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Chickenlandia Makeover Update plus Halloween FUN!

Posted on October 10, 2018

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???

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.

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!

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

Follow Your Chicken Dreams!

Posted on August 29, 2018August 29, 2018

When I was a kid, I wanted to be everything. I wanted to be an actress, a talk show host, and of course, a rock star. Back then, I didn’t really know what it meant to follow your chickens dreams.

Hardcore chicken rocking out to some sick tunes.

When I grew up and the rock star thing didn’t work out, I moved to Miami Beach, enrolled myself in some film classes, and decided I was gonna become a filmmaker. Eventually, I made my way to Hollywood, where I worked as a personal assistant and then became an administrative assistant at Lifetime Television.

The place where I went to some pretty cool parties.

I had a few copyediting gigs, produced a script reading, and ended up pitching a couple of reality shows to some important people. Alas, when all was said and done, the Hollywood thing didn’t really work out either. After about five years in Los Angeles, The First Man and I got married and moved to Bellingham, WA to start a family.

I didn’t regret how things turned out, but I confess that I sometimes felt a little empty when I thought about the dreams I once had. That is, until the day I held my first baby chick.

On that day, my new dream was born. And you know what? Because I followed my chickens dreams now I’m doing something I really love. I’m making YouTube videos! So I guess I became a filmmaker of sorts after all. Check out my new YouTube video Follow Your Chicken Dreams by clicking the play button below.

So there you have it. My dreams really did come true. And I hope yours do as well. <3

Critter Camp!

Posted on August 22, 2018

A lot of the work I do in my community up here in the Pacific Northwest focuses on welfare for chickens. Each time I teach a class, I try to bring this subject in. It’s my belief that no matter how and why you choose to raise chickens, their welfare is an important piece of the work. After all, chickens have given humans so much. We kinda owe them, at the very least, a decent quality of life. This is why I love Critter Camp.

One of my best audiences is at the Whatcom Humane Society’s Critter Camp for kids. It’s definitely my favorite class. Mostly because it’s so encouraging to see young people so interested in animal welfare, and it’s good to know that they will go out and share what they’ve learned with the grown-ups in their lives. Oh, and did I mention that I get to meet lots of critters as well?

Critter Camp is so much fun. Please click the play button below to enjoy the next episode in the new series Chickenlandia Stories, Critter Camp for Kids and Chickens. Or visit my Welcome to Chickenlandia YouTube Channel by clicking here.

To learn more and/or to make a donation to the Whatcom Humane Society, click here.

Chickens are for Everyone

Posted on August 15, 2018August 15, 2018

Did you know that the symbiotic relationship between humans and chickens has existed for millennia? It’s true, we’ve been in this chicken game for quite a long time. Over the years and across different cultures, chicken keeping varies in practice, but one thing for sure is that the use of factory farms is very new. No culture has it as part of their tradition. I’m not a fan.

It’s because of this that I have a saying: everyone belongs in Chickenlandia. What I mean is, everyone deserves to enjoy chickens (and beyond, but I’ll talk about that later). The more people who feel included and embraced in chicken keeping communities across the world, the more chickens are kept out of factory farms. That’s a win in my book.

Maybe you’ve been in a conversation like this: you’re on social media innocently mentioning how you like to free range your chickens, when someone jumps on you for endangering their lives to predators. It’s true, those who free range need to be aware that predators can and probably will happen. What I’ve heard from many free rangers is that they either can’t afford to put up a large run or their focus is on quality of life, and I support them. I also support those chicken keepers who just can’t bare to lose a chicken and so keep their flock in an enclosed run. And yes, I’ve witnessed them get raked through the coals for “jailing their birds”. *sigh*

It’s also so important to remember that not all people can afford to keep chickens in the same way. I have a very nice coop and run, but when my mother was a child in Guatemala, all her chickens slept in the trees. In fact, I imagine many people across the globe and even here in the United States do it this way. The fact that chickens will naturally come home to roost and can be fed so sustainably is why they’re such an accessible resource. I recently viewed a YouTube video about keeping chickens in a very cost effective way and I really liked it. The link is listed below.

So, if anyone has every made you feel alienated from the chicken keeping community, fret not. You will always be welcome in Chickenlandia. Do your chicken thing and don’t listen to the haters! Here’s a new video on Chickenlandia’s new YouTube channel about our recent “Chicken Hunt”, with a little bit about Chickenlandia’s inclusiveness sprinkled in as well. Hope you’ll give it a look-see:

Here’s a video about how to keep chickens for FREE on YouTube (not my channel but I really like this video). You should check it out!

How do you keep your chickens and what are your reasons for doing so? Let me know in the comments!

Are Chickens Dinosaurs?

Posted on August 7, 2018August 8, 2018

When I teach my chicken classes, the beginning of my lesson is all about cute, little, fuzzy-wuzzy baby chicks. Oh, the little puff balls! Who can resist them?

But don’t be fooled! Baby chicks may look cute, but it won’t be long before they turn into something…else.

Apparently I’m not alone in my observation. Lots of people look at their chickens and think, are they dinosaurs? Scientists have been wondering if chickens are the descendants of dinosaurs for over a century, in fact! Much has been researched on the subject lately, as well.

Scientists strapped a fake dinosaur tail to a chicken to hopefully gain insight on how the T-Rex moved and stood.

I’m no scientist, but I really do wonder sometimes if chickens are dinosaurs. Here’s some video of when my kiddos and I decided to go deep under cover to try and find out more:

What do you think? Are chickens dinosaurs? Let me know in the comments!