Egg Production Returning–Animal Corner with Charles

Each spring our fowl and waterfowl return to “full egg production” after taking a hiatus in autumn and winter. During spring and summer, chickens and ducks under 2 years old will typically lay an egg every other day!

Days grow to just under 15 hours of daylight in Baltimore by the Summer Solstice. During days with 12+ hours of daylight the hens and female ducks lay at mass production.

As the days grow shorter, the chickens and ducks begin to “take a break” with their laying slowing down until they eventually take a 30-60 day hiatus. The temperature also affects the laying cycle of chickens and ducks.

You may ask, “Well, what do I do during autumn and winter to get eggs?”

Some folks put a light in the coop during autumn and winter. This can increase egg production. Furthermore, there are breeds of chicken and duck that are better “winter layers” and are more prone to lay during the darker and colder periods of the year.

Fun Fact: Filbert Street Garden produces close to 3800 chicken and duck eggs each year!

Class Series with Enoch Pratt Free Library

This coming May-July, we’re looking forward to teaching in-person classes at the garden on a variety of gardening, agriculture, and animal topics, sponsored by Enoch Pratt Free Library. All classes are free and open to the public. Registration is open now: grab your spots! The series kicks of on May 6 with Urban Veggie Gardening 101!

New Team Members at Filbert Street Garden!

Master Gardener Steward, Brittany Coverdale

I’m Brittany Coverdale, the Master Gardener Coordinator at Filbert! I’m passionate about how farming can be a powerful vessel for racial  and environmental justice. My background is a hybrid of youth advocacy/development and agricultural education, and I’m excited to bridge those worlds at the Garden. I enjoy camping, mycology, tending to my fish tanks, and eating Ekiben in my free time. Come down to Filbert Street and say hello!

Hey there! My name is Shira Goodman and I’m the new Internal Relations Coordinator at Filbert Street Garden. I am originally from Ohio, but I’ve been residing in Baltimore City since 2010. Before coming to Filbert, I ran the Pigtown Community Garden for 3+ seasons. When I’m not gardening, you can likely find me out hiking with my boyfriend Benairen, playing with my senior dog Max, thrift shopping or socializing with friends. Looking forward to meeting all of our volunteers and dedicated gardeners, and making 2023 the best season yet for Filbert Street Garden!

Internal Relations Coordinator, Shira Goodman