Ducks enjoying Reedy Fork Organic Duck Feed

•Turtles (especially snapping turtles) eat ducklings.

•Just like chickens, ducks need grit to aid in digestion. (We have gran-i-grit for sale $12.50 per 50lb bag and oyster shells for sal $20.50 per 50lb bag.)

•Geese are a great alarm system for ducks. If there is something dangerous around, the gander (that’s a male goose) will honk!

•Ducks bond with one another. Ducks become pals to one another and will often forage together, eat together and live together. Don’t separate the pals at any time. If you plan on selling your ducks sell them as a pair when they have become friends.

•Ducks know you by your voice? Make sure you talk to your ducks every chance you get. The more you speak to them the friendlier they will become and the less likely that will attack you when you feed them, check them, or clean out their beds. You want your ducks to come to you; not run from you!

•Ducks don’t always leave their eggs in one spot. You never know where you’re going to find one.

And – for your convenience – here are some quack facts about Reedy Fork Farm Organic Duck Feed:

Organic Soy Free Duck Starter Feed
Feed your duckling our organic starter feed the first 4 weeks of their lives. Each duckling will eat between 2-3 pounds during the total 4 week period.

Today’s price: $33.50 per bag

Organic Soy Free Duck Developer Feed
Feed your duckling our organic duck developer feed during weeks 5 to 16. One ducking will eat approximately 25 pounds during the developer stage.

Today’s price: $32.50 per bag

Organic Soy Free Duck Layer Feed
Transition your duckling from organic duck developer feed to organic duck layer feed between 14-16 weeks. Each duck will eat approximately 4 ounces in the summer, 5 ounces in the spring and fall, and 6 ounces in the winter per day.

Today’s price: $31 per bag, $880 per ton

Aside from the fields of corn you notice along country roads, you might have overlooked other grains growing nearby. Amaze your friends with these fun facts on what’s growing in North Carolina today:

1. Buff Barley
          a. Grown in Mount Ulla, NC.
          b. In 1324 Edward II of England standardized the inch as equal to “three grains of barley, dry and round, placed end to end lengthwise.” The foot, the yard, the mile, and all other English measurements followed on.
          c. Gladiators in ancient Rome were known as “Barley Men” because they ate a lot of barley, believing it gave them more strength and energy than any other food.
          d. Nutritionally, barley’s lower in carbs, higher in protein and contains more fiber – a whopping 17% — than all the other whole grains. It’s especially high in soluble beta-glucan fiber which helps to reduce cholesterol, lower blood sugar and improve immune system function.
          e. Beer can be brewed from barley.

2. Sundry Soy
          a. Grown in Tyner, NC
          b. One acre of soybeans can produce 82,368 crayons.
          c. U.S. farmers first grew soybeans as cattle feed.
          d. Soybean products where you least expect them: plastics, textiles, candles, hair-care products, cleaning products – and soy ink is used to print textbooks and newspaper.
          e. The soybean is the highest natural source of dietary fiber
          f. The US grows more soybeans than anywhere else in the world.

3. Copious Corn
          a. America’s number one field crop is grown in Elizabeth City, NC.
          b. Corn is the only whole grain that’s also a vegetable.
          c. One bushel (1 bushel=56 pounds ) of corn will sweeten more than 400 cans of soda.
          d. According to the Whole Grains Council, corn “has the highest level of antioxidants of any grain or vegetable.”
          e. Non GMO! In order to be certified organic, the corn that Reedy Fork uses must be GMO free.

4. Freewheeling Wheat Midds or Middlings
          a. Grown in nearby Graham, NC.
          b. Great source of protein, fiber and phosphorous for livestock animals.
          c. Due to its low cost and availability, it’s being researched for its potential as a biofuel, particularly in fluidized bed combustion, a technology used in power plants in the US.

5. World-Wide Wheat
          a. Grown in Tyner, NC and in 42 states in the US.
          b. Wheat, a grassy type cereal grain, is grown all over the world.
          c. More than 17,000 years ago, humans first gathered seeds of these plants, rubbed off the husks and ate the kernels.
          d. The word “cereal” originates from Ceres, the Roman goddess who was believed to be the protector of grains.
          e. In 1777, wheat was first planted in the US as a hobby crop. Today, about three-fourths of all grain products in this country are derived from wheat flour.

6. Roof-worthy Rye (Or How Rye I Am)
          a. Part of the grass family, rye grows well in cooler climates where wheat won’t.
          b. Russia is the top producer of rye in the world.
          c. Rye can be used to make roofs, but it’s more commonly used to make whiskey, gin and vodka.
          d. Rye has a lower gluten content than wheat and contains more soluble fiber than wheat.

7. Super Sorghum
          a. Also grown in Mount Ulla, NC and also known as Milo.
          b. Benjamin Franklin is believed to have introduced the first grain sorghum crop to the US.
          c. Sorghum dates back to Egypt 2000 BC and today Africa produces 20 million tons of sorghum per year.
          d. Sorghum grows in a wide variety of soil and climates with a consistent performance. That’s why it’s often chosen for arid areas that don’t have substantial irrigation.
          e. Choose your favorite sorghum form: cook it like rice, make it into porridge, malt it for beer, bake it in flatbreads or pop it like popcorn.

Gracious grains, that’s a lot of information! If you want to remember one thing, it’s this: Reedy Fork continues to supply the organic feed you need for your flock or favorite barnyard animals. When it’s time to place your order for organic grains, do it right here!

Heartwood Farm is a Certified Naturally Grown farm located in Stokesdale, NC.

Started for many of the same reasons our customers support us today, we seek a closer connection to the food that nourishes us. We believe what’s good for Mother Nature is good for us too.

David, Rebecca, Stephanie and Kelsey Gagnon operate this 13 acre farm in Northwest Guilford County, specializing in pastured poultry (whole and cut up broilers) and eggs.

Additionally, assorted crops are available throughout the year which include blueberries, okra, broccoli, lettuce, kale, collards and brussels sprouts. In the spring of 2014 we plan to bring back lamb and rabbit as well.

To contact us, give us a call at 336-644-9911 Evenings or 336-339-7770 Days, or contact us via HeartWoodFarmNC.com.

Contact Asgard Farm: CSA’s available
336.266.8113
www.asgard-farm.com
ASGARD FARM: PASTURED, LOCAL, BETTER.

“Chicken Math” is a phenomena widely understood and experienced by “chicken folk,” but I wanted to take a minute to explain to those of you who’ve never had the pleasure of being a flock caretaker so that you, too, might understand. Here’s how it works: Early March 2012, I convince my husband to let me have “about 3-4″ hens. I pick up six. One dies. Two weeks later, I go to the hatchery (which has offered to replace the one that died) and get seven more. Now I have 12. Through a series of events beyond our control (Marek’s disease, that the chickens were *supposed* to be vaccinated against), we lose five of those birds.

In September 2012, I pick up 8 more. Now, I have 15. But, sadly, in one week’s time, we lose one to unknown disease and two to a predator. So, now we are down to 12. We continue along for a few months until we lose one more to Marek’s Disease in March 2013. The very next week, a friend contacts me and asks if I’ll take 3 chicks that another friend has used for a photo shoot and has nowhere to keep. OF COURSE I say yes. The same week, another friend loses a rooster and needs a home for her two grown hens, and OF COURSE I said, “Yes!”

So, by the end of the weekend, our little flock of 3-4 hens will have grown to 16. And that, folks, is how “chicken math” works!”

If you and your family are using chicken math to count your chickens, take a page out of Laura’s math book, and feed your backyard flock Reedy Fork Organic Chicken Feed! Place your order here…

In addition to Reedy Fork Farm Organic Feed, you can buy plants, flowers, baby chicks and rabbits, and all sorts of spring merchandise. There will be door prizes, games, food and live music, too!

We love participating in great community events like this, and we feel like family now that West Rowan Farm Home Garden is carrying our feed. Come out and support your friends and neighbors – and make sure you drop by and say hello to us.

The fun starts at 10:00. See you there!

First Annual Spring Trade Show, Sale, and Festival
West Rowan Farm Home & Garden
11515 NC Hwy 801
Mount Ulla, NC 23125
(704) 278-2800

PS Donations of non~perishab1e food items will be collected for the West Rowan Helping Ministries.

Pittsboro Feed’s motto is “Feed or Seed… We cover your need” From hamsters to cattle we carry feed for all your animal’s needs.

Pittsboro Feed is open:
M-F 8am-6pm
Saturday 8am-3pm
Sunday at Church

Contact Pittsboro Feed for more information:
919-542-2454
www.pittsborofeed.com
1103 East Street Pittsboro NC 27312

WHY DUCKS ANYWAY?

Delicious duck is for dinner. Think about duck soup, duck prosciutto and roasted duck. Are you hungry for duck confit or seared duck breast? Creative chefs prepare organic duck meat in a plethora of ways.

Extra Large Eggs excel in baking. They’re huge: the whites contain more protein and the yolks are richer than chicken eggs. Duck eggs whip up fluffier and make your cakes lighter and higher.

Walk like a duck. This one might not be the reason you expected, but ducks are used to train sheep dogs to herd. (Now you know.)

WHAT A DUCK NEEDS:

Another duck or two. They’re social birds and long to be in a flock. One duck alone isn’t a happy duck.

Water! Water! Ducks find true happiness, love and a host of other pleasant things on a pond or lake. Back yard enthusiasts may depend on small kiddie pools, but these need to be emptied each evening and refilled each morning.

A sleeping pen, tonight and again. You can protect ducks from predators and encourage laying with a small shelter for evenings. Estimates vary between 4 to 10 square feet per bird for pen space.

Room to forage. Left to their own devices, ducks can destroy a small garden. They eat and poop more than chickens although their poo is more watery than chickens. For outdoor space to roam, between 10 and 25 square feet per bird would be advised. Ducks always welcome a bit of shade..

Their favorite feed. When they’re not eating slugs or bugs, ducks love Reedy Fork Farm Organic Duck Feed. It’s all they can quack about.

Special thanks to our friend Matt from Smoking Goat Farm who took time of his busy, duck-filled schedule to let us know a little bit about his flock, and shared the amazing pictures!

Jerilyn gives great advice on protecting backyard chickens from predators. Her key – have adequate shelter.

1. Feed birds under trees, and put the feeds themselves in clusters.

2. Place small shelters in open areas. If a hawk flies over, the chickens can take cover.

3. Don’t place food or waterers in the open. Predators target chickens distracted by eating or drinking.

4. Get an owl decoy, and move it around periodically.

Jerilyn also built a low shelter with cinderblocks and plywood and elevated their smaller coop. The birds can run underneath if they sense danger.

“We would lose a lot of birds if they didn’t have the trees to shelter them. Chickens did evolve from the jungles in Asia. I think that if chicken owners have adequate shelters for their birds, they wouldn’t lose so many to hawks.”
—from Jerilyn’s email

There’s nothing like experience – and nothing so kind as people willing to share their experience with others. Thanks, Jerilyn for taking the time to help owners and their backyard chickens!

Contact Stacy for more information:
www.YellowWolfFarm.com
336-709-6541
6652 Sullivantown Road
Walkertown NC

Local – Sustainable – Humane