My grandmother, born in October 1928, grew up on her grandparent’s farm in Craigsville, West Virginia.  Her childhood began alongside The Great Depression.  As one of the middle children, she had many responsibilities around the farm.  Some of her earliest memories are of the animals on the farm, especially the chickens. My grandmother has loved […]

After being without eggs for almost eight months, due to the petering of eggs from an old flock, followed by their demise, and waiting for the Jennies (Novogens) to lay, the Jennies seemed like wonder hens to me. We had eggs again! Baskets of big, beautiful, jumbo brown eggs.  My excitement and gratitude led me […]

Roosters Make Great Dads! Franny believes that a rooster’s job description consists of more than alarm clock or egg fertilizer! Find out why keeping a rooster with your flock is so important!   For more farmstead videos and good advice visit The MOTHER EARTH NEWS and Friends Youtube. Visit Franny’s Farm at www.FrannysFarm.com

By Jennifer Sartell (This post is not sponsored. The product interested me so I decided to share it with our readers.) A local reader recently got a hold of me and asked if I was interested in taking a rooster off her hands. She lives in a downtown village setting and the law for her […]

The Molt is coming. by Jennifer Sartell   In fact for some of you, it might already be here. August is just around the corner and we’re already seeing signs of the seasonal molt in our flock. Molt is a healthy, seasonal process for chickens. It usually happens in their second year around late summer […]

Jennifer Sartell Story and photos The social understanding within a flock is a complicated issue. Chickens are social creatures who thrive in group settings. Pecking order is how your flock establishes hierarchy. It might seem brutal to us as chicken keepers who only want peace and harmony for our chickens, but pecking order is a […]

By Jennifer Burcke Last month, I shared with you that several of the hens at 1840 Farm were deep into a broody period.  Many of you were having the same experience.  You shared your broody stories on my post and on the Community Chickens Facebook page. Many more of you shared advice for dealing with […]

by Shannon Cole of Country Girl In The Village Spring was in full force here in Michigan and one of my Blue Laced Red Wyandotte hens had gone super broody. My flock is a small backyard flock that does not have a rooster. I have had hens in the past go broody, but were quick to break of […]

by Jennifer Sartell of Iron Oak Farm It was a proud moment for me a few weeks back. I, actually had to talk Zach out of buying chicks! I’m not sure if we’ve come full circle, each turning in opposite directions…not that Zach was ever really opposed to keeping chickens, but I can’t recall him […]

by Liz Hessen of For the Love of Chicken Poop We took on our flock of backyard chickens for humane reasons. We knew ours would be well cared for and in return give us healthy eggs. Because all the researching, reading, asking, talking and looking, starts way before you get chicks (or should) it has […]