What is the Chickenlandia Way?

I’ll never forget the day I brought home my first flock of baby chicks. I had planned to only get about four or five, and came home with ten, naturally! At the time, I had no idea the profound impact that chickens would have on my life. Believe it or not, it was only about a year later that I taught my first class on raising chickens. I’ve continued to share my knowledge with others ever since.

A silkie from my first flock.

Some might question my dive into teaching about backyard chickens when my level of experience was so relatively new. All I can say is that when chickens entered my life, I just couldn’t get enough of them. I completely immersed myself in learning every detail about their nature and care. I faithfully followed larger chicken keepers that I respected and quickly developed my own style and preference. When I completed that first three-hour class at my local community college, a woman approached me and said, “I’ve had chickens for thirty years, and I learned more about them today than I ever knew.” I will forever be grateful for her kind words, because from that moment on, what was just a hobby became the way I would communicate with the world.

Book Dalia Monterroso for an event
Delivering my TEDX Talk, “I Dream of Chickens”.

From the beginning, I have always seen chickens as a wonderful common denominator among human beings. I quickly realized, however, that there were others who didn’t see it that way. I’m not going to speak poorly of anyone who has strong beliefs about how chickens should be raised. I get it. I have my opinions as well. But ultimately, I try to remind myself that chickens should be for everyone, and that not everyone is the same. Should I condemn the long-time farmer for free-ranging his birds with full knowledge that he may lose some to predators? I keep my birds safe in an enclosed run because it’s hard for me to lose them, but my experience is not the same as his. What about the person who culls her flock after two years of egg laying service? I keep mine until they die of old age, but my livelihood doesn’t depend on their eggs, and I also have the means to keep them as pets. Not everyone can or wants to do that. And that’s okay.

So, what is the Chickenlandia Way? It’s the way that allows more chickens to live a life outside of factory farms. It’s the inclusion of all different types of chicken keepers who love chickens. It’s a path that opens doors rather than closes them. It’s easy, it’s simple, it’s inclusive. That’s why my specialty is beginning chicken keeping, because I want people to know from the start that they belong here and that they can do it!

The place where everyone belongs.

Whew! I truly didn’t know I was going to write all that. But I’m glad to have the opportunity and I’m glad to possibly bring others the opportunity to raise baby chicks. For a very easy guide to get started, click the play button below!

What kind of chicken person are you? Let me know in the comments!

 

 

The Forbidden Chicken Dance!

Once upon a time in Chickenlandia, The Little King declared his love for dancing. The President of Chickenlandia was a benevolent leader, and so encouraged dancing of all kinds. Well, almost all kinds. There was one chicken dance that was strictly forbidden!

On one fateful day, The Little King of Chickenlandia declared his desire to dance The Serama, The Forbidden Chicken Dance! It was, of course, met with disgust from The President of Chickenlandia.

But that didn’t stop The Little King from bustin’ some serious moves!

Do you think The President of Chickenlandia came around? You’ll have to watch the video to find out!

Peace Through Chickens

It’s almost Christmas, and children everywhere are dreaming about that special morning. I’m sure many of you adults also have a Christmas or holiday wish. I hope it comes true for you. As for me, I have one very important dream for this Christmas. My dream is that I can communicate my most sincere Chickenlandia message. It’s a message of peace. Peace through chickens, or whatever else brings it to you.

Beautiful hen in the snow.

I know what many think. They think it’s silly for me to believe humans could achieve peace through chickens. It does seem overly simplified, but when I fell in love with my first flock, I actually had no idea how much sitting among them would bring peace and meaning into my life. That’s when my Chickenlandia message was born, because I realized that people all over the world were sitting among their flocks and feeling the same way I was. What a wonderful common denominator!

Thai chicken farmer and his rooster.

Thoughout history, humans and chickens have created a deep and meaningful relationship. It’s one that has lasted throughout the ages despite our conflicts with each other. We’ve written stories, sang songs, and sometimes even found religious meaning in our feathered friends. There’s no end to the symbolism of the chicken, and it’s a symbol almost all of us recognize. Can you think of a culture that doesn’t enjoy chickens in some way?

Who doesn’t love a baby chick?

So, yes, I know it’s a simple-minded idea to think that chickens could somehow save the world. But maybe we need to start with something simple and go from there. Maybe we could all think about something small we have in common with our neighbor. Maybe if everyone did that, we could finally find the peace we’re looking for. And yes, we’re all looking for it. Every. Single. One of us.

Please take a moment to watch my Chickenlandia Christmas Special. Just click the play button below! I hope you love it. And I hope you have a wonderful holiday.

Do you have a Christmas or other holiday wish? Let me know in the comments!

Thank You, Chickens, for Rescuing Me

I write a lot about the chickens I rescue, but not as much about how they rescue me. Many of you probably already know what I mean, but if you don’t, I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you why I tell my flock each day, “Thank you, chickens, for rescuing me.” After all, tomorrow is Thanksgiving.

This isn’t me, it’s a wonderful gif I found!

Someday, I’d love to tell you the story of my life. But for today, let’s just say that I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs. I’m sure you have as well, because is there anyone who’s had a perfect life? I don’t think so. Watching my chickens each day, with their imperfections as so-called “non-show-quality” birds, I see their beauty despite what others may see as flaws. That’s also how I try to look at my life. There have been really tough times, but overall, I’ve been lucky enough that the joys outweigh the sorrow. I’m so thankful for this.

The Little Prince and The Little King of Chickenlandia. <3

This past year, I’ve had some health problems that have been tough to figure out. Nothing alarmingly serious, just inconvenient and puzzling. I’ve discussed it a little on my blog and I know many of you can relate. A big part of my relationship with chickens has to do with the way they motivate me each day. It doesn’t matter how I feel, the chickens need tending to. It’s snowing? They still need food and water. I’m too tired to get up? Too bad, they need to be let out of their coop. I must go outside and be in nature and listen to their calming noises. It’s good for me, and I’m so very grateful to them.

My flock. <3

So, along with my wonderful family and friends, I’m so thankful for this flock of mostly rescue chickens that continue to rescue me. It’s true, they’re not perfect. But neither am I, and in their imperfections I find my own peace with the ups and downs of my life. Thank you, chickens. And thank you to all of you who are with me on this journey. I love being in your flock!

To see Chickenlandia’s Thanksgiving Special: The Tiny Chicken Rescue, click the play button below! I think you’ll enjoy it.

 

What are you thankful for? Let me know in the comments!

Click here for my rescue dog page!

 

 

Green Envy for a Red Barn!

You know the feeling. Your new chicken-friend invites you over for the afternoon, and of course you’re excited because who doesn’t love hanging with chicken peeps? But then you get to their house and see their immaculate, gorgeous coop that you can’t believe is even real. Where is the poop? Where are the unfinished projects? Where’s the clutter? Don’t worry, that feeling you’re having is just the #CoopEnvy bubbling up inside and it’s totally normal. I had it a few weeks ago. I was green with envy for a beautiful red barn coop!

Just a sneak peek at the outside of Selena’s gorgeous barn coop.

It wasn’t the first time I’d seen my friend Selena’s amazing coop. I visited several months ago, when I first started making YouTube videos. Let’s just say the footage didn’t turn out exactly how I planned. I’m not an actual camera person so it’s been a bit of a learning curve for me. Plus, her chickens kinda scared me LOL (not really but look at this picture! haha)

I hope this chicken doesn’t know where I sleep…

Anyway, this time around, I loaded up The Little King and The Little Prince of Chickenlandia and we headed out to the country to visit my friend. She and her husband have recently painted their barn red and it is GORGEOUS. Inside the barn, Selena has a completely predator proof coop and run. Literally the whole thing is reinforced with hardwire mesh. She has a number of critters that come around her area, even BEARS, but they are no match for this coop. Plus it’s super cute.

Cute chicken coop sign in Selena’s completely predator proof run.

I’m not showing much in the photos because I want you to watch my NEW Chickenlandia YouTube series called Coop Envy! I’m hoping to visit lots of amazing coops and I want to share them with my viewers. Of course I’ll have to keep my #coopenvy in check, but I can’t make any promises. I know it’s wrong but I can’t help it when the envy boils inside! LOL

Just click the play button below to see Selena’s amazing coop. And remember to subscribe and click the notification bell so you never miss any fun Chickenlandia videos.

Do you ever get coop envy? Or maybe you have a coop that everyone is envious of? Let me know in the comments!

I Henny and Roo and You Can Too!

Are you on Instagram? I recently joined, and to be honest, it’s kinda dangerous! Only because I’ve been introduced to some of the cutest chicken things through that platform. One of the companies I’ve been following for a while is Henny and Roo. I’ve been drooling over their subscription boxes but haven’t ventured to take the plunge until now. It’s true, I Henny and Roo and you can too!

Excitement in a box!

Full disclosure, I contacted Henny and Roo after my YouTube channel had been up and running for a while, hoping they would bless me with sponsorship. I had already heard really good things about them from my other fave company Scratch and Peck Feeds, so it seemed like a good fit. I cannot tell you how excited I was when they responded with a special deal for my Chickenlandia fans! Keep reading and I’ll reveal the special code for 10% off the October 2018 subscription box (while supplies last) or a new subscription.

Me and the kids freaking out while opening our October Box!

I don’t want to give too much away regarding what’s in the box, because of course I made a YouTube video about it and I think you will enjoy it! But I will show you this example of chicken cuteness. Don’t you just love it? I found everything else in the box to be very useful for chicken keeping (and there’s some candy for humans in it, too!).

Henny and Roo pin that is 100% chicken cuteness.

As Welcome to Chickenlandia continues to grow, I’m honored to be building relationships with companies I admire. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch my new YouTube video, Henny and Roo Unboxing! Just click the play button below and make sure you subscribe to my channel so you don’t miss anything fun:

To receive 10% off your order of the October 2018 subscription box (while supplies last) or your new subscription, use the code CHICKENLANDIA at www.hennyandroo.com! Offer does not apply to other shop items but subscribers always save 10% off in the Henny and Roo Shop. Be sure to let me know how much you love your subscription in the comments!

 

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