The chicken, of all the farm animals, has made our lives pretty easy as far as egg collection is concerned. Simply provide them a box, and they will deposit a neatly packaged protein source available for easy retrieval. It’s like a mailbox for breakfast. But being that the nesting box is what holds our “food […]

As winter draws to a close, some folks are busy drooling over mail order chick catalogs trying to determine which breeds they would like to get this year.  Some are just starting out and others are trying to narrow down their must-have breeds. Chicken math is in full swing and if you are like me, […]

Using the deep litter method in the chicken coop is natural, economical, and healthy.  It is a common practice used today by many chicken keepers, usually during the cold Winter months.  However, it actually got its start during World War II as a means of saving labor and litter.  And, it generally occurred over six […]

A home-grown turkey for Christmas dinner was part of our vision when we started on the turkey raising journey. I was so excited to raise two turkeys – one for Thanksgiving dinner and one for Christmas dinner.  It all seemed nostalgic to me.  I envisioned a male and female, happily living at LL Farm.  In […]

(Congratulations to Laura Williamson, the winner of the Sarah Rosedahl books, Illustrated Chicken Breeds A to Z, and the Coloring Book Companion.) When I wrap Christmas presents, I like the wrapping to say something about the interests of the person. My husband Zach is an outdoor-sy man so I often wrap his presents in simple […]

When adding pullets (or grown hens) to an existing flock, care must be given. Have you heard the term pecking order?  The term, even used with humans, derives from hens.  Chickens physically peck at other chickens, showing dominance and ranking order.  Even a mild-tempered chicken can peck at a new one coming into her territory. […]

….they were dogs. …or possibly cats. …or even, perhaps, a boy. If you’ve followed my blog, you’ll know that my friend and I raise turkeys. They come to us as day old poults, and usually leave in time to be nicely dressed for Thanksgiving dinner. We treat these turkeys like we treat most of our […]

I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Andrea Martin Ph.D. and her wonderful Black Thistle Farm located in Massachusetts. Dr. Martin has dedicated her life to working with poultry as a behaviorist as well as running a chicken rescue. She is a terrific resource for many local and international chicken keepers. Recently […]

Chickens, like all things in nature, are a part of the ever changing seasons. Their bodies react and prepare for the next coming stage in life, the next spell of weather and climate. Below are three timelines; The Seasonal Timeline The Housekeeping Timeline The Anatomical Timeline These are approximate predictions to help the chicken keeper […]

Are you thinking (dreaming) of having your own flock of chickens? Do you know someone who has been poring over hatchery catalogs; spending long minutes following chicken websites; sending you all sort of ideas for chicken coops; talking about Orpingtons, Wyandottes, Sex-Link, and Sussex? My friend Jenny has developed the perfect gift, for you or […]