by Jennifer Sartell Photos by author When I received the photos of Dickie Bird Farm, it was the rural ambiance that attracted me to this entry. The rich monotone browns of the barn wood and the sunlight through the chinks in the boards gives it an almost candlelit glow. Our barn is like this, and […]

Jennifer Sartell Photos by author   A couple of years ago we went to The Grandpa Tiny’s Chicken Show. It’s a spectacular display of beautiful and rare poultry. The finest of the finest in our mid-Michigan area. At the show, I remember passing a cage among the junior entries with a Silkie in it. This […]

Jennifer Sartell Photos by author Disclaimer: This post is filled with cliché puns, and terrible jokes that certainly need no drum roll introduction, but will most certainly have you rolling your eyes. Consider yourself warned. Whenever I think of proverbs, the film So Dear to My Heart comes to mind. It’s an old Disney classic […]

by Jennifer Sartell Photos by author My husband Zach and I recently took a weekend trip down to Ohio to visit the Lehman’s store which is nestled in heart of the largest Amish settlement in the United States. I’m sure many of you are familiar with Lehman’s merchandise and catalog, but if you ever get […]

by Jennifer Sartell Photos by author Diana made this adorable sign which hangs above the door! This month I’d like to take you to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to visit Diana Fendley’s beautiful chicken coop! I must admit, I am a rustic at heart, and when I look through the chicken coop photos that readers submit, I […]

by Jennifer Sartell Photos by author My husband, Zach, and I love to watch old horror films. Our favorites are the black-and-white versions from the 1950s, where there’s always some sort of nuclear mishap, and as a result, insects have grown to the size of small cars … or lizards … or, worst of all, […]

by Jennifer Sartell Chickens by themselves, they are a relatively inexpensive addition to any backyard. You can pick up a handful of chicks at your feed store for under $10. Feed and bedding for a small flock can be as little as $20 a month. Chickens are also pretty easy to care for. Daily maintenance, […]

by Jennifer Sartell Photos by author We gather a lot of eggs around here. We have 42 hens, and on a good day, it’s not out of the question to collect 42 eggs, but for the most part, our daily average is around 26. This number changes depending on many factors, including the number of […]

by Jennifer Sartell Photos by author One of my favorite types of articles to read in magazines like Grit, Mother Earth News or here on Community Chickens are posts about different styles of chicken coops. It’s fascinating to see how each family takes a different approach to housing their animals. Whether it’s a collection of […]

by Jennifer Sartell Photos by author It was a difficult decision to decide to raise our own heritage turkeys. These nine little poults are the first animals that we’ve raised with the sole purpose of harvesting for meat. And while I’m not a vegetarian, I’m still having some emotional issues bridging the gap between cute […]