peace through chickens Archives - Page 3 of 4

Thank You, Chickens, for Rescuing Me

Posted on November 21, 2018

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.

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!

A Box of Fun Amidst the Storm

Posted on November 14, 2018November 14, 2018

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!

Welcome Duckles the Duck!

Posted on November 7, 2018

Welp, the kids’ birthdays are over (they’re both in October) and Halloween is finally done. Even though I’m so happy things have slowed down, I confess to being a little bored this week. Boredom is a dangerous state for those who suffer from chronic #BirdMathFlu such as I. A couple days ago, my sister (The Pippa of Chickenlandia) and I got to talking about ducks and guess what I went out and did? Yup, I got another duck. Please welcome Duckles the Duck to Chickenlandia!

The day Duckles came home to Chickenlandia.

I actually did put some serious thought into whether I should add a new duck to Chickenlandia. This past Spring was the worst for us in terms of duck luck. I had two ducklings die in transit to me, one die in the brooder, and two juveniles die suddenly of an unknown illness. It was just awful. You can see them toward the end of this video. They were both healthy and happy, then tragically passed away just a few days later.

Sweet Rosalina at the vet on the day she died.

So, you can imagine I had some moments where I thought no more ducks, ever. But here we are a few months later and I’m ready to try again! I feel confident that Duckles will do well here. Take a look at what she accomplished her first morning in Chickenlandia:

Since we have some chicken egg intolerances in our home, Duckles is going to serve a great purpose as well as being a wonderful pet. In case you didn’t know, duck eggs makes the absolute best pancakes, waffles, muffins, and other baked delights. They’re also delicious how I like them, in an omelette covered with sheep feta. I just love eating them and so does my family.

So, of course, I vlogged all about my trip to go get Duckles and her arrival in Chickenlandia. You can see where she lived before, and how I’m integrating her into my flock. I may have also taken some creative license to make it more fun LOL. To watch the video, click the play button below!

Have you had any new arrivals in your flock lately? Let me know in the comments!

Green Envy for a Red Barn!

Posted on October 31, 2018

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!

A Very Chickenlandia Halloween

Posted on October 24, 2018October 24, 2018

It’s no secret to my friends and family that while I love the changing seasons, I definitely prefer when they are changing into Spring or Summer. It’s true, despite having a Canadian husband I’m no fan of colder temperatures. The way I get through these months is by jumping head-first into the holidays. I absolutely love them, and Halloween is no exception. This year, I’ve decided to share my love for all things spooky by having A Very Chickenlandia Halloween.

We usually go all-out for Halloween, with a haunted house on our covered porch every year. Since I have young kids I like to keep it on the less terrifying side, but we do have a flying ghost and a large jumping spider! Costumes vary and we’ve certainly enjoyed our share of different chicken costumes, but this is one of my favorite pics ever:

The Little Prince of Chickenalndia on his second Halloween

What could make one of my favorite holidays even better? My chickens, of course! Last year, you might remember my very silly trailer for the obscure cult film Chick-o-ween 2: Second Hatch. This year, I’ve taken it up several notches and created a short film for all my fans to enjoy. (FYI – I’m pretty confident this won’t scare little kids, but you never know! It does have spooky music and I look kinda scary in it LOL, so maybe give it a watch first if you have really young ones.)

I hope you love this Chickenlandia Halloween Special! It’s the sixth episode in my series Chickenlandia Stories, and it’s called The Creature! You may recognize the narrator as my grumpy but lovable rooster, Philippe:

Do you enjoy Halloween? If so, what’s your favorite thing about it? Let me know in the comments. And make sure to have A Very Chickenlandia Halloween!

I Henny and Roo and You Can Too!

Posted on October 17, 2018October 24, 2018

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!

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!

Getting by with Help from my Chicken Friends

Posted on October 3, 2018

You know how I always say I like to keep it real in Chickenlandia? The reason I do this, is because I want everyone to know that no matter who you are and where you come from, we all have more in common than not. This includes life’s struggles, and I’m no exception. I’ve been having some health issues that are making it tougher for me to keep the pace up with all my projects. But you know what? I’m getting by with a little help from my chicken friends.

My awesome chicken friend who is helping me with Chickenlandia, Julie Berto.

Over the last few years I’ve met so many women suffering from autoimmune issues, so I know I’m not alone in my experience. My issues are relatively mild compared to most, and I’m constantly encouraged by the strength and stamina I see in those friends suffering along with me. But of course, I’m human, and I can get pretty down in the dumps after not feeling well for days (or weeks, or months). This is part of the reason I love my chickens so much.

I honestly don’t know what it is about a flock of chickens, but whenever I feel crummy and tired, I try to force myself to go out and tend to them. Even if my body really doesn’t want to. I do it because it always seems to lift the dark cloud at least a little. And when I’m out there, for some reason, I hardly feel sick at all.

Now, I know that nothing can replace proper care and medication for the body and mind. I’m not saying chickens are a cure for any illness because they’re not. But I will say that they definitely help me. I’m no scientist so I can’t explain why. But I guess for some things, I just don’t need proof.

Rooster Boy George — Boy George the Chicken looking fab.

Recently, I hired someone to come and do some badly needed Chickenlandia renovations for me. Her name is Julie and she’s a super awesome chicken-lady that I’ve known since our farm store days. My little rooster Boy George is actually the descendant of her little award winning roo, Fred (RIP). Anyway, I went ahead and made a before-and-after video of everything she did for Chickenlandia this week. She’s coming back to do some more things, and I’m sure we’re gonna be seeing a lot of her around Chickenlandia. I hope you’ll take a moment to check out the video on Chickenlandia’s YouTube Channel!

I’m glad to be getting by with a little help from all of you, my chicken friends. <3

It’s Your CHICKEN Mug!

Posted on September 26, 2018September 26, 2018

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.

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.

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.

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!

You can get your own custom mug or planter by visiting the Its Your Mug Etsy shop: Its Your Mug on Etsy

By contacting Jaclyn through her facebook page: Its Your Mug on Facebook

Or emailing Jaclyn at itsyourmug@gmail.com

What would you put on your custom mug? Let me know in the comments!

Has it Really Been that Long?

Posted on September 19, 2018September 19, 2018

I can’t believe Chickenlandia’s YouTube Channel has been up and running for nearly six months. Has it really been that long? I feel like it was just yesterday that I got my very first selfie stick and shot my first simple video about my little chickens Philippe and Poptart. Now they are all grown up, laying and crowing, and I’ve come a long way since then as well. I certainly plan on only growing from here, so keep an eye out!

I’m gonna be honest and say that when I shot the above video, I had no idea I would be uploading new content every week, and that it would grow into something I truly love. For twenty-four straight weeks, I’ve shot, edited, and shared my chicken adventures with you. I even started a series called Chickenlandia Stories. You might remember this one about Little Stinker, my tiny escape chicken.

I’ve got so many exciting things in store for the future, and I’m always looking for good chicken stories. So if YOU have a story to share, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’d love to hear about it. You can submit your chicken story by clicking here: submit a story to Chickenlandia!

This week I created a new trailer for my YouTube channel, which appears on my channel page. I hope you’ll check it out by clicking here: Welcome to Chickenlandia on YouTube. Please share, like, comment, and subscribe to my channel if you haven’t already, and of course, share it with your friends and family. I’m so looking forward to many more Chickenlandia adventures, and I want to thank, from the bottom of my heart, all those out there who have supported me along the way. <3

VIVA LA CHICKENLANDIA!!!

The Secret Life of Everyone

Posted on September 12, 2018September 12, 2018

Have you ever felt like the work you do is invisible? I think most of us feel this way at one point or another. By “work” I don’t really mean your day job. I’m speaking of the contemplating, the worrying, and the emotional labor we all carry. These experiences are the real work of human beings. Unfortunately, we don’t really talk about it as much as we should, so it becomes our secret. The funny thing is, we all have the same secret. Our very humanity is the secret life of everyone.

I especially know this feeling because I am a mother, and mothers do so many things that there really isn’t a way to quantify. But the work is real and difficult even if it’s not easily seen. If you happen to be a mama and no one sees what you do, please know that Chickenlandia does. There is no work more important in the world.

The Little Prince and The Little King of Chickenlandia.

So, what does all this have to do with chickens? Well, lately, I’ve been feeling a tad frustrated at the lack of egg production going on in the chicken yard. It’s coming on early fall and of course my chickens are molting, but it’s still a bummer only getting a couple eggs a day. I started to wonder, what are these chickens doing all day? So, in true Chickenlandia fashion, I put a camera in the yard to secretly record them (I mean, I’m sure they saw the camera but they didn’t know what it was! LOL).

Do you think they know they’re being filmed?

I don’t think I have to tell you that what I discovered was fascinating. My chickens were quite busy! There wasn’t really a moment that they weren’t active. Of course, I put the scenes together and made a video for my YouTube channel. I hope you enjoy this short film, The Secret Life of Chickens. Just click the play button to watch it.

And, my friend, if you’ve been feeling like no one sees the work you do, I hope you can take comfort in knowing that all humanity shares this feeling with you. And I hope that watching my video or going out into your own chicken yard can bring some peace and happiness to you. That’s the real work of chickens, isn’t it?

Love as always,

The President of Chickenlandia