Issue No. 1 · October 2026
Welcome to the very first Dragan Homestead newsletter. This one is mostly a hello.
I’m Krystal. We raise olive egger chickens and Muscovy ducks just outside Cambridge, Minnesota, grow a big garden, and bake bread most mornings. Every so often, when there’s something worth saying, I’ll share what’s going on here: what’s available, what we’re learning the hard way, and what’s coming out of the kitchen. If you’d like the next one in your inbox, the signup is at the bottom of this page.
If your hens slowed down, you’re not imagining it
Hens lay best with around 14 hours of daylight, and up here we lose daylight fast in October. Add the fall molt on top of that, when they drop their old feathers and pour all their protein into growing new ones, and the egg basket gets light in a hurry.
It’s normal, and they aren’t broken. A little extra protein during molt helps them feather back in, and laying picks back up as the days get longer.
Four things we do to get the coop ready for winter
- Ventilation before heat. Damp air causes frostbite more than cold air does. Keep the vents up high open, even in January.
- Water that won’t freeze. A heated waterer or heated base saves you from chipping ice out twice a day.
- Deep litter. Instead of cleaning all the way out, keep adding fresh pine shavings on top. It breaks down slowly and keeps the floor warmer.
- Skip the heat lamp. They’re a real fire risk in a coop full of dry bedding. Healthy, fully feathered birds handle the cold fine when they’re dry and out of the wind.
From the kitchen
Garden Herb Sourdough Focaccia
My first focaccia ever, made with basil and oregano I grew and dried myself. Mix it Saturday, bake it Sunday.
Makes: one 9×13 pan · Time: about 1 hour hands-on over two days
You’ll need
- 500 g bread flour (about 4 cups)
- 400 g warm water (about 1 2/3 cups)
- 100 g active sourdough starter (about 1/2 cup)
- 10 g salt (about 1 3/4 tsp fine salt)
- 7 tbsp olive oil, divided: 2 for the dough, 3 for the pan, 2 for the herb oil
Herb oil and topping
- 2 tbsp olive oil (from above)
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Coarse sea salt for the top
Day 1
- Mix the flour, water and starter until there is no dry flour left. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
- Add the salt and 2 tbsp olive oil and squeeze them through the dough with your hands.
- Do four sets of stretch and folds, 30 minutes apart. The dough is supposed to be wet and sticky, so wet your hands instead of adding flour.
- Let it rise until puffy and about 50% bigger, 4 to 6 hours.
- Pour 3 tbsp olive oil into a 9×13 pan, add the dough, and turn it once to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Day 2
- Leave the pan on the counter 2 to 3 hours, until the dough is puffy, jiggles when you shake the pan, and has spread into the corners. If it hasn’t, give it more time.
- Heat the oven to 425°F.
- Stir the herb oil together and spoon it over the dough. Press oiled fingers all the way to the bottom of the pan to dimple it. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until golden on top and crisp underneath.
- Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then move it to a rack.
Tip: Be generous with the oil in the pan. It’s what fries the bottom crisp and golden.
Every recipe we share on Dragan Homestead is nut-free.
Surprise nest! One of the girls decided the nest boxes weren’t good enough and started her own stash somewhere she definitely shouldn’t have. Found it this week. Hens keep you humble.
Got a question about your own flock? Send it our way. A good question might turn into a future issue (no names unless you say it’s okay).
Krystal
Dragan Homestead
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