Farm fresh from Bradford, Vermont  ·  Pasture-raised, non-GMO fed  ·  Pre-Order 2026 Meat Birds →

The Homestead Journal

Straight, practical guides on hatching eggs, incubation, backyard chickens, meat birds, and quail — from our family homestead in Bradford, Vermont.

How to Incubate Chicken Eggs: A Beginner's Guide

Learn to incubate chicken eggs at home: incubator setup, temperature, humidity, turning, candling, lockdown, and the full 21-day hatch timeline.

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How to Candle Eggs During Incubation: Day by Day

A practical, honest guide to candling eggs during incubation - what to look for on day 7, day 14, and how to spot clears, quitters, and blood rings.

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Shipped Hatching Eggs: How to Hatch Them Well

An honest homestead guide to handling shipped hatching eggs: resting air cells, storage, setting tips, and realistic hatch-rate expectations.

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What Is an Olive Egger? Colorful Egg Genetics

Learn what an olive egger is, how blue and brown eggshell genetics combine to make green and olive eggs, and how to build a rainbow egg basket.

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Freedom Rangers vs Cornish Cross: Which Meat Bird?

An honest, side-by-side comparison of Freedom Ranger and Cornish Cross meat chickens to help homesteaders pick the right bird for their setup.

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Raising Coturnix Quail: A Beginner's Guide

Learn to raise Coturnix quail for eggs and meat: housing, feed, incubation, and why they're the fastest, quietest bird for beginners.

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Real Farm. Real Animals.

We're a small homestead in Bradford, Vermont raising heritage cross chickens and Coturnix quail. Everything we sell comes directly from our farm — no middlemen, no drop-shipped mystery boxes.

Freedom Rangers raised on pasture with non-GMO feed. No antibiotics, no hormones. Processed on-farm under Vermont's 1,000-bird exemption.

Rhode Island Red rooster at Raptor Ridge Homestead, Bradford Vermont
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Non-GMO Fed, Pasture Raised
Freedom Rangers raised on Vermont pasture with non-GMO feed. Slow-grown 9–11 weeks for real flavor.
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Processed On-Farm
Hand-processed, shrink wrapped, and frozen within hours. No commercial facilities, no mystery.
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Bradford, Vermont
Connecticut River Valley. Hatching eggs ship nationwide. Meat birds — local delivery.
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