Years ago, it was rare for dogs and cats to spend their days inside. They lived in the yard and roamed freely about the farm, and if there were other animals on the property, they all knew each other. Although the denizens of the barn and fields didn’t come inside the house, there were some that attained status close to that of their furred companions. Perhaps they were not best friends, but they knew each other well enough to tolerate being photographed together for their person.

Any ideas for what that cat is thinking? Perhaps, “If I don’t look, they don’t exist” or “The dull, the loud, and me.”  What would you write in a thought bubble above that cat’s head?

Position in Life is Everything might not be your (or my) motto to live by, but it does apply to eggs.

This thermometer was a promotional and educational giveaway provided by the Institute of American Poultry Industries in the 1950s. Egg farms would have their names printed on the item, and they’d nail them to the wall of their barns.

I checked online, and Weaver Bros. remain in business. I’m sure that they still pack their eggs pointy end down, although I doubt that they still collect the eggs in baskets (it appears to be a caged operation.) While your eggs might be found in nest boxes or hidden in a pile of hay, it’s still good advice to collect them frequently and chill immediately. Cooling eggs and keeping them in your refrigerator remains the best way to keep them fresh. Read my FAQ for more about handling and storing eggs. That “pointy end down” advice is good too, as it’ll keep the yolk centered. I keep eggs in my refrigerator, in cartons, small end down. That is, when I can figure out which end is which. Tina lays an egg equally pointy on both ends, and Opal lays a huge round egg without a point at either end!

These days, hearing about (or admitting to) having a chicken as a pet might seem a tad unusual, or, in some circles, eccentric. But, back when it was common to have backyard flocks, it was not uncommon to have one or two special hens that were not only useful egg-layers, but were treated as pets, too.

This child’s activity book from 1942 shows what could have been Tillie’s great-great-great-great-great grandmother. Certainly, there’s a family resemblance, the little hen has the same commanding attitude. No wonder the cat is letting her drink the milk first!

To celebrate the first week of The Vintage Hen and the revamped HenCam, Crooked Brook is sponsoring a t-shirt giveaway. Eleanor and Edwina would approve of this historical image of Barred Plymouth Rocks, although no doubt they would prefer to see the hen in the foreground!

This t-shirt is a high-quality, preshrunk cotton with a seamless collar and double-needle stitching throughout The image is printed on the front. Crooked Brook t-shirts are printed using Direct to Garment Printing (a digital process) using an eco-friendly, water soluble ink. Crooked Brook makes custom tees with no setup fee or minimum.

All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment on this Vintage Hen Blog and tell me what your favorite breed is. To improve your chance of winning, tell your friends about The Vintage Hen. If you post on FB, or tweet, or post on your blog, come back here and enter again (an entry for each use of social media!) The contest will close on Saturday, June 2 at 9 pm EDT. A winner will be picked using a random number generator. I’ll contact the winner and you’ll have 24 hours to get back to me with a mailing address. I’ll pass your name to Crooked Brook, and they’ll ship to you within 30 days.

The contest is open to residents of the 48 contiguous United States. No PO boxes, please.

Update: This contest is now closed.