Found 99 hits.

Coop Dimensions And Design Criteria – FAQ – Housing

...You’ll need storage for grain, bedding and tools. I prefer coops and runs that I can walk into for ease of cleaning and also so that I can spend time with my chickens. Don’t be swayed by the ads that tout small starter coops. Buying one will be an expensive mistake, as you’ll need replace it later on. Design and build the right housing from the start and you’ll have a healthy, peaceful, productive flock. 6 x 8 foot design from a 1930 catalog If you’re looking for ideas, I have a Pinterest board with examples of small coop designs....

Do Chickens Transmit Diseases to People? – FAQ – Health and Behavior

...the press. Instead, let’s go over what you need to know about the hens in your backyard. The biggest fear that many have is of Bird Flu. The first cases of H5N2 appeared in North America in December of 2014. This is highly pathogenic to poultry, but at this point is not a concern to humans. Cases in the news of people getting sick are almost always in situations in which many dead and diseased birds are handled in close and unsanitary conditions. Even in those situations, the symptoms are mild. There are no cases of human to human transmission....

Introduction to Chicken Keeping – FAQ – Health and Behavior

...haven to spend the night. It doesn’t have to be elaborate or huge, although a fanciful coop can be a feature of your garden design. It is essential that the coop is large enough. Too many of the prefab coops currently being marketed are way too small, with no windows or adequate ventilation. Plan on a minimum of 4 square feet per chicken of interior floor space, and another minimum of 8 square feet outside. For details about coop design see my FAQ. The more space your chickens have, the healthier and happier they’ll be. The term pecking order definitely...

Introducing New Hens to an Existing Flock – FAQ – Health and Behavior

...next to the existing coop and run. Keep the new hen there for few days until no one pays her any mind (at first there might be chest thumping and pecking along the fence line.) Then, have the new hen explore the coop and run without being bothered by the flock (let them free-range, or have them out in the pen while she checks out the coop, and vice versa.) Let the new girl look around so that she can discover where the food, water, roosts, etc. are. Then, if you can, let everyone out onto the lawn where they...

Hot Weather Care for Chickens – FAQ – Housing

...for their chickens, and cool off their coops by spraying water on the roofs. I don’t have to do that where I live, but when it’s in the high 90s, I’ll hose down the dirt in the run, which brings some relief. Besides, the chickens are fascinated by running water! Your chickens must have shade. My hens hang out in the compost pile, which is shaded by the barn and trees, and where the dirt is moist and cool. If you can’t site your coop in a shady spot, put a shade awning up. I also put up a shade...

Small Coop Design – HenBlog – Friday, December 7, 2012

...board on Pinterest where I pin examples of what I think are good coop design. Take a look. A HenCam reader sent a photo of her coop to me, which is worth sharing with you. She has only .18 acre, but her hens are well-cared for in this design. I like that there’s a people-sized door to access the run. A local carpenter built this for her, and he added touches of whimsy. Take a look at the moon carving on the circle window and the star on the screen door! Do you have any charming accents on your coop?...

Chicken Coop Dimensions and Design Criteria – HenBlog – Wednesday, March 6, 2013

...You’ll need storage for grain, bedding and tools. I prefer coops and runs that I can walk into for ease of cleaning and also so that I can spend time with my chickens. Don’t be swayed by the ads that tout small starter coops. Buying one will be an expensive mistake, as you’ll need replace it later on. Design and build the right housing from the start and you’ll have a healthy, peaceful, productive flock. 6 x 8 foot design from a 1930 catalog If you’re looking for ideas, I have a Pinterest board with examples of small coop designs....

Chicken Coop Design – HenBlog – Wednesday, November 4, 2015

...especially at night. That's why I close all windows and lock up that pop door! ted Am happy that folks have enjoyed seeing the coop and run.The hardware cloth on the run is buried and extends about a foot out from the structure.A coop of this deign could easily be extended by adding additional greenhouse hoops,which are quite inexpensive.Good suggestion to add some cloth under the coop to prevent critters from getting in there.Thanks for input. Terry Golson Again, thanks for sharing! I'd like to add that you don't want to put hardware cloth all the way under the run...

Chicken to Human Diseases? – HenBlog – Monday, July 16, 2012

...of birds, usually waterfowl, not chickens. Another disease that you might have heard is zoonotic (transmissible from animal to human) is Newcastle Disease. Rest assured that it isn’t of great concern for backyard chicken keepers. In chickens it causes respiratory ailments. Transmitted to humans it triggers mild conjunctivitis, but even this is usually only seen in people who administer the Newcastle vaccine to poultry, or are lab workers who do necropsies. Two other zoonotic diseases are erysipelas and chlamydiosis, which are mostly hosted by turkeys, and only affect humans who work in slaughterhouses, and farmers of large flocks. Avian tuberculosis...

Sitting In The Coop – HenBlog – Thursday, December 12, 2013

The design of your coop affects so many things: the health of your flock, how the birds will get along with each other, and even how many eggs they lay. I’ve written about coop design criteria here. Coop design also affects how you get along with your flock. If the structure is no bigger than a dog house, and you have to bend over to peer into a small window, then you won’t be part of your birds’ nighttime routine. When the weather is bad, you’ll run quickly out and back and won’t interact with your girls. But, if the...

Coop Design – The Vintage Hen – Monday, June 18, 2012

Before there were round hay bales wrapped in white plastic, and before there were rectangular bales held together with twine, there was loose hay. Piles of it. For the fortunate farmer with acres of fields, there was the problem of what to do with the bounty. Not compacted into bales, it didn’t all fit in a barn. Some hay was left in the fields. It was rained and snowed on and there were losses, but the mounds were constructed in a certain way, and most of the hay would remain good through the winter. As long as the farmer had...

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

...out in the middle of the day I would say half of my flocks are sitting on the roosts. I believe they do they for two reasons, a way to keep their feet warm and a way to have a little piece and quiet away from the activity on the floor. Terry Golson Hi Kathleen - thanks for buying my book! For the best definition of the various "certified humane" read this Cornucopia page. The problem is that factory farms have created their own "certified humane" but the Humane Society also has a certification - so you really have to...

Coop Ventilation – HenBlog – Friday, May 23, 2014

...inside of the coop dropped 20 degrees. If possible, have cross-ventilation. Windows are good. For those days when the it’s brutally hot and humid, I run a box fan to move the air. If in doubt, put a thermometer inside of the coop. Those small box coops, sited in the sun, can become ovens without you realizing it. So, knowing all of this science of moisture transfer, and damp manure, what should a small coop look like? I have a FAQ with coop design criteria here. For ventilation, and for many other reasons (including behavior issues), the best coops have...

Brood Coops – The Vintage Hen – Thursday, March 21, 2013

...for by a hen who was very people friendly, but shielded the chicks from human contact even from me. all of the chickens are now pullets who are skiddish untrusting and very weary of people. unlike the brood before that were brooded by people who are very people friendly, lol if none of that makes sense, if you want your chicks to grow up to be human personable, hand brood them, if you dont care if they they may not be human personable, let a hen brood them... Kathleen I have 20 coming the same week. 10 layers and 10...

A Cow Girl’s Pet – The Vintage Hen – Tuesday, May 13, 2014

...lives. Tonka doesn’t have job as a roping cowpony (which is what he was bred to do) but just look at his face. This is a horse who has a calm sense of self worth and confidence in his human. It’s a relationship that I never take for granted. It requires thought and nurturing, but doesn’t everything that’s worthwhile? A Cow Girl’s Pet captures the cooperative and affectionate nature of the best of animal and human relationships, and so I’m making it available through my store as a card. What’s the story of a person that you’d send it to?...

End Of Life Decisions – HenBlog – Wednesday, September 28, 2011

...a chicken, living until she couldn't anymore. My realism doesn't detract at all from her life - but seeing her as what she truly was, instead of with layers of human emotions pinned to her - makes me appreciate the chicken-ness of her. I don't need my chickens to have human emotions. What a chicken does gift us is their live in the moment life. Observe and be part of that. A chicken does have an emotional life, I'm not denying that, but it's not ours. If there's any lesson at all, it's to appreciate the unique perspective of the...

Bird Flu and Backyard Hens – HenBlog – Thursday, March 5, 2015

...the most about in the news because they have caused several hundred human deaths. Look closely at these cases, and you find that the stricken people were often exposed to large quantities of diseased dead birds in unsanitary live poultry markets, or they were collecting feathers from dead wildfowl. There has been no human-to-human transmission. Nor is there a risk when eating properly cooked eggs and meat. The poultry industry is rightly worried about this virus spreading. They have a lot of animals at stake. Some barns house 50,000 hens, and exposure to the virus means that all of the...

A Solstice Tale – HenBlog – Friday, December 21, 2012

I remember reading, when I was very young, folktales about animals speaking at midnight on Christmas Eve. As a little girl, I’d wondered about that – about animals who normally sleep at night, staying awake to speak in English. For the sort of practical and literal-minded child that I was, it didn’t make sense. Certainly, it sounded wonderful for any human who happened to be in the barn at that moment, but who would? Besides, didn’t the animals already speak to each other in their own ways, in their own animal languages? Why speak human? Even when I was as...

Suburban Chicken Keeping – The Vintage Hen – Thursday, December 20, 2012

Chicken keeping in the suburbs is considered a trendy thing to do these days. But this “trend” is almost a hundred years old, as seen in this Lay or Bust Yearbook and Almanac from 1921. illustration from the Lay or Bust Yearbook, 1921 collection of Terry Golson, HenCam.com This coop style remains a practical design, and books from that era give directions for how to build them out of piano crates....

What’s Going On Here? – HenBlog – Monday, November 14, 2011

...pecking order. She doesn’t have a motherly, coddling bone in her body. The prime sleeping position is on the highest rung of the ladder. Ruby was late to get to her rightful place. She was busy laying an egg. By the time she hopped up, the perch was full. She tried to shove everyone out of the way. Roosting birds are hard to move. Ruby almost fit. She squeezed in all but her wings. And so Ruby ended up in this rather ignominious position. After a bit more jostling, wings were tucked in and all went to sleep. Knowing that...

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

...coming up, and I needed a website, and a live cam would be interesting, wouldn’t it? Installing and operating the cams was easier said than done. It wasn’t like there was kit to purchase. Steve had to figure out how to make this happen. We spent thousands of dollars on wiring, cameras and technical equipment to run it. Over the years we’ve spent thousands more on hosting fees and other computer necessities. Steve put in countess hours.   Because of the cams, the website itself couldn’t be a stock template. I had to hire a designer. The cost exceeded any...

Broody Coop – The Vintage Hen – Wednesday, May 7, 2014

...mingle.   Sadly, I see many prefab coops on the market that are based on this design and being sold as housing for adult, urban flocks. These are not appropriate for anything other than sheltering the hen and chicks for the first month. For more about coop design, see this FAQ, and go to my Pinterest page where you’ll find some examples of good small coops. I’ve always wanted to tuck chicks under a broody hen, but my broodies always, right before the chicks arrive, snap out of it and foil my plans. Have you had any success? Tell me!...

Ta-Dah! A Revamped HenCam – HenBlog – Sunday, May 27, 2012

It’s been a long time in the making, and the revamped HenCam is finally up. There’s a charming new facade and a cheerful logo. Behind the good looks there has been a major reorganization. A priority in the redesign was to improve navigation. The homepage has sidebars so you can see what’s new and interesting at HenCam. There is an obvious, expandable page for FAQs. The FAQ page also has a place for recipes! Events are more clearly listed, and there are pages to explain what my programs are and how to book me. I’m very excited about adding a...

Candy’s Bad Weather Day – HenBlog – Friday, January 13, 2012

...keep an eye on everyone but they can’t trod on her. Her expression is inscrutable, but her behavior shows that Candy does like the company of chickens. The miserable weather continued. All of the hens stayed indoors. But Candy, in her thick fur coat (and abundant layer of fat) spent some time gnawing at the pumpkin. After all, a rabbit does get bored and hungry. At the end of the day the chickens go on their roost and Candy goes back outside, once again, waiting on the human. When she sees me she runs up the ramp and waits at...

A Chicken’s Sense of Smell – HenBlog – Monday, February 24, 2014

...up scratch feed like it is their last meal but pick all days long at their laying pellets? Mine are so ticked at me in the morning when I put layer pellets in their feeder rather than scratch. They run in, look and run back out into the run. I can't imagine that the grain is any better tasting than the layer feed. Robin And then there's the excited chicken version of "Yes!" followed by the mad dash after anything that wiggles and squirms. :) Lesley S Well chickens have eyes too Ken. A good chef will tell you a...

From a Horse’s Perspective – HenBlog – Thursday, October 22, 2015

...look for danger in the distance. They notice out of the ordinary movements. A fluttering ribbon on a tree first registers in a horse’s brain as a mountain lion. A horse has a keen sense of hearing, so that pinecone that a squirrel drops could be a grenade. Underestimated by us humans is how much a horse relies on his sense of smell. New research suggests that their noses are as astute as those of dogs. The rider who gets annoyed at her horse for tensing up when “there’s nothing there” is wrong. There’s always something there, we humans are...

A Northern Coop – HenBlog – Monday, September 22, 2014

...There are large windows to let in the low winter light. Under the windows are screens for additional ventilation. During inclement weather, these are covered with a board that swings down and latches. There are nesting boxes accessible to the outside, a pop door going into a covered run, and a convenient full-sized door for people. You can imagine how cozy and yet filled with fresh air, this coop will be in the winter.   I’ll be talking at length about coop design at the Chicken Keeping Workshops this Sunday at my home in Carlisle, MA. Spaces remain. Sign up...

What the USDA Really Thinks About Backyard Poultry – HenBlog – Friday, October 15, 2010

A recent symposium hosted by Ceva Animal Health (an animal pharmeceutical company) addressed the topic of vaccines in the poultry industry. One of the speakers was Dr. Andrew Rhorer from the National Poultry Improvement Plan. Here is a quote from the Ceva Animal Health write-up on Dr. Rhorer’s presentation: According to Dr Rohrer, raising backyard poultry, hobby chickens and interaction with chickens at shops or other consumer events or fairs could reduce the change to control avian and human influenza succesfully [sic]. (quotation found here.) Got that? A USDA official is stating that backyard poultry is a danger to the...

George Thanks Me – HenBlog – Monday, December 14, 2015

George is one of my clients. He’s developed a skin condition on his legs. It’s very itchy.   George thanks me for my care.   Animals do express gratitude, but we humans are often dull to what they are telling us. One reason that my animals talk to me is that I stay focused on them. I often see people at the barn talking with their friends while grooming their horses. I prefer to socialize only with my horse. (Later I’ll chat with my human friends.) Maybe it comes from those years of not being able to hear very well....

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

...when I get up at 6:30 am (it has been as low as -18C). No frostbite showing. At 4 pm, all four hens are huffed up, settled in the run, feet protected. It's -11C. They're happy and, I must add, laying eggs. The coop is a Canadian design called Ready Coop (see website). It is insulated and, these days, there is a 25W light on from 8 am to 4 pm. The pine bedding is dry and there is ventilation from the add-on brooder area and above the roost. This vent can be controlled with a sliding cover or even...

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

...on mean kicks, and if so, how best to accomplish that feat? Does she know of some helpful techniques? Diane Burnham I would have asked...I am just starting out with 4 chickens and 1 frizzle rooster. I converted a portable horse stall into housing and the outside run is a 10' x 10' dog run. This seems to work well but now that spring is here I want to clean their pen. Is there anything that I should use to clean or sanitize the dirt area that they use? I want to keep them healthy but not sure what to...

Snow. Bunny. – HenBlog – Tuesday, December 10, 2013

...out but may have to. carol rugowski She looks like a Christmas card...sweet Mary Hall She is so beautiful. Lucky lady to have such a beautiful bunny. Terry Golson You Californians worry about weather that we'd be wearing t-shirts in! :) Terry Golson Holding on. She spends her days in the corner. But sometimes she walks over to eat Phoebe's rabbit pellets! Terry Golson As long as they can stay dry and out of the wind they don't mind being out. But, if your hens are getting soaked instead of going inside, then there's something about the coop that they...

Mid-century Chicken – The Vintage Hen – Monday, August 6, 2012

wendy I'm thinking that's a linocut waiting to happen.... is a bit roostery though, looks as though it's really yelling! Terry Golson Lulu was always talking. Looks like loud chatting to me :) Sara Aw...I still miss Lulu. Cute design. Ken She's just announcing she laid an egg. Natalie, the Chickenblogger She's a lovely one. Good apron contender. Would look stunning finished in punch needle embroidery, too. Sheri Oh yeah, it's a hen. With the color they chose, she's female. Pretty color too. It would definitely make a nice apron. Just center it on the front and you could use...

Preparing for Irene – HenBlog – Friday, August 26, 2011

...weird to think about these things here in the northeast. Regarding books, since you are a dog lover I highly recommend the Spencer Quinn mystery series. They are about a human guy private investigator and his dog Chet. The books are written from the dog's perspective and they are hilarious! The cases are pretty good too! http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Spencer-Quinn/47111415/books Hope you and the farm are fine during the storm! Kit Yep know how you feel. I live in the Hampton Roads area of VA and this is going to be bad as Isabel back in 2003. I just hope we won't be...

Snow! – HenBlog – Sunday, December 6, 2009

...across the pond for us? Must warn my cats and hens - it's going to get chilly!!!! Celia Ken Somewhere in evolution snow ate chickens, mine are terrified of it. I can always open the human door and leave it open when we have snow on the ground and not fear one single escape. When I go in to feed, water etc. I leave the human door open and if one accidentally gets nudge by another as they peer out the one getting pushed out will make a desperate attempt to fly to the honeysuckle bushes so unless it's one...

T-Boning – HenBlog – Friday, March 9, 2012

Kathleen How funny is this? Amazing how much they mirror human relationships. I am somewhat chagrinned to admit it but I am Pip and my sister is Caper. And like you, my mom loved us both. Yes, my sister Karen is the smart sister although I am rounder. Terry Golson Funny, Kathleen! I think there are many life lessons to be learned from this. Not the least of it is that it took me a full year before I realized that Caper was the smart one. It's so important to stay open to changes and revelations about those we love....

Comfort and Joy – HenBlog – Sunday, December 23, 2012

...a different pace. Sun low in the sky, long nights for dreaming, reading or playing monopoly. Comfort and joy! Celia Happy Holidays to you and your family Terry.......I wish you the best this oncoming 2013 season. Enjoy your site so much. Love all your animals and their antics....! I have three Siamese cats and they give us lots of entertainment! The mischief they get into is just amazing. Celia~Maine Vidal Since finding this website there have been many mornings before rushing off to work, that i just had to have a glimpse of the hens! On the weekends I often...

Tina – HenBlog – Monday, December 10, 2012

...you, Terry. Susan RIP glamorous Tina. We do have favorites-human nature, I guess. Fascinating creatures, these little hens who share our lives. I'm a new hen keeper-I appreciate your frank and insightful posts-please keep them coming! KathyG Me too on all the above comments. 'Sensible' and 'loving' belong in the same sentence. Now that my oldest girls are slowing down, I am starting to brace myself for losing them in the next few years. Alas, I don't know how to do the 'quick, humane death' except what I've read in books. My husband is even more tender-hearted than I am....

A Sea Change – HenBlog – Tuesday, February 17, 2015

...change is defined as a broad transformation. I was witness to it last Saturday night. The next day Karen introduced me to one of her favorite places in the city – the Morgan Library, where there was a special exhibition of Lincoln’s writings. His genius and his humanity was there to read in his own hand. There is so much going on in the world right now that is horrible and barbaric. It’s depleting. But this weekend I felt like I was on a boat, being lifted and turned by the sea change. Let’s all try to follow that tide....

Oh, Deer! – HenBlog – Tuesday, February 25, 2014

...deer, "Called the private life of deers". It is well worth watching, they ar so intelligencent, and so social I am so surpirsed no one has successfully domesicated them. Some white tail deer are so smart that they will figure out how to use cross walks on streets to cross safely. Others if you watch the documentary know how far each dog that lives in their territory will run and the deer will only run to the end of each individual dog's yard, then just stop and just lesiurely walk away. So that is what I am sure the deer...

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

...actually a small rubber chicken. The lock by the way is a dead bolt, yes a dead bolt. When I had my new chicken coop built after the tornado destroyed the old one I told the builder I wanted the human door to be a steel door. Well it came with a hole for a dead bolt so one had to be installed. My friends and family really ribbed me about that dead bolt on the chicken coop. Wendy & David Scott It would hold the key for the padlocks that secure our coop's doors. Yes a padlock, we've heard...

Roosting Outside – HenBlog – Tuesday, June 10, 2014

...gym in their run.. It started in late Feburary (wasn't too hot in there!), I keep the coop scrupulously dry & clean, no mites, no furniture changes, they'd slept happily in it for a year, as had many chickens before them without incident, and the new pullets who I introduced just a few weeks ago think it's just fine and put themselves to bed inside no muss no fuss. But Cow and Fozzie insist on roosting either up in the rafters of the run, or on their little 3 foot high jungle gym. The run is well sealed up with...

The Chicken Keeping Workshop – HenBlog – Sunday, July 31, 2011

On Saturday sixteen people arrived here at Little Pond Farm for a Chicken Keeping Workshop. One came from just two miles up the road, and another from New Jersey – 300 miles away! There were young boys and grandparents and people in-between. Some attendees already had chickens, and some were planning on getting them. Everyone came with a happy enthusiasm, and that mood of good cheer lasted the entire afternoon. Here Agnes is showing how calm a chicken can be, despite laughter and being in a crowd of on-lookers. It was hot, so we discussed coop design while standing in...

Garden Inspiration – HenBlog – Monday, August 15, 2011

We went to Maine for a few days last week. The last thing on the list of what my teenage sons would choose to do is to go to a botanical garden. But on the last day I told everyone that that was just what we were going to do. On the drive home, we stopped in at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. It’s only four years old, which is brand new as far as gardens go, but without mature plantings it gives you a chance to see the structure of the garden design. My favorite area was the children’s...

Hot Weather Preparations – HenBlog – Friday, June 6, 2014

Although I’m always asked about how to care for chickens in cold weather (don’t they need heat? and what about snow?) after twenty years of backyard chicken keeping, I can tell you that your flock will weather cold weather just fine. (It’s all about good coop design and management. See here.) I wish, instead, that people would ask, How will my hens do in the heat?. The answer to that is that chickens get heat stressed. When it’s too hot, and they don’t have cool water, they can die between the time you leave for work and the time that...

Goat Mineral Dispenser – HenBlog – Wednesday, October 10, 2012

After the recent scare with Pip’s bellyache, I decided that occasionally giving the boys their goat minerals wasn’t enough. They needed a feeder. There’s not a lot of goats around here and the feed stores don’t carry sturdy goat-proof dispensers. So, I found this plan online, and Steve built it. The goats offered their assistance with the installation. But Caper thought that the power drill was a head scratcher, so the goats were asked to wait outside. Minerals, designed especially for goats, are essential for their health. I poured the mineral into the feeder and let the goats back into...

Chicken Coop Flooring – HenBlog – Friday, December 5, 2014

...my barn. Nothing can get in.   Concrete is easy to keep clean. I actually enjoy sweeping the barn.   In the summer, the floor stays cool. In the winter, however, it does hold onto cold. The goats’ stall is lined with a rubber mat, which insulates them from the chill. It’s easier on their legs, too. (Caper, you might have noticed, is lame. He’s had a bone chip in his knee since he was little. Soft footing is a kindness to him.)   Chickens don’t need a rubber mat. However, in the winter I do add a bit of...

I Don’t Need Perfection – HenBlog – Monday, August 5, 2013

...are pollen-free hybrids. That means that the blooms won’t leave a dusty mess around the vase, and the centers will be a perfect black.   But, no pollen means no bees, and I like seeing their fuzzy legs covered in gold.   And no pollen means no seeds for the goldfinches to eat.   Although my sunflowers start out beautiful,   they don’t stay that way for long. Sustaining the local creatures takes it’s toll.   In the large scheme of garden design, raggedy edges don’t matter. Besides, all you need are adorable garden ornaments to distract from the imperfections....

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

...indie shops.) Of course, while looking about, I kept an eye out for chickens. There was this teapot. Take off the top (and use it as a cup) and underneath that is another cup. Under that is a tea strainer. A Danish company was selling Scandinavian design home accessories. Which I love. Especially the egg cups. Just looking at them made me happy I met a woman who designs and sells temporary tattoos. Did you know that you can put them on eggs? She has this chicken tattoo that I might have to wear at my next Chicken Keeping Workshop....

Just for Fun – HenBlog – Wednesday, February 10, 2016

I have a collection of vintage chicken-themed items. Most were purchased as props for my books. Most are in storage. They’re too fun to be left in boxes, but I have too many to use as decor in my house. I do have a few carefully curated decorative hens on display, but I don’t want this to look like the home of a crazy chicken lady! So, I’m selling off some of my stuff on eBay so it can be appreciated by others. I love the mid-century colors and design of this coaster and napkin set.   Someone, surely, has...

Preparing the Coops and Chickens for a Storm – HenBlog – Friday, January 22, 2016

...just fine, as long as you provide them with a few essentials. I hope that your coop already has windows, good ventilation and enough floor space for each hen – at least 4 square feet minimum per bird. (For more about coop design criteria, read this FAQ.) If not, do the best you can, shovel out an area outside for them as soon as the storm clears, and plan on expanding the coop in the spring! Whatever your coop is like, give it a thorough cleaning before the snow flies. This will reduce moisture in the air (which leads to...

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

...enjoying the glorious weather there. Looks wonderful. Nice to see Buffy in the sun. Got concerned when I saw Siouxsie in the Little Barn run during free range time. Glad she's back with the Gems. Can hardly wait for a new bunny in the run. Getting any ideas? Anastasia Poland Come to Ventura, CA! We have so many good chicken people here! jonquil I think Seattle...funky atmosphere in the northwest. Bet Grow & Resist &/or Northwest Edible could give all sorts of places to go, see, & do! Lynn L San Antonio is the place to come. We have Fiesta...

HenCam Baseball Cap – The HenCam Store

You can wear this stylish design anywhere – while doing barn chores or to your favorite café. You’ll be the only one who knows what it means! $21.95 Buy from Zazzle...

Chicken Keeping Workshop Scheduled! – HenBlog – Tuesday, June 11, 2013

I’ve added a Chicken Keeping Workshop to my event calendar. This is your opportunity to come here to LIttle Pond Farm and learn all about how to have a healthy and fun flock of hens in your backyard. I’ll talk about many related topics, including coop design, feed, breeds, and chicken behavior. You’ll get to see, first-hand, how I maintain the coops and compost the manure. You’ll even get to inspect a chicken butt for lice!   This workshop is scheduled for Saturday, July 27. People have travelled from as far away as Seattle, Ontario, New Jersey, Maine, and Connecticut,...

More About Roosting – HenBlog – Tuesday, June 18, 2013

...Young whippersnapper. Ken Terry could not be more right on this one. Need to discourage this habit as soon as possible. Sometimes it is boredom that will cause this. My hens must be confined to their run so to help with boredom I always have bale or two of straw on hand. I throw a flake or two around the run, throw a little scratch grain in and it keeps them busy most of the day scratching it from one end of the run to the other. Scratching all day long couldn't be more natural for a chicken. Terry Golson...

Interruptions – HenBlog – Friday, March 13, 2009

Seven years ago we bought a piece of land because it was in the town we love and had some attributes that were hard to come by – no wetlands (which means no hassles with the conservation commission), 900 acres of conservation land and a great trail system next door, and in an established neighborhood of people of various ages. We hired an architect, but, honestly, he dropped the ball, and most of the design is mine. The entire house is designed around my office. Am I lucky, or what? We positioned the house so that I could watch for...

Handmade Pottery Chicken Feeder – The Vintage Hen – Monday, December 23, 2013

LIly was quite excited when the delivery man left a big box on the front porch. I was, too, because I knew what was inside. One of my readers is a potter. She also has chickens. Of course, if you have a flock of hens, you are always thinking of how to make the coop area more charming. If you’re a potter, and one as talented as LIndsay, then you can act on your whims. Lindsay has come up with a line of chicken feeders and waterers of her own design. To me, they are reminiscent of the vintage ceramic...

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

...and have had broken eggs to show for my carelessness.) The shape keeps the eggs securely in the basket, even if it tips, or a dog knocks it as I walk (again, spoken from experience!) The handle is comfortable and secure. All in all, a design that is both beautiful and functional. But, perhaps I am being 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...

Chicken Things – HenBlog – Friday, November 2, 2007

...give me the excuse to purchase (and yes, display and use) some very tacky things. Now I know that most of you out there have those silly salt and pepper shakers shaped like hens and roosters, or the kitchen note pad with the nesting hen design, or the area rug with the farm scene. That’s not what I’m talking about. This is what I’m talking about: Whereas some women covet amazingly expensive designer handbags, this is the one that got my heart racing. Perfect, isn’t it? (BTW, if you can’t tell from the photo, it is made out of rubber!)...

X is for Fox – The Vintage Hen – Monday, January 12, 2015

I bet you were wondering what chicken would be on this card. I think that the illustrator’s solution was quite clever (albeit a tad realistic!)   Keep hens long enough and you’ll have an X, whether it is by a fox, a neighbor’s dog, a hawk, or a weasel, a raccoon or a bear. The list of animals that want a chicken dinner is long. I’ve written numerous times about predator protection. Here’s one blogpost, and I have more on this FAQ about coop design criteria. Although once in a long while, a predator needs to be removed from the...

Sign Up for a Chicken Keeping Workshop! – HenBlog – Friday, May 4, 2012

I’ve added another date to my Chicken Keeping Workshop calendar – Sunday, June 10. From 1 to 3 pm you are invited here at Little Pond Farm, in Carlisle, MA, to learn what you need to know to have a happy, healthy flock of your own. You will get to tour the property and go into the barns. We’ll look at chicken bottoms. You’ll get to pet the chickens, and hold one if you’d like! We’ll sit on the porch while I talk about everything from chicken behavior to coop design. And there will be iced tea and cookies (homemade,...

Container Pot Planting – HenBlog – Monday, May 14, 2012

Last week, in preparation for Wendy’s visit, I did a few things. Yes, I changed the sheets in the guest room and put out a fresh, pretty little soap. But the most important thing on my to-do list was to go to HomeGoods and buy a carload of black ceramic pots. On her third day here, we shopped at five plant nurseries and came home with a trunk full of vegetables, herbs and flowers (annuals and perennials) and 160 pounds of potting soil. With her plant knowledge and eye for horticulture design (and now sore back) we put these together:...

Digging Out, Digging In – HenBlog – Thursday, January 29, 2015

...uncover the minivan. There it is to the left of the garage.   Here is the run before Steve shoveled.   This is why I write in my Coop Design FAQ that large windows and height are essential. Imagine if I had one of those small, low to the ground, only one tiny window, coops. Or a coop in which the feed is outside and under the run. The chickens would have been in the dark. That means that they wouldn’t have had anything to eat or drink for 24 hours. My hens have light and space. They laid eggs...

Web Cams – HenBlog – Wednesday, May 31, 2006

...didn’t have electricity to the barn and it would have been a huge and expensive project. Our new barn has electricity, but it was still a huge and expensive project — we 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...

And More Snow – HenBlog – Monday, February 9, 2015

...often, very kindly, does the barn chores first thing in the morning, I also do them in this weather!   There’s a reason that I had a barn built – not a little prefab coop the size and height of a rabbit hutch (that I’ve railed against in numerous posts.) On a day like this I’m oh so grateful for an indoor area that has storage for tools and the chicken feed.   The hens are grateful for the light and the space. It’s a winter like this that confirms that my criteria for chicken coop design of a minimum...

Broody Coop – HenBlog – Friday, April 8, 2011

I’ve always used a heat lamp to brood chicks, but this year I thought it’d be fun to put a few day-old chicks under a broody hen. I’ve been told that a mama hen not only keeps the babies warm, but also keeps them active, teaches them to feed, it’s less work for the human, and is just darn cute. The idea is to take a broody hen, put her in her own house and yard and let her sit there on fake eggs for two weeks. You need separate housing for several reasons. First of all, chicks can’t get...

Eggers Update – HenBlog – Saturday, October 10, 2009

...is an efficient way to treat all of your birds at one time. I don’t want to treat everyone, which is one reason to keep Eggers separate from the flock. However, although Eggers seems to like the doted-on life indoors, but I’m eager to get her back out! I might end up dosing her with the medicated water, using a syringe intended for giving human babies cough medicine. If I do that twice a day, I’m sure she’ll get the medicine in her. It’s a bit of a chore – but better than cleaning out the crate in the kitchen!...

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

I got an email from an extreme animal rights person the other day. These people are well-meaning, but so misinformed. They start their arguments with wrong assumptions and then go from there. I’m not going to get sucked into debating him point by point, but I did want to address one of his comments. He said, “the eggs are theirs, aren’t they?” No, they’re not. We have a symbiotic, mutually beneficial, relationship with our domestic animals. We human caretakers provide food, shelter and a good living environment, and the animal provides something in return; in the case of my hens,...

Getting Better – HenBlog – Wednesday, June 6, 2007

...like this. I don’t wonder why farmers cull a bird at the first sign of disease. Also, like human medicine, the drugs are expensive – I’ve spent over $60 so far. Then, there’s the issue of transmission. These hens are saved, but will they pass this disease along to the next bird to join the flock? If I was a farmer, I wouldn’t want to wait to find out. But I’m not a farmer; I have these chickens for eggs, but they are also my pets. They’re treated and they get to stay. That said, I have some questions that...

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?...

What I Did in NYC – HenBlog – Tuesday, March 25, 2008

...in a long line at the taxi stand. Penn Station is below Madison Square Garden, where Ringling Brothers Circus will be playing. So, next to the line of folks waiting for cabs were a line of protesters. Now, I’m the first one to stand up for caring humanely for animals, but PETA and the like have an anti-animal, anti-zoo, anti-animal training, extreme vegetarianism stance. Their outlook is unrealistic, has a warped view of animal/human relationships and does more harm than good. What can I say, I got in a shouting match with them. New York brings out that in people....

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...

Why Old Hens Die – HenBlog – Thursday, February 17, 2011

...one research paper stated “laying hens are subject to the spontaneous development of ovarian and oviductal adenocarcinomas.” A vet that looked at photos that I took of Petunia’s necropsy though that she had a diseased and ruptured ovary. It sounds like adenocarcinoma to me. These tumors are so prevalent that scientists studying human ovarian cancer use chickens in their research. A study in 2005 of 676 four-year old laying hens determined that 45% had tumors! 18% of those were adenocarcinomas. In the end, I don’t know what specific virus is causing the tumors in my old hens. For my purposes,...

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

On Christmas Eve my college son flew from one coast to the other. My stepson and his wife of one year left their home in the western mountains and flew east. Steve and our high school son packed our bags and flew south. We all met on a magical island off of the coast of Florida, where the beaches are covered with shells, which are sifted over by both human collectors, and by seabirds. It is a place to slow down and take walks. One morning you might meet up with a Snowy Egret in the surf. It is a...

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....

How to Catch a Horse – HenBlog – Wednesday, February 12, 2014

  There’s a mare at Little Brook who has become hard to catch. At night, her two pasture buddies come right up to the barn manager, let her put on their halters, and take them back to the stable where hay and grain is waiting. The mare dances off. The barn manager has a lot to do, and in winter the evening chores take longer. She leaves the mare, attends to other animals and comes back. But the mare dances off. To the human it is annoying, time consuming, and rude behavior. But, the mare is enjoying herself. The winter...

Small Dog Woes – HenBlog – Wednesday, February 25, 2009

...freezes. Lily, the big dog, leaps right over. I can step up. But to Scooter it looks like this: A treacherous mountain. I believe in treating even little dogs like dogs. He’s not a fashion accessory. He’s got a brain. It’s important for him to use it. Surmounting challenges are a good thing, whether you are dog or human. It’d be easy to give into Scooter’s big brown, “baby me” eyes. I don’t. I make him scramble up the stairs. Scooter was so proud of himself when he made it inside! And then I gave him a treat. Good,brave dog....

Barnyard Friendships – HenBlog – Friday, November 13, 2009

...world by taste. This is partly why they have a reputation for eating everything. If it’s there, if it’s interesting, it goes in their mouths. Not unlike human toddlers. Candy and Pip were next to each other. A quiet, companionable moment. Then Pip reached down, and nibbled Candy’s ear. Soon, a big part of the ear was in his mouth. The next moment, Candy was hanging in the air – Pip had picked her right up by the ear! This was NOT acceptable bunny behavior. Candy growled. Yes, rabbits growl. Pip dropped her. Candy shook herself and hopped away. Well,...

Cochlear Implant Update – HenBlog – Tuesday, January 25, 2011

...are sounding more normal. Voices continue to have a metallic echo, but already I have more clarity than I had with my hearing aids. For thirty years I have dealt with being hard of hearing, and with the anger, frustration, grieving, and acceptance, that comes with a disability. Because my loss is progressive, I went through that emotional cycle over and over. I’d learn to cope, and then have the rug pulled out from under me and have to go through it all over again. The CI has stopped that. I know my baseline. If I never hear better than...

Pip and Caper FAQs – HenBlog – Thursday, July 16, 2009

Thanks for letting me know how much you enjoy Pip and Caper! Hard to believe, but they are even more delightful in person. I’ve received a number of questions about the kids and I’ll try to answer them here, in random order. Pip and Caper are twin brothers. Caper was born first. Baby goats are called kids, so when I use that term, it is not the same as putting them on the same plane as human children. (The term “fur-kid” gives me the willies. I will NEVER use it.) They are gelded males, termed wethers. Just like neutered dogs,...

A Rainy Day – HenBlog – Thursday, September 8, 2011

...in all the way to the hand with room to spare. I fear them getting a foot caught and breaking something. Water seems to do no good. I guess I could run sprinkler 24/7 but $$$ Terry, also, I wonder do the Gems have a roosting hierachy on your ladder roosts? In other words, do certain hens always get the top rung and on down the line? Terry Golson Right now the Gems all crowd the top two rungs of the ladder and it is impossible to see a hierarchy. I'll try to get a photo. Also interesting is that...

Another Sign of Spring – HenBlog – Tuesday, February 9, 2010

...out of storage. Meanwhile, I noticed that Caper had a slight limp. I think that he bruised a hoof. Possibly a pebble got stuck between his toes. In any event, it was time to clip his hooves. I have a pair of shears especially designed for this job. They work great for trimming the overgrown nails. Too bad my back is not made for the job. While Steve acted as a human stanchion and fed sweet feed, I bent over and clipped. I think we need to build a stand. For now, I’m going to take a couple of ibuprofen....

Three Dogs – HenBlog – Sunday, June 5, 2011

...To a flick of the ear. To a deep breath. Many animal “whisperers” claim to have secret connections to their animals. There’s nothing mystical about it. It’s quiet observation. It’s knowing the animal. It’s relating to them the way they want to be talked to. Take your emotional neediness out of the picture. Forget about “unconditional love” and reading human stories onto your animals. See them for who they are and you’ll find plenty of stories, which are more true and more fascinating than any that you invent. Pay attention. Take a step back. And the animals come to you....

Joy and Zoomies – HenBlog – Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Scooter took one look at the snow and zipped around the yard in gleeful circles. That little dog is fast! Lily ran big loops around the coops and behind the vegetable garden. Candy hopped patterns into the snow and then planted herself in it, satisfied. They were each expressing JOY in their own ways. Am I reading into their behavior emotions that only humans know? Am I guilty of anthropomorphism? I don’t think so. A growing body of research shows that animals have emotions – you can document it in their brain chemistry. It is wrong, though, to apply human...

Care And Personality – HenBlog – Thursday, January 10, 2013

...let the old girls out before Candy. I asked myself, "What is Terry thinking of?!" Candy would get so upset. What a character, she would run down her ramp and run to the hens ramp, blaocking their exit. I had a dog that was with me 24/7, she knew what I was about to do next before I did! Animals are amazing creatures if you stop and listen to them. Thank you for sharing your animals and thoughts with us. Sean Wonderful post. Melissa What a wonderful tribute. Jen You made me cry. RIP Candy. x Tracy Byers Was "off...

Agatha’s Turn – HenBlog – Wednesday, January 11, 2012

...and greatest, of the Bantam White Leghorns. Then came Betsy, Eggers and Coco. Betsy is the only one left. I’ve decided to retire her because during the last school visit she just wasn’t enjoying herself. It might have been because she was starting to molt, which will make anyone, literally, prickly. But, I could tell it was more than that. How can I tell if a chicken is “happy?” What is happy for a chicken anyway? Who knows? A chicken’s mind is not a human’s mind. There are biological similarities. There are differences. I can’t read her thoughts, but I...

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....

Handling The Chicks – HenBlog – Thursday, April 18, 2013

...do not have to handle your chicks in order to have friendly hens when they are full-grown. Soon after the Gems arrived, the older hens, in the little barn, came down with a severe respiratory disease. To keep the chicks safe I practiced biosecurity. I wore a different overshirt in their barn, and changed my shoes between flocks. I didn’t handle the chicks. And yet, today they mill about underfoot, run up to me with speed when I call, and I can take them to schools and nursing homes, with the surety that each one will sit calmly and sweetly...

Birthday Boys – HenBlog – Tuesday, April 26, 2011

It’s Pip and Caper’s Birthday! They’re two! Three years ago I fell in love with the Nigerian Dwarf Goats at the Fryeburg Fair in Maine. Fairs will get you into trouble like that. I did an internet search, and there was something about the Village Haven Farm that I liked. I liked the small size, the fact that the babies were left on their mamas, but got lots of human cuddles. I liked the looks of the goats. I didn’t really know anything about goats, but if you’re in and out of barns as much as I am, you know...

Duramycin and Laying Hens – HenBlog – Thursday, July 11, 2013

...to prevent a human health crisis now whole classes of antibiotics are illegal to give on a sub-therapeautic basis (this is a good thing.) However, the drugs remain available for purchase, and can do much good when handled correctly. Some anitbiotics can only be had through veterinarians, but others can be purchased with ease at feed stores and on-line. Once in private hands, it’s up to the farmer to be careful with their use. The label might say, “for cattle and poultry” but the truth is that they are NOT legal for laying hens. The “for poultry” on the label...

The Comfort of Friendship in Old Age – HenBlog – Sunday, April 17, 2011

...backed off to run and hide in the chicken coop. A few minutes later, he emerged to crow. ::smile:: But I had never seen a hen and a rooster go at each other in that manner before. Our old biddies are definitely mistresses of the chicken yard, frequently bossing the other hens around and running them off of a choice area for feeding. Jean Amen. I am caring for an elderly mother and an elderly cat. The juxtaposition is remarkable. Julie Terry, I so enjoy your blog post's, you are a wealth of information and always so willing to share....

Misty Settles In – HenBlog – Friday, February 7, 2014

...now Misty. Terry, I hope all proceeds well now with the hens. The picture of Misty running to you is priceless! Terry Golson I was laughing! This is a hen who never liked me near her and she ran up and practically asked me to pick her up and take her back. Scott_D I have one hen that wing clipping didn't work on. I watched her compensate for the "off balance" situation. Clipping both wings helped a bit more, but she's still getting out of the designated chicken area of the yard every once in a while. At one point...

Previous Appearances – July 27, 2013

This 2-hour workshop in my backyard will cover the basics of what you need to know to have your own small flock of laying hens. You’ll learn everything from feeding, to flock dynamics, to predator protection, to coop design, to what to do with manure (you’ll get to see my composting system.) You’ll even get to pick up a chicken! $40 per person, includes iced tea and homemade cookies. Limited to 14 participants. Children age 8 and over are welcome to sign up. The workshop runs rain or shine. Cancellation policy — up to one week before the event you...

Previous Appearances – April 5, 2014

This 2-hour workshop in my backyard will cover the basics of what you need to know to have your own small flock of laying hens. You’ll learn everything from feeding, to flock dynamics, to predator protection, to coop design, to what to do with manure (you’ll get to see my composting system.) You’ll even get to pick up a chicken! $40 per person, includes iced tea and homemade cookies. Limited to 12 participants. Children age 8 and over are welcome to sign up. The workshop runs rain or shine. Cancellation policy — up to one week before the event you...

Previous Appearances – September 21, 2013

This 2-hour workshop in my backyard will cover the basics of what you need to know to have your own small flock of laying hens. You’ll learn everything from feeding, to flock dynamics, to predator protection, to coop design, to what to do with manure (you’ll get to see my composting system.) You’ll even get to pick up a chicken! $40 per person, includes iced tea and homemade cookies. Limited to 14 participants. Children age 8 and over are welcome to sign up. The workshop runs rain or shine. Cancellation policy — up to one week before the event you...

Previous Appearances – September 28, 2014

This 2-hour workshop in my backyard will cover the basics of what you need to know to have your own small flock of laying hens. You’ll learn everything from feeding, to flock dynamics, to predator protection, to coop design, to what to do with manure (you’ll get to see my composting system). You’ll even get to pick up a chicken! $40 per person, includes iced tea and homemade cookies. Limited to 14 participants. Children age 8 and over are welcome to sign up. The workshop runs rain or shine. Cancellation policy — up to one week before the event you...

Previous Appearances – July 7, 2012

Spend two hours learning what to do in order to have a happy, peaceful, healthy flock of laying hens in your backyard. Everything from coop design to chicken health and behavior will be covered. You’ll learn how to pick up a chicken, see what caring for chickens entails, and tour my gardens and compost system. Ice tea and homemade cookies included! $35 per person. This workshop is full....

Previous Appearances – May 31, 2014

This 2-hour workshop in my backyard will cover the basics of what you need to know to have your own small flock of laying hens. You’ll learn everything from feeding, to flock dynamics, to predator protection, to coop design, to what to do with manure (you’ll get to see my composting system). You’ll even get to pick up a chicken! $40 per person, includes iced tea and homemade cookies. Limited to 12 participants. Children age 8 and over are welcome to sign up. The workshop runs rain or shine. Cancellation policy — up to one week before the event you...

Previous Appearances – June 20, 2015

This 2-hour workshop in my backyard will cover the basics of what you need to know to have your own small flock of laying hens. You’ll learn everything from feeding, to flock dynamics, to predator protection, to coop design, to what to do with manure (you’ll get to see my composting system). You’ll even get to pick up a chicken! $40 per person, includes iced tea and homemade cookies. Limited to 14 participants. Children age 8 and over are welcome to sign up. The workshop runs rain or shine. Cancellation policy — up to one week before the event you...