Found 274 hits.

Teacher’s Page – FAQ

...a nesting box. Classrooms that do a hatching program usually give the chicks away before they feather out and become adults. The HenCam is a way to introduce mature chickens to the students. Fun craft projects and other things Make a chicken mask. Glue on feathers. Make a yellow chicken crown. Glue on cutouts of eggs, chicks. Add feathers. Do the chicken dance. Here is the dance on The Lawrence Welk Show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UV3kRV46Zs Make a chicken “purse” from a plate. http://www.freepreschoolcrafts.com/easter-chick-purse-from-paper-plate/ Use a plastic cup to make a chicken clucker. http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/chicken_cup.php I welcome your ideas! Please email me at terry@terrygolson.com...

The Spa Treatment – FAQ – Health and Behavior

...to contract to move things along, and perhaps they’ve weakened. Sometimes an egg forms incorrectly, and the resulting mass is hard to expel. The Spa Treatment will move things along. What I call The Spa Treatment is simply a nice long soak in an Auto Amazon Links: No products found. http_request_failed: A valid URL was not provided. URL: https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?SearchIndex=All&multipageStart=0&multipageCount=20&Operation=GetResults&Keywords=B004N7DQHA&InstanceId=0&TemplateId=MobileSearchResults&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US Cache: AAL_565c3296e0a9c94de74c2a24469230ec bath, a dose of olive oil, and TLC. Epsom salt is a combination of magnesium and sulfate. You can find it in the pharmacy, as it’s used by people as a laxative and as a foot soak. For such...

Chick Care – FAQ – Health and Behavior

...this with the help of small rocks that the chicken swallows. Even if your hens free-range, it’s unlikely that they can find just the right pebbles for their gizzard. Certainly chicks, in a cleanly bedded brooder, don’t have access to what their gizzards need to function properly. That’s why they need you to provide grit. You can buy a bag of grit at the feed store or online. Basically, it’s ground up granite. Auto Amazon Links: No products found. http_request_failed: A valid URL was not provided. URL: https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?SearchIndex=All&multipageStart=0&multipageCount=20&Operation=GetResults&Keywords=B007571S0M&InstanceId=0&TemplateId=MobileSearchResults&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US Cache: AAL_56bf607b41321c986bdba1337d9e9711 is finer than chicken grit. It might seem crazy to...

Little Barn Coop Plans – FAQ – Housing

I have two barns in my backyard. The “Big Barn” is the barn with the Dutch doors that you can see from the HenCam camera (and you can see the inside of it from the BarnCam and GoatCam). It’s a lovely post and beam structure, bought as a kit, and put together by the manufacturer, Country Carpenters. Instead of the standard wood floor, I had a concrete slab installed. The other barn is a small shed. Ours was custom-built, but it is similar to the prefab buildings for sale at home centers. What makes this coop so charming are the...

Treating Respiratory Diseases in Chickens – FAQ – Health and Behavior

When a respiratory disease shows up in a flock, it hits hard and fast. Within days of one hen showing symptoms, many of your other chickens will, too. There are a variety of respiratory ailments caused by numerous bacteria and viruses, but the tell-tale signs are similar for all of them. Eyes bubble with mucus, or blink shut with exhaustion, chickens struggle to breathe, and they hunch up, listless. and weak. Left untreated, many of your chickens will die. It’s no wonder that farmers who make their living from their animals cull at the first hint of illness. No one...

Hot Weather Care for Chickens – FAQ – Housing

...coop in a shady spot, put a shade awning up. I also put up a Auto Amazon Links: No products found. http_request_failed: A valid URL was not provided. URL: https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?SearchIndex=All&multipageStart=0&multipageCount=20&Operation=GetResults&Keywords=B00GOU6TXW&InstanceId=0&TemplateId=MobileSearchResults&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US Cache: AAL_98b655f91446c3779812094f1e2bbe64 over a portion of the run.   Provide an area with dry, loose dirt where the hens can take dust baths. They’ll wallow down until they reach cool soil.   Your coop should be well-ventilated. A cupola that pulls hot air up and out can cool the building down by 15 degrees. If your coop didn’t come with one, you can buy a Auto Amazon Links: No products...

Gail Damerow Visits The HenCam (and a giveaway!) – HenBlog – Thursday, March 15, 2012

...can see the other stops here: 2-Mar For the Love of Chickens http://fortheloveofchickensblog.blogspot.com/ 3-Mar Vintage Garden Gal http://www.vintagegardengal.com/ 4-Mar The Garden Roof Coop http://www.thegardenroofcoop.com/ 5-Mar Common Weeder http://www.commonweeder.com/ 6-Mar Chickens in the Road http://chickensintheroad.com/ 7-Mar Garden Rant http://www.gardenrant.com/my_weblog/ 8-Mar Fresh Eggs Daily http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/ 9-Mar My Pet Chicken Blog http://blog.mypetchicken.com/ 10-Mar Coop Thoughts http://www.thegardencoop.com/blog/ 11-Mar BoHo Farm and Home http://www.bohofarmandhome.com/ 12-Mar Happy Chickens Lay Healthy Eggs http://happychickenslayhealthyeggs.blogspot.com/ 13-Mar A Charlotte Garden http://acharlottegarden.blogspot.com/ 14-Mar Farm Fresh Fun http://farmfreshfun.blogspot.com 15-Mar The HenCam http://www.hencam.com/henblog/ 16-Mar Life on a Southern Farm http://georgiafarmwoman.blogspot.com/ 17-Mar A Dozen Girls, the Chicken Chick http://eggcartonlabels.blogspot.com/ 18-Mar North Coast Gardening http://www.northcoastgardening.com/...

Soap Giveaway! – The Vintage Hen – Thursday, July 19, 2012

...some of the cutest babies ever. It’s a good thing that there are not any for sale. I want one. Or two. What Sarah at Cudzoo Farm does have for sale are soaps, made from fresh milk from those very same beautiful goats in the photos on her web site. She very nicely sent me a bar of Dirty Pig Soap for my own personal use. Sarah says there was no hidden message in that selection. She also sent me three bars to giveaway to one very lucky winner. Her soaps are as pretty as her does! (Even the pig...

Clearing out the Pantry – HenBlog – Monday, June 16, 2008

I eat locally in season, but I also believe in imports. It’s silly not to use cinnamon, drink orange juice and coffee, and buy sea salt. Trade routes have existed for millennia. Then again, it also doesn’t make sense to eat mealy peaches from Chile, or buy feedlot beef when I can get the best meat from a farmer a few miles up the road. Most of my meals are made from scratch, but they are simple. Some veggies, a bit of protein, a nice grain. My pantry is stocked with staples like canned beans and pasta. My freezer has...

Where to Buy Chickens – HenBlog – Monday, November 12, 2007

...after the roosters have been named and part of the family for a month or so. Chicks are fun, and a large hatchery order is, too, but there are other options for where to go to get a flock started. The place to go to buy a hen or two is a poultry show. Many gorgeous breeds will be on display. You can talk to a breeder to find out what’s right for you. There’s usually a sale area. Go early. Individual pullets sell quickly. Or, you can arrange with a breeder to buy a hen from his or her...

A New Blog – HenBlog – Monday, May 2, 2016

...that title changed the course of my career. I was told that I had to have a website to promote book sales. At the time most authors put up a basic site that didn’t include much more than a book description and an author head shot. I considered that. It would have been easy to do. But years before this, Steve had a crazy idea. Let’s put a live-streaming cam in the coop, he said. Broadcast it to the world. What? This was before Eagle Cam, before weather cams, before there were any cams at all except for a handful...

Fun Holiday Shopping – HenBlog – Friday, November 19, 2010

...easy to buy for. Donna Amen Terry! Well said! Can I just say that the holidays, I DO NOT look forward to? I hate the mall and the stores where everything is the same. Buying something for someone who doesn't need a thing just for the sake of buying? I don't get it. I finally put on the "suit" and told the entire family we don't need "stuff"..if I need "stuff" I will buy it myself! They listened..we don't do "gifts"..just have a nice dinner and relax. I do get my daughters a couple "things" as they are girls and...

Truth in Blogging – HenBlog – Wednesday, December 24, 2008

...and yes, I’ve had coffee at Starbucks. In the summer I buy at a farmers’ market, but in the same week I’ll end up at a Stop and Shop Supermarket, the Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s. I love Indie bookstores, and as a writer I am ever-grateful to their love of books, their ability to sell the obscure author and the personality they bring to towns. But, I also buy books at Barnes & Noble (my teenager loves their superb magazine selection), and I buy off Amazon and Abebooks.com. Obviously, there are a zillion choices out there. I try to...

New Barn – HenBlog – Wednesday, December 6, 2006

There’s been a lot of activity just outside the chicken yard. The vegetable garden and fence came down and a four-foot deep, 12 x 20 foot hole has been dug. I’m getting a new barn! At first I considered buying a 200 year old granary. You can buy such things from salvage companies. But it seemed like a lot of trouble and expense. And I’m on a schedule – I need the barn for a photo shoot in March for a new project. Then I found what seemed to be the perfect solution. Country Carpenters makes timberframe barns. The building...

Alfalfa For Hens – HenBlog – Monday, January 7, 2013

...but knew that most grain stores would have it. The first feedstore that I went to had bales of it for sale that weighed 125 pounds each and were the size of small sofas. I didn’t buy one. But, Erikson Grain had a more manageable bag. The alfalfa looked coarse, but a close inspection showed much dried green leafy matter. I shook the hay over the ground in the outside run. The hens, who had been clucking loudly at me, all went quiet and immediately set to eating. Even Agatha (she’s the Speckled Sussex on the far right) stopped being...

Anniversary Giveaway! – HenBlog – Tuesday, May 3, 2011

...librarian, Karen, for telling me about you! Jessica I am a nanny and found your book in the library with the children I take care of. We all loved the book so much we checked out your website about a year and half ago. I also have chickens and soon to be more chicks I have gotten lots of great info for around the backyard farm! Your site puts a smile on my face and its fun to see kids learning about animals and nature! Seems like the simple things in life are being forgotten! Thanks for your site and...

Pumpkin Season – The Vintage Hen – Thursday, October 16, 2014

...  Some pumpkins require a moving company to carry to your home.   Every year, I buy pumpkins for the hens. This year, I bought one for the goats. It was an experiment. You never know with goats. They are very fussy eaters. (Yes! Their reputation for eating anything is far from the truth.)   It turns out that the goat boys love the rind, but not the innards. Which is great, because it’s the gloppy stuff that the chickens like the most. I’ll be tossing this pumpkin in with the chickens tomorrow, and buying a new pumpkin for the...

Happy Anniversary! – HenBlog – Friday, May 1, 2009

Exactly three years ago, I started this blog. But, before that, I already had my web sites up. The main reason that I got on the web because of my Farmstead Egg Cookbook. I hoped that having a web site devoted to the book would help it to sell and stay in print. It’s a little book, easy to miss spine-out on the shelf of a bookstore; I’d hoped that a web site would give it more presence. It’s a gem of a book – my editor, Elizabeth Beier, and her staff at St. Martin’s went all out with three-color...

Emerging Personalities – HenBlog – Monday, May 13, 2013

...Cuckoo Maran. I might keep a Leghorn, too. Five will go to the nursing home – the Buff Orp, a Black Star, a Delaware, an Ameracauna and a the Cuckoo Maran. The rest are for sale. The chicks will be ready to go to their new homes in two weeks. I have 13 started pullets for sale (plus Mr. Grumpy, the Andalusian rooster. He’s free to a good home.) For sale are: 1 Blue Andalusian, 2 Dominiques, 3 Black Stars, 1 Buff Orpington, 2 Delawares, 4 Leghorns and 1 Ameracauna. Five chick minimum per buyer. $20 per bird. I prefer...

Poultry Show Common Sense – The Vintage Hen – Monday, January 13, 2014

...look at, a huge raffle to enter, and booths to peruse. I’ll be there! Look for me to the side of the hall, where I’ll have copies of my books for sale. Special for the Poultry Congress, I’ll have my books of vintage photographs on sale for Half Off at $10 each. (Saturday only, and only at the show.) I’m going to bring a couple of extra chairs so that you can stop by and chat for awhile. Let me know if you’re coming. I hope to see you there! If you are coming to this, or any poultry show,...

New Camera – HenBlog – Thursday, February 27, 2014

...it pay. Maintaining the site, with the live-streaming cams, costs about $300 a month. The cams themselves cost $500 each and need replacing every two years. It is challenging doing what I do and not have it be a drain on my family’s finances. The site does not pay for itself. The ads on HenCam bring in very little (a click pays about 10¢.) Associated products, like the calendar, bring in even less (I think that I made $30 this year on that project!) If you start your Amazon shopping by clicking through my website, I make a small cut....

Fashion Tips For Animal Owners – HenBlog – Wednesday, November 18, 2009

...less. Maybe that works if you don’t get dirty. Impossible here. I also read a recommendation that you take clothes to the dry cleaners less frequently. Huh? When my clothes need washing, it’s obvious! You can’t exactly brush off muddy hoof marks. With that in mind, here is the next rule: #2: Only buy clothes that you can throw in the washing machine. Avoid buying items that need dry cleaning, or each time you wear them (and that wearing might last only 10 minutes) you will hear the cash register go ka-ching! $5.00 please! I bought a cozy, silky, beautiful...

Whose Eggs Are They, Anyway? – HenBlog – Wednesday, March 7, 2007

...also the folks who think that positive, enriching dog training is abuse and that all zoos are evil. I know that there’s nothing that I can say that will convince them otherwise. What’s scary is how powerful PETA and other groups are. Keep an eye out for their hidden (and not-so-hidden) agendas. Buy products from farmers who respect the covenant between domestic animal and owner (I buy local, grassfed beef). Encourage small-scale domestic farm animal keeping. The more people have backyard hens and “get” this relationship, the better off we will all be. (I’ll stop ranting now. Thanks for reading.)...

What To Feed Chicks – HenBlog – Thursday, March 28, 2013

...a boxful of chicks arrive at the post office, and no food for them. Buy a bag, and a galvanized can to store it in. Label it! Another difference is that chick feed is finely ground into “crumbles” chick feed crumbles laying hen pellets (You can buy adult chicken feed as crumbles. Some people with bantams use it. However, chickens toss feed on the ground and the crumbles turn to dust and becomes inedible. Pellets are less wasteful. Chicks need the smaller size of the crumbles, adults don’t.) Some feed stores sell only one type of chick feed while others...

Thanks, IT Guy! – HenBlog – Thursday, July 23, 2015

...There was no how-to manual. Steve had to figure out how to get it up and running. It wasn’t just a matter of buying cameras and plugging them in. You needed servers and hosts, and there was software to write. In addition to that, I couldn’t have the cams and use an off-the-shelf website. We had to have it custom designed for the cams. It was challenging! It remains challenging. The technology improves. The quality of the video has improved – as have people’s expectations. What we do here at HenCam is both time-consuming and expensive. IT Guy has written...

Book Giveaway! – HenBlog – Friday, February 15, 2013

...hens hatch some eggs for me this spring/summer.I'm partial to Barred Rocks. shirley taylor i always share this site on facebook Cindi Bajkowski I am the planning to get 3-4 chicks this sring, I have never raised them before so I'm doing my research. Your website and the chicken keeping website have provided a lot of info. This book would also be helpful! Have a great day! Kaye We don't plan on adding any little ones this year, but IF I could add some, I think I'd like to have some Dominiques, they are so pretty and good layers of...

Barn Boots – HenBlog – Sunday, October 16, 2011

I’m hard on boots. I keep a pair of slip-on rubber boots by the back door. I like waterproof boots which keep my feet dry through dew, rain, snow and mud. I like boots that are almost knee-high so that I can stand in the pond and pull weeds. I like boots sturdy enough to stomp on electric fence posts, and not rip when a goat stands on my foot. I also like to buy my boots on sale because I know from experience that in no time at all they’ll look like this: Those charming pink boots were bought...

Collecting Egg Cups – HenBlog – Thursday, January 5, 2012

...I am a new fan of your blog (first hens will arrive in April!). We live in Canada near Algonquin Provincial Park and so have built an insulated coop. I wonder if your friend Wendy has a pattern for that little hen egg cozy. I would love to knit one. Miriam Hello Terry, I am a new fan of your blog - learn so much and enjoy the flock. We live in Canada near Algonquin provincial Park and so have built an isulated coop. We expect to have our first chicks in April. I'm wondering if your friend, Wendy, has...

Egg Holders – HenBlog – Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Tillie Lays an Egg gave me an excuse to buy more vintage chicken items than anyone should ever collect. Most of the items came from ebay. I’d never have been able to accumulate all of the board games seen in the bedroom tableau, or many of the other props used in the book, without that on-line marketplace. But, I also go to flea markets where I find things that I don’t even know I’m looking for. Last week was Brimfield, one of the biggest and best flea markets in the country. It’s exhausting, but the miles that I walk up...

An Improved HenCam – HenBlog – Saturday, July 13, 2013

...did cover the costs of this site, even as HenCam became my full-time job. It became time to treat what I do here as my “real” work, which is why I have GoogleAds in the margins. The “coffee” money goes a long way to enable me to do what I do here (and some really does go to my coffee habit.) Thank you to everyone who has already contributed to this site! I love what I do, and I love sharing the animals in my backyard with you. Now you’ll be able to experience more as I do. What fun!...

Signs Of Spring – HenBlog – Friday, April 19, 2013

Spring is (finally) here. The Red Buckeye is in bud. Red Buckeye Scilla are in bloom in the front woodland. The reason that there aren’t more of these flowers is obvious. The first asparagus spear of the season has emerged. Yesterday I planted the cool season vegetables: lettuce, kale, peas, and carrots. I’m going to buy a packet of radish seeds today. Chicks are feathering out in the brooder. Blue Andalusian Chick The egg basket is full. Although it’s missing a few eggs. TWO Buff Orpingtons are broody. (Topaz and Beryl are for sale. $15 for the two. If you...

What’s For Dinner – HenBlog – Thursday, October 14, 2010

There’s going to be a cold, torrential rain tonight and it will continue well into tomorrow. There’s a few nice-looking green tomatoes left on the vine, but there’s no chance they’ll ripen, and they’ll probably be inedible by Saturday. I don’t have the time or interest to make green tomato chutney (though am happy to buy the efforts of others at farmers markets!) Still, I hate to see the tomatoes go to waste. So, this afternoon I decided to make this: I pulled a package of short ribs out of the freezer. These came from a a farm near Troy,...

1916 Eggs – HenBlog – Thursday, January 6, 2011

...than 'find the positive' but it's a good start. Now where did I find it? KathyG Here ya go: http://www.factoryfarmmap.org/ Terry Golson Kathy- much thanks for this link. Click around the site as much as I can, though, I can't figure out where they get their info from. Great graphics, passionate site, but I'd like to see a link that cites sources. Terry Golson Oh, now I found it, under "methodology." Sara Terry, tell you girls that I bought my eggs today from Vital Farms, who earned 5 eggs on the cornucopia site. Expensive as all get out, but you...

Poultry Banner Giveaway! – HenBlog – Wednesday, October 24, 2012

...flags with the guinea hen too! I think I will pick the latter! So hard to choose! And I LOVE the prayer that goes with it...says it all! Kit I also shared on facebook...I so enjoy visiting your site and this is such an added bonus. The chicken banner that you show is GREAT!! You bring such joy to your website and I hope you know how appreciated you are. Good luck to all who enter and blessings to the winner. I'm ordering a banner for my sister today because they are so awesome: thanks for the link and the...

Table Runner Give Away! – HenBlog – Saturday, March 26, 2011

...recommendation she had ever heard, ha ha. Hillary Wilson I published it on my face book page love the site grew up raising chickens.I check this site on a daily bases. Michele Porter I have shared on Facebook!! Renee Haqkina Your hens have become a great hit with several of my friends. I have emailed your web site to every person I know who is a farmer at heart and a couple that actual do it for a living! Trashmaster46 Oo - please sign me up too! Lori Schultz I have you on my FB. I love your site and...

What Do You Want at HenCam? – HenBlog – Tuesday, January 10, 2012

...advice is always good but other than that its realy the best blog i have ever read i love everything about it:) Sharon O. I would love a tutorial on blowing eggs--Tools you use and rinsing techniques and how to sterilize/treat the insides etc. I am looking forward to your updated website. La'Nelle Love your site as it is! I only keep up with three blogs and yours is one. It's always nice to know, that of the three, you are the most diligent about posting something every day, so I always read yours first. I often make notes on...

Chicken Frostbite and Wind – HenBlog – Wednesday, January 14, 2015

...well-insulated that the air inside became damp; this was in northern Canada, where it is really, really cold. In that case adding vents to reduce the humidity inside of the barn, and installing a radiant heater (the safest type for a coop, as it doesn’t have coils that can spark a fire) solved the problem. Another coop was further south, but the combination of no ventilation and not enough mucking out of manure caused the problem. That was solved with management, not a heater. I recently heard from a reader with a perfectly designed coop which is dry and clean....

Tote Bag Winner – The Vintage Hen – Friday, July 13, 2012

...me a photo of the quilt when it’s finished! Even if you didn’t win, you can still have a chicken feed tote bag. There are bags on etsy.com. I even saw bags for sale at the Brimfield Flea Market! Totes at Brimfield Flea Market I sometimes have bags for sale. I’ll be at the Carlisle Farmers Market on and off this summer with the bags and other things. (Tomorrow I’ll have canning jar vases brimming with hydrangea flowers.) If you can sew a straight line, you can make a tote yourself. The pattern that I use is one that I...

Chocolate Souffle Cake – HenBlog – Thursday, October 22, 2009

What to bring to a casual dessert and wine gathering of chicken-keeping neighbors? A cake that requires 9 eggs (well, I used 8 because the Golden Comets are laying jumbos.) I made Chanterelle’s Chocolate Souffle Cake from Luscious Chocolate Desserts by Lori Longbottom. There are only 4 ingredients: bittersweet chocolate, unsalted butter, eggs, and sugar. Quality of ingredients matters. I like baking with Trader Joe’s 72% Bittersweet Belgian Chocolate. Whenever good butter (that is, organic, or the European-style) is on sale, I buy pounds and freeze. Yes, the flavor of butter comes through. Don’t scrimp! The other thing that matters...

Pimp My Bookcart – HenBlog – Wednesday, November 25, 2009

For all of my librarians out there, here is a link to one of my favorite contests of all time: http://www.unshelved.com/PimpMyBookcart/2009/ Next year, don’t you think there should be a Tillie cart? I’ll help!...

Eating Eggs is Good For You – HenBlog – Monday, March 31, 2008

The main reason that people give up eating eggs is the fear of raising blood cholesterol levels which increases the risk of heart disease. I’ve been saying this for a long time – the research is out there – that there is no link between eating eggs and heart disease. Recently, the Harvard School of Public Health conducted a research study of 10,000 individuals which found no link between egg consumption and developing heart disease in adults. The study showed that eating an average of one egg per day has little effect on total blood cholesterol levels and doesn’t increase...

I've Got an Etsy Store!and other fun things for you – HenBlog – Monday, March 10, 2008

Etsy is a sell site for crafters – each seller gets their own “store” on Etsy. It’s one of my favorite web sites. Not only is it fun to peruse (great user interface!) but since everything listed is made by the sellers, the individuality and creativity of each craftsperson/artist comes through. I apologize in advance if you lose work productivity today because you get entranced and can’t leave. I opened an Etsy store of my own to sell pinbacks and magnets. There will be more chicken-themed items up soon. But, if you know any knitters, I’ve got some lovely magnets...

From Backyard to Kitchen – The Vintage Hen – Monday, October 7, 2013

On Saturday, October 19, I will be doing a program as part of the Concord Festival of Authors. The event that I’m in will take place at Verrill Farm. It’s a gem of a farmstand, so if you’re thinking about taking a drive out into the country to leaf peek and pumpkin buy, do make it a destination. Come on the 19th, and stay for the program. It’s free, it’s open the public, and I hope to see you there! Our panel of three writers is titled, From Your Backyard to Kitchen. The two other authors will be talking about...

Treats and Toys – HenBlog – Wednesday, January 17, 2007

...cabbage or savoy. I bought a head there anyway. I spend a huge amount on American beefhide rawhide flips for my dog, Lily (she goes through several a day – doggy prozac for my crazy puppy). I also buy Lily supposedly indestructible toys which she shreds, sometimes in minutes, or, with luck, a few days. I also make tug toys for her (not hard to do, just braid strips of polartec and sew in a squeaky toy). All of this is to say that I spend a heck of a lot keeping my dog happy. So why not buy an...

Goings On At Little Pond Farm – HenBlog – Saturday, April 21, 2007

...one of that flock. Who else? Tell me which is your favorite hen. Lastly, I’m sure you’ve spied the two new, pretty as can be, Bantam White Leghorns. I bought them from breeder (and poultry judge) Don Nelson. I know some of you out there say, “I don’t have room for a flock.” Well, go to a local breeder and buy two hens for your backyard! You can buy gorgeous pullets of just the breed your heart desires. Check the American Poultry Association for a list of shows near you. Go, look at the birds, and connect with a breeder....

Asparagus Season – HenBlog – Thursday, May 5, 2011

...porches, don’t grow asparagus. When I had my raised bed vegetable garden built, the center space was reserved for asparagus. It was a sign of commitment to this place. Besides, I love asparagus, which, like corn, tastes best if there are only minutes between harvesting and cooking. (This is true. If you only buy asparagus from Peru at the supermarket, you’ll be blown away by the difference of fresh and local, and even more so if it’s been picked steps from your back door.) After a few years I was harvesting enough asparagus to serve it with spring dinners. I...

Gift Giving – HenBlog – Friday, December 11, 2009

...to get me. I got the pitchfork and manure shovel of my dreams for my birthday. Steve already has my wish list. I sent him some links to etsy.com. I didn’t ask for anything from Agway. But, thinking about it, I’d sure like those insulated, waterproof gloves designed for women. We celebrate Hanukkah, so the gift-giving starts tonight. I wonder what I’ll get. What do you want? I hope that Tillie Lays an Egg is on your list, or that you’re giving it to someone you love. If you want a signed copy, go through Books with Flair. This site...

Signs of Spring – HenBlog – Tuesday, January 22, 2008

...to sweet peppers. I’ve also got a terrible problem in my vegetable patch with cabbage loopers – but am thinking of planting kale anyway, just for the girls. Leafy greens covered with bugs is their favorite treat. 2) The hens have started laying! I’m getting enough eggs so that I can put the oatmeal back in the pantry, and have my hard-cooked egg on homemade toast in the morning. I know that a number of HenCam viewers found this site because they asked the question “when will the hens start laying?” or “what’s wrong with my Orrpington?” The only thing...

Ig Nobels – HenBlog – Tuesday, October 9, 2007

The Ig Nobel Award Ceremony is like Monty Python for scientists. Crazy, exuberant, and dare I say, intelligent, fun. Go see their Web site for a description of the festivities (in the near future they’ll update their site with a video.) It’s hard for me to pick a high point. The Chicken vs. Egg Opera was hysterical. A mother hen sung to her petulant, teenage-sounding, complaining egg. The words were set to music from Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” My favorite line was mama hen singing, “Your simpering seems human, Yet you are just albumin.” Maybe it’s funnier in person?...

This Saturday On Animal Planet… – HenBlog – Monday, January 10, 2011

...on television that shows how positive reinforcement and sane, appropriate relationships with your dogs can improve everyone’s lives (animals and their owners alike.) So, I packed up my car with three of my animals and drove to Long Island for the taping. I’m not supposed to tell you who I brought, but I bet you can guess. The episode The Castle Goes to the Dogs airs on Saturday, January 15 at 8 pm on Animal Planet. Check their site for listings – it goes into immediate and frequent re-runs. (There wasn’t a make-up or hairstylist on site. I haven’t seen...

A Broken GoatCam – HenBlog – Wednesday, June 10, 2015

...the boys.   Instead of replacing the GoatCam, we’ll be adding a cam to the outside pen of the Big Barn. We’ll also be adding sound to the inside cam. Finally, you’ll be able to hear the nighttime hen lullaby! Keeping this site up and running is expensive. Hosting fees for the cams cost several thousand dollars a year. The cost of each cam is in the hundreds. As always, I appreciate your support. Starting your Amazon shopping by clicking through the icon on this site, and buying me a “cup of coffee” helps us to keep the cams up...

For Me and the Hens – HenBlog – Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Every few months I get a letter from my favorite class of special learners, Mrs. Sibilia’s students in Florida. These are kids with learning challenges, from autism to developmental delays, but they are all phenomenal scientists, artists, writers and thinkers. Mrs. Sibilia’s expectations of her students’ capabilities are high, and the kids meet them. She keeps them engaged by using the HenCam. In her most recent letter she writes: After every 20 minutes of viewing your site, we journal (or write) about what we have noticed different or discovered new to the little farm or within the blogs. It has...

CGPS – HenBlog – Friday, August 23, 2013

Did you know that all hens come fully equipped with a Chicken Global Positioning System, otherwise known as CGPS? Yes, indeed! The CGPS comes with a highly accurate search capability. For example, the hen thinks “raspberries,” and in no time at all she finds the site!   The CGPS is linked to every member of the flock, so that all individuals can meet at the location.   Once the site is found, the coordinates are never lost or forgotten. There is no limit to the number of locations that the CGPS can download and store. This flock’s database is soon...

How To Help Animals In Joplin – HenBlog – Wednesday, May 25, 2011

...in Joplin, see their site at: http://www.ardainc.org/ Thanks for a wonderful website and all you do. With warmest regards, Carol V Native of "Tornado Alley" (Ohio) Former member of Contra Costa County Search and Rescue (CA) New resident of Idaho Terry Golson Carol- thanks for these links! I'll be sure to send funds to ARDA for their work in Joplin, and I'll be putting IMR on my list of charities that I give to at the end of the year. Have you read, "Scent of the Missing?" A wonderful book about training a S&R dog and how deep the volunteerism...

Planning For Party Cooking – HenBlog – Friday, November 22, 2013

...cooled a bit the hot gravy brings them back to life. Happy Thanksgiving all. I have A LOT to be thankful for. Jonathan Do you buy eggs from friends that have chickens, or do you buy from the grocery store Bea Gibson I have a Broil King elec. Buffet server that I use almost every night and it was worth every penny. We like our food hot. I can set out the soup and mashed and a veggie and know they are hot when served. This year I had to replant my garden twice but I did manage to fill...

Ideas Into Reality – HenBlog – Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Camille Hurray! Can't wait to see the new site. Have a wonderful weekend. Dee Fox Looking forward to it! Bobbie Me too, excited to see the new site! Have a great weekend Terry! Sara Wonderful! As one geek to another...Good luck with the conversion, Steve! lauren scheuer Ha! I thought I recognized that rock. That's the BEAST's rock. So glad you've got all this excitement going on. Can't wait to see the new HENCAM SITE!!!! Ken Good luck. Have a great weekend. Tracy Byers WOO HOO!! Have a wonderful weekend filled with technical successes!!! Vicki in So. CA It sounds...

And the winner is… – HenBlog – Wednesday, December 7, 2011

...I can look out my window and admire my happy chickens! Bainbridge Farm Goods Thanks to everyone who entered the contest! Carmi's Fresh Eggs From Happy Chickens sign will ship today. I want to offer everyone a 25% discount who participated in the giveaway. Type in this discout code: HAPPYFARMERS and you'll receive the discount, which will be good through December 14th, 2011. http://www.bainbridgefarmgoods.bigcartel.com/ HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Susan Thanks everyone! Susan - Bainbridge Farm Goods Jenny Kind of addictive, isn't it? Congrats to Carmi. Look forward to seeing pictures. cheri medlin SWEET! Just used my 25% discount at Bainbridge Farms!LOVE these...

The Austin Report and a Giveaway – The Vintage Hen – Monday, April 8, 2013

...the State Fair of Texas in Dallas! Your boots are great! Joan Come back to California! Joan & Karen Terry You should definitely come to western Montana. Fantastic mountains, beautiful rivers, friendly people, amazing farmer's markets, and lots of chickens. As long as the chickens are protected from bears, coyotes, mountain lions, bobcats, raccoons, hawks, and various other predators! Tammy Come to Canada! Come to Canada! Come to Canada! Jacob Come to the southwest (Phoenix, preferably)! Laura A. One can never have too many pairs of boots!!! Love your new ones! Elizabeth Anne I know that you and yours are...

The Chicks I Picked – HenBlog – Thursday, January 3, 2013

...of the nursing home . If you need an assistant let me know . I have worked in a skilled nursing facility for years . Also depending on the breeds you have left over for sale I would be interested in buying a couple to add to my small flock of 3. Kris I will have to live vicariously through the "chick cam". I can't wait to see the little babies grow. If we blink, we could miss it. You are doing a great thing for the nursing home. Kris P.S. Candy really does like the cold doesn't she? 10...

Presents – HenBlog – Wednesday, April 7, 2010

...school librarian I was unable to watch the episode but would have loved to been able to watch the interviews. My elementary students love our chicken books and I have my own little brood. In fact the pretties little banty is setting right now. I go out and watch her afterschool hoping she hatches a couple of cuties so I can take them all to school for the students to observe. Terry Golson The MARTHA chicken show is no on her web site. Go here. http://www.marthastewart.com/show/the-martha-stewart-show/the-chicken-show I have a list of my favorite kids' books about chickens here. http://www.chickenkeeping.com/fun.htm#childrensbooks If...

Setting Up The Brooder – HenBlog – Tuesday, March 26, 2013

...pets like I am. So I wonder if Im doing ok with the sand box or should I add some other type of grit??????????? Carrie Lee McCleary PS Im excited to see your new chicks too! Terry Golson If you buy chicks from a feedstore, they will (should) tell you if they've been vaccinated. Chicks do like to dust bathe, and a box of sand will make them happy. You can also buy chick grit (ground granite) that your chicks will consume as needed. I'll be putting mine in a feeder, as I don't want to waste $ and I...

Chicken Tote Giveaway! – The Vintage Hen – Sunday, July 8, 2012

...at the beach to tote snacks and sunblock. Patti Maxine Hi Terry I would use the bag for grocery shopping - but would also like to know exactly which bag that is so I can order some with logo of my band - www.hensinthehouse.com I sent you a private email also. Kimberly Smith In my circle, I'm known as The Farmgirl, simply because we live in a suburban area and I have managed to squeeze 5 laying hens on my property. I would TOTALLY show up to bookclub with this tote, or take it to homeschool meetings, or buy produce...

Backyard Chickens Print Giveaway! – HenBlog – Wednesday, February 1, 2012

...green! These are so cute! Sheila I love the Backyard Chickens in blue. Blue and red are my favorite colors together! I have been reading your blog for over a year now, (I discovered it after buying Tilly Lays an Egg) and I love! After getting our own little flock this August, I think I appreciate your blog even more. Thank you! Lisa I WANT THE red and blue one !!!!! Adorable! Joyce Backyard Chickens in Blue Print. Thank you Terry for sharing this site with us. Danette Burrow my favorite is the green backyard chicken print. thanks! Donna Backyard...

Naming the Chicks – HenBlog – Friday, April 29, 2011

...- the show is "Keeping Up Appearances". Patricia Routledge is a hoot in that! Peggy Hi Terry, first time commenting on your blog, but not time first time visitor. Yours was the first site I found when doing my research on buying chickens a couple months ago. Anyway, we just bought our first batch of chickens and we gave them hillbilly names collected from old shows like The Beverly Hillbillies and The Waltons. If one of the little gals turn out to be a boy, we'll probably change her name to Jethro! :) Yemina I have 6 four week old...

Broody Coop – HenBlog – Friday, April 8, 2011

...did not seem to be aggressive together and did as a joint effort. Have you ever heard of that happening before ? Terry Golson I haven't heard of that, but I'm not surprised - especially since you're talking about Buff Orpingtons, the most amenable of birds. Kit Here are the links to the videos if that is okay, Buffy and Betty together in their brood house. Buffy won't leave Betty so she decided to go broody as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuO3xkMJBLI&feature=channel_video_title Betty and Buffy with the chicks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXbZBiaVO2s I don't know if they are still alive because the video is from two...

The Epsom Salt Cure – HenBlog – Thursday, February 24, 2011

...another good use for it. gail Jones Hi Terry, It's amazing how I can read over all my books and do search after search, only to find just what I need to know on your site. Where do you find your information? I'm in the process of starting a backyard chicken group. Your site will be first on my resource list! Thank you, Gail Vicki in So. CA This is great information, Terry. Thank you. When I finally get my chickens, I will have learned SO much from you. I'd never heard of vent gleet before, but I'm prepared. Like...

Year End Accounting – HenBlog – Tuesday, January 4, 2011

...want! The hens have more than paid back the cost of their feed (layer crumble at 11.50 a bag) and their treats. I made enough profit to buy a laptop computer last year. I try to have a few pullets over winter for good egg supply. They get "gifts" of cabbages and whole grain breads from the store discount shelf. Also, occasionally the store will supply huge boxes of greens for free. In summer I grow greens of all sorts and cabbages, sunflowers and calendula flowers for the hens...and all the tomatoes they can eat. This year, I hope to...

My Lunch Box – The Vintage Hen – Thursday, July 5, 2012

...in junior high, I was allowed to buy cafeteria food. Having lunch in a school dining hall with several hundred kids was horrifying enough, but bringing an odiferous, falling apart paper bag to the communal table would have made the experience unbearable. How I appreciated getting my meal handed to me on a neat tray! I no longer wished for a lunch box. Anyway, at this point, lunch boxes were not cool. Recently I bought this lunch box. I wonder how different my life would have been if I had carried my salami sandwiches to school in it. It would...

The Chicken I Eat – HenBlog – Friday, June 15, 2012

...restaurant and the most interesting item on the menu is chicken, I’ll order it. The reality is that the poultry industry is a trillion-dollar, world-wide business. My buying power isn’t going to make even a pin-prick of a dent if I opt out. On the other hand, my buying power makes a world of difference to the small farmer who is doing animal agriculture right. All of the red meat and pork in my freezer is purchased from local farms. Up until recently the best choice I’ve had for poultry is to buy organic at the regular market. Organic doesn’t...

My Birthday Present – HenBlog – Sunday, November 17, 2013

...back of a horse.   Only a few weeks ago, Steve and I were talking about how happy I was that I was riding again. He said, “buy a horse.” And so I did.   I thought that it would take all winter to find the perfect partner, but, thanks to a HenCam reader who knew someone who knew someone, I found Tonka. I’ll be boarding him at a stable two miles up the road from my house, where there are other horses to keep him company, and people to attend to his daily needs.   Tonka arrives the first...

Old Feeder Reuse – HenBlog – Thursday, September 4, 2014

...rack. I spent several hours wandering the booths. I bought two eggs cups (of course!) and a vintage agriculture brochure. And then I went to Tractor Supply, where they have shiny feeders and waterers, which I didn’t need (remember all of that scrubbing in the mornings?) But, I did buy something new and made of metal. I bought a farm gate for the goat paddock, which to my mind is very beautiful, indeed. We’ll see if it is goat-proof as claimed. Pip and Caper love a challenge. You’ll get to see the new gate after I put my teenage son...

A Change In The Air – HenBlog – Friday, September 16, 2011

...haven’t been able to get to because of those vicious bugs. Candy greeted me this morning at the door of her hutch with and eager rattling of the wire. She loves this weather. I’d like it to go on and on, just like this, for months. Candy is the only one who doesn’t mind how short the season is. She’s ready for snow. This week is the sixth anniversary of turning on the HenCam. Has anyone reading been with me from the beginning? Whether new to the site, or here for years, I’m happy to have you in my backyard....

Bainbridge Farm Goods Giveaway! – The Vintage Hen – Wednesday, September 12, 2012

...(an honor in itself out out almost 2,000 entries) Susan is going to give one of you the sign of your choice! All you have to do is go here and then click over to her catalog. Pick a favorite sign (it will be hard; give yourself some time to look over all of the wonderful designs) and then come back here to my blog and let me know (in the comments on this page) which one you want if you win. While you are at the Martha Stewart Website, take a moment and vote for Susan, please. I, for...

On The Road – HenBlog – Thursday, March 11, 2010

...don't know if Tillie ever drives, but when I read Donna's story my imagination had a wonderful time with some lovely illustrations of a hen on a steering wheel, and the other driver's eyes bulging at the site of it! :) Sharon Terry, my mom used KAF for as long as I can remember but I had no idea until I started baking for my own family that their store was in VT. I took a couple road trips there before kids. I just love their merchandise! I can't afford to buy all the things I really want but every...

Buffy’s Status, Etc. – HenBlog – Wednesday, February 20, 2013

...is over, and Ruth won. I’m delighted, because she’ll be sharing it with her 4-H club. Lastly, you’ll notice that there’s a Tractor Supply ad on this page. In an effort to justify the full-time job that this website has become, I’m trying to earn revenue from it. TS has an affiliate program, so that I’m rewarded if you click through this site and shop there. FYI, the other ads on the page are through Google Adsense. I have no say in what you see, but they also bring in a (very) small bit of income. I appreciate your support!...

Tillie Takes New York – HenBlog – Thursday, April 1, 2010

...I was taping your show and he came in about 20 minutes into it and CHANGED THE CHANNEL!!! I didn't notice, until it was over and I pulled the tape out and saw what channel the tv was on. I may still kill the old fart. LOL- seriously, I was so looking forward to seeing you. My sis says Martha doesn't do reruns, so guess I AM SOL. Terry Golson Your husband is in luck. Someone taped it, and it's up on youtube, divided into 4 segments. Mine is the last. http://www.facebook.com/l/d0b1f;www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmmUkXH4irI http://www.facebook.com/l/d0b1f;www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEkS-N0tYAA http://www.facebook.com/l/d0b1f;www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMmF03ucw_k http://www.facebook.com/l/d0b1f;www.youtube.com/watch?v=aauKznUux4A Dianne Oh! Thank you, thank...

Free Skype Visit – HenBlog – Monday, January 16, 2012

...authors. Each author has volunteered to do one free read aloud visit on March 7. I’m one of them! I’ll read Tillie Lays an Egg, and then we’ll go outside (my backyard is wired for WiFi!) where a couple of boys will want to say hello to the class. So, if you’re a teacher or a librarian, hurry over to Kate’s site. If you’re a parent, pass the word along. Maybe I’ll get to read to your child! UPDATE: I’ll be visiting the La Canada School in California! Please keep in mind that I regularly do Skype and in-person school...

Apologies To The Orps – HenBlog – Friday, November 2, 2012

...the spell, and they’d lay an egg or two, but then go back to being broody. I’d had it with them! I even offered Beryl and Topaz for sale on FaceBook. I was honest and described them as “useless broody hens” so it was no surprise that there were no takers. Right now the hens are molting and so they’re not laying. Almost all of my hens look like Ruby. Just look at this tailless mess of loose feathers! But, the golden girls have nary a feather out of place. What’s more astonishing is that after an unproductive summer, they’re...

Road Trip – HenBlog – Monday, April 28, 2014

...Arthur Flour Store.   Since the last time I was there, they’ve expanded the building and cafe, but they’re still focused on bringing the best flours and products to bakers. In the store there’s inspiration on display,   and for sale. I came home with four types of flour. I’ve recently been baking homemade pizza at least once a week. I’ll let you know if I can tell the difference between these two products.   They also have very good chocolate. I confess that on the way home I opened a bag, which fueled us up for the two-hour drive...

England So Far – HenBlog – Saturday, May 14, 2011

I’m on vacation, so this will be brief and incomplete! Wendy took me to a charming, very old British town. There are many of these villages, but we went to Rye to shop for vintage things. Here’s a view of from the church steeple. We parked next to a feed store, so of course we had to pop in there first. I found these boots in a dusty sale bin! After buying an egg cup and a marvelous tin bucket, and eating fish and chips on a pier, we went to Marle Place. Sweeping lawns, layers and layers of flower...

Dressing The Goats For Halloween – HenBlog – Thursday, October 25, 2012

...believe you were able to get such a fantastic pic!!! I love watching your web cams! Thankyou you have taught me so much, last november I got 6 Buckeye chickens and follow your blog everyday. Cheryl from Brimfield MA Cheryl c just adorable! Bobbie Please do! Let me know how to order! Thank you Terry! Natalie Those are adorable! Very creative idea :) sue noy Hi Terry, Just love your website, have been watching it for a few weeks now. Sue Gayle Love your website!! I noticed you have a whole pumpkin in the pen with the 6 hens and...

Holiday Card – HenBlog – Wednesday, December 2, 2015

...hand-me-down. The coat is too small and the boots are too big. But that boy and his rooster are set for adventure! Are you looking for a holiday card that expresses your joy during this season and your love of chickens? (After all, joy and chickens go hand-in-hand!) I’ve turned this image into a card. It’s available to purchase here. Also, a gentle reminder – if you start your on-line shopping via the Amazon link on my HenCam homepage, I get a small % of the sales, and it costs you nothing extra. Doing this keeps the HenCam going. Thanks!...

Eggers – HenBlog – Friday, March 26, 2010

...and Disease from 1939. Perhaps Eggers had an unseen genetic heart abnormality? I’ve no idea. Eggers was only three years old. Alma, a Wyandotte, also died at three of no apparent reason. Ginger, my beautiful sex-link hen, was three when she died, again of no known illness, and without any warning symptoms. Perhaps this is age-related? I’ve heard from other chicken keepers who say that their high-producing hens give out early. There’s so little known about older hens. After all, hens aren’t bred for longevity; breeders focus on desired traits like egg production or feather color. I’d like to see...

Tools for the Coop – HenBlog – Thursday, January 30, 2014

...to have passages clear and tools stowed where the goats can’t reach them to “help.”) Have I left out your favorite chicken coop tool? In another post I’ll list the things needed to setup a coop, like waterers and grain bins. * Please note that I have Amazon links to these tools so that you can get an idea of pricing. I have not necessarily purchased items through these online stores. However, if you do shop Amazon, please start by clicking through a link on my site. I’ll get a small commission from Amazon, which helps to support HenCam. Thanks!...

I'm Going to Be on MARTHA! – HenBlog – Saturday, March 20, 2010

...collections that I’ll get to show her. My husband and I are driving down to NYC a week from Monday. I’m not sure yet if my hens are invited, but just in case, the posh boutique hotel we’re staying in allows chickens in the room (my publicist checked.) I don’t know yet when the episode will air, but I’ll be sure to let you know. I’m also sure that I’ll have some good stories to tell when this is all done. But for today, I’d better go out and buy some new shoes. I don’t have any that are television-worthy....

Nesting Box Bedding – HenBlog – Monday, March 23, 2015

For the last twenty years, I’ve used the same material in my chickens’ nesting boxes – pine shavings. They’re inexpensive, soft, absorbent and easily cleaned. The chickens can move them about to create the sort of depression that they like to settle down on. I once tried paper from my office shredding machine, but it stuck to the damp eggs. I don’t like straw because a) I don’t want to have to buy a bale and store it, and b) chicken manure gets stuck to it, and then the eggs get dirty. The same with hay. However, just because I’ve...

This & That – HenBlog – Monday, March 11, 2013

...scheduled two Chicken Keeping Classes here at my home. April 27 and June 8. Class size is limited, and these programs always sell out, so make your plans now. For a current and detailed list of all of my programs, and links for signing up, see my Upcoming Events page. Chicken Keeping Workshop at Little Pond Farm Just for fun, I’ve added a product in my store. A tote made from the Purina bag. Only four available (until I buy more chicken feed!) But, I have plenty of Vintage Chicken Photographs: 30 Postcards in stock. Meanwhile, it might not look...

Keepers – HenBlog – Thursday, May 23, 2013

...to gain. I have one more week to find him a home. Any takers? I’m willing to sell the light Andalusian to go with him as a breeding pair. If I can’t find him a place, there’s a poultry dealer in the next town over that takes roosters in for resale. With any luck, Mr. Grumpy will find a flock of his own. If not, he’s already lived a better life than most cockerels. Meanwhile, now that I’ve decided which pullets to keep, I need to come up with names. Any suggestions for the two Andalusians and the Cuckoo Maran?...

Taming the Grapevine – HenBlog – Tuesday, July 16, 2013

I live a few miles from where the Concord grape was developed back in 1849. They’ve become part of the wild landscape. In the fall you can smell their sweet, musky scent along the roadsides. Concord grapevines grow near the woods across the street from my house. The Girl Scouts always get to harvesting them before I think of it, which is okay, because they make jelly which they sell to raise funds, and I buy it at the Harvest Fair. Anyway, they’re welcome to traipse through the meadow and encounter poison ivy and ticks in order to collect the...

Phoebe’s Day – HenBlog – Tuesday, November 5, 2013

...in, so instead I trained her to come. Knowing what she wants and being consistent is the key. Every night she watches me close up the Big Barn and put the goats away. She kicks up her heels and does one last tear around the pen, and then she runs inside for her treat. Banana chips. I feed her two, then close up the pop door and say good-night. A bag of banana chips is $1.19. If you’d like to send Phoebe a present and support what I do here at the HenCam, you can buy her a bag here....

A Goat Fence – HenBlog – Wednesday, September 25, 2013

An author never knows how much she is going to earn on a book. Usually it’s not much. The publisher pays me an advance against future sales. Out of that, I pay the photographer, the indexer, and my grocery bills from all of the recipe testing. It’s rare that an author “earns out the advance” and makes anything beyond the first payout. Still, it is a fine thing to deposit that check. I recently did so (an advance for the upcoming Farmstead Egg Guide and Cookbook.) I decided that I had just enough for one splurge. Some women would buy...

Home From Italy! – HenBlog – Thursday, September 10, 2015

...behavior. Lots! Jen Terry - as always, it's so lovely & enjoyable to read your blog entries. I'm so happy for you that you were able to make this trip. I was recently gifted a book that I think you may enjoy (if you aren't already aware), it's called, "The Compassionate Equestrian" by Dr Allen Schoen and Susan Gordon. Here is a link to read more about it: http://www.horseandriderbooks.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=H&Product_Code=COEQ&Category_Code=WCOM Perhaps I will bump into you again at Equine Affaire in November. All best wishes, Jen Kim Perkins It looks like you had an amazing adventure Terry! Michelle Looks like a...

I’m Profiled In Chickens! – HenBlog – Wednesday, October 26, 2011

...that red hen with that little hat made out of finger from a girls’ glove, and those leg warmers from the same re-purposed gloves, that has me smiling. Hobby Farms puts out a whole series of good, well-written, useful magazines. The new kid on the block is their Chickens magazine. It’s not yet available by subscription, but you should be able to find it at feed stores and other venues. Or you can buy it from the publisher. I’m profiled in the January/February 2012 issue! Agatha is relieved that she didn’t have to get dressed up for the photo shoot....

The Marans’ Egg – HenBlog – Wednesday, October 23, 2013

...but I doubt it. Oh, well, I do like having Veronica in the flock. I’m partial to big, classic laying hens, and she is that. Veronica is chatty and calm. Here she is with Owly. Owly is not steady or calm. She is looking up (which is a trait specific to Owly and in all of my years of chicken keeping, I’ve never had such a quirky hen.)   Veronica is steadfast. That’s a good thing when there are hens like Twiggy and Owly in the mix.   I think that if I want chocolate eggs, I’ll have to buy...

Black Bean Soup – The Vintage Hen – Friday, January 10, 2014

Last summer, for the first time, I grew Black Turtle Beans. The plants looked just like climbing green beans. It took willpower to let the pods dry out on the vines, but after the leaves shriveled, there was something beautiful about the muted colors and spotted husks.   It was a chore to shell the beans, but they they felt wonderfully silky in my hands, and the plink-plink as the beans dropped into the bowl rewarded my efforts. They were the most beautiful beans I had ever seen. The harvest from an entire tower of bean plants filled only half...

Not Too Sweet Breakfast Muffins – HenBlog – Friday, February 21, 2014

...( and a wee bit anxious). Your site has a lot of helpful info and FYI -- just made these muffins and they are delish! Terry Golson Welcome! Use the website's "search" button to find lots of info about raising chicks - I got a batch of 25 last year, and you can see what I did, week by week. JoAnn Terry, thank you again for even sharing all you do with us, you have a good size fan club! I for one, find every topic mentioned most fascinating and very useful. As for Lindsay's wares...practical and artistic indeed they...

This & That – HenBlog – Sunday, March 18, 2012

I’m heading out to the Boston Flower and Garden Show this morning. I’m looking forward to seeing the display of flower arrangement “hats” that were inspired by the royal wedding. I’m looking forward to the pristine garden displays with every plant fully and perfectly in bloom. But, I have to confess that I really go for the vendor area. The last time there I found socks embroidered with chickens. And I’m hoping to buy interesting seeds for the vegetable garden. But not too many. Really. Meanwhile, I have a few miscellaneous things to share with you. The winner of The...

Feathers, Ears and Eggs – HenBlog – Thursday, January 19, 2012

Two years ago I noticed that several mainstream magazines, including Gourmet, published little factoids stating that brown hens lay brown eggs and that white hens lay white eggs. Did they not know, I wondered, that there are hens with feathers like this? And this? I contacted Gourmet Magazine to find out where they got their information. I was not surprised that it came from an egg lobbying group. If you go to the United Egg Producer’s web site it states: The breed of the chicken determines shell color of an egg—the white hens lay white eggs and the brown hens...

Our Porch Resident – HenBlog – Monday, July 6, 2015

...saw this fellow flying around the front yard. It’s a drab little bird with a lovely call – fee-bee! (Hear it here.)   It’s an Eastern Phoebe, and not only do I appreciate it for the birdsong, but also for its feeding habits. The Phoebe is in the flycatcher family, and eats flying insects, including wasps, and also eats ticks. So, I was especially pleased when I saw a Phoebe carrying nesting material to the porch. Auto Amazon Links: No products found. http_request_failed: A valid URL was not provided. URL: https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?SearchIndex=All&multipageStart=0&multipageCount=20&Operation=GetResults&Keywords=0316010502&InstanceId=0&TemplateId=MobileSearchResults&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US Cache: AAL_ebd64e423aa48672ba195d2fca3ee405 say that there are no distinguishing marks...

Milk-fed Hens – HenBlog – Wednesday, March 7, 2012

...and drinking coffee while I recuperated from surgery, I bought a half-gallon of very good, very expensive, local milk. Then, I got that nasty bug and had to drink broth and juice instead. The milk soured. So, I did what women before me have done. I fed it to the hens. I’m glad someone got to enjoy that splurge.   A note on my continuing recuperation: I’m up and ambulatory! My incision site has healed and I’m allowed out to the barn (but no mucking about in manure and kicking up dust.) Lily is getting a much needed walk today....

Getting the Brooder Ready – HenBlog – Monday, April 25, 2011

...cracks in wood, but the worst culprit is dust. Chickens are dust generators, and cobwebs hold it all in place. I got out the shop vac and hoovered it up. In some places, like the beams above the windows, the dust was a quarter-inch thick. I got static shocks while vacuuming! Meanwhile, my crack IT team (aka husband Steve) bought a new cam, installed it, fixed the web site so that it can be viewed, and did lots of stuff I don’t understand but is absolutely necessary to share the chicks with you. I went to an appliance store and...

Lightbulbs In The Winter Coop? – HenBlog – Monday, November 12, 2012

We all want a year round supply of eggs from our hens. But, despite the unchanging and abundant display at the supermarket, the backyard chicken keeper soon learns that eggs are seasonal. Chickens start and stop laying for many, many reasons. One of them is the amount of daylight. The optimum amount of light to stimulate laying is 14 hours. Today, here in New England, we’re getting just under ten hours daily, and that will dip further to under 9 at the winter solstice in December. (This nifty site calculates the amount of daylight in your latitude.) Factory egg production...

Chicken T-Shirt Giveaway! – HenBlog – Monday, July 25, 2011

...We all enjoy watching there goings & comings.These girls are really vocal especially the leghorns. We call it watching the Chicken Channel. Tony Dinelli We have 4 chickens(A Star and two other red sex-links, and a black sex link). They're just over 6 months old and laying between 3 and 4 eggs a day in our sweltering 100+ degree temperatures in Oklahoma! Heather We have recently purchased the materials to build me a chicken coop. I have been wanting chickens for a long time now. I have been doing my research and hope to get me some chickens next spring....

Feather Picking – HenBlog – Wednesday, February 5, 2014

...check the blog today. You already probably know all of this stuff, but it was an interesting read to me. http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/697052/i-think-i-found-a-miracle-cure-for-feather-picking Terry Golson One can only hope! Terry Golson Thanks! Terry Golson Much of this link is problematic. I do NOT like the pinless peepers. They interfere with eyesight. They don't solve the problem, as she finally admitted. As far as the supplement - I don't buy it for a minute that it worked. Much of what you read on BYC is not true. Correlation and effect are not always linked. Terry Golson They'd probably watch :) Terry Golson Bumpers?...

Agnes’ Dark Comb – HenBlog – Monday, April 30, 2012

...treatments to help these old hens. Agnes looked to be on death’s door last month, but she’s still here thanks to epsom salts. Epsom salt is a combination of magnesium and sulfate. You can find it in the pharmacy, as it’s used by people as a laxative and as a foot soak. For such a simple and inexpensive product, it has many curative functions. The magnesium improves circulatory health, flushes toxins, improves muscle and nerve function, maintains the proper level of calcium in the blood and increases oxygen use. The sulfates help form brain tissues and joint proteins, creates mucin...

Epsom Salt Soak for a Hen – HenBlog – Monday, August 4, 2014

...It’s the basis of my spa treatment. Epsom salt is a combination of magnesium and sulfate. You can find it in the pharmacy, as it’s used by people as a laxative and as a foot soak. For such a simple and inexpensive product, it has many curative functions. The magnesium improves circulatory health, flushes toxins, improves muscle and nerve function, maintains the proper level of calcium in the blood (very important for hens!) and increases oxygen use. The sulfates help form brain tissues and joint proteins, creates mucin proteins that line the digestive tract, detoxifies contaminants, and improves absorption of...

A Scary Day – HenBlog – Friday, August 14, 2015

...things to do to hasten his recovery. I did an internet search and set off for the pharmacy. The tree guys were still on the property. They were as worried as I was. While I was gone, they massaged Pip’s belly and encouraged him to walk around. (I found this out later, and have no doubt that the TLC from Pip’s friends was an essential component of why Pip pulled through.) I created a magic goat elixir. Auto Amazon Links: No products found. http_request_failed: A valid URL was not provided. URL: https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?SearchIndex=All&multipageStart=0&multipageCount=20&Operation=GetResults&Keywords=B002LIMPES&InstanceId=0&TemplateId=MobileSearchResults&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US Cache: AAL_c66cd5732e955d0068009cd4913fc12d and Auto Amazon Links: No products...

Bainbridge Farm Goods Sign Giveaway!!! – HenBlog – Monday, December 5, 2011

...All you have to do to enter is to look over their catalog and let me know which is your favorite sign. Please, one entry per person here on this blog. Want an extra chance? Enter a second time on FaceBook (please leave your comment on this post so I can keep track of everyone!) The contest will run until 10 pm EST on Wednesday, December 7. Good-luck! Update: the contest is now closed. However, Bainbridge Farm Goods is offering a special 25% discount to readers of HenBlog! Just type HAPPYFARMER when checking out! Offer good through December 14, 2011....

Springtime Blues – HenBlog – Thursday, June 5, 2014

...nectar.   There’s purple in the meadow, too, and I’ve already watched the pollinators eagerly going from bloom to bloom. Don’t discount how important clover is for bees. I have plenty, and I pull handfuls to feed to Phoebe.   Chives are in bloom. Without the balance of the fragrance of the peonies, my garden smells distinctly of onions.   The salvia can always be counted on for a show all summer. How the bees and hummingbirds love it!   Usually, by the first week of June, the green swath of the meadow is dotted with yellow and whites of...

Children and Chickens – The Vintage Hen – Tuesday, December 16, 2014

...up with flocks of chickens on family farms, who had scary experiences of being attacked by roosters and mobbed by hungry hens. I usually hear these stories from the spouses of the now grown children, asking me how to convince them to get a few backyard chickens. I don’t discount the validity of how they feel about poultry. Chickens can be scary – remember they are close relatives of dinosaurs! (Don’t you feel for this little boy, having to feed the turkeys, too?) Do you have a story about children and chickens? Good or bad? Tell us in the comments....

Observation not Assumptions – HenBlog – Friday, July 17, 2015

We weave all sorts of stories for why our animals do what they do. I left the house for a day and my cat was mad at me so peed on the bed and the dog knows to come but is blowing me off or the horse slams me into the wall because he has no respect for authority. Most of those stories are wrong. I don’t say that because I discount that animals have feelings. I do believe that animals are cognizant beings with emotional lives. But, when people talk about their pets, they often see them through their...

Thank You – HenBlog – Thursday, June 7, 2007

...hens, has not only lifted my spirits, but I’ve learned a lot, and it has helped my girls. I’ve had people send me well wishes, and links to Web sites with the information I needed, and Buffy even got a get well card! (Hilarious – it’s a hen saying, “And no matter what, don’t let them tell you that soup will help.”) The only hen that remains puffy-eyed is Snowball, and I think she’ll be fine by tomorrow. Her understudies, the beautiful Betsy Ross and Egger, were eagerly waiting in the wings (pun intended) to take Snowball’s place in this...

Who Laid Which Egg? – HenBlog – Monday, February 5, 2007

I got a nice email from a hencam regular in Canada who wanted to know how I can tell which egg came from which hen. Each breed of hen lays a distinctive egg, both in size and color. That’s how I know that the blue egg is from Perrie, the darkest egg (second from the right) is from one of the Australorps, and the buff-colored big, rounded egg on the right is from Buffy. The uniformly medium-brown eggs are laid by either Marge or Petunia, the New Hampshire Reds (Marge, BTW, is the fat hen, Petunia is the skinny one)...

How Laying Hen Pellets Are Made – HenBlog – Tuesday, April 14, 2015

...I understand that many people, having decided to opt out of the industrial agricultural model, would also like to opt out of buying chicken feed made by Nutrena (Cargill) and Purina (Nestle). I see this as a personal and political choice. Sometimes you don’t have an option – rations made by the big corporations might be all that is available. It might be what you can afford. Your hens will do fine on it. But, those big players aren’t the only ones making chicken feed. There are regional feed mills, like Poulin Grain. I recently asked Poulin if I could...

Draft Horses – The Vintage Hen – Wednesday, October 8, 2014

...She loved that horse and she needed him too. By the 1940s draft horses almost disappeared. Today many breeds are endangered. But some people loved them. Loved them enough to keep them going, despite the fact that they are no longer necessary on farms or to take the family to church. Hundreds of these big horses will be at the World Percheron Congress this week. Every few years this show is held at a different arena, and not always in the USA. It’s also been staged in Canada, France and England. This year the World Percheron Congress is not only...

End of Fall Color – HenBlog – Thursday, October 28, 2010

My grandfather was a trucker. He told me of driving trucks with solid rubber tires, of hauling logs on roads in Maine, when he’d shift with both hands and steer with his knees, and of doing long-distance runs to Canada with an auto-transport truck (with my mother and grandmother enjoying the ride from the top car!) He always said that the most dangerous conditions weren’t ice or snow, but wet leaves. They’re treacherously slippery and you can’t see the edge of the road. But, I love it when the leaves come down and narrow my already narrow street. When it...

At The Big E – HenBlog – Tuesday, September 24, 2013

...Agriculture Calendar. His shot of a neighbor’s beef cattle is the October page! (Stay tuned to this website. They still have last year’s calendar up, but 2014 will be for sale soon.) We attended a ceremony at the Massachusetts State Building, listened to a few bureaucrats (ones that actually do good work!) and a politician, were handed a gift bag and a calendar, and then we had the day to roam the grounds. Although thousands of people go to the Big E for the fried snacks and ferris wheel, scores end up entranced at the chick hatchery. For many people,...

A Charming Coop Door – HenBlog – Monday, May 27, 2013

...the sea salt fresh air has cured the girls, because they haven’t gone broody since their move. Or, perhaps it’s that they’re in a smaller flock with a lot of space and interesting things to do. In any event, they look great and they’re laying eggs. Here’s Beryl with one of her new friends. It’s finally stopped raining here, and my girls will be getting a nice long outing while I spread compost in the pumpkin patch. I’ve already done my Memorial Day shopping. Agway was having a sale, 20% off one item. I got the broom that I’ve wanted...

Reducing Stuff – HenBlog – Tuesday, June 23, 2015

...– but it isn’t so hard to do with things. It may sound trite, but when I jettison the stuff that’s physically cluttering my space, it serves to open my mind as well. For example, when I donate a box of books to the library book sale, I feel like there’s room in my brain for new reads. A few years ago, I had an excuse to purchase a lot of delightful things to use as props for Auto Amazon Links: No products found. http_request_failed: A valid URL was not provided. URL: https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?SearchIndex=All&multipageStart=0&multipageCount=20&Operation=GetResults&Keywords=054500537X&InstanceId=0&TemplateId=MobileSearchResults&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US Cache: AAL_09517a52c317c4b0bf258fbdf11f1a96 . My editor and I...

Updates – HenBlog – Thursday, April 12, 2012

...shallows to do this task, my boots filled with water. Once again, I’ve done in a pair of rubber boots. Here are my new ones: Only $16 on sale! So, when they crack in a couple of months, I won’t feel so bad. The anti-broody coop worked! It took only 2 1/2 days for Topaz to go from henzilla back to a mild-mannered Orpington. Here she is back with the flock. See how svelte she looks now that she’s not all huffed up and crazy? I’m hoping that will be the last of it for awhile, but I have three...

Keeping The Girls Busy – HenBlog – Friday, April 6, 2012

...as it is. Lucky for them, much of it is weeding, and I’ll be tossing them clods of dirt and dandelions. Meanwhile, the goats are asking to help. I don’t think so boys. Why don’t you play on your stumps? I’ll be posting more information about the Garden Tour soon. It’s open to the public, and tickets do sell out, so I’ll let you know when they go on sale. Do think about taking a drive out here that weekend. It’s worth a trip. The town of Concord has Louisa May Alcott’s house, Walden Pond and Revolutionary War buildings. We’re...

HenCam 2014 Calendar – The Vintage Hen – Friday, October 25, 2013

The HenCam 2014 Calendar is in the store! Like last year, I designed it, and with a great deal of help from ITGuy Steve, uploaded it to Zazzle, which prints and ships it out. Right now, Zazzle is running a calendar sale, and you can get it for 30% off. Just click through to my store to place an order. Or, go right to Zazzle to take a look at all of the calendar photos....

Grit and Probiotics for Chicks – HenBlog – Tuesday, April 23, 2013

...in a cleanly bedded brooder, don’t have access to what their gizzards need to function properly. That’s why they need you to provide grit. You can buy a bag of grit at the feed store or online. Basically, it’s ground up granite. Chick grit is finer than chicken grit. It might seem crazy to spend $10 on a bag of pebbles, but it is essential to the health of your new flock. This is not a new idea. I have a catalog from 1919 that offers bags of chick grit for sale. The first day that the chicks arrive, make...

Pumpkins For Chickens – HenBlog – Friday, October 5, 2012

...grandchild in January and will be buying "Tillie lays an Egg" for future reading. Sarah Love the first pic! I can hear the curiosity...Whaaaaaat??? Whaaaaat??? Definitely getting one for my girls today! LB I always have to start the pumpkin off ... a few thin wedges cut from the sides ... I love seeing their heads buried up to the neck inside! Terry Golson There are wild Concord grapes right across the street, but the Girl Scouts always harvest them before me (they make jelly and sell it as a fundraiser.) So, I had to buy. But, this year I...

My Take On Worming – HenBlog – Thursday, October 11, 2012

Donna http://www.theholistichorse.com/WormGuardPoultry.html..Terry..I use this..It contains diatomaceous earth. I like it because I just mix it in their grain or layer mash. The people at this site are super nice and very helpful. They also make a formula for llamas and horses. Donna Sorry..the above link is not hyperlinked...Just go to Holistic Horse and you will see it. Carol I have been wondering if putting lime or PDZ on a manure pile will ruin the compost part of things? Because of the muck that forms in their pen when it rains, I do add dry shavings and PDZ to help give...

Big Boys – HenBlog – Friday, November 9, 2012

The goats’ fecal test came back positive for pole worm. Keeping internal parasites at bay is very difficult. It’s not simply a matter of dosing them with chemicals, which, although is sometimes necessary, is not effective without careful management of the environment as well. I’m not an experienced goat keeper, and I’ve been relying on the wisdom of people like my friend, Sarah, at Cudzoo Farm (her goatmilk soaps, by the way, are absolutely wonderful and are for sale on line.) In order to give the right dose of anthelmintic, I needed to weigh the boys. My goats are Nigerian...

Optimism – The Vintage Hen – Monday, January 21, 2013

...a tad too optimistic thinking that my new basket will be useful in the barn? The four eggs a day that I’m currently collecting would roll around in it and crack. So, I have brought the basket inside to display the eggs that I have blown out. They used to fill a bowl in the dining room. That basket is so large that now it looks like a small collection. This is a cabinet in my entry hall. It’s a seed chest from a southern hardware store. Perhaps in years past it held a similar basket, holding eggs for sale....

Deviled Egg Cookoff – HenBlog – Friday, May 29, 2009

...three-year olds.) Anyway, here are the facts – one of my very pretty “party girls” (as I like to call my bantam white leghorns – see, they can now live up to their name) and I will be at PA’s Lounge in Somerville, MA on Monday night, June 1st at 7:30 pm for a deviled egg cookoff. I will enter deviled eggs in the contest, will have Tillie Lays an Egg books for sale, and will protect the hen from paparazzi. Here is the Facebook invitation, and here is a blog about the event written by one of the organizers....

New England Poultry Congress – HenBlog – Monday, January 14, 2008

...I finally learned how to tell the difference between White Old English Game and Bantam White Leghorns. (Snowball fits a bit of each description but her yellow legs gives her away as a Leghorn. Let’s just be tactful and say she’d never win a ribbon!) And I checked out the geese. I have a hankering to get a couple of these Sanbastapol. I love how this breed looks like it’s wearing a wedding gown. But, even though there was a sale area, I didn’t come home with any new birds. I think I should wait until we’re not snowed in!...

Eggs for Sale! – HenBlog – Thursday, March 20, 2008

The girls are laying (well, all except for Snowball who lays only 2 weeks out of the year) and I have enough extra eggs to sell some to neighbors and give some as gifts. I got a call a week ago from a woman who does Pysanksy decoration – that’s a Ukrainian craft that uses a batik-like technique on eggs. She can’t use supermarket eggs because the chemical wash prevents the dye from sticking properly. I was happy to sell her two dozen. A neighbor bought a dozen to blow out and make a centerpiece for her dining room table....

Crafts – HenBlog – Friday, March 28, 2008

Are any of you artists? Crafters? Are you inspired by your chickens? I’m not an artist, I’m a writer. But I love the immediate gratification of making something tangible that comes from crafts. Recently I bought a pinback/magnet maker. Find some fun images on paper, cut it, pull the lever, and I have something to hold and wear! Right now I’m struggling writing a book (the words are all tangled up so far), and so I take breaks and make things. Here’s the latest. Chickens of course. They’re for sale on my etsy.com shop....

Say No to Malls – HenBlog – Tuesday, December 23, 2008

...also a gallery that sells the most gorgeous jewelry (useful in its own way!) We get our share of out-of-towners (Walden Pond is nearby), but a town like this survives only because the locals support it. My husband and son are there picking up last minute gifts. I just came back. No, the sweater I got my husband wasn’t on sale, but it’s exactly what I had in mind for him, and the shop owner is the father of a son’s classmate. I figure that I got just what I wanted – not only the sweater, but also this community....

HenCam Coop Plans – HenBlog – Thursday, May 28, 2009

...sale at home centers. What makes this coop so charming are the salvaged windows. On one side there is a 100+ year old round window, framed by climbing hydrangea and roses. There are also two Queen Anne-style windows on hinges that let east, morning sunlight into the coop. This, too, is on a slab. I like how easy the concrete floor is to clean, and that it makes it harder for predators and parasites to get in. After having chicken wire fencing that rusted, we invested in a sturdy coated mesh. It’s installed a half-foot below the ground level to...

HenBlog is a Blog of the Week! – HenBlog – Friday, August 20, 2010

One of the blogs that I follow is written by a chain of garden centers in the U.K. (Or, as it’s spelled there, “centres.”) It’s informative with a touch of humor, and I enjoy seeing the products and plants that they offer for sale. Also, Dobbies has have an extensive line of coops and chicken keeping paraphernalia in stock in their stores. I wish we had that here! Wouldn’t it be nice if, when I go to pick up some fall mums, that I could pick up some poultry nutri-drops, too? So, I am especially pleased that HenBlog is Dobbie’s...

The Beast Emerges – HenBlog – Friday, April 4, 2014

...garden needs attention.   The Gems have offered their assistance and have been loosening packed down leaves and destroying all lurking larvae.   Yesterday I was in a store looking at gardening tools and noticed the seed display. There was a two for one sale! Despite the fact that I have not yet taken stock of the seeds leftover from last year, I couldn’t help myself. I bought 18 packets. Even those of us who are frugal and careful shoppers suffer lapses and go on seed buying sprees this time of year. Kale will be sowed today. Spring is here....

A Reading Rabbit – The Vintage Hen – Saturday, April 4, 2015

There’s something about old wind-up toys – the complex animal ones, with the quirky details – that make me smile and feel that silly happy feeling. Here’s one for Easter:   It’s a bookish rabbit, and look, this dapper fellow is reading about a hen!   He’s for sale at a store that also makes me happy, Nesting. Thank goodness for indie retail shops that reflect the tastes and quirks of their owners. Nesting has a mix of old and new, but it’s all curated with an eye to the beautiful and/or whimsical. Do you have a favorite shop that...

Postcard Book Special Offer – The Vintage Hen – Friday, November 29, 2013

Here in the United States, the day following Thanksgiving has become known as Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year. This turkey’s attitude pretty much sums up how I feel about going shopping at the mall with the crowds this long weekend.   Photograph from VINTAGE FARM ANIMAL PHOTOGRAPHS: 30 POSTCARDS Although I can’t bear the thought of stepping foot into a big box store anytime this long weekend, I do like a bargain. You probably do, too. And so, I am having my own After Thanksgiving Holiday Sale here at HenCam. Purchase two or more vintage animal...

Boots! And Other News – HenBlog – Tuesday, October 25, 2011

I found these inexpensive rubber boots on sale at Sears. They’ll take me through the next couple of months until I switch to my hard-core snow boots (which are toasty and dry but not conveniently slip-on). I got the boots just in time. There was a hard frost yesterday morning, and a cold, driving rain, and possibly snow is predicted for the remainder of the week. Meanwhile, it appears that Garnet is no longer pulling out Jasper’s feathers. Four Gems are laying. I harvested the last of the kale from the vegetable garden. Winter is on its way!...

Join Me On A Walk – HenBlog – Monday, October 24, 2011

The wonderful people who live in this house sadly have to sell off some of the farm that they’ve lived in for over a half century. But, instead of cutting it up into a housing development, they’ve carved out the best piece, the acres that border a river and abuts a National Wildlife Refuge, and they’ve offered it for sale to a land conservation trust. Today the public is invited to walk on this parcel. The weather is fine. It’s overcast, but not cold. Pull on a pair of sturdy shoes and a sweater and join me. There’s been no...

Ringtones! – HenBlog – Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Announcing (drum-roll please) ringtones of the sounds of Little Pond Farm! It took quite a bit of doing, of sneaking around with a super-duper recording device, and of editing with special computer software, but HenCam ringtones are now available for your iPhone! (And, soon, an album will be up on iTunes, so that those of you with other phones can download them. I’ll let you know when iTunes clears them for sale.) Update: the album is now available on iTunes! Here’s the selection: Marge (chicken solo) Chickens Waiting To Go Out Chickens Still Waiting To Go Out Candy the Bunny...

“Hen Mother” – HenBlog – Thursday, August 19, 2010

I’m in the local paper. I love my new title of “Hen Mother.” Don’t you? http://www.wickedlocal.com/concord/news/lifestyle/x1371493473/Concord-Carlisle-residents-find-their-way-to-local-food...

Blog Giveaway Winner! – HenBlog – Sunday, September 18, 2011

David and Wendy Scott, longtime HenBlog readers are the winners of the Goat Notes and book! Wendy, email me your snail mail address and I’ll get the package out to you. I could only pick one winner, and it was determined by a a random number generator (www.random.org) which is fun, easy and impartial. But, rest assured that I read every one of your entries. Thanks to Andrea’s granddaughter I will now be calling Edwina, “Egg-wina.” And thanks to the rest of you, I am energized to continue posting about the goings on in my backyard. But, right now, the...

Urban Chicken Podcast – HenBlog – Tuesday, August 19, 2014

...Just come across your website whilst looking up a question on google about molting. Got enraptured listening to the interview here and am still in my pjamas. What a great site you have and what an interesting person you are. I have just begun keeping chickens (May this year) and have four beautiful ladies: Anne, Diana, Araminta and Lady Loxley whom I love to watch. They are wonderful calming therapy. I loved your analogy of the ocean. I am now going to explore the rest of your website .... then I will get dressed. Love from Billericay, Essex, England. Terry...

Protect Your Hens From The Heat! – HenBlog – Wednesday, June 8, 2011

...so having a second waterer where they hang out in the shade is essential. If you don’t have shade, create some. We stretch a shade tarp (the link is just for info, not an endorsement) over Candy’s hutch. The chickens take advantage of it too. If you have an extra plastic waterer, fill it half-way and put in the freezer. When solid, top off with water, screw on the base, and your hens will have cold drinks. Also, reduce or eliminate the amount of scratch grains that you feed your girls. Corn generates heat, which is good in the winter,...

Goat Notes Giveaway! – HenBlog – Monday, November 15, 2010

Goat Notes are now up on Etsy.com! They are available for purchase, either individually or as a custom set of your choosing. To celebrate the re-opening of my Etsy shop, I’m having a drawing for a set of all five cards (and a small, surprise gift!) All you have to do is tell me the title of the photo that you like the best. To read the titles, click on each picture. It’ll link you right through to Etsy and you can see all the details. Leave your entry in the comments below. One entry per person, please. The contest...

HenCam

Welcome to the HenCam! I live in a small town west of Boston, in the United States. I don’t have a real farm, but I do have a backyard big enough for chickens, two goats, dogs, a rabbit, a pond with koi, and a garden. This website is where I share my backyard animals (via the cams) and chicken keeping expertise (via a blog and FAQs.) I also am an author of cookbooks, children’s books and collections of vintage photographs. There are three separate cams. The view shows each cam for a few minutes, and then rotates to the next....

Meet Nancy Drew – HenBlog – Wednesday, August 14, 2013

I have six chickens, all of which hatched on March 29 at the Murray McMurray facility, and arrived here two days later. I’ve named them after favorite authors and book characters, and so I call them The Literary Ladies. I’ve introduced the other pullets to you in other blogposts; today is Nancy Drew’s turn. Nancy Drew is a Black Star, which is a hybrid known as a sex-link, because at the time of hatch you can tell the boys from the girls by the color of their down. This means that you won’t get an unwanted roo in your order....

Egg Record Chart – HenBlog – Saturday, January 2, 2016

...freezing the eggs screw too much with their flavor and cook-ability? I was told by someone that they freeze extra eggs (they don't have chickens, they buy bulk when eggs are on sale) and they're fine for scrambling and baking. Agree or disagree? Jan Used your chart first time this year. 882 usable eggs from 6 girls, but my Welsummer only laid 60 of those eggs she has always been a looker but a poor producer, my 2 Magpies have laid constantly but slowed slightly in December. The Girls were all born in May 2013. I got 78 eggs in...

HenCam Technical FAQ – HenBlog – Saturday, March 7, 2009

...no clue how it all works, and I get all woozy when Steve tries to explain it to me, so the details have yet to sink in. Therefore, today’s blog entry is written by my IT Guy – who deserves a big round of internet hand-clapping from everyone. (You’ll see why if you can wade all the way through this post.) Here are some tips from my I.T. Guy and husband Steve: There are various solutions depending on your budget and just exactly what you are trying to accomplish. Web camera The easiest (and cheapest) solution is to buy a...

Chicken Art Link – HenBlog – Tuesday, February 10, 2009

I’m working on a novel. Which means I’m procrastinating by surfing the web. Of course, I am googling chickens. I came across this page of famous paintings that have chickens in them. I particularly like the ones by Klimt and Magritte. Enjoy!...

I’m On Chronicle – HenBlog – Thursday, November 13, 2014

A couple of weeks ago, I caught you up on the nursing home hens, and told you about how Chronicle, a New England human interest television show, was doing a piece about the project. The producer also spent some time in my backyard. The half-hour show, which they’re calling Creature Comfort, will showcase unusual therapy animals. It airs on WCVB channel 5, Boston, at 7:30 pm EST on November 13, 2014. It live-streams here. By next week I’ll have a link up on my In the News page....

Social Feather Picking – HenBlog – Monday, March 24, 2014

It’s an epidemic. Every day I field email queries about it. People are resorting to pinning peepers on their birds, protecting them with aprons, isolating the culprits, and busting their food budgets by buying bags of leaf greens. But, nothing stops it. Few flocks have escaped this scourge of the winter doldrums. The hens are feather picking. I’ve written about Feather Pecking before. If your hens have feather loss, read this FAQ. When hens lose their feathers due to one of their flock mates plucking them out, I call that feather picking. I’ve written about that here. What I’m going...

Tea Eggs and Spaghetti Carbonara – HenBlog – Thursday, March 20, 2014

...me to let me know that she’s “ruined for sub-par eggs now.” Here is a link to the article. In it is my recipe for Spaghetti Alla Carbonara. Jenn also made my Tea Eggs. This is what they look like: photograph courtesy of Jeremy Grimaldi I’m so pleased that Jenn picked that recipe because it epitomizes what I try to accomplish with my recipes – simple, yet flavorful, and beautiful without being fussy. You’ll find 100 of them in The Farmstead Egg Guide and Cookbook. Let me know if you try the Spaghetti All Carbonara recipe that the Telegraph shared!...

Wormer Warning – HenBlog – Friday, May 16, 2014

...gloves and eye/face protection. Do not breathe vapour and dust. Interesting how “very safe” and “very toxic” are in the same paragraph, and this from a website that is pro-chemical. There’s more, which you can read on this link. Hygromycin B is a product that commercial growers use on an ongoing basis not only to control parasites, but also to increase productivity and reduce food costs. They feed antibiotics because without those drugs, their chickens would be sickly or die. They put it in their flock’s rations so that they can provide the cheapest of feedstuffs and still get a...

Coop Ventilation – HenBlog – Friday, May 23, 2014

...of, the frozen combs could be linked back to inadequate ventilation. Chicken manure is 75 to 80% moisture. Additionally, when chickens breathe, they expel moist air. Damp air holds germs and viruses and causes respiratory ailments. Additionally, when manure breaks down, ammonia fumes are released, which, when breathed by chickens (and humans) can cause respiratory distress. We’re well aware of this in the summer, when the coop smells bad and the air feels humid. But, in the winter, most chicken keepers don’t worry about damp air because the coop feels dry when the weather is frigid. Although the air doesn’t...

Year End Egg Count – HenBlog – Wednesday, January 6, 2010

...number for how many hens I keep, but certainly enough to keep us in omelets and pudding. It costs about 8¢ day to feed and bed each hen, which comes to just over $400 a year. Divide that by the number of eggs, and each egg costs 30¢. If I were to buy organic eggs at the market, I would pay the same amount. However, add in the cost of the hens, the equipment, medicine, egg cartons, electricity, sand for the run when it gets muddy, fencing, cabbage and cost of the pet sitter when we go away…this is only...

Summer Feasts – HenBlog – Saturday, July 22, 2006

I like to think that I am a pretty good gardener. My veg garden is weed free. My flowers bloom. But when I went to the farmers’ market a half-mile up the street from me (a neighborly, rather informal gathering of mostly local backyard growers with excess from their gardens), I realized that my ping-pong ball sized cabbages paled in comparison to what is grown nearby (no excuses for me now about weather!). My lettuce is bolted and done; yet I was able to buy a perfect head for $1. I took solace in the fact that my carrots are...

Chicken Art – HenBlog – Monday, June 5, 2006

If you have chickens, then you probably have chicken knickknacks. Even if you don’t buy salt and pepper shakers in the shapes of hens, you probably have a set that your friends have given you. Or the dishtowel with the chicken laying a pink egg or perhaps the potholder stamped with yellow chicks. I confess to a love of chicken tchotzkas, though I limit my selections to hens. No egotistical rooster items in this house. I have candlesticks in the shape of chickens. Chicken pillows. Even my pot rack has hens welded on it. I’m very selective (really!) I don’t...

Candy’s Ears – HenBlog – Friday, May 21, 2010

...while her ears get treated. Right now, there’s bare skin, and since she loves to sunbathe, I don’t want her to get sunburned. I also want to keep her very clean. Candy is not going to be happy about this. Nor is she going to like having her ears handled twice a day and having medication rubbed on. You’ll see me carrying her in and out of the pen, wrapped in a towel. As long as she’s in that towel, she’s calm as can be. Getting her in it will take some doing! I’m off to buy more banana chips....

Heritage Chickens – HenBlog – Tuesday, April 7, 2009

...temperament, longevity, ability to naturally breed, and eagerness to forage. But, buzz words are often co-opted by people who don’t believe in the program. Look at what’s happened to “natural,” “free-range,” and “organic.” Thankfully, the people at the American Livestock Breed Conservancy (ALBC) have codified what a heritage breed is. They’ve also created a web site that links you to the breeders. Even if you don’t have chickens, consider joining the ALBC. They do important work, could really use your support, and send out a newsletter with pictures of the most endearing animals. Have you ever seen a Mammoth Mule?...

Dog Training – HenBlog – Friday, February 8, 2008

...the biggest reason to train your dog (or your chicken, I’ve trained them too) is to communicate more effectively with them. And the best way to do that is by “clicker training.” If you’re not familiar with this, go to my friend, Karen Pryor’s web site. In a nutshell, it’s positive reinforcement, using the same techniques that are used with marine mammals. It’s kind, it’s precise, it’s effective. Here is a funny training story: I am training Scooter to stand on a piece of cardboard. Sort of like getting an actor to go to his mark on stage. While I...

Buffy's Ongoing Recovery – HenBlog – Tuesday, June 10, 2008

...cause symptoms, but usually they’re more severe and lead to death. Perhaps a mold on some wild bird food that she got into? In any event, the treatment for eating something they shouldn’t, is to douse with epsom salts. There’s some excellent info at the Mississippi State University web site. So, I mixed up a teaspoon with an ounce of water and, using a syringe used for human infants, poured it down her throat. The idea is that the salts will settle in the gizzard and flush the system of toxins. It might have been too little too late to...

Hencam Explained – HenBlog – Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Have you tried to explain what it is about Hencam that has you checking in on the girls numerous times during the day? Do you have friends who just don’t get it? This article was posted on the L.A. Examiner web site yesterday. It perfectly captures the spirit of what Hencam is all about....

Good Reading – HenBlog – Monday, January 12, 2009

I love a book with chickens in it, but I’m very fussy. I want the chickens to have their innate chickeness intact. I don’t want a human character dressed up in feathers. And I don’t want the chicken to stray too far from what a chicken would really do. I’ve a carefully edited selection on my chickenkeeping.com site. Yesterday, Sonja Bolle, writing in her column in The LA Times, had her own opinionated take on good chicken books. I was thrilled that she included Tillie! Her list was somewhat different than mine, though we agreed on a number of books....

Betsy and Candy – HenBlog – Friday, May 22, 2009

...of my way!”) but, she did something I’ve never seen a hen do before. Betsy barged into Candy – putting all of her (light) weight into her shoulder and knocking a very surprised bunny sideways. Satisfied, Betsy hurried back over to me, looking for treats. Meanwhile, Candy shook herself, kicked out her hind legs with a shake, and then hopped about two feet away from the site of the altercation, and went in to her nothing bothers me zen-rabbit pose. A minute later, Betsy strolled by. They both ignored each other. I wish I knew what that was all about!...

Taking Care of Business – HenBlog – Friday, June 4, 2010

You might have noticed a couple of new links at the bottom of the HenCam homepage. If you haven’t yet checked out the ringtones by the Little Pond Farm Animal Choir, please do! I’ve no idea how many people have purchased ringtones by Marge and the other vocal enthusiasts here, because iTunes charges for that info (and it’d probably cost me more to find out than I made – we’re not exactly music moguls here.) It’d help if you left a review on the iTunes site. I’ve also opened up a store at Cafepress.com. I came up with this logo:...

Books for Gift Giving – HenBlog – Wednesday, December 12, 2007

If it’s been awhile since you checked out my chicken keeping Web site, go take a look. I’ve added another book to the books for children section. I think that childrens’ books make great gifts, even for adults. In fact, I gave my husband How the Ladies Stopped the Wind, for Hanukkah this year. How could I resist when it has this refrain: “It was the chickens’ job to make fertizlizer for the trees. They did their job very well.”...

New Barn – HenBlog – Tuesday, January 23, 2007

...needed a new one. I didn’t, really, but what a fine excuse to build a larger barn and to get more chickens. The book is due out in the Fall of 2008, and once the contract is finalized, I will post more details here. Speaking about children’s books – I hope that you have perused my list of favorite kid’s books featuring chickens on the Chicken Keeping site. I’ve just added a new one, Why did the Chicken Cross the Road? which has double-page spreads, illustrated by well-known children’s book artists, that purport to answer that age-old question. Very funny....

It's Cold Out – HenBlog – Thursday, January 11, 2007

...is made for use in barns and it is lovely not having to bring water out to the barn several times a day, like we used to before we got the coop wired for electricity. Local feed stores, or the mail-order companies listed on my chicken keeping Web site, sell these. My coop is draft-free, but well-vented, so dry. We keep it bedded in clean wood shavings. You can tell the girls are fine – this morning they were out in the yard, scratching around, comfortable as can be in 20 degree, windy weather. My dog, Lily, on the other...

Revised Chicken Keeping Web Page – HenBlog – Monday, October 16, 2006

Check out my Chicken Keeping Web page. I’ve reorganized the resources and links section and added a few more useful sites to peruse and fun things to look at. I’m on the lookout for chicken artists (not hens that paint — though that’d be really interesting!) — but artists who are inspired by chickens. Also, I’ve added a list of blogs about hens. I’ll keep the list small and well-curated. You’ll know it’s current and worth reading if it’s on my site. (Don’t you just get so annoyed clicking out-of-date links?) On to henhouse news: Tweedledum is finally up and...

Scruffy and Scraggly – HenBlog – Thursday, September 7, 2006

...her neck so that now no feathers grown in a stripe down it. Petunia has lost the feathers near the base of the tail and they’ll never grow back. Buffy was pecked at when she was younger, and she has a bald spot on her head. All of this is normal for backyard hens. But if you want to see chickens with perfect, bathed, fluffed and glossed feathers, and if you want to see plumage extravagant and fanciful, go to a poultry show. Poultry Press is the paper that lists the shows. Check my chicken keeping Web site for details....

Web Cams – HenBlog – Wednesday, May 31, 2006

...installed very good cameras and linking it all to our server, etc. wasn’t easy. And then there was the Web design… But it’s all been worth it. Today I watched the indoor Web cam right when Blackie was trying to crowd Snowball out of a nesting box. It was a match between Stubborn vs. Immobile. Mine is not the only hencam. At least a dozen other people around the world have had the same idea. Our set-ups differ, but the purpose remains the same — sheer fun. The best listing of hencams is on a German Web site. Go see!...

Accolades for Tillie! – HenBlog – Friday, March 19, 2010

...as this year’s Caldecott Award winner, The Lion and the Mouse, and the clever and funny Duck! Rabbit! If you’re a teacher or librarian, let me know when you are using Tillie in the classroom and I’ll post a hello message on the HenCam home page. If you’re using the book for homeschooling, let me know how you are including it in you lesson plan. I’ve just about finished writing up a teacher’s guide for Tillie Lays an Egg. (It’ll be up on my web site soon.) I’d love to include your ideas! UPDATE: for the teacher’s guide go here....

Previous Appearances – March 16, 2012

I’ll be taking the students on a tour of the barns via Skype and my iPad!...

Previous Appearances – June 14, 2009

Don’t miss this chicken swap and farm crafters sale held in the Agway parking lot 80 Martell Court (google for directions.) It’s being organized by a member of the BYC forum. I’ll be signing copies of Tillie Lays an Egg and the Farmstead Egg Cookbook, and selling pins and magnets made from vintage books – many with farm animal images!...

Previous Appearances – May 14, 2009

Join Tillie and me for a special story time. We’ll be at the Town Hall (route 140 in the town center) so that there’s enough room for everybody. Upton’s indie bookstore, Kaleidoscope Books, will have Tillie Lays an Egg at the event and at their store for sale. After story time, I look forward to meeting with 4-H members from Upton....

Previous Appearances – December 15, 2012

I’ll be at the Carlisle Farmer’s Market Winter Fair to answer questions about backyard chicken keeping. Come to my table between 10 am and 2 pm to talk poultry. I’ll also be selling totes made of feed bags, and will have my books for sale, including my newest, Vintage Chicken Photographs: 30 Postcards!...

Previous Appearances – March 29, 2013

I’m flying down to Austin, Texas! Lauren Scheuer and I will be in the Lone Star State for the Austin Funky Chicken Coop Tour. Join us at the Driskill Bar at 5:30 on Friday, March 29. We know it’s a fancy place, but, we’ve never been. We’re tourists! On Saturday, March 30, we’ll be at Buck Moore Feed from 10 am until 2 pm (when we’ll skedaddle and try to see as many coops as we can.) Lauren will be signing copies of her new book, and I’ll have copies of Vintage Chicken Photographs: 30 Postcards for sale. Please email...

Previous Appearances – May 24, 2014

...farm in Concord, MA, has nurtured their asparagus beds for generations. The granddaughter of the man who planted the asparagus is a talented chef who works in the farmstand’s kitchen. I’ll be at Verrill Farm to help celebrate the harvest and the coming growing season. Look for me, and one of my hens, at the entrance to the farmstand. There is a fee for the asparagus lunch (and well worth it!) but you don’t have to pay to meet one of my hens and chat about chickens. All of my books will be available for sale and signing. Stop by!...

Previous Appearances – January 18, 2014

I’ll have a table at the Northeast Poultry Congress with my books for sale. Stop by. Pull up a chair to chat. The Congress is worth the drive. A thousand birds! Fancy feathers! Crazy chicken people! Let me know if you’re coming....

Previous Appearances – May 18, 2009

Tillie and I will be meeting several classrooms of children. Tillie Lays an Egg will be available for sale through Porter Square Books (one of my all-time favorite indie booksellers.)...

Previous Appearances – March 16, 2014

I’ll be talking about all things chicken and eggs at The Concord Bookshop. There will be a hen! And homemade eggy snacks! There will be copies of The Farmstead Egg Guide and Cookbook for sale! And my books of vintage animal photographs. And Tillie Lays an Egg. Please come....

Previous Appearances – November 25, 2013

Jan Brett will be doing a book signing for her new book, Cinders, A Chicken Cinderella Story, in Milford NH on Monday, November 25. I’ve been invited to join a couple of other chicken bloggers to chat about backyard chicken keeping and to keep the people in the long line waiting to meet Jan, entertained. I will have copies of Tillie Lays an Egg, and my vintage photograph books, available for sale. *note that this is sponsored by The Toadstool Bookshop, but will be at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts, and not at the bookstore!...

Previous Appearances – January 7, 2016

...with author Terry Golson and one of her hens. Terry will read from her book Tillie Lays an Egg, then then talk with kids about all their newly hatched questions about chickens! Each child will receive a signed copy of Tillie Lays an Egg. Cost is $30 for a family of 3, $5 more for an additional guest, and all of the proceeds go to support Kids Cooking Green’s Fund for City Schools, which brings cooking and nutrition classes to communities that otherwise could not afford them. Click here to register. Find out more about Kids Cooking Green at www.kidscookinggreen.com....

Dandelions – HenBlog – Friday, May 6, 2011

...was a female, and sex links usually only cost three dollars a piece. The lady who was breeing them unfortunately doesn't sell her sex links, they were just some she got from a hatchery. And they were for egg laying flock. She did have some polish, cochin and silkie chicks for sale for three dollars a piece. But I really didn't like how they were scared of me, and I won't been able to sex them. The red sex link also seem to like it when I scratched behind her head. The closest Tractor Supply store to me, also has...

Previous Appearances – April 2, 2016

A lecture at Old Sturbridge Village as part of their Garden Symposium Weekend. Follow the link for more details and how to register!...

Meadow Flower – HenBlog – Friday, May 24, 2013

...in my lawn. http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/otgum.htm http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/bulbs-perennial/Ornitum.htm Seems to be dangerous to grazing animals: http://www.btny.purdue.edu/weedscience/2005/starofbeth05.pdf http://www.goatworld.com/health/plants/starofbethlehem.shtml Pam R. Definitely Star of Bethlehem. It appeared here in one of my gardens a few years back, and has managed to move into 2 - 3 other gardens. I figured it might have come in from a Plant Sale buy. It's so far only ever been found in another garden. I'd not read it was toxic, but many bulbs are. I'll have to keep an eye out and make sure it doesn't appear in the pastures. Marcia Palmater Star of Bethlehem sounds right; I have...

Hen Aggression and Buffy’s Care – HenBlog – Wednesday, April 4, 2012

...dates with your friend's dogs. Here is the link http://www.disapprovingrabbits.com/2012/04/one-minute-of-hoppy-hour.html and the second is about Dougal and how his owner has started in a rabbit agility class. I was wondering if in your training of animals if you have ever done anything like that Terry with any of your rabbits. http://www.disapprovingrabbits.com/2012/03/dougal_19.html Terry Golson The sort of training I do is applicable to all animals, rabbits included. There's a book about how to train your bunny. http://store.clickertraining.com/gestclwiyora1.html Terry Golson I'm fortunate to have two coops and pens. As chickens age and the situation changes, I'm able to move things around and...

Why I Have Goats – HenBlog – Tuesday, September 6, 2011

...a cutie pie! Goats are so adorable. Any eggs from the Gems yet? Deborah Pruden I would love a little message for my pups! Let me know when to look. If it is okay with you, I can put a link on my web page. www.mrspruden.com Thanks, Deb Lorraine in London uk I just Love this photo of pip!! and your blog i have voted everyday please everyone keep voting as i would love for Terry to win :) Terry Golson The "hello" message is up on the HenCam home page :) Yes, do put a link on your class...

Prof. Ring & His Goats – The Vintage Hen – Thursday, November 15, 2012

...ring" "utah" "1893" and found this link. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85058130/1893-12-15/ed-1/seq-2/;words=UTAH+professor+Utah+ring+1893 The story that came up was not about your professor ring but at least you might have the online newspaper link. Terry Golson Great link! But, sadly, add "goat" to the search parameters and nothing comes up. The librarian at my small town library lives for this sort of question (at least I like to think she does as she always looks delighted when I come in) so I will see what she can find out this afternoon. Lori I put in "goats" and it found 269. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/pages/results/?state=Utah&date1=1893&date2=1893&proxtext=%22goats%22&dateFilterType=yearRange&rows=20&searchType=basic&x=18&y=13 Lori Sorry the Tribune...

Petunia – HenBlog – Sunday, December 26, 2010

...out cancer ? Wendy HI Terry, What a shame, poor Petunia! Another small friend gone. It sounds very much like ascites to me (there's an article here - http://www.scribd.com/doc/4013236/Ascites-in-Commercial-Broiler-Poultry-and-Its-Management) which is linked with pulmonary hypertension. It's commonly called 'Dropsy' in people, and the giveaway is congested organs and typically a hugely enlarged right side of the heart. You could send your photos to Libby, the vet at Retford Poultry (there's a link on my site or you can google Retford Poultry Partnership, I should send her a quick email first to ask if it's OK) They deal only with poultry...

How Cold In The Coop? – HenBlog – Friday, January 24, 2014

...covered with some nice wood inside! I wonder if anyone should be out in the -33C cold....we've now had 4 such nights! Terry Golson Good question. Yes, eggs will freeze out in the barn. When they freeze, the liquids expand and break the shells, which makes them inedible for humans (bacteria will get in.) I feed them, cooked, to the dogs. But, I do try to collect the eggs before that happens. Terry Golson What I've heard from people way up in the freezer that is Canada, is that insulation helps to make all cozy (or at least cozier.) Keep...

Automatic Chicken Coop Door – HenBlog – Tuesday, June 25, 2013

...and where did you buy it? Christine O. Ours is also battery operated and we got it from Wells Poultry in England. http://www.chicken-house.co.uk/acatalog/automatic-chicken-door-openers.html Jaye Some additional info tha tmay be helpful: Supplier in U.S. http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/rabbit-products/misc-products/2100-doorkeeper-outside-installation Manufacturer in Germany https://www.axt-electronic.org/eu_shop/en/shop/vsb/280/vsbb-elektronischer-pfoertner-mit-batterien?c=38 Customer review http://poultrykeeper.com/equipment-reviews/installing-vsb-door-keeper Lillian So I am a little confused. I have read so much about the health of the animals, chickens and rabbits, when they live together. We have 5 chickens, three pullets, two roos (they were all supposed to be girls) that are about three months old. Additionally, we have 5 chicks that are one month old (not sure...

A Break From the Barn – HenBlog – Tuesday, December 14, 2010

...Little Pond Farm. As for movies... a friend lent me The Devil Wears Prada when I was recovering from major surgery. I didn't think I'd enjoy it but my tired body and fuzzy brain loved it! How about Julie and Julia, I remember enjoying that at the cinema or Slumdog Millionaire worth it for the ending alone. Do you like costume dramas? My recovery was greatly helped by the boxed set of 'Wives and Daughters' www.imdb.com/title/tt0215364/ watched over a whole week of afternoons with my cats on the sofa. All our good wishes Celia Christine Carlson Best wishes to you...

FAQs Are Posted! – HenBlog – Friday, January 8, 2010

Ken from a STILL very cold and getting colder St Louis You can just see "trouble" in those eyes. Terry can you keep yourself from kissing that nose? Donna I can't get enough of those cute fluffy bodies and that rabbit hopping in the snow....WAY too cute! Terry..is there a link to the FAQ page? Terry Golson We didn't put a side-bar link, but anywhere you see "FAQ" and it's underlined, is a link. Is that enough? We've debated what to do. Don't want the main page to get too cluttered, but also want people to be able to navigate...

Book Giveaway! – The Vintage Hen – Tuesday, September 17, 2013

...Llama needs to be in there! LOL!!!!! Mary Honeyfield I'm a little partial to the chicken and dog photos since I have both those animals, however the pigs are so cute I think I like them best. Enjoy you whole site! Mary Honeyfield Just "liked" you on FB! Mary Honeyfield Shared your link on FB! Michele b I love them all but my favorite is the dog cover. I did share the link on facebook. Renata Carvalho All of them are just adorable! But I have to choose one, so I pick the dog cover. Julia The motoring dog wins...

Exercise for Hens – HenBlog – Tuesday, April 21, 2015

...Active breeds require higher fences. How true! The other day, Misty made her way halfway up the beech tree. She clambered down before I could get a photo. But here is Twiggy, who stayed on the ground because she was so busy eating grass and bugs. It didn’t take long for her crop to fill. That is a satisfied and healthy hen.. Note: I found my copy of the Biggle Book on EBay. A reproduction is available through Auto Amazon Links: No products found. http_request_failed: A valid URL was not provided. URL: https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?SearchIndex=All&multipageStart=0&multipageCount=20&Operation=GetResults&Keywords=1626361479&InstanceId=0&TemplateId=MobileSearchResults&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US Cache: AAL_a3e2e41cc32388e6b8c7f68599cf1090 , as are original copies....

Protecting Chickens From Predators – HenBlog – Friday, February 1, 2013

...and ocassionally a mountain lion has been spotted. I have not lost a hen in years because I have built a pretty predator proof enclosure. Chain link all the way around and chain link fencing on top. I play soldier woman when they are let out. I walk my property line watching. Needless to say..on cold days they don't get let out. Mama Hen is too cold to stand guard. Donna Natalie...where are you that you get weasels? I worry about those but have never seen them..I am in Temecula. Melissa When my grandfather (1892-1986) came to dinner in the...

Chicken Coop Fly Control – HenBlog – Monday, August 25, 2014

...using the "w" word here. Terry Golson Once in a very rare while the fly strip gets something other than barn flies and the very nasty horse flies. Very rare. So I feel that it's worth it. Sounds like it's time for you to buy another bag of oranges :) Robert It looks like it was poor Florance, acording to that link, that got the fly stip stuck. Poor girl. Marcella You wrote you saw tiny immature flies on the wood. But after the metamorphosis from larval and pupal stage into fly the fly is mature and doesn't grow anymore....

What To Do About A Broody – HenBlog – Monday, April 9, 2012

...time I caught it early and it only took two days in the wire pen to break the broodiness. I guess I'm lucky though she never growls or pecks at me when she's broody. Magic Cochin I love the 2nd photo! Happy Easter Terry Celia xx Vicki in So. CA Boy, she looks CRANKY in those first two photos! Thanks for the link to Wendy's poo photo. I had no idea how BIG a hen's once-a-day broody poo could be! Not sure I'm looking forward to that part of chicken keeping. ;-) Sarah I can't believe I clicked a link...

More Cold Weather Chicken Care – HenBlog – Wednesday, January 7, 2015

...buy a flat panel heater to use on really cold nights, but it would require an additional thermostat - a thermo cube - which of course isn't sold in Canada. jaye You should get some - you already have the barn. ;-) Lisa Webb Jaye...we do really like the cozy legs and our one hen roosts in the same place every night so we know it will be right in fron of her...we too use the red bulb during the coldest days but they don't really like the light at night. We got the cozy legs via internet likely amazon...

Digging Dandelions – HenBlog – Wednesday, April 18, 2012

...have a tool we call the "weed popper" and you can use it while standing up! They're a bit tricky to find, but if you look in enough hardware/yard tool stores I'm sure you could find one. There's also a similar tool called the "Weed hound" but we've never used it. Anyways, I found a link online that has a picture of the "weed popper" tool. Hope I've helped :-) http://www.hardwareandtools.com/Alterra-Tools-897023770368-Green-Thumb-40-Inch-Weed-Popper-u107849.html Joyce I make dandelion wine using my Mom's recipe and eat the greens like my Gram taught me. The wine is never the same from year to year, some...

Steamed Eggs – HenBlog – Wednesday, March 2, 2011

...be watching thrift stores and garage sales for those old egg cookers. Kit They do have modern egg steamers for those who can't make it to flea markets, http://www.eggsteamer.com/ and I found these on amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=egg+steamers&x=18&y=16 and some people suggested using rice cooker or steamers as well http://wize.com/rice-cookers-and-steamers/t10457-egg Terry Golson Click on the photo and it links to the blog I found this picture on. I wouldn't trust that cord, even if I could plug it in! Terry Golson Glad to have it confirmed! Terry Golson Thanks for these links. I have a rice cooker, but it doesn't have a...

Rooster Tea Kettle – The Vintage Hen – Thursday, August 16, 2012

...collection of chicken items. Keep sharing. I love to see what you have. Terry Golson In all of my years of collecting, I've never seen another or anything else close to this kettle. Glad you liked seeing it! karen robinson Hi Terry, here's one similar (don't know how to make the link "blue up") http://www.etsy.com/listing/98919061/vintage-kamenstein-rooster-chicken?ref=sr_gallery_5&ga_includes%5B0%5D=tags&ga_search_query=rooster+kettle&ga_ref=related&ga_page=1&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=rooster+kettle&ga_view_type=gallery I should like to own it but it is in the US and I think shipping it to me (UK) will cost more than the kettle! Also, I am spoilt with an electric one: I am bound to forget and be up the garden or...

Sunlight and Coop Design – HenBlog – Thursday, February 10, 2011

...to buy "Certified Humane" eggs. Is that just hype or does it mean anything? I just ordered your "Egg Cookbook" from Amazon. I can't wait for it to get here! Ken Here here, I see those prefab coops advertised and just want to scream when I read the number of hens they say they can hold, just a tad better than a battery cage situation. I couldn't agree more with Terry on her comment on roosts. I have two coops as well and my hens have been confined for almost two weeks now. On the weekends when I can go...

Choosing Chicken Breeds Right For You – HenBlog – Wednesday, January 25, 2012

...good for the year. The only thing I'd add is that chickens really seem to like having a buddy who looks like them. Found this out the hard way when I bought four difference breeds. I hindsight, I would buy chicks in pairs. And if you really have your heart set on certain ones, buy extras. I've had a sexed pullet turn out to be a roo. When you only buy two, that puts you in a bad place. Had I bought four, I could have easily given or sold a pair. Brigid Great info! My barnyard bantams are usually...

Apple Bread Pudding – HenBlog – Thursday, October 27, 2011

Remudamom I want to see a picture of your apple thingy. Terry Golson I've added a link to this older post about apple pie which has a photo. http://www.hencam.com/henblog/2009/09/apple-season/ Donna Oh! How delicious that looks! Makes me want to go home and make one right now! Ginger We have a very old one from like the 60s or something that we use to prepare apples for home made apple sauce - ours clamps onto the edge of the table which I find more reliable when doing large batches. Oh and it works great for potatoes too! Brenda ok, I'm coming...

Blue Friday – HenBlog – Friday, May 27, 2011

...blues now and then is good for you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFkVk5kas04 -Not sure if we can leave links here, but it's to Dee Clark singing "Blues Get Off My Shoulder" -beautifu! Julie Terry, when I feel low I head to the coop, sit on my little red milking stool and before I realize it my girls have set me straight! Can their be anything better than chicken love? Sending happy thoughts your way, Julie. Wendy Have you had a gallon of tea and five packets of biscuits yet? That generally does the trick. Or go and look at some nice wheelbarrow catalogues......

A Whirlwind Month – HenBlog – Friday, September 2, 2011

Wendy My Secret Agent's handbook, when I was small, told me you can use lemon juice to write on an egg, also a mixture of alum crystals and water.... I think we should both have a go and post our findings! Although that would mean buying some eggs as my girls have all but given up for the year. Sean You don't seem like the type who sits still very well! Betsey F Watch out for those herons! A week or so ago, I had a Great Blue Heron (who has always peacefully fished in our creek) sitting on a...

Chickens Have Messy Bottoms – HenBlog – Thursday, August 18, 2011

Marie Wow, what a great chicken vet. you are. Their sorry little bottoms look wonderful two months later. @HenMad (Frances) A very useful and informative blog, thanks! I am sure I will need to re-visit it again when one of my girls has need for an urgent visit to the beauty parlour! Does the iodine-type product cure vent gleet, then? If you are interested, I wrote a piece last year on the trials of giving my Light Sussex, Araminta, a bath, hen-bathing being something I prefer to avoid!! http://www.clickcluck.co.uk/in-the-hen-garden/the-bathing-belle/ @HenMad (Frances) PS Your hens are lovely and the before-and-after-photos made...

Egg Smashing, Egg Eating, Broody Hen – HenBlog – Friday, June 10, 2011

...breed. Sunday LOL, oh Kit, that's hysterical!! i can just see the little roo and a new pair of keds; love at first sight :) Valencia I'm sorry that you and Betsy are experiencing problems, but she is one good-looking hen. Kit It's not a little rooster, it's a bigger white leghorn, who loves his owner's feet. The story and topic know up to eight pages on the backyard chicken website forum. Don't know if your a memember, but I have found it well worth my time to read. Here is the link if you are intrested http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=518839&p=1 She even...

Fun & Lovely Chicken Things – HenBlog – Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Kit love the temporary chicken tattoo!! Elaine @ Sunny Simple Life Oh that platter!! I love it all. Donna I really love the teapot..so cute..Terry! You MUST wear the tatoo and take a picture and show us! Nessa Such lovely things! Thanks so much for taking the time on your exciting outing to photograph chicken things for all of us! I recently went to the Poultry Show in Scotland and was very surprised and disappointed that there were NO trade tables or crafty chicken parephernalia for sale. You lucky thing! Elizabeth Anne (TX) My niece has the cutest navy iphone...

The Beast Eats – HenBlog – Thursday, July 25, 2013

...to decide where to dig the hole in the yard. Any tips on location? Kit Here is a nice little website on some of the different varities of Koi fish, the one I think the Beast is from is, bascially a catch all of unclassicable koi fish. http://www.blueridgekoi.com/koi-goldfish-resources/koi-variety-guide/ Phobe the rabbit is also a girl. Kit Here is a website on a few ways to sex koi fish. http://www.koi-fish.com/koi-care/sexing-koi.html Since the Beast is so big, I think she is a girl, and I think a few of her offspring have made it as koi/goldfish hybrids, but her hybrid offspring are...

Licorice for Goats – HenBlog – Saturday, August 31, 2013

...buy at the feed store, by Manna Pro, are licorice flavor! Never thought about giving them the actual candy! I haven't tried the green beans yet, either. Mine sure do love cherry tomatoes! I'm still waiting for my 2 to grow beards, like yours! Ha! Karen I think I'd grow real licorice, instead of the high-fructose-corn-syrup candy called licorice. http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/annual/licorice-plant/ (I've also been told that nicotine is good for their digestive system, if you know someone who smokes. Just take the filters off before feeding.) Jaye BTW, that first photo was all about pure love - two way. Warmed my...

The Best Winter Barn Boots – HenBlog – Wednesday, December 18, 2013

...The Muck Boot Company brand, that are warm, and most of our farm supply stores seem to have them on sale quite often. Mine aren't as tall....But I was able to get pink and black checked ones! Laura Terry, nice feet togs! I just wanted to say that Tonka does indeed have a beautiful, kind eye, just like you said. What a gem. Jaimie These cost more than yours, but they have so many cool patterns and fun colors! http://www.amazon.com/Womens-Classic-High-Print-Color/dp/B0071COO6Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1387404736&sr=1-1&keywords=bogs Lee Ann Those are a great find. My husband and I live on a small farm/ranch and got boots this...

Crumble Topping For Apple Pie – The Vintage Hen – Wednesday, November 6, 2013

karen I feel the same way... lots of apples, not too much on top. Or too sweet either... And go figure. I can leave comments on new posts, just not previous ones :-) Thanks again for all the info - Rebecca Breakfast of Champions! Sara I agree with Rebecca! Adele Given the choice, I prefer crumbles to pies for pudding. I enjoy blackberry & apple crumble with double cream. A good American recipe: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/apple-blackberry-crumble-10000000709808/ and my favourite British version: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/778642/apple-and-blackberry-crumble :-) Terry Golson Or, you could use my crisp (crumble) recipe here. The pie topping in this post is very...

Vegetable Garden Surprises – HenBlog – Wednesday, August 22, 2012

...with the hens. Terry Golson I do remember you! I'm sorry that a bobcat got two of your hens. All of us who have had chickens for any length of time have losses like that. Right now my hens are starting to molt, but my 12 Gems are still laying about 6 a day. The old hens don't lay any! I checked out your website and LOVE the poems. Everyone should go read them here: http://www.ryanseggs.com. Also, the joke, "Why did the chicken cross the road? To prove to the armadillo that is't possible" is hilarious! My husband grew up...

Trip Preparation – HenBlog – Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Jen Enjoy the city! Since you are going to be in Soho - I highly recommend the Spring Street Natural Restaurant (corner of Spring & Lafayette)-- it is fantastic! http://www.springstreetnatural.com/index.html Stay warm! Jen ANGELA Terry, happy trip to NY. Take pictures to show to us. Terry Golson Have you ever traveled to the US? Terry Golson Jen, Scholastic is right around the corner. I don't know how I ever missed Spring St. Natural. This is where I'm going. www.esquinanyc.com Jen That place looks fantastic! I am adding to my Soho list - thanks! Stay warm! Donna Have a wonderful time...

The Real Sign of Spring – HenBlog – Wednesday, March 10, 2010

...of feed, the egg money gets put in a collection box for EACH (www.each.org.uk) the local children's hospices. Up to last Christmas the 'Eggs for EACH team' has donated £300. Yay! for the egg team! How much will the collect this year? Celia ANGELA I would like to buy the eggs from his flock .... surely! And Happy Spring...! Bonnie Jo I like your sales method. I'm going to try this in my neighborhood, too. I usually let neighbors know by word of mouth when I have an egg surplus, but it would work just as well to put the...

Chicken Feed Scoop – HenBlog – Monday, September 24, 2012

...we want them! And then we can have "foul" dustpans and "clean" ones. Those work well for scooping up legos, to put away, too, requiring a labeled "clean" dustpan.... Vicki in So. CA Great idea. I'd love to see the other ideas on the Korean site, too. "Blog" isn't working for me though. Terry Golson A lego scoop. Brilliant! I could have used that a few years back. Terry Golson The link to the Korean blog is live. Enjoy! Carol I'm going to make some of those scoops! I have the scissors already thanks to a shopping TV impulse buy....

A Gem Laid An Egg! – HenBlog – Wednesday, September 14, 2011

...the other breeds. The Brahma is a late starter. It can vary by a month. Patience! Lori Yummy! On another note, I have been trying to vote for henblog but I do not get the link anymore, just the surveymonkey link. Is the voting over? Terry Golson The voting closes tomorrow, but the system has been rife with glitches. I appreciate you trying! Bobbie What a beautiful egg! Congratulations! CJ I am curious about the wooden eggs? Have you always used them to encourage the chickens to lay in the nests boxes? Where did you find them? We tried golf...

No to Chicken Rental – HenBlog – Thursday, April 30, 2015

...a protected run, the whole thing is watched over by the Rspca and while I still do not agree with the concept it looks passible better for the Hens. Sorry do now know how to do link but this is there website if you wanted to look. hensforhire.co.uk Sue Sigh. Do you suppose they come complete with harness, diaper, saddle, sweaters, etc. (along with that sorry excuse for a coop)? My question, as always, is WHY ON EARTH???? Christine O. Thank you for the post, Terry! Hen rental is an awful idea. That coop is suitable as a chicken tractor...

Book Giveaway! – The Vintage Hen – Monday, January 14, 2013

...friends now have one more reason to call me "the crazy chicken lady"! joan That would go great in my chicken kitchen :) Vidal I shared VINTAGE CHICHEN PHOTOGRAPHS on Facebook, I hope you sell out! KathyG Ooh, I love vintage postcards. And now, with chickens! Cool. Count me in for the contest. And if I don't win, count on an order in your new ***** store ***** Karen Dyer Left comment and link on facebook. Jana from Santa Barbara I used the Facebook link to share it on my Facebook page. Good luck with the store. I'm looking forward...

The Risk of Adding Hens – HenBlog – Wednesday, January 16, 2013

...from the farmer who got me started with my original flock 1.5 years ago. I kept the new girls isolated (a run within the big run with their own coop, food, water, etc.) for 4 weeks. Both small flocks had limited contact through a chain link fence on 1 side. They now have all been together in the same run for a few days. So far, so good. I am watching everyone carefully for signs of illness, lethargy. A certain amount of establishing the new pecking order has been going on but not too much. The run is quite large...

1000th Post Giveaway – HenBlog – Friday, September 7, 2012

...when asked what memory is says, "Something warm,my child, something warm." I think you would like it too. Pam R. I'd hang the key to our farmstand on it. That's where we sell our organic eggs. It has a good resemblance to our Free Ranger Ernie, who is used as the links icon on our website: http://goldenoakfarm.us/ Marie I collect key rings, so I wouldn't put any key on it but would "show it off". That is certainly not one I have. The magnets would go on my fridge. Jackie I would put the key to teaching human beings an...

What Breeds? – HenBlog – Thursday, April 28, 2011

...Denise I have 2 Welsummers this year, my first of this breed. They are very mellow compared to my others. I think I'm really going to like them. I got 4 Golden Sex Links because I do not want or need another rooster. My Hannah has gone broody and I'm not taking any chances...last year 2 of 5 were roos. I need to read your suggestions for breaking a broody hen because she is collecting other eggs and breaking some of them. The yellow evidence is on her beak! Have fun. Terry Golson Good to hear about the Welsummer. My...

New Chicks – HenBlog – Wednesday, April 27, 2011

...miss the babies size. They are so active and cute! Tammie Do you have info. about how to install a cam on your website? Terry Golson One of these FAQS (http://www.hencam.com/henblog/faq/)is all about the cams. Expensive and complicated! (why we finally broke down and put google ads on the chick cam.) But, if you've got a nerd in the house, you can do it. Wendy and there'll be more arriving in your honour on 13th May care of Babbs the psychotic broody.... so there's no escape! Janet K Terry, How CUTE ! Wish the web cam were zoomed out a...

A Morning’s Work – HenBlog – Saturday, November 24, 2012

...identify each precious animal. Carol Hi Terry. Those pies look wonderful! At first I thought your onions were kraut. (I am brewing some at the moment.) If your pie crust tutorial is still online, could you please post a link? Being somewhat visually impaired, it's easier for me to read on the computer (I enlarge everything) than in a book. If not, alas, I can and will gladly struggle with the printed page. I too received the calendar last weekend. Zazzle sent it in a strong BOX which I so appreciate because of our rough mail delivery. It's beautiful, and...

Old Petunia – HenBlog – Tuesday, November 30, 2010

...wanted. 1. You don't really want to know what happens to most. 2. They would actually give them away to local kids if they had reptiles that needed to eat. 3. Iowa State is not far and they would take quite a few for "acedemic purposes". 4. Locals were given a huge discount if they would pick them up from the hatchery. Wendy Everything is better after pasta! Donna YIKES! Thank you Ken, I feel better that they are with me rather than with a reptile....Needless to say..the roos have a wonderful home here with me...I try to never have...

Thin-shelled Eggs, Old Hens, and The Miracle Diet Cure – HenBlog – Friday, July 8, 2011

...don't like strawberries. Mine free range all day and pincher bugs are their favorite source of protein. Lucy Suitor Holt My girls love grapes, too, and ignore strawberries. I give them bowls of milk which they love. I avoid wheat and offer them a few sunflower seeds as a treat. I give them corn, but mostly buy huge bags of frozen whole kernal corn and thaw it..or buy older sweet cob corn from a local food store for discount. They ignore dried corn and it attracts too many other creatures. The girls search for bugs all day and then snack...

Vintage Apron #4 – The Vintage Hen – Friday, November 15, 2013

...I was admiring the FFA boots with the embroidered Future Farmer logo on them, reminiscing.... the sales clerk asked me if I had a student in vocational agriculture? I said,"me", a long time ago, she smiled and gave me a 20% discount! Ha! Cassie Calvetti The color of this apron is great! Yes, post about your boots! I finally have some of my own cowgirl boots...just got them a couple of years ago (they have the look of a riding boot). I had always liked and wanted a pair but never bought any even after having a horse for 20...

Chicken Necropsies – HenBlog – Monday, August 12, 2013

...of birds in the state. It's free to back yard flock owners and cost about $200 for commercial farmers. And you'll receive a full necropsy report. They even give you their FedEx shipping number so you can take advantage of their discount. It cost me $13 to overnight my bird to them. If you live in CA, I encourage you to visit their website and print off the forms. Read what is required to send in a bird so you can have all the necessary stuff on hand so you are not scrambling at the last minute. Terry Golson Amy,...

The Birds Know – HenBlog – Wednesday, February 19, 2014

...still waiting for bird song to start. Though I did see an American Goldfinch with a sheen of yellow just under his chin. Like Marie, I await the arrival of the Red Wing Blackbirds. But spring isn't 'official' around here till the Juncos depart for their summer grounds. And I just want to let you know again that I appreciate your caring lifestyle towards critters. There are people who consider fish throw away pets. They buy new fish every spring for their 'pond' and come winter they shut it all down. "If they live, they live. If they die, they...

A New BarnCam – HenBlog – Wednesday, September 16, 2015

...Nolan Happy Birthday Steve!! P.S. I sent you some chocolate for your birthday .... thank you for all you do!! Next: A cup of coffee for Terry! I thoroughly enjoy HenCam and want to help support in any way I can. This is my "Go To" website for knowledge on animal care and just watching the animals on the HenCam calms me and at the same time amuses me. LOL. If that makes any sense. Yuko from Halifax Happy birthday, Steve! I'm sure the hens will know to hit the mute button when they convene for their secret meetings. Wishing...

Coop Bedding Test – HenBlog – Tuesday, November 12, 2013

...straw. The straw is a mess and does not absorb anything at all. I HATE shoveling it out of the coop. A total mess....keep us posted! Lesley S I wonder if it will become available in Canada? It looks like how a coop should look and I can only imagine how sweet it must smell. I hope it is successful...meanwhile you and your flock can enjoy. :) Jean R Phoebe is developing the imperious look, isn't she? Glad she approves of the new bedding. Wish she weren't so camera shy. Carolyn I noticed and was going to ask. It looks...

Happy Thanksgiving! – The Vintage Hen – Sunday, November 23, 2014

...your fabulous pies!! To Mr Steve, Thanks to you for all your HenCam wizardry!! Gizi Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving from France! Gizi Robin Happy Thanksgiving to one and all! MicheleB Enjoy your break and your holiday Flo Happy Thanksgiving from Austria!! :) louise stopford Happy Thanksgiving from Cheshire UK - enjoy the holiday. jaye Happy Thanksgiving from Ontario, Canada. Enjoy! Diane Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.Can't wait to see what pies you're baking for this years party.......from Monterey,Ca. Kim Perkins Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours Terry! From Kim, Beryl and Topaz Christine O. Happy snowy Thanksgiving!...

A Mild Winter Outing – HenBlog – Thursday, December 18, 2014

...open to the weather, is muddy and untidy for about 6 months of the year. I have never, so far, had any ailments, They get good feed and alfalfa, and we are still getting 1 to 4 eggs daily, Maybe my chickens are PNW chickens?! I so enjoy your website, and your advice, thank you Terry Golson Pell-mell is an essential word if you keep farm animals :) Terry Golson Glad you mentioned mold - I've heard from several folks who have had very sick hens because the layer pellets got wet and went moldy. Bad food is not worth...

Who Are You Going To Believe? – HenBlog – Monday, January 30, 2012

...brilliant, but I avoid his advice - if I followed it I'd be gardening all year and have no time to write! Gary P. Here in Washinton, our Robins go south to winter in Southern Oregon, and Northern Ca. So then about a month or two after our Robins go south, the Robins from Canada start showing up here, so we have Robins throughout the winter till just before ours show up in the spring. The Canadian Robins don't sing while they are here, so I always look forward to hearing that first joyful bubbly song, telling me "I'm back...

Blizzard Ready – HenBlog – Monday, January 26, 2015

...them a nice deep bedding of dry shavings.   No doubt unwanted hay will add to the cozy stall while the blizzard blows in. But, in the meanwhile, while I work, the goats play.   My sumo-built rabbit is looking forward to the blizzard. Bring it on! says Phoebe.   Please note that ITGuy has added windspeed to the live cams. It should be rather dramatic here tomorrow! Please share my site with your friends – the more people who watch, the more Steve’s work pays off! Hopefully, we won’t lose power and we’ll be able to broadcast all day....

Why to Feed Chickens Pellets – HenBlog – Friday, June 5, 2015

I’ve kept backyard hens for twenty years. I’ve had this website for ten, and it sees over a hundred thousand visitors monthly. Between my blog and private emails, I hear about chicken health issues. Often, it takes much back and forth to figure out what is going wrong with someone’s hen. But, within the breadth of situations that I’ve consulted on in the last decade, some patterns have emerged. One situation that I’ve seen, too many times, is that of a very well-cared for flock in which a hen seemingly suddenly takes ill and dies. I now know the questions...

Small Town Fourth – HenBlog – Saturday, July 4, 2015

...will find local vegetables, plants and baked goods. Also, I see where there is a local farmers Market in Durham. Here is the url for their website http://www.durhamfarmersmarket.com/. But I am sure you have been there. I worked in Durham for about four years even though I lived in Wake County. With UNC and Duke around it is a bit different. Chapel Hill is a great place and maybe you might be able to find more local markets there. We do have local farmer's markets around. I live in Franklin County and it is very agricultural. I grew up in...

Tonka’s New Home – HenBlog – Tuesday, September 30, 2014

...event around the holidays called 'Poultry Slam'. Suzanne I got to enjoy "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" this summer. It reminded me of a similar game program I used to enjoy, called "Says You". In it a regular panel would try to out-bluff each other (if that makes sense), making up definitions to uncommon words. Also I really enjoyed David Sedaris' audiobook of "Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls." WendyP If you can find it, Live Wire! is an awesome show. Audiobooks are also a choice. Daisy Swenson Check your local library's website for down-loadable audio books. The titles available are...

Cue, Threat or Punishment? – HenBlog – Friday, September 18, 2015

...Very interesting blog, I learnt to ride in Canada and we never used a whip only our bodies, voice and reins. Jess has been eager to tell you she has got a job helping a lady with her 3 horses after school and weekends 5 minutes from where she lives, in return she will be taught to ride to ride western style and also horsemanship. The lady will not use whips or punishment of any kind only rewards, she seems to have the same ethos as yourself..:) Durbin Goodwin I use to ride quite often when I was younger and...

April Snow – HenBlog – Monday, April 4, 2016

...last to long. Also please don't send it our way still clearing up from storm Katie !! Hope it clears soon with no lasting damage so you can get in the garden...:) Vee It is very pretty, especially with some blue sky behind it. We have had no snow at all in the south east this winter, I've just had to tune in and enjoy yours! Barb from Bethlehem Tuesday morning. You're at 22 degrees and looks like you got a good 6 inches. Good grief. Go back to Canada, jet stream! We're so ready for warmth in the Northeast....

Where I Was – HenBlog – Sunday, December 30, 2012

...I had a chemistry professor that looked a lot like that snowy egret. sarah I am wanting to get some chickens one day and glad to see you have snow ,looking to see how the girls cope with winter ..I'm in Canada.... wendy That's quite some country you've got over there. Lucy will be frothing with jealous rage about all those birds. And look at you, madam, with your painted nails! No snow here yet, just ridiculous wetness and no sign of it stopping either. Send some of that Florida sun over here if you brought any back with you........

Blizzard Time Lapse Video – HenBlog – Saturday, February 9, 2013

...I'm SO excited that we are finally chicken parents ourselves!! I can already see why they are so addictive! :D Cheryl at www.pasturedeficitdisorder.com Larissa / Stengers Farm AB Canada Great work! Very nice idea to place cameras around and watch your live stock. Enjoying watching your hens as well, have a pic at your birds just about daily. I'm the bird keeper, mostly hobbi and learned from your site many-many things. Thank you! Regarding the snow - we usually get teh same amount few times per season, so kind a use to and sometimes i take showeling as an exercises:)...

Lily is on Bed Rest – HenBlog – Monday, May 18, 2015

...Terry Golson Amazing that she recovered! Terry Golson Oh dear! Donna Oh Terry! I am so sorry to hear this. Lily has become OUR dog too. Have you tried those big bully sticks? It takes forever for them to eat them down but they keep my little guy really busy. I know they are made of something grose? But even my natural pet store carries them? Let me know. Hugs to you my friend and Lily and all the critters. I also use those dog puzzles where you hide a treat? I can send the link. They have them on...

My Dog Nurses – HenBlog – Saturday, December 18, 2010

...at bay. I just watched Wall-E. Just right for the state I'm in! Love the details and Wall-E's sweet sense of wonder. Deborah Hello from Edmonton, Canada. This is my first time writing to you. One of the first things I do in the morning when I get to work (all alone in the office) is check the hencam. I really get a kick out of seeing the hens, Candy and the goats. Goats and dolphins always seem to be smiling. They always bring a smile to MY face. I have been reading the henblog now for about 3 months...

Pepto-Bismol for Pip – HenBlog – Tuesday, September 25, 2012

...heart-breaking thing and over the years the details have dimmed.give pip -(pep) a hug with that picture, you couldn't help it Terry Golson Jean, farming so often is learning from one's mistakes, isn't it? And hoping the mistakes aren't too serious. Thank you for sharing your story. Terry Golson 20 pounds of dog food? Amazing. But rather funny about the breaking and entering :) Martina I thought of your boys when I saw this on the news: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1244150--goats-as-groundskeepers-golf-course-says-employing-animals-is-eco-friendly-alternative Glad Pip is ok. Love the pink beard. Terry Golson The goats would certainly prefer the poison ivy to the grass! I...

A Sticky Situation – HenBlog – Wednesday, May 30, 2012

...was watching on youtube, the was saying he uses this non pesticide thing with water in it that catches flies, they are a bit more expensive but seem to be chicken proof. Maybe this could be an alternate, though he lives in Canada so I don't know if the products he uses are avaible in Mass. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fOyHS7m-mY&list=UUe02R4jhI4YVd6rljP9uhrQ&index=1&feature=plcp I think he said they were 17 dollars a piece or for two, but they work real well, and act as a water trap to drown the flies and kill a lot of them. Anna I never believed it when I read about...

The Bright Side – HenBlog – Tuesday, May 20, 2014

...my favorite tomatoes is Pink Berkeley Tie-dye - http://www.anniesannuals.com/plt_lst/lists/general/lst.gen.asp?prodid=3417. It has wonderful flavor and is a color riot. I couldn't find starter plants for it this year so am growing a Brandywine, three Celebrities, a Stupice (another cool summer fav), a red grape, and several plum tomatoes for canning. I've found that the best tasting tomatoes are dry farmed because it concentrates the flavor. The downside is that you get less tomatoes but the ones you get sure taste good. :-) Carolyn I gave up on trying to grow tomatoes on my deck. North Carolina squirrels just adore them and...

Chickens In Extreme Cold – HenBlog – Friday, January 3, 2014

...winter is here and she, once again, shows she's a tough old bird, unafraid of the white stuff. In decent weather, some hens sleep on roosts outside of their henhouses. It seems they are now appreciative of the snuggy protection of the henhouses and will share inside roosts over the next few days. My best to all of you as we learn and understand care of our domestic flocks in all kinds of situations. Terry, thanks for sharing your daily routine and knowledge. Your site is most enjoyable. Laura A. Yes I did see the goats helping! Our goats are...

New Chicken Coop Bedding – HenBlog – Monday, November 25, 2013

...that it accumulated as usual, especially under the roosts. I muck out weekly, and the manure was as dry and as easy to pick up as it is in shavings. The task would, however, have taken a tad less time without the rabbit’s help. I was impressed enough with the trial that I bought four bags. The product is not yet widely available, so I used the dealer search page on the Lucerne website to find a store that carried it. I had to drive a ways to purchase it, but I always love an excuse to go to a...

Chicken Keeping Podcast – HenBlog – Thursday, October 10, 2013

Bobbie Wonderful interview Terry! Brenda Enjoyed the interview very much. Lots of good info. Jen from Va That was a great interview. I learn something here everyday I come. I did go into chicken keeping starry eyed. I'm hoping we can handle the stages of their lives. Ours really are pets. They've given me nothing but pleasure. The reason it's been a success is because of all the information that was obtained on this site. Back to the interview, I especially liked the advice on what to feed and what not to leave in run. Makes me feel good to...

Before The Frost – HenBlog – Tuesday, September 17, 2013

...is just miserable. I can only imagine crisp fall days. Oh well, there is no place like home! Donna I pulled all the crummy stuff outta my garden too. Such that is was....a HUGE failure this year..your tomatoes look BEAUTIFUL even with blight! I did watch the Weather Channel and I ALWAYS look to see your weather...The 30's..WOW!!!!!!! Marie Our first frost up here in Vermont was last night. About normal for us. jaye I had to scrape my windshield before heading out this morning (SE Ontario, Canada). About normal for us as well: Most years we get at least...

Welcome Predators – HenBlog – Monday, July 22, 2013

...thank so much. Joyce Cherrier Great photos! Love your love of nature :) Michelle D I too never knew there were so many kinds of dragon flies !! and the colors !! Thanks for the pics By the way Lucy laid an egg again after almost a week !!!!! I thank you for your advice Terry Terry Golson Yay, Lucy! Pamalee There is a Facebook page called "North Odonata" https://www.facebook.com/groups/241657275954604/ where they will be able to identify your dragonfly photo. I am a photographer myself and saw this on FB when a friend of mind posted a dragon fly photo...

Opal On The Mend – HenBlog – Thursday, July 11, 2013

Michelle D Awesome news today !!!! yeah !!!! Kellie So glad everyone is on the mend. Thank you so much for sharing, all your post are so helpful with my own little flock. Do you have any ideas on what maybe could be done to keep the outbreak from happening. And also what kind of antibiotics did you give your girls? Jean Osborn Barnicoat yay Opal! and yay for all of them! so glad! Lisa Hi Terry.......I'm very much enjoying your blog. I've never understood the need for blogs before until now. I found your website because I was looking...

Old Home Day – HenBlog – Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Lesley S Love this!! Our town has a pop. of 10,000 now but when I first came in the 1970`s it was very small like your town. We just celebrated `Canada Day` on July 1st and there are always similar activities but the car show is the big attraction during the day, then the fire department puts on a fantastic fireworks show in the harbour at dusk. It is always a great day to catch up with old friends and appreciate where we live.......Enjoy! Melissa Since we're getting rain, rain and more rain in most of Georgia (2-4 inches predicted...

Selecting The School Visit Hen – HenBlog – Wednesday, May 15, 2013

...they're connected to her brain is another story. Terry Golson Too bad you're not up for a car trip. People are driving down from Canada, and also coming in from Missouri, for the next workshop. Jonathan I am so happy your Buff Orps are nice and gentle, Mine is probably the equivelent to Siouxsie, I will never get this breed again, she is just sketchy and skiddish and she screams like a little girl, it;s scarey... Katverine Hi Terri, I think you might be have mistakenly indicated Opal as Pearl in the blog post. Opal appears twice. Pearl is one...

In Bloom Now – HenBlog – Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Marie Beautiful........ Jen WOW! Gorgeous..... Sheila Breathtaking photos, thanks for sharing. Kris Beautiful flowers. Your pictures are always so pretty. What are you shooting with? Are these all perennials? I would love to know the names of the third and fourth from the top. Miriam H Terry, Here is a 'chicken story' from Canada. We are brand new chicken keepers with four young Buff Orpingtons(?) raised from tiny chicks. They are now seven weeks old. We call one of them Golda - because she has beautiful yellow feet and beak. The others all have pinkish white feet. Why? We checked...

Chicken Cookies – The Vintage Hen – Sunday, March 3, 2013

...LOL! That naked-neck cookie cutter is dual purpose: a rooster in the spring, and a turkey in the fall! Maybe the designer got chickens and turkeys mixed up... Reminds me of a story about my brother-in-law. Upon seeing some geese, he said in an astonished tone: "Those are some big ___ ducks!" Terry Golson Funny!Most people can't tell sheep and goats apart, either. Miriam H I just love Lauren's illustrations...in Canada we have to wait until March 19th to get Once Upon a Flock..looking forward to it! Michele b Oh my gosh. I have that same small hen cutter. It...

Hens in the Bitter Cold – HenBlog – Thursday, January 24, 2013

...has been an unnerving first chicken winter for me, but you are right, as always, in that that they will be just fine! Thank you! Miriam H We are in a 'deep freeze' up here in Canada. It gets to -30C (-22F) at night. Our insulated coop with its water heater base gets to -14C (6.8F) at night. By the weekend temperatures will moderate. We are adding more heat to the coop during the day by changing our 25W bulb to 40 W and then to 60W as the cold intensifies. The light goes off for the night and comes...

Preparing For Winter – HenBlog – Thursday, October 18, 2012

...the heating plate at the ready. I can imagine the hens will be fighting over it in the coldest months if I don't get a waterer on it. The goats seem to have built-in smiles. Marcia Matthysse I love the photo of the windows in the coop. It looks like a painting, maybe an Andrew Wyeth. Jaye Greetings from Canada, Terry. Love your website. It's my morning dose of "... all's right with the world". BTW, not sure if you're aware of this, but your Hen cam, Inside cam and Goat cam seem to have stopped working at 11:47 this...

It’s Greek To Me – HenBlog – Thursday, June 10, 2010

note: this post has been updated with a translation! It’s rare to find old postcards with pictures of nice goats. There’s joke cards with butting billies, and tourist snaps of mountain goats. But, rarely do you see anything with dairy goats. That’s not surprising since there wasn’t much of a market for goat milk or cheese in this country until recently. So, when I saw this card at last month’s Brimfield Flea Market, I didn’t hesitate to buy it. Look at those gorgeous bucks and their shepherds! No doubt this is the “Greatest Goat Farm in New England.” I couldn’t...

Marge’s Postmortem – HenBlog – Tuesday, June 8, 2010

...meadow. I thought about taking pics, but that was too much. I'll have to get the Roberts book - but it's not in stock in this country. Yet another reason to visit the UK! Anna Check Stromberg's site, it looks like they have it. I may need to get my own copy! http://www.strombergschickens.com/books/chicken_books.php Terry Golson Thanks - but I really want an excuse to visit my chicken friends in the UK! :) Tory I'm so sorry Terry. I know how difficult it can be to lose a beloved animal. I'm sure that Marge would rather have died with you knowing...

Bathtime – HenBlog – Sunday, March 28, 2010

...googled Martha Stewart. Her listing has a number of choices to click. I chose "tv" to get http://www.marthastewart.com/affiliateinfo. On the right there's a link for 'Local TV Listings'. You can fill in your zip code and get the date, time, and channel according to your provider. For me it's Friday, April 2, 2:00, KNBC (or NBCHD). I've already got it set to record! Hope this helps. ~Vicki Larry Can't wait to hear all about your trip and share it with our fellow Fernites! Colleen How are you doing in the most recent Deluge? I've set my kids to ark building.......

Eggers Goes Wading – HenBlog – Tuesday, March 23, 2010

...the part about Eggers being "punky"...that is the best word I have when my birds are not quite right..I wish Eggers a speedy recovery. Also, interesting webcam that you might like...an owl in San Marcos (down San Diego way)...Mama Owl and Baby Max have quite a following...Check it out..I think you might like it! www.ustream/theowlbox Terry Golson The owl cam is wonderful! Ann-Marie Hi Terry, I have been watching your girls as much as I can with the difference in the daylight times here in Australia. I noticed that Eggers was sitting on the perch and the others had got...

Spring Clean Up – HenBlog – Saturday, March 6, 2010

...many times I have put everything to rights in the barn and then am heading to my car in "dress" clothes (i.e suitable to be seen in public with no holes from snagging on fencing, goat or dog or pony hair, or poop stains from animals)when I see a barn disaster and have to go fix it. I ruined a pair of shoes yesterday when I saw the automatic water trough was running over for no reason except that I had just put on nice white sneakers. Aaagh! www.ruffledfeathersandspilledmilk.com Terry Golson I know I don't buy "dry clean only" clothes!...

Little Pond Farm Retirement Home for Old Hens – HenBlog – Wednesday, February 17, 2010

...comment on chickens in the back yard. I have one convert at my place of employment. She now has 12 hens and loves them. I am working on the second one. She asks me additional questions almost everyday. I am working hard on the mission of at least two hens in every backyard ;-) Terry Golson Have you sent her to HenCam? She'll be getting goats, too :) Ken from a cold St Louis Actually I did. I also got her to buy a subscription to Backyard Poultry Mag. Donna I am with you Terry..My girls stay with me until...

Funny First Eggs – HenBlog – Monday, February 15, 2010

...site when a friend sent me Susan Orlean's article in the September 2009 New Yorker which mentions Terry's webcam! This photo of the eggs had me laughing out loud and sending the site to 3 other friends with chickens here on Mercer Island, WA where I live. We have a new up and running "Urban Farming Network" now hosted through a new gardening/social networking site called "www.digthedirt.com". Thanks for the inspiration to keep up the chicken husbandry thing, now with more gusto and confidence than before! Morgan Brewster She is a very pretty chicken, this story made my day better....

February Eggs – HenBlog – Sunday, February 7, 2010

...website advertised in Scholastic magazine order forms at the Early Head Start in Pt. Angeles, WA. I'm doing a lesson plan on Chickens and Eggs for my Early Childhood Education's, Creative Curriculum class. I was so excited when I saw your book. I ordered it and have been devouring your site all day today. I shared it with classmates in a post. Hopefully others will look you up. My husband is building me a wonderful hen house. Hope to have layers by May. Thanks for all your pictures and information. Terry Golson Thanks! A lot of schools have egg hatching...

Egger's Good Day – HenBlog – Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Hylla Evans Yes, please come read to the interns at the farm institute school, www.greenstringinstitute.org . We can supply your choice of actresses to play Tillie. We can even set up a casting couch for you to audition them ;-) Follow it with great dinner, then maybe a day teaching at Ramekin's in Sonoma to adults. Eggs eggs eggs. Terry Golson So tempting! Especially since it is snowing right now. Would LOVE to travel out your way. Rebecca Boyce Would you be interested in coming for a visit in Florida? I teach Kindergarten in a town called Bradenton just south...

Worms – HenBlog – Thursday, January 21, 2010

...of my readers want to comment? I'd worry that you'd have garlic eggs. Go with the DE. In my experience, it works. It seems that it "never rains but it pours" in California. Poor llama. What do you give a llama for treats? I imagine a soggy llama would have a soggy llama smell.... Wendy A very timely post - just picked up my wormer for the hens today. In England we can buy layer's pellets that have a wormer already in them, made by a company called `Marriage's' - so much easier than mixing the powder in and you're...