Bright Minds Homestead

09/20/2026

So much of the back half of the yard is changing and the word of the week was merge. Yesterday, 16 newbies joined the flock for the first time. Of those 16, 14 look to be pullets and will remain to FINALLY give us 2 full flocks and enough girls for all of my roosters to be content (hopefully). With the merging of this years pullets and the reserve cockerels, the homestead is almost ready for the next stage of change, the grow out area finally being moved and turning the dirt in preparation for fall/winter, along with next year's hatchings.

09/18/2026

Sookie graduated to the pen under the main coop. This pen is reserved for grow outs 4 weeks and older. Usually my mama's give up shortly after being placed here as it is located in the coop they sleep in when not broody. Sookie has no desire to leave. She wants to bring her children with her. With multiple predators in the area, I do not release babies before 10 weeks, typically waiting until 15 weeks. Sookie will either keep being the kick ass mom she is until they are at least 10 weeks which is another 3 weeks away or she will venture away one of these mornings or evenings when I open the door to offer her the option to flee. The choice is always theirs.

09/14/2026

I have longed for a hen named Lenore, but I didn't want her to only remind me of my favorite author, Edgar Allan Poe, but also of my favorite poet Lord Byron. When this beauty kept producing silver and white without any gold, I was immediately taken to She Walks in Beauty. Please allow me to introduce Lady Lenore.

09/14/2026

There is little to no question about who this little ones mother is! Our own little Dolly belongs to our own not so little Wendy Moira Angela Darling. We have tried many times to hatch Wendy's eggs and every time they have failed. As a freedom ranger I knew hatching her eggs could be difficult. I knew because of home girls size, fertilization was a likely issue. She is 13 lbs after all. But still I purposely tried. I stopped trying half way thru the hatching season this year and blindly grabbed a few brown eggs to try and recoup my aging out hens. Little did I know of the 4 brown eggs I tried to hatch, the only one to survive was a Wendy egg. This little one is 13 weeks old and as big as my 18 week olds. Looks like she might just take after her mama!

09/12/2026

Today 5 cockerels found their way to freezer camp. Our adorable Tony Danza was part of the crew. Yup, my keeper ended up in freezer camp. While he hit every check marker for production male, the spacing between his legs worried me. I gave time for growth and sadly, it was getting worse. For a yard rooster he was perfect. For meat production and survivability goals, he was far from it. He will feed the family with the 2 lb 10 oz of meat and bone his body produced. I still have over 10 cockerels left to harvest, but for now, they get to live to crow another day.

09/05/2026

Aubrey is still fitting in my hand with ease. She helped me fill her waterer as well as the maternity wards where Sookie is with her babies. She was content sitting in the palm of my hand or on my arm, even waiting patiently on the fence while I installed her waterer. This girl is a winner for sure!

09/02/2026

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, livestock of all breeds allow me to introduce KimKims daughter, Andrea Michelle. This gorgeous girl is named after her mama KimKim, with honorable mentions of name inheritance to Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mario Andretti, and Michael Schumacher. While all others in her clutch are named after the Dallas Cowboys and the Writers Guild, this girl deserved a special name in honor of her wonderful mother.

*yup I talk weird to every single chicken! Just call me Dr. Doolittle.

09/01/2026

So far this young cockerel is the best looking out the whole bunch! His build is exactly what I want and he is putting weight on in all the right places. Better watch out Rumple Gold and Tony Danza, little Sebastian(hmmmmm is he a Sebastian) might be coming to take your place.

08/31/2026

08/31/2026

Last year all the boys had one of three looks, mahogany, barred, or black with various levels of silver/white/gold leakage. This year, Daryl gave it his all before freezer camp and added his own dash of color to the mix. Here's just a few of the new color variants that are currently pending freezer camp, if a flock of their own hasn't been found beforehand. I am loving both of my bearded Earls and hope that they find a home instead of my freezer.