Selecting the best genetics from our flock

This year we're selecting the best genetics from our flock to produce next year's eggs. That's what self-reliance actually looks like up close. Not buying our way to better birds, but choosing the strongest hens and roosters and letting them carry the line forward.

20 hens and 2 roosters will make the cut. They'll earn it on yield, resilience, and the kind of hard-to-measure "good bird" instinct you only get from watching a flock every single day.

Then things get interesting. We're bringing in an Ayam Cemani rooster, the rare all-black breed, feathers, skin, bone, the whole bird. The hybrids from this pairing are going to be something special. 🖤

The chicken tractor is earning its keep too. Fresh grass every morning, and the birds lose their minds over it. (Has it cut our feed bill? Not even a little. We're working on that next.)

Next season's mission: grow food the flock can harvest themselves, early and often. Less bag, more pasture. This is how you build something that lasts. One smart decision at a time. 🌱

What would you select your breeders for first? Size, hardiness, or temperament? 👇

#RunAMuckFarms #Homesteading #SelfReliance #AyamCemani #ChickenTractor