Ember Farms

Ember Farms Welcome to Ember Farms! We are a retired military and family owned small farm and homestead.

02/19/2026

I would like to try an experiment out of my own curiousity, but in the name of science, here goes. This page has 14 followers right now, and I'm not sure how or why FB does what it does, but I can only see a random few. What I do see is people from different places and different walks of life, and I wonder how in the world you landed on this page out of millions of others? You are a fabulous bunch and I am grateful for you taking the time to be here. I have a page I follow that has a kajillion followers that I have thought of reaching out to just to talk to them about what goes on behind the scenes, but with a kajillion followers, I may just be another letter, another number in a crowd. So it hit me to be the flip side of that and lucky me, 14 people is a lot easier to keep up with to start. So I want to hear about you. I love hearing people's stories. That is not just lip service. I will start in the comments, and please, let me know what you follow this page for and I will answer anything.

We would like to say a special thank you to Mr. Jonathan Jones, Mr. Chad Wardrup, and the unknown benefactor/benefactres...
02/19/2026

We would like to say a special thank you to Mr. Jonathan Jones, Mr. Chad Wardrup, and the unknown benefactor/benefactress that gave us these three dozen beautiful White Jersey Giant, Blue Astralorp, Black Astralorp, and Light Brahma hatching eggs! I'm excited to see what comes from them and we hope that you have immense luck with your Bobwhite Quail mini-army!

02/09/2026

Rabbit Manure
Rabbit p**p, often called "garden gold," is an excellent, nutrient-rich organic fertilizer and soil conditioner that, unlike other manures, can be used fresh without burning plants. It is highly valued for being high in nitrogen and phosphorus, which promote strong, healthy plant growth and increased, high-quality yields in gardens. Nutrient-Rich Fertilizer: Rabbit manure typically boasts a (2%1%1%) ((N-P-K)) ratio, making it TWICE AS RICH IN NUTRIENTS AS CHICKEN MANURE AND FOUR TIMES MORE POTENT THAN COW OR HORSE MANURE."Cold" Manure: It does NOT need to be composted, as it will NOT burn plants' roots, and it can be DIRECTLY applied to gardens or used as a top dressing.Soil Amendment: Rabbit manure is exceptional for improving soil structure, enhancing aeration, promoting moisture retention, and fostering beneficial soil microorganisms.Use in Gardening: It can be used as a top dressing for flowers and shrubs, added to potting soil for houseplants, or used to make "manure tea" (water infused with manure).Worm Food: It is an excellent food source for composting worms. Due to its odor-free nature and high nutrient content, it is considered one of the best, most convenient organic fertilizers for home gardeners.

My son and 18 chicks! Chicks are negotiable.....
02/08/2026

My son and 18 chicks! Chicks are negotiable.....

We had 17 eggs hatch in the past couple days! Only two were Rhode Island Red, and two more have beautiful red Aguila fac...
02/06/2026

We had 17 eggs hatch in the past couple days! Only two were Rhode Island Red, and two more have beautiful red Aguila faces, but all are doing well and in the brooder this morning!

Ember Farms has our first incubated Aguila chicks!! We started with what has turned into a happy oops of receiving a roo...
02/04/2026

Ember Farms has our first incubated Aguila chicks!! We started with what has turned into a happy oops of receiving a rooster with our hen order as one of 5 Rhode Island Reds and 10 Black Jersey Giants and today the one the kids incidentally named first, "Nugget" has become a father! This is our first attempt at incubating eggs, and it's only 7:30 in the morning, we have a few more that have pipped out of this small batch, fingers crossed!

A desktop is just not big enough to balance books on most days. While I am fairly fluent with the computer, setting up a...
01/31/2026

A desktop is just not big enough to balance books on most days. While I am fairly fluent with the computer, setting up a system is sometimes easier to do in pencil (with a good eraser). Eventually, I may expand my bookkeeping enterprise from the bed to a receipt scanner and linked Excel document.....Uh oh, watch out now! I am open to recommendations!

01/29/2026

I got a question this morning from a customer that disposed of a dozen eggs due to the water sink test. The egg water test determines freshness by placing eggs in a bowl of water: fresh eggs sink and lay flat, while older eggs stand upright or float due to an enlarged air pocket. FLOATING EGGS ARE NOT NECESSARILY ROTTEN but are LIKELY aged, while sinking eggs are fresh. ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE. Some eggs that are newly hatched can float due to density variations and larger air pockets.
Eggshells are porous, allowing air to enter over time. As an egg ages, the small air pocket inside expands, increasing its buoyancy, which is why this test has become a household rule. However, to avoid destroying perfectly good eggs, always check by cracking them in a separate bowl and follow the additional tests below:

The Sniff Test: If an egg floats but you are unsure, crack it open. A spoiled egg will have a strong, sulfury smell.

The Shake Test: Fresh eggs do not make sound, while older eggs may produce a sloshing sound.

Older eggs will also have a weak yolk membrane causing them to be more disc-like than domed in appearance.

I hope you enjoyed today's Gee whiz info! If it makes me stop and question it, I will be sure to pass it on!

Although we do have a heated and lit barn, cold like this still requires prep work for us. Our barn is an uninsulated me...
01/24/2026

Although we do have a heated and lit barn, cold like this still requires prep work for us. Our barn is an uninsulated metal stall building that was pretty creatively added onto with 2x12 slat boards and corrugated pvc, metal mesh and 2x4 framing. Despite the great start that just having a barn gave us, it has been a lot of work to add predator protection, working catches, removing partitions, installing electric, supporting warped boards, adding mesh, rainproofing, etc. With this being our first winter with animals in the barn, and the first real freeze, we have added packing blankets around the lower outside of the barn, leaving the top for proper ventilation. These are temporary, but will definitely be an idea for making custom fitted insulation for the future. Our barn is consistently holding 20 degrees above the outside temperatures. Seeing temps holding inside and every healthy face in the barn this morning is a real blessing, worth the ongoing work.

01/15/2026

Egg allergies! Wow. Come to find out there are many different potential types of allergen proteins in each kind of egg (chicken, duck, quail, goose, etc.) that produce a reaction in people, not just one! Some of those specific proteins can be cooked out and some can't be. Some exist in some kinds of eggs but not others, and sadly, you don't know which one effects you unless you see your doctor or an allergist!! This is why there is so little plain English information about what eggs to eat if you have a sensitivity except "AVOID ALL EGGS". Yes, this is good advice for people that may suffer anaphalaxis, undoubtedly. Please don't try something that could cause death. But I think knowing what exactly is the problem might just open a few doors that you may have thought were permanently shut, or finding out why that padlock should be there may help. So this is what I found:
Major Egg Allergens
Ovomucoid (Gal d 1): The most potent allergen, highly resistant to heat and digestion, making it a persistent risk even in baked goods.
Ovalbumin (Gal d 2): The most abundant protein but easily broken down by heat, so some allergic individuals can tolerate baked eggs.
Ovotransferrin (Gal d 3): Another significant egg white protein, often heat-labile.
Lysozyme (Gal d 4): A common egg white allergen.
Egg Yolk Allergens: Alpha-livetin (Gal d 5) and YGP42 (Gal d 6) are found in the yolk, though less commonly implicated than egg white proteins.
Key Points
Egg White is Primary: Most allergic reactions stem from proteins in the egg white, not the yolk.
Heat Stability Varies: Ovomucoid's heat stability is why some people react to cooked eggs, while ovalbumin's heat sensitivity allows tolerance to baked egg products for others.
Cross-Reactivity: Allergies to chicken eggs can sometimes extend to other poultry eggs (duck, turkey, quail) due to protein similarities.

Our Black Jersey Giant and Rhode Island Red chickens as well as our Khaki Campbell Ducks eat Thomas Moore's 16% protein ...
01/12/2026

Our Black Jersey Giant and Rhode Island Red chickens as well as our Khaki Campbell Ducks eat Thomas Moore's 16% protein layer crumble. For over 150 years, Thomas Moore's family has farmed the banks of the Brazos River, raising five generations of Texans that have worked the land raising cotton, corn and cattle with a commitment to achieve the highest levels of quality, now turning that quality into feed for central Texas. The balanced nutrition and fortified calcium in this feed keeps my flock's silky, shiny, locks and strong shelled, great tasting eggs that are still going, being produced here in mid-January. My chickens cheat foods ( I mean treat foods) are boonworms/mealworms, pancake gourds, bugs, and fresh veggies. My Ducks prefer halved grapes.

Good nutrition is a part of any animal's make up. "You are what you eat" when it comes to any meat animal. My meat rabbi...
01/12/2026

Good nutrition is a part of any animal's make up. "You are what you eat" when it comes to any meat animal. My meat rabbits eat a main diet of Petrus Elite 50/50 rabbit pellets which is a 16 1/2% crude protein value. This feed has all the essential vitamins for a rabbit plus pre and pro-biotics for a healthy digestive system. The Petrus feed comes from Alexandra, LA and is owned by the Petrus family who have been in the feed business for over 85 years. They have raised rabbits ARBA certified for some forty years, thus they have first hand knowledge of the nutrition and top conditioning for rabbits. I also believe that every animal should be offered a happy life and my rabbits have treats of black sunflower seeds, washed garden greens, alfalfa, Timothy Hay, and other fresh fruits and vegetables.

Address

5605 Farm To Market Road 21
Mount Vernon, TX
75457

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 6pm
Sunday 9am - 6pm

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