BOOK REVIEW and GIVEAWAY: A Kid's Guide to KEEPING CHICKENS

 Bawk, bawk, bawk, baaaawk! Calling all chicken keepers with kid's! This is your lucky day! 

I'm so pleased to be a part of this book review blog tour!

Melissa Caughey of the popular blog Tilly's Nest and Storey Publishing are giving away one copy of her fantabulous new book,

A Kid's Guide to Keeping Chickens to one lucky Dandelion House reader! 

I wish a book like this had been around when we began our chicken keeping adventures 8 years ago. At the time our children were 8 and 10 years old. We got the caring for chickens basics covered but Melissa takes backyard chicken keeping to a whole nuther level. I just know our kids would have loved digging into the chapter on Chicken Crafts where they could have learned how to make an egg carton treasure box and how to blow out and egg and decorate it. Or  how to sketch a chicken to hang on the frig or in the family art gallery. We could have used a few pointers on taming chickens too which is also covered in this book.

Mom's, Dad's and Grandparents will love the chapter on creating a chicken-friendly garden too! What better way to get your kids involved in gardening than creating  safe pecking grounds for the family flock?  And, if you're brand new to keeping chickens Melissa covers everything you need to know about creating a healthy home and proper care and handling of your new chicks!  

This book covers it all with adorable kid-friendly illustrations alongside beautiful photography featuring kids and chickens together. Just as it should be! 

Enter to win Melissa Caughey's, A Kids Guide to KEEPING CHICKENS!

I'll announce the winner a week from today!

GOOD LUCK! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Follow the blog tour for more chances to win!

 Tuesday, March 17th:

Louise's Country Closet

www.louises-country-closet.com

Wednesday, March 18th:

Chicken Art

www.chickenart.com

Thursday, March 19th:

The Chicken Chick

www.The-Chicken-Chick.com   

Monday, March 23rd

Laughing Crow & Company

http://www.laughingcrowco.com/

 

Thank You Sarah Hudock!

 One of the biggest joys about writing for MaryJanesFarm Magazine are the amazingly kind and talented artisans I get to meet through my YET ANOTHER Girl Genius features. Melissa Caughey ( creator of  the well known Tilly's Nest blog AND future Girl Genius) introduced me to the beautiful and funny world of Miss Sarah Hudock and the rest as they say is chickory. 

I feel so blessed to be able to share such inspiring and talented ARTISANS with the world. It's a good feeling to shine the light on others! 

So, thank you, Melissa and Sarah for being such a special part of my flock. 

And a big ole hug to Sarah for sending me and the Dandelion House "Girls " one of her Chicken Art Tin Signs for the coop! It's beautiful! We luvs it!  

MaryJanesFarm can be purchased at all book stores and some Tractor Supply stores and you can also subscribe here! 

Do you know a farmgirl who you think would make a great Girl Genius feature? 

Send me an email and tell me who!

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop # 183 PLUS a Farmgirl Outing to The Northeastern Poultry Congress

Woot! Woot! Happy Farmgirl Friday on Sunday! I hope you're getting some fun in this weekend along with your daily rounds. I was able to sneak away to the Northeaster Poultry Congress  (from Chicks to Champs ) in Springfield, MA yesterday with my friend Melissa from Tilly's Nest. Here's a great post she wrote for Community Chickens you might like to check out if you've ever thought about going to a Poultry show.

We had a blast looking at all the different breeds of chickens and listening to the roosters crow and the geese honk all day long. Plus we got to meet some of our blogging friends in person too! That's always a treat!


 Imagine about 50 or more rows just like this one filled with all sizes, colors and breeds of poultry! You might think that it would be pretty smelly inside but I learned that the chickens don't get fed prior to judging. They get water but no food until they've been judged. Afterwards they can eat their little chicken hearts out.

There was so much going on I had a hard time deciding where to point my camera. But then I spotted this little gal giving her pet chicken a work out on the obstacle course and I had to get a closer look. Adults, juniors and children alike enter their birds in various categories in hopes of placing high or even winning a championship.

  It was so heartwarming to watch the youngster with their birds. They were so passionate and knowledgeable about their hobby and showed such poise and maturity, especially while under the judges watchful eye like this group of juniors in the showmanship class below.

 This pretty girl is a Blue Orpington. 

This Barred Rock Cockerel ( a domestic bird under a year old ) was quite the handsome fella!
It's a lot to take in in one day, but so worth going ( at least once ) if you're a backyard chicken keeper or maybe you and your children are looking for a way to add some competitive fun to an already enjoyable hobby.

 
 So, that was my chick-filled farmgirl outing this weekend!

Before you get hopping be sure to check out the latest Giveaway! Carole West of Garden Up Green is giving away one download of her new eBook Quail, Getting Started. One more day to enter here!

 Debbie of Farmgirl Unleashed  ( my co- hostess and farmgirl in crime )  and I are looking forward to watching your year unfold and we've got  more great  FARMGIRL GIVEAWAYS planned for you too!

 Time to link-up and play some Farmgirl Show and Tell with us!

DUST, MUST AND RUST AT THE VINTAGE BAZAAR!

 

 Sometimes a girl just has to hit the open road with friend for a day of FARMGIRL adventure!

My pal Melissa Caughey of Tilly's Nest Blog and I did just that this past Saturday! Where were we headed? To The Vintage Bazaar in Salsbury, MA. This was the third year for this event and the first time either us us had attended! When I read it was going to be held on the grounds of a  historic flower farm I was T.H.E.R.E.!

Pettengill Farm

I don't want to give it all away cuz I'm sharing on  my MJF BEACH Farmgirl Blog this weekend too, but I just couldn't keep all that we saw under my hat for another minute! 

  So, here are some of the highlights!

Of-course there was a tractor and of-course children were climbing all over it! I wanted to climb on too but I didn't want to ruin the kids fun to I contained myself, but it wasn't easy!

 Do you dream of owning an old vintage truck of your very own? I do! My dad had an old red ford model of this vintage that I adored! This old vintage truck was for sale! I didn't bring enough money this trip, but next time I just might be better prepared!

There were salvaged banisters and buttons.

Linens and lace.

Vintage chicken keeping goods were in abundance! 

Here's Melissa checking out the metal egg crate and a vintage chicken water feeder.

 

 It was an amazing day!  We walked, talked, and oohed and awed our way through 125 amazing vender's! We also met some fabulous ladies who each have vintage shops of their own. But that's Top Secret for now!

I'll tell ya all about them in my upcoming post for MaryJanesFarm, I promise!

Until then... Tell us how you've been getting YOUR farmgirl on this fall!

Rise and Shine

  I'm sending out a BIG Thank You to Hobby Hill Farm and Tilly's Nest today!

 I won! I won! I won the Rise and Shine Travel mug from Hobby Hill Farm. by entering one of Tilly's Nest giveaways! This is the first giveaway I've won and it's great fun! I love the beautifully painted rooster on the mug and the charming decorative box it came packaged in! I'm sure I can find a use for it in the kitchen or pantry! Hobby Hill Farm offers affordable, decorative and fun FARM products for inside and out!

Tilly's Nest is authored by my friend Melissa on Cape Cod where she shares her daily adventures of keeping a small flock of backyard chickens. She and her little flock are rising to the top as up and coming celebrities in blog land. They won Country Livings Blue Ribbon Blogger award last year!

Visit both blogs and like their facebook pages! You'll be glad you did!

Have a wonderful Monday friends!