by Jennifer Burcke Bantams are the Rodney Dangerfield of the chicken world.  They get no respect.  People see them as fancy little creatures, not as an animal that has a place on the farm.  Trust me, I know from firsthand experience.   I used to see them the same way. From the first moment that […]

by Jennifer Burcke Bantams are the Rodney Dangerfield of the chicken world.  They get no respect.  People see them as fancy little creatures, not as an animal that has a place on the farm.  Trust me, I know from firsthand experience.   I used to see them the same way. From the first moment that […]

by Jennifer BurckeOver the last two years, I have shared my family’s journey to become chicken keepers with the readers here at Community Chickens.  It has been an incredibly rewarding experience during an exciting time in my adult life.  In two short years, my family has experienced everything from the arrival of our first batch […]

Jennifer Burcke Photos by author Chicken coops are like snowflakes:  no two are exactly alike.  They come in every imaginable size, shape, and color.  If you don’t believe me, visit the Coops and DIY Pinterest board for Community Chickens.  There are over 230 coop and coop related pins there and the number seems to grow […]

by Jennifer Burcke Photos by author Brooding a batch of chicks is akin to bringing home a newborn child. No matter how many books you have read or people you have talked to, the best experience you gather will come firsthand. Caring for a tiny living being that counts their lifetime in hours or days […]

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 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 Jennifer Burcke Photos by author The welcome sign is always out on the coop at 1840 Farm. It usually welcomes guests to our farm. This week, it will be welcoming our new batch of day-old chicks. The big day has finally arrived! Today is the hatching day for our new chicks. We’ve been waiting for this […]