Horticulture Magazine has devoted 6 pages to the pleasures of keeping backyard chickens. It looks like one of their editors got some hens, and decided to make an article out of it. She has a nice looking coop. Very clean (I guess these photos were taken soon after acquiring the birds!)

I’ve been trying to convince my editor that,

a) what with HGTV, style books and shows are trendy and that

b) chickens are also trendy

so why not have a Backyard Barn Style book. Wouldn’t that be fun?

And now for my soapbox: I know that people in the “fancy” – that is, those who show poultry – are worried that fewer and fewer people are enjoying their hobby (obsession for some.) But, overall, the number of small flock holders is growing. This is good news all around. It means that the producers of all of the things that we need to keep chickens, from waterers, to feed, to brooders, to the hatcheries that sell us chicks, will stay in business. It also means that there are more people to advocate for keeping domestic farm animals on a small scale. More people to keep an eye on NAIS. Don’t know what that is? Go here.