I’m so thrilled to have a new Chickenlandia Stories this week! It’s been quite a while since I’ve shot one, with the winter weather really putting a damper on filming outdoors. But good things come to those who wait, and this latest episode is one I’m really proud of. I visited an organization called Growing Veterans and documented it all for you.
Growing Veterans is a non-profit organization who’s mission is to “empower veterans to cultivate purpose and belonging by growing food, community and each other”. I was invited there as a Scratch and Pecks Feeds ambassador to teach a baby chick class and tour the grounds with farm manager Joel Swenson.
I really wanted to write more about this episode, because I learned so much and there’s many additional things I wanted to add along with the video. But at the moment I’m in Canada dealing with a family emergency, and so it will have to wait. For now, please enjoy this episode of Chickenlandia Stories by clicking the play button below!
Hope to be back soon with more. Thank you for reading!
I hadn’t planned on writing about this, because I hadn’t planned on it happening. But that’s the way tragedy goes. It’s never planned. This week, my favorite community farm store was hit with a tragedy. At 5am on Monday morning, a fire started in their building. Unfortunately, the damage was devastating.
Hohl Feed and Seed on the morning of the fire.
I’m happy to report that all the animals, save for one missing ball python and some birds that could not be reached safely, are accounted for, in a safe place, and doing well. Many thanks to the Bellingham Fire Department and the Whatcom Humane Society for their expertise and help.
When my YouTube Channel launched last year, Hohl Feed and Seed was one of the first businesses to support me by sponsoring a video showcasing their store. You may remember the video, Surprise Duckling at the Farm Store. If you haven’t seen it, you can watch it by clicking the play button below.
I’m not sure what the future holds for Hohl Feed and Seed, but for now I just ask that you please send some healing thoughts to everyone involved in this unfortunate event.
In life, there are always good things along with the bad. That’s why I’m happy to also be writing about Chick Norris, the stray chicken that my friend Christy rescued a few weeks ago from a strip mall parking lot. If you haven’t seen the original Chickenlandia Stories video, click here. Then make sure to check out the update, where I show you how Chick Norris is getting along with her new flock and talk a bit about protecting your chickens from predators as well. Just click the play button below!
Do you have a chicken rescue story? Let me know in the comments below!
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!
A box of fun amidst the storm… I’ll start with the storm. Let’s just say I didn’t have the best week. As some of you may know, I have several aging hens. It’s never easy to see an older hen start to go downhill, even when you know they’ve had a good life. My sweet Lavender Maran, Jessica Lange, started to move a little slower a few months ago. I could tell she was having issues, but she was still pecking, scratching, and eating. To my surprise, she went through a pretty tough molt and then appeared to bounce back strong. That is until last week, when I found her listless. I knew the time was coming.
Beautiful Jessica Lange the Chicken in her prime.
I did all the good-chicken-mom things. I brought her inside, gave her some anti-inflammatory meds, massaged her crop, gave her vitamins, herbs, and homeopathics. Her last meal was tuna and mayo, which she loved SO MUCH. But by the next day she wouldn’t eat and her toes began to curl. She soon passed over the rainbow bridge.
More storm: later that same day, I heard a scream coming from the chicken yard. This was no ordinary egg song, it was THE terror alert. I opened the kitchen window to see nothing other than a HAWK attacking my sweet chicken, Little Stinker! I ran outside and shoo-ed the hawk away, but not before it sent Little Stinker into shock. If you know anything about birds, you know that shock is a terrible state for them to be in. My heart sunk. Here she is in better times.
Little Stinker in her favorite place, the food can!
I brought Little Stinker in, but she wouldn’t eat or drink. Since I often use a homeopathic physician, I consulted her regarding what remedies to use. It took about twenty-four hours, but Little Stinker miraculously came around! As of this moment, she’s in my warm bathroom and has been eating and drinking. Could the storm be clearing a tad? I hope so. I’m really pulling for Little Stinker and I know many of you are as well! To watch Little Stinker’s story on YouTube, click this link.
Little Stinker shortly before she started eating and drinking again.
It’s the little moments of joy and hope that get us through the moments of stress. No matter how big or small your problems are, it’s super important to take a break, if you can, from the worry of things. That’s why I was so delighted to receive my Henny and Roo monthly subscription box (see below for coupon info) this week! I hope watching me and the kiddos open the box and reveal all the fun things inside can bring some joy into your life. And, as always, I hope that whatever you’re dealing with, you can find peace among your flock.
To watch the Henny and Roo Unboxing Video, click the play button below! For 10% off your Henny and Roo Subscription, use the coupon code CHICKENLANDIA at check out. 🙂
I’d love to hear how your week went. Let me know in the comments!
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!
My friend Julie came again this week to help with the great Chickenlandia Makeover of 2018 and beyond! I’ve also been very busy working on some Halloween fun for Chickenlandia that I’m super excited about. But first, let’s talk about a little problem I have that maybe you can relate with. It’s super scary so it kinda goes with the Halloween theme. Can we talk about CLUTTER???
Keepin’ it real cluttery.
I’m not ashamed to say my house has a little clutter. In fact, I’ve kind of made it a point on my YouTube channel to not hide the fact that I’m an actually person who lives in a house that isn’t perfect, and I’m the proud owner of a chicken yard and coop that aren’t perfect either. I have some neighbors with immaculate homes and I think it’s great, but I have no idea how it’s accomplished. I mean, that’s some special kinda sorcery that I know nothing about.
Me with anything that has to do with cleaning.
But I do admit, clutter can get out of hand. And when it does, it can make you feel pretty darn yucky. That’s why I’m so grateful to my friend Julie who came by again this week to help me with some old Chickenlandia clutter. And when I say old, I mean ANCIENT. There was a plastic container in the yard that I’m pretty sure has been in the same spot, unopened, for about five years. She told me whatever was in it was SCARY. I believe her.
A very BIG spider.
Speaking of scary, I’ve also been working on some fun Halloween stuff for Chickenlandia. Some of you that have been following me for a while might remember the very first creative video I put out on Facebook last year around Halloween. It was a trailer for a movie called Chickoween 2: Second Hatch (which doesn’t actually exist LOL). It’s so funny watching it now after having my YouTube channel for a while. I’ve definitely grown as a filmmaker! To see an update on Chickenlandia’s Makeover, see all my clutter disappear with the magic of my friend Julie, AND see a sneak peek at this year’s Chickenlandia Halloween video, click on my YouTube video below!
If the clutter of your life was a movie, what genre would it be? Horror (yikes), Fantasy (keep dreaming it will go away with magic), SciFi (other worldly), or Romantic Comedy (the fault of your partner LOL)? Let me know in the comments!
Have you ever been drinking your morning coffee and thought, “Holy Faverolles, this coffee would be so much better if I was drinking it from a chicken mug!” Well, you’re not alone. That’s why I’m so grateful for Bellingham’s local ceramic artist Jaclyn Onion and her business Its Your Mug.
This sign hangs outdoors near where Jaclyn creates her artwork.
Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of visiting Jaclyn, her family, and her chickens. Her place is lovely, artsy, warm, and filled with her original custom-made ceramic art. Everything was pleasing to the eye.
Some of Jaclyn’s custom made artwork.
It’s just one of those homes where you feel every piece has a purpose, and she has the most quaint little chicken coop built of completely repurposed materials, which I of course made sure to get a tour of as well.
Inside the glorious repurposed coop.
After I toured the coop, I had an opportunity to sit down and learn how to make my very own ceramic mug. I was a little scared at first, but it turned out to be so much fun! Jaclyn gently walked me through the process, and I gotta say, I was kind of impressed with myself. LOL.
Making my very own mug!
So, I got to make my very own chicken mug. You can see the finished product along with the whole adventure at Its Your Mug by watching the latest episode of Chickenlandia Stories: It’s Your CHICKEN Mug:
This post and video was sponsored by Its Your Mug. I’m not ashamed to admit that Jaclyn totally spoiled me with my very own Welcome to Chickenlandia custom mug!
The custom mug Jaclyn made for me!
You can get your own custom mug or planter by visiting the Its Your Mug Etsy shop: Its Your Mug on Etsy
I know this is hard to believe, but I don’t ONLY love chickens. I love ducks, dogs, and even octopuses! I wish I could welcome all the animals of the earth into Chickenlandia, but it isn’t the right place for most of them. They need to be safe and thrive in their natural habitats. That’s why I deeply admire the organizations working to preserve our environment and the animals in it. After all, the Earth is a pretty neat place and I want it to stay that way.
The earth filled with life. <3
I think the best part of being The President of Chickenlandia is all the wonderful animals and people I get to meet. If you’ve watched any episodes of my new series, Chickenlandia Stories, then you know this is true. Recently, I got to visit my friend (who just happens to also have a beautiful flock of chickens) who is the Director of the Marine Life Center here in Bellingham, WA. The Marine Life Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing awareness and preservation to the amazing animals of the Salish Sea.
Moon Snail
My family just loves visiting the sea critters at the Marine Life Center. They have a touch tank where children can experience the creatures hands-on. Right now, they have both a shark and an octopus! The exhibits will vary but there’s always something interesting to be discovered. The best part: all the animals are kept responsibly and with the sustainability of the ocean in mind. What does any of this have to do with chickens? Well, check out the latest Episode of Chickenlandia Stories: The Chicken and the Octopus, to find out:
What about you? What animals other than chickens do you love? Let me know in the comments!
For more information and/or to make a donation to the Marine Life Center, click here.
