Ayers and Zicarelli Farm

06/12/2024

Pineapple w**d

Pineapple w**d (Matricaria discoidea) is often one of the first plants a budding forager tries as a kid.  It can grow just about anywhere but has a gift for growing in the most uninviting…

05/24/2024

Rhubarb, picked fresh when you order, $4 per generous pound.

Have a bunch of rhubarb you're not sure what to do with? Bake it up just like Grandma would!

05/23/2024

Gasoline

The Biden administration says it's releasing 1 million barrels of gasoline from a Northeast reserve established after Superstorm Sandy in a bid to lower prices at the pump this summer

05/23/2024

Farm bill

Pennsylvania U.S. Rep. Glenn 'GT' Thompson chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, said his bill makes “historic investments” in agriculture.

05/17/2024

Yep

05/17/2024

04/22/2024

Earth Day is 365 around here. Today has me picking Chickw**d for salad and sandwiches. Yesterday I dried Purple Dead Nettle and Spearmint tips. Saturday was Cleavers drying and Cleavers infused water. Started plantain tincture in homemade ACV yesterday. Of course the chickens enjoy some of these fresh plants too.

03/17/2024

02/28/2024

Hilarious fun!

11/26/2023

📸 Watch this video on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1NoXmn9vute4RZzn/?mibextid=jmPrMh

07/16/2023

Wondering how to get rid of groundhogs? There are lots of safe, healthy ways to do it. Here are some suggestions.

07/16/2023

Tell me again how herbivores are vegan.

05/04/2023

How do eggs get fertilized? Does a fertilized egg have a baby chick in it or not? What does a red spot mean? Let's dispel some myths and misperceptions! Here are 12 facts about fertilized chicken eggs, especially how to tell if an egg is fertilized or not

04/30/2023

Spring has arrived at our chicken coop! We've increased the max egg order to 3 dozen. The rotating order/waiting list will remain.

04/02/2023

Roosters available. Six roos are 20 weeks old. 2 roos are at least 2 years old. $18 each.

03/07/2023

As of March 1st, the price for our soy-free, all-natural, free-range eggs is $5 a dozen. This change is in place for all orders placed on or after March 1st. If you put an order in before that date and are waiting for a pick-up date, it's still the old price.
The wait time is about 5 to 7 days, but will shorten as the egg production increases with longer days. We have new young hens that will begin laying this month. Yea! More eggs!

My side yard was filled with these crocus before the snow came last night. I am hoping they get showy once more!

03/05/2023

Why do eggs cost so much? The answer may surprise you. Find out what's happening with the egg industry, the rise in chicken ownership, and what the long term implications of all this might be.

03/05/2023

The key to a happy life 👉🐓

02/28/2023

Got me!

😆

02/28/2023

A friend of mine spends her summer weekend trying to wipe knotw**d off the face of the earth.  She comes back from trips exhausted, having used everything (including fire) to try to eradicate a patch

02/21/2023

Boiled cider is a simple one ingredient apple cider syrup that's perfect for topping pancakes or yogurt.  It's also ideal for infusing incredible apple flavor into baked goods. Boiled cider is a real treat, but

02/14/2023

02/03/2023

01/29/2023

Hat's off to our overachiever today!

01/28/2023

So... I don't even know where to start... So much misinformation and fake news swirling around social media these last few days that I just want to clear up.

1. Feeding your chickens raw meat won't make them magically lay eggs in the winter. They need LIGHT to lay. Period. Without enough light, they'll slow down or stop.

After their first season, hens likely won't lay eggs after that in the winter unless you LIGHT your coop. It's the shorter days that cause the slowdown in production. It's the natural course that egg production takes.

Hens need light to lay. Period. So it's natural for them to slow down or stop once the days get short. They'll start up again soon. There's no magic fix - except more light.

https://www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2021/01/why-dont-chickens-lay-eggs-in-winter.html

2. Feed producers are not putting stuff in the feed to make your chickens stop laying. Hens lay through their first winter, then don't lay well following years. That's why your two year olds aren't laying this winter, not because there's something in the feed now making them not lay.

Edited to add: That's not to say that it's entirely possible that some of the feed companies have changed their formulas (which has been happening all along honestly, they'll buy more of whatever is cheapest when they restock their ingredients) or are using lower quality ingredients to save on their costs, which is why its really important to choose a feed brand you TRUST and that's good quality. It's not always the large, well-known brands that sell the best quality products either. Do some research, talk to others who raise chickens when you're choosing your feed brand.

All these new chicken keepers who got chickens two years ago are stunned that their chickens aren't laying this winter like they did last winter and they're believing all this nonsense on tiktok and other social media platforms. Thinking there's something shady going on. There's not. Trust me. Again, it's the natural course of things.

And for all of you who have decided to start mixing your own feed because you think there's a conspiracy by the major feed companies, you might want to read this first --> https://www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2012/10/mixing-your-own-layer-feed.html

And also this --> https://www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2020/08/homemade-chicken-layer-feed.html

Chicken layer feed needs to be pretty accurately balanced, its not just a thing of tossing some grains and seeds into a bucket.

3. The rising egg prices are not a government conspiracy. Eggs have been dirt cheap forever and between the avian flu and increased gas/feed prices, along with the new "cage free" laws in several states, the costs to produce eggs have gone up drastically. Egg prices were due for a price adjustment. You know yourself, selling your eggs for $2 a dozen, could you really make any money? Even before feed and gas prices went up?

https://www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2023/01/9-reasons-why-eggs-are-so-expensive.html

4. Eggs don't cause blood clots. I don't even know where that came from, but no you're not going to die from a blood clot if you eat eggs. Eggs do contain cholesterol, but plenty of studies have proven that dietary cholesterol isn't what causes health issues in most people. Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat - as they contain every nutrient needed for life except Vitamin C.

https://www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2015/02/how-many-eggs-should-i-eat-day-week.html

Again, I don't even know where to start with all this bad information that's being shared and reshared all over social media. Like much of what you see and read, take it all with a grain of salt. And relax. And share. Let's try and get some GOOD information out there for people.

01/27/2023

We are currently taking orders and using a waiting list for eggs. There is a 2 dozen limit until the hens warm up again! Please call us and leave a message or message us through this FB page. Thank you for shopping local!

01/22/2023

Reminds me of when me and my sister's get together.🤣

01/22/2023

After watching the founder of a fArM aNiMaL sAnCtUaRy go unchecked telling lies in our local media I think it is time that we start getting much more aggressive in our defense of animal Ag.