This breed profile is proudly brought to you by The Livestock Conservancy! In 1934, white eggs brought premium prices at market because it was believed that white eggs had a finer, more delicate flavor. At that time most of America’s eggs were produced on small farms all across the country, and small farmers preferred dual-purpose […]

This Breed Profile is proudly brought to you by The Livestock Conservancy! The Crèvecoeur chicken is one of the oldest of the standard-bred fowls of France. The breed gets its name from Crève-Coeur en Ange, a small town in Normandy, France. The breed’s name translates as “broken heart” as in the romantic sense. Little is […]

We’ve raised French Black Copper Marans for about 10 years. It started with my husband Zach, who was on a quest for dark brown egg layers. We had heard of the Kuckoo Marans, a breed who is also known for dark eggs, but not quite as dark as the French Black Copper. After a month-long […]

Franny and Karissa are are sharing their love for the Plymouth Barred Rock! These birds are a hearty healthy breed that are also great parents and easy to tame! Find out more about Barred Rocks and other heritage breeds @ https://goo.gl/QV4zMA For more fomestead videos and good advice visit The MOTHER EARTH NEWS and Friends […]

CAMPINE CHICKEN This Breed Profile is proudly brought to you by The Livestock Conservancy! The Campine is an age old Flemish breed of poultry.  How old? Julius Caesar is also said to have taken Campine chickens home with him after he had completed a spell of looting in Belgium. Campine chickens are non-sitting fowl that […]

Story and photos by Krislee Johnson There is nothing more frustrating than being in the midst of caring for your first flock and hearing terms that make absolutely no sense.  Much like traveling to a foreign country, chicken people speak an entirely different language.  You could simply smile and act like you understood the conversation […]

by Jennifer Sartell of Iron Oak Farm I always look forward to Fair time. The poultry barn will be  filled with interesting breeds of chickens. Beautiful specimens of Silver Laced Wyandottes, Crested Polish and Rhode Island Reds to name a few. The breeds on display boast near perfect plumage, wonderful body type, clean smooth legs…everything […]

By Meredith Chilson Right around Independence Day, I start thinking about my own roots. It’s a good time for vacationing near historic sights, exploring heritage, delving into the mysteries of fore-fathers (and mothers). I thought you might be interested, as am I, in the history of the domestic chicken. When researching my genealogical roots, I […]

by Jennifer Burcke It has been nearly three years since we first welcomed chickens into our lives.  The daily task of tending to our flock and collecting fresh eggs are such an integral part of our daily lives that it is difficult to imagine a time before we were chicken keepers.  It’s also hard to […]

By Meredith Chilson For years, I thought there were only two breeds of chicken.  White Leghorns—which laid white eggs and pecked your hands hard enough to draw blood, and Rhode Island Reds –which laid brown eggs and were so affectionate they would sit right down in front of you when you wanted to pet them. […]