Windy Bluff Farm

The Hot and Humid Perfect Storm Many chicken resources claim that coccidiosis is strictly a disease for baby chicks. However, humid summer environment advisories frequently trigger severe outbreaks in older birds—including both pullets and young cockerels over 16 weeks of age. All chickens naturally carry a low, baseline amount of the coccidia parasite within their systems without showing signs of illness. The illness triggers when the parasite begins to rapidly reproduce both inside and outside of the bird. The perfect environment for this explosion requires warm, humid, oxygen-rich, and wet conditions. The absolute optimum temperature range for the shed oocysts to rapidly multiply and accumulate in the environment is between 77°F and 86°F. Middle Tennessee summers fit this description perfectly, creating a high-humidity environment where the parasite population can quickly boil over once favorable conditions hit the ground. Where the Threat Hides in the Yard While hot sunlight can na...

If you have ever searched for how to tell if an egg is still fresh, the internet will almost always give you the same quick kitchen hack: the egg float test . The rules seem incredibly simple—drop your eggs into a bowl of water, and if they sink, they are fresh. If they float to the top, you should throw them away. It sounds like foolproof kitchen wisdom, right? But looking at the actual poultry science, the egg float test is completely flawed—especially when it comes to pasture-raised heritage eggs. To prove it, look at this recent test right from our kitchen: P roof from the kitchen: The three eggs on the left are over a month and a half old and sitting flat at the bottom. The egg on the right is almost brand new and floating. Both are perfectly fresh and safe! If the classic water test is supposed to be accurate, why did our oldest eggs sink while our newest egg floated? Let’s look at the underlying poultry science, egg anatomy, and agricultural research. 1. Heritage Breeds vs. Prod...