by Meredith Chilson Once upon a time there was a man who loved his granddaughters…  Rich lives in Live Oak, Florida and has two enterprising granddaughters.  About five years ago, when the girls were only 7 and 5 years old, they told their grandfather their dreams: one little girl had plans to go to Harvard, […]

by Rachel Hurd Anger My husband and I have always been a dog-free family, until I began thinking of adopting a running buddy. The dog seed germinated randomly like my chicken seed did. It was first an idea that became a regular thought, and then an undeniable obsession. The desire for Woman’s Best Friend further […]

by Melissa Caughey of Tilly’s Nest Have you ever attended a poultry show? Chickens too have their very own shows and they are great fun to attend. They happen all over the country and vary on scale. This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the Northeastern Poultry Congress. This is the largest annual […]

by Heather Nicholson of Scratch Cradle Late January to mid-February is the ideal time to set-up breeding pens for spring hatching.  Hens sometimes require a few weeks to warm up to a new rooster, and they can store rooster’s genetic material for up to a month.  To be sure that you are setting eggs from […]

by Shannon Cole of Country Girl In The Village I first became interested in backyard chickens almost four years ago. Two friends of mine were starting flocks and I could not resist the excitement that came with getting that first set of day old chicks. My requirements in getting backyard chickens were a little different […]

By Meredith ChilsonThis is the time of year that hatchery catalogs arrive, and just like the seed and garden catalogs that also clog our mailboxes, these “wish books” become well-thumbed, with corners turned down and photos circled.  At least, that’s the way it is at my house.  I pore over the glossy pages, dreaming of […]

by Jennifer Sartell The seed catalogs are filtering in. Like beacons of color in the monotone winter world. I feel like Dorothy in black and white Kansas, getting Technicolor post cards from Oz. “Wish you were here! ~ signed, Mayor of Munchkin City.” And while I can’t “heel-click” my way to spring, it is nice […]

by Heather Nicholson of Scratch Cradle This time of year, many of us in the Northern Hemisphere are looking ahead towards spring.  Along with the colorful seed catalogs, hatchery catalogs are arriving, and we browse exotic breeds, dreaming of the season ahead.  This is the perfect time of year to set-up breeding pens with your […]

by Melissa Caughey–Tilly’s Nest At some point in every chicken keeper’s life, they plan a vacation. Whether it is only overnight or a few days, often the dilemma as to who will watch the flock arises. Of course, it is important to find the perfect person so that your vacation can be relaxing and you […]

by Jennifer Sartell Being a chicken keeper for almost half my life has left me with a a rather interesting variety of poultry knowledge. Terms like wattle, spur and comb fly off the tongue as easily as head, shoulders, knees and toes. While a lot of raising turkeys is similar to raising chickens, turkeys are […]