Dam Kids Ranch

Dam Kids Ranch Small urban family farm in Southern CA raising small humans, Silkies, heritage Delaware, and Bielefelder. Owners: Beacon and Rebecca Grayson
(1)

I read a tip years ago in an old livestock publication that has proven invaluable. Want to lower your commercial feed co...
04/23/2025

I read a tip years ago in an old livestock publication that has proven invaluable. Want to lower your commercial feed consumption and provide healthy self-renewing forage for your chickens and other livestock? Plant one (or three) Everbearing Mullberry trees! We plant them directly in their run, where they provide natural and consistent forage, with the added bonus if shade!

Mulberry leaves and fruits are packed with essential nutrients like protein, minerals (iron, calcium, potassium), and vitamins. And they're tasty! Everyone on the farm loves the leaves and berries, and the berries are an excellent tart little snack for humans, too.

Mulberry can enhance animal growth, milk production, and overall health, particularly when used as a supplement to conventional feeds.

Vitamins & Antioxidants: Rich in vitamin C, and vitamin K, and packed with antioxidants like anthocyanins, resveratrol, and quercetin, which help combat oxidative stress.

Protein: leaves are rich in protein, and mullberries provide more protein than most berries.

Other Nutrients: A source of iron, which is essential for red blood cell production. Also contains riboflavin and minerals like potassium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, and zinc.

Pictured: one of our Everbearing Mullberry trees with new berries.

This is the note that will go out in the morning to all of our email list subscribers regarding our price increase. We d...
04/17/2025

This is the note that will go out in the morning to all of our email list subscribers regarding our price increase. We do not take this lightly, and the minute we are able to lower them, we will. Thank you for all of your continued support.

(If you have not subscribed to receive emails, this is a good way to stay abreast of changes as this situation develops.)

04/16/2025

Y'all, please tell me what's happening. We have had not 1, not 2, but now THREE tailless Silkie chicks in the last year. Made a compilation video of all three. All 3 are completely unrelated - one we bred, the last two are from totally different breeders in different states. Two hatched here, one didn't. I have no idea if this is genetic or developmental (like cleft palate or crossbeak). A few breeders I've spoken with have seen this, but most haven't.

They have no tail whatsoever, their spine terminates before the Pygostyle bone. All 3 have thus far been seemingly healthy otherwise. Their vents seem smaller than usual, and are kind of pulled up higher on their bum. They don't extend as much when they p**p, thus a constant p**py butt. As far as I know, this would be lifelong.

#1 was paint from a s*x linked pen, was a boy, and was sent to rooster roundup at 14 weeks or so. He grew and lived normally, other than a gross behind.

#2 is 9 weeks old black, not our breeding, not hatched here, and is looking more like a pullet. If it is, I'll find her a special needs pet home.

#3 is 4 days old and hatched from shipped eggs.

I'm concerned that we have an emerging issue in Silkies with taillessness. Is anyone else seeing this? It's bizarre to have seen this 3 times, and never see anyone talk about it.

PRO TIP: 6mm letter beads fit on Zbands. We band our birds with a color for the pen they were hatched from plus the year...
04/15/2025

PRO TIP: 6mm letter beads fit on Zbands. We band our birds with a color for the pen they were hatched from plus the year. Girls usually stay in the pen they are bred from and cockbirds rotate (spiral/clan breeding). Birds from other breeders all get a black band plus a letter for their breeder.

This gives us an immediate visual reference on who is who, which cockbird they are out of, and how old they are. The bands are much easier to read than wing bands, and we've had fewer fall off. When the number color wears off, it's easy to refresh with a permanent marker and an alcohol wipe.

When they are tiny, they get a tiny colored leg band with a temporary number until they're old enough for their adult band. This way we can track chick down pattern all the way through adulthood on the colors where that matters.

04/13/2025

This morning our little chick with a bent leg at hatch seems to be improved. I'm not sure that it's a slipped tendon, as the hock isn't large and the chick is fully extending its leg and walking without pain. I kept it in a straight wrap and taped to a board for the first night, then wrapped for the next day. Took it off last night and put on typical splay leg hobble. Here it is today. Once back in with it's siblings I can no longer identify it, but will be keeping a close eye on this group!

Also, just look at the beautiful little lavenders! So thrilled with them.

An AMAZING hatch of lavenders! 10 of 14 shipped eggs from Mitchell Manor Silkies hatched, and that alone is incredible. ...
04/12/2025

An AMAZING hatch of lavenders! 10 of 14 shipped eggs from Mitchell Manor Silkies hatched, and that alone is incredible. 8 lovely little self-blue babies, our very first. One little chocolate and a black split, I'm in love!

04/11/2025

Ok folks, we have an interesting one. We have some long awaited lavender babies hatching, and one little guy has emerged with a leg that wants to twist outward. Everything seems properly formed and the leg does move back into a normal position, so I'm hoping some bracing will help move it to where it should be. For right now I have it wrapped to his body in the correct orientation so that it doesn't get worse as he tries to be-bop around while drying off (pic in comment).

Anyone successfully treat a developmental issue like this before?

04/10/2025

Our whole household got Covid. If you've been waiting for anything from me or haven't gotten a response, or your order is a few days late, that's why. We're doing OK so far. Kids haven't caught it yet, elderly mom is hanging in there and starts infusions in the day or two, and Rebecca ans I are starting to bounce back. I've been able to work through it but after caring for elders, kids, and animals we don't have much energy for anything else. We'll be back at it soon. 🧡💪

04/03/2025

EDITED TO ADD: I understand why folks are buying now. Also, we're going to be out of stock by end of day until our next order arrives. Just FYI some of these orders will be delayed a few days.

Fortiflock product prices will be heavily affected by tarrifs. I wish I didn't have to write this, but it's unavoidable.

​The United States has announced a new 34% tariff on Chinese imports, which, combined with existing duties, will raise the total tariff rate on Chinese goods to 54%. Chinese Skullcap is native to China, and root extract is manufactured for use in traditional Chinese medicine. China is the only place to get high quality root extract - there is no domestic source.

This means that our raw materials cost will go up by over 50%. We have worked hard to keep our prices at a slim profit margin, and lower than the other market products. There's simply no way for us to absorb this kind of increase in costs. Unfortunately this is going to be the case for all businesses who rely on imported materials, and small businesses especially.

We're not a big company in an office. We're a family on a small urban property with a 10x12 workshop in the backyard. We mix, package, and ship all of our products here, on our property. We don't make a lot of profit on this - the income goal is literally to have enough to buy the next batch of materials and maybe pay for some chicken feed.

We're going to do our best to keep the lights on and the doors open, and keep our prices as low as possible to make that happen.

😞
Beacon and Rebecca

We have farm fresh eggs!Quail Eggs $7/dozen with 4 dozen available Turkey Eggs (twice size of chicken egg with rich flav...
04/02/2025

We have farm fresh eggs!

Quail Eggs $7/dozen with 4 dozen available

Turkey Eggs (twice size of chicken egg with rich flavor) $6/6 with 6 eggs available

Small Eggs (3/4 the size of regular eggs) $5/dozen with 7 dozen available

Regular Eggs $7/dozen with 8 dozen available.

For size reference. First come first serve.

What did the farm truck bring home today? A Royal Palm turkey breeding pair! Welcome, Thomas and Pearl, you gorgeous kid...
03/30/2025

What did the farm truck bring home today? A Royal Palm turkey breeding pair! Welcome, Thomas and Pearl, you gorgeous kids!

Alaina Jacobson was pretty sure Rebecca and Thomas would fall in love immediately, and I don't mean to cause drama, but Thomas showed off for me and then bred both my feet, soooooo.... I think he chose me. Sorry not sorry!!

While her man was busy, Pearl checked out the digs and promptly *laid an egg.* 😳 First time I've ever watched an egg being laid, much less by a turkey! So I think they like it here.

They're absolutely stunning, and given the absolutely shameless response by Shadow and Patricia, our other two female turkeys, I think it's fair to say we'll have some turkey babies some time this spring...

03/28/2025

One of our barn cats, Bagel, is particularly attached to the chickens and turkeys and is constantly trying to play with them. He jumps into the nursery every time its open and rubs up on the chicks, who do not understand thusllis love language. Shadow the turkey is a solid "meh" on Bagel affection.

03/27/2025

I'm not sure there's much cuter than baby quail nestling under baby Silkies. 🥰 Hanging out here until their Hatching Time brooder arrives.

03/27/2025

First baby quail ever hatched here! Anyone know what you get when you cross a German Sparklie rooster with regular brown hens? I don't know anything about quail genetics (yet). We've got at least 2 colors here.

These 5 cutie patooties headed off to their new coop today! Shipping is SO stressful, but it's so fun to connect people ...
03/25/2025

These 5 cutie patooties headed off to their new coop today! Shipping is SO stressful, but it's so fun to connect people with their very own Dam Kids. 🧡

I'm getting more and more excited about this 5 month old boy. He's the only cockerel from eggs we hatched from Rustic Ro...
03/20/2025

I'm getting more and more excited about this 5 month old boy. He's the only cockerel from eggs we hatched from Rustic Roost Silkies, and look how pretty he's growing up to be! Pretty sure he's a dark mauve, test breeding will say for sure. The roundness of his cushion is *chef's kiss.* His skin is nice and dark, especially if he's mauve. His wings are pulling up nicely as he matures.

You never know what you'll get from hatching eggs, and with only one cockerel to pick from there's no guarantees they'll be a keeper. I'm just thrilled to see this boy maturing so nicely. He's earned a spot!

A huge thank you to Rose Blossom Silkies for these 3 girls. Thank you so much for trusting us with them. They are bringi...
03/20/2025

A huge thank you to Rose Blossom Silkies for these 3 girls. Thank you so much for trusting us with them. They are bringing great things to our brand new exhibition Chocolate pen, and I'm THRILLED to have this quality of a foundation! We've got one more coming and I can't wait to meet her!

03/19/2025

Who do we know who breeds dogs? We're looking for a reputable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breeder. Can anyone start a connection or point us in the right direction? Because.....

Address

El Cajon, CA
92020

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Dam Kids Ranch posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Dam Kids Ranch:

Shortcuts

Share

Category