By Harvey Ussery and Mother Earth News editorial staff  From time to time, you may want to add some birds to your flock. I suggest that you not introduce the newest “superhybrids” to your backyard flock just because that is what is on hand at the local farm store. Select one of the reliable older breeds, […]

by Jennifer Burcke Photos by author Last Wednesday, the first day of summer officially arrived at 1840 Farm. In New England, bidding a final farewell to the previous winter and the mud season that follows is an annual tradition. I normally feel the need to celebrate the arrival of the heat. Without the hot summer […]

by Jennifer Burcke Photos by author   I don’t know who originally coined the phrase “Necessity is the Mother of Invention.”  While I’m unsure of its origin or inspiration, I am willing to make a bold statement about its application.  I believe firmly that Necessity must have been a chicken keeper. I pride myself on […]

by Christine Heinrichs and Don Schrider — Photographed by Lynn M. Stone Buckeyes Buckeyes, from the “Buckeye State” of Ohio, are one of the most-endangered American breeds ofchicken. Nettie Metcalf of Warren, Ohio, developed the breed while seeking a cold-tolerant and active fowl that could withstand the cold Ohio winters. Lustrous red Buckeyes are very […]

by Jennifer Burcke Photos by author I’m not sure where the last month has gone. It seems like I blinked and it was over. As I sit here writing this post, I can hardly believe that our latest batch of baby chicks aren’t really babies anymore. It’s true. While they are only five-weeks old, they […]

by Jennifer Burcke Photos by author One of the most difficult decisions involved in the chicken keeping experience is also one of the first to be made. Choosing which breed of chickens to live in your coop is a daunting task. In my last post, I wrote about selecting the best breed for your backyard […]

by Jennifer Burcke Photos by author Asking questions, gathering information, and educating yourself are all important parts of the chicken keeping experience. At the onset of your chicken keeping experiment, there seem to be more questions than answers. Should we use a stationary chicken coop or a mobile chicken tractor? Do we want to keep […]

by Rebecca Nickols Photos by author This week I added three new little chicks to the flock! These new pullets will not only add more color to my flock, but they’ll give me a colorful egg basket also! Fortunately, my town has a local hatchery (Estes Hatchery) where I can purchase and pick up my […]

by Jennifer Burcke Photos by author I had big plans for this post. I spent hours researching and preparing for this story just in time for Easter weekend. In fact, I even enlisted the help of my children. They donned their aprons and spent a few hours in the kitchen assisting me. We eagerly awaited […]

by Jennifer Burcke Photos by author So much can change in a year. At first glance, 365 days can seem like such a long journey. Yet somehow, when I look back on the last year, I can’t believe how quickly it passed and how much changed as the calendar pages fell by the wayside. One […]