The Olive Egg

The Olive Egg The Olive Egg ethically and thoughtfully breeds Ameraucanas, Marans, Olive Eggers, Mosaics, and other fun crosses in Boulder County, CO. NPIP -221

Locals - anyone looking for near laying pullets?
03/06/2023

Locals - anyone looking for near laying pullets?

I’ve been getting lots of messages from folks wondering if I’ll be shipping hatching eggs this spring, and I’m actually ...
01/26/2023

I’ve been getting lots of messages from folks wondering if I’ll be shipping hatching eggs this spring, and I’m actually going to take a shipping break this year. I do hope to have my breeding programs up and running again by next spring, but only time will tell. I can’t rush the rebuild after the bear massacre, and I’ve been reallllly enjoying focusing on producing food for my community… I may never go back to shipping eggs, if I’m being honest. I’ve expressed this before, but shipped hatching eggs so often end in disappointment after rough handling in the mail, and I’d much rather see those eggs get eaten or hatched myself than end up wasting resources to ship them only for them to end up in the garbage (or compost at best). Shifting my focus to serving my local community has been such a natural transition, one that feels more aligned with who I am and what I want to be doing with my life. Don’t get me wrong, I love sharing my genetics with friends across the country and it’s been an honor to add to your flocks, and I’m so grateful to each and every one of you who’s supported me thus far. But I’m only one person and I have to chose where to delegate my time wisely. Feeding people is my thing. I feed people and it feeds my spirit; seems like a pretty good trade-off.
Having said all that, I *will* be offering chicks locally this spring though! If you’re local and have already reached out, rest assured you’re on my list. If you’re local and haven’t reached out, please do and we can work something out! I’m so grateful for all the well wishes and kindness during this time of transition and growth for The Olive Egg. I love this chicken community immensely. 🥰

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Just wanted to pop in and say hi to all the new followers of our page! Sorry for the long period of inactivity. At some ...
01/23/2023

Just wanted to pop in and say hi to all the new followers of our page! Sorry for the long period of inactivity. At some point my Instagram switched to sharing posts on my personal page instead of here, and I didn’t notice since I’m not on Facebook much. I’ll be sharing some of those posts here today to catch you all up!

Thanks for your continued support as we navigate lots of change and growth!💚

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I just restocked hatching eggs on the site for the final time before the summer heat really sets in. So if you’ve been c...
06/17/2022

I just restocked hatching eggs on the site for the final time before the summer heat really sets in. So if you’ve been contemplating grabbing eggs, now is the time to do so! Any eggs ordered now will be shipped in the next month, most likely by the first week of July. Head on over to TheOliveEgg.com to order.

*Remember, shipped hatching eggs are a gamble. I do my best to send fertilized eggs, package them as securely as humanly possible, and check weather before sending, but sometimes that isn’t enough to compensate for usps’s rough handling.*

Cute little F1 Olive Egger pullet from an early spring hatch.💙 ...
06/12/2022

Cute little F1 Olive Egger pullet from an early spring hatch.💙

Can anyone guess what I cooked with these greens (fenugreek, mustard, & spinach)?🥬 ...
06/08/2022

Can anyone guess what I cooked with these greens (fenugreek, mustard, & spinach)?🥬

I love her muffs & beard so much.🥹😍💙
06/06/2022

I love her muffs & beard so much.🥹😍💙

A sweet, fluffy Howie face.💕This goofball is 2 years old! I spent some time holding him & petting his beard today, while...
06/06/2022

A sweet, fluffy Howie face.💕This goofball is 2 years old! I spent some time holding him & petting his beard today, while telling him how pretty he is (even with his sun bleached feathers). He always clucks proudly when I talk to him. He’s one of the roosters that works their way into your heart with their big personality & gentle nature. Good roosters are unforgettable. I hope to hatch out a nice blue son of his this year, so I currently have him over a black hen and am collecting her eggs for myself.💙

Eeek, my peas are flowering, which means soon we will be devouring delicious fresh peas!! I planted 100ft of peas around...
06/04/2022

Eeek, my peas are flowering, which means soon we will be devouring delicious fresh peas!! I planted 100ft of peas around the perimeter of our main garden bed, as well as another 20ft or so in a raised bed. They are one of my favorite things to grow for a number of reasons; I love that they fix nitrogen thanks to rhizobia, a bacteria, that forms a symbiotic relationship with the nodules on the pea’s roots (this is true of all legumes). The rhizobia utilize carbohydrates from the plant and in return, chemically convert atmospheric nitrogen gas found in the soil to nitrogen the peas can use. Not only does this benefit the peas, it also benefits the following crop. As the nodules decompose, they add even more usable nitrogen to the soil. Rhizobia is naturally found in the soil, but often not in the quantity needed to properly fix nitrogen. Inoculating your pea, bean, and legume seeds with purchased rhizobia is the best way to ensure your plants and soil will get maximum benefits!
Aside from being ridiculously delicious, another thing I love about peas is how well they freeze. Frozen peas are a staple I like to have year round, and thanks to their upward, vining growth, it’s possible to grow a lot of peas in a small space! I’m growing 4 varieties this year: Super Sugar Snap, Little Marvel, Lillian Caseload, & Kelvedon Wonder. Peas are, for the most part, self-pollinating, which means I’ll be able to save seeds despite growing numerous varieties. What’s your favorite pea variety? Are your peas flowering yet? (Zone 5b here). Let’s talk peas!

Ferdinand 🖤
06/02/2022

Ferdinand 🖤

Ameraucana chicks are quite possibly the cutest thing ever imo.💙 ...
05/23/2022

Ameraucana chicks are quite possibly the cutest thing ever imo.💙

Part 5Aside from gardening as much as possible, and planting new fruit trees, I’m devoting quite a bit of my time to the...
05/22/2022

Part 5
Aside from gardening as much as possible, and planting new fruit trees, I’m devoting quite a bit of my time to the rabbits. These little creatures have completely captured my heart, and so have the benefits of keeping them. Rabbits are an awesome addition to any homestead. Their manure can be added straight to the garden without prior composting (😱🤩). It’s a game changer; tiny little nuggets of slow release nutrients for your plants. They contain roughly 2% Nitrogen, 1% phosphorus and 1% potassium plus minerals, micronutrients, and trace elements (calcium, magnesium, boron, zinc, manganese, copper, cobalt and sulfur). Not only are they extremely beneficial to the garden, rabbits can provide sustenance in the form of meat. Oh, and did I mention they eat waaaaay less grain than chickens? In fact, they can thrive without any grains in their diet. In a survival situation, I could feed rabbits indefinitely…I can’t say the same about my chickens. That unnerves me. If I was unable to purchase grains, I would be left scrambling to figure out what to feed my flock of 75+. One of our local feed stores closed their doors last week, which left me feeling vulnerable. I already have to try multiple places to find the feed I need sometimes. This spring I’m growing alfalfa, oats, buckwheat, field peas, and black oil sunflower seeds. Probably enough to feed a flock of 10 or so at most. To an extent, chickens are little dinosaurs that could live off bugs, greens and scraps for quite some time, but it wouldn’t be optimal. They’d have to forage, & our land couldn’t sustain the size of my current flock without the addition of grain to their diet. Who else thinks about this? What would you feed your flock if you couldn’t find layer pellets or chick starter to purchase?
These questions always lead me back to the need for balance, and respecting the land you’re stewarding. Observe, reflect, adjust, repeat.

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Niwot, CO
80503

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