Chickens have been domesticated for thousands of years and dozens of beautiful breeds have been developed. Some “dual-purpose” breeds like Rhode Island Reds or Barred Rocks lay a good number of eggs and also put on weight well for meat. But MOTHER’S mini-coop (page 38 in this issue) is designed specifically for egg production by […]

Holland Chicken This Breed Profile is proudly brought to you by The Livestock Conservancy! In 1934 white eggs brought premium prices at market because it was believed that white eggs had a finer, more delicate flavor. At that time most of America’s eggs were produced on small farms all across the country, and small farmers […]

Crevecoeur Chicken This Breed Profile is proudly brought to you by The Livestock Conservancy! The Crèvecoeur chicken is one of the oldest of the standard-bred fowls of France. The breed gets its name from Crève-Coeur en Ange, a small town in Normandy, France. The breed’s name translates as “broken heart” as in the romantic sense. […]

We’ve raised French Black Copper Maran for about 10 years. It started with my husband Zach, who was on a quest for dark brown egg layers. We had heard of the Kuckoo Maran, a breed who is also known for dark eggs, but not quite as dark as the French Black Copper.   After a […]

Franny and Karissa are are sharing their love for the Plymouth Barred Rock! These birds are a hearty healthy breed that are also great parents and easy to tame! Find out more about Barred Rocks and other heritage breeds @ https://goo.gl/QV4zMA For more Homestead videos and good advice visit The MOTHER EARTH NEWS and Friends Youtube. […]

CAMPINE CHICKEN This Breed Profile is proudly brought to you by The Livestock Conservancy! The Campine is an age old Flemish breed of poultry.  How old? Julius Caesar is also said to have taken Campine chickens home with him after he had completed a spell of looting in Belgium. Campine chickens are non-sitting fowl that […]

Download this episode (right click and save) Backyard chickens can provide a local food source, keep pests out of your garden, and much more. But what should you know before you start building a coop and creating a flock? Jennifer Pitino, host of the Urban Chicken Podcast, spoke with Pat Foreman, author of the books City […]

by Jennifer Sartell of Iron Oak Farm I always look forward to Fair time. The poultry barn will be  filled with interesting breeds of chickens. Beautiful specimens of Silver Laced Wyandottes, Crested Polish and Rhode Island Reds to name a few. The breeds on display boast near perfect plumage, wonderful body type, clean smooth legs…everything […]

By Meredith Chilson Right around Independence Day, I start thinking about my own roots. It’s a good time for vacationing near historic sights, exploring heritage, delving into the mysteries of fore-fathers (and mothers). I thought you might be interested, as am I, in the history of the domestic chicken. When researching my genealogical roots, I […]

by Jennifer Burcke It has been nearly three years since we first welcomed chickens into our lives.  The daily task of tending to our flock and collecting fresh eggs are such an integral part of our daily lives that it is difficult to imagine a time before we were chicken keepers.  It’s also hard to […]