively is another thing we hold firm to. This allows us to keep the birds on grain and mash diets that are not laced with antibiotics or growth hormones.
We try to give all our birds the best life they can have. Even birds raised for meat are raised on "pasture", it produces a healthier more flavorful bird. Just because they are going to be dinner doesn't mean they can't enjoy the time they spend on the farm. Besides, a happy bird is not stressed out, which leads to fewer health problems and better growth. This style of poultry keeping has allowed us to keep a diverse flock of healthy birds and because everyone is happy and healthy, we rarely have to deal with any health issues so we rarely use any medications. That being said we are not against using a medication if need be. If something is suffering or sick, there's no reason to hold back what it needs to recover. Using medications responsibly and very selectively is another thing we hold firm to. This allows us to keep the birds on grain and mash diets that are not laced with antibiotics or growth hormones.