Farm Life Spotlight: Coffee With The Chicken Ladies

Chrisie and Holly have been best friends for 40 years. Together they have over 25 years of experience keeping chickens. Their friendship is firmly cemented by their love of animals and of course coffee - inspiring the start of their chicken-loving lifestyle...

 Chrisie started keeping chickens on her 3-acre farm about 8 years ago. Holly grew up on a small horse farm and currently has a 4-acre farm. She started keeping chickens, llamas, and alpacas close to 20 years ago and keeping rare breed sheep about 5 years ago.

Both were brought into farming due to their love for animals. They are up with the sun and the day doesn't end until the animals have been tended for the night. Both always make sure the animals are cared for first before anything else happens. Their joy in farming stems from the incredible bonds they build with their livestock. 

One very special animal on both of their farms is their pet chickens. "It's so much fun to watch them. It helps us relax and by the time we've spent 10 or 15 minutes with the chickens, we're usually laughing at something they're up to. Chickens make the best TV! We also love the fresh eggs that our chickens gift us and incorporate them into baking" 

Although farming is their biggest joy, it does not come without challenges. "For us, top-quality veterinary care is very important. It can be challenging to find a vet in some rural areas of the country. And it's even harder to find veterinary care for chickens. We feel like chickens fall through the cracks, and people are not encouraged to take their poultry to see a vet. We've had excellent luck with avian veterinarians, often found in small animal hospitals."

Despite challenges, Chrisie and Holly both believe when it comes to the farm industry they have seen some changes for the better including more accountability for humane animal care, better medical care, and better quality end results. Both feel the future seems to be moving towards more small family farms, excellent local food economies, a movement back to heritage breeds, and a back-to-the-land movement that is good for people, animals, and the planet.

For any other small farmers or someone interested in homesteading they advise you to, "be meticulous in your animal care. Taking shortcuts will come back to bite you. It is so worth doing this, but it really is hard work. Take the time to research and read as much as you can, but ultimately you'll have to develop methods that work best for you and your farm." 

This chicken-loving duo continues to grow and uses their platform to educate and entertain poultry keepers, new and old.  Holly is a livestock historian and Chrisie is a retired veterinary technician/trauma nurse. People love hearing the history/story of their rare and heritage breed poultry and appreciate hearing about their experiences with chicken care. "We use our website, podcast, and social media to offer information, assistance, and encouragement." If you are a new farmer, poultry fanatic, coffee lover, or simply enjoy listening to other like-minded farm enthusiasts,  follow along with Chrisie and Holly. You can subscribe to their podcast or keep up with their daily life on Facebook and Instagram. Grab a coffee and a listen to their podcast, but.. don’t forget to hug your chicken!

Learn more here!