When it comes to poultry genetics, few traits are as visually striking—or as reliably predictable—as the Blue/Black/Splash (BBS) color system. Whether in chickens or Swedish ducks, this genetic mechanism operates with clear, easy-to-follow inheritance, giving breeders a straightforward way to anticipate color outcomes with every hatch. Unlike some genetic traits that lurk unseen, requiring pedigreeContinue reading “Blue, Black, and Splash: How a Single Gene Shapes Poultry Plumage”
Author Archives: Traci Houston
Farm Table Talk: Why the Status Quo Is Never the Answer
Every major breakthrough—every shift in thinking, every revolution, every actual solution to a deeply embedded problem—has never come from the status quo. It has always come from minority voices. From the unpopular opinions, the fringe perspectives, the people who dared to say, “Hey, maybe we shouldn’t just accept this as normal.” And yet, somehow, modernContinue reading “Farm Table Talk: Why the Status Quo Is Never the Answer”
Breeding for Disease Resistance in Poultry: Strengthening Flocks Through Selective Selection
For poultry breeders, disease management is one of the biggest challenges in maintaining a healthy flock. While vaccination, biosecurity, and treatment protocols play key roles in disease prevention, breeding for disease resistance offers a long-term solution that strengthens birds at the genetic level. Instead of relying solely on external defenses, resistant breeding creates flocks thatContinue reading “Breeding for Disease Resistance in Poultry: Strengthening Flocks Through Selective Selection”
Farm Table Talk: Blind Trust Will Get You Killed
The government says it’s safe, so you don’t have to question it.The school curriculum is fine, so no need to dig deeper.The food is regulated, so it must be healthy.The healthcare system is trustworthy, so you’re in good hands. Good grief. Do some research. Blind Trust Is a Dangerous Game Let’s be clear—when a systemContinue reading “Farm Table Talk: Blind Trust Will Get You Killed”
If You Give a Homesteader a Fruit Tree
If you give a homesteader a fruit tree, they’re going to want to plant it right away. Once they plant it, they’ll imagine bushels of fresh fruit for pies and preserves. Dreaming of preserves will remind them they need to get their canning jars ready. While gathering jars, they’ll realize they’re running low on lids.Continue reading “If You Give a Homesteader a Fruit Tree”
National Day of the Cowboy: Preserving the Legacy of the American West
The National Day of the Cowboy (NDOC) movement is a grassroots initiative to preserve and celebrate the cowboy culture and heritage in the United States. The movement was launched to recognize the significant contributions of cowboys, cowgirls, and ranchers to American history, culture, and the economy. It seeks to ensure that the legacy of theContinue reading “National Day of the Cowboy: Preserving the Legacy of the American West”
Farm Table Talk: The Freedom to Do Everything—Except Feed Yourself
You have freedom in the bathroom.You have freedom in the bedroom.You have freedom in the womb. But when it comes to your kitchen—suddenly, your personal autonomy disappears. Let’s talk about why the ability to control what you grow, eat, and buy is one of the most regulated, restricted, and manipulated aspects of modern life—while, somehow,Continue reading “Farm Table Talk: The Freedom to Do Everything—Except Feed Yourself”
Canning Beef Stew: The Ultimate Ready-to-Eat Meal in a Jar
Home-canning isn’t just about preserving ingredients—it’s about preparing entire meals that are shelf-stable, nutritious, and ready to serve in minutes. Few things are more satisfying than opening a jar of rich, home-cooked beef stew, heating it up, and enjoying comfort food without the prep work. With the raw pack method, this process becomes efficient andContinue reading “Canning Beef Stew: The Ultimate Ready-to-Eat Meal in a Jar”
Farm Table Talk: The Manhattan Project for Compost
If there’s one thing modern agriculture gets painfully wrong, it’s waste management. Every year, millions of tons of food scraps, organic matter, and potential soil gold end up rotting in landfills instead of being returned to the earth where they belong. And honestly? It’s embarrassing. We have the knowledge, the technology, and the systems toContinue reading “Farm Table Talk: The Manhattan Project for Compost”
En/en: The Jackpot Gene in Rabbit Coat Patterns
If you’ve ever felt lost in the complexities of rabbit genetics, rest assured—there’s one gene that refuses to play mind games: the En/en gene, responsible for broken patterns in rabbits. Unlike many genetic traits where recessive carriers lurk unseen, making prediction trickier than solving a Rubik’s Cube blindfolded, the En/en gene doesn’t hide. It announcesContinue reading “En/en: The Jackpot Gene in Rabbit Coat Patterns”
