by Jennifer Burcke Photos by author Three generations of my family call 1840 Farm home. While we sometimes have differing views on a variety of topics, this month we’re all in agreement when it comes to the excitement that is waiting right around the corner. In fact, the date April 30, 2012, is circled on […]

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 […]

by Jennifer Sartell Chicken eggs incubate for 21 days. To an anxious chicken addict, this can prove to be the hardest part of rearing chicks. Unfortunately, there’s not much we can do to rush Mother Nature, so I heed the lesson of patience and try to keep myself busy. Depending on the incubator you have, […]

by Jennifer Burcke In my last post, I shared the horror of finding two frozen and cracked eggs waiting for me in our coop on a frigid January morning. I removed their shells and placed them in a bowl in the hopes that they would defrost and be usable in a baking recipe. After they […]

by Kimberly Furry Photos by author It was another exciting day for us! Our chicken, Sunshine, has just started laying eggs! With the unusually warm weather, she started laying this week. We weren’t expecting her to lay until spring, since we opted against supplemental lighting to get her to lay during winter. I was able […]

by Jennifer Burcke Photos by author Eggs are a very precious commodity here at 1840 Farm. It has been almost a full year since our flock of heritage hens began laying eggs, yet the excitement of discovering an egg in the nest box hasn’t diminished at all. In fact, we still bring each egg into […]

by Margaret E. Kellogg Photos by author I’m sure that many of you have heard the various things children want for Christmas. But, have you ever heard a child tell Santa, “I want a chicken for Christmas?” Usually, it’s the latest hand-held game, doll, puppy or kitten, but not a chicken. I’m so happy that […]

by Jennifer Burcke Photos by author Autumn is here. I’ve been trying to ignore its arrival, but I can no longer pretend that summer will go on forever. The nights are cooler, the days are shorter. It’s time to face facts and admit that the progression of the seasons is marching on with or without […]

by Jennifer Sartell Photos by author We recently gave our chicken coop a flooring renovation. Our coop floor is constructed of 3/4″ plywood. When we originally built the coop I gave it a good two or three coatings of shellac, hoping that would protect the wood floor and act as somewhat of a barrier against […]