Homesteading is an attitude! and reducing electricity waste has become a way of life...

One of our goals on the Homestead is to grow or produce a large portion of our food and supplies through a natural approach.  Certainly our lovely hens helps us with this task!  PLEASE NOTE: WE DO NOT EAT OUR CHICKENS.  Once you name an animal it becomes a pet.  You can't eat a pet - at least *I* cannot!  So each of our birds has a name and is safe from the stewpot.

With three beautiful roosters in the house - no not literally in the house, but on the property you silly people - there is love in the air. 
"Jessie James" and "Billy Lane" are quite the wooing machines.  This means my poor hens are being courted rather rudely and aggressively.  Though feathers are missing on a few of the girls, my beautiful girls continue to present us with a large supply of eggs..  No boring white eggs, our gals lay beautiful brown eggs, glossy mahogany eggs, and delicate cream eggs with white speckles.  The flavor is beautiful and yolks are a cheerful sunshine color.  We currently keep 7 hens and three very impressive roosters. Anyone out there looking for a rather handsome Silver-lace Wyondotte rooster? He was Reserve to Best of Variety at his first show in October. I admit though he is turning into quite a jerk and probably deserves to be in a crockpot.

My dear hen "Floppy" wants to know why you insist on buying eggs full of hormones and antibiotics?  They taste so much better fresh from the farm. The city of Portland, OR allows for 3 hens per household - no roosters - but if keeping hens and protecting them from stray dogs and overeager cats and raccoons doesn't appeal to you why then just give us a call and a dozen fresh eggs from our cage-free, antibiotic-free, hormone-free hens will be waiting for you at the Homestead. If you are a Baker, then try a 6-pack of our duck eggs for an amazing difference in your baking.

The other "Billy Lane".   The other "Jessie James".

One of our pretty Wyndotte girls "Frosty" owned by Val Johnson DVM and adored and cared for by we humans at the Hedges Homestead. Frosty was Best of Variety at her first show in October!Congrats to owner Valorie!

A great thing about having the birds and pygmies around is that you are truly able to recycle.  No food goes wasted.  And then their waste, well it's composted and turned into the most amazing "organic material" used in our gardens!  Please contact us if you are interested in using our "organic material" for your home planting needs too.